Hours Loom

There was no sign of anypony in the foyer – the large, vacant entrance remained dark and humid. The light of Twilight’s horn barely illuminated the crystal walls as she strolled down the steps. Cadance had already vanished from her spot on the floor. Rain clattered against the windows whilst she lingered at the bottom step, taking a moment to soak in the solitude. Her heart still twinged with fear.

She made her way to the side hall, slowly walking to the kitchen in the hopes of bumping into her friends. As she walked the corridor, a dim light flickered against the walls across from the corner. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy must have found candles, she thought. Once she turned the corner she was met with a roaring fire that lined the walls of the hallway.

Her chin fell, leaving her mouth agape from fright as she stared at the orange inferno that rose to the ceiling. The sound of crackling and burning filled her mind while she watched the burning terror, unable to comprehend how or why the fire had spread there. In the middle of the hall she could see a silhouette walking towards her, through the flame, unscathed by the heat.

The fire gave way as the pony drew closer, a circle around the figure that remained clean of any flames – as if the air around it was chilled by their very presence. It was then she saw who stood calmly in the burning rubble. It was herself. She turned away, promptly shutting her eyes out of fear. She stood there with eyes closed for a short while before she realized the heat against her fur had vanished and she could no longer hear the crackling whipping into her eardrums.

As she opened her eyes, the hall had turned back into its darkened state, the terrible fire had ceased to exist – or, perhaps, never existed in the first place.

“I-I’m losing it,” she said, tears streaming down to her muzzle. She gave a brief sigh as she wiped her cheeks. I’ll be fine, she thought. I’ll just check the kitchen and then wait for Rarity. As she walked the hall, weary about the flames returning, she made her way to the kitchen door with a heightened pace.

Light shined from inside the kitchen, candles lit the entire room like a romantic getaway, but there was no romance in this room. Twilight soon found that out, as her eye caught glimpse of the mudded corpses that hung from the ceiling. She stared at the dangling bodies, quickly rushing over to them only to find that one of the dirt cocoons had already been busted, revealing Sweetie Belle’s cold, lifeless face.

Anger boiled inside her, causing her to smash the mud off of the other cocoon. Apple Bloom’s face was just as dead as Sweetie’s. “No…” she said with distress. Her ears flopped and her head lowered, knowing she was too late to save the two young fillies. As her eyes met the ground, she noticed the blood red liquid she had been stepping in.

The cabinets had been covered in red paint, splattered without a pattern or cause for the reasoning. The thought of it being blood crossed her mind, causing her to step backwards and onto some drying mud. Hoof tracks had yet to fully dry as they lead away from the door – one set stopping next to the island in the middle of the kitchen while the other went off into the hallway.

Two sets of hooves with mud from the outside, she noted. Two ponies with access to the outside. She slowly made the connection of the mud from the outside and the two fillies that hung to the ceiling. It’s not a monster, it’s a pony. And there’s two of them! The very idea sent a shiver down her spine. That has to be it, one to carry each filly body.

She scanned the hoofprints, looking to see if she could make heads or tails of the shape or size. When she failed to recognize the hooves, she looked around the room for more evidence. That’s when it hit her. I sent Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy to get candles. The entire kitchen was lit up by candles, possibly the brightest room in the castle.

“Can it be…” she rhetorically said, dumbfounded by the very idea that shot through her central lobe. “Two sets of tracks, two murderers. Perhaps the two that have been friends the longest out of anypony else?” The questions soured her face, she cursed the very thought of accusing her close friends.

It didn’t take long for her to return to the foyer, the fear of running into any of the other guests sent shivers down her spine. Trust slowly began to crumble as she drew from her conclusion, the two pegasi seemed to be the obvious killers, but there was no reasoning behind it; no purpose. Another choice was the only couple that was in the castle, her own brother and sister-in-law. They both contained magic that was great enough to create a barrier. Her heart sank as the thoughts filled her mind.

The storm was getting worse as thunder crackled, vibrating the windows of the foyer. Rain pitter-pattered against the castle with a rough enough force to echo inside. She sat in the darkened room, a candle next to her – obtained from the kitchen – as she waited for the white unicorn. A flicker of light caught her eye, barely lit down the right side of the steps towards the hall that she pointed Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy towards.

“Rarity?” she called out, echoing up the steps, still keeping an eye on the flame in the distance. Before she could call out once more, the light went silent. Her body trembled as the thoughts crossed her mind, contemplating who it could be. The shame she felt as she pictured one or both of the pegasi turning the corner only faded as she saw the dark silhouette of a single masked pony trotting down the hall.

Her brow furrowed as she tried to figure out the design of the outfit, but stopped once she noticed the speed of the painted red eyes. They were fast approaching, but the sounds of the galloping were overshadowed by the rain’s force. She quickly levitated her candle and tossed it toward the hallway, hoping to slow the masked monster so that she may run up the steps.

