Apple March

Rarity blinked awake. "Where am I?" She croaked, feeling a sense of dread. Sweat trickled behind her ears. She felt the pinch of a rope tied too tight around her ankles and wrists, binding her so she couldn't move. The lights flickered on, only to flicker off, then back on again, staying very dim. Blinking, Rarity noticed the wood of a house, so she knew she wasn't in any dirty, smelly cave. She shuddered. A familiar chuckle echoed through the rooms.

"Now, now, ah'm not gonna hurt yah. Just gotta cooperate, and we'll get along JUST fine."

"Huh?" Rarity turned her head. "Who's there? Where are you? Speak up!"

"Rarity, all yah gotta do is make me a scary Nightmare Night costume. That's all yah gotta do. Now..."

Orange hooves grabbed her shoulders and, slowly, reached down and untied the bonds. "Are yah hungry? I made a feast that is greatest enough for the best pony in all Equestria."

***

Spike knocked on the Carousel Boutique's door, holding a bouquet of flowers behind his back. He wasn't giving up on Rarity yet. The door opened. "May I help you?" Sweetie Belle asked, peeking out at the baby dragon.

"Um..." He blinked. "Is Rarity here?"

Sweetie Belle shook her head. "No. She left this morning, saying that she was just out for some errands. Want to come in and wait with me?"

Spike nodded. "Sure!" Over the past few months, he had gone over to the house many times, and had become acquainted with Sweetie Belle. He followed the white filly into the kitchen.

"I was just finishing breakfast. Do you want anything?"

Spike paused for a moment. "No gems?"

Sweetie Belle nodded. "Yeah! I don't think my sister will mind if you eat a few."

"If they're for a project or something, I'm fine with something else."

"No, it's fine." She had already started up the stairs. "I mean, Rarity's okay with basically anything I do."

"Yeah, what YOU do." Spike rested his flowers on the table and ran after Sweetie Belle. "That doesn't mean what I do-"

"It'll be fine. I'll just leave her a note."

Spike shrugged and let out a sigh. "Fine." He climbed up the stairs. Sweetie Belle pushed a few rubies and a diamond towards him. He licked his lips and began diving into the pile of gems. The phone began to ring.

"Hi!....No, Apple Jack is not here. Why?.... Well, Apple Bloom, I don't know. Have you seen Rarity?..No?..Okay...Call Scootaloo, and let's meet here...Yeah, that's a good idea. Bye!" Sweetie Belle turned to Spike. "You haven't happened to see Apple Jack, have you?"

"No." The dragon swallowed the last ruby. "Why?"

"Apple Bloom needs her, and she's not on the farm."

"Oh." Spike headed down the stairs. "I'd best be going."

"No, you can stay. Rarity'll be back soon, I know this for absolutely sure!"

The door opened and Scootaloo and Apple Bloom walked in. They began talking about Rarity and Apple Jacks' apparent disappearance. Spike got up and left. He trudged through the ground, thinking. Where could Rarity be?

***

Twilight smiled as her baby dragon walked in the door. "Oh, Spike!" she cried, pushing a folded piece of paper toward him. "This is from Rarity."

Spike beamed. "Nice." He unfolded and began to read.
My dearest Spike, I'm so sorry. I wish that I could have told you this before, and it's too late now. I really do love you, and I'm afraid that we could never be together. We could've, before, but I was called away, and I do not know where the princess is sending me. Maybe to another land. Maybe still in Equestria. The princesses forbid me talking. Again, I'm so, so sorry. Your love, Rarity.
He put the letter down, tears spilling down his face. He curled up in a ball on the floor. Why? Why can't she talk more to me? Where is she?

"This doesn't seem right," Twilight muttered, jolting Spike back to reality.

"What?" He brushed his arm across his face, wiping most, but not all, of the saltwater off.

"Why would the princesses forbid her from talking? Where is she?" The princess sighed. "I hope she's alright. We can solve this mystery."

There was a knock at the door. Twilight left to get it, then came back with another note. "This one's from Apple Jack."

