Night Class

Chapters

Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Epilogue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2

Chapter 3

“Of course you’re faster if you don’t bother getting the star map,” Sunflowers commented drily when Sunset and Sweetie Drops returned with empty hands.

“We tried—“ Sunset started, but Sweetie Drops interrupted her.

“Guys, something is seriously wrong here! It wasn’t only sounds this time! We saw something in one of the junior classrooms. Something super creepy!”

“Yeah, what was it? Spider webs? Maybe even a carved pumpkin?” Sunflowers asked, but nobody laughed at her little joke.

“Just some candles, and a sign about us all being tasty,” Sunset answered.

“And the cupcake! A cupcake with an eye on top of it!” Sweetie Drops added.

“A cupcake with what?” Sunflowers asked, blanching.

“Just a joke article,” Sunset explained.

“The newspaper,” Sunflowers stammered, all her snappishness gone. “It… there was something just like that in the newspaper I just read.”

“What, the cupcake?”

“There was a guy… a criminal! A murderer! He broke into several houses a few years back and, and, he killed the people and ate them! He was a freaking cannibal!” Sunflowers spoke almost too fast to follow. “They caught him while he was still busy with one of his victims. He prepared his victims. He made freaking casserole and, and cupcakes! And he ate them!”

“But if they caught him there’s nothing to worry—“ Micro Chips tried to reason.

“But that’s what was in that newspaper article!” Sunflowers almost screamed. “He was being transferred to some mental facility and he escaped! Not even far from here, right on the road to Fillydelphia!”

“Oh my gosh!” Sweetie Drops shrieked.

Sunset quickly scanned the room for that newspaper Sunflowers had been reading. She found it in the paper bin, and while the others were busy exchanging agitated murmurs, she sat down and opened the paper.

The paper was four days old. Sunset quickly skimmed the story about that jailbreak. It was as Sunflowers had said, including the detail that the killer had been preparing a casserole and some cupcakes when he was finally caught by the police. According to the article, he had been found guilty of fourteen cases of murder. He had also at least partially eaten eight of his victims. Although he had been sentenced to life in prison, he had been on his way to a mental institution to determine just what kind of mental illness had caused him to commit these terrible crimes.

Sunset sighed. “I’m telling you, it’s just a prank. It’s Nightmare Night next week. Do you honestly think there’s a killer on the loose?”

“Are you really sure there isn’t one?” Sweetie Drops shot back.

“She’s probably right,” came unexpected support from Micro Chips. “Why would some escaped killer set up candles and a cupcake? And what about the chains? A Nightmare Night prank is much more probable.” He gave Sweetie Drops a meek smile. “You know how some of our esteemed co-students can be.”

Sweetie Drops shot Sunset a nasty glare upon hearing this, but she also seemed to relax a little. Sunset snapped, “Don’t look at me! Maybe rather think of the guy who’s been conveniently missing all night, what do you think?”

“Poindexter?”

“That’s really not like Dex though,” Micro Chips mused.

“People sometimes do unexpected things. Like me joining the Astronomy Club on a Friday night,” Sunset pointed out.

“Maybe you had a reason,” Sunflowers chimed in. “You show up, and suddenly someone is playing spooky pranks on us. Strange, isn’t it?”

“Oh shut it,” Sunset sighed. ”I’ve been with you guys all this time, I didn’t have time to set it all up. Poindexter on the other hand—“

“I find that very improbable,” Micro Chips repeated, shaking his head. “As far as I can see it, there is only one scientific way to find this out.”

“You can’t mean—“ Sweetie Drops stammered.

“We’ll have a look,” Sunflowers agreed. “Unless Miss Demon Queen doesn’t want us to find out her involvement.”

Miss Demon Queen wants to punch your teeth in, Sunset thought and forced herself to calmly shake her head. “Fine by me, let’s check it out. Let’s just keep it down, we ran into Miss Harshwhinny and she was raging.”

“You know what,” Sweetie Drops remarked, “for once I’m less afraid of Miss Harshwhinny.”

“Don’t worry, Sweetie Drops,” said Micro Chips. “It’s just going to be some Nightmare Night decorations. Just like Billy Bones in the hallway.”

“I wish you’d stop calling that thing by name, as if it were a person,” Sweetie Drops said, shuddering. “Okay. But the second something weird happens, we back off and tell Vice Principal Luna!”

“Sure thing,” Sunflowers said dismissively. “If.”

