Chapter 4:

Clop clop clop

Auuuugh

Applejack awoke with a grunt. Her back was sore, like she’d slept at a bad angle. She slowly peeled her eyes open, only to be looking down towards the floor. As it turns out, Applejack slept at a very bad angle. Her entire body was bound to stone wall. Each leg, as well as a collar around her neck, was held by a metal shackle to the wall and several feet off the ground. She was in some sort of stone basement, not unlike the ones at her farm for storing various items, lit dimly by a ceiling candle. Below her, a large metal tub was on the floor; it seemed to be waiting for Applejack to jump in. But it didn’t matter what the décor was, she still couldn’t move at all.

Clop clop clop

As panic began to rise, so did the volume of the clopping in the distance. Applejack couldn’t help but breathe rapidly. She was bound to a spot, unable to move, unable to do anything. She was now vulnerable to any sick buck that might be outside the door only a few yards in front of her, and somepony was. Horrible and vicious thoughts of what somepony might do, what somepony might make her do, began to flood the farm mare’s mind. She put her strength into the bars, willing with all her might to make them release her. It didn’t work. She couldn’t get out.

Clop clop… clik-clank

And somepony is just right outside that door.

Eeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

The door slowly creaked open. Applejack braced herself for whatever might prance in. She wasn’t going to give in! She wasn’t going to break! She won’t submit!
She…she wasn’t prepared for this.

A Pink muzzle poked into the room. Atop the smiling shade of pink was a fluffy, curly, hot pink mane. It moved in, and following it was a body covered in a patchwork dress. It seemed new. It was short, only reaching half-way down her rear legs. It did not come with accessories, but symmetry and craftsmareship in the patches could be seen.

Pinkie Pie walked into the dimly lit room, her smile growing wider at the sight of her friend.

Applejack lifted her head; she’d recognize the pink mare anywhere, even if Pinkie wore such an odd dress. Oblivious to the atmosphere in the room, Applejack immediately seeks help from her friend. “Pinkie? Oh, good. Would you lend a hoof an’ get me outta’ here?” Applejack struggles with her restraints to show Pinkie, “I’m kinda’ stuck here”

Pinkie Pie kept her pace, advancing toward applejack. When she was just in front of captive mare, she looked up and tilted her head, “Now why would I do that, after all the work I put in to get you up there?”

“Wait… what?” Applejack’s head began to rack trough memories. It only took an instant to remember what happened at sugar cube corner. Her eyes widened in disbelief. “Y-you did this?”

Applejack began to breathe rapidly. This situation wasn’t going so well. She began to panic. “Wait, what’s happening, what about Dashie?”

Pinkie only giggled to herself.

This was a confusing, but Applejack didn’t have time to respond. Pinkie Pie twisted her mane, flinging and spinning something up in the air. The object reached its climax, inches from the end of Applejack’s muzzle, and glinted in the light from the open door and hallway beyond. As it fell, Pinkie lifted a hoof and pulled back. Just as the object fell by her, she pushed forward, punching Applejack in the stomach. No sound was heard to confirm the object hit the ground; it disappeared within the strike.

Applejacks eyes widened in surprise by the sudden attack, then fell into concern as she dry heaved at first, but quickly puked; blood spewed from her mouth. It poured all over her chest, staining her coat as well as Pinkie’s leg. Much of it fell into the tub bellow. Several drops even managed to hit Pinkie’s face. She gagged a few more times. Some of the blood found its way to Applejack’s lungs.

Pinkie was unfazed by the crimson splash. She pulled her leg away from Applejack, and gave it a long, slow lick. With her tongue, she swept up the fresh blood from her coat, savoring and enjoying the flavor. She looked up at Applejack, “Mmm… It’s that tough blood that’s got such a thick flavor.”

Pinkie Pie dug her muzzle into the point of impact, gripping something. She pulled it out, revealing it to be a sharp, bloody scalpel. It was the same object that was thrown in the air only moments ago. At the sight, Applejack grunted heavily as pain suddenly surged from her abdomen. Adrenaline rushed through her body. She gritted her teeth and shook in her restrains, but it didn’t help much.

