Hours Loom

Everything she tried had failed, from teleportation to melting the hinges, nothing seemed to open the simple wooden door. “Pinkie! Are you out there!?” yelled the alicorn, slamming her hooves on the wood. Just as she gave up and laid on the floor, the door tipped from its unhindered weight and fell into the hall, kicking up dirt and dust as it landed.

She quickly casted an illuminating spell, peering out into the hallway with a suspicious eye. With no sign of a monster nor Pinkie Pie, she called out, “Pinkie? Pinkie! Where are you!?” The dark walls of the hall revealed nothing in her search, just an eerie shadow that reflected from the light of her horn. As she trotted into the hall she noticed a brown bag that laid open on the floor.

Lifting the bag up, she examined the inside. “Cherries?” Two cherries sat smooshed against the inner sides of the small sack. She then looked out over the floor, noting the random few cherries that sat scattered amongst the floor. Slowly, she crept between the cherries and pointed her illumination spell towards the bottom of the stairs.

Tears filled her eyes as the light shined against the pink earth pony, blood coating the floor around her lifeless corpse. She carefully rushed down the steps, cautious as to not share the same fate of her beloved friend. “No, no, no, no, no! This can’t be happening!” she shouted.

Upon reaching the body, she quickly pushed away the hair covering Pinkie’s face only to see the dimmed stare of the once upbeat eyes. “Pinkie…” her voice cracked as she uttered the name. “Who was it Pinkie?” She wrapped her body against the lifeless corpse, holding it in between her forelegs, blood pouring onto her chest. Tears flowed from her muzzle, landing and staining the bright pink fur.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The screaming echoed within the halls, startling Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash who were making their way back to the entrance when they had gotten turned around.

“Even with the candle light, we still managed to lose track of where we came from. This castle is way too big,” mumbled the yellow pegasus.

“I know what you mean, it’s like this place was designed after one of the temples in a Daring Do book,” Rainbow lispingly described. “Except, you know, a lot less spiked traps and alligators.”

They were deep in the back section of the castle, many of the rooms had yet to be utilized or were meant to facilitate other rooms. Piles of books lined the walls, all holding signs with directions specified for each pile. Rainbow used her one good wing to raise the lantern to one of the piles, noticing many were meant for libraries in far off towns.

“Dash, I don’t remember feeling any of these books on the way in. Are you sure we’re going the right way?”

“Beats me, Shy. The amount of books here makes me think were somehow in the upstairs library. You sure that closet didn’t have a secret door we stumbled through?” replied the wounded mare through gritted teeth.

Fluttershy raised the lantern, looking down the hall as they rounded a corner. The pathway led to more shut doors and piles of books against the walls. “Well, I know we didn’t come through a door to get here. Let’s go back the other way.”

As the two turned around, a scream echoed the halls, followed by a pile of books shifting and then tipping over. The pegasi slowly trotted over to the fallen books, noting the door that had been mysteriously hidden. Another scream rang out from behind the secret door.

“Is that one of the Crusaders!?” Rainbow dropped the lantern and rushed to the door, placing her ear against the crystal frame. Another cry for help resonated from inside. “That’s… That’s gotta be Scoots,” she whispered.

As the blue pegasus grabbed and shoved the books out of the way, trying to pull the door open at the same time, Fluttershy quickly rushed over. “Dash!” she exclaimed as she threw the satchel off her hide.

“Help me move these books!” Rainbow commanded as she swiped the books away and attempted to buck the door open.

“For goodness sake Rainbow Dash! It opens inward!” Fluttershy rolled her eyes at Rainbow, moving past her panicked friend and grabbing the handle, pushing the door. As it swung open, smoke exhaled from the room just as the screaming had stopped.

The foal was strapped to a pole and surrounded by newspapers. As the paper burned, so did the pole, burning the little filly from bottom to top. Bits of orange furred skin popped off the bone, splattering on the floor as Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy approached.