***

They reached the first floor hallway without any more incidents. The hallway light was still switched off, but the classroom door was closed again—Sunset could have sworn that they had left it open in their almost-flight.

She carefully opened the door, the others close behind her. Everything was unchanged—the candles, the sign, the cupcake. Micro Chips tried the light switch, and Sunset wasn’t surprised when it didn’t have an effect. She nonetheless cautiously moved towards the teacher’s desk to have a good look at the items positioned there.

The candles were unevenly shaped and of an unclear beige color. With some imagination, she thought, one could believe that they were made from, well, what? Human body fat?

“Spooky spooky candles,” she murmured. Sunflowers let escape a short harsh laugh that didn’t sound entirely comfortable.

The cupcake, as she only saw now, was half eaten. There was actually an eye on top of it, stuck into the frosting. It looked real enough—but to Sunset it appeared more like one of the bovine eyes used in biology classes. Disgusting, but not an actual threat.

“Is that a cow’s eye?” Micro Chips asked right behind her, and it took all of Sunset’s willpower to not jump. Which would have been embarrassing.

Micro Chips reached past her and poked the eye. Behind her, Sunflowers made a gagging noise. Micro Chips chuckled and picked the eye from the cupcake. ”Plastic. A joke article.”

As I said.

“Why is the light not working?” Sweetie Drops asked.

“We should ask that Clay Jug,” Sunflowers remarked.

Wondering herself what was wrong with the lights Sunset climbed onto a table and scrutinized the ceiling lamp as good as she could in the candlelight. As she had suspected, the glass cover was slightly tilted, as if someone had hurriedly messed around with the lamp. Sunset pried the glass cover open and tried screwing in the lightbulb. The light went on instantly, startling her for a moment.

“Someone messed with it,” she said, climbing down again.

Sunflowers, apparently encouraged by the light, picked up one of the candles. As they could now see clearly, had simply been warmed up and twisted a bit. The imprints of fingers were clearly visible.

“Red ink,” commented Sweetie Drops with audible relief, pointing at the sign. “Probably.”

“See?” Micro Chips said. “No reason to be afraid.”

“But who would do such a thing?”

The absent guy, duh, Sunset thought. But where is he?

Probably not too far away. He’d want to see their reactions.

Sunset decided to check the hallway again. The light was now better, with the lights in the classroom restored. In the brightly illuminated rectangle in front of the classroom door she saw it almost instantly.

A red smudge.

She knelt down next to it. It was a small part of a footprint, and it was still wet. Someone had probably spilled a drop of red ink and stepped into it.

“What’s that?” Sunflowers asked, following her into the hallway.

“Clue.”

Sunset looked around. About three feet ahead she saw another, smaller, fainter smudge. That was where they had gone. Towards the classroom opposite this one. This was almost too easy. She sneaked up against the door, took a deep breath, and barged into the room.

The room was brightly illuminated. In front of the black board a lifeless body was lying in a thick red pool on the floor, someone with dark brown hair and wearing a beige shirt.

Just what Poindexter had been wearing.

Oh shit I’ve been wrong something is seriously happening—wait a second!

Sweetie Drops shrieked again, and Sunset had to force herself to not wonder what horrible thing might be happening to her. Because the body’s face…

A freaking mannequin! She took a deep breath. This time he almost got me.

“What’s in there?” Micro Chips asked. Then, as he saw the mannequin lying in the fake blood, he gasped, “Dex?”

“Another joke,” Sunset said.

“Not funny,” Micro Chips said, audibly shaking. “Who would do such a thing?”

“The same one who has access to Poindexter’s clothes, I’d think,” Sunflowers said behind them. “It seems Sunset Shimmer was right. Who would have thought.”

“Wow,” said Micro Chips. “That’s so unlike him. But… pretty cool, don’t you think?”

“Not really.”

“No, gross!”

“Can’t say that I do.”

But where are you—ah! While the others were still busy looking at the mutilated mannequin, carefully staying away from the thick puddle of blood, Sunset took a look around and saw, to her great joy, another red smudge—right in front of a large cupboard in the back of the room.

“I’m convinced now,” declared Sweetie Drops, sounding relieved. “It’s just a stupid Nightmare Night prank. But I’m going to give Poindexter a piece of my mind for this.” The others laughed.

“Well, let’s go back upstairs. We still have an ice planet to observe,” Sunflowers said, taking the lead. The others followed her into the hallway.

