Fire lit up the night. A tree branch weakened from the flames coiling from within snapped off with an ear-splitting crack and landed in the glittering white snow. The intense heat melted the powdered ground and the sound of unearthly screams woke the town as they gathered themselves around the burning library. None yet dared to approach the two figures clutching each other in the snow, drowned in orange light cast by the blaze. The charred couple rocked back and forth in the snow whispering quietly. A few brave ponies mustered an approach. Cautious. Careful. A faint lullaby could be heard over the crackling inferno…soft and sweet….
***
“The BEST way for a party to end is to start a brand new one!” rang out a bubbly voice. The chill night air blew through their thin fabric and flapped at their dresses as they departed from the carriage. After the Grand Galloping Gala had ended there was discussion on what exactly they should be doing afterwards. Nopony really wanted to sleep after the Gala and Pinkie had declared that a party should take place to celebrate their celebrations.
“Hahahaaaaaa, oh yeah Pinkie. Let’s get to partyin’ wooo! Imma party all of forever!” burped Dash slipping in the falling snow.
“That’s probably all those glasses of grape wine talking dear,” tutted Rarity as Dash swayed far out of line on the path, “Party more like that and I can assure you that next morning will last you all day,”
“Awww, I’m fiiiiine. Ain’tcha glad I got my weather team to make it snow? S’way too hot out anyways….” replied Dash as a brisk wind ruffled her feathers.
“It really wasn’t that warm out darling, I think that’s just the alcohol running through you…just, how many glasses did you have?”
“Liiiiike sevennnnn,”
“Seven is a fair amou-”
“-teen I think,”
“That is quite a lot to drink Rainbow Dash!” exclaimed Rarity.
“Ohhhh, they were smallll glasses, sooo, it’s time to party with biggerrrrr ones!” replied Dash vigorously attempting a sort of cartwheel.
“Um…maybe we should just get to our homes, it is late out and I’m sure my animal friends would like to see me before the night ends,” peeped Fluttershy.
“Is she kidding? Are you kidding? After that party you just wanna sleep? Pffffft!” chided Twilight catching some falling flakes with her tongue. She herself had a few more cups of bubbly than normal thanks to her teachers request to ‘lighten up and enjoy herself’. Once she’d started she couldn’t help herself to stop. Every cup made the night a little more fun. “Fluttershy your, I mean ya got to livalit, live a little more than usual. It’s practically Pinkie party Pie time and we gotta make the most of it tonight!”
After struggling to open the library door for a good minute Spike shoved the giggling unicorn out of the way and pushed it open himself. The wind nearly blew the rest of the ponies inside and he hastily shut the front door.
“Pinkie dear were you planning on throwing this party from the start?” asked Rarity, her question of the rhetorical. Colorful streamers and bright balloons bobbed around inside Twilights library casting bright shadows from fire-lit lamps. There were comfy looking chairs and pillows strewn about the floor with a record player spinning an upbeat tune on a table lain with snacks and punch.
“Oh you betcha Rarity this party is just gonna be super cool and because it’s an afterparty to an even bigger party and it’s already kinda dark out and we’re all already super danced out we should have a bit, uh, you know a party that isn’t so much dancing as it is celebrating!”
“Looks like ya got errythin’ ya need Pinkie,” huffed Applejack, as her brother shouldered past her making for the punch. Considering that she spent more time working than socializing she figured bringing Big Macintosh along as her ‘date’ was better off than being alone. Despite his protesting he eventually agreed, getting dressed up for an uncomfortable night of standing around awkwardly amongst a more sophisticated crowd.
“So Pinkie is the afterparty started officially yet?” asked Rarity nonchalantly tugging at her dress.
Pinkie nodded fiercely but suddenly gasped “NonononononononNO! The CAKE oh gosh I almost forgot! It’s such a good cake too! You girls start without me I’ll be back in a jiffy!”
“Darling the weathers getting worse stay here!” began Rarity, but Pinkie had already darted outside into the icy weather.
“Oh she’ll be fiiiiiiiine Rarrrity,” slurred Twilight as she stumbled over to the agape unicorn “You knooooow she’s Pinkie Pie and and…and if I don’t know Pinkie as much as I think I do then I think I know she’ll be fine,”
“Twilight Sparkle I suspect you may have had too much to drink tonight,” said Rarity, voice filled with mock concern.
“Too much? Naaah I just *hic* OH excuuse me Rarity I, I think this Pinkie Pie punch may be packing a bit more punch than regular punch,” snickered Twilight wearing a half smile on her face. She languidly sauntered past Fluttershy who was meekly saying goodnight to her own date.
“-Also…it was very very sweet of you when you gave the yellow flower to me earlier and I really appreciate that you came along with me tonight for the Gala,” finished Fluttershy quietly. The young colt nodded thanks and slunk out the doorway hanging his head a bit. Rarity watched as he disappeared into the darkness, idly pondering of his expectations for the night.
“Soooo Rarity I betcha your jealous of Flutters huh?” teased Dash coasting over to the alabaster unicorn.
“Jealous?” scoffed Rarity “Why exactly would I be jealous?”
“Cuzzzzz you were soooo sure about that what’s his face droppin’ dead at the sight of ya and he totally ignored you, like, he was definitely seeing you more like a carpet than a lady.”
Rarity fumed. Had she been any less sober Rainbow Dash would be wearing a much brighter shade of red across her blue cheeks. “One cannot always get what we want can we dear? I must say though I’m quite jealous of your handsome date…”
“Hey. HEY! Ssshhhaddup. Jus’ so’s we’re clear here, I din, didn’t ask Pinks to come with me. She only was my date for the date cuz I was gonna not go,” retorted Dash her face now a beet red.
