Chapters

Legend
Sinful Spirit
In the Cover of Darkness
Losing my Sanity
Midnight Shadows
Dark Wings
Enter the Nightmare
A Shining Tear

Legend
View Online

Nights Stained Red

Legend

Chapter 1- Legend
Sorrow. Distress. Anguish. Woe. Suffering. What do these words have in common? My little ponies, these words can all be placed under another word: pathos. To most, pathos is simply a word, but, to us in Ponyville, it is more than that. It is a name, yet, more so, a curse.
You see, long ago there was a stallion with a grey pelt and blue mane. He was always picked on by many. He was picked on because he was thoroughly intrigued by pathos, an artistic representation evoking pity or compassion. That was unusual. They would make fun of him whenever something bad happened to him, or whenever he was sad, thinking it ironic that one who embraced the concept of sadness also was hurt by it. But one day, there was an incident that went beyond that of bullying. The stallion walked into his house one evening… and found his wife, dead in a pool of her own blood. He went to her, tears streaming. Beside the deceased mare was a note, written in blood. It read:
'How's this for pathos, weirdo?'
The stallion was infuriated. He changed his old name to Pathos and hunted down the killer, using the note to compare handwriting. It was a week before he found the culprit. Pathos tortured him relentlessly for hours until the killer's life had vanished.
Pathos lived on with the memory of his vengeance fresh on his mind. He knew deep inside that the pony deserved to die, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it was wrong. But, he wouldn't remain justified for long.
With the murder, Pathos' conscience was shattered. He grew numb inside. Pathos murdered any who taunted him about his interest in pathos. Anypony who had made him feel worthless. Anypony who made him feel the very emotion he was intrigued by.
He couldn't let go. He was filled with too much hatred, and his mercy had died along with his wife. He tortured many, always to death. Pathos began to find joy and comfort in the suffering of others. Pathos was hunted by guards, but was never caught. Who would ever suspect the stallion that was picked on by everypony?
But that didn't mean he was never brought to justice. One night, while he was torturing a pony, he had a brief moment of clarity. Pathos looked and saw who he was torturing. It was just a foal. Right then he realized what he had done. He realized what he had allowed himself to become. Pathos tried to help the filly but it was too late. She had passed on. Then he was once again consumed in his hatred. Only this time, it was directed at himself. Pathos ripped at his own flesh until his jawbone could be seen through his cheek, until his bare ribs could be seen through his chest, until he was mangled beyond recognition. Then, covered in both his blood and the filly's, he hung himself.
Yet some say his lust for vengeance burned even past the threshold of death. Even two-hundred years later, they say his soul still lurks through the Everfree forest where he had been buried…

"Well, that's all for tonight!" declared Rainbow Dash, who had been hovering over the campfire, telling her story to the three fillies that made up the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
Scootaloo was shaking from pure, concentrated fear. This story was far worse than the other tales Rainbow had spun. This one was downright petrifying!
"Alright girls, go and run along to Fluttershy's place. I've neglected work long enough. I'm supposed to be helping the Weather Crew brew an evening storm," Rainbow said with a sigh.
"Aww!" the Cutie Mark Crusaders all complained at once.
"Sorry girls, but duty calls," said the cyan pegasus. She turned and shot across the ruddy, sunset sky, leaving a bright rainbow in her wake. Scootaloo followed Rainbow's trail with her gaze, wishing her sister-figure hadn't gone.
"Come on, Scoots!" said Apple Bloom. She and Sweetie Belle were already leaving the lightly wooded area in the direction of Fluttershy's cottage. Even though the small copse of trees wasn't nearly as thick, it still reminded Scootaloo of the dreadful Everfree Forest. She shivered a bit and hastened after her friends.
The three fillies were on their way to Fluttershy's to have a sleepover. Rarity and Applejack were both busy for the night, so the girls had turned to the only other logical choice, Fluttershy. She accepted to watch them both as a favor to the young girls and to her friends.
"That was a really creepy story!" said Sweetie Belle as Scoots approached.
"I know," the orange pegasus replied. "Dash is certainly getting more inventive with her stories."
"No need to be scared, Scoots. It's only a story," said Apple Bloom.
"I'm not scared!" Scootaloo defied indignantly.
"You're shiverin' like it's negative twenty-five degrees out here!" the yellow earth pony retorted. Scootaloo looked down at her trembling legs and forced them to stop.
"Well, not that scared," Scoots corrected.
Sweetie Belle came up to Scootaloo and rested a hoof on her shoulder. "It's okay, Scoots. I was pretty scared myself. I've never heard a story with so much… blood in it before. Where did Rainbow come up with such a gruesome story anyways?" said the white unicorn filly.
"Come on! Let's get goin' before it gets dark and Flutter starts worryin'" Apple Bloom said. The three fillies took off towards the yellow pegasus' cottage.

Rainbow Dash was exhausted. The sun had sunk below the horizon when she caught up with the Weather Crew in Cloudsdale. Rainbow's squadron consisted of five pegasi. They were Cloudchaser, Thunderlane, Flitter, Dizzy Twister, and herself.
Cloudchaser, who was today's Crew leader, was upset for a while when Rainbow showed up late. However, the hard feelings between them instantly vaporized the moment the doors to the shipment room of the Cloudsdale Weather Corporation swung open.
"Alright fillies and gentlecolts!" Cloudchaser commanded. The four other pegasi formed a quick line before her. "This is my first time as a Weather Crew commander, so I want everything to go smoothly! You've all been through these procedures before so I expect you to do your job well! For those of you who don't remember the procedure, yes I'm talking to you Twister, I'll give you a refresher. You'll each take one of these chariots filled with compressed thunderclouds," she said, indicating the five tarped chariots. "Then, you'll have a satchel full of magic powder that you'll sprinkle over the clouds to decompress them. Remember, each thunderhead doesn't need any more than one cup of powder! Then, the other Crew will take the clouds from you to position them in the sky. You'll return here to get one more shipment of clouds and repeat the process. Now that you're all refreshed, let's fly to it!"
The pegasi broke up and flew into the floating facility that housed all of the mechanics of weather creation. Rainbow stepped up to a chariot, grabbing a pair of flight goggles on the way, and harnessed herself to the trailer. She adjusted the goggles over her eyes and stood erect, awaiting command.
"Launch!" Cloudchaser ordered. At once, all five members of the Weather Crew took off, carrying their burdens behind them. It would take only fifteen minutes to reach the border of Ponyville, but compressed clouds were surprisingly heavy. Even after doing this job for years, Rainbow still never got used to the weight. She was always much happier when the managers assigned her to sky clearing or cloud positioning or something that didn't require carrying a half-ton of clouds on her back. Add the weight of the chariot and her own body weight and it came close to a full ton! That's a lot, even for wings as powerful as hers.
"No, no. Focus on something other than the weight," Rainbow said to herself. Having nothing else to really reflect upon, her mind wandered to her job in general. The Cloudsdale Weather Corporation hired many pegasi to help with the distribution and maintenance of the weather. The manager, Aero Wing, was an expert in different strategies. He developed a system in which all Weather Crews would rotate through the various jobs as to keep any one group from tiring of a job, both physically and mentally. And, within the groups, the pegasi would alternate being leader probably to keep the blame and stress off of any one pony. Too bad this job was still just as difficult even with Aero's brilliant strategy. Flying a ton of clouds across Equestria is insane. Wait. How exactly does a ton of anything stay aloft in the sky? It didn't matter. New subject.
Rainbow's mind wandered to the story she had told the Cutie Mark Crusaders earlier. She laughed inwardly. Their expressions were priceless. She halfway regretted not throwing in a jump scare. She hoped she hadn't gone too far. The story was much more violent than the ones she normally told. But, hey, it wasn't only a story. It was a historical legend. Rainbow had stumbled across the book in Twilight's library. The way it sat there with its worn cover and dusty pages had beckoned her. She read it, had nightmares for a night, and then decided to add it to the list of scary stories she could tell her sister.
Scootaloo wasn't really Rainbow's sister, but they shared a bond closer than most siblings. Rainbow would be there to comfort the young filly when she was sad and find ways to hang out when it was a bright day with nothing to do. It was a friendship even the bonds of blood had trouble creating.
"Rainbow! Where are you going?" Cloudchaser snapped Rainbow Dash out of her thoughts. They had reached their destination and Rainbow was just about to pass it by.
"Sorry, Cloudchaser. I was lost in thought."
"Well it's time to get lost in work. Get to it!"
Rainbow alighted the chariot on the large cloud with the other pegasi and unstrapped herself. She went around to the back and went back to work, guided by the light of the rising moon.

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were all tucked into the bed in Fluttershy's room. The yellow pegasus exited the room with a quiet, "Good night," and closed the door behind her. As her hoofsteps descended the staircase, the three fillies immediately opened their eyes and started to whisper to one another.
"Hey, Apple Bloom. What are we going to do to try to get our cutie marks this time?" Scootaloo asked quietly.
Sweetie Belle shrugged, "I'm not sure if we should be sneaking out again. Remember last time?"
"Oh yeah. That cockatrice would've turned us to stone if it wasn't for Fluttershy," Scootaloo said.
"It's probably gone by now," said Apple Bloom, "Fluttershy gave it quite the scare."
"Wait. I wasn't suggesting going into the Everfree Forest this time. Maybe we could find something to do around town," Scootaloo suggested.
"We can do that at any time," said Apple Bloom. "Fluttershy's cottage is probably the closest house to the forest. How else are we going to get cutie marks in deep wood exploration?"
"But what about Pathos? Doesn't he haunt the forest?" Scootaloo said, a bit panicked.
"Aw Scoots. Rainbow just made that up. It's all fake," Sweetie Belle assured.
"I… guess you're right," Scootaloo conceded.
"Great! Then let's go!" said Apple Bloom.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle threw open the window and scampered out onto the roof, Scootaloo reluctantly following. They climbed down the latticework on the side of the cottage and took off in the direction of the forest.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders came to an abrupt halt before the ominous forest. Clouds were crossing in front of a full moon, only adding to the dark aura that already shrouded the dangerous wood. The fillies took a tentative step forward.
"BOO!" Apple Bloom howled. Scootaloo was instantly on the ground, shuddering and holding her hooves over her head.
"Ha ha! Oh, lightin' up Scoots. You're jumpier than a startled rabbit!" Apple Bloom helped the young pegasus to her hooves. Scootaloo brushed dust off her shoulder and steadied her breathing, but she said nothing to defend herself. This whole place freaked her out.
"I know what'll take your mind off of your fear," Sweetie Belle spoke up. "How about a race? We could run to Zecora's hut. It's not too far into the forest."
"Yeah," said Scoots, her confidence building at the prospect of a contest. "That sounds fun."
"Alright!" said Apple Bloom, "We'll start at the count of three. Last one to Zecora's has to do the others' homework for the rest of the week! One. Two…"
The three fillies crouched in preparation. Scootaloo impatiently anticipated Apple Bloom's signal.
"THREE!"
The Cutie Mark Crusaders shot off into the woods, laughing. The thick woods immediately swallowed what moonlight still shone through the clouds. Vines seemed to grab at Scootaloo's hooves and brambles dragged at her small, flightless wings. As she blundered blindly though the foliage, something tripped her up. Scoots fell and landed jaw-first on a flat rock. The taste of iron touched her tongue as blood welled on her lip. She turned to gazed angrily at the snaking root that had caught her.
Scoots stood, swaying a little, dabbing at her chin. In the half-light she could see the glisten of a few drops of blood. The wound wasn't serious, it'd heal before tomorrow. She scuffed a hoof in the ground and pricked her ears. The laughter of her friends had faded off to be replaced by the rattling of the branches above her. A cold gust of wind ran through the leafless trees and Scootaloo shivered. Scootaloo had no idea where she was. And she was alone.
"Hello?" she called into the forest. "Sweetie Belle? Apple Bloom? Can you hear me?" There was no reply.
Scootaloo chose the direction she had thought she heard her friends go in and began to walk forward slowly. The trees above clattered angrily as the wind whispered through them. A tear ran down Scootaloo's cheek; she felt utterly lost and alone. She picked up the pace as she called out into the forest for her friends. Thunder rumbled in the distance and rain began to fall between the bare branches. The autumn cold wind blew fiercely, causing a branch to snap somewhere above Scoots' head. The limb landed mere feet from her. Scootaloo shrieked and ran blindly through the forest, tripping and stumbling but immediately getting back to her hooves to continue her fear-driven rush.
Suddenly, she burst into a small, bramble surrounded clearing and ran into something solid. She reeled back, pain flaring on her forehead where it had collided with the stone slab sticking out of the ground in front of her. She peered at the shape in the darkness, rain soaking her fur down to the skin. It looked like a gravestone.
"Oh, no," she said to herself, more tears welling in her eyes. However, these were tears of absolute terror. A bolt of lightning ripped through the sky, accompanied simultaneously by a roar of thunder. The brief illumination had revealed the name carved into the stone. Scootaloo moaned out loud in horror. On the gravestone was the name Pathos.

Rainbow shot upright from the bed. She was drenched in sweat and her breathing was heavy. Something had happened to disturb her from her peaceful sleep. Rainbow Dash flicked on her bedside lamp. Nothing was in the room. She fell back onto her pillow, relaxing a bit. However, the sense of foreboding still clung to her mind like a thick fog.
"What can it be?" Rainbow asked herself.
The sky-blue pegasus closed her eyes. There was an image of a dark forest. A storm thrashed high above the canopy, throwing down chilling drops of water. Then there was an orange filly weeping in fear before an eerie gravestone.
"Scootaloo?" Rainbow stepped forward to pat the filly on the back. Her hoof simply passed through the form of the young pegasus. This was only a dream, wasn't it?
Suddenly, the world around her shifted. Scootaloo was still there but everything else was gone. There was only darkness spreading in every direction. Despite this, Rainbow could still see the young filly as clear as day. Scootaloo stood up and looked around, as if unsure of where she was. She looked in Rainbow's direction and froze, quivering violently. At first, Rainbow Dash thought it was her that the filly was afraid of. However, she did not shift her gaze when Rainbow moved. Then blue pony cast a glance behind her back and instantly wished he hadn't.

"Please let this be a dream!" Scootaloo whispered to herself.
She was entirely alone, and the forest had vanished, leaving only an empty void in its place. Well, she wasn't alone. Scootaloo wished more than ever that she was at that moment. Something was approaching her. As it became more visible, more tears welled in her eyes.
"GO AWAY! MAKE IT STOP!" Scoots shrieked.
The pony approached Scootaloo. He may have been smiling but it was hard to tell. Half of the pony's skin was torn from his face. Bare ribs were showed through a blood-soaked, once grey pelt. His eyes were hidden behind a red-streaked, messy, blue mane. The blood that seeped from various wounds covering his tattered body pooled around his hooves and crept slowly towards Scootaloo.
Scootaloo's body wracked with sobs. Her eyes were clenched shut as if it would take her away from that place. She couldn't face this monster. If only Rainbow Dash were here to protect her! The monster before her leaned in close to her.
…Vessel…
The word drifted through Scootaloo's mind. She instantly knew that the damaged pony was speaking to her through her mind.
...Open the door…
"NO!" the orange filly cried. Her eyes were squeezing so hard, sparks danced before her eyelids.
...Embrace…
"I know who you are! Just go away! I did nothing to you!"
…Who I am? ...
Scootaloo looked up and saw the eyes of the demonic creature before her. They were black as night, red pupils glowing in the center. The eyes are the windows to the soul, but this thing before her was soulless. "…Pathos…" she whimpered so quietly even she could barely distinguish it.
The form of the mutilated creature before her let out an otherworldly screech and rose to full height, causing Scootaloo to shrink as close to the ground as she could. Her belly fur was dipping in sticky, red liquid. Blood. She tried to step out of it, but it pulled her deeper into the pool, the ground below it disappearing. The demonic spirit dissolved into the pool along with Scoots. The blood lapped over her head and she struggled for breath. Everything faded out. All her senses nullified. Scootaloo couldn't hold her breath anymore. She sucked in a lungful of blood and unconsciousness claimed her.

Sinful Spirit
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Nights Stained Red

Sinful Spirit

Chapter 2- Sinful Spirit
Scootaloo thrashed on the ground in a pile of damp, dead leaves. Her eyes lavender eyes shot open, expecting to see nothing but a stifling lake of blood engulfing her. However, she was only in a small tree-encircled clearing. Pale dawn light filtered through the limbs of the autumn-bare trees. As the young pegasus struggled to sit up, a sharp pain pierced her head. She reached up a hoof to touch the point of pain. There was a small bump and dried blood flaked off of her forehead.
Scootaloo leaned back with a sigh and clacked her head against something solid. She recoiled forward, grasping the back of her head with both hooves. She opened one eye and saw the tombstone behind her. All pain immediately vanished only for pure dread to replace it.
"I-I th-thought it was only a d-dream," she said, hoping that the sound of her voice would comfort her. However, it only made her feel even more painfully aware of her loneliness.
Then she realized there was nothing to be afraid of. There was no name on the stone, only a spot of dried blood where her head had connected with it during the night.
"Wait. What? If it rained, why would my blood still be…" Scoots faltered, unable to fight as a wave of nausea and disorientation swept over her. The night had taken its toll on the poor pegasus. Not only had concentrated fear formed a deep pit in her stomach, she was also so disoriented that she couldn't tell if what had happened was real or simply a dream. Her head spun and she retched. A foul, acidic liquid trickled out of her mouth, burning her throat on the way out. She coughed and sputtered. Small tears welled in her eyes from the pain of the acid reflux. She struggled to her full height, wavering because of the weakness caused by a night of fear and unrest.
Scootaloo lost all train of conscious thought. All she knew was that she needed to get out of here. The orange filly chose a direction opposite the tombstone and began to stumble through the dense forest. The dead brambles and leafless bushes snagged at her tail and wings. She stumbled often and twice fell. For some reason, Scoots couldn't bring herself to care. The pain in her head and stomach amounted to such an agonizing internal pain that physical pain was little cause to warrant her attention. Thus, she stumbled onwards, blindly, through the forest.

"Do you think she's okay?" Sweetie Belle asked.
She and Apple Bloom had returned that morning with Zecora. Fluttershy had slept through the entire night and had awoken to two extremely worried fillies arriving at the doorstep with the mysterious zebra that lived in the nearby forest.
"Scoots will be okay… I hope," Fluttershy replied not so comfortingly. The yellow pegasus was not known for her self-confidence but it rather unsettled the already disturbed girls.
When the fillies had reached Zecora's house, they had realized that their winged friend was nowhere in sight. They gave an effort to try to locate the young pegasus, but it was too dark and stormy to search for long. Even after enlisting Zecora's help, they had no luck and were forced to retire to the zebra's hut for the remainder of the night.
"We should go back out there and look for her!" said Apple Bloom. "Come on! Let's go!" she began to charge off.
"No! Wait!" Sweetie Belle called.
Apple Bloom turned and walked back to her purple-maned friend. "What do you mean no? Scootaloo is our friend and we should search that forest as long as it takes. I don't care that the Everfree Forest spans hundreds of miles! I'll explore every inch of it to find her."
"But we don't have to," said Sweetie Belle.
"Of course we do!" the yellow earth pony threw back.
The white unicorn filly rolled her green eyes. "No we don't. Look there." Sweetie Belle pointed to the tree line with a hoof. Stumbling precariously out of the forest was Scootaloo.
The two other Cutie Mark Crusaders rushed over to their friend's side. The orange pegasus wore a blank expression. Her pelt was covered in scratches, some thorns still clinging to her. Her head was bruised, and a bit of dried blood dripped from a small, scabbed-over wound.
"Are you okay?" Sweetie Belle asked urgently. Scootaloo shook her head.
"No, I don't feel so… good. I need to get some… sleep." Scoots' eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed to the ground.
"She's out cold!" Apple Bloom exclaimed. "Hurry! Go get Fluttershy!"
For a second, Sweetie Belle stood there stupidly, a bit bewildered at everything going on. Apple Bloom looked into the white unicorn's eyes and shouted louder, "Now!" Sweetie Belle took off toward the cottage as fast as her legs could carry her.