Except Sunset Shimmer. Going last, she switched off the light and forcefully closed the door before cowering under one of the tables. Let’s see if I can’t return the favor.

***

Sunset didn’t have to wait long before the cupboard door opened and a hooded figure came out, sneaking towards the light switch. Before the figure could reach it, Sunset stood up from behind her hiding place, causing the figure to jump.

“What the hell,” the figure cried in a clearly female voice.

“You’re not Poindexter,” Sunset pointed out.

“Obviously not,” the figure sneered. “I am the Great and Powerful Trixie!” She switched the light on and pulled her hood back. Sunset recognized her as a junior who was, unlikely as it seemed, even more of a freak than the Astronomy Club members. Reclusive, weird, not belonging to any social circle Sunset was aware of, this Trixie had been so far below her radar that she had probably never been involved in any of Sunset’s schemes.

“So are you going to rat the Great and Powerful Trixie out for playing a harmless prank? Or hold me into the toilet again?”

Did I ever do that to her?

I probably can’t rule it out…

“Um, I don’t know. What… what the heck are you doing?”

“Well, it’s Nightmare Night next week,” Trixie said. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is going to teach the Astronomy Club a lesson or two. They have ridiculed me for choosing to believe in magic for the last time!”

“So your solution to them being jerks is a few special effects?”

Trixie hardly wavered. “This is only the beginning!” she declared. “I have a whole lot of setups prepared. I will make them scream in sheer horror!”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “You heard them laugh, right? Not even Sweetie Drops is scared anymore.”

Trixie glared at her. “Well, you had to go and spoil the third stage of my plan. I obviously hadn’t expected anyone with half a brain to be around and rat me out to your stupid friends. The Great and Powerful Trixie applauds you.” She slowly clapped her hands.

Sunset thought of Sunflower. And Sweetie Drops. And the others. “They are not my friends.”

“Then why did you have to ruin everything?” Trixie accused her.

“Excuse me for being curious,” Sunset shot back. “It’s hardly my fault if you leave traces all over the place!” She thought of Sweetie Drops being scared and almost grinned. “You know what, I’m not gonna tell anyone it was you. For all I care, scare them shitless, if you can pull it off now. You’re right, they deserve—“

At this moment they heard a bloodcurdling scream from upstairs, and just like Sweetie Drops before Trixie suddenly held on to Sunset. “What was that?”

“Not part of your plan?” Sunset asked. Trixie shook her head, her eyes wide open like a deer caught in a car’s headlights.

“Let’s check it out. Quietly.”

“The Great and Sneaky Trixie shall not be heard,” Trixie declared.

“Shhh!”

***

“Did you guys hear that?” asked Sweetie Drops. “Another prank?”

“What a horrible scream,” said Sunflowers.

“I think it’s a sample from The Night When Space Zombies Enslaved Earth,” Micro Chips said.

“Vice Principal Luna still hasn’t returned,” Sunflowers said. “Should we go have a look?”

“Yes!” Sweetie Drops said. “I want to know what other sick stuff this guy comes up with.” Her eyes were positively shining, almost feverish. “I’m not going to be scared again.” Micro Chips looked at her admiringly as they descended to the second floor.

When they reached the landing and the door to the hallway, Micro Chips held them back. “The computer lab is around the corner of that hallway. It may have come from there. I’ll take a peek.” He carefully opened the door and looked through the crack. He chuckled.

“What is it?”

“Yeah, we’ve seen this before.” He turned around and winked at the others. “It’s Poindexter’s body. The mannequin we’ve seen in that downstairs classroom.”

“Oooh, how scary,” Sweetie Drops made.

“He’s probably still nearby. Let’s go find him and tell him he’s busted,” Sunflowers said.

“Yeah!”

***

Sunset and Trixie slowly sneaked up the stairs. They had heard some more noises and voices from the third floor, but now everything was quiet. When they reached the landing and the hallway door, they stopped and looked at each other in a short and silent battle of wills.

Then Sunset slowly opened the door—

—and recoiled.

“What is it?” Trixie whispered.

“Please please tell me that you prepared another fake body of Poindexter.”

“What are you talking about?”

“There is a body lying in the corridor, and it looks a lot like the fake one downstairs.”

“But the fake body is downstairs… what?”

“That’s the point!”

“What—“ Sunset could see how the realization hit Trixie. “You’re saying there is a real dead body in the hallway?”

