Apple March

Twilight Sparkle blinked awake, feeling groggy but stable. Rope was binding her against Big Macintosh, he being reprimanded in a straitjacket causing him to be unable to break the rope. Confused, she bobbed her head, trying to remember why she was here.

Rarity's scream brought her to her senses.

She began trying to use her wings to push the rope away, wincing in pain when she realized there were two bloody stumps where her magnificent purple wings once were. She began trying to cast a spell, unable to. Instead of her horn, there was a hole in her skin. Leading to the hole in her skull where her had been.

She gaped at the extensive wounds all over her, weakening her. She shook her head, thinking of...

The gas. She remembered the gas, she remembered.

CaPTiViTY, unable to run away.

***

Rarity screamed. "Please, Apple Jack! Please, st-o-o-o-op..."Tear ran down her cheeks. "I-I know you're in there. Please, please..."

Apple Jack, or, more correctly, Applepath, laughed and wrenched her friend's horn out of it's socket. "You're USELESS now. I don't need you. I never did. I just wanted to cause you PAIN and SUFFERING." She adjusted her self, showing the crude stitching connecting Twilight's wings to her side. "Self surgery is incredibly easy. If it wasn't, I wouldn't be able to fly right now." She sighed. "Time for you to DIE. I got what I needed, and now you don't have it anymore." Applepath's hoof searched on the nearby table, finding a sharp butcher knife. "After all, you were just a character in a story. And who remembers them?" She brought the knife hard down on her captive's left back leg. It slid through the muscle tissue as if it was butter. Rarity gripped the edges of the table with her three good legs, trying to levitate. Trying to...to..

She was held down by a green magical aura. "Thanks for helping on this part. You are sooooo easy to manipulate under anesthesia. You gave me a horn of my own. Thanks." Applepath chuckled and brought the knife down, hard, splintering the edge of the bone. She gave a few more swings and cracked through the leg. She gave a sharp yank and pulled it off completely. Rarity screamed, but cut herself short. "I will NOT give you the pleasure of seeing me scream!"

"Really?" Applepath clucked her tongue. "Well then. There's no point then in keeping you alive." She brought the knife to Rarity's throat. Rarity immediately screamed. "Good." She picked up the white horn and twirled it in the air, before plunging it straight down into her captive's stomach. Rarity flinched and gasped. Blood leaked out from the wound and her mouth. She gasped. Applepath snickered, relishing in the pain and fear on Rarity's face. "Not fighting is the way to go, Rares..."

The only reply was a small whimper.

"Well? That's all?"

"CELESTIA!!!!" She screamed at the top of her lung. "IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, HE-"

She was cut short by the knife sliding across her throat. Rarity struggled to breathe. Applepath gave a maniacal grin and reached in, ripping her throat completely out of her body. "Hello, myself." She tossed the mangled tube over her head. "Haven't we met before?" Rarity blinked at her. "Goodbye, yourself." She paused. Rarity's eye's widened in panic. "SO, want to talk?" Another pause. "Oh right. you can't. Anymore." She laughed. "You were incredibly BORING at times. Dresses, dresses, fancy stitching....I'm just glad I had listened to it. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to do what I am now..."

Rarity summoned her last strength, mouthing the words, insanity, an illusion that can't end. Captivity. Unable to run away.

Applepath broke down into maniacal laughter. She hit the floor, twitching and shaking all over. "Ah, insanity," she whispered, taking in a huge breath. "I feel like...like..." She spread the wing's that once belonged to a princess and lifted until her head grazed the ceiling. "Like..like floating on air...like I am now..." She laughed again. Her entire head twitched, cocking to the side like a confused puppy, before straightening up again in a millisecond. "Psychopath. E." She tossed the knife in the air and caught it using magic. "Living a life, carefree." She turned back to Rarity. "Well? What's the rest?" She lunged for her friend. "Well?"

Then she realized that she had been talking to a corpse for three minutes. She smiled and picked up the knife, running her tongue carefully on the edge. "Insanity, an illusion that can't end."
***
Spike shuddered. He was glad that he had been patched up..but...

His doom was imminent. He blinked into the light door towards the back. The haunting voice in his mind, telling him to run, call the Ponyville Police Force, the insane asylum, anyone. Maybe even Princess Celestia. His heart pounded and he picked himself up. "Spike...?" someone croaked. Twilight. "Paper..in the corner...letter to...Celestia...use blood. if you have to...."She was panting, scared, and weakened severely by the wounds crossing her weak points. Spike nodded.

"Yes."

He managed to scurry away to the corner. He gulped, grabbing the paper and his finger. There was no way to reach ink in this state, and from the sounds of things, Applepath would be going for him next. Heading to Twilight would reveal his position, for the tied captives were in clear view of the open door. He closed his eyes, feeling around for something....

A nail.

His hand hit the sharp point of a nail and sighed, a sad smile playing across his face. He picked it up, feeling the rust around the grooves. "I'm sorry," he whispered, stabbing into his gut and drawing out fresh blood, ink in this case. Twilight gasped.

"N-No," she whispered, straining against the bonds again. Spike blinked, dousing his fingers in the red liquid, writing words on the paper.

He felt sick. Color drained from his fingers. He had already lost too much blood, and with Applepath coming, he didn't how much time he had left.

Not much.

Twilight opened her mouth to warn the dragon, but it was too late. Applepath had left the other room and entered the basement, dragging the battered corpse of Rarity behind her. She was holding an knife using magic, and seeing Spike in the corner, she had fired it.

Called shot to the head.

Just before he died, Spike blew his green fire, sending the letter to Princess Celestia.
Dear Princess Celestia, Hurry Sweet Apple Acr

***

Twilight screamed. She watched her companion fall to the ground. Dead. She felt a tear fall down her cheek. "No..." She struggled against the bonds, only tightening them. The stallion behin dher shifted. "Too late. We can't stop her."

"We can't?"

"Eeyup." He sighed. "I just wish I had a chance to say goodbye."