The flame of the candle didn’t even get to strike the ground, blown out by the wind as it sailed through the air. The masked pony rushed up the steps and was upon Twilight in an instant, grabbing a back leg and pulling her back down the stairs.

“Let me go!” she screamed in horror as her body slammed against each step, finally smashing to the foyer’s floor. Flopping over, she rolled onto her back and aimed her horn at the brutish attacker – their strength seemed unmatched for the alicorn, but she had magic. Her horn glowed, but before she could fire a blast, a pain sunk into her wing, causing her to scream and holler in pain.

She turned her head and saw the knife plunged into her left wing, right against the ligaments that connected the wing to her back. The masked pony twisted the knife as it remained between tendons, slicing against muscle and bone. Her screaming echoed once more before she couldn’t take it. A kick with her back legs into the masked pony’s face was enough to get them to stumble back and release the knife from their hoof.

It was her only chance to escape, she quickly rose to her hooves with the knife still embedded into her wing and rushed down the corridor the masked pony came from. It was possible that the horror had already sealed the back exit, but it was the only option now that the kitchen door was unmovable. As she hurried down the hall she reached over with her mouth and yanked the knife from the wing. Her pain would have to wait as she turned the corner.

Twilight quickly reached the door at the end of the hall, trotting past a large assortment of books that had been toppled to the ground. She grabbed the doorknob with her magic and pushed the door open, it lead to a large room of crates and boxes. The knife fell out of her mouth as she turned to close the door, witnessing the red paint of the mask turn the corner at the other end.

As she slammed the door, she quickly levitated crates against it, hoping the masked pony was not strong enough to push them out of the way. Unfortunately for her, the crates shifted as they were pushed with the door. The pony slammed against the blockade over and over, causing the alicorn to press herself against the crates. The will of the murderous creature was far more determined than Twilight’s, as the crack allowed it to push its masked head through.

The alicorn noticed and yelled, “No you don’t!” Using her magic, she grabbed onto the mask and pulled as hard as the murderer pushed. The mask slowly ripped from their head. As it pulled back to prevent the mask from being removed, the door ceased its movement. The pony had already managed to pull their head back behind the door and out of sight from Twilight. That didn’t stop her, as the mask flung off and into the room. With no resistance, she shoved the door closed.

Galloping echoed from behind the door, giving her a sigh of relief for a brief moment – only to have it ruined by her screaming as her focus turned to the black mask floating in front of her. She had forgotten she was holding it as the mask flopped to the floor, no longer held by her horn’s magic.

“Oh, oh right,” she said through panted breaths. She scooped the mask off the floor with her hoof, noticing the weight of the plastic disguise. It was large, large enough to hide a horn. She quickly illuminated her own horn and peered inside, hoping to catch a glimpse of a strand of hair or a patch of fur. A distinct smell rose from the mask, causing her to push her muzzle inside.

She let out a snort as the aroma became too much for her to handle. Apples, she thought. Whoever this pony is, they’re certainly a hungry beast. It was then she noticed the eyes were red inside as well, causing the wearer to only see in a red tint.

It wouldn’t be long before the unmasked pony would return, and so she knew now was the time to try and escape. The room she ran into was the one she specifically chose for that very reason, as it held the back exit door of the basement. Storage crates were brought in through this way, mostly presents from citizens praising the latest princess. She quickly navigated the crates to the outside door, blood still dripping from the pierced notch in her wing.

When the door wouldn’t budge, she knew there was only one way out – she would have to kill whoever was behind the mask. There’s no other way around it, she thought. Looking around the room, she eventually came across a purple knapsack that she slowly swung over her back, careful to avoid the damaged wing.

First things first, I need to find bandages, she surmised. After grabbing the mask and the knife and storing them in her newly found knapsack, she slowly removed the crates from the door to the hall. Before she opened the door, she made sure her horn was ready to fire a magical bolt, just in case the murderer was still around.

After scanning the open hall, nopony in sight, she trotted out into the corridor. Her cautiousness gave way to her curiosity as she walked the hall, noticing a door had been cracked with red light barely lighting the inner room. A pile of books had been strung out in front of the door. She slowly peered in only to bear witness to a scorched pole with bones tied to it, the flesh had been completely melted off.

She quickly slammed the door shut out of abhorrence of the gruesome sight. Her throat filled with bile as she realized who the only pony of that size could be, and she knew it wasn’t going to stop until all of her friends were dead. This incited more to the reason that this killer must be killed, by any means necessary.

With pain of her wing slowly returning as her adrenaline slipped, the alicorn crept into the storage closet in the hopes of finding some left over candles. To her surprise, the shelves had been completely emptied of both candles and matches. “Maybe it really is one of them,” she pondered aloud as she grabbed a towel off a higher shelf.