Applejack gagged and coughed on even more blood, now that the scalpel was removed and blood flowed uncontrollably though her insides. Her body tried desperately to contain the small flood, pumping it though her throat, filling the tub below and staining her autumn coat. All the while, Pinkie Pie continued to enjoy her sample.

Blood continued to drool from Applejack’s mouth. She looked downward at Pinkie Pie, “W-why are you, *cough*, doing this?”

Pinkie pie stopped licking herself like a cat and turned her head towards Applejack. “Because I need more special ingredients.”

“Special ingredients? *hack*, what special ingredients?”

“The ones for my cupcakes.”

“Cupcakes? What about Rainbow Dash?

“Oh, don’t worry about her, Applejack.” Pinkie giggled, “We already had our fun!”

Rainbow Dash? Cupcakes?

Applejack suddenly recalled the events a Sugar Cube Corner again, and how the special Cupcakes looked; how much the looked like Rainbow Dash.

Special Cupcakes? Special Ingredients?

It didn’t take long for Applejack to piece it all together.

Her pain momentarily subsided in a fit of rage, “YOU!! It was YOU! You’re the reason Rainbow Dash is missing.” Applejack spat blood as she yelled, “That’s why the cupcakes tasted so funny!” Tears began forming in Applejack’s eyes, “How… how could you do this?”

“The same way I’ve done this a few baker’s dozen or so times before” Pinkie pie lifted a hoof to her chin, thinking, “Hmm, I guess I lost count. But come on, Applejack, you don’t think I’m new to this, do you? I mean, I throw parties all the time, you’ve been to plenty of them.”

Pinkie pie continued her signature grin, but Applejack was anything but smiling. Her nerves and muscles were screaming at her, begging for attention. Applejack could feel their pleas, but she was unable to do anything to nurse them.

Applejack couldn’t take it. Physical torture was one thing, but the mental agony was unbearable. Right here, one of her dearest friends was slowly murdering her. She’d already killed Rainbow Dash and who know how many other ponies. And her friends… They all ate the cupcakes…Pinkie Pie could be killing them all…one by one…

…or… or they could already be dead…

Applejack had to get out! She didn’t know how, but she had to! The mere thought of her friends being hurt brought muffled tears. But what could she do? She couldn’t move anything. Actually, she could move her lips. So that what she did, Applejack begged.

“P-Pinkie please, Ah’m your friend. Please l-let me go. Ah promise Ah’ll neva’ tell anypony. Y-you can trust me, Ah’m honest, right?”

Pinkie Pie returns her hoof to her cheek, thinking about the proposition. “Weeeell, if you’re honest and… “Pinkie points her hoof at Applejack and gives her a beady stare, “and you pinkie promise to never-ever-EVER tell anypony, anybody, or anything…”

Applejack nodded her head franticly. “I promise not never-ever-ever tell anypony, anybody, or anything. Cross my heat, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” Applejack faked a wide smile, hanging on to her string of hope.

Pinkie pie rolled her eyes, “Weeeell, Ok!” She trotted to the other end of the room, by the door. There she found a small lever on the wall. With a hoof, she pulled it down on it. With a clank, the restraints holding Applejack to the wall released, and gravity took no delay bringing her to the ground.

Applejack hit the tub hard, splashing her pooling blood. The force of the impact swam throughout her body, almost causing her to puke again. She held it in, and limped out of the tub. The pain was intense, but it didn’t matter. She was about to leave.

None of this makes any sense, but maybe it’s not supposed to. Maybe this is all just some bad dream. Ya, a nightmare. That’s what this is. There’s no way Pinkie could kill another pony.

As Applejack found her footing outside of the tub, she smiled for real. “Thanks Pinkie.”

Pinkie just giggled again, trying to contain full on laughter.

That was odd, but Applejack paid no attention. She was almost out of here, this nightmare was almost over. Applejack limped to the door, each step pulsed pain though out her body, but it didn’t matter; she was almost out, she was almost-

CLANK!!