“I think so!”

“But—but—there is no killer!” Trixie said, and Sunset had to put her hand on her mouth to shush her. “It’s just for show! There is no killer! It’s just a Nightmare Night prank!” Her eyes widened. “That’s it! Somebody else is obviously playing us a prank! That’s all!”

“I’d sure love to believe that…” Sunset said.

“Just wait and see!”

Sunset hesitated. She really didn’t want to see. It had looked more real than the mannequin downstairs. She was afraid it might really be the dead body of Poindexter.

Trixie didn’t wait. “Let’s go. You’ll see. Someone is obviously copying my Great and Powerful plan, but I’m not letting them get away with it.” She silently opened the door and tiptoed towards the body on the ground. Sunset, not wanting to be left alone right now, followed her after a short moment of consideration.

Chapter 4

Poindexter was typing away frantically at computer number twenty-four, his favorite because it was the last computer in the last row of tables that made up the computer lab. Sitting here he didn’t even have to take notice of other students coming in and doing their baby work—putting together presentation slides or looking up things on Wikipedia. Staying as far away as possible from that kind of business was useful when Poindexter was working on 3d shaders that most of his peers wouldn’t even begin to understand.

Of course his demonstration program was ready and working, but just as he had descended the stairs to the lab he had thought of how cool it would be to include the other seven planets in the animation as well. They were only spheres, so it shouldn’t have been too complicated. But then, as was often the case with his projects, one thing had led to another and he had at least partially forgotten time.

He did notice when the door to the lab was opened and realized that one of the others had come to see how he was doing. He shrugged and closed the code he had been working on. He would show the original version of his demo, and it would be alright. He’d implement the multiple animated spheres and the necessary calculations and architectural changes some other time, and use the program again when the Astronomy Club went to observe one of the other planets.

“I’m coming,” he said into the dark room. “Chips, is that you?”

No reply. Whoever it was, they were just coming closer with slow and measured steps.

Poindexter pulled his USB stick with the demo program on it out of the lab computer and put it into his pocket. “Just shutting it down, one sec,” he said. “Who is that? Star Gazer?” They had probably not sent one of the girls; it seemed that girls had some sort of aversion to entering the computer lab at all.

The steps were now close, probably at the end of this row of tables. Poindexter turned around to see who was coming to get him, the mouse hovering above the shutdown icon on the screen.

Whoever it was had seen it fit to shroud himself in a dark coat that looked like—

“Is that an army blanket you’re wearing? That’s one lame Nightmare Night costume if you ask me!”

The hooded figure made one more step, still not speaking. Then, in one fluent motion, he extended one arm from underneath the army blanket he had wrapped himself into. The bluish light of the computer screen reflected brilliantly on the long blade of a large knife.

“What the heck, dude…?” The figure made another step. Poindexter tried to at least get a glimpse of the person’s face, but the shades under the improvised hood were too deep. “That’s not funny!” he yelped, realizing that the other guy was blocking his only way of escape—unless he was going to climb across the computer tables.

But he sure wouldn’t have to resort to these measures. This was just a prank, an attempt of scaring him.

“Look, you got me, real good, I was actually scared, but can you please drop it now?”

Instead of an answer the figure suddenly lunged forward, thrusting the knife at Poindexter. By sheer instinct he staggered backwards and the blade, aimed for his throat, only cut through empty air.

“What the heck, dude!” Poindexter cried out, catching himself on the wall behind him. With his back to the wall. Shit.

He didn’t wait for the attacker to strike again. Clearly they had lost all perspective on their so-called prank—even the worst bullies usually knew when to stop before things got seriously dangerous. Most of the time at least.

Using his chair to push himself off he leapt onto the table of computer twenty-four, careful not to knock over the screen. This little hesitation gave the attacker enough time to thrust the knife again, this time glancing off Poindexter’s right shoe.

“Dude!” Poindexter cried. “Stop that!”

He pulled himself past the computer and onto the other half of the table, again mindful of the screen—whether or not this prank had gotten out of control, he was not going to recklessly damage school property. Then, suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his left thigh. That a-hole actually cut me!?

Shocked by the pain he lost his balance and fell onto his left side, knocking over the screen on the other side of the table. He scrambled to get off the table and on his feet again, but as he tried to stand on his left leg the pain almost made him topple. He quickly glanced backwards to see what his attacker was doing. To his alarm he was not trying to climb across after him, but was moving to the end of the row of tables Poindexter was now standing in, again cutting off his way to the door.