Scootaloo opened her eyes slowly. She knew there was a candle nearby, judging by the soft aura that illuminated the room around her. A window was nearby, yet no light streamed through. It was nighttime.
"Where… am I?" she asked groggily to herself. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she could make out more of the room. It was Fluttershy's room. Nopony was in the room with her. Scootaloo rubbed her eyes with her hooves and sat upright. A clock nearby read 11:30. Was it that late?
Scoots shrugged and slid out of the bed. Her wings hung limply at her side. She was too exerted to bother folding her wings properly. She went downstairs and entered the living room. There sleeping peacefully with her back to her was Fluttershy.
Agonizing pain flared in Scoots' head. Her heart flared with an unnatural hot feeling. She crumpled to the ground, the pain so severe she couldn't scream. Only a few whimpers escaped her; even that caused her chest to ache even more. Voices echoed in her head. …Kill… Eliminate…Revenge…Hatred…Destroy…
A red haze clouded Scootaloo's sight, tinting everything scarlet. Suddenly, her body seized up. She stood, yet she hadn't told her body to. Was this another dream? She grabbed a picture frame hanging on a wall and smashed it into the ground, fracturing the glass. Fluttershy stirred but didn't get up. The orange pegasus filly grabbed a long sliver of glass with a wicked looking point in her mouth. Then she turned to face the sleeping form on the couch. Oh, no. Run, Fluttershy. Run! Scoots wanted to shout those words but her body rebelled. It was like watching a movie where something terrible was going to happen and you were powerless to stop it.
She was over the sleeping pegasus now. Scootaloo tried to turn around, to drop the glass shard, anything. Then she placed the glass between the Fluttershy's shoulder blades. Scootaloo tried to close her eyes, but she was forced to watch as her own body performed deplorable deeds against her will.
"Ouch! What was… Ow! Scootaloo, what are you… AHH! No! STOP! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
Scootaloo felt blood spatter her fur. I'm so sorry, she thought miserably. Even though she couldn't control her body, a single tear still managed to slip from the filly's eye.

"Where is she?" Rainbow asked, flying back and forth.
She, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity were in the park waiting for Fluttershy to show up. It was noon and the five ponies had been waiting for the yellow pegasus to arrive for the picnic. Now, thirty minutes had passed, and Rainbow was getting restless.
"I reckon we should start eatin' without 'er. I'm starvin' half to death!" Applejack suggested.
"No," said Rainbow, "She said she'd be here. She has to show up!"
"Listen, dear. We are all quite famished. I doubt she would mind if we took a few bites in her absence," Rarity replied.
Rainbow Dash sighed impatiently. She refused to eat without Fluttershy, even if her own stomach was growling hungrily. What kind of loyalty would that be? "That's it!" she announced, "I'm going to see what's taking so long." Rainbow turned tail and made to leave the picnic area when she heard Applejack's voice.
"I'm goin' with 'er," said the orange earth pony.
"If you want to," Rainbow said.
"Hey! I'll go, too," said Twilight Sparkle.
"Okay! Let's g—"
"I think I have half a mind to tag along," said Rarity.
Rainbow sighed. Why did everypony have to show up just to fetch one pony? Oh, well; what did it matter? She realized one pony hadn't offered to come. "What about you Pinkie Pie?"
The pink pony was sitting still. Suddenly, her entire body shuddered violently. That was not a good sign. Pinkie had an unusual ability that she called 'Pinkie Sense'. Sometimes, she would get little feelings that often gave little hints to the future. And a full body shake usually meant something much unexpected was going to happen.
"I'll… go," said Pinkie Pie reluctantly, "but I have a bad feeling about this."
"Alright," said Rainbow, "Let's go." The blue pegasus was a little worried. Pinkie's unique ability rarely showed itself, but when it did, the prediction was almost never wrong.
The band of friends set off from the park. The path to Fluttershy's cottage was relatively short and the five ponies arrived within thirteen minutes. Rainbow began to approach the house when Twilight stopped her.
"Wait," said the lavender unicorn. "Something seems… off."
Rainbow looked to her friend then back at the seemingly peaceful cottage. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Then it hit her. There was an odd scent in the air. It smelled foul; nothing Rainbow Dash had ever had the displeasure of smelling before. It was very faint, but it was definitely there. It smelled kind of like something rotting. Like death.
"I'm scared," Pinkie whimpered. As if to instill fear in everypony else, her body was wracked with another violent tremor. Not a soul dared go up to the door that had just become foreboding. None except Rainbow Dash.
"I'll go ahead and take a look," she said, bravely stepping closer to the door. Nopony stopped her, yet none accompanied her. The scent of decay grew stronger as she came closer to the door. Taking a breath, she knocked on the door. No answer.
"Hello! You in there?" Dash called. Still no reply.
Rainbow took a deep gulp. She tested the doorknob. It was unlocked. The door creaked open slowly. Instantly, the scent of fear and death overpowered Rainbow Dash. She gagged on the thick, sickly aroma. The room was pitch black. The darkness seemed to suck all light from Rainbow's soul. All emotions of courage and hope fled, leaving fear and despair in its place. She fumbled around for a light switch to illuminate the dark room. Rainbow slipped and landed in something wet that reeked with the rank scent.
After pulling herself to her hooves and shaking out the foul liquid, Rainbow found what she was looking for: the lamp. She turned it on and instantly regretted the action. What she saw pierced her heart. This room was what Hell must be like. Blood drenched everything. It was spattered walls and soaked the furniture. Pools of it covered the floor. Bones and chunks of decaying flesh were strewn throughout the room. A skull was on the table was on the table next to a bowl filled with what looked like brain matter and a heart. But the centerpiece of the room hung upon the wall. It was Fluttershy. Well, it had been. It was her skin, removed from the body with cruel precision. The wings spread out and her fore hooves reached for the ceiling as if she were Celestia, raising the sun. Bloodstains marred the yellow fur. Trails of it streaked her cheeks and legs and back. The trails crisscrossed in many places. Wait. It wasn't happenstance. The blood trails formed, no, spelled something. Revenge of the fallen soul.
Rainbow Dash felt tears rise up in her eyes. She tilted her head to the ceiling and let out a grievous caterwaul. This place was more than she could tolerate. The carnage surrounded her. The blood was even clinging to her fur. But through all the disgusting litter around her, one emotion pushed away nausea and fear. It was grief. Her friend was gone forever. Fluttershy was dead.

Twilight Sparkle watched as Applejack dragged Rainbow's bloody, unconscious body from the cottage. At first the lavender unicorn had thought the blood belonged to Rainbow Dash. However, the orange cowpony assured her that the blood did not belong to the polychromatic pegasus. Yet her brief feeling of relief was ripped away as soon as Applejack described the butchery inside the cottage.
After at least a half hour of tear-drenched grief, Twilight sobered herself up. She left her mourning friends and walked slowly home. The buildings she passed were less colorful and the ponies she passed blurred into the background. She thought somepony had tried to talk to her, but she didn't take any notice.
"Why did Fluttershy have to go? There was not a single bad bone in her fragile body. What would drive anypony to do something so horrible?" As she talked to herself piteously, she found herself before the library where she lived. Memories of the yellow pegasus flashed through mind at a thousand miles per hour. There were happy memories and sad ones. Their first meeting, their encounters with the various villains of Equestria, memories of being strong through the toughest of times all flashed through her head. But now that's all she had left of Fluttershy: memories. She would never again hear her gentle voice. She would never see her frolicking and nurturing her woodland animals. She would never see her bold, courageous side that showed itself once in a blue moon. She would never see Fluttershy again.
Tears began to flow down her face. Through the tears, though, a spark lit deep in her heart. It was an emotion rarely unleashed. Rage. The fires inside began to melt the shell of sadness that threatened to encase her. This murderer deserved judgment. With a few tears still on her cheeks, she burst through her front door.
"SPIKE!" she yelled, calling for her dragon assistant. The purple dragon was there within seconds. He seemed puzzled by her furious tone, but he would soon understand.
"Take a letter," Twilight commanded brusquely. "Dear Princess Celestia, Today is a sad day for Ponyville. Fluttershy, one of my closest friends, has been found dead. It is unclear who this murderer is, but he must be found and judged! I request you send assistance in finding and capturing this rogue slaughterer. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle."
Spike looked up after finishing the message "What happened to—"
"Just send it," Twilight interrupted. Spike obediently breathed magic fire onto the scroll, sending it directly to the princess. Twilight Sparkle stormed up to her room and collapsed on the bed. Suddenly, the fire extinguished in her heart. The sadness came flooding back like a tsunami. She wept all through the night.

In the Cover of Darkness
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Nights Stained Red

In the Cover of Darkness

Chapter 3- In the Cover of Darkness
"I'm leaving now. I have to go."
"You do? Where?"
"I'm going to Ponyville."
"Ponyville? I thought you only worked in Canterlot. Can't they find somepony else to go there?"
"I got a special letter from Princess Celestia herself. Somepony was murdered."
"A murder case? There hasn't been a murder in Equestria in more than one hundred years. This is serious!"
"Well, I am an inspector after all. I have to go."
"I wish I could go with you. But being part of the Royal Guard prevents me from going just about anywhere."
"I know. We've been married for ten years."
"Roan, you don't have to go."
"Yes, I do. I will be back in week or two. It won't be to dreadfully long. I'll write you when I can."
"I guess I can't stop you from leaving can I?"
"Heh. I'm sorry. You'll be alright while I'm gone, though, right?"
"I'll be fine. You be careful out there, though. I don't want to lose you, too."
"I may be a mare, but I can take care of myself."
"I know you will. Guess you better hurry on; you don't want to be late. I love you, Roan."
"Love you too, Firemane."

Scootaloo woke up with a start. Her memories were jostled. It was midday. Where was she? How did she get here? She was at the edge of the woods. Nearby was a stream and birdsong filled the air. Was it the Everfree? No. No birds sang in that dark forest. Then where was she?
She sat up. The young pegasus filly couldn't remember anything. Where had she been last night? She had been staying at Fluttershy's. That was something. Wait. Wasn't that two or three nights ago? Scootaloo shook her head in annoyance. She couldn't remember anything that mattered. It didn't help that her fur clung strangely to her body. She stood and trotted over to the stream. She was about to jump in when she caught sight of her reflection. She gasped. Her face was painted red. Memories swarmed over her. She had killed Fluttershy. But it wasn't she who had done it, it was something else. She jumped into the water with a yowl of rage, shattering the reflection into a thousand water droplets. Scootaloo stood in the cold water, watching the blood-clouded water wash away from her.
Scoots remembered the rest now. She had run away as soon as control over body returned. She had run until she collapsed from exhaustion. When she had awoken she could hear Fluttershy's friends approaching the park. There was no way she could ever face Rainbow Dash. Not now. Not ever again. She had snuck away into the forest where she had cried herself to sleep.
"Why me?" she asked the one who had controlled her. "Why her?"
…Revenge…
"Fluttershy hasn't done anything to anypony!" Scootaloo argued with the voice in her head.
...Ancestor…Descendant…
"What?" There was no reply. The young pegasus stamped in the water with frustration.
After bathing all the blood from her fur, Scootaloo climbed out of the water and shook herself dry. She debated on whether she should return home or not. She wasn't ready to see anypony. She didn't want anypony to know. She had to hide.
Scootaloo turned away from the direction she knew Ponyville lay. If she could fly, she would flee a thousand miles away. But she was grounded. She walked miserably between the tall trunks around her. She was leaving her past behind her.

"Fluttershy was a good friend. She may not have been the most self-confident pony, but she had a strong heart. Whenever somepony truly needed her, she was there. She showed more kindness than anypony I know. I pray that Heaven's gates open wide as her spirit journeys to the afterlife. May she rest in peace." Rainbow bowed her head as she finished her eulogy.
The yellow pegasus' friends were weeping around the tombstone. It wasn't a proper burial as there wasn't anything that could really be buried. Most of the gore had been left alone. Twilight had told her friends that the scene should be left alone for evidence. When Rainbow found out that Twilight was out for vengeance, she had been shocked. Twilight wasn't often one to get even, but she knew she was all for justice. With that, she had Rainbow's full support. Whoever had caused this atrocity deserved to be punished.
Dash turned to gaze at her troubled friends. Applejack and Rarity were struggling to hold back tears like herself. Pinkie Pie and Spike were full out bawling. And Twilight was unreadable. It looked like she was enraged and depressed at the same time, resulting in what looked like a blank stare. This was not how she pictured her friends. They were usually so happy and carefree. It was unnerving to see them so distraught. Thinking of it only brought her closer to tears.
To distract herself, Rainbow turned to the other ponies. Most of them, Dash didn't know all that well. She hadn't known Fluttershy had had so many friends. But she knew some of them. Big Macintosh, Granny Smith, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and… Wait. Scootaloo should be here. She was as close to Fluttershy as Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. They were with her many a day, just hanging out in the shy pegasus' company. Why wouldn't she be here for her own friend's funeral? Maybe she was too sad to come. That would be understandable. However, she couldn't break the feeling that there was something wrong with Scootaloo's absence. She worried for her sister. She just knew there was something wrong.

Darkness had fallen. It was nighttime yet again. Scootaloo was curled up in a small cave. She was lost out in the wilderness, but that was reassuring in a way. It meant she wouldn't be able to do what she had done a few nights ago. It tortured her soul to know that she had ended a life, even if it wasn't of her own accord. Her heart ached in fear and sadness. She wanted to wake up from this nightmare. But it was all real, and she knew it.
"Maybe I should kill myself," she muttered glumly. The idea was comforting. If she were to commit suicide, she could end the horror, the guilt, the agony.
Scootaloo picked up a rather sharp-looking rock in her hoof. She clenched her eyes shut and brought the stone up to her temple. Only, it didn't connect with her head. Her body was rebelling once again holding the stone away from her skull.
…My revenge is not complete…
Scootaloo's blood ran cold. She regained control and curled into a tight ball on the cold stone. Why did it have to be her? Why couldn't this evil spirit stay in its grave where it belonged?

Twilight awoke from her dozing to a knock at the door. She stumbled down the stairs and opened the door. Before her was a brown unicorn mare with blue eyes. Her black mane was pulled back in a ponytail and a suitcase levitated by her side with a blue aura.
"Hello?" Twilight asked, a bit hazy from fatigue.
"Twilight Sparkle I presume. I am Inspector Roan. Princess Celestia sent me here on the account of one of your friends being murdered. I am one of the best investigators in Canterlot, and will try my hardest to make sure justice is served where justice is due," she said.
"Oh! Please come in," Twilight said stepping back from the door to allow her guest to enter. "So, how was the trip here?"
"It was… uneventful. I slept through half the train ride," Roan stated plainly. She set her suitcase down on a table and gazed around the library. "Do you live here? It looks like a library."
"It is. I've lived here for two and a half years now. This is the Golden Oak Library. I work as the librarian and sleep upstairs," Twilight said, tiredness quickly fleeing.
"I see. So, where is the best place to sleep during my stay? Is there a hotel nearby? There wasn't too much information in the letter."
"Save your money. You can stay with me. It'll be my pleasure," Twilight offered happily.
"Thank you very much," Roan said. She turned and opened the suitcase, pulling out a notepad and quill. "Now, if it's not too late, I'd like to begin immediately."
"Right now?" Twilight asked, "It's like eleven at night."
Roan nodded. "I know. But I want to get home soon. You see, my husband, Firemane, hasn't been doing too well since his parents died a month ago. He's strong, but nopony can face that kind of grief alone. So, I want to get back as soon as possible."
"Aw. That's so sad. How did they die?"
"They just got old. They died on the same night, as if they were meant to die together. Their deaths still shake me up a little. They were as close to me as my own parents."
"And here you are to help me with a somepony's death when you could be back at home, working through your own problems," said Twilight sympathetically.
Roan shrugged. "Don't worry about it. It's my job. I'll have plenty of time afterwards to deal with my troubles. But I'm happy you care. Most of my clients wouldn't be so kind."
"So, where do you want to begin?"
"Okay. Let's start with the location…"

Rainbow Dash tossed and turned in her cloudy bed. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get the image of the demented cottage out of her head. She also had a hunch that something was up with Scootaloo. After the funeral, she had searched all over town for the young filly, but she was nowhere to be found. She hadn't been to school in days and her friends hadn't seen her either. It was overwhelming. Dash thrust her head under her pillow and held it down with her hooves, trying to block out the pressing thoughts.
After a while, sleep finally crept over her. However, her dreams were filled with blood and gore. She saw Fluttershy's face, contorted in pain as she was skinned alive by a very disturbing pony. It was the same one from her other dream, where Scootaloo was attacked. It was the same one from her story. It was Pathos. His mangled figure continued to rend the yellow pegasus to pieces. However, his black, soulless eyes gazed directly at Rainbow Dash.

When Scootaloo opened her eyes again, her heart sunk like a rock. She was walking. The trees around her bore large, delicious-looking red apples. There was no doubt about it. This was Sweet Apple Acres. How had she gotten here so fast? She couldn't have been asleep for more than a couple hours. The moon was directly overhead, casting silvery light over the dark path.
Over the next rise stood the Apple Family's house. Scootaloo stopped in her tracks. A force deep inside her soul struggled to drive her forward. She fought against it as hard as she could.
"Whether you like it or not, this body is mine, Pathos!" she hissed through clenched teeth.
…We'll see…
Just then, her willpower broke and she stumbled forward, knocking over a barrel filled with rakes and shovels. A loud, metallic crash filled the air. Scootaloo darted to the nearby barn without her consent. It unnerved her deeply whenever her body acted on its own. She wished to fight it, but it wore at her heart with each rebellion.
"What was that?" a distant voice could be heard coming from the house. It sounded like Applejack. There was a plaintive reply; probably Apple Bloom. "Don't you worry yer pretty little head. It's probably just some dog diggin' 'round in the barn. You go on back to sleep and I'll take care of it."
"Damn!" Scootaloo cursed, quietly. If Applejack came down here, Pathos would take over entirely. His inexplicable bloodlust would use Scootaloo as a tool to complete its own evil ends. There was a sound of a door opening and hoofsteps approaching the barn door. Scootaloo tried to yowl a warning, but her throat constricted. Then the same feeling of pure loss of control washed over her. She could only watch, as the silhouette of her victim appeared in the barn entryway. She wished she could block it all out.

