Dear AJ.
I'm so having a super duper awesome time at my family rock farm!
Limestone is being super bossy like always.
Maud is coming up with some really cool ideas to make this place run smoothly.
Marble is well just being her own quiet self.
Mom and Dad well
I don't really want to get into it.
But let all the girls know, I'm having a SWEET time!
See you soon!
Love, Pinkie Pie!
P.S: Hugs and Kisses!
I placed the letter slowly into my saddlebag. It was just a little over a month old by now. Pinkie had just vanished from the world it seemed, Twilight said to stay calm. If she has decided to stay away this long, it had to be for a reason.
I know in my heart though.
That something has gone wrong.
Pinkie would not just drop correspondence with us.
She would find a way to contact us, through the rain or the snow as it was her nature to do so. We are all creatures of nature, we are compelled to follow the path set out for us.
To break away is just not possible.
I snapped back into reality as my hooves trotted across the lifeless and bare soil of the Pie Family Rock Farm. The front yard was almost over run by a large mass of stones, failed to be crushed and processed. The large windmill off in the distance was rusted from the rain, a eerie gust of wind billowing through the air.
A soft shiver slowly traced its way down my spine. I quickly made my way over the many rocks upon the ground, rushing up the front stairs with a uneasy pit growing within my belly.
"Bam!"
My hoof slammed roughly against the old wooden frame of the front door. My hoof knocked loudly once more in hopes somepony would answer, but only silence would reply.
"Pinkie! It's Applejack!" I yelled as loud as I could through the wooden frame, placing my ear softly against it, to see if I could pick up hoofsetps.
"We all are just darn worried about you Sugarcube!" I shouted across the front yard as a gust of wind howled overhead.
The sun in the sky was starting to set over the horizon. The once blue and colorful canvas of above, turning a dark purple, becoming so dull and cold. My ears softly folding back from the sadness I felt growing in my heart.
This farm was desolate and empty.
Nopony was around for miles and my friend was missing for certain.
But what could've happened to her?
I just prayed to Celestia she would be safe.
She might be as crazy as a coon in a golden tree, but she was a fighter.
We all were.
I slowly walked down the steps of the porch. Making my way back down the path to the main road when I caught a glimpse of it, the side of the house had a window open a small crack.
I had a way inside now. My heart began to race as I jolted across the trash of the front yard, coming to a stop at the small window inside. My dark green eye gazed worriedly inside, yet it was so dark I couldn't make out a darn thing.
I gritted my teeth as I fell down on my flank and flipped off the saddlebag with a thud. Hooves pushed aside a few half eaten apple fritters, I had brought along a map as well crumbled down near the bottom.
A small gift basket of apples for The Pie Family. A small copper compass given to me by Big Mac, I quickly tossed aside in the bag and what I was looking for a small oil lamp connected to a old leather collar.
Smirking I clicked on the collar as it dangled gently from my neck, it felt about half full of oil. I rolled my eyes in annoyance, I told Apple Bloom to refill it before I left.
I swear when I get home I was going to tan her hide. Reaching a hoof behind the side of my lucky hat, I plucked a single match away within a hidden stash of five from its hiding space.
Striking it softly within my hoof a small flame came to life, just as the sun had completely set in the background. I was careful to place the flame inside the lamp, allowing its bright light to grow around me.
Looking back to the window, I peeked back through the small opening. A wickedly smiling Luna gazing deep within my soul met my own gaze. I jumped back in horror as I fell roughly onto my side shocked.
I felt my whole body tremble as I slowly got back onto wobbly hooves, Luna on the other side of the gap was simply a small bobblehead. I groaned aloud in annoyance, glaring with anger to the small plastic princess.
I remember a whole series of those dumb things got released a little while after Princess Luna became reformed. The one within the gap had her grinning in a sly almost wicked manner, if I wasnt so tense I might have found it cute.
Instead of super creepy.
Pushing the toy aside with my hoof, off the dresser it was upon. I heard it fall to the floor and breaking into who knows how many pieces. From out here with what little light I had, it seemed like it was a hallway.
Dark and filthy from neglect for weeks, spiders and roaches crawling swiftly up and down the walls. Webbing formed over old family photos of The Pie Clan, I gazed deeper towards the end of the hall never blinking.