“Dude, please, stop it! Leave me alone!”

The attacker still didn’t talk and instead just started walking towards Poindexter, the knife still extended. That’s my blood on that blade, he thought, and for a moment everything seemed to turn black before his eyes. I can’t freaking pass out!

He stumbled to his right, to the next row of tables—his only way out. He jumped belly-first onto the table again, this time not caring about the hardware on top of it. The attacker made a quick step towards him and drove the tip of the knife into Poindexter’s left foot.

Poindexter came crashing down from the table, entangling himself in the desk chair standing in the next row. As he tried to get up he slipped in some liquid on the ground and, trying to maintain his balance on his injured leg, he realized that his left leg wasn’t strong enough to support him anymore. Instead of getting up from the blasted chair he fell on his butt.

Shit!

He somehow managed to get up, but he had lost too much time. The attacker was again coming closer through the table row.

Poindexter pulled himself onto the opposite table, the last one blocking him from the exit door. If he could only make it there—

This time the attacker didn’t stab him in the legs, but instead gave him a strong push as he was trying to crawl across the computer table. He fell over and landed flat on the floor on the other side. He could see the open lab door, only a few steps away from him.

He pulled himself up on the table, sparing his left leg as good as he could. His trouser leg was soaked in blood by now and clinging to his skin. Again his vision dimmed for a moment, and he had to hold on to the table and the chair in front of it to not fall over.

When he could see clearly again, the attacker was standing between him and the door. He still couldn’t see his face, but Poindexter was certain that the bastard was smiling.

I’m bleeding like a pig and that guy is smiling, he thought, infuriated.

Without thinking he reached for the screen on the table next to him and tossed it at the attacker. The screen, being connected to the computer—number four, Poindexter thought incoherently, the one with the busted DVD drive—only flew for a short distance before landing on the floor.

The attacker made a menacing step towards Poindexter.

With no intention of just giving himself up Poindexter held onto the desk chair and started running at the attacker, pushing the chair like a battering ram. They collided heavily, and Poindexter lost his balance, crashing into the door frame and falling down again. Belatedly he noticed a new pain in his left shoulder.

He tried to get up, but now his left arm wouldn’t carry his weight anymore, and he fell on his face. With no other option he managed to get his right arm under himself and crawled through the door, painfully dragging himself forward. If he could only reach the others…

The attacker almost casually brought the knife down again, slashing Poindexter’s lower right side. He groaned but carried on. “Leave me… alone…”

He was suddenly lifted in the air by a few inches and tossed on his back. Looking up, he saw the attacker kneeling above him. He still couldn’t discern his face, and feebly brought up his right hand to pull away the hood. It felt horribly important to learn the attacker’s identity.

The attacker lowered the point of the knife, resting it on Poindexter’s chest for a moment. Then he pressed, and Poindexter screamed with what little air remained in his lungs as the blade slowly cut through is body.

At last the attacker pulled out the blade in a spray of Poindexter’s blood. The boy was wheezing, red foam bubbling out of his mouth. “Duude…” he whispered.

With one slick motion the attacker slit his throat and silenced him.

***

Trixie stopped a few steps away from the body. She made one clearly audible gagging noise, which turned into a soft high-pitched whine. Sunset hurried to close the last distance between the two of them and pulled her back by her hand. She didn’t need to take a closer look. Trixie reluctantly followed, walking backwards.

“Stop looking,” Sunset said hoarsely and, when her words didn’t have an effect, grabbed her shoulder and turned her around.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie has come to the obvious conclusion that we should get the hell out of here,” she said in a shaky voice.

“Yeah, let’s bail and call the police.”

“You don’t think whoever did this is still here, do you?” Trixie squeaked.

“Probably. We have to be careful.”

Sunset took the lead. Trixie remained close to her—any closer and Sunset would practically be carrying her. Dragging along scared girls seemed to become the theme for this night. Now all the lights in the hallways were switched off, the only illumination coming from the exit lights above the doors.

They proceeded cautiously, and it took them way longer to reach the school’s front entrance, repeatedly stopping to listen for any noises that might indicate that the killer was close. But the school, for now, was entirely quiet.

The street lights were shining through the glass doors of the main entrance. In the twilight the chains that were wrapped around the door’s handlebars were clearly visible.

“Chains,” Trixie deadpanned. “Clever. Real clever.”