“I’d wager that silly blue unicorn friend of hers was absolutely crushed when Pinkie abandoned him to accompany you,” said Rarity casually “Don’t let me bother you about it though. You two are SUCH a cute couple,”
“D’you wanna start somethin’? Rarity? Cuz if you wanna start then, then we can start right here and right now,” said Dash narrowing her rosey eyes.
“If you too ‘ladies’ start somethin’ like that I’ll be tha one to finish it,” interrupted Big Macintosh from the punch table “I reckon you shouldn’t goad yer friends like that if you wanna be keepin’ them. Stop yer yappin’ and jus’ try to enjoy yerselves,”
Dash stuck her tongue out at Rarity and skipped away. In her own head she was clearly the victor as she joined Applejack on the largest pillow to try and cheer her friend up.
Rarity sighed and trotted over to a bowl of punch absently pondering her own night. Admittedly the Gala hadn’t completely lived up to her expectations. But big girls didn’t cry. Especially dressed the way she was. She closed her eyes and let herself drift away, picking up the conversations around the room as the cool drink dribbled past her lips.
“…it’s a clasp Spike you have to pinch, um… let me help….”
“…and then THEN I ssssaid to the Princess I- OoOh I don’t remember. I am SOO out of my mind I am so sorrrry for….”
“….so soft, so ya musta been combing it for-ever AJ cuz mines so knotty….”
Rarity breathed in Pinkies pink drink; a tangy mix of fruits, sugar and an almost imperceptible alcohol which did indeed give the juice some bite. The deep chuckles of Applejacks brother rose slightly above Fluttershys soft whispering, sounds of pages flipping, the record playing, and glasses clinking over another familiar light smacking noise from somewhere in the room. Temptation dared her to slip a peek but she willed her eyelids shut. Gossip was something brought upon from not knowing. Finding out later was a much more attractive prospect. Spa day perhaps? Rarity sipped from her glass as the conversation around her blended together in a comforting hum compared to the raucous din of the mob at the Gala….
“I’M BAAAACK EVERPONY!”
Rarity batted one blue eye open, then the other as the icy wind blew across her face with Pinkies return to the party. They widened at a new sight.
“Goodness me that’s a very large cake Pinkie! Did you assume we’d be having more partygoers than usual?”
“No sireee! This is JUST how I made it from the start! OH also, on the way you’re not gonna buh-LIEVE who I bumped into,”
Pinkie stepped aside revealing three smiling young faces wearing almost matching sets of expensive capes.
“Sweetiebelle! You should have been in bed hours ago!” scolded Rarity as hers sister shrank behind the massive cake “As should you two! Oh dear dear dear Cherrilee must be worried SICK about you three!”
“We was jus’ lookin’ around crusadin’! Then the snow started blowin’ harder an’ we all got lost from each other fer a bit,” Applebloom winced at the growing anger on Raritys face “But then ah found Sweetie Belle an’ we both found Pinkie and Scoots an’ Pinkie Pie invited us over.”
“We’re not gonna be any trouble!” said Scootaloo.
“Please sis? Can we stay the night for Pinkies afterparty?” begged Sweetie Belle
“You’re lucky that it isn’t entirely my decision to make,” hissed Rarity through gritted teeth, she swiveled her head to the library owner sitting at the table. Twilights mouth was busy with another cup of punch but she gave an affirmative wave of the hoof “If it WERE my decision oh ho ho, you can bet your behinds that you wouldn’t like it one little bit.”
The Crusaders scattered through the party giving it a jumpstart. Applebloom plopped on the fluffy pillow next to her sister. Applejack cracked a smile as she was barraged with questions about the Gala. Was it fun? Who was there? What was Princess Luna like? Rainbow Dash had similar inquiries from her number two fan (Pinkie was probably number one) and was trying her best to answer them without putting the orange Pegasus off. Sweetie Belle smartly avoided her sister and questioned Twilight. However, the lavender unicorn was having more fun NOT answering them.
“So um…were there fireworks there at the Gala?”
“SssssssweatyBell.”
“No. It’s, um, how was the carriage ride was it-”
“SsssssseatyBelt.”
“What kind of banquet did they-”
“SsssssswattyBall.”
Rarity snorted in her drink. Pacing ones self and knowing a limit was important for light drinks on a heavy night. Doubtless for her now was the idea that Twilight even had a limit as she glazed right over the slice of cake Pinkie pushed in front of her face, continuing her silly campaign of mangling her kins name. Rarity suddenly noticed the closeness between her purple friend and Applejacks brother at the table. The nervous frown adorning his face earlier had disappeared. A more stringent mathematician would have put two and two together and called it a night. She glanced to her left at the large pillow where Dash and Applejack sat as another one of her constant ‘ifs’ crossed her mind.
Rarity pecked at the yellow-crème cake in front of her for a bit, then shut her eyes as she returned her taste buds to the sweet drink before her.
*
*
*
A bell chimed. What time was it? Rarity budged an eye open. The clock on the wall said three o’clock. The party had winded down besides Pinkie Pies intense efforts to keep it going. Dash was twitching in fretful sleep, her golden headdress slipping backwards into her multicolored mane. Applejack was curled up next to her own sister, at last looking a little bit happy as she dozed. Rarity trotted over to the music player and removed Pinkies record, replacing Merry-Go-Round Broke Down with one of Twilights smoother musical choices. The soft hoots of saxophones and clinging cymbals entered the air. Rarity was glad she and her fellow unicorn friend were so musically aligned. Her eyes traveled from the record player to Twilight….