“Scoots…” Rainbow said, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Fluttershy placed her forelegs around the blue pegasus, burrowing her head against Rainbow’s neck and bawling her eyes out. Rainbow placed her hoof around the scared mare, still staring at the flesh that dripped onto the burning newspapers, a sizzling pop could be heard for every drop.

The poor little filly didn’t deserve this, Rainbow knew that. Her anger was rising, but so did her fear. Before she could even think about trying to talk to Fluttershy, everything went black. Her body went limp.

Rainbow’s body slumped against Fluttershy’s face, pushing past her and slamming to the ground, out cold. “Rainbow?” she said, looking down with tears still streaming on cheeks. As she wiped her eyes, she looked around to see if something had hit Rainbow, unfortunately at the wrong time. She was bucked in the face and, like Rainbow, was out cold.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Shining Armor had returned to the foyer, finding no trace of the mares he sent to wait. He debated on whether or not to head up the stairs to the rest of the castle, or check the lower halls. Screams had come in from all directions, but a silhouette in the darkness caught his eye. He headed through a hall to the side of the stairs, carefully diming his light in the hopes to not be seen by a possible enemy.

As he came upon the kitchen he could hear the rain hitting the castle, splashing against puddles of water. A light already shined in the room, but the rain covered any sound that somepony could be making. Peeking through the open kitchen doors revealed the light to be a candle on the counter.

He slowly entered the room, carefully checking his corners as he entered. Just as he crossed the threshold, the reason the rain was so clear and loud became obvious. The door to the outside was open. With no one seemingly hidden behind any counter or chair, he drew close to the backdoor. Did they find a way out, he thought to himself. Muddy hoofprints were tracked in from the outside. He followed the mud all the way to one of the counters where they ceased to exist, he noted that whoever came in would probably still have mud on their hooves.

With the door still open, he decided to run outside. With no idea if all the mares had escaped or not, he knew he couldn’t leave. A signal flare above the clouds would have to do. He used his magic to shoot a bolt into the air, to which it exploded into several pink and purple lights lasting for a short while. This was the Canterlot Royal Guard’s distress signal, and if anypony saw it, they’d come to the rescue.

He turned and went back inside, his fur soaked to the bone. The candle had been snuffed out, dimming the entire kitchen. After he casted another illumination spell, he noticed the two filly sized bodies that were swinging upside down, tied by rope from their back legs to the ceiling. He rushed over to the two ropes, only to look on in horror as he found their whole bodies were covered in dried mud.

With a few swift smacks of a hoof the dirt fell apart, revealing a filly of white. He smacked more along the neck and down the head, eventually finding the suffocated face of Sweetie Belle. Her eyes had already rolled into the back of her head, and more mud had been poured down into her throat.

The sight of children being mutilated was far more than he could handle, especially in such a gruesome way. His stomach couldn’t take it, and he began to violently vomit on the ground, the remnants of cake still visible. Perhaps this was a good thing though, as once he finished he looked up at the cabinets, noting the red droplets that had fallen to the floor in front of them.

Painted in dark red, the words ‘YOUR WIFE‘ could be read. The look of shock and horror filled his face, then turned to anger as he snarled, stomping his hooves and rushing out of the room. He was determined to find his beloved.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The castle was too large for a pony without a light. Applejack had found her way back into the Great Oak Hall. She had been led to the room by a candle that had been lit by another. Before she took the candle and returned to the foyer, she stopped and sat before Spike’s corpse.

“Oh Spike,” she whispered to herself, her stetson lowered in front of her face. Some tears dribbled down her cheeks, slowly gravitated by her constant panting. She had been running the entire time, constantly looking for her little sister. When she came across the hall, she couldn’t help but feel for the purple dragon.

“Well I don’t care what that stallion said, you deserve somethin’,” she remarked as she shot to her hooves. The catering tables were still filled with snacks, the cake for the party laid half eaten. She knocked the food off to the side and pulled up the table cloth. Food stains and crumbs still lined the fabric, but Applejack felt it was better than nothing as she laid the cloth over the dragon’s body.