When I saw it!
A shadow of a pony quickly running across the halls end, it was almost like a blur but I knew it was somepony. I knocked roughly against the glass window, the wind outside picking up as darkness took over my surroundings.
"I'm coming in!" I shouted in worry my voice cracking ever so slightly.
Lifting up a copper hoof under the window, I pressed upward the wooden frame creaking loudly as the window shifted open. Taking a deep breath I jumped up into the window, pulling myself inside with no trouble.
My dirty hooves clicked loudly upon the old wooden floors of The Pie Home, I was inside and out of the cold of the night. Yet while forcing my teeth from chattering, I couldnt help but think it was freezing in here as well.
"Sugarcube! Hon. I need you to yell or sumthin if yer ok!?" I squinted a bit through the darkness, my chest puffed out proudly to light the way.
Hooves clicked slowly after each step the deeper down the hallway I went, I could feel a growing lump deep in my throat threatening to choke me. At the hallway end I quickly took a left turn, eyes flashing across another empty corridor.
What had happened here?
Where was everypony?
Who did I see run across the hall?
Walking past a few shut doors, I came across a open one on the far right end. I slowly pressed my ear upon the frame, listening for anything that might be inside.
Yet I was greeted by only silence.
The pit growing inside my belly, I quickly pushed the door wide open. The soft glow of my lamp barely lighting up the room, I took a few steps deeper inside seeing books and old toys littering the floor.
This must've been some kind of a playroom. The books were starting to grow mold on their sides as the rats had already eaten through more than a few. The toys were old and rusted, most broken into thousands of pieces it seemed.
This place was a dead end to be sure, but why had this door been open?
I allowed a small frown to cross my lips as I turned around towards the door, eyes widening in shock as I spotted a large toy chest hidden by the darkness.
Walking over ever so slowly I took slow and steady breathes, the world of darkness around me growing still.
"THUMP!"
I jumped back in shock as the lid of the chest bounced up a little, I swear on my farm it had moved!
"THUMP!"
The lid shifted again before me as I felt my whole body start to shiver, the chest was making a very low scratching noise now. I made my way closer my mind screaming for me to stop, ears twitching as I swear I could hear whimpering inside.
"Pinkie?" I forced the words to escape my muzzle in a strained whisper.
Hooves shaking in fear I placed them atop the chest, lifting up on the heavy wooden lid I could feel it shifting higher. Using my strength I flipped the lid open quickly, dark red eyes glowing wickedly towards me in the darkness.
"NO!" I screamed and fell backwards on my flank hard, my hooves turning to jelly as they simply gave out from under me.
A large brown rat pouncing out of the chest towards me in anger, it hissed aloud in a shrill tone before jolting off into the darkness once more.
"Grrr. Yeah I hate you too ya' varmint!" I rolled my eyes sarcastically.
My heart was rocking back and forth in my chest like a stampede. I sat there in the darkness of the room, a soft glow of light around me. A icy chill running over my body slowly as I thought about my next move.
It was far too late to try and make it back to the train station now. I had about ten minutes worth of light left now, if I were lucky. The thought of spending the night alone here made me quiver as well.
I was stuck between a Rock Farm and a Hard Place.
"Mmhmmm. Mmmhmm. Mmhmmm." Delicate low pitched humming echoed from the darkness.
My ears perked up swiftly as I returned to my hooves. I poked my head out into the hallway slowly, the middle door in the hallway now wide open. I could hear the humming emitting from within eerily.
The lamp around my neck was starting to dim slowly, the oil running low as I took each step slow and careful. The humming grew in pitch the closer I came to the door, my hoof stepping atop a weak board as it creak loudly.
Suddenly all went silent. The lamp flickering weakly before shutting off, darkness filled the area around me in a sudden flash. My heart racing in my chest, beating louder and louder.
I was sure anypony nearby could hear me.
"Pink...ie." I gasped aloud through the darkness in a rasp voice.
My fear locking up my body tightly, I was unable to even swish my tail as I became frozen in terror. Suddenly the sound of hoofsteps began, clicking slowly across the floor as it grew near.
