Twilight and Fluttershy had been examining the east hall for ten minutes, and still had of yet to find anything. Twilight slumped on the floor in frustration, her horn cast an eerie glow about the room. They were in the library, and didn't know where to go, or what to do next. They had checked the books and candles for signs of levers, but none had worked. Fluttershy had been speaking with some mice in the corner, but they didn't seem to know anything. An obtrusive portrait hung on the wall, covering it almost in it's entirety. Dust covered every inch of the floor, and cobwebs adorned the walls. "Fluttershy, I don't think you're going to get anywhere with them, just let them leave."

"O-okay, Twilight. Off you go, thank you for trying, though."

The mice scurried off, leaving tiny paw prints in the dust. Fluttershy sat down next to Twilight. She looked at the Pegasus, worry in her eyes. "Fluttershy, I know you tried, but they didn't know anything about this. We're wasting time in this roo-woah!

Twilight had leaned against a wall, and one of the bricks had slid backward, opening a long, narrow staircase. Twilight tumbled down the stairs, as Fluttershy watched in horror. A thump could be heard from the bottom, and Fluttershy rushed down to see what happened. After a while, she saw Twilight staring at a vast rotunda, with crumbling pillars and paintings decorating the ceiling. A threadbare carpet, stained with filth, covered the floor. "Twilight, are you alright? What is t-this place?"

"It looks to be a... dance hall of some sort. But there are doors to the sides. Maybe... maybe Rarity is in one of the rooms."

They decided on the room closest, first, and marked it with an X on the ground. As they searched the room, a shiver went down their spines. The room was furnished with all manner of torture devices, from the brazen buffalo, to the rack, and even the wheel. And much smaller tools lined the walls. A great pit was in the center, it's seemingly endless throat, stretching down into the inky blackness. A single torch rested on the wall, casting a warm, yet disarming, glow around them. "T-Twilight, what are all these things?"

"They're medieval torture devices, used to punish or interrogate insubordinates and criminals. Why would somepony have these in their basement..." She trailed off, going between the devices, trying to find some meaning behind them. She fiddled with some levers, and opened some drawers, and finally found something. A large, rusty key, which would have been bronze at an earlier point. She felt a twinge of hope, and rushed out of the room. Fluttershy hurried after her, and they went to the next room. A giant fire pit stood before them, hot coals still burning in the pit. There was a small lamp stand to one side, and Twilight picked it up. "We might find a use for this later. Let's get out of here."

They left, and searched the rest of the rooms. Finding nothing, they returned upstairs. It hadn't quite been a half hour yet, so they searched the room. They looked under the table, in the kitchen, even on the chandelier. They were about to quit, when the others walked in. "Hey y'all. Ah didn't find nothin' but we can't quit. I heard a strange noise from downstairs, even though I couldn't find an entrance."

"That was us, Applejack. I ended up flipping a hidden switch, and found myself down there. He has torture rooms, punishment apparatuses, even the different smaller tools. I'm starting to wonder who this colt really is.... Pinkie Pie, what are you listening to? And where did you get an MP3 player?!"

Pinkie looked at Twilight. "I always carry different tools and things with me, just for situations like this. Oh, and the song's called The Discord In I. Anyway, we still haven't found anything." Her ears drooped, and plugged her device back in.

"Wait, Pinkie, did you just say you carried different devices? Would you mind showing them to us?"

"Sure thing Twi!" Pinkie Pie laid her bag out, and they saw everything from fireworks to matches, rope to knives. Then they saw the lock picking kit.

"Pinkie, you had a lock picking tool this whole TIME!"

Pinkie shrank back. "Yeah, I thought you all knew I carried those."

Twilight sighed, frustrated beyond a doubt. "Alright, deep breaths. We still have time. Look around the table, see if you can find some kind of trail, or something... oh! I remembered, I can scan the blood for traces." Her horn lit up, and she aimed at the blood stains. A beam of yellow light flooded the room, and after it subsided, they saw a cyan trail of spots on the floor. They had a lead. They were excited now, and hurriedly followed the trail. They found that it lead to a bookcase. Twilight started pulling books off the self, and finally found one that didn't move. She pulled it gently, instead, and the bookcase swung back, revealing a stone corridor. As they followed it, they started to feel more uneasy. They had no idea what lay before them, but they hoped they weren't too late. After following the damp, narrow passage for what seemed like an eternity, they found themselves standing in a great, marble chamber. The ceiling was covered in cobwebs, and the floor wasn't recognizable anymore. And in the center of the room, on a wooden platform, lay Rarity. A great blade swung above her, dropping ever slower with time.

"Rarity! Hang on, we'll get you out."

They struggled with the straps and locks, but they were unable to crack them. They watched, helplessly, as Twilight tried to use her magic to undo the straps, but it was fruitless. The blade was only two inches from Rarity's torso, and the mare smiled. She closed her eyes, and waited for the end. As the blade made it's final drop, the other mares turned their heads, and felt a hot, sticky substance splash on them. Fluttershy started to cry uncontrollably, and Applejack removed her hat. Twilight and Rainbow Dash simply sat there, looking at the blood on their hooves, and their eyes twitched.

A form stepped out of the shadows, and chuckled. "You have let one of your companions die. Your first test has been failed." A great ball of light came from his horn, and they found themselves in the kitchen again. The figure addressed them again. "One of your friends has died. The trick to the puzzle, was to drain a bit of your blood into the bowl, and you failed. Another one must be taken, for this little game to end."

"That's it?! This is just a game to you?!" Rainbow Dash charged him, but before she mad impact, he raised his hoof to block hers. She fell on the floor, shaking.

"Need I remind you of my position? I control the test, not you. You will do as instructed, or you will face the same fate." He clapped his hooves, and the lights went dark. A scream, a crash, and a grinding noise. When the lights came on, Applejack was missing.

Author's Note

Dun dunn duuuunnnn!

Anyway, hope you're enjoying.

song reference: anypony recognize?