"Hello? Anypony in here?" Applejack asked. She had been sleeping just fine when the crash woke her up. All she wanted was to just curl up back in bed.
"…I'm… here…" a voice croaked from the shadows.
Applejack felt her face flush with alarm. "Hello? Who's there? Are you okay?"
"I…"
"Hello? Hold on. I'll find ya a light," Applejack turned to leave. Whoever was in here sounded badly hurt.
"NO! Just… don't go… stay… where you… are…"
"Um, okay. Yer startin' to creep me out a little," Applejack said. She began to back towards the door. There were rustles in the hay-strewn floor and the door slammed shut behind her and a splintering crack resounded through the dark barn. Then a single lantern came to life, the miniature blaze flickering.
"Whoever you are, show yourself. I'll have you know that yer breakin' and enterin'!" Applejack said in a voice as calm as she could manage.
An orange pegasus filly stepped into the light of the lantern, her head down.
"Oh! Scootaloo! I had no idea it was you. You gave me a bit of a scare."
"Fear is nothing compared to sorrow. I was once a pony just like you. I was a hard worker; I did my best in all that I did. But then she was killed. I didn't know that I had built up years of rage. It all came out at once. That's when they started dying. But there were a few that escaped due punishment because of my fall. It was unfinished business. And now I have returned to bring justice once more."
"Scootaloo. You need to calm down. I don't even know what yer talkin' about. Just go home and get some sleep." Applejack was pressed against the door now. Scootaloo laughed menacingly. Applejack swiftly turned and fumbled around for the doorknob.
"I wouldn't do that…"
AJ found the handle and pulled on it. The handle snapped off and she fell backwards. Scootaloo loomed over the fear-stricken earth pony.
"You should really think about listening to the advice of others. Now you are trapped."
"Get away from me!" Applejack wailed, swinging a hoof at the deranged filly. The young pegasus dodged with unnatural speed and brought a hoof of her own smashing down into her snout. Pain temporarily blinded her.
When her vision returned, Scootaloo was nowhere in sight. She scrambled to her hooves, trying to catch a glimpse of her attacker in the dim light. Shadows clung to everything, the rafters completely hidden in the darkness. The light hardly reached a five foot diameter, hardly enough to fill the immense structure.
Suddenly, something heavy landed on her from above. There was a gut-wrenching snap and pain blazed through her body. She let out an ear-piercing scream. She couldn't move her legs, and her back was bent at an awkward angle. One end of her fractured spine was sticking out of her back, painting her amber coat red.
"Pain is a part of life," Scootaloo whispered, "As well as a part of death."
Applejack flailed with both of her operating hooves, trying vainly to strike her opponent. The pegasus filly laughed menacingly and picked up Applejack's tail in her maw. She felt herself being dragged across the floor. Her protruding spine caught in cracks in the floor, sending shockwaves of agony through her and tearing the flesh across her back further. She struggled to fight back, but with her movement now severely limited, she was writhing pointlessly. She heard her dead haunches thud to the floor as Scootaloo let go.
The orange filly left momentarily, returning with a long coil of rope. Before she could defend herself, the young pegasus kicked her in the temple with both hind hooves, and all went black.
She woke up feeling like she was choking, yet she wasn't. She was hanging from the ceiling. Both of her hooves had been tied together above her head. The end of that length came down to wrap around her throat. The knot was slightly loose, keeping the rope from cutting off her air entirely, but enough to make her struggle painfully for breath.
She couldn't move at all, the effort was too strenuous and the weight of her lifeless legs bore down on her. Applejack then caught a glimpse of Scootaloo on the floor below.
"Goodbye, great-great-granddaughter of Apple Seed, the one who called my work pointless and telling me to kill my own self if I wanted to see what pathos was. I can't say I didn't follow his advice, but the blood payment is about to be fulfilled."
With that, Scootaloo picked up the lantern and crashed it on the ground. Flames immediately caught on the dry hay scattered across the ground. The entire space was illuminated in bright orange light. She watched as Scootaloo broke down the door and dashed into the night.
Smoke started to burn her already tired lungs. Heat rolled over her as her dead hind hooves hung in the galloping flames. She could smell her flesh burning even over the overwhelming scent of smoke. Applejack felt herself becoming strangely lighter as though her hind legs were melting away. The flames were climbing the support masts and catching the ropes now. She struggled in her bonds, trying desperately to free herself. The rope slacked, dipping her further into the flames below. It now reached her ribs, where she still had feeling and the burning sensation was unbearable. Then the last of the rope snapped, plunging her directly into the heart of the flame. She was immersed in bright light and her flesh smoked and melted around her. The rope had lost its tension and she heaved a lungful of smoke to scream. However, she never did. That breath had been her last.

Losing my Sanity
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Nights Stained Red

Losing my Sanity

Chapter 4- Losing My Sanity
"You might want to look at this," Roan said, tossing the newspaper to Twilight. The purple unicorn seized the paper with her magic and read the headline aloud.
"Fire burns down barn at Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack found dead amongst the rubble." She lowered the paper. "What?"
"I am beginning my investigation at the Fluttershy site today. Maybe I'll swing by Sweet Apple Acres and take a look there on my way back."
Twilight nodded, staring blankly ahead. This was the second friend of hers to die this week. This time it was Applejack. She was the reliable and the strong one. She was the one you could turn to and she would always tell you the truth, no matter how hard. The wise Applejack, now she was gone.
"What is happening to my friends?" Twilight whimpered.
Roan walked up to her and embraced her. "That's what I'm here to find out. I'll find out the truth, and drag the darkness into the light."
"Thank you, Roan."

The vase shattered into diamond dust against the wall of Rainbow Dash's house. She had just read the article in the newspaper. Her emotions swirled through her like a hurricane. Rainbow's anger was directed not at any particular pony. She wasn't sure who had even been the murderer of Fluttershy. Applejack may have just been caught in an accidental fire. But she was angry at fate.
"Why did you take them away!" she yelled at the abstract force. "They didn't have a chance at anything! You ripped them away without letting them see all life has to offer! What do you have in store for me, huh? You gonna tear me out of this world like you did to my friends? Is that it? You gonna make us all suffer?" She launched a picture frame into the floor, feeling satisfaction when the glass obliterated into miniscule fragments. The chaos was comforting. The anarchy let out her pain.
Then the thought struck her. She could end her own pain. Then she wouldn't have to face the deaths of those she loved. Her friends would be there, and they would live for eternity in happiness in the afterlife. All it would take is a fall. She could fly into the great blue sky. Then she would fold her wings and plummet, reaching speeds that were impossible if she valued her life. Then she would be gone, off to join her friends.
Rainbow slumped to the ground. She couldn't commit suicide. It was the cheaters way to die. It would mean she lost at the greatest game of all: life. And Rainbow Dash never lost. Plus, she could still protect her living friends. She could still protect her sister.
Dash stood once more and shot out of her house. She was going to find her friends, and she was going to keep them safe. Safe from fate. Safe from sadness. They wouldn't fall to pathos.

Roan didn't know where to start. Dried blood covered everything, the stench of rotting flesh was unbearable, and the gore showed signs of unimaginable torture. This was more than her run of the mill crime scene investigation. The brown-coated mare managed to keep her cool and set down her suitcase on a clean part of the floor. Others had come and set up florescent lights for her shortly before her arrival.
The unicorn sighed and cantered over to where the grotesque tapestry of Fluttershy's pelt hung. She read the letters carved into the skin: Revenge of the fallen soul. Roan opened the suitcase and removed a camera. She snapped a quick photo and hung the device around her neck. She took a closer look at the skin around the edges. From a distance the cuts looked flawless. However, up close, the cuts were slightly ragged, as if there had been a struggle while the incisions were made, which could only mean…
"Was she alive when she was skinned?" she asked herself, incredulous.
Pulling out a quill and paper, she jotted down a quick note then turned to the other carnage around the room. The rotting hunks of flush were too mangled and decayed to get much use out of. The bones did appear to have grooves in them, but it would take extremely close examination to deduce what weapon had been used. The skull on the table bore no new evidence and the bowl beside it was simply foul, reeking sludge. The couch nearby was stained red, nothing to be surprised by. The piece of furniture wasn't in that bad of shape. On it laid a single shard of bloodstained glass. Roan levitated it and looked at it curiously. As she was tilting it back and forth, a reflection caught in it momentarily. She gasped and the glass plummeted to the ground, shattering into oblivion.
Had she really seen that… thing? That mangled stallion with pitch-black eyes. Roan shook her head. No, it had to be the fumes getting to her. She heaved a sigh. The unicorn turned and exited Fluttershy's cottage. The air refreshed her and seemed to ward off a rising headache. Overhead, the Weather Crew from Cloudsdale was busy clearing away stray clouds. It reminded her of when she was a filly.
Long ago, Roan had always dreamed of seeing the city in the sky and home of the pegasi. It was the one place she had always longed to be, but only pegasi could walk on their cloudy streets. Roan tried to figure out how to get up there, when she had run into that pegasus that worked for the Cloudsdale Weather Corporation. He offered to bring her up to the city after his work shift. It never occurred to her at that age why a complete stranger would take her there. She rode on his back the entire way to the city, which was nothing short of spectacular. But when she asked the pegasus to take her home, he swung her off his back and dangled her above the ground miles below. If it wasn't for the scarlet pegasus colt and his father passing by, she would be dead.
The pegasus that had tried to kill her was sent to prison, and the colt and his father flew her back home. When she arrived, her parents were both furious yet relieved to find their precious daughter safe. Roan was perplexed by the whole day and went to find out who this pegasus that had tried to kill her was and why. She researched for days on end, to the point where her parents were worried that the pegasus had caused her psychological damage. But then came the day she discovered who he was. Apparently this pegasus, Cyan, wasn't a mentally stable pony. Roan discovered that, after hearing about a rather peculiar legend, he went insane. He didn't kill manage to kill anyone, but a list of names was found, Roan's among them. Finally, having slaked her curiosity, she realized that researching crimes what she was meant to do and her magnifying glass cutie mark appeared.
Roan and Firemane, the colt who had helped save her, became close friends after the incident. They wrote to each other a lot and he even visited her home in Canterlot a few times. When they grew older, they got married and have been happy together ever since. It was surprising to see so much good come from such a terrible thing. It goes to show that light can be found even in the deepest darkness.
Roan turned back to face the nightmarish cottage. She would find the truth in there. She would find the light.

"You don't have to do this."
…Wrong… Revenge is the only way…
"No. Just let it go."
…Too much pain…
"It's not worth it. Why do you need revenge on them anyways?"
…Suffering… Pathos…
"These ponies never did anything to you. They don't deserve to die."
…YES! ... Somepony must pay! …
"Why them?"
…Descendants…
"What did they do?"
…Nothing to live for… Except vengeance…
"They made you feel you had nothing to live for?"
...Yes…
"I think I understand. But why are you using me?"
"Hey Scootaloo, what are you doing down here?" The voice wasn't Pathos'. It was Sweetie Belle, calling to her from somewhere across the void of her dreams. She was dragged away from the realm of sleep into reality.
Scootaloo blinked open her eyes. She was lying at the base of the Cutie Mark Crusaders' treehouse in the heart of Sweet Apple Acres. Midday sunlight washed over her from directly above, filtering through the leafless limbs that enshrouded the clubhouse. Sweetie Belle was standing over her, a look of concern painted across her face.
"You all right? I haven't seen you in almost a week," the unicorn filly kneeled down to help her friend up. Scootaloo accepted the assistance gratefully. A pounding headache throbbed in her skull. She swayed a bit, didn't fall
"I… think I'm okay," Scootaloo said, gaining her footing. She gazed up at the treehouse, and noticed a sound coming from inside. It sounded like somepony crying.
"Who's in there?" Scootaloo asked.
"Apple Bloom. She's was devastated when she found out Applejack died. I was just coming to comfort her. She shouldn't be alone." Sweetie Belle replied.
"Oh. Applejack…" The orange pegasus squeezed her eyes shut as memories of the night before washed over her. Images of leaping flames galloped before her eyelids, making her want to scream. A tear slid down her cheek.
"There, there," said the white unicorn, wrapping Scootaloo in a hug. "It's been hard on all of us. But, it won't last long. It'll all seem like a bad dream soon. I hear that somepony from Canterlot has come to track down Fluttershy's killer. And if you ask me, the barn fire wasn't an accident. Once this horrible pony is gone, we'll be able to sleep peacefully again."
Scootaloo tensed. They were looking for her. What would she do if they caught her? Everypony would think she was a coldblooded killer. The truth was just too strange to be believed by anypony. She would either be thrown in prison for the rest of her life, or hung. Scootaloo couldn't let either happen. She couldn't go down in history as a heartless murderer, the kind of pony that gave nightmares to young foals, and was looked upon with disgust for thousands of years even after death. Nopony must find out, or her soul would know no rest.
"Come on, Scoots. Let's go in and say hi to Apple Bloom," Sweetie Belle said, leading her to the ramp that led into the tree.
Just as they were about to step inside, a thought crossed Scootaloo's mind. Why hadn't Apple Bloom seen her if she had come there just this morning? Scootaloo would've been in plain sight. She may have dismissed it as the young earth pony being simply too grief-stricken to notice her, but it wasn't the first time something like this has happened. The blood hadn't washed off the tombstone back in the Everfree Forest.

Twilight Sparkle heaved a sigh. "Rainbow, I know you're upset about the deaths of Fluttershy and Applejack. I am, too. Heck, all of us are. But, I think you're taking this too far."
"But, Twilight! I can protect you! No one else has to be killed," Rainbow Dash complained.
"You don't know that AJ was killed," Twilight pointed out.
"You think it's just a coincidence they died only a few days apart? Somepony is trying to kill us, but they can't easily do that if we're all together, the four of us."
Twilight rolled her eyes. Dash was stubborn on a normal basis, but she was being illogical. It was just coincidence that Fluttershy and Applejack died in the same week, right? There was no proof against it. And there was certainly nothing suggesting that Twilight and her other three best friends were next.
"Listen, Dash. I think you should go back home and get some rest. Plus, if it makes you feel any better, Rarity and Pinkie Pie are coming here tonight to meet Roan. You're welcome to come as well."
"Fine," Rainbow said, turning towards the library's exit. "I guess I'll go home then. Get some shuteye like you said." The cyan pegasus hovered over to the door and swung it open.
"Alright. See you tonight?" Twilight asked.
"You can count on it," Dash replied as she closed the door behind her.
"What's the matter with her?" Spike queried, coming from downstairs with the stack of scrolls Twilight had requested. The young dragon gazed at the doorway through which Rainbow had exited as he handed Twilight the rolls of blank parchment.
"She's just worried, is all. She'll be okay after she gets some sleep." However, just as the words left her mouth, she had to wonder: is that true?

Rainbow Dash tossed and turned, buried deep beneath her covers. Sleep refused to come, regardless of the pegasus' attempts. The afternoon sun streaming through the small window did help though. It warmed her blankets in a soothing way, but the cold darkness clinging to the back of her mind kept sleep at bay.
Twilight was wrong. There was someone out there trying to kill her friends. And she thought she knew who it was. But it wasn't possible. Even if Pathos did exist, how does a pony two hundred years dead come back to life and kill during the night. Rainbow struggled to push away the oppressing the thoughts. Surprisingly, she had some success. Dash was just about to be lulled to sleep when a loud knocking sounded from her front door downstairs.
"Ugh! Why now?" the rainbow-maned pegasus complained, kicking her covers off. She stumbled out of bed and trotted through her house, which was still a disaster. Downstairs, the knocking continued.
"COMING!" she yowled as she descended the staircase. Dash opened the front door just a crack and peered outside. A green pegasus with blue eyes gazed back at her. It was Aero Wing, her boss.
Rainbow opened the door the rest of the way stepped back. "Oh, hi," she murmured.
"Listen, Rainbow Dash. Now I realize that one of your friends has died recently and–"
"Two actually," Rainbow interrupted the pegasus.
"Oh… I'm sorry to hear that," he said. "However, I still have to ask you to come back to work. If you don't come back soon, then I'll have to fire you. We need to make an afternoon rainstorm this evening and need your help doing so. We are falling behind schedule."
Rainbow sighed. "Sorry, but my friends need me more than you do." She went to close the door but Aero blocked it.
"Come on, Rainbow. I'd hate to lose one of my best employees."
"I said no."
"Is there any way I can change your mind?" he asked pushing his way in.
"Not unless you bring me the head of the killer that's running loose out there," said Rainbow Dash trying to keep Aero out of her house.
"What if I did this?" Aero lunged forward and grabbed Rainbow's head. He leaned over and kissed her hard on the mouth. Rainbow struggled to free herself, feeling rage boil inside of her. She managed to catch him in the stomach with her hoof, making him reel back in pain.
Rainbow slammed the door shut, but before she could lock it Aero was pushing the door open. The cyan pegasus threw her body against the door, trying to keep the green pegasus out.
"Let me in!" he yelled.
"What's wrong with you!" she shouted back.
"I want you! I need you! I always have! Don't make me do this!" Aero replied, doubling his efforts in forcing his way in.
"You're insane!" Suddenly, the door splintered, a couple shards of the wood pricking Rainbow's side. She flinched backwards at the unexpected pain. The door burst open and the green pegasus flew in. tackling Rainbow Dash and pinioning her to the ground. He leaned down to kiss her, but Dash twisted her head away from her attacker.
"Come on, Rainbow. Don't resist me. I am your manager after all," he said in a strangely calm voice.
"Go to Hell! I quit!" Rainbow cried in fury. Her wings fluttered on the ground as she writhed under the bigger stallion. "Let me go!"
"How about not?" he said, leaning his head down once more to try to force a kiss out of her. Seizing the opportunity, she bashed her forehead into his snout. Aero let out a screech and withdrew, holding his now bleeding nose.
"You bitch!" he shouted at her. The green pegasus sprang at Rainbow. She dodged the attack and flew upstairs and into her room, slamming the door shut and locking it. Immediately, a bashing sounded from the other side as Aero battered the door. The frightened sky-blue pegasus went to the window; it was a pitifully small, circular window, but it led outside didn't it? She opened it and tried to squeeze out. It was hopeless, her shoulders wouldn't even fit.
"Open the door!" Aero shouted as he continued to smash the door. Suddenly a crack appeared in the frame. A fresh wave a fear lanced through Rainbow. There was no way out. There was no way she could get past him. There was no telling what this psycho would do to her if he got in.
She searched throughout her room looking for any way out. Rainbow dug through her belongings, searching for anything that would let her escape. Then she found something. Apparently, she had been eating up in her room and forgot to take her dishes back downstairs. For once she was glad to have done so, for upon the plate was a knife.
Then the door splintered loudly. Rainbow wielded the tool-turned-weapon in her mouth, facing the doorway. The door burst open and a furious green pegasus marched in, glaring at Dash with eyes dripping with malice. Rainbow then lunged forward with the blade, plunging the weapon deep into Aero's skull.

"I'm fine now," said Apple Bloom, wiping a tear from her cheek. "Thanks girls." The three fillies embraced each other in a group hug. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle had been there for hours comforting the yellow earth filly. Now, finally, her tears ceased.
"So, what do you want to do now?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"I kinda just want to sleep. It's been a rough day for me," Apple Bloom mumbled through a yawn.
"Yeah," the white unicorn agreed. "Hey, how about the three of us stay the night in the clubhouse?"
"Sure," said Apple Bloom, "But maybe you should go tell Rarity where you are before it gets much later."
"Nah, I'll tell her where I was in the morning. Besides," she said sticking her head out one of the windows, "It looks like it's about to start raining. If I go to her boutique all wet, she'll demand I get a makeover and I'll never get back." Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom laughed, but Scootaloo remained silent, gazing downwards, not looking at anything.
Apple Bloom leaned into Sweetie Belle and lowered her voice. "What's the matter with her?" she asked. The unicorn filly only shrugged. A silence settled over the ponies for a few minutes. Sweetie Belle was uncomfortable. Scootaloo's silence was unnerving. Usually, it was a challenge to get the young pegasus to stop being loud and showing off. However, now she was acting more depressed than Apple Bloom who had just lost her sister. What could the orange filly be thinking? A distant rumble of thunder broke the quiet and Sweetie's thoughts. Rain began to patter outside.
"So where are we sleeping?" the unicorn asked.
"I have some blankets in the trunk over there," Apple Bloom said, indicating a brown chest in the corner against the wall. "We can make pallets on the floor."
"Um, what's a pallet?" Sweetie Belle asked.
Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. "You know. It's like a sleeping bag made of blankets."
Sweetie Belle only gave a blank stare. She was befuddled with the new term. There was kind of an idea in her head of what it was, but it was closer to a cot than a sleeping bag. She just couldn't picture it.
"Ugh! Here, let me show you. Now, I know Rarity would never sleep on the floor, but you've never slept in a pallet?" Apple Bloom rambled on as she dug through the trunk, pulling out the covers. She laid one out on the ground, lied down on it, and then folded half of it over her.
"Oh!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, finally getting it. "It's like a sandwich of blankets with only one piece of bread!"
Apple Bloom looked annoyed. "It's exactly the same concept as a sleeping bag. Since when did a sandwich even come into the process?"
The two fillies began laughing. However, they stopped when they heard Scootaloo crying. Apple Bloom stood up, and walked over to her distraught friend. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"I'm so sorry," Scootaloo whimpered through her tears.
Sweetie Belle was alarmed. What was going on with the young filly? What has shaken her up so badly?
"What's the matter?" Sweetie Belle asked, walking up and placing her hoof on her shoulder.
"I have to go," Scootaloo said suddenly. She pushed past her two friends and ran out of the treehouse, into the rainy dusk. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom exchanged worried glances. Something was bothering their friend that she wasn't letting on.