“Ooo-hoo look at you,” she tittered with a very smug grin. Twilight had fallen asleep at the table, snuggled up right next to Big Macintosh. He too had drifted away and had one foreleg draped around Twilight, resting his head atop hers in such a fashion that he hadn’t an eye poked out yet.
She was distracted from these new romantic developments by the sounds of gagging in the corner. Spike had just burped up a scroll and was now trying to pull something else out of his mouth. Rarity magically whisked the parchment towards Twilight. What a disgusting method of communication.
“Twilight, wakey wakey, your teacher just sent you a message,” prodded Rarity as the scroll safely hovered a fair distance away from her hair.
“MMmmmm…whass it mom?” murmured the unicorn.
“It’s a letter from Princess Celestia,” she said tersely.
Twilight turned and buried her face into Big Macintoshs chest “Jusf reddit self or somfin for me.”
Rarity smiled and pranced over to Spike. Twilight was so cute sometimes. She unraveled the letter and began to read.
My dearest Twilight,
It gives me great pains to deliver awful news after such a wonderful night of celebrations for all. It has come to my attention that a craft of some sort has crashed outside of Ponyville in Froggy Bottom Bog. By the time I dispatched a surveillance team the creatures inside had already exited. By their reports the creatures are violently hostile and exist only to propagate themselves. One member of the team was attacked and the thing had assimilated itself as him, tearing through his uniform and becoming a living breathing copy of that pony. I have enclosed a scrap of cloth found at the scene. If it means anything to you please respond and keep alert. This thing could become any pony it wants and it’s important that it be stopped at all costs. Be wary my faithful student!
~Princess Celestia
Rarity dropped the scroll to the floor. She cast her eyes warily around the room. Her heart pounded in her chest as sweat formed on her brow.
“Hah, haha, oh that is a good one,” she said aloud to herself “That Celestia always the prankster!” No way was this message real. It was just a joke. A sick, twisted idea of a joke but it most certainly had to be a joke of some kind. Monsters indeed…
“Rarity!”
“Whah!” eeped Rarity jumping straight up “Spike don’t you know not to interrupt a lady clearly lost in thought,”
“Sorry, I was just gonna show you this other thing…uh here,”
She shoved a hoof in her mouth. If it weren’t there she would have screamed it was that shocking.
Floating in front of her was a torn shred of bloody cloth. The firelight illuminated underneath an all too familiar golden texture of a crusaders cloth.
***
The scroll hit the floor, innocently rolling back up as if it hadn’t just delivered the most horrifying message imaginable. Spike toddled over and picked it up.
“ Are you okay Rarity? he asked carefully “What did the scroll say?”
She wanted so dearly to scream no not okay and bolt out the front door. Not an option for her if she wanted to try and save her friends from whatever terror that would consummate them if this information was true. The Princess was a jokester but not cruel like this grim note would lead her to believe. It had to be real.
“It says some pony has lost a very valuable emerald broach and requests if anyone found it to return it,” smiled Rarity nervously, snatching the scroll from him.
“What’s the rag for then?” he asked.
“For something else obviously,” hushed Rarity trotting ever so carefully towards the only pony in the room she thought fit for this information.
“Twilight, get up,” she whispered, prodding her friend in the side.
“Mmm wha’s it nowww?”
“You must read this extremely urgent message from the Princess!”
Twilight rolled her head away from Big Macintosh cracking one bleary eye open “Urgen’ for some other pony ‘n the morning…so I’m sleepinnnnnow”
“No,” murmured Rarity leaning over to Twilights ear “This is critical, need to know, information. You have to sober up and talk to me!”
Comforting warmth mixed with heavy drink won this battle and Twilight yawned once more before shutting those eyelids on her return to dreamland. Rarity danced a nervous little dance.
“Ohhhhh,” she cringed looking over to her little sister snuggled in soft fleece by some deflating blue balloons. Sweetiebelle and most of the other ponies had removed their attire before falling asleep. How would she tell which pony was still themselves?
“Applejack, Applejack wake yourself up right now!” commanded Rarity shaking her friend. She yawned and rolled off the pillow.
“What the hay is it Rarity? Can’t ya see how late in the hour it is right now?” groaned Applejack glancing to the clock.
“Listen very carefully to what I am going to tell you. I have just learned that a horrifying monster has possibly taken over one of us here at the party with plans to eliminate and assimilalate the rest of us. Now if we put our heads together we can find a way to guarantee our safety and-”
“-and ya was ranking on Dash about too much drinking?” scoffed Applejack rolling her green eyes.
“I am not inebriated Applejack. You had much to drink yourself mind you!” pointed out Rarity.
“Yeah, I know. I have a very high tolerance to stiff drinks. ‘cept dry gin for some reason…”
“Look here will you now,” she started as she magically unraveled the parchment before her “Read this official message from Princess Celestia herself,”
As Applejack studied the parchment Rarity scanned the room. There was soft clinking from the kitchen and the sound of running water as Pinkie Pies tail bobbed back and forth at the sink. All the ponies seemed to be present and accounted for. Except for one…
“Wow! This here is one great prank! Didn’t know the Princess had sucha dark sense of humor.”
“This is NOT a joke you silly pony,” seethed Rarity, wheeling back to face her friend “This….thing is very likely already here and it’s going to try and kill us! Don’t you understand the implications of that letter!?”