Wincing from the agony, she wrapped the towel around her wing’s tendon, hoping it would stop the bleeding. Tears streamed down her face as she pulled it tight and tied it, her wing barely fitting back against her body. I’ll have to get the first aid kit from one of the bathrooms, I’m not going to bleed to death before I see that monster pay.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The white unicorn sat cuddled against the pink horse body, remaining as silent as she could. The fear of being found by the monster immobilized her. She had remained tough and angry for Twilight’s benefit, but she could only cower as the galloping drew closer and closer. With gritted teeth, she prepared to run or fight the horrid monster, but stopped herself as she noticed the stetson atop the pony’s head.

“Applejack?” she called out, catching the notice of the earth pony who climbed the steps. “Please tell me that’s you, darling.”

Light illuminated from the unicorn’s horn, shining bright against Applejack’s face. Sweat drizzled down the mare’s cheeks as she panted extensively. “Rare? Wh-what happened?” She stared down at the pink, bloody corpse that used to be Pinkie.

Rarity rose to hooves but remained next to the body, her eyes tearing up once more. “I found Twilight next to her, something pushed her down the-“

Before she could finish, Applejack interrupted, “Twilight did this!? She’s the killer!?”

“What are you talking about? Of course she didn’t,” Rarity sternly replied with a grimace forming across her tear stained cheeks.

“Listen Rarity, I found Shining Armor and he said that there’s nothin’ else in this castle. Something didn’t do this to Spike, or to Pinkie. It was somepony, one of our friends,” she explained, “and I’m not sure I trust anypony anymore.”

Rarity remained silent, glancing down at the corpse before her. “You’re saying Twilight could have done this?” The earth pony nodded in return. “I just spoke with her a little while ago, she seemed so distressed. I… I don’t think she did, AJ. I’m not… I’m not sure.”

Her response caused Applejack to feel the grievance in her voice, but she understood what the unicorn was saying. She slowly walked around the corpse and grabbed onto Rarity, pulling her into a hug. “You just stay close to me, alright?”

“Okay. I told Twilight I’d be down to help her though. If I don’t show, she’s sure to come back looking for me.”

“Alright, let’s-“ she paused as she looked down at the unicorn’s face, which was frozen with fear. She quickly turned around and saw what had frightened her so.

The deep voice growled, “You. Both of you.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

She could feel her head being dragged by her mane as she regained consciousness, the pain caused her to gasp as she opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was the blue overalls of the masked pony, and then the dark red eyes staring down at her. Heavy breathing echoed from inside the plastic disguise.

The strength they had to move Fluttershy was inspiring, much less moving her by the roots of her hair. To Fluttershy, this observance was just as terrifying as discovering her legs had been tied, bound together by rope. There was a second set of rope that wrapped around her body and neck, but did not seem to restrain the yellow pegasus.

It was then she realized they had stopped moving, her hair no longer being dragged. She quickly looked around the room, only to realize she was in the bathing room. The room’s bath was the size of a pool, it was meant for many ponies to enjoy and relax all at one time. Benches and towels were strung around the outside, and the bath itself wasn’t very deep. Candles lit the area, almost creating a scene of romance or sensual sophistication.

The masked pony had dragged her down into the middle of the bath, water had yet to fill the pool. She watched as the killer walked away, up the four short steps, and over to a record player. It was the same player from the dance hall, Fluttershy could already tell that, but what she didn’t recognize was the serene music that began to play.

She struggled to move as the murderous pony walked out of her sight, eventually hearing the heaving and struggling coming from behind her. Three loud thumps caused her to jump a little as she struggled to break free from the rope. The pony returned and stood over her, sending spears of anguish into Fluttershy’s heart, and causing her to begin crying hysterically.

“W-why are yo-you doing this to m-me?” Fluttershy asked as she pressed her teary face against the floor.

The pony did not answer, instead it walked away and pushed three small boulders in front of her. The boulders were the size of Fluttershy’s head, though a little uneven on the sides – they were the thumps she had previously heard.

Fluttershy nervously looked at each of the boulders as the masked pony took the rope that was tied around her neck and tied it to two of the stones. The remaining rope was tied around the final rock, preventing her from moving her chest or back. She struggled and writhed, trying to move in any direction.

“Please…” she whimpered.

No matter what she said the masked pony ignored her, as if it was completing a list of chores that needed to be done. It took some towels from one of the purple cushioned benches and plopped them down next to the drain. It began shoving them down into the pipe, clogging the channel, and preventing water from exiting the pool.

“You d-don’t have t-to do this!” she cried and begged as the pony walked up the steps of the pool. She couldn’t bear to watch as she knew what was coming. Turning on the faucet, the murderer let the waters begin to flow into the bath.

With the boulders and ropes tying her down, she would be unable to move as the bath filled with water. It would take some time, but she knew it would eventually happen. She began to scream and yell, panicking and squirming all at once. As the pony walked back down into the bath and over to Fluttershy, she yelled, “Please, stop!”

It stared down at the pegasus, eventually tilting its head as if it understood her request. She started to scream once more, only to stop as the masked pony raised a hoof above her head. Just as her mouth moved to speak, the hoof came down, smacking her in the muzzle with a terrible force.

She was out cold, unconscious yet again.