"Hey Twilight!" said Pinkie as she stepped into the library. She shook the rain from her pelt, showering the purple unicorn in icy droplets of water. "Where is everypony? I thought Rarity and Dashie were supposed to be here."
"I don't know what's keeping Rainbow, but Rarity stopped by earlier. She realized Sweetie Belle was gone and went to find her. Inspector Roan will be out soon, though. She's still in the shower."
"Okie dokie lokie. I'll hang tight. So, watcha wanna do?" said Pinkie Pie, sitting on the floor.
Twilight paced back and forth. "I'm not in a very social mood right now, Pinkie. I'm kind of anxious about what Roan has to say. I wonder if she's found anything."
"Oh, okay," said the pink earth pony, deflating a little. The cheery pony instantly shook off the disappointment. She stood up and walked over to the bookshelves that lined the walls. Surely, she could find a good book about parties somewhere.
"Let's see here. Under P." She ran a hoof along the shelf as she spoke to herself. "P. P. PA. PA. What? It's checked out? Shoot!" She looked further down the shelf, looking for anything that might be worth reading.
"Hm. What's this?" Pinkie thought aloud, pulling out a dusty, leather bound tome. "Pathos? Sounds kinda weird. Hey, Twilight! What's this book?"
Twilight cantered over to the fluffy, pink pony and looked at the book. "Hm. This book is an old legend that used to be popular long ago. It was very scary, and gave many young foals nightmares. It's very graphic, though. I meant to discard it, but I guess somepony picked it up from the discard pile and reshelved it."
"Can I check it out?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"A horror story? Really? I didn't take you for a scary story type of mare," Twilight stated.
"Come on! Who doesn't love a good thrill every now and again? Besides, Nightmare Night is in a few days. I can be forgiven in reading a little dark story," said Pinkie mischievously.
"I warn you that it is rather violent," Twilight warned.
"I'll be fine! It'll take my mind off of the sad stuff that's going on lately. And, hey! You gotta giggle at the ghostly. Guffaw at the grossly. Crack up at the creepy. Whoop it up–"
"Please don't sing, Pinkie Pie," Twilight pleaded as the pink pony began to slip into the words of the song.
"Sorry. Force of habit," she apologized. Twilight trotted off to do whatever while Pinkie cracked open the book to read. As soon as she did, though, a loud crack of thunder exploded outside and the door flew open. A completely soaked Rainbow Dash flew in and slammed the door shut.
"Sorry I'm late," the pegasus said contritely. "I was… busy."
"Don't worry, Dashie. Inspector Roan is still in the shower," said Pinkie. She looked at her rainbow-maned friend with scrutiny. The pegasus seemed a little jumpy, as if she had done something wrong. It was normal for Rainbow to hover in the air instead of standing because of her energy, but the pacing was a little odd. Wait. Would you call it pacing if she was flying back and forth? Whatever. Her friend was acting shifty.
"Um, Dashie. I think you have something on your chin," said Pinkie. Taking note of something on Dash's face
"Oh?" The pegasus rubbed her snout and a red smear appeared on her hoof. She flashed a fearful glance at Pinkie and wiped the smear off on her side. "So, where's Twilight and Rarity?" Dash asked, her quavering voice veiled with nonchalance.
"Oh!" Pinkie jumped. She took a second to compose herself before replying, "Um, Twilight's somewhere around here and Rarity is out looking for Sweetie Belle."
Rainbow glanced at Pinkie, at the door, then back to Pinkie. Then she said, "I'll go out and find Rarity. You know how she gets in this weather." Rainbow flew and shot out the door.
"Alright," Pinkie said, trailing off at the end as the door the end of Rainbow's multicolored tail was whisked out of sight. There was definitely something wrong with her. However, she simply shrugged it off and returned to her book.

Rarity trotted through the rainy night toward her home at the Carousel Boutique. Through the gloom, the white unicorn thought she saw Rainbow Dash leaving the building and flying off into the night. As she approached the door, she saw a note hanging on the door. Using her magic, Rarity grabbed the note and brought it into the boutique with her.
She closed the door behind her and switched on a light to read the note. The paper was slightly damp, but the lettering was still legible. It read:
Dear Rarity,
I came over to see if you were okay but found that nopony was home. I'm worried that there is a killer out there hunting us down. Be careful. Oh, and I ran into Sweetie Belle on my way home this afternoon, if you're still looking for her. She said she was going to Apple Bloom's to cheer her up. She's probably still there. Whatever. Come on over to Twi's place if you get this. I'm sure Sweetie's fine with Apple Bloom.
Your loyal friend, Rainbow Dash
Rarity chuckled lightly. "Oh, that pegasus is worrying far too much for her own good, bless her heart. There's no killer. She's far too paranoid. I'll have to be sure to talk to her when I get the chance." She walked over to a mirror and saw her drenched mane.
"Oh, dear me! I look simply awful! Maybe I'll spruce myself up before I go back to Twilight's," the unicorn said to herself. Suddenly, a lightning bolt struck thunderously outside. The lights flickered then died, leaving Rarity in the dark.
"Wonderful. Now I'll have to fix myself up by candlelight. Oh, the pains of trying to look beautiful!" Rarity complained, quickly locating a candlestick and match and lighting it.
"But you're already beautiful."
"Aw, thank y–" Rarity halted midsentence. She whirled around to peer into the darkness. "Who's there?" She was surprised to see two eyes reflecting the candlelight, yet the pony's body was completely shrouded in shadows.
"You know, you should really listen to the advice of your friends. Even if they seem paranoid, you never know if their suspicions are correct," the young filly's voice drifted out of the darkness.
"This isn't funny. Reveal yourself!" the white unicorn demanded.
"Oh, this isn't a joke. Your ancestor, Diamond Star, she was one of the worst. My works were not a waste of time! At least, they wouldn't have been if she and her worthless gang of friends had left me alone!"
Rarity backed up and bumped against the table. She levitated the candle and cast it into the gloom. A young orange pegasus was creeping towards her menacingly. Rarity let out a shriek as Scootaloo lunged forward, teeth bared.

Roan stepped out the bathroom, refreshed after her shower. She spotted a pink pony reading intently in the corner who she assumed to be Twilight's friend Pinkie Pie. The mare scanned the room for Twilight, but the purple unicorn was nowhere in sight. Neither were the two others that were expected to be there. Pinkie looked up from her book as Roan entered.
"Oh hi!" she jumped up and bounded over to the brown unicorn. "I'm Pinkie Pie! You're Roan, right? Twilight told me about you. Not much though. Although she did tell me you were a detective. Is it fun? I tried it once but I'm not that good at it. I'm good at parties though. Oh! Do you want to throw a party with me?"
Roan laughed and replied, "Not now."
"Oh, okay. Maybe another time, then?" Pinkie asked, still bouncing.
"We'll see." Roan trotted away from the energetic character and found her bag. She dug through it until she found a yellow portfolio and eased it out of the case using her magic. Her azure eyes skimmed over the contents of the folder as to refresh her memory on her findings.
"Roan, you're out."
She turned to see Twilight Sparkle coming down the stairs. Spike followed closely, carrying a quill and a piece of parchment with a few words scrawled on it. "I was getting Spike to write a letter to the princess about how everything is going."
"Why not wait until I tell you and your friend about my findings. It may change the news you have to give," Roan replied. Twilight nodded and Spike wadded up the paper, tossing it behind him on the stairs.
"Wait, Rainbow and Rarity still haven't shown up?" Twilight asked. She rubbed her head with her hoof.
"That's strange. They've had plenty of time, and Rainbow is never late. Well, at least not when she promises to be here."
The two ponies and dragon walked into the main area and gathered around Roan. Pinkie hopped up from her book and joined the group. The fluffy pony sat down with a thump and looked up expectantly at Roan. Twilight sat down, too, along with Spike.
"Are we going to start without your friends?" Roan asked. She was anxious to give the news, but didn't want to be disrespectful to Twilight. They were actually becoming pretty fast friends. Even though they had many differences, they were a lot alike. They were both from Canterlot; they both loved studying, though what they studied was different; among other things.
Twilight shook her head. "No, that's fine. I'll fill them in later if they show up. I am kind of worried for them, though."
"Don't worry Twi!" said Pinkie Pie cheerfully, "Dashie can take care of herself, though she was acting kinda funny earlier. And Rarity, we all know that she's really tough when you get on her bad side! So, I don't think there's anything to worry about."
"Thanks Pinkie." She gave the fluffy, pink pony a hug, and then turned her attention back to Roan.
"Alright," Roan said. She ran a hoof down the back of her ponytailed mane and took a deep sigh. "I've found a few things visiting the two death scenes. In this portfolio are pictures I took of items of interest." Roan levitated the file over to Twilight to let her and Pinkie look over them.
"What's this?" Pinkie asked holding up a photograph. Roan peered at it closely. It was one of the photos she had taken at Sweet Apple Acres. It was a picture of plank of wood, half burnt.
"See here, Pinkie? There are words carved into the wood. It's hard to make out, but I think it says, 'Will, lead me'," Roan explained.
"Who's Will?" the pink earth pony puzzled aloud.
"No," the inspector shook her head. "I think its saying his will, as in his spiritual force, will guide him."
"Oh! I… don't… really understand."
"It's okay. I don't really get it either. But it does let me know two things for sure. Applejack's death was not an accident and the two deaths are connected."
Twilight looked up from the photographs. "How do you know they're connected?"
"Simple," Roan replied. "Both show signs of some sort of cruel death, and both have a message left behind."
"Oh," said Twilight. She returned to the photos but it wasn't long before she beckoned Roan again. "What's with this picture?" It was a photo of the shattered glass upon the bloodstained ground. It was once the sliver where Roan had seen that… creature in the reflection. Even though she had only glimpsed it, the image had burned itself deep into Roan's mind.
"I thought I saw something in the glass," she said.
"What?" Twilight pressed.
Roan shook her head, clearing away the memory. "Never mind. There's something I wanted to ask you."
Before Roan could form the question, the front door flew open and Rainbow Dash flew in. The drenched pegasus looked petrified. "I can't find Rarity!"

Rarity blinked open her eyes. She was in the attic of the boutique. The white unicorn rarely came up here. She stood up and looked around. A fire burned in an ill-kempt fireplace. Besides and the dusty, metal table, the attic was empty. Rarity sneezed at the dust floating about her. Then she remembered her last conscious thought.
The orange filly was not in the room with her, but that didn't stop Rarity's pelt from crawling with the sensation of being watched. She was actually scared of the younger pony. Rarity saw the door across the room; an escape. The unicorn darted for the door but her footing was yanked from under her, causing her to plummet and crash in a cloud of dust. She gazed back to see a chain connecting one of her hind hooves to the wall.
That wasn't good at all. Rarity wasn't proficient enough at magic to know how to pick a lock. Levitation was one of the only spells she knew how to use. Rarity tugged against the chain with all her strength. The tightness of the cuff around her ankle began to cause chaffing. Though it pained her, she kept struggling until it became unbearable and her ankle was rubbed raw. That's when she collapsed, breathing heavily.
The attic door swung open and Scootaloo cantered in, pushing a large box in front of her. She uttered not a word as she shoved the box beside the table and opened it. The pegasus filly then looked up at Rarity with teary eyes.
"I don't want to do this. But, he's making me. I'm losing my willpower. I'm losing my sanity… I'm sorry. I'm so tired of fighting…" Scootaloo lowered her head.
"Scootaloo? What's going on? What are you doing? Let me go!" Rarity cried, tears of her own appearing on her cheeks.
Scootaloo, head still down began to shudder. It looked like she was crying, but as the sound grew louder Rarity could tell it wasn't. She was laughing. "Isn't it Ironic?" said the orange pegasus, looking up with a psychopath's grin plastered across her face. "That this little filly has tried so hard to keep her friends alive, yet they die at her own hooves. She can't fight me much longer. Soon, poor, young Scootaloo will no longer exist. All that will remain is her body filled with my soul. It's rather sad, really. She hasn't done anything wrong."
"Scootaloo what are you saying?" Rarity asked. Shying away from the insane filly, the white unicorn flattened herself against the wall.
"Not Scootaloo. It's Pathos." The orange pegasus shot across the room and seized Rarity by the throat. "And don't you forget it," she hissed in the unicorn's face. For a second a different face replaced the young filly's. Black, soulless eyes with red pupils were set in mangled grey face framed by a bloodied blue mane. It was only a fraction of a second, but Rarity knew she saw it all the same. This wasn't the little filly at all. It was something much darker.
Scootaloo threw her to the ground. Pain lanced through her head at the impact. While, she was reorienting herself, at the same time crying, Scootaloo marched to the box. Rarity didn't see what she pulled out but it clanged loudly as she placed it on the metal table. Rarity took the opportunity to fight back. She reached with her magic towards the fireplace and levitated a burning ember and launched it at the deranged filly. With supernatural speed, the young pegasus spun and kicked the ember. The hot coal shot across the room, directly into Rarity's right eye.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!" she let out an agonizing wail as her eye sizzled in her skull. All went black in that eye. The ember fell out but the severe burning sensation lingered. Her melting face tainted the air with a foul burning scent. Tears streamed from her good eye, but they caused the other one to bite with reinforced fiery pain.
Scootaloo coldly approached and seized Rarity by the nape of her neck. She dragged the writhing unicorn to the table with unnatural strength and slammed her head painfully to the table. The pegasus produced more chains and secured Rarity's flailing hooves to the table. The feeling of restraint caused her to panic even more. Adrenaline pumped thickly through her veins and her breathing became ragged.
"Let me go!" she shrieked. Scootaloo laughed and grabbed her head, firmly with both hooves. The bruises on the side of the unicorn's head throbbed with pain that threatened to equal that of her bubbling eye. Through her tear-blurred vision she could see what the pegasus had pulled out earlier. It was a vice grip.
"NO!" Rarity screeched as Scootaloo shoved her head into the device. She tried to thrash out of the filly's grasp, but it was hopeless. Scootaloo tightened the valve so that it pressed excruciatingly into her temples. Her head was immobilized. Scoots' walked into her vision bearing a rusty-looking hacksaw. Rarity merely whimpered; her voice had been torn to shreds by her squeals of terror. She could taste the blood at the back of her throat.
Scootaloo whispered, "It'll be over soon. But we have to get rid of this. You'll only wind up hurting yourself worse." She brought the saw up and began to drag it across Rarity's horn. The vibrations reverberated agonizingly through her skull. Her head was filled with the sound of metal grinding upon bone. She clenched her teeth as the rusty saw wore deeper into her horn, becoming more and more painful with each stroke of the weapon. Suddenly there was an agonizing snap as her horn came off. A stream of blood, wound its way from her severed horn into her eye, blinding her entirely. She let out a pitiful moan as she was engulfed in darkness. All she knew was pain. Her head was pinned with insufferable pressure from the vice. She couldn't move her limbs. She wished Scootaloo would just finish her already.

And that's just what she did. The orange pegasus plunged the horn deep into Rarity's skull with a sickening crunch. Scootaloo's heart skipped a beat as she knew she had just ended another life. This time it was Sweetie Belle's sister. It was an act of mercy to end her death so quickly. Pathos was furious that she hadn't tortured her more; that her will had broken through his once again. She didn't care. She just wanted him to leave.
Scootaloo stood there, gazing at Rarity's corpse as blood flowed out of her eyes, nose, and mouth. She was beginning to grow numb to it. The death, the violence, the blood, it was all fading into a blur. What was more real to her was the pain of carrying the deaths. If anypony discovered her secret, she would be ruined. There was a demon inside of her that she couldn't control, and she loathed it. What could she do to make it go away?
Suddenly, her body seized up again as Pathos took control again. He forced her to run and throw herself into the wall. She reeled back, but then she threw herself once more at the wall, causing her nose to start bleeding.
"You IDIOT!" Pathos yelled at Scootaloo using her own voice. "You could have just let me torture her and get the revenge I deserve! But no! You have to go and take her away before I can even begin to have any fun!"
"N-n-no!" Scootaloo managed to break his will again. "You can't do this! I won't let you do this anymore!"
Then she lost. Her will wasn't strong enough to fight his so much. Her spirit was tiring with the battle. She couldn't give up yet. But how long could her soul endure before she finally broke?

Midnight Shadows
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Nights Stained Red

Midnight Shadows

Chapter 5- Midnight Shadows
It happened again. Rainbow Dash knew it. The killer had struck again. Twilight had gathered a search party to look for the missing unicorn. She was sent to search the Carousel Boutique. Dash now stood before the last door in the building, the one leading to the attic. The scent of death washed over her, refreshing her memory of Fluttershy’s death… and of Aero Wing’s.
The thought of killing the green pegasus bugged her conscious. She had to defend herself from him, didn’t she? He was going to rape her! But did he have to die? An image of his face twisted in rage appeared in her mind, making her blood boil. Yes, he needed to die. He deserved death.
Rainbow Dash pushed the green stallion from her mind with a deep breath. The taste of decay washed over her tongue. It was unnerving. The scent was rank yet had a strangely sweet touch. She knew the scent well enough now. How many more times would she have to breathe in its sickly sweet aroma?
It didn’t matter right now. Rainbow could deal with it later. Right now, she would go in, find Rarity’s rotting corpse, and leave to tell Twilight. The cyan pegasus forced down another gulp of the rancid air, and opened the door.
Rarity was there tied to the table, head in a vice grip. The right side of her face was disfigured beyond recognition. Congealed streams of blood leaked from her left eye, nostrils, mouth, horn, and from a gaping hole in her head. The severed end of the horn was in the puddle of blood on the floor.
Rainbow sighed and closed her eyes. A single tear fell. That was all. She wouldn’t have any tears left after the nightmare was over. She knew it would end with all of her friends’ deaths, and then she would die. At that point, it wouldn’t be worth living anymore. She would give up her life happily. What was life without friends?
Rainbow opened her eyes again, promptly avoiding the sight of the carcass. Scrawled upon the wall in blood was yet another message: Back to the realm…
“Of course,” she murmured to herself. “Yeah, Rarity’s gone to the realm of the dead.”
Rainbow then turned to face the fireplace. A few embers burned among the ashes. The thought of ashes reminded her of Applejack. Was there nothing that would remind her of her deceased friends? She shook her head, trying to clear it.
She made for the door, but halted in her tracks. There was something in the corner of the room. It just struck Rainbow Dash as… out of place. It was small, barely perceptible in the dark room. Yet, it had caught her eye. She cantered over slowly, her hooves creaking on the floorboards.
She drew in a gasp. How could it be? Rainbow felt tears begin to rise in her eyes. It wasn’t possible, it just couldn’t be! Nopony kills for no reason. There had to be an explanation. There, lying on the dusty ground was a small, orange feather.