She gave a long, hard stare at the covered corpse, giving a sigh before walking over and grabbing the candleholder with her hoof. She walked out of the room with light in tow, able to continue the search for her sister and the other fillies. The sound of galloping startled her as she exited the room, echoing down the hall.

Applejack carefully walked the hallway, waiting for whomever it was to pass so that she could follow. As she paced herself, she remembered the first time she walked through that very passage. What I wouldn’t give to go back to fighting giant horned centaurs and being a prisoner, she thought, immediately shaking her head. No, can’t let myself think those types of thoughts, gotta find Apple Bloom.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Twilight remained clung to the bloodied corpse of her close friend. Tears solidified against her cheeks, blood stained her purple fur. Her eyes had ran dry, she no longer cried for her dead friend. Though the tears had halted, her mind was lost in a dark depression, which grew even darker as each minute passed.

The clattering sound of somepony walking up the stairs snapped her out of her dark stupor. She raised her head and illuminated the area around her, barely having the strength to cast any form of magic. She opened her mouth to call out to the unknown, but she failed to speak.

To the alicorn’s surprise, the white unicorn trotted up the stairs. Rarity’s light shined bright, illuminating the tired, tear soaked face of the alicorn. She halted herself as she locked eyes with Twilight, her mouth agape from the shock of seeing her blood soaked friend, and the body that laid beneath her.

Her eyes filled with tears, causing Twilight’s to swell up as well. Before Twilight could speak, she rushed over and placed her forelegs around the alicorns neck, embracing her in an exhausted hug. As she held her, she asked, “Wh-What hap-happened Twilight?”

“I don’t know!” Twilight yelled, her crying in full blast. The two held each other, crying and sniffling into the other’s fur.

“Have you,” she paused, taking a moment to sniffle and rub her eye. “Have you seen any of the others? I left Cadance down stairs.”

Twilight pulled away from the unicorn’s embrace, looking down at the pink body below her. “N-No,” she replied, her voice barely audible.

“We have to get out of here Twilight.” Rarity placed a hoof on the pink mane and gently brushed it. “You’re the only one that knows all the exits of this castle. Do you think we can find another door out?”

Twilight sniffled, slowly calming herself from her hysterics. “Well, since the front door is locked we could try the kitchen or maybe the backdoor in the basement…” her voice trailed off.

Rarity frowned and gave a nod, wiping the alicorn’s tears away. “Then we should try the kitchen first. We have to get out of here and call for help.”

“Y-You’re right…” replied Twilight as she slowly stood to her hooves.

“Would you mind going on ahead? I’d…” she paused, placing a hoof on Pinkie’s body. “I’d like just a few minutes with the poor girl.” Twilight gave a nod, allowing her request. As the alicorn took a step down the stairs, Rarity spoke up, “Oh, and if you find my sister or the other Crusaders, take them to the exit with you. If the exit is open… just go. I don’t care who you have with you, none of those innocent fillies should have to suffer the pain that we are.”

Surprised by the sudden mention of the fillies, Twilight turned her head back to look at Rarity. “Leave? Shouldn’t I come back for you, for the others? Aren’t you coming with me?”

“I will, I’ll catch up to you, but I won’t be leaving,” the unicorn replied as she stared down at the pink body. “I’m going to find the monster who did this and sew their eyes shut, their mouth closed, and pierce their heart with my needle. They’re going to pay for Spike… and Pinkie.”

The alicorn’s mouth fell agape in shock, she quickly turned around and began trotting down the steps once more, slightly out of fear of her unicorn friend. Whoever this monster is, they better not run into Rarity, as I’m sure we won’t be able to get any answers out of them once she’s gotten ahold, she thought, her face contorted to a look of pleasure and horror. A piece of her didn’t want Rarity to find the killer first, another piece wanted to watch what Rarity would do if she did.