“Didn’t you—?”

“Obviously these aren’t mine.” Trixie took a closer look at the padlock holding the chains in place. “A Yale. Not good.”

“Huh?”

“It’s a Yale lock. They’re almost impossible to pick, even for me.” When Sunset continued to look at her incomprehensively, she explained, “The Great and Powerful Trixie is extremely skilled at picking locks. But even my skills must fail in face of such a high-quality product. What are we going to do now?”

Picking locks? Sunset wondered, but now was not the time for discussing Trixie’s unexpected talents.

“Windows?” Sunset suggested. Trixie nodded.

They turned to the nearest classroom. Right next to it was the one where Trixie had placed the cupcake and the candles. Back when everything had still been a prank, Sunset thought. In the classroom the lights didn’t work, but they could see all they needed to see regardless.

“Did you ever notice that you can only open this small part up there?” Trixie asked, pointing at the windows.

“Can’t say that I have,” Sunset said. “Why would you build them like that?”

“To keep kids from jumping out and skipping class?”

“As if a window would prevent people from skipping class… shit!” Sunset hissed as disappointment rushed through her. Disappointment and cold fear. What if they couldn’t get out of the school? What if they couldn’t escape the killer? “What the hay are we supposed to do now?”

“You could smash it?” Trixie suggested feebly.

“Alright.” Sunset wasn’t sure about this at all. But the alternative was—no, in fact there simply was no alternative. She picked up the teacher’s chair and got in position in front of the window. “Stay back so you don’t get hurt.”

“Obviously.” Trixie took some steps back while still making sure to maintain a safe distance to the classroom door.

Sunset raised the chair and took a deep breath. Here goes nothing. She swung the chair and smashed it into the window.

The chair swung back, and the impact made her lose her grip. The chair bounced off the floor a few times, causing tremendous noise in the silent school.

“Not strong enough,” Trixie commented smugly.

“How is that possible?”

Trixie took a closer look at one of the windows. “It’s reinforced glass.”

“Who puts that in school windows? What exactly are they afraid of, drive-by shootings? In Canterlot?” She shook both her hands, which hurt from the chair’s impact. Trixie just shrugged. “Let’s try another.”

Trixie shook her head. “Unless you have the strength of a bear, we’re doomed.” Realizing what she had just said she leaned against a table, catching her breath. “We’re doomed!”

“We’ll be fine,” Sunset growled. “We just have to change location. Maybe he heard us.”

Trixie swallowed hard. “You think? Then what are we waiting for?”

They hurried out of the classroom and into the next one. The candles Trixie had put up were still burning, making the room much brighter than the corridors outside. Sunset rushed over to the teacher’s desk and blew them out while Trixie quietly closed the door. There was no need to further announce their presence.

No second too early. Slow and measured footsteps passed by outside in the hallway. Trixie and Sunset stared at each other with wide open eyes. The footsteps went past the door, and then the door of the neighboring classroom was torn open. Trixie jumped, and for a moment Sunset feared she might scream or make some other noise, but the younger girl remained silent.

After a short moment of complete silence—almost complete, how can’t he hear our breathing, it’s so loud and wheezing—the steps walked past the door again. To Sunset’s great horror Trixie began walking towards her—but she had to give her credit that she moved as silently as a cat.

Trixie closed the distance between them, never breaking eye contact. Only when she was standing right in front of Sunset, she spoke in an almost inaudible whisper. “We must stay absolutely still until he’s gone.” From this close Sunset could see that her eyes were wide open, and that she was shivering.

Sunset, not trusting her own voice to remain low enough, just nodded. For once she found the unnecessary closeness of another human being comforting when Trixie held on to her arm.

Chapter 5

“What the heck happened here?” Sweetie Drops asked as they stood in the door of the computer lab.

“That’s going too far,” Micro Chips mumbled. Then he called, “Dex! Come out! Enough of that joke!”

Nobody replied.

Sunflowers took a few steps closer to the first row of tables. The screen, keyboard, and mouse lay on the floor. The desktop PC had been knocked over, and the chair was lying against the wall next to the door.

“Ew,” she said and jumped back when she realized she had stepped into the ample amounts of fake blood that had been spilled on the floor. “Disgusting!”

“That’s not right,” Micro Chips said, shaking his head. “I mean, I get it, he set it all up like there’d been a fight. Look, it starts in the corner back there, and it’s like someone fought his way through the room. I mean, yeah, that’s a really well-crafted scene. But breaking the school computers is just not right.”