“There was a sign. I-I think she did it. I don’t want to believe it, but I think she’s the one behind the killings.”
“Why would you think that? What sign was there?”
“She’s been acting weird lately, Roan.”
“Are you sure about this? Maybe she’s just grieving because of her friends’ deaths.”
“There was another sign, though. Explain this.”
“It’s a just a feather.”
“Guess where I got it.”
“Her wing?”
“No, I found it near one of the crime scenes.”
“Well, she has been to the Boutique a few times before hasn’t she? I mean, it’s the home of one of her closest friends.”
“Okay. I hope you’re right. She’s one of my best friends.”
“You’re just worried about her. I’ll try my best to prove that Rainbow isn’t the killer.”
“Thanks, Roan. Oh, and would you mind not telling anypony I came to talk to you?”
“I promise.”
“Do you Pinkie Pie Promise?”
“What’s that?”
“Ugh! I never showed you? It goes, ‘Cross my heart and hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye.’”
“Hehe! I promise, Pinkie Pie. Your secret is safe with me.”

Scootaloo was in a dark ally, a stream of tears flowing from her face. Puddles of stagnant rainwater rippled in the icy breath of wind. The overcast sky provided a certain gloom that even further tormented the pegasus’ heart. It was as if the world insisted on sadness, forcing it into the lives of everypony in Ponyville. Surely, the events of late have been affecting the lives of the civilians, not to mention striking fear in their hearts. And it was all because of her.
Through her tears, she pictured the mangled, decrepit corpses of her once living friends. The sharp scent of their blood reached her over the boundaries of time, causing her to gag. Memories of their terrified expressions as one they trusted cut nauseated the young pegasus further. She retched and a geyser of clear, reeking fluid sprayed from her mouth.
Then, she began to laugh. It was subtle at first, but it grew loud until she was cackling maniacally. She was losing her grip on reality. She was being used as a puppet to fulfill the puppeteer’s own ends, and what use does a puppet have with sanity? What choice did she have if she couldn’t control her own body? Why not just let the puppeteer have his way and sit and watch numbly, not caring what he does?
“No, Scootaloo. You have to fight this!” the filly commanded herself, wiping tears and puke from her face. “Get a hold of yourself. It’s all a matter of willpower!”
…But is your will strong enough to challenge mine?...
“SHUT UP, PATHOS! Just stop talking to me!”
…But doesn’t it get lonely without friends? They are dying around you, one by one…
“That’s your fault!”
…You think it was my fault when they killed my wife, sending me to the end of my rationality?...
“No. But you can stop the death now!”
…I need revenge… And nothing will STOP ME!...
Scootaloo’s body was Pathos’ once more. He slammed her into the wall of the ally. Scoots’ nose began to bleed again, flowing freely down her face. His will forced her body harm itself, punching and beating her into a whimpering submission. Cuts and bruises covered her small body, the wounds aching with overpowering soreness.
“Please… I’ll help you…” she whispered. Pathos let her body go and she collapsed to the ground in a weeping mess. It was hopeless. How could she fight against Pathos? His control over her was growing more powerful and complete. Just how long would it be before he had total control?
As she laid, there bawling in pain both physical and emotional, Scootaloo looked up into the cloudy heavens. A single raindrop fell and landed on her nose. She blinked away her tears as a warm feeling of calm spread throughout her. Then, she swore she saw the face of a yellow pegasus smiling down at her from the sky. A swift breeze vaporized the image but the feeling was still there. Fluttershy was watching over Scootaloo. And for the first time in almost a week, she smiled a real, sane smile.

“No, Twilight. The punch bowl goes over there!” Pinkie Pie said to the purple unicorn, analyzing Twilight’s work.
“Pinkie, why don’t we just call off the party? We’re all feeling rather depressed after all the death,” Twilight suggested.
Pinkie bounded over and put an arm around her shoulders. “Listen, Twi. Nightmare Night is one of the most celebrated holidays in Equestria and all of Ponyville will want a party like every year, and that job falls to me. I know it’ll be a little hard to thoroughly enjoy but, hey, it’ll bring smiles to others. And, not just that, it may help to raise our spirits, too.”
Twilight nodded. “You’re right, Pinkie. Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. Move the punch bowl, instead!” Pinkie Pie giggled and bounced off to put up orange and black balloons. Twilight watched the pink pony with an amused smile. Sometimes she was crazy, but she also made sense in a lot of ways. It seemed like she didn’t have a care in the world, sometimes. Maybe she should try to be more like that, just take her mind off of everything for a while. Life was a dark place for her right now, but maybe she could ignore for a while and walk in the light.
“Thank you, Pinkie,” Twilight said again under her breath. The unicorn then turned back to her task, helping Pinkie set up the party for Nightmare Night.

“No! I can’t go. Rarity’s dead! She died! My big sister is dead now!” Sweetie Belle argued with Apple Bloom.
The yellow earth filly sighed. “Mine is, too. But, we promised Scootaloo we would go to Nightmare Night party tonight.”
“Who cares,” Sweetie Belle threw back, “That was before everypony started dying! I think we should just stay here. If she wants to go, let her go alone. Both of our sisters are dead and I’m not gonna go feeling like my world has been torn apart.” The white unicorn filly sat there gazing out the window of the treehouse at the gloomy skies, tears still streaming down her face. A cool wind blew in across her face, making the tears on her face freeze. She took in a shuddering breath of the icy air, letting it refresh and soothe her.
Sweetie Belle felt Apple Bloom place a hoof on her shoulder. She didn’t turn around, but could feel the warmth of her breath against her ear as she whispered, “It’s okay. You don’t have to go. But you know, it might lift your spirits.”
Sweetie Belle exhaled slowly, shivering as a chill swept over her. She clenched her eyes shut and another icy tear slid down her cheek. “What if I don’t want to lift my spirits? All I want is my sister…”
“That’s something that’s not going to happen. I’m sorry, but sometimes life can seem cruel. It isn’t fair how fate can take away those you love most. I mean, Applejack died only the night before last. But, I’ve found out that life will go on. In the end, you come to realize that, no matter what happens, you can’t let grief slow you down. They’re in a better place now. Instead of grieving for them, envy them. Live your life knowing that you will be with them again. You aren’t broken and neither are they. Applejack, Rarity, and even Fluttershy are probably up there smiling down at us wishing for us to smile as well. I know it seems sad to lose somepony dear to you, but you just have to let her go. She’ll be waiting to embrace you when your time comes. If you believe that, the world won’t seem as dark anymore.” Apple Bloom slid her hoof from Sweetie Belle’s shoulder and turned to leave.
Sweetie Belle let out a sharp laugh. “You figured that out in only a day?” Apple Bloom turned back around and smiled widely. The two laughed together. A gust of wind blew through the open window, carrying with it the scent of rain and something else. It smelled like…
“Rarity? Are you watching us?” Sweetie Belle asked aloud.

Scootaloo ran as fast as she could towards the Golden Oak Library, ignoring the pain in her body and the rain that was beginning to fall gently around her. It was her one moment of clarity; she had to tell somepony of her guilt. It was beginning to dawn on her that, even if she was punished severely for the crimes of Pathos, she had to warn somepony or else more ponies would die. It had to happen, even at the cost of her friends, her life, and even her sister. It was heartbreaking but it seemed to be the only way to end this nightmare.
The tree which housed the library loomed ahead of her. There was no turning back; this was the end of Pathos’ tyranny. Scootaloo skid to a halt at the door. The young pegasus took a deep breath to compose herself. Then she knocked loudly on the door.
After a few seconds of waiting, she opened the door. The lights were all off, and silence reined throughout the building. Scootaloo took a tentative step inwards, her heart still pounding from her frantic dash.
“Hello?” she called. She was met only with silence. Scootaloo let out a growl of frustration and slammed the door shut as she exited the library. Where were they? She needed to speak with Roan or Twilight fast before Pathos somehow diluted her mind once more. The thought made her cringe with rage.
Then she remembered: tonight was Nightmare Night! Everypony would be at the Town Square set up for the festivities. They had to be there! Determined to find them before Pathos’ influence returned, she dashed off towards the center of town, wings flapping.

Rainbow Dash sat in a chair, within the Sugarcube Corner. She glumly stared at the orange feather resting on the table before her. She had tried to find Scootaloo earlier, but the filly had evaded her. Night was already beginning to darken the overcast skies outside. That was her fault. She had killed the manager of the Cloudsdale Weather Corporation. Now there would be nopony to give out commands until they realized Aero was dead and replaced him. Rainbow shook her head in an attempt to rid him from her thoughts. Instead, the memory of his final moments flashed through her head with even more intensity. His green face contorted with fear and his blue eyes wide with shock as the knife forced its way through his skull with such accuracy that the blade did not bend, but split the bone and pierced his brain. The vivid image of his lifeless corpse collapsing to the ground, blood soaking into the cloudy floor below, shot through her disturbed consciousness.
“Rainbow Dash? Would you like something to eat, dear?” asked Mrs. Cake, saving the pegasus from her tormenting ideas. She looked up at the pastry chef thankfully.
“Just some cider would be nice,” Dash said. Mrs. Cake nodded with a smile and shuffled off to fetch the drink.
Rainbow took the orange feather and tucked it behind her ear. Nopony else was in the sweet shop, leaving her in utter silence. The only sound was from the light drizzle outside and the two workers in the kitchen.
“Here you are, dear. Tell me if you need anything else,” said Mrs. Cake placing the cider on the table. She returned to the kitchen, leaving Rainbow alone once more. The pegasus took a gulp the mug and let the cool liquid run down her throat and into her empty stomach. She hadn’t eaten since she murdered Aero Wing, and thus far wasn’t even tempted to try, so the cider sat comfortably in her deprived belly.
Rainbow Dash let out a heavy sigh. She couldn’t take the silence much longer. Quickly guzzling down the rest of the drink and leaving the money on the table, she got up and left Sugarcube Corner. Outside, rain cascaded off the roof with drops thicker than the rain itself, creating a kind of curtain of water separating the dry world to the wet. Rainbow stepped through the chilly curtain and walked the down the block and around the corner to see Town Square. Giant tents were set up to protect the persistent party-goers from the wind and rain. Music could be heard echoing through the dark gloom, making the darkness seem just a little bit brighter.
Although Dash didn’t really want to go to the party, the prospect of having some company beckoned her, so she went forward and walked through the gargantuan tent that towered in the center of the others. She was instantly barraged by warmth and cheer coming from DJ Pon-3’s blasting music; laughing and socializing ponies, some already intoxicated from overdrinking; and the dancing, costumed partiers.
Rainbow Dash thought that it may be possible to forget all her problems and just have fun tonight… until she spotted Pinkie Pie staring coldly at her from across the room.

Scootaloo weaved through the costumed ponies in the tent attempting to find Roan or Twilight. It was impossible to see clearly through the crowding because of her short stature. There had to be some way to look over the entire room. Then her purple eyes met the stage.
The young filly fought through the crowd and clambered onto the stage. A few ponies gave her awkward looks but she ignored them as she peered out across the tent. Then it occurred to her that even with the enhanced vantage point, she still probably wouldn’t be able to spot either unicorn; they’d be in costume.
“Dang it! Why is this happening?” Scootaloo stamped her hoof on the stage.
“What’s wrong?” asked Pinkie Pie, bouncing onto the stage behind her. “Oh no! What happened to you? You look like you’re hurt!” The pink earth pony gazed out into the crowd with an icy look then spoke to her without ripping her gaze from whatever she was gazing at. “Did Rainbow Dash do this to you?”
“What?” exclaimed Scootaloo, incredulous. “Why would she do that?” She thought for a split second before adding, “Besides, the wounds are fake. It’s my… costume.”
Pinkie shifted her gaze back to the pegasus. “Oh. But I’d stay clear of her if I were you. I know you love her but I think she’s been acting strange lately.”
“What do you mean?”
Pinkie sighed and gazed around the room. “I… come on. There are too many others here. Let’s step outside.” Scootaloo hesitated; she needed to find somepony to tell about her secret. Maybe she should tell Pinkie. Deciding that revealing it to her would be the best idea, she followed the pink earth pony through the tent and out a back exit.
Pinkie turned around as soon as Scootaloo pushed her way through the flap that acted as a door. Gentle rain cascaded around them making Pinkie’s usually joyful visage look all the more dark and worried.
“Listen Scoots, I know you love Rainbow Dash with all your heart, but you have to stay away from her, at least until we find the truth.”
A feeling of apprehension wormed its way into Scootaloo’s stomach. “What are you saying?”
“Scootaloo,” said Pinkie, placing her hoof on the young pegasus’ shoulder. “I think Rainbow is the murderer…”
Scootaloo backed up. It was time. If she was going to say it, it had to be now. However, the very thought of revealing herself was terrifying. No, she had to do it. “No… it’s not Rainbow. I know who is killing them.” Anxiety sat like a rock in the pit of her belly. “It’s…”
“It’s who?” Pinkie asked.
Scootaloo opened her mouth to speak but her gullet was terribly dry. She shuddered as a chill wave surged through her body. She wanted to puke, her gagging and retching amounting to nothing. Poor Scootaloo hadn’t eaten in so long that there wasn’t anything left to come up.
“Scootaloo?”
The young filly gazed up at Pinkie Pie with tears of agony forming in her eyes. Standing behind the earth pony was Pathos, his wicked, bloody grin stretched across his face.
…It’s time to kill again…
“NOOOO!” Scootaloo yelled. Pinkie was alarmed and backed away… and bumped into Pathos.

Pinkie woke to see a dark room, illuminated every now and again by a flickering light overhead. She sat up and rubbed her head with a hoof. All she could recall was bumping into somepony and whirling around to see a pony that shouldn’t exist. He was the one from the story.
Pinkie Pie wasn’t sure where she was. It was obviously a place rarely used; rusty, leaking pipes coursed along the walls. Sparking wires drooped from the ceiling and fiberglass insulation littered the floor like giant clouds of yellow and pink cotton candy. The scent of damp air and mold filled her nostrils. The frigid air created a billow of steam every time she exhaled.
“Where am I?” she called into the darkness. The light flickered again. Pinkie sunk to the cold concrete floor, not wanting to advance into the shadows. A spark fell from a dangling wire, vanishing before it hit the ground with a clank. Wait, a clank? Sparks don’t clank. Then she heard it again, echoing through the gloom, like a chain dragging across the ground.
The light sputtered again, but this time somepony was standing under it, her silhouetted form casting a menacing shadow over Pinkie Pie’s face. She shivered as the pony advanced, the clank of something metal scraping the concrete reverberating through the icy stillness.
“Welcome to my playground of torture,” said a voice. Or, rather, two voices. The familiar voice of young Scootaloo was mingled with a dark, heavy, masculine voice. Or was her mind playing tricks on her? Pinkie was too petrified to figure it out.
Scootaloo cantered past the cowering pony in the floor. Pinkie heard the sound of a match striking and a small aura of light dimly lit the room with a consistent glow. “So do you know why you’re here?” Scoots inquired with the demonic double-voice.
“No, I just want to go home! I don’t know what I did or what you’re doing, but you’re scaring me. Can I go?” Pinkie burst.
Scootaloo snickered and stepped around to where Pinkie was facing her. “I figured as much. Now, do you know a mare named Rosy Bash?”
“I don’t know. Should I know? I usually know everypony but I don’t know her. If you’re looking for her ask somepony else. Just let me go!”
“Well, let me enlighten you. Rosy was a mare just like you. She grew up thinking she was making everypony happy. But, oh, how her jokes hurt. She won the appreciation of many, like Diamond Star, Apple Seed, Feathers, Dawn’s Ray, and Tsunami, who laughed along with Rosy’s jokes. It hurts to be treated like that.”
“What are you…” Pinkie trailed off, seeing Scoots glare at her.
“Listen here, Pinkie,” Scootaloo spat. “Someone has to pay or I’ll never get out of this wretched place called Equestria! I hate Equestria! I hate the entire world! I just want to go away. I want my wife…”
Something clicked in Pinkie’s mind. Pathos was using Scootaloo’s body, Scootaloo wasn’t doing this. An image appeared in her mind of Pathos. However, it wasn’t the mangled corpse of the figure she had seen earlier. It was a strong, confident stallion. He stood beside a mare, gazing happily at the world. Then, the mare disappeared and the stallion deteriorated before her eyes.
Pinkie opened her eyes once more. Scootaloo wasn’t standing before her anymore. It was Pathos, blood leaking from his numerous wounds. His gaze was one of pure hatred.
“What can I do?” she asked.
Pathos glared down at her with cold, black eyes, the red pupils glowing. “Rosy’s blood courses through your veins. That blood must be spilled to bring about the calm…”
All sympathy for the once living stallion immediately fled as he said this. Pinkie bolted up and turned to run. Pathos grabbed the chain he had been carrying earlier and whipped it at her like a lasso. The chains wrapped excruciatingly and brought Pinkie to abrupt halt with a choke. She collapsed onto her back and Pathos began to pull her across the grainy ground with the chain. Her spine scraped against the concrete painfully. Pinkie struggled to free herself by tugging at the metal links. She rolled over and the chain uncoiled from her neck. Immediately she shot up and darted away from Pathos.
Suddenly, the pink pony plummeted to the ground. A pipe lying on the ground had tripped her up. Already, the illusionary form of Pathos was upon her. The chain he carried was now adorned with a weapon; a dagger was attached to the end. Pinkie scrambled backwards away from him, panic in her heart. Pathos launched the blade at her with unnatural accuracy. It soared through the air and embedded itself in Pinkie’s left foreleg. She erupted into a loud wail of pain. Tears burned her eyes as the chain snapped taut. She felt her body being dragged, but couldn’t fight against it for the insufferable amount of pain it cost to struggle.
Pathos grabbed her when she drew close enough. Tears flowed down Pinkie’s face as he leaned in close to her, a wide smile was painted across his face as if he were about to get something he had wanted for a long time. The image of the stallion wavered for a moment, briefly revealing the orange pegasus who Pathos was using as a vessel.
“Scootaloo! You’ve got to stop him!” Pinkie yelled. The image of Pathos returned with a raspy laugh. The sound of his doubled voice echoing in the darkness.
“She cannot do anything about your little predicament,” he sniped. “I have complete control over her. She has no power against my dominant will!” Pathos reached over and wrenched the blade out of her arm, a spurt of blood flinging into the air as he did so. Pinkie screamed once more. Pathos simply stood there with a mocking smile.
Pinkie scrambled to her hooves once more and darted into the shadows. Pathos didn’t advance after her; he simply watched. Pinkie could feel his gaze burning her pelt as she darted through the dank, freezing place. Where was she? There didn’t seem to be any walls, only the occasional support beam and endless vastness. Here and there was some sort of sparking electrical wire hanging from the ceiling or flickering florescent light dangling by a couple cables. It didn’t make any sense. All she could do is keep putting distance between herself and Pathos.
“It’s like a dream…” Pinkie Pie muttered between breaths.
“How right you are!” Pathos appeared out of nowhere, causing her to run into him. She collapsed to the concrete ground and Pathos straddled her chest, placing his two front hooves on her throat and pressing down hard. “And it’s the last dream you’ll ever have!”
Pinkie spluttered as she was suffocated under the stallion. She thrashed under him, struggling to get free. Then she managed to free a hoof and punched in his bloody jaw with such force that he flew off of her and landed in a heap of orange fur and feathers.
The entire image of the eerie darkness dissipated and warped into the form of her very apartment above Sugarcube Corner. The image of Pathos was replaced with the real form of Scootaloo, a stream of blood leaking from her open mouth.
“It was a dream,” Pinkie whispered. She rose to her hooves cautiously, the wound on her arm still on fire with pain. “At least some of it…” She limped over to the still form of Scootaloo, not sure whether to feel sorry for her or to be afraid of her.
Scoots’ violet eyes shot open. Her head lifted slowly to gaze into Pinkie’s blue ones. A wide, wicked smile spread across the filly’s face revealing her blood-covered teeth. “It is so very fascinating when somepony walks into my world of dreams.” Scootaloo’s voice was no longer doubled, but somehow the filly’s voice alone was just as disturbing.
The young pegasus stood up and wiped blood from her chin. “You are an interesting mare. Of all of those I’ve killed, you are the first victim to walk in my dreams. There were others to walk them of course, like Cyan and Scootaloo here. But they were vessels, not targets. This makes you one of a kind. It’s a shame you ended the dream where anything is possible. We could’ve had so much fun.”
“Shut up, Pathos!” Pinkie Pie lunged forward and tackled the smaller pony. “I’m sorry Scootaloo, but I need to protect myself. Forgive me.” She thought she saw a quick nod from Scootaloo, but Pinkie was bolting for the door before she could be sure.
The exit was mere feet away from her when small hooves landed on her back and began to rip at her shoulders. Pinkie collapsed with a shriek and her head smashed painfully into the door. Stars danced in her vision and a drop of blood landed in her eye. She blinked to clear her eyes, as Scoots stepped off of her.
“You can’t get away from me. Resistance is futile,” said Scootaloo. “Unfortunately, it is much easier to force victims to be still rather than asking nicely. So…” The orange pegasus ripped a wire from a lamp, smashing the appliance to the ground in a brilliant shower of sparks. She dragged the wire in her mouth toward Pinkie Pie, who tried to push herself away but having nowhere to go. Scootaloo dove towards her and slammed her head backwards into the door. Sparks adorned her vision once more. Then her head was thrust back again, as if Scootaloo realized she wasn’t unconscious. Pinkie spat out a mouthful of blood, spraying the filly in the face with scarlet liquid. Scootaloo, not at all put out, gave the pink pony one last violent blow to the head and all went black.