I tried to catch my breath but found the air locked inside my lungs. My cheeks were turning a dark red as I struggled to find air. Inside the dark I could see the shadow of a pony, walking out of the room as bright violet eyes glowed wickedly.
I couldn't move a muscle even as the pony made a turn towards me, both of us within the darkness, I could feel the warmth of its body next to mine. It came to a stop right in front of me, staring deeply towards me in silence.
The world was spinning around me as I didnt know what to do. It leaned forward silently as it began to sniff the air around my mane, its muzzle almost touching my shoulder.
I needed air!
To gasp though, would surely spell my doom.
"BAM! BAM! BAM!"
Thundering loud stomps echoed from high above us upstairs. The shadow swiftly spun around as it galloped down the hallway, vanishing from view within seconds.
I gasped for air loudly, falling to the ground in terror. My body was acheing from the fear, muscles and joints pounding deep within. I needed to just get out of here, once back at the train station I could send for help.
Quickly I rushed blindly down the hall, making the turn from the edge and jolted down the straight path to the window. My eyes locked on the open gap before me, a smile crossing my lips.
I was almost out from this nightmare.
Halfway down the hall I heard it!
The sound of wood giving away under hoof, I watched in horror as the world around me began to sink into the darkness. The whole floor falling through with such ease, I screamed as loud as I could.
Plummeting in the shadows, I began to sob.
I was going to be stuck here for a very long time.
Darkness was covering all in a cloak of the unknown. I was trapped in the abyss with no help at all, I gazed down to my hooves in horror as I could see blood oozing down them. I had landed upon my lantern and shattered the glass all over the place, shards of glass were painfully digging into the sides of my hooves.
The warm crimson liquid spilt onto the filthy floor slowly, wincing in pain I slowly leaned inward and picked the larger shards out of my hooves with my teeth.
My body was on fire from the large fall into what looked like the basement, teeth chattering from the unknown cold that filled the whole house. I watched the shadows as they danced across the room, waiting for my eyes to focus to this hell before moving on.
I felt around my backside for my saddlebag, it had gotten torn wide open from the fall. I groaned aloud in defeat as I searched inside it blindly, finding a small red handkerchief within.
I took a deep breath to calm my mind as I quickly wrapped the fabric around my right hoof. Wincing in pain as I used my teeth to tighten it around the open wound, dark colored blood staining the fabric swiftly.
My left hoof seemed in better shape with only a few cuts, the right had not been so lucky a shard of glass had ripped the whole side of my hoof wide open.
I quickly stood up my body wobbly from the impact, glancing around the dark I could make out many old boxes around me. Atop a large crate on my right was yet another Princess Luna bobblehead, this one with eyes closed in a howl of laughter.
"Keep laughing it up!" I smirked roughly bucking the crate, the figure rolling off the side and shattering on the ground.
I was almost certain I was trapped here, yet hidden behind a tall stack of molded crates was my escape. A long dark stairway leading back up to the house above, I sighed in relief as I limped my way over to the crates.
With some trouble I pushed a few of the smaller boxes on top to the ground, body aching my small frame pulled itself atop the crate as I plopped down to the floor with a thud on the other side.
"Please staircase don't go fallin apart on me now." I giggled to myself softly as I limped ever so slowly up the staircase.
"Creeeeak" The sound of somepony walking up the staircase behind me caught my attention, I swung around quickly in horror as I lost balance and tumbled back down the stairs.
My ears were ringing loudly as I gazed around the darkness for anypony, but nothing was around me just the abyss of this cursed house. I heard the house creak once more, my ears folding back as I used a burst of strength to simply buck the crate behind me out of the way.
I began to back up slowly, the creaking growing louder and louder, my eyes shot up to the basement ceiling above me as dust bounced free from it. The creaking was from above, somepony was getting close.
And I was trapped!
I began to have trouble catching my breath as I quickly backed up more, soon I came to a stop dead center in the basement. The large hole hanging above me, as my eyes watched the stairway for the pony to come down.
"Creeeak!"
My heart began to race wildly in my chest, hooves trembling in place as my eyes watched the darkness for any sudden movements.
"Creeeeeeak!"
The horrible sound got louder and louder as I just wanted to scream as loud as I could, muscles tightening in fear while holding me in place.