Applejack stared back at her with worry in her eyes “You…really believe this paper don’tcha?”
“I would be laughing if this were a joke Applejack,” scowled Rarity, “Of course you wouldn’t carry common sense under dire circumstances. If Twilight wasn’t so addled with alcohol she would be approaching this situation-”
“Hah-HAH!” laughed Applejack, now actually noticing Twilight wrapped in her brothers embrace “Oh Macintosh ya old stud you.”
Rarity stomped her hoof in frustration. This wasn’t working! With a flick of her horn she summoned the torn cape and hovered it directly in front of her friend.
“This…this is real blood Rarity,” stuttered Applejack with a cautious sniff “You aren’t horsin’ around are ya?”
“Now do you finally believe me?” begged Rarity.
Applejack swallowed and looked at her sister curled up on the pillow. “Rarity…could, could this thing gone an’ be Applebloom right now?”
“You’re possibly one of those things too for all I know,” she surmised.
Applejack recoiled at the sudden accusation “How dare ya call me-”
Rarity grabbed her friend close “Listen…If I were a copy, a perfect copy of myself, how would you know I was really me?”
“I uh,” her orange friend reeled at this suggestion “Oh darn…this thing could be you…it could be me! Rarity how do we tell?!”
“Right now we have to trust each other Applejack,” said Rarity with the uncertainty of her words very noticeable, she carefully flicked one of her curls back. “I have a question for you though since I’d dozed off earlier, where is Scootaloo?”
“Scoots? Why sometime ‘round one she got real tired and went upstairs to sleep. Ya don’t think that Scootaloo…”
Rarity peered up the darkened staircase. The howling storm outside shifted the tree and foreboding creaking filled the library for a brief moment.
“Although my memory is a little, and I stress, a little fuzzy. I distinctly remember Scootaloo entering the treehouse without her Crusaders cape. It’s a stretch…but right now it’s the strongest lead we have unless you have some other notions.”
“Naw I really couldn’t say…Pinkies been up the whole time and I fell to nappin’ for only thirty or so minutes,”
“I’m going upstairs then. We need to find out about Scootaloo!”
“Jus’ you? Why not both of us go up?” asked Applejack suspiciously.
“As a precaution of course. If we both go up who knows what’ll happen down here. Especially if somepony who isn’t a pony is listening in on us and makes a move,” Rarity shot a look to the kitchen “You scream, I’ll come running, I scream, you had better move your rump for my sake.”
“….fine. Say we do find out Scoots is a monster, how do we, ya know…kill it?”
Rarity stopped short on the staircase, she turned and looked to her friend in disapproval “Don’t overcomplicate these things just use your imagination. You’re a handy pony think of something.”
Applejack shuddered as her fancily dressed friend ascended into darkness.
***
“Okay…handy, Imma handy gal,” muttered Applejack swiveling her head around. She was quite honestly petrified with at all these recent developments. Moreso at how take-charge Rarity was being about it. She was alone now, besides Pinkie Pie washing dishes in the kitchen. Applejack needed some companionship.
“Dash. Dash git your ass up! Daaash,” pleaded Applejack shaking her friend not too softly.
“WhaWhaWhaWHAT!? I’m up, I’m UP!” stammered Dash jolting to the ceiling.
“Good, I’m glad yer awake, jus’ stick ‘round a bit okay. I’m tryin’ to think of somethin’ here,”
“Omigosh! Applejack is your brother and-”
“Yes I know I saw already whoop-de-doo now shut yer yap for a lil’ okay?”
Dash landed and folded her wings “Wait…you don’t care and and and WHY did you wake me up?” she squinted at the clock “It’s like…really late or is it early? I know I definitely should be sleeping and…and what the hay are you doing?”
“Nothing…just stay awake and stop bein’ so darned noisy ya birdbrain,” hushed Applejack.
Applejack was messing around at the far end of the table with some party favors Pinkie had brought. A Spritzer bottle was now completely filled with lantern oil as Applejack screwed on the top and adjusted the nozzle. With some spare bobby pins, string and a candle wick she had constructed herself a suitable torch.
“Hey is this for real?”
“Yeah I jus’ made it right now,”
“No not that whatever that is this,” Dash shoved the letter that had been lying on the floorboards into her face “What is this letter thing about? Are you pulling some kinda sick practical joke on me ‘cuz I’m a little under the influence?
“Dash it’s-”
“Cuz it’s working and I’m honestly freakin’ out a little here,” said Dash swaying back and forth on her hooves.
“Dishes are done!” said Pinkie Pie bouncing out of the kitchen. She removed the damp apron around her neck “Good early pearly morning! Is it joke time? Ooh you girls are lucky I lost my little handy dandy joke book I had SUCH a lineup ready,”
Applejack groaned as Pinkie bounced around the room looking for her book. She switched her focus back to Dash “Listen sug’ just try to calm down. We’re gonna figure this out step by step,”
“What!? How is this possible? Am I a monster? AJ am I not me?!” Dash exclaimed wildly with fear in her eyes.
“I uh, I don’t really know. I don’t think ya are…” stammered Applejack. She felt some gentle tugging at her tail and turned around.
“Sis whas goin’ on?”
Applebloom had woken up and was blearily looking up at Applejack, apparently Pinkies bouncing was stirring the others awake.
“Nothin’ Applebloom jus’ rest your lil’ head back to sleep for me,” replied Applejack.
“Nuh-uh,” she feebly stamped her hoof into the pillow “Ahm up now and so’s everypony else. How come?”