Fresh pain rushed though Applejack’s body. This time, it wasn’t from her stomach. This time it was from her left rear leg. Multiple sharp points pierced her skin and flesh just above her hoof. Ancient instincts immediately imagined a bite, and quickly took control of Applejack’s body before she could properly react. She rapidly gasped a breath, and tried to shake her leg to break free from the would-be predator, while the others tried to run away. Her logic conflicted with her instincts, causing the response to be uncoordinated. Applejack only made it inches before her body fell forward to the ground-

CLANK!!

Another series of sharp teeth pierced Applejack’s skin. This time, it was in her right rear leg and just under her flank. While still on the ground, she franticly kicked and bucked at whatever might be attacking her. Each thrash only slid the fangs deeper and deeper into her flesh, drawing out more and more blood. Only when her conscious mind finally caught up to the event did Applejack open her eyes to what was really eating away at her in the dim light.

What the hay are these things?

It was no animal, but rather just two large, curved sets of metal teeth that rapped their grip around each leg, determined to never leg go. Applejack lay in pain and terror at what these metal contraptions were.

“AHAAHAHAHAA!!” Pinkie Pie fell on the floor, holding her sides and laughing uncontrollably. “HAhahaha, I, hahaa, c-can’t believe you fell for it, hahaaaha!”
Applejack could only lay there on her side and bleed even more than before as Pinkie struggled to breath between laughs.

Gaugh! What’s going on? What’s happening?

It was Pinkie Pie that put her question to rest. She got up and walked a few steps, looking down and hanging her head just above Applejack, “Heehee! What do you think? Pretty neat, huh? There called “bear traps”. Apparently, some zebras use these things to trap bears, manticors, and other big, scary animals.” Pinkie moved beside Applejack, getting a better look at her toys and the wounds they created. “They’re really tough, so zebras needed really tough traps, but I guess they work just fine on ponies.” Pinkie pokes one of her hoofs on Applejack’s Flank. “After all, you’re not going anywhere and your one of the toughest ponies of ‘em all!”

Applejack looked at Pinkie. The pain almost brought tears to her eyes, blood continued to drool off her lips. “This isn’t a nightmare, is it?”

Pinkie Pie kept her head focused on Applejack’s injured legs, “Nnnnope.” Another smile spread across her face, as is she had just thought of a new idea. “The fun is all real!”

Pinkie reared up, lifting her forelegs high into the air, only to make them slam back into the ground. With a thunderous crack, her hoofs smashed into Applejack’s leg, breaking bone.

“Ehhhgggg!” Applejack grunted her pain. She wouldn’t stand for this. She pulled one of her font legs up. She aligned her hoof with the floor and pushed. She was going to get out of here one way or another, and it wasn’t baked in a bucking cupcake. She pushed a hard as she can, despite her muscles’ protests. She was a few inches off the ground and advancing slowly but-

Crack!

With another well placed stomp, Pinkie broke the other leg. The impact depleted Applejack of what little strength she had left, as well as her hope. The pain was unbearable, her blood was splattered everywhere, her vision blurred. She was losing too much blood, but Pinkie wasn’t done yet.

Pinkie trotted towards the door and stood in front of Applejack, standing away from her. Applejack could barely think. Within a blur, Pinkie leaned on her front legs, throwing her rear legs with lightning speed. The hoofs smashed against Applejack’s template, bucking her up and off the ground.

To Applejack, the world slowed down. Her entire body was flung backwards and unto the ground. She hit the ground without any sound or feeling of impact, and fell to her side once more. Her head faced the door, watching a pony shaped silhouette grow bigger and it drew closer. Her entire body was numb; ringing sang endlessly in her ear. She commanded her muscles to move, to fight, but they did not respond. Color faded from her sight. The silhouette giggled and blocked the only source of light. Everything went black.

Her nightmare had only just begun.

Author's Note

That's all wrote. Well, its more accurate to say that's all I found. I could swear I wrote a chapter introducing the cmc to all the horror, but I can't find it.
Anyway, a few FAQ:

Will there be anymore chapters?
Probably not

It's a horrible story, why did you write this?
Because I felt like it

Why did you upload it to fimfiction?
Because it was useless buried within a few folders on my computer.

Is your other story as gruesome and graphic as this one?
No. Its another HiE fic, but I wrote it to be a bit more unique. Its actually pretty decent.

I'll answer any other questions in the comments section, but beware, I'm a smartass!