Pinkie Pie opened her eyes again to see her apartment ceiling. Her head throbbed and her foreleg lanced with agonizing soreness. Her nose was clogged with congealed blood and mucus and the coppery taste of the life-giving liquid tainted her mouth.
She was bound and tied to a table on her back. Struggling was pointless, she knew, but she strained against the cords nonetheless. They were insanely tight, rubbing her skin raw with each minute movement.
Giving up, the earth pony looked around for the possessed pegasus. Her apartment was trashed; chairs overturned, lamps smashed, pictures shattered. The flickering lights reminded her of the endless, dark room from the dream. Pinkie suppressed a shiver at the evil place.
“How nice of you to join us, Pinkie Pie,” Scootaloo’s voice said from her other side. Pinkie whipped her head around to see the blood covered face of Scootaloo, glaring at her in the half-light. The filly cantered over to a counter and grasped a knife in her mouth. She came up to the pink pony and immediately began to cut into her chest. Pinkie wailed as Scootaloo carved shapes into her flesh with the blade. Blood seeped from the wounds and tears spilled down Pinkie Pie’s face.
“STOP! AHHH! NO! STOP IT!” Pinkie shrieked, trying desperately to squirm away from the knife. Scootaloo persisted with her work, as if she wasn’t even listening to the pleading cries of the writhing pony she was abusing.
When Scootaloo finished, she gazed down and smiled at her handiwork. She placed the bloodstained blade on the table next to Pinkie and turned, Pinkie guessed, to look for some other form of torture. Suddenly, Pinkie felt one of the wires that held her down snap under her efforts. She swiftly used the opportunity to grab the knife and cutting the rest of her limbs free.
Suddenly, a flash of orange appeared in her peripheral vision and smashed into her side; both came tumbling off the table in a writhing heap of fur and blood. Pinkie slashed blindly at her attacker but she dropped the knife as they slammed against the wall. The younger pegasus managed to pin Pinkie against the wall. “Come now, dear Pinkie. Where’s that smile?” she said with a twisted smile, a trickle of blood oozing from new cut on her cheek.
“Leave me alone! I just want to be left alone! Go away! Get out of here! I don’t want you to hurt me anymore!” Pinkie spouted, her fear and agony spilling out in a long plea for mercy.
Scootaloo’s face began to darken as Pinkie continued to beg. The smile faded and rage began to spark deep in her eyes. “Stop talking,” she hissed. Pinkie couldn’t stop, her mindless babbling continued to come out in a raging flow. “SHUT UP!” Scootaloo yowled. The pegasus spun around and kicked the delirious pony solidly in the jaw with her hind hooves.
Pinkie was instantly silenced. There was a feeling of release from the lower part of her mouth. She could no longer taste; no longer feel her lower jaw. It had happened so fast that she couldn’t feel the pain that should’ve been in her face. Fresh blood warmed her chest as she looked down. Her lower jaw was lying there, soaking in the waterfall of blood gushing from her face. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed numbly to the bloody ground. Pinkie Pie’s party had come to an end.

Dark Wings
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Nights Stained Red

Dark Wings

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.

Enter the Nightmare
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Nights Stained Red

Enter the Nightmare

Chapter 7- Enter the Nightmare
Rainbow Dash, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom rushed towards the Golden Oak Library as fast as they could. Hopefully they could make it before Scootaloo could harm Twilight. Night was descending quickly; already the moon was casting a silvery glow behind the clouds. Rainbow ached to fly, but her broken wing kept her earthbound.
“Hurry!” she called over her shoulder when Sweetie began falling behind. The white unicorn filly put on an extra spurt of speed but Rainbow could tell the dash was taking its toll on her. It wasn’t too much further, though.
The trio of ponies rounded the corner to find the home of Twilight Sparkle as peaceful as always. Rainbow darted immediately for the door and tried it. Locked. Rainbow turned to Sweetie Belle.
“Can you use your magic to unlock it?” the pegasus asked.
“I don’t think I can. I’m not that good with magic,” Sweetie said shamefully.
“Come on! You have to try! We don’t have time for this!” Rainbow pressed.
Before Sweetie could argue again, Apple Bloom stepped up and kicked the door open with her hind hooves. “Happy?” she said. “Let’s go.”
Rainbow didn’t hesitate. She charged in with the fillies close behind. There was no sign of Twilight or Scootaloo. “Sweetie Belle, try upstairs. Apple Bloom, basement.” With the girls off to fulfill their duties, Rainbow went to search the other rooms. Yet before she could reach her destination, Apple Bloom called for her.
“The basement door’s locked! I hear something down there!”
Rainbow Dash was at her side in an instant and Sweetie Belle soon thereafter. Rainbow nodded and Apple Bloom obligingly busted the door down, sending a shower of wood and splinters cascading down the staircase. Taking the lead, Rainbow shot down the stairs into underground room.
Then she saw it. Rainbow had known that Scootaloo was behind the killings but never did she imagine she’d have to witness one. Somehow, it made her a little less sympathetic for the young pegasus seeing it in person.
Scootaloo was standing over Twilight with a shattered test tube in her mouth that dripped with some kind of green liquid. Twilight was on the ground in agony, her mouth agape in a soundless scream. Scootaloo obviously hadn’t seen the three newcomers as she began to speak to the injured unicorn.
“The poison is in your system now. It’ll be too late for anypony to save you when it sets in. I hope you realize that you are doing me a great favor by doing this.”
“NOW!” Rainbow shouted launching herself at Scoots and bowling her over. The other two Crusaders came to hold her down as she ripped a chain from the wall and hogtied the young pegasus. Scootaloo began to thrash in her bounds and shout curses.
“Let me go! I’ll kill you all! Put me down!” Apple Bloom gagged her with a wadded piece of paper without reluctance.
Rainbow hauled Scootaloo onto her back and made for the doorway when Sweetie Belle stopped her. “What about Twilight? She needs help.” Rainbow considered for a moment.
“Here, take Scoots. I’ll go get her.” Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom put the writhing filly across their backs and ascended the stairs. Rainbow darted to Twilight’s side and lifted her onto her back with only a little trouble. Twilight’s thrashing was alarmingly weak. It couldn’t be long before whatever poison took her.
As the pegasus turned to leave, she accidently stepped in a puddle of clear liquid. It stung terribly and it took all of Rainbow’s willpower not to jerk back and inadvertently toss Twilight off her back. Instead, she grimaced and plodded through, her teeth grating so hard she thought they might break.
At the top of the stairs she walked towards the broken door, right past Roan.
“Rainbow? What is the meaning of this?” the brown unicorn demanded calmly.
The pegasus stopped in her tracks. But refused to look at Roan. Should she tell her about Scootaloo? No, she couldn’t give up on her sister yet. It didn’t matter if Roan thought she was the murderer. Twilight knew the truth and that’s all that mattered.
“I’m taking Twilight to the hospital. She might die if I don’t”
“But why? I thought you were the one who did this to her. Why save her?”
“I have killed before, Roan. But I would never kill my friends.” With that she left, leaving Roan to puzzle over her words. Rainbow had no reason to feel guilty anymore. She had a friend to save and a sister who needed help.

Scootaloo couldn’t feel anything. She couldn’t see anything. Everything around her was a blur. It was as if she was watching the distorted nightmares of another’s mind. Pathos was in the front seat now. Scootaloo could no longer fight the oppressive spirit.
She had used the last of her strength trying to keep Pathos from killing Twilight. But, he won. He shattered her will into a thousand pieces. He had total control of her body now.
Was this how it felt for him? Dying without really going anywhere? It was unnerving knowing that she would never again regain control. She was doomed to watch his murderous actions until he finally left. But would she be able to take control again when he left, or would she die right then?
Scootaloo needed to hide. She was tired and needed an escape. An idea came to her. Maybe she could go to the dream world where Pathos usually resided during Scootaloo’s times of control. The endless blackness sounded comforting to her. Nothing would ever touch her there, and Pathos would be so busy exacting revenge that he wouldn’t return. The perfect escape.
So she let her spirit fade into that dark world somewhere between natural and supernatural. This was as close as she would be able to get to death. No body. No will. Just her mind floating in an endless void.

“Where did Rainbow say we were supposed to take her?” Apple Bloom asked.
Sweetie Belle thought for a moment. “Rainbow didn’t say. Should we take Scootaloo to her house?”
“I don’t know. I wish she told us before she went off to the hospital. I’m getting tired of carrying around this stubborn pegasus.” Apple Bloom shifted under Scoots’ weight, causing it bare a little more on Sweetie Belle.
“At least she’s stopped struggling,” she grunted.
“Hey! Why don’t we take her to Zecora’s! She might know what’s wrong with her.”
Sweetie looked up at her friend with reluctance in her eyes. “I’m not really sure I want to be walking through the Everfree while it’s still dark like this. Especially not with Scootaloo acting this bad.”
“Whatever happened to that insane trust you were talking about? I know I don’t trust her worth a damn right now, but if I can do something to bring the old Scootaloo back, I’ll do it,” Apple Bloom argued.
Sweetie Belle could see determination in her amber eyes, most likely fueled by grief for her sister and loyalty to her friend. Sweetie felt that feeling herself, the two conflicting emotions driving her to help her friend get better so that she wouldn’t have to hate her. Nevertheless, the white unicorn still didn’t want to go into the dark forest. The dangers that lurked in its depths seemed magnified by the events of the past two weeks. “Are you sure it’s a good idea?” she asked.
“Here, how ‘bout this: I’ll take Scoots on to Zecora’s and you go find Dash and tell her where we are. I know the route better than anypony else our age. So, you go on. Get going.” Apple Bloom took the orange pegasus from Sweetie Belle and started away.
“You’re really bent on helping her, aren’t you?” Sweetie asked.
Apple Bloom stopped and turned to face her. “I just don’t want to lose anypony else that I love. I still miss Applejack with all my heart, but you two are also like my sisters. Maybe it wasn’t Scootaloo’s fault she went on a killing rampage. I want to find out so that I don’t have to lose another sister.”

“You did the right thing, bringing her here as fast as you can,” said Nurse Redheart. Twilight was already in a hospital bed, tubes running into her forelegs and nose. Other doctors bustled about, operating various machines and tools that Rainbow couldn’t even begin to comprehend.
“We may be able to save her, but don’t let your hopes get the better of you. We don’t know what poison is in her body yet and that alone could make all the difference,” Redheart admitted. “But we’ll try our hardest.”
“That’s all I could ever ask for,” said Rainbow. The blue pegasus didn’t want to lose her last friend. She would probably be so depressed, she’d have to move and start her life over again. Or maybe end her life altogether.
“Here, follow me,” said Nurse Redheart. “It looks like your wing was injured.”
“Yeah, I broke it. It’s fine though. Can’t really feel it,” said Rainbow. She didn’t want to leave Twilight’s room. She wanted to stay until she was sure of the unicorn’s fate: life or death.
“Come on, Rainbow. I’m just going to give you a wing splint and you’ll be able to come back to your friend. Plus, I’m sure the other doctors would be able to help her better if they had a little more space.”
Rainbow sighed. Redheart’s argument was valid. With reluctance, she willed herself to follow the white earth pony out of the room and through the hallways. The cold white halls reminded her of her last visit. She had been here with a broken wing then, too. Those were certainly happier times, when all she had to worry about was what her friends would think if they discovered that she actually liked reading. Now, she had only two things left to live for anymore: Twilight and Scootaloo.
“This room here,” Nurse Redheart said, shattering Rainbow’s thoughts. Dash followed the nurse into the room and sat on the bed inside, the paper cover rustling uncomfortably underneath her.
Redheart set to work, locating the splint and bandages and trotting back to begin mending Rainbow’s wing. “Whoa. There’s blood coming from the base. We’ll need to stop the flow before putting the bandages on.” Redheart fetched the gauze and returned. She stretched Rainbow’s wing open, causing pain to lance through her. The pegasus flinched against her will. “Sorry, but it has to be done,” the nurse mumbled through a mouthful of gauze as she pressed it into the open wound.
It wasn’t long before the blood stopped and Redheart pulled the blood-soaked gauze away. She threw it away and set back to mending the wing. “So, how have you been lately? I heard about all your friends’ deaths. It must be hard.”
“It is,” Dash replied, gritting her teeth to hold back tears of grief.
“You know, Aero Wing’s body has also been found dead somewhere around Ponyville. It certainly explains the bad weather lately; without a manager, the Weather Corporation is lost. Oh, wait. You work for the company, don’t you? You probably already found all that out.”
“Well, I was painfully aware of Aero’s death,” said Rainbow, “But I quit the weather service. Too much has been going on. I just couldn’t handle all the stress.”
“Understandable,” said Redheart, flicking her pale pink tail. “Everything’s bound to get better soon though. We’ll all be able to get on with our lives. Crises can’t last forever. Alright, you’re all set. You can return to your friend now if you want.”
Rainbow nodded her farewell and exited the room. Before she took two hoofsteps into the hallway, a small, white bundle blundered into her chest. Sweetie Belle looked up at Rainbow with relief in her eyes.
“Come on, Rainbow,” she said, “We have to go to Zecora’s. Apple Bloom took Scoots there!”
Dash looked down the hall, reluctant to leave Twilight behind. But she was in good hooves, and Scootaloo needed her right now. “Okay,” she said, “Let’s go.”

Rainbow Dash sat quietly with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle as she watched Zecora perform some sort of ritual on Scootaloo, who looked like she was sleeping peacefully. The young pegasus was lying atop an altar, surrounded by candles as the zebra waved her hooves about her, drawing symbols in the air. Zecora’s ceaseless muttering in foreign tongues slightly unnerved Rainbow.
Suddenly, Zecora stopped and looked toward the three others in her home.
“Scootaloo is missing. Her mind is not there. For this, I’m afraid, I was not prepared,” Zecora said ominously.
“What does that mean?” Dash asked. “Has she gone delusional or something?”
Zecora shook her head. “I wish it were so, but that’s not even close. She has been possessed by a spirit named Pathos.”
Rainbow’s heart skipped a beat and her eyes flew wide. How could that be right? Pathos was from some made-up story, right? Then she recalled the dream she had. It felt like so long ago. She had had a dream of Pathos attacking Scootaloo. But it wasn’t exactly a dream, was it?
“So it’s true?” Apple Bloom asked, obviously not prepared to hear the fact. Sweetie Belle on the other hoof appeared relieved.
“The grave of Pathos is grave indeed, for his sorrow brings a hateful seed,” Zecora said. “Though Scoots is not with us, she may yet still survive. In the realm of dark dreams is where she resides.”
“She still has a chance? We could rescue her?” Sweetie Belle asked excitedly.
“The only way to save the filly, it seems, is to vanquish the spirit in the orange mare’s dreams.”
Apple Bloom puzzled over this. “So, uh, how exactly are we ‘spose to get in there?”
Zecora gazed steadily at the two young fillies. “This quest is too dangerous for fillies like you. Only Rainbow has strength enough to follow through. The journey for you would swallow your life quicker than you would bleed if you were cut by a knife.”
The two Crusaders glanced at each other. “The fact that you made that rhyme didn’t make it sound any less horrifying,” Apple Bloom stated.
“It wasn’t supposed to. Now hush up with you.” Zecora turned from the three ponies and opened up a cabinet. Inside was a gilded box with a crescent moon engraved on the lid. She blew the dust from the surface and handed it to Rainbow.
The box felt cool in her hooves and she dared to open the lid. Inside was a black flower whose petals resembled the insignia on the lid of the box.
“Do I eat it?” Rainbow asked Zecora.
“Yes, and then you’ll be sent to the land of Pathos’ mourning, but before you depart I must give you a warning. These dreams are not governed by Luna’s command. The darkness is deeper than any in the land. You may not survive, be it only a dream. This world is more real than, to us, it may seem.”
“It doesn’t matter. If I don’t save Scootaloo, then surely, she’ll attack Twilight again. I can’t let that happen. This is the only chance we’ve got.” Rainbow bit into the flower, and the taste of the bitter leaves washed over her tongue. The three others watched her tentatively, waiting to see what would happen. Rainbow didn’t feel any different.
“Maybe it doesn’t—“ Rainbow stopped midsentence as a wave of fatigue struck her. Darkness swirled her vision and suddenly, she felt herself plunge into the deep shadows.

Scootaloo was nestled here in the deepest pits of darkness. The shadows offered cover for her guilt. She wasn’t sorry about her friends’ deaths. She was sorry that she let Pathos kill them. Surely she could’ve tried harder to stop the demon. Now she had lost the battle. Pathos won.
But here, in the very world of his creation, she could hide and ignore the outside world. Everything was just an endless black void where she could silently wait for death. She hoped her body would die. Then Pathos would be forced to stop his quest for vengeance. It was only a matter of time.
She closed her eyes to reminisce. Until recently, she had had a pretty decent life. Everything had been bright and sunny for the most part. Pathos had taken everything from her in little more than a week. Scootaloo hadn’t stood a chance. The young filly had hardly had a chance to experience anything. All dreams of flying and discovering her talent were gone. She would never know the freedom of life or the intimacy of true love. All of it was now nothing but a distinct memory. Pathos had ripped her life away before it had begun.
Scoots opened her eyes again as a weird sense washed over her. She felt the sensation of falling, although she was curled in a ball on the cold dreamscape. Gazing into the supposed sky, she saw a shooting star, plummeting towards an unseen horizon. Somehow, she knew that whatever she had just felt was tied to that star.
“A light within the shadows…” The gravity of what she saw was just hitting her. Here in this realm of pure darkness there was not a speck of light, except for that star.

