Falling Temperatures

Teleporting to the outskirts of Ponyvile I eyed my surroundings only to spot one of my targets; Thunderlane. I watched him leave his house and head into Ponyvile.

“I should check his home for evidence against him” I thought quickly.

However I was definitely not prepared for the stench that permeated the hone. Following the stench to a bookcase I began doing what any sensible detective would have done. Yank out all of the books. I did this until I grabbed a black tome and pulled. I heard a set of gears turn as the bookcase moved to reveal a hidden basement.

With my higher senses it wasn’t hard to navigate the small corridors, but when I came to a large door I began to smell that same sent I had up in his house, only much stronger. Without thinking I froze the lock and broke down the door. I was brought to the limits of my rage at what I saw. The bodies of half a dozen ponies were strewn about. All of them dead.

I was unfortunately not able to recognize them, that is, until I looked at the two tables in the room. I had to hold back my stomach as I stared down the corpses of two of my best friends. Key Clicker; a light gray Earth pony stallion, had been completely dismembered his mane and tail stained to the crusty brown of dried blood.. His limbs placed on the table next to him. Beside that laid Crystal Rose; a fiery red Pegasus, had her wings broken and her eyes removed.

I placed my hand on her shoulder,” I am so sorry,”

Was all I could say as my sorrow was slowly replaced by rage. Rage at what I’ve become. Rage at the stallion that did this. Rage at not being able to protect the ones I loved.

“Ram?” cam a weak female voice.

Looking down I saw Crystal had grasped my hand with hers.

“Hey look we found him,” she tried to joke, her voice getting weaker.

“Yes, Yes you did,” I said tearing up as my friend slowly slipped away from me.

“Don’t worry you’ll be fine,” I lied through my tears.

“No,” came her only response.

Shocked I looked at her stitched up face.

“She was smiling? How? Why?” I thought to myself. All I could do was hold her as she passed. When I was sure she had passed I touched my horn to her head and began the memory spell Luna had taught me.

What I found was horror.

The first memory I found was right after I disappeared, all of my friends out looking for me throughout the town. Even walking up to Lyra and asked her.

Next came her abduction. Her and Key were out on their nightly searches when they were approached by Thunderlane. He offered to help. He led them to his home and knocked them both out.

I was in tears at this point but they froze to my eyes with hate as I witnessed the last sequence of horrors. Her torture.

Both Key and her awoke strapped to tables. Looking at each other with terror in their eyes as Thunderlane approached them.

She spat at him shouting out curses as Thunderlane approached Key with a devilish grin on his face.

He then proceeded to pick up a very large cleave, twisting it in his had as if it weighed nothing. However the twirling became four distinct slashes at Key, each one aimed at his limbs as they were removed.

Key screamed as loud as he could but he slowly fell into both shock and blood loss. Not wanting to lose his prize Thunderlane sutured his wounds and left him alone.

Turning to Crystal he snickered as he said, “You have beautiful eyes, I think I’ll take them,”

Then the memories cut out, I reached the end. Placing her down on the table I in-cased both her and Key’s remains in ice. Whispering a prayer I turned to teleport out.

“Thunderlane is going to die. I will give him the worst possible feeling before he does I will give him a taste of the pain he put you through. But first I will make him feel helpless just as he made you both  feel,”

I thought as I blinked back into town leaving my friends in their icy tombs.