“It’s very unlike Poindexter,” Sunflowers remarked.

“Absolutely,” Micro Chips agreed. “That’s not like him at all. Maybe it wasn’t him after all?”

“What, you mean of all the people who are in school of a Friday night? Clay Jug? Why not Miss Luna?” Sunflowers snorted.

“Clay Jug is certainly crazy enough to—“ Micro Chips started, but Sunflowers didn’t let him finished.

“Yeah, and that’s why the janitor takes it upon himself to demolish a computer lab! Next you’re going to claim Miss Harshwhinny is on a punishing spree.”

“That’s ridiculous!” Micro Chips snapped.

“That’s exactly my point!”

“Look, that computer back there is still running!” Sweetie Drops pointed out before Micro Chips could give another heated response. “Let’s check it out! Maybe there’s a secret message on it!” Her eyes and voice were still feverish. She started for the back of the room.

“Watch your step, this place is a mess,” Sunflowers advised her.

“Yeah, yeah.”

Micro Chips followed her as fast as he could in the dark and treacherous room, only catching up with her as they both reached the computer in the corner. Its screen was still standing, albeit seemingly pushed aside by a few inches. On it, a small blue sphere was circling through a black night sky, constellations moving past in the background.

“His demo,” Micro Chips murmured.

“He probably just should have presented it in the club,” Sunflowers said. “Instead of wasting it on a childish prank.”

“A stupid childish prank,” Sweetie Drops chimed in.

“I don’t know, man,” Micro Chips said. “Something’s funny here. I just don’t know what.”

“Not his idea of a joke,” Sweetie Drops said.

“This is just a disaster,” Micro Chips mumbled, pushing past Sunflowers and towards the door. “Come on, guys, let’s return to the club room. Miss Luna will be waiting for us.”

“We’re going to have to tell her,” Sunflowers said coolly.

“Yeah,” said Micro Chips, sounding dejected. “I know.”

They left the ruined computer lab and returned to the staircase. But before they reached it, Micro Chips noticed something. “The body is gone!”

“Mind games,” Sweetie Drops dismissed it. “We’re not falling for that!”

“Messed up,” Sunflowers mumbled. “That’s what this is. Let’s go.”

***

It felt like twenty minutes had passed, but it had probably only been five and maybe even less since the steps had slowly walked past the classroom door. Sunset’s leg was asleep.

“You think he’s gone?” she whispered as softly as possible.

“Let’s hope so,” Trixie replied. “I can’t stand like this for much longer.”

Sunset carefully shifted her weight onto her other leg. “We still have to get out of here.”

“Obviously.”

“Or call for help.”

“What a great and obvious plan,” Trixie replied, scoffing. “I was already wondering why you didn’t just call the police.”

“I don’t have my phone. It’s upstairs in the clubroom.” Stupid school rules. “You got yours?”

“It’s complicated,” Trixie murmured.

“How can that be complicated?!”

“I don’t have a phone,” Trixie said, looking away. “My dad… he isn’t a big fan of modern technology.”

“Shoot,” Sunset hissed. She mulled over the problem for a moment. “We’ll have to go upstairs and get my phone.”

“Aren’t your club friends there?”

“I told you, they’re not my friends. Why?”

“Well… I don’t know about you, but I have every reason to distrust them. We obviously can’t know if one of them is involved in this.”

“Are you serious? Poindexter is… was one of them!”

“Well, when was the last time you saw them?” Trixie asked. “Before we found… him?”

“Well, yes, but—“

“All I’m saying is that we can’t be sure, and we can’t trust anybody right now. At least I know where you were when… you know. And you know where I was. But your not-quite-friends?”

“That doesn’t mean they have to be involved,” Sunset said. Although she had little reason to defend them, she somehow found it hard to imagine any of them involved in a killing. “There are other people in school tonight.”

“Miss Harshwhinny?” Trixie stared at her. “You think she finally snapped and is now punishing students?” she whispered.

“Yes, although that is perhaps not my first idea. Clay Jug is lurking about in the basement, and he’s been acting weird.”

“You think it was him? He always acts weird!”

“I don’t know!” Sunset rubbed her forehead. “None of this makes sense. But I guess you’re right, we can’t trust anyone.”

“As I said,” Trixie said and smiled self-satisfied.