“She disappeared!” Apple Bloom exclaimed.
“So, that explains why Scootaloo always seemed to be in places she couldn’t possibly be in…” Sweetie Belle said.
“What do you mean?” the earth filly asked. “I don’t understand.”
Sweetie Belle took a second to organize her thoughts before repeating it to her friend. “Okay, so me and Scootaloo came up with a plan to try and keep her from killing anypony tonight. We tied her up real tight with a length of rope. We got the knot to where, even when I tried to untie it, it was a lost cause. She insisted on being locked in the treehouse, so I blocked the door and windows. When I came by later to check on her and give her something to eat, she was gone. The knot still in the rope and everything.”
“Ya don’t think she may’ve found a way to get out of it?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Positive,” Sweetie replied.
“So, are you saying she just vanished and appeared at Twilight’s?”
“Yes I am,” Sweetie Belle answered. Apple Bloom gave her a question glance, so she broke it down for her. “When Rainbow went into the dream world, she disappeared. That means, if Scoots went to the dram world, she would disappear, which means she could wake up in a completely different place.”
“Oh,” Apple Bloom said, realization dawning on her. “So if Pathos there vanishes…”
“We better find him faster than if Hell itself was chasing after us,” Sweetie said.
Apple Bloom sighed and glanced back at the body that once contained her friend and was somewhat surprised to find it staring back at her. It was hard to imagine a psychotic stallion behind the innocent face of her best friend. “It seems like it already has,” she told Sweetie Belle without prying her eyes from those of Scootaloo’s.

Rainbow Dash opened her eyes to find herself plummeting through the darkness. Her first instinct was to unfurl her wings and break her fall. That proved to be a fatal mistake. The rushing wind wrenched her already broken wing directly behind her back, snapping the splint and allowing the wing to bend at awkward angles. Blinding pain jolted through her as it twisted erratically like a bag being tossed about in a storm. Her wing whipped, bones splintering, skin tearing as her fall threatened to rip it away from her.
Rainbow screamed in agony as the limb refused to fold back to her side. She could feel blood welling from the reopened wound at the base of her wing. She tried containing the flailing limb by reaching out and grabbing it. She nearly snagged it when she splashed into a deep body of water with such force that the air was knocked out of her.
Fighting against her instinct to take in a lungful of water, she fought for the surface, desperately searching through the pitch black for some sign of which way was up. Dash swam frantically towards where she thought it was, her eyes bulging from fighting her lungs’ will. Then her nose bumped against the floor of the lake.
Alarm flashed through her from nose to tail-tip. She had gone the wrong way! Then her strength ran out; she could no longer hold her breath. She gasped in an enormous lungful of water. She fought in vain for air and panic overcame her. Dash thrashed in the water struggling in the opposite direction. However, she was far too deep to reach the surface alive. Her veins bulged in her neck, her blood starving for oxygen. Her head was pounding and spots formed in her vision, appearing like a starry sky against the blackness that surrounded her. She was going to drown, her strength quickly fleeing.
Rainbow’s heart slowed and a sense of acceptance came over her. She could see a light heading towards her. Was this it? Was she about to cross the threshold into the afterlife? As the light drew nearer, she could tell it had a definite form, the shape of a pony. Not just anypony, it was Applejack.
“Am I dead?” Rainbow tried to glub painfully through the water.
Applejack seemed to understand nonetheless and shook her head. The orange earth pony wrapped a hoof around her and, suddenly, Dash’s lungs filled with oxygen-rich air. The sudden access to oxygen left her temporarily lightheaded, but she still gulped down mouthfuls of the precious gas. Where was it coming from? It didn’t matter, she was going to live.
Applejack assisted her to the surface and to a nearby embankment. The half-drowned pegasus flopped onto the sandy beach coughing up lungfuls of water and heaving in more air.
“Thank you, Applejack,” Rainbow said between gasps. “How did you do that? Why are you here?”
“Some things are just better left unspoken, Sugarcube,” the glowing earth pony replied. “I’ve done what I can for ya now. Good luck on your journey.”
Rainbow looked up in shock. “You aren’t staying?”
Applejack didn’t reply. She merely shimmered away like a candle being extinguished.
Rainbow Dash struggled to her hooves and shook the water from her fur. The pain in her chest greatly overpowered that in her wing at this point, so she didn’t even bother to fold them. She staggered forward, still shaky from her near-death experience.
When she regained enough strength and balance to carry on, she started walking forward only to halt in her tracks.
“Wait, Applejack said I was going on a journey…” If this was only the beginning, she didn’t even want to know what horrors lay in the path ahead of her.

Rain again. Roan wasn’t surprised. The sun was just dawning, but it was rather difficult to tell where exactly the sun was. Not that it mattered. As she paced through Ponyville soaked to the core, all she could think about was Rainbow’s final words.
“It doesn’t make sense,” she said to herself, “I was sure Rainbow Dash was the culprit. I’m sure she killed Aero Wing; she practically admitted that outright, but then, she tries to save Twilight from the brink of death. Does that mean somepony else has been attacking these ponies? Who could it be?”
As she puzzled through her thoughts, she swept a lock of drenched hair from her face. She hadn’t bothered to do it up in her usual ponytail. She had no time to look nice anymore. She needed to sort this entire thing out so she could return home to Firemane.
Roan wondered how her husband was doing. She knew he was probably working hard and thinking about her. The scarlet pegasus would start missing her if she didn’t get home soon. If only she could just leave. It would be wonderful to just abandon her job and pretend nothing had ever happened. Maybe she could find some other job; something close to her home and family.
But she had to continue on. Who knows if the killer might find his way into Canterlot and start the slaughter there. If she didn’t cut down the enemy soon, she might never be safe.
So, the question was, who was this enemy? It was no longer plausible to her that Rainbow Dash was the culprit. Nopony saves her own victim. She would still need to be brought in for questioning about Aero Wing’s body, but what about the other four homicides? Who else in this usually peaceful city would want to kill these ponies? Especially considering the fact that these particular citizens are bearers of the Elements of Harmony. Was somepony jealous of their power?
Roan shook her head in frustration. There had to be some lead. Roan stopped walking and looked up at the library. She sighed and stepped through the rubble that was once the front door. Shaking out her pelt, she decided to go down to the basement to assess the damage. Just before she reached the splintered basement door, she noticed the feather. Not one of Rainbow’s vibrant blue ones, but an orange one.
She had seen this feather before. Roan picked the feather up and examined it closely. A filly’s feather… That’s right! She had seen this same feather at Fluttershy’s cottage upstairs. It belonged to a little girl named Scootaloo according to DNA testing. Roan knew through investigation that she and her two friends had spent the night the day before the murder. She discounted them as suspects because they had apparently left the next morning according to a couple witnesses testifying to having seen the Cutie Mark Crusaders before anypony died.
But now she was unsure. She knew the feather wasn’t here before, meaning the filly had either wandered in while she was away, or she had been in there before she was out of the shower. Roan was certain it wasn’t the former. What innocent filly would waltz into an obvious crime scene, especially with a killer on the loose? She would run a test on the feather to confirm ID, but what she really needed now was to bring in the young pegasus for questioning. Roan was on the trail once again, and this time she knew she would not fail. She prayed to Celestia that the filly was innocent but, filly or not, she was going to carry out her duty and bring justice to Ponyville.

A Shining Tear
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Nights Stained Red

A Shining Tear

Chapter 8- A Shining Tear
Rainbow struggled forth through the darkness, hoping to find some trace of light or anything. She could feel the warmth of blood running down her side, spiking her fur awkwardly. Her breathing was still ragged, a spraying cough racking her body occasionally. Strength had abandoned her, leaving her weak and defenseless. How was she to find Scootaloo's spirit and return it in this state?
She paused. How did she plan on doing that in the first place? It was too late now. There was no turning back. She'd just have to figure it put when she got there. Rainbow sagged and collapsed on the ground, feeling utterly tired.
Rainbow needed help. She was utterly lost. Somehow, she had stumbled along blindly here through the darkness that enclosed her. She wasn't even sure if her eyes were open anymore. It was hopeless to try and press on. But, somewhere out there was Scoots; she had to get up, at least for her. However, the strength she had been relying on had been completely depleted. Rainbow could hardly even lift her head. The cyan pegasus was certain death was going to claim her. Rainbow closed her eyes. The blood was still seeping; she could feel the it streaming down her belly to the ground from the opening under her wing. There was no more pain, only fatigue.
“Now, now dear. Don't be thinking such dreadful thoughts.”
Rainbow's eye's opened at the sound of the familiar voice. A brilliantly lit form had appeared before her.
“Rarity?” Rainbow croaked.
“Yes dear. Now don't speak. I'll fix you up,” Rarity said. A spool of thread and a needle was summoned before her. The unicorn took the needle to the pegasus' side and began to sew up the wound.
With every tug of thread, Rainbow felt pain subside. It was as if the thread itself had healing properties. She relished each and every second of it.
“There you are. All better,” Rarity stated as she finished. Rainbow staggered and attempted to stand straight.
“Wait! Not yet!”
It was too late. The blood rushed from Dash's head and she fainted.

“Is Twilight alright?” Roan asked.
Nurse Redheart refused to look her in the eye. “I'm not sure. There's a lot of poison in her bloodstream. We're draining as much of it as we can, but it's proving to be quite the feat. It's going to take time, but if we press on through the night, she has a glimmer of hope.”
Roan sighed. “I see.” She glanced at the battered unicorn lying in the bed. Burn marks crisscrossed her lavender coat. A doctor was analyzing a gaping wound on her shoulder. It was a pitiful sight. Just that morning she had seemed so lively... well, as lively as you could get when all your friends were being slaughtered.
“Is Rainbow the one who brought her here?” Roan asked.
Redheart nodded. “She's quite the loyal friend. She refused to leave Twilight's side until I dragged her away to fix her wing.”
“She's definitely not who I thought she was...”
Nurse Redheart gave her a confused look. “What do you mean?” Roan was saved by answering when the doctor by Twilight's shoulder called the nurse over.
Everything Roan had worked for was being shattered. Every inconspicuous lead had been luring her further from the truth. Rainbow Dash couldn't be the killer. It was impossible. What Nurse Redheart just said proved it. Now, her primary suspect was a little filly. A poor, young girl she had never met.
One that was connected to the murders, Roan suddenly realized. This Scootaloo was apparently friends with the sisters of Applejack and Rarity. What kind of friend kills their best friends' sisters? It was all so confusing. Ponyville was in too dark a time. She just wanted to give up and go home to Canterlot where she would cry and tell the entire horrible story to Firemane. But she had to figure out who this killer was. It was her duty.
Roan cried out, letting all of her emotions swell up at once. Ponies all around looked at her as if she were psycho. She didn't care. The mare turned and exited the room. Rushing through the hallway, she made her way outside. It was raining harder now, thunder rumbling in the distance. Roan didn't care how, but she was going to fix everything tonight. And she'd start where it all started... at the cottage at the edge of the Everfree.

Scootaloo's heart pounded in her chest. She had started wandering in the direction of the falling star she had seen earlier, but found herself lost within a place she'd never seen before. It was like an endless empty basement. Occasionally she'd think she saw a wall lined with dreadfully rusted pipes, but whenever she looked again, there'd be nothing there but more blackness. All the florescent lights looked about ready to fall. Many were flickering and quite a few were burnt out. Wires hung from the ceiling and sparks showered down around her. It was like a haunting fireworks show. The sound of her hooves clopping against the concrete added to the loneliness of it all.
Scoots was dreadfully cold. Until now, she hadn't had the chance to realize how cold it actually was in the dreamscape. She'd either been fighting with Pathos or been lost in deep thought. Now that she was moving, the chill bit deep into her flesh, causing her to shiver violently.
Scootaloo noticed the blood on the ground. That's when she remembered. This was the area of the dream that Pinkie had been tortured in. A tear slid down her cheek as she remembered the horror of it all. The usually happy mare had worn a look of sheer terror on her face. Here, rules didn't apply like in the real world. Everything worked according to Pathos' desires.
“I've got to get out of here!” she screamed into the blackness. She began to run, but she soon realized it didn't matter at all how far she ran. She could run forever and never escape, just like Pinkie. Scootaloo didn't care though. She just kept running and running and running...

Roan stood before the Fluttershy's cottage. The place looked absolutely haunted on this night. Clouds swirled low overhead, sending rain hammering down upon her. Lightning flashed constantly, both blinding her and deafening her with its roar. Police tape was plastered to the doors and windows. A nightmare's background.
She stepped up to the door and creaked it open, peering inside. The putrid smell of death had been greatly diminished by cleaning crews, but a hint of it remained in the air. Used to the scent, she pushed her way inside and turned on a light. It was empty. No furniture, no blood, hardly a stain remained. All traces of the murder seemed to have vanished... except for the looming sense of oppression.
Roan had no idea what she hoped to find here. She had already scrutinized every nook and cranny of the cottage, and collected all the evidence she could scrounge up. Now there was nothing here. She would be less likely to find something now than ever.
Roan sat on the floor. The wind from the still open door whipped her black mane about her face. Anger lit in her blue eyes. She was losing her head at the very moment she needed it most.
“Okay,” she said to herself aloud, “Why did I come here?”
Roan found she actually had to think for a second. She held her hooves to her temples in concentration. Suddenly it came to her. “To prove Scootaloo's guilt or innocence.”
“...But why come here to the initial scene instead of one f the ones that probably weren't cleaned up quite yet?”
“Why not ask her yourself?”
Roan's ear twitched. Either she was going crazy, or she somepony else had answered her. She slowly turned. The door had been shut.
Roan stood up in fear. The mare reached for the handle and tugged on it. She pulled over and over and over until the handle actually snapped off.
“What the Hell's going on!” she yelled.
Don't lose it! Don't panic! she told herself in her head. Somepony was in here with her. Roan felt her body shaking and she struggled to get it under control.
“I... am... back...” The voice thundered through the house. The lights flickered and went out. She was alone in the dark. The only light came from the lightning through the windows. A silhouette of a pony was outlined against the flickering light.
“Revenge... of the fallen soul... will lead me back... to the realm.........”

Sweetie Belle stirred from her sleep. Apparently she had dozed off during the night. A storm raged outside. She yawned and something dripped in her mouth. Sweetie went wide-eyed and gagged at the taste of coppery liquid. She wished she had stayed asleep.
She and Apple Bloom were covered in blood, but as far as Sweetie could tell, the blood all came from from one place. Zecora's head had been exploded, pieces of skull and brain matter littered the inside of the hut.
Sweetie couldn't hold back the squeal of terror rising in her throat. She burst forth in caterwaul of horror, tears streaming from her eyes.
Apple Bloom jolted awake from her sleep in a delirium. “What in the hay is going on?” she asked. Only to falter when she saw the scarlet painting everything. When Sweetie finally got a hold of herself, she turned to her best friend though sobs still racked her body.
“Where's Scootaloo?” Apple Bloom asked.
Sweetie turned and noticed that the table was empty. She didn't even want to find out how this happened. Adrenaline pulsed through her veins. “I don't even want to know...” she whispered.
Lightning illuminated the room. It was frightening to realize that somewhere out there was a murderous spirit. And it was on a mission.
“We have to find her, Sweetie Belle. We have to find her before Pathos kills again,” Apple Bloom said, getting up and crossing over to the door. She shook a bit of the blood out of her fur but it didn't help much. Her yellow coat was still splotched with scarlet.
All Sweetie wanted to do was curl into a ball and block everything out. The confidence she had been brimming with that morning had totally disappeared. Maybe it had to do with the fact that the death of Zecora had been so quiet that the two fillies sleeping mere feet away had not been stirred. It was horrible to imagine the cruel speed and strength it must have taken to pull off the attack.
“Come on, Sweetie. It won't help nopony if you stay here stewin' in zebra blood. You could get sick.”
Sweetie shot her a heated stare. “You think I'm not? I'm sick of all of this! I'm sick of death! I'm sick of Pathos! I'm sick of the rain!” She got up and marched up to Apple Bloom. “But you wanna know what I am most sick of? I'm sick of crying... I'm sick of being sad and having to block it out long enough to eat. I just want all of this to end...” Tears had begun to slide down her cheeks, turning orange as they mixed with the blood spattered on her face.
“That's why we need to go. Pathos is out there, using our best friend to murder. You were the one who told me that. You restored mah faith in her. Scootaloo is still one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. We just need to help her out. The only way to stop Pathos is to keep her from attackin' anypony before Rainbow finishes her job. If you hadn't been there to lift me up past the depression long enough to see that you could be right about Scoots, I wouldn't be here right now. Now I'm here for you. Trust me, we can do it.” Apple Bloom held out her hoof. “You comin' with me?”
Sweetie wiped the tears from her face, inadvertently smearing blood across her face. She reached out with her own hoof and bumped the yellow filly's. Her face was stern, her heart set. “I'll do it.”

Rainbow opened her eyes hearing her heartbeat pounding in her chest.. She could see light, but it was not the same as the one that surrounded Rarity. Rather, it was a sickly green, like cave moss.
She stood, careful to do so slowly this time. Dash looked around at her surroundings. Apparently she had woken up in a forest of some sort. The green was emanating from various mushrooms and fungi that grew on the ground and trees.
Dash noticed that there was something odd about the trees though. They seemed to move on their own. Swaying back and forth and, if she looked really closely, pulsating. She reached out with her hoof and touched one of them. Immediately she pulled her hoof back. The tree was soft and warm, like it was made of...
“Flesh...” Rainbow uttered in disgust.
That's when she realized the heartbeat wasn't her own. Rather, it was the forest's. The whole place was mortifying, and Rainbow felt no closer to finding the orange filly. No options were really left to her though, so she began to walk again, keeping a safe distance from the trees when she could.
As she stumbled onward, the sound of the heartbeat increased in intensity and speed. The sound of the pulse was putting her on edge, causing her to panic a little.
Ka-thunk... Ka-thunk.. KA-THUNK. KA-THUNK KATHUNK KATHUNKKATHUNKKATHUNK!!!
Rainbow was ripping through the forest at top speed now. She dodged around trees and ducked under arm-like branches. She couldn't calm her mind long enough to say that the fear was illogical. But what if it wasn't illogical? What if the forest was warning that there was something... behind her...
Rainbow came to an abrupt halt. The heartbeat had vanished. The cyan pegasus trembled as she turned her head to see if there really was something...
The forest behind her was dark, the fungi extinguished like candles in a breeze. There was a mass of green and brown, like bushes lined up in the path she had just taken. The thing about these bushes, though...
One of them stepped out of line with a wooden hoof. The mane of leaves rustled as the wooden creature inched forward. Rainbow rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. When she opened them again, the creature was mere inches from her, staring directly into her eyes. It's face looked just like a pony's frozen in an expression of fear. Dark liquid like black tree sap poured sluggishly from the gaping eyeholes. A faint sound, like ragged, pained breathing escaped its permanently opened mouth.
Rainbow dared not move an inch. The creature, though it had no eyes, seemed to gaze into her soul. She was petrified by it's haunting appearance. Something twisted about her leg. Without moving her head, she glanced down to see what it was. A bramble vine was curling around her, snaking its way to the other legs. She realized that she was to be ensnared.
Yanking her hoof free, she whipped around and darted in the opposite direction, her vigor renewed with the knowledge of what was following. The sound of blood rushed in her ears as she galloped on, not daring to use her wings for fear of another incident like the last. To add, the trees around were growing more grotesque. Some had hair growing on them; others peered at her with wide, bloodshot eyes. Some had branches shaped like hands that reached for her as she shot past.
Then she came to the end of the line. A massive tree was towering before her. In the center was a massive heart that beat slowly, rumbling the ground like a small earthquake. Ribs jut from the tree at odd angles creating a sort of cage around the clearing. She was trapped. The only exit was probably already blocked by an army of plant creatures.
“Hehe. Great,” Rainbow said, feeling her mind slip from the sheer inevitability of her demise. “This is exactly what I wanted! Hehe.”
Vines were snaking up from behind, cocooning her balk half while the trees in the cage began to bend down and grab a hold of her. All Rainbow did was laugh, her fear causing insanity to sweep of her.
“This is all a horrible dream after all!” she said. “I'll wake up and everypony will be fine! All my friends will be alive, and Scootaloo will be in school with the other Crusaders. I'm just having a nightmare.”
However, a sudden glimpse of clarity struck her. This was all really happening. The vines were constricting her chest, her wings were being yanked by the trees. Something in her mind just clicked. Those plant creatures were actually those who had entered the forest before her... and were caught. But she wouldn't be one of those with a horrified expression on her face. She had seen Hell itself over the last two weeks. Instead, her face would be one of blank realization...
“Don't give up, Dashie! You don't ever give up! You play to win!” Rainbow couldn't turn to look, but she already knew what she would see if she did.
A shriek came from one of the plant creatures as Pinkie attacked. Some of the brambles around Dash's waist went loosened. Another shriek and another vine unwound itself. Rainbow wished she was facing the other direction so she could see what was happening. As her cocoon of briars and brambles came undone, she began to realize that her hysteria was fading.
Soon she was freed, but the trees pulsated much more intensely than before. She turned to see Pinkie Pie, her pink frame spattered with black sap. In her mouth was a glowing broadsword, also stained and splattered. A copse of corpses lie around her, but she still had fire in her eyes.
“Be careful Dashie, these trees are angry!” said the glowing pink mare.
Pinkie leapt over Rainbow and slashed down at the massive heart a wave of blood gushed out and the light of the fungi began to go out. “Hurry! Jump through the wound!” Pinkie shouted.
Rainbow didn't dare to question her. Without hesitation she jumped up and through the hole in the heart. The scent of blood engulfed her as she fought her way through the current. Soon, she was freed from the tide, and found herself standing in an empty void. It was the same place as the dream she had weeks ago. Darkness seemed to touch everything except herself... and a small orange form running straight towards her across the plain.