The other ponies had all woken up and were forming a grumbling circle around Applejack and Dash, who was still shuddering violently in place.
“Alright…now, since it’s so improt, vital that I see this letter than lemme see it,” said an exasperated Twilight sliding to the floor; she looked around unhappily “Where’d Rarity go?”
“Well she-”
“Where’s Scoots?” piped up Sweetiebelle, “She was down here before I went to sleep,”
“She, uh, she’s ‘round here somewhere Sweetie, jus’ don’t you worry,” said Applejack nervously.
Applejack stood in rapt anticipation as Twilight magically hovered the letter in front of her. She held her breath and after a few tense seconds….
“I can’t read this,” she finally said.
“What? What in tarnation do ya mean ya can’t read it?” asked Applejack in bewilderment. Twilight set the letter on the table and rubbed at her brow.
“AJ, my head is hurtin’ soooo much. All I want to do is sleep now right now and deal with whatever Celestia wants in the morning. Or tomorrow night. Whenever my brain stops throbbing,”
Before Twilight could fall back asleep there was a crashing noise beneath the floorboards.
“Spiiiiike, you didn’t happen to forget to turn off that toy of yours did you?”
Spike nervously rubbed his shoulder “My gemstones growers kit? Noooo, but I think I left something down in the basement I’ll be right back!”
Applejack would have grabbed Spike and pulled him back but she remembered that Scootaloo had gone upstairs and not down. That crash still wracked her nerves though.
“Um, excuse me, but did Rarity and Scootaloo leave for the night? I was sure we were all staying over together…” peeped Fluttershy thoughtfully. She sat herself down and sighed “I could be home in my own bed right now, they didn’t even say goodnight,”
“Rarity didn’t leave and neither did Scootaloo,” admitted Applejack finally “They’re both-”
“APPLEJACK!”
Rarity bounded down the staircase in a furious gallop, nearly tripping over her frilly dress. She landed and rightened herself “Applejack, it’s horrible up there! I was right!”
“Yer sure!?” gasped Applejack. The other ponies shot each other concerned looks.
“YES! It’s so much worse though oh dear dear dear. I checked all around upstairs, the windows were still locked but there was a hole in the tree trunk,”
Rarity shivered and continued “It bored right through the wood and it could be anywhere in this library,”
“That means that….SPIKE!”
Applejack wasted no time bolting to the basement entrance. Torch in hand she slammed the door open and galloped down the long staircase to the bottom. Applejack stopped short halfway down. The sound of crunching and snapping filled the air. The darkness obscured whatever lay there. Rarity funneled some light through her horn.
Lying in a pool of blood at the bottom was a gruesome mangled pile of skin and flesh. The split open face revealed a hideous set of sharpened teeth as sinewy organs spilled out in a gory mess from a split chest cavity. The thing had Spike in its grasp and the poor dragon was bleeding from every pore as blood-spattered tentacles engulfed and consumed him. There were orange feathers everywhere.
Twilight started screaming.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH! WHAT IS THAT!? WHAT’S IT DOING TO HIM!?”
The abomination turned what remained of its hosts face towards the shrieking and let loose a throaty howl.
“Yer gonna die ya sonofa-” Applejack pushed the lever on her makeshift flamethrower but only the lantern fuel shot out. She had forgotten to light the wick!
“Rarity light my fire thingamabob!” commanded Applejack as she backpedaled upstairs. Everypony was screaming now in fear of the creature as it hissed and dragged itself forwards with elongated bloody hoofstumps.
“I can’t brighten the room and cast sparks at-”
A sharpened appendage slashed wildly at Applejack. She ducked in time but it tore through her hat ripping out some of her blonde hair.
“DO IT RIGHT NOW!”
Darkness blanketed the room as blue sparks wildly shot forth in a stream towards Applejack alighting the wick on her torch. She veered back towards the thing and pulled the nozzle.
AAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
A bright yellow stream of fire spewed ahead and swallowed up the monster in flame. It recoiled in agonized howling and stumbled down the staircase in pain. Burning tentacles and limbs were flailing wildly about in the air. The fire cast yellow shadows around the room as it collapsed at the foot of the steps. Applejack pursued it and doused it in more flames until the monster was most certainly burnt to death and no longer twitched.
“Is it deeeeeaaad?” called out Rarity from up ahead as the basement was once more illuminated from above. She fruitlessly attempted to silence the other still screaming ponies but could not “Applejack speak to me!”
The charred corpse yielded no response to Applejacks kicking. She placed a hoof on the remains of it’s skull and put her full weight on it, crushing it.
“Dead as a doorknob Rarity,” she said wiping her hoof on the rug, her eyes scanned the scene. Applejack snatched up her torch and ran upstairs as Rarity shoved the rest of the ponies through the door. Spikes body was missing.
***
“Screw this I am outta here!” yelled a panicky Dash rushing for the exit. Rarity snatched that multicolored tail and dragged her back into place.
“None of us here are setting a single hoof outside this library,” said Rarity firmly as she stood in front of the door blocking the exit.
“Why’s that!? That monster downstairs!? It! What was it!?” stammered Twilight “It was horrible and it killed Spike I-”
Twilight sat and wrapped her forelegs around her chest “I saw it murder Spike and Spike is…dead,” she forced out weakly. Twilight fell forward and started crying into the floorboards.
“Lemme outta here NOW!” demanded Dash trying to force her way past Rarity.