“You have a point, we have to be extra careful. We still need to get a phone, and the clubroom is our best bet right now,” Sunset said. She headed for the door.

“I’m right behind you.”

***

Again Sunset took the lead. She didn’t want to open the classroom door, even though it wasn’t locked—the classroom felt safer than the dark hallways where everything could be lurking.

“What are you waiting for, go,” Trixie whispered behind her.

Sunset pushed down her rising paranoia and fully opened the door before sneaking out into the hallway. After a few steps she paused, listening intently with her head slightly tilted.

The entire school was dead quiet.

Not the best way to put this!

She gestured to Trixie behind her to follow her and made a beeline for the staircase door. They quickly climbed to second floor where Sunset paused again to listen. Trixie pulled on her sleeve, trying to get her to move on.

Sunset turned around to the other girl and whispered, “Hold on, I think I hear something.”

“Go on!” Trixie urged her. “Don’t stop, please!”

“Maybe it’s the others?”

“But—“

In that moment the door to the hallway was pushed open from the outside. A hooded figure lunged at the two girls without warning. Out of sheer instinct Sunset raised her arm to protect her face, and something painfully hit her right wrist.

“Run!” Trixie screamed behind her, grabbing her other arm and pulling her along and up the stairs. Sunset stumbled but barely managed to stay on her feet running after Trixie. The attacker’s steps, it seemed, were right behind her as they reached the landing and turned onto the second flight of stairs.

The hooded figure was right behind them. Sunset saw that he was carrying a knife, a big butcher knife with a bloody blade. The attacker stabbed at her from below, but the attack missed and only hit the banister post, knocking him off balance and adding precious split seconds to the girls’ lead.

“Faster!” Trixie yelled, still holding Sunset’s left and pulling her. Sunset almost toppled over as she tried to keep up with Trixie’s speed. And still she could hear the attacker’s steps catching up as they reached the third floor landing and burst through the hallway door.

“Classroom!” Trixie panted. “Close… door!”

They almost ran into the next classroom door because Trixie was struggling to open it in time, but managed to get in. Sunset turned and slammed the door with all her strength—

—but the attacker managed to get between the door and the frame. If the impact hurt him, he didn’t show. His hand holding the knife was reaching through the gap, stabbing at thin air because it couldn’t quite reach the girls.

“Get out!” Sunset screamed, pushing as hard as she could. Trixie pushed from behind her, nearly driving the air out of her lungs, but Sunset could feel that their combined effort wasn’t enough. By fractions of inches they were being pushed back.

“Harder, Trixie,” she wheezed.

With one final effort the attacker pushed the door open, sending Trixie and Sunset stumbling back. This is really bad, Sunset thought idly as she staggered into Trixie and almost fell over a table, creating a giant opening for the killer. She hastily turned around and brought her arms up to defend against the inevitable attack, but she actually didn’t have to worry about that.

Trixie screamed in surprise, knocked off balance by the collision with Sunset. She stumbled through the gap between to tables, waving her arms almost comically in a vain attempt to remain on her feet. With a surprised yelp she fell backwards and landed on her butt, looking at the killer with a confused expression.

With one fluid leap the killer was over Trixie, pushing her flat on her back and cowering on top of her. By sheer luck, it seemed, Trixie was able to hold onto the killer’s weapon hand as he was trying to bring the blade down into her chest. But even with the lucky defense it was only a matter of seconds before the killer would overpower her and sink the knife into Trixie.

For a moment Sunset almost panicked. Not her too please!

Seeing the knife getting lowered closer and closer to Trixie’s body, she managed to regain some of her composure. Without thinking she grabbed the chair right next to her and crossed the two steps between herself and the desperate struggle on the classroom floor.

Not her too, you bastard!

She launched the chair as strongly as she could. At this short a distance she couldn’t miss. The chair hit the killer right in the back, knocking him off of Trixie and sending him sprawling on the floor in a heap. He was, Sunset incoherently noticed, wearing a cloak made from an old army blanket.

She bent over and took both of Trixie’s hands, pulling her up with all her strength, noticing again the pain in her right arm. The force with which she had pulled almost made the two girls lose balance once more, but Trixie managed to hold on to Sunset and a table and stabilize them.

“Run!” they both screamed in unison. Sunset turned and ran, Trixie right next to her. As they flew into the hallway Trixie slammed the classroom door shut behind them. Sunset slowed down a bit, not knowing where to run next, but