“I remember you... You're that little filly Cyan took up to Cloudsdale...” said a ragged deep voice.
“How do you know that?” Roan called into the dark.
Suddenly, the fireplace roared to life with an unnaturally red glow. The pony before her was... somewhat reminiscent of an orange pegasus filly with a magenta mane. The filly looked dead, hanging by six spindly spider legs. Blood dripped from her mouth, which didn't move as the voice spoke. Her eyes were closed lightly as if she were asleep.
Roan cowered away from the grotesque monster. “S-Scootaloo? Wh-what?”
“I am not Scootaloo... Her body is mine to control permanently now. I am the one known as Pathos... I want my vengeance so I can go on to the afterlife and leave this accursed land behind! You can be my final ticket out. Just sacrifice yourself here and now, and will leave this place forever...”
“No!” Roan yelled and ran up the stairs, she turned into the first room she saw and closed the door behind her... only, she was back in the living room, the door she had just closed behind her was the front door.
“You cannot hide...” Pathos said, turning to face her with the limp form of Scootaloo. “The blood of Dawn's Ray must be spilled. You and Twilight both share her blood. However, she cannot be reached as easily as you. Your blood will be just fine.”
Roan, closed her eyes tight and concentrated. “Now would be a great time to be able to teleport!” Roan opened one of her eyes and saw a completely different landscape. She was in the Everfree forest in front of a gravestone. On the gravestone was a bit of blood that the rain would not wash away.
“The contract...” said Pathos. He appeared from the other side of the clearing and approached her. The large spider legs carried Scootaloo over to grave and stood her in front of it. There was a blinding flash from a lightning bolt, then Roan saw the true form of Pathos. The grey and blue stallion. The torn face, side, and limbs leaked blood. His pitch black eyes with glowing red pupils stared into hers. It was the same pony she had seen in the reflection of the glass. This was her murderer.
“When dear Scoots here ran into the headstone, blood from her head got on it. That is what sealed the contract. Through her blood, she allowed me her body. Cyan also gave his blood so I could use him, though his was willingly. Cyan proved to be purely evil and overrode my control. But what could be more convenient than an innocent little filly? A perfect vessel.”
“You're horrible! How could you hurt a little filly like that!”
“I don't murder for the joy of it. I murder for the settling of my spirit. All of my foes have been surmounted, except for Dawn's Ray and Tsunami. The final two who taunted me and made my living life Hell. The remaining descendants are you, Twilight, and Rainbow who has walked straight into the arms of the predator.”
“Why are you telling me this? Why, if you are so desperate, don't you just attack? Why Rarity and Applejack instead of Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom?”
“I don't hurt fillies!” Pathos roared and came in close, staring down into Roan's terrified blue eyes. “What Cyan did to you was not my fault. I don't want to kill anymore! I just want to leave, but I can't until I settle my spirit! Only then will the gate to the afterlife be opened unto me! I just want to explain so you don't take it personally when I take your life!”
“What does it matter if we're dead anyways?” Roan asked.
“It matters. If I upset your spirit, you may be trapped as I have been...”
It was odd, but Roan felt sorry for the mutilated stallion. Had everypony who died received such a speech? Four murders he had committed thusfar, and now it all made sense. Blood of the ancestors. Entrance to the afterlife. “I understand... but you must stop. You cannot go through with this! These ponies have nothing to do with what their ancestors have done. There must be another way to find a way to the afterlife. I could help. But please, you must stop this! You have to‒”
Roan stopped midsentence as a piercing pain erupted in her chest. Lightning flashed and the image of Pathos was replaced by the disfigured form of Scootaloo. One of the spider legs was jabbed into her chest, the blood from the wound dripping down the limb.
Pathos' voice filled the air around her. “But this is the easiest way...”
Scoots' tiny frame began to convulse and gag and a blood-stained, ropey white web shot out of her mouth. The spider legs began to expertly wind the web around Roan, but there was nothing she could do to stop it. She was helpless.

Scootaloo skidded to a halt in front of the scarlet figure before her. Her eyes widened with horror at the dripping pegasus. She had never wandered so far so she hardly expected that other creatures might reside here in the nightmare.
“Scootaloo! I found you!” the red pegasus said. Her voice was familiar. Extremely familiar.
“Rainbow? Is that you?” she ventured, daring to take a step closer.
The scarlet pegasus wiped some of the blood from her face, revealing some of the bluish fur underneath. Scoots let out a yelp of excitement and wrapped her hooves around Rainbow's neck.
“Oh Rainbow! I missed you so much! I was afraid I'd never seen you again!” Suddenly, a horrifying thought popped into the filly's mind.
“How did you get here? Did Pathos take you, too?”
“No,” Rainbow replied shaking her head, “Zecora sent me here with a special herb. I came here to restore you to your own body.”
“What if Pathos takes over again? I don't know if I can fend him off. I tried for so long...”
“Yes, but you tried to do so alone. I am here to help you this time. Twilight has taught me a lot about friendship since she came to Ponyville. It really does bring you strength.”
“Wait. You knew I was trying to fight off Pathos alone? Does this mean you knew I was the murderer” a spark of guilt lodged in her throat.
“I knew you weren't hanging out with your friends as much as you used to for the past couple of weeks. Then I found the feather at Rarity's crime scene...”
Scootaloo felt tears well up in her eyes. Even though it was Pathos' fault, she felt every bit responsible for the deaths of the ponies. “I can't believe it... Do you still love me? How could you? I killed your best friends.” The thorn of remorse dug deeper into her heart the more the memories came to her. Her tears became quiet sobs.
“Shh...” Rainbow wrapped her bloodstained limbs around the filly. Despite the horrifying image, Scootaloo felt the warmth of the hug. “Listen. Though I knew it was you, I also knew you weren't behind the killings. I know you would never murder anypony willingly in a million years. I'm sad that Pathos chose you, but I will always be there to protect you. I will always love you, demons or no.”
Scoots smiled. This was the first time she felt sincerely loved since Pathos arrived. The warmth spread through her body nose to tail-tip. Maybe she would finally have a chance of returning to her former life after all. Just maybe... all her atrocities could be washed away...
“You need to get yourself back in line, young one,” Pathos' voice growled behind her.
Scootaloo tore herself from Rainbow's grasp and turned to face him. Pathos stood there with his usual look of rage. The blood running down from two century old wounds pooled around his hooves. She glared defiantly at him, Rainbow's encouragement restoring her former vigor.
“I think it is you who has to get back in line,” Scoots roared. “I've had about enough of this! You are nothing to me! I will come out on top! No matter what you do!”
Pathos did not back down. In fact, every word she uttered seemed to fuel his anger. Rainbow stepped in front of the orange pegasus. “Let me handle this...”
Rainbow Dash went up to the mangled stallion and gazed directly into his eyes. Scootaloo watched on, wondering how she could bear to look into those evil, heartless pits.
“You bear a burden bigger than you are... I see that. When I read your story, I initially saw you as the wronged. But you started messing with ponies' lives. Killing innocents is not the way to the afterlife. I have killed before, and it does hurt to know you have committed such a horrible crime. But you've ruined my sister's life. And all for your own gain. Now please leave...” Rainbow lowered herself into an aggressive crouch, “or I'm going to have to take you out myself.”
“Handing your life over? I'll take it with pride!” Pathos let out the same unearthly screech he made when Scoots had first dreamed of him. Dark clouds swirled around his body like a whirlwind. The red pupils filled out his dark eyes and suddenly knives and chains and countless other weapons appeared around him, floating as if by magic. “Let's begin!”
Pathos lunged towards the blood-drenched pegasus and Scootaloo clenched her eyes shut.

“I don't think this is the way out of the forest, Apple Bloom,” Sweetie said as the two trotted through the dark, wet forest. They wandered through Everfree side by side shivering and relying on each other for warmth. Sweetie Belle was absolutely miserable.
“Ah'm doin' the best I can navigatin' without no light,” she replied with equal misery in her tone.
“I could try the light spell again,” she suggested.
Apple Bloom shook her head. “Don't bother. We're already lost. And if Pathos is out here, I'd rather not give away our position.”
“I guess you're right.” Sweetie and Apple Bloom trudged on through the wet leaves, mud, and brambles. The icy drops continued to pour through the canopy. A brisk wind brought with it a fresh, freezing wave of rain forcing the friends to huddle closer together.
“I wanna go home,” Sweetie complained, wishing she had one of her sister's scarves with her.
“Me too. But home isn't as comfortable as it once was anyhow. Not since AJ died...”
“Maybe, after this is all over, we could all move. We could restart in some distant town far away. You, me, Scoots, Rainbow, and Twilight! Oh, and of course, Spike.”
“Maybe... if Twi and Rainbow are alive after this... and if Scoots ever gets her body back...” Apple Bloom replied, shooting down Sweetie's attempt at lifting their spirits a trifle.
The two came out into a clearing and paused. A cocoon hung in a massive web spun around a clearing. The centerpiece was a nameless headstone marked with blood. Next to the cocoon was the demon Scootaloo, her spindly spider legs preparing to attack the white sack.
“What in the name of Nightmare Moon happened to Scootaloo?” Sweetie asked nopony in particular out of dumbfounded horror.
The spider turned the corpse-like form of Scootaloo towards the two Crusaders and Sweetie felt fear pulse through her veins. However, she could not move. Fear froze her in place, but determination began to well up from within her soul. All the anger she felt at Pathos was rising to the surface.
“You there! Pathos!” Sweetie yelled.
“Sweetie Belle!” Apple Bloom whispered harshly out of the corner of her mouth, “What the Hell do you think you're doin'?”
Sweetie ignored her friend. “You killed my sister! You killed our sisters! Why would you do something like that? Scootaloo told me all about your horrid designs! I saw you kill Pinkie! She and Fluttershy have never done anything to you! You really are shit!”
“Sweetie Belle!” Apple Bloom snapped, “Get a hold of yourself or he might attack us, too!”
“Provocations are not becoming of you, little filly,” the masculine voice of Pathos muttered as the monstrosity lowered itself to the ground before the two girls. Apple Bloom shrunk backwards at the sight but Sweetie Belle stood her ground. In fact she felt brave enough to snap every one of Pathos' sick spider legs and rip his soul out herself.
“Oh yeah! Well, maybe I would be so angry if you weren't so sick and twisted!”
“I'm warning you!” Pathos growled.
“Yeah? Well, I'm warning you!”
“You are testing my patience!”
“Sweetie! Stop that! We gotta get outta here! We need help!” Apple Bloom urged desperately.
“No!” she spun on the yellow pony. The wet on her face was no longer just the rain. She could feel slight warm on her cheeks from tears. “I'm done... We have to get our friend back. We have to... so we can be the Cutie Mark Crusaders again. So we can go back to how we used to be, three friends against the world. We will live together... or we'll die together...” Sweetie held out her hoof, beckoning Apple Bloom to join her. Apple Bloom simply stood there in the rain.
Sweetie felt a flash of betrayal. “Apple Bloom!” she urged, despair heavy in her tone.
“I-I can't,” the yellow earth pony said. She gazed at the ground at her hooves. “I'm sorry. I'm done with this.”
Sweetie turned away from her. “Fine! I'll handle him without you.” She gazed at the supposedly sleeping form of Scootaloo in front of her. She could hear Apple Bloom's hoofsteps as she ran away. “Together indeed...” Sweetie muttered under her breath.

Rainbow hardly had time to duck out of the way of the countless blades flashing in her direction. The silvery missiles gave chase, obeying the will of their master. She ran and dodged, making sure to keep well away from poor Scoots.
“Why do you try to escape the inevitable?” Pathos asked. “There is naught but death before you. Why cling to life when it is futile?”
Dash evaded another wave of sharp projectiles. “I cannot fail after coming so far!” she panted. “Too many of my friends have died for nothing!”
“They died so that I might regain my peace!”
Some blades shot past and scored Rainbow's side, shredding wing and digging rivulets into her flesh. She let out an agonized scream and collapsed. The pain was so great it blinded her. More blades sliced through her other side, magnifying her shrieks of pain all the more.
“Pathos! Stop!” Rainbow hardly heard Scoots say. The adrenaline rushing in her ears prevented her from hearing much else... except Pathos' piercing voice.
“You see, death is the only answer. The penultimate act in my grand play. I would toy with you more, but I am too impatient for such trivial matters. You've suffered enough getting here as it is. Prepare for your final breath...”

Roan struggled in her cage of web. Her magic was well at work trying to destroy the prison. Just a little more...
BOOM!
She collapsed raggedly on the ground. Shakily she stood, the gaping wound in her chest still leaking profusely. Pathos/Scootaloo was standing before the small yet resolute frame of Sweetie Belle. The look on the filly's face was one of pure grief. Nothing could compare to the pain she must feel.
“What are you going to do?” Roan asked Pathos.
“Her friend has betrayed her, left her in the face of danger when it mattered most. I know her pain. I am her pain. I am the pathos she experiences now. I will leave her in peace.”
Sweetie gave the creature a grateful look and she collapsed on the ground. Pathos then turned to Roan. “But you must go. There's no other way.”
“You show that you can be compassionate. Why don't you see that you don't need to do this? Your compassion could get you to the afterlife surely.”
Sweetie looked up at Pathos. “No more killing,” she pleaded. “Please? No more death. You make me want to die. You are the reason friends are gone. You struck fear in Apple Bloom's heart. You broke Scootaloo's spirit. And you are fracturing my sanity. Because of you, I am beginning to question if life is worth living!”
Roan saw that, as she got worked up, a green aura began to surround the filly's horn. Sweetie Belle's anger was beginning to spill out.
“You have destroyed my life! Why would you do that! I heard about that little filly you killed all those years ago! Well guess what? You are still killing innocent little fillies. Me and my friends are Dying because of your choices! You flipped out because somepony killed your wife? YOU killed my SISTER! You ever think of that! You say you are my pathos? WRONG! I am YOUR pathos! The emotion you so adore is in me and I am what you adore! If hate this world so much then have a taste of this! How's THIS for pathos?!”
Suddenly the clouds burst and a beam of pure light shot down from the heavens. Roan closed her eyes, but she could still see its blinding radiance. Whatever Sweetie was doing it must have been working because she could hear Pathos screaming with horror. Then, Roan began to see blackness. Faint washed over her and she collapsed to the ground.

Scootaloo watched with horror at the dozens of blades arranged to strike the quivering form of Rainbow Dash on the ground. However, Pathos convulsed and the blades clattered to the ground. The world around Scootaloo trembled.
“What?” Pathos said. “This cannot be! I can no longer see the waking world!”
Scootaloo saw in a light drifting down from the ink-black of the sky. She was alarmed to see Fluttershy.
“You have been severed Pathos. You can't return to the real world now.”
“NO! Damn you! I can't be stuck here forever!”
“Which is why I am here...”
Scootaloo watched in awe as Fluttershy walked up to the bloody, mangled stallion. Six spectral images appeared behind the yellow pegasus. In unison, all six ponies bowed their heads and one by one they muttered...
“I'm sorry...”
Suddenly, Pathos began to glow and rise into the air. Every time the words were spoken, a wound closed on his body and he let out an ear-bleeding caterwaul. When the last pony had muttered the apology, all six vanished and Pathos fell to the ground in a shuddering mass not unlike Rainbow Dash. The stallion before her was almost unrecognizable.
His mane was all blue, his coat sleek and healthy, and his eyes wide and blue. He scrambled up shakily and looked at himself. Joy and ecstasy seemed to bubble up from within him.
“Kindness,” Fluttershy said, “Is the last thing you would think of showing him, isn't it?”
Pathos then looked directly into Scoots' eyes with a smile on his face. A single tear slid down his cheek. “I'm sorry, too... And thank you.”
The stallion then exploded in a shower of warm sparks. That was it. He was gone. All that... for an I'm sorry... and a poof. Scootaloo wasn't exactly sure how to take it. She had expected more to his downfall. She felt that he himself should have suffered. Scootaloo felt... unresolved. It made her a little angry.
“I know you wanted him to pay... but God is his judge now,” Fluttershy rested a warm hoof over Scoots' sagging shoulders.
“I guess,” she moped.
“But now I can take you back... to your own body.”
“What about Rainbow Dash though?”
Fluttershy shook her head. “I can't bring her back with you. She'll live, but she's going to stay trapped here. I'm sorry.”
“Why not?” Scootaloo asked. She couldn't bear to be separate from her sister forever.
“You are in spirit a spirit form right now. Rainbow on the other hand is actually, physically here. With the way to the waking world severed, she won't be able to return.”
“Then why will I? Aren't I stuck here as well?”
“It's your dream now... You can wake up from it... if you so choose. I can help you.”
Scootaloo looked at Rainbow, who was now sitting up straight. Maybe the pain had grown numb. Their eyes locked and Rainbow nodded. It was clear what she was conveying.
Scoots sighed. Her hesitation and lament was overpowering, but it was clear that she couldn't stay here. “Take me back...”
Fluttershy nodded. She fluttered above her and picked her up by the shoulders. Scootaloo felt her self rise from the ground and soar into the sky. However, she only watched Rainbow as she faded high into the sky. “I'll miss you,” she whispered.
Suddenly the light of Fluttershy disappeared and she fell into complete and uncomfortable darkness. Scootaloo opened her eyes and looked around. A crumbled tombstone in the Everfree forest clearing. Two unconscious ponies. Fading clouds and the orange of sunrise.

“I'm back...”