“I can’t let you do that Rainbow Dash,” said Rarity with absolute finality “You have to stay inside,”
“WHY!? Why d’ya wanna keep us cooped up in here with that horrible monster!”
“Because for all we know you could be one of them,” said Rarity in barely a whisper.
Dash stepped backwards wearing the same look of resentment Applejack had on her face earlier “Yeah? Well so could you!” she retaliated furiously.
“I think somepony needs to re-read the letter more carefully,” replied Rarity not budging from her spot.
There was a scramble amongst the other ponies as they went and pored over the letter sent from Celestia. Twilight remained on the floor wailing and practically hyperventilating as Big Macintosh tried comforting her, gently rubbing at her back while murmuring soothing words to her. Fluttershy was the first to finish the letter and speak up.
“Um...Rarity, what part of it says that you can’t be one of those things?” she asked while stepping away from the group nervously.
“The part where it says that the thing ripped through the hosts clothing upon transformation that’s what part,” answered Rarity with full confidence in her voice “I’ve been wearing my beautiful dress all night long and haven’t taken it off once,”
“So’s how we gonna find out whos a real pony an’ who isn’t?” asked Applebloom inching away from her sister. “All of us gone and taken our dresses and capes off,”
Applejack bit her lip “Me an’ Rarity haven’t really figured out that part yet,”
Pinkie Pie jumped up “OOH OOOH! We could totally play a guessing game! Like truth or dare but instead of dares which are the absolute best parts because I have the BEST things to dare we could play with just the truths and find out who’s a real pony and who’s a phony pony!”
“Good idea but it ain’t gonna fly here sugarcube. The monster makes perfect copies of whatever pony it wants down to a T,” said Applejack hanging her head “We got to put our thinkin’ caps on and come up with a different plan,”
There were sloshing sounds coming from the corner of the room as Twilights stomach violently rebelled against her. She fell over on her side and continued her feeble crying. Macintosh trotted over to the group.
“Can’t we take the poor gal outta here? Look at her now, she’s havin’ a breakdown over what jus’ happened,” appealed Macintosh with anguish in his voice.
“She’s gotta stay. If one of us right here right now is the thing an’ manages to escape. Well, it’s all over for Ponyville heck even Equestria I reckon,” said Applejack putting a hoof over her brothers shoulder “I feel downright horrible too, but we can’t risk everyponys life over this,”
“Well I could use a drink,” announced Rainbow Dash flying over to the punch. She stuck her head in the bowl and feverishly started lapping up the juice. Rarity couldn’t help but frown at the crudeness. Even in dire straits one could retain some manners.
“What about if we, um, split into pairs?” offered Sweetiebelle from her seat next to Applebloom.
“Then one of us could be killed by the other pony if the other is a monster,” squeaked Fluttershy retreating under a blanket.
“…..but then we would know who’s a thing and who isn’t! Sweetiebelle you’re a genius!” said Rarity in genuine shock. She squinted at her sister worriedly. Sweetiebelle wasn’t usually this clear-headed.
“Alrighty then, sounds like a simple solution. Just in case though I’m makin’ more of these,” Applejack shook her flamethrower in her hooves “Pinkie Pie come over to the table and help me out with these here spritzer bottles,”
Pinkie Pie bounced over to Applejack and started helping with the lantern oil and wicks. Rarity finally stepped away from the library entrance “Since I assume we’re all going to be pick and choose about this sort decision I think it’s best we draw straws to decide who goes with who,”
She walked over to the end of the table and picked up a clump of bendy straws. Using her front teeth she snapped a few of them into different sizes and trotted back over to the other ponies.
“Ah don’ wanna do this,” whimpered Applebloom as the other ponies took the straws one by one, “Ah can go off all by mahself instead of drawin’ straws.”
“It’s going to be okay Applebloom, look we have the same sized one,” said Fluttershy holding up a small straw.
“Looks like it’s you an’ be Sweetie,” said Big Macintosh against Sweetibelles. She sighed and turned to Rarity who had a matching straw with Rainbow Dash.
“I know it’s a frightful plan but it’s our ONLY plan,” she said as Dash backed away from her “I can understand you’re not entirely sober and you’re not entirely yourself right now.” Rarity paused there, blinking a bit “It’s just what we have to do and there’s no real other option,”
“Rarity I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to do this,” belted Dash as she scrambled backwards into a pile of pillows “Please don’t make me do this please please please pleeeeeaaase?!”
“Rainbow Dash I’m afraid this is the way it has to be,” Rarity said sullenly as she sat herself on the pillow next to Dash.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!”
A flash went off at the far end of the table as one of the spritzer bottles ignited and exploded. The force of the blast threw Pinkie and Applejack backwards from the table.
“AJ!” cried Macintosh rushing over to Applejack who had slammed hard against the front door. Her hair was a blackened mess and she had cuts all over her face “Speak to me will ya!? APPLEJACK!”
“Urrrrgh, uhn. Owww,” she groaned as one green eye budged upon. She was still a little unfocused “Heya bro….”
“Oh thank goodness you scared the life out of me,” said Rarity producing a damp cloth and rubbing at her friend’s ashen face “What did you DO over there?”
Macintosh placed a hoof to the back of her head “AJ ya gotta nasty cut there,” he exclaimed pulling away his hoof damp with blood “I’m getting’ you some gauze,”
“HELP! Somepony help her!”
Pinkie Pie was slumped against the wall. Twilight had gotten up and was furiously pumping her hooves against her chest “She stopped breathing and I don’t know what to do!”