Spike nodded, unfolding the note and reading it.
Howdy, pardner! Heard about Rarity. She will be missed. Wanna come over to my house tonight? I can make something that can cheer you up, don't worry! Your friend, Apple Jack.

"Can I go?" he asked, standing up. "She's inviting me to her house, tonight."

"Well..." Twilight tapped her chin. "I suppose. Be back by...nine."

"Got it!"

***

Spike knocked on the door to Sweet Apple Acres. He waved to Big Macintosh in the fields. Apple Jack smiled and led him into the kitchen. "Glad y'all could make it!" she said, placing him on a seat at the table. "Ah just need to get something. Ah'll be back with the food."

Spike nodded, settling down on the chair. He sneezed. A low hissing sound came to his ears. He yawned, falling asleep.

He woke up in a room, tied together. Standing in front of him was Apple Jack, a crazed look in her eyes. "Well, y'all fell asleep. Great! Didn't exactly work on Rarity. Had to feed her knockout juice. But you fell asleep. Now we can get down to business. First, are yah hungry?"

Spike blinked. "Wha...?"

"Oh, sorry, forgot to explain..." She circled around the chair, pausing in front of a curtain. "Oh..Rarriiittyyyy...." She pulled a rope. The curtain swung to the side, revealing a very thin, disheveled looking Rarity. With only one problem.

She had no skin.

Spike opened his mouth, ready to scream. Rarity beat him to it. "SPIKE! She got you too?"

Spike closed his eyes. The image of his beloved Rarity burned in his brain. "What happened?"

Apple Jack laughed. "Ah told her ah needed a Nightmare Night costume....and, well, some pony bought it. So ah decided to start a business. Looks like ah got an order for a size filly dragon costume. In purple and green. So ah decided to request her help...." She smiled. "And ah got Rares here tah help me. Ain't that nice?"

"D-Don't call me that!" Rarity shouted. "That nickname is reserved for TRUE friends, not..not...not PSYCHOPATHS!!!"

"Aw, shucks. Stop complimenting me. Ah ain't done nothing...yet...." She cackled maniacally and turned to Spike.

"P-Please don't start...." Spike whispered.

"Why? After all, starts and ends have an unneeded meaning....using them only leads to the disappearance of a soul." She had lost her accent, and was busy untying Spike and hanging him on the wall.

Rarity blinked. "Please, I-I can't hurt Spike..."

Apple Jack paused. "You know what? I actually like the word, Psychopath. For the time being, you can call me...." She tapped her chin, thinking. "Applepath."

Sweat trickled down Spike's forehead. Applepath injected something into his torso. "Just a paralytic agent, so you aren't moving during the procedure...of course, your mouth and head can still move." She took a knife and circled a tiny hole in the dragon's side, pulling away the skin and muscle tissue. She grabbed a bucket full of water and a small tube and fed the tube through the hole into his stomach. "Just to make sure you don't dehydrate..."

Rarity blinked. "Spike, I-I'll get you out. I promise...somehow..."

Applepath whirled her head around and turned to face the mess that used to be one of the most beautiful unicorns in Equestria. "Will you shut up?" She narrowed her eyes. "Let me explain something to you..." She paced over to Rarity. "Spike. Is. Dead. Meat." She turned back to her work. "Now then, we need to fatten you up."

She grabbed a platter of apple muffins, apple cakes, tarts, blueberry muffins, and a random assortment of other sweets. She began stuffing a few of the tasty treats forcefully down his throat. She was humming all the while. "What-Are-You-Hum-Ing?" he asked between mouthfuls.

Applepath laughed. "My favorite song." She started singing the beginning of the first verse of the song, iNSaNiTY.

Rarity launched at Applepath's back, only to be kicked away. Applepath began the chorus.

Rarity positioned herself for another attack, only to be stabbed, hard, in the stomach. She winced in pain, for not having any skin, the knife had nothing to push past. Applepath pulled the knife out, smiling as blood and stomach acid slid from the wound.She turned back to Spike. "Shall we start?"

Spike blinked, taking in one huge gulp of air, and blowing on the edge's of Applepath's mane.