The door would soon swing open and down the stairs the pony would come, speed so swift and like a blur it would finish me off.
I let the world grow silent around me as the darkness grew ever closer, I watched the door at the top of the stairway waiting.
Caught off guard only by a long length of rope falling in front of my face suddenly, I scrunched my muzzle softly in confusion the end tied into a noose.
My eyes widening in terror as it swung forward from above, sliding around my neck perfectly as a swift upward tug quickly lifted me up from my hooves.
I gasped aloud in confusion as my hooves dangled in the air wildly, the rope tightening around my neck as a creature above the hole pulled me even higher.
I wanted to scream the basement around me spinning as my eyes were straining, becoming a dark red while my body was going numb.
I needed air!
My body was swinging side to side, the rope so tight as I could feel it threatening to slice through my neck completely. I groaned out sickly in the trap set for me, drool dripping off the side of my mouth as I could feel my eyes rolling back.
Heart slowing down.
I could see the world fading away, I had to fight back or perish into the darkness. Using the last of my strength I swung my body wildly side to side, my movements and jolts becoming too much as the rope was released.
I crashed into the ground with a loud smash, gasping for air loudly as I wasted no time removing the noose from around my neck. I tried to stand up only to fall to the ground, my body far too weak to move.
Hooves could be heard rushing across the floor above me, I screamed out in a rasp yelp of terror. The door leading into the basement swinging open swiftly, a shadow of a pony jolting down the steps like a wild timber wolf.
My eyes shot across the floor to the wall, a small hole torn into it leading somewhere deeper into the darkness. Weakly I crawled as fast as I could into the hole, squeezing my body into the compact and moist area.
My hooves kicking weakly to dig myself as far as I could inside, my front hooves sinking into mud slowly as I whimpered pulling myself forward.
Yet suddenly I felt teeth biting deeply into my calve as I howled in pain, I could feel blood gushing down my leg as I kicked wildly.
I had to push it off of me!
Bucking as hard as I could backward I slid deep into the hole, freeing myself from my attacker barely. I could hear hooves rushing back up the stairs, all I could do was sob aloud in pain.
My body was stuck in this tight area, covered completely in mud. The horrible scent of something rotten slowly wafting over me, it burned my eyes fiercely while it washed over me.
I struggled slowly.
Pulling myself ever deeper into the darkness, the scent that of dry blood and rotted flesh. I couldn't hold back anymore, I dragged myself forward a few inches before vomiting out my lunch forward.
The air was becoming so thick I needed to find fresh air or risk fainting somewhere deep inside this cursed wall. Inch after horrible inch I pulled myself forward, the walls closing in on me more and more.
I was sure they would crush me soon.
Then I saw it!
Ahead just a few more feet, a dim glow of a lit candle. I had found my escape at long last, but also the area of the wicked stench.
What was ahead of me hidden in the abyss?
I gave it every ounce of power I had left but I was at long last able to pull myself out of the hole in the wall. My coat matted and soaked in the foul smelling muck of this home.
I glanced about the room I found myself in, it was small about the size of a stable if I had to say. Filled with a small table in the center, hosting three buckets atop it. The walls were lined with shelves holding murky old jars.
The whole room smelled musty and molded as if rotting from within, yet even more foul were the buckets on the table. Each filled with black liquid and gunk, maggots and other pests infesting the goop as well.
What in the world was it?
I slowly walked forward gazing deep into the rancid soup of this hidden room, it almost seemed to bubble from below. Whatever it had been was now so far gone it had begun to become mush. I held back a gag as my hoof gently tapped the side of the container, the gunk simply bubbled for a minute.
Before suddenly a eye floated out from the bottom of the soup, rolling around on the top as it settled upon me eerily. My heart almost exploded in my chest as I jumped back, hooves giving out as I hit the ground hard.
It was ponies in the bucket!
"Well havent you been causing trouble?" I heard the icy voice of a mare speak behind me.
I turned my head in shock as I came face first to a iron like hoof. My ears began to ring loudly as the strike sent me to the ground with one hit, the world slowly fading to black as the abyss claimed me once more.
Author's Note
This chapter had been a bit longer, but simed it down for pacing.
chapter 3 will host most of what I cut out for this chappie,
Enjoy!