Big Macintosh ran over to the medicine cabinet in the kitchen cabinet with the red cross on it. Twilight’s medical training class she took in Canterlot kicked back into memory as she performed chest thrusts and airway breathing. With Pinkies mouth tilted opened she blew in two deep breaths. Pinkie coughed and sputtered up bile. Twilight stuck an ear to her chest.
Pinkies torso split open and clamped itself around Twilights head.
“AAAAAAAHHHH!!”
The other ponies started their screaming again. Applejack struggled to her feet but stumbled forwards. “Rarity, ya gotta torch the damned thing!”
Rarity magically levitated one of the other undamaged torched and pulled the lever. The spritzer bottle squealed and sputtered weakly. The lantern oil had gummed up in the nozzle.
“THIS ONE’S BROKEN!” she cried.
Twilight was thrashing her legs wildly as the thing howled and twisted itself around. Specks of blood were smattering all around the room as gurgled screaming rose in the air. Rarity tossed the bottle aside and took control of another one.
The searing jet of fire doused the thing and it howled in pain, releasing Twilight as it fell into the bookcase. Rarity stepped forwards with the handle completely depressed as the monster twitched and spasmed. The things bubbling hide slid off it’s frame like a pony sliding out of a fine coat as the drone of it’s unearthly wailing mixed with the screaming ponies in a hellish chorus. The remains of Pinkies Pies head split in two, spindly appendages burst forth attempting to skitter away before Rarity burnt it too. The thing slammed itself into the now burning bookcase causing the weakened shelving tower to collapse forwards and crush the horror. The library went silent.
***
“I don’ think this here is completely necessary AJ,” said Macintosh as the rope around his neck tightened a little. Applejack was sitting next to Rarity as the unicorn used her lasso to rope the remaining ponies together in a line on the floor. “We got to get outta here before it gets any worse, I’m with Rainbow Dash on this one,”
Applejack opened her mouth to speak but instead violently coughed up blood in her hooves. Rarity patted her friend on the back “Listen you, we are ALL leaving this tree before daybreak but before we go there’s some business we’re going to have to take care. Finding out who amongst us are still ponys and who aren’t.”
“Yeah…we gotta sniff out the fakes before we’re free from this here nightmare,” sputtered Applejack weakly. The exploding canister had really taken a lot of energy out of her. She had lost a lot of blood from the wound on the back of her head and there weren’t enough bandages to patch all her cuts.
“From what we saw with…Pinkie was that while we were destroying the things body the head detached itself and attempted an escape attempt of sorts. That got an idea going in my head. Maybe each part of this thing is just one part of a whole and has its own drive to survive when being attacked. Gives it quite an edge so…,” Rarity hovered a set of needles from the medical kit and without warning pricked each pony with it and drew some blood.
“Um…Rarity, what is this test going to do?” asked Fluttershy, she was wedged between Dash and Macintosh looking very uncomfortable.
“It’s going to determine who’s a real pony and who isn’t,” repeated Rarity flatly “Applejack and I are taking the test right now as well to reassure you two of our status as amongst the living.”
She cast a glance over to the charred remains of Twilight in the corner. The poor unicorn had gone into shock after she was attacked and thrown to the wall covered in some unknown bile from the creature. After it happened she had begun to move erratically and make shrill noises like the other monsters. Rarity had made her decision right there on what to do. It was necessary. The pain stayed with her though. It hurt.
She took a moment to catch her breath as the Petri dishes with her friends’ blood floated in front of her.
“Applejack first,” she said as she dipped the wick into the dish. The blood hissed a bit as it scraped back and forth. Rarity breathed a sigh of relief.
“Now I’ll show you what I already know,” Rarity muttered plunging the wick into her own dish. It also hissed and confirmed her identity.
The next Petri dish hovered in front of her. Applejack gulped. This one would be her sisters. Rarity shoved the heated wick into the dish and…
“WHEW!” exclaimed Applebloom as the dish smoked a little “Tha’s good. Now cut me loose sis!”
Rarity hovered the next dish in line. Fluttershys. She dipped the wick inside.
SSSKREEEEEEEEE!
The blood leapt from the dish and onto the floor and startled Rarity into dropping the rest of the dishes. Fluttershy started to shake violently.
“GET ME OUTTA THIS THING!” screamed Dash jerking away from Fluttershy. She fell backwards as the skin on Fluttershys face began to melt off her face and hissing filled the room.
“BURN HER! Set the damn thing ablaze already will ya,” commanded Applejack watching Rarity fumble with the bottle. One stream of fire blasted forth before it abruptly sputtered out.
“It’s empty,” Rarity tossed the bottle aside and ran to the table where the last two bottles sat. She grabbed one and lit the wick.
The thing that was Fluttershy split itself apart at the neck with the head tilted back as blood gushed forth, a gruesome fountain of scarlet. It turned to its left shoved it’s sharpened spinal column down Rainbow Dashs screaming mouth as it pierced her sides with broken hooves. The blue mare was painted crimson as the thing tossed her twitching corpse above her and showered the room with her insides.
“BURN THE DAMNED THING!” hollered Macintosh as he wiggled free of the rope. Sweetie Belle also broke free and ran upstairs. Applebloom turned to follow her but the thing lashed at her hind leg and pulled her into the air. She screamed and kicked helplessly as it reeled her into it’s gaping chest.
Macintosh roared at the monster, tackling the thing head on causing it to fling Applebloom into the ceiling and knocking her out.
“Applebloom!” called Applejack weakly “Applebloom no!”
Rarity aimed her torch at the thing but couldn’t pull the trigger “Macintosh get off that thing! I need to kill it!”
Her words were wasted and she screamed as the red stallion was impaled through the stomach from below by a scythelike shard of bone. He gasped and gurgled blood as the scythe dragged forwards spilling his organs out from below. The thing lurched and tossed the stallion of him as Rarity loosed a stream of fire on the monster.
The thing flung itself to the ceiling then dropped to the floorboards trying to dig away from the searing fire on it’s body. Rarity backed to the staircase where Applejack was crying next to her unconscious little sister.
“Let’s get upstairs now, c’mon Applejack let’s go,” insisted Rarity tugging at her friend. Applejack wheezed.
“I…I can’t.”
Rarity turned back on the staircase “Of COURSE you can! Pick yourself up this instant!”
Applejack tried to stand up but collapsed on her forelegs again, spitting up more blood “Rarity, I’m not, not going to get through this…feel, I can feel it,”
The crackling fire was spreading through the room now. A heat haze obscured their view of the dying monster still beating senselessly at the floorboards. Applejack looked up at Rarity with tears in her eyes.
“Applejack this isn’t something I will allow from you. You’re all I-”
“No,” croaked Applejack “You will allow this to happen…my sister, I checked ‘er. Hearts still beatin’ chest still breathin’. Ya can still save her,”
Rarity trembled. The thing had begun to crawl towards them with one outstretched clawed appendage. Howling in its death throes.
“If I let…you die, how could I live with myself?” uttered Rarity with pain in her voice.
Applejack leaned forward and pressed her forehead against Raritys “She’s still got a whole life to live an’ right now…it’s my decision. I ain’t leavin’ this tree alive an’ we both know it,” Applejacks green eyes stared into Raritys deep blues as she weakly pulled the torch from her “I’ll hold it off. I’m not goin’ down without a fight. Now save yerselves. Save Applebloom.”
With tears in her eyes Rarity threw Applejacks sister over her back and turned to gallop upstairs. She could have turned to look. To know what happened to her friend. She didn’t. Some things were better off not knowing.
***
“Sweetie! Sweetiebelle!” cried Rarity darting around the room upstairs. Thick smoke was filling up the room as the books down below spurred the fire on stronger. The tree listed dangerously to the side causing Rarity to trip on her legs.
“Over here sis,” whimpered Sweetie Belle from under a blanket next the balcony.
“What we’re gonna do is uh, what we’re going to do is-”
“Rarity,” interrupted Sweetie Belle “I’m so scared,”
SSSSSSSSSSSKRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
The floorboards by the hollow tree trunk exploded as another thing blasted through it. It was a mangled amalgamation of more than one pony now as it turned it’s focus across the room, snarling at the three quivering ponies before them. Smoke billowed from the floor as flames teased around the hole. The thing began to crawl towards them at a brisk pace.
“Sweetie,” began Rarity loosening the top of the lanturn bottle and stuffing her handkerchief inside “Do you recall that one evening when Twilight visited and we spent the night swapping spells?”
“Y-Yeah,” stuttered Sweetie Belle “I remember.”
“Remember that one trick I swore to never do again long as I lived?”
Her sister gulped “The one that set your hair on fire?”
Rarity ignited the rag, placing it on the floor. The abomination continued to draw closer. It was nearly upon them. The stench was unbearable.
“Time for a second crack at it,” she said. Rarity hugged her sister and Applebloom tight and recited Twilights spell in her mind. Picturing her destination outside she felt the hair on her head and coat stiffen with energy coursing through her. With an audible *POP* the three ponies blinked out of sight as the thing swiped a ragged claw at nothing. The rag burnt through and the bottle exploded beneath the thing engulfing it in yellow fire.
***
Cold. Freezing was a more fitting description. She opened her eyes and looked up. Snow continued to fall from the sky. Embers, glowing brightly against the cloudy skies fell too. Rarity pulled herself up out of the snowdrift. Applebloom was next to her. She clumsily moved her hoof against the little ponys mouth feeling warm breath against her hoof. She shivered from the cold. It felt so good to feel that.
Rarity spotted the curly pink hair of her sister rising out of the snow in the orange light. She leapt at her and smothered Sweetie Belle in a tight hug.
“Offa me get OFFA me,” piped Sweetie Belle shoving Rarity away. There was a wild look in her green eyes.
“Sweetie why are you doing this?” questioned Rarity in shock “We made it. We survived.”
“They’re all gone! Dead! This is horrifying sis!” there was sudden howling from inside the tree. The two unicorns turned to look at the sight. The library was completely ablaze now.
“…What if that thing got out?! What if it survives and comes back!?”
Sweetie Belle collapsed into the snow. Rarity held her close as she shivered in the snowdrift.
“Rarity,” whispered Sweetie Belle, eyes shaking, “What if I’m one of those things…”
“You are not, I repeat, NOT one of those things,” said Rarity firmly, turning to look at her sister “I could tell if you weren’t you. You’re my flesh and blood you know,”
“I didn’t take the blood test though. It could be true. You don’t know. You don’t know!”
Sweetie Belle burst into fresh tears. Rarity took her back into a strong hug. She rocked her back and forth humming a faint tune from her childhood, a song her parents sung to make her feel better when she was a filly bubbled back to her. It was an excruciatingly ghastly thought. Her little sister could be right. Rarity patted her on the head as her sister bawled into her shoulder. She could also be wrong. There it was again. Not knowing. Rarity could always know later. Now. Right now. Rarity had her little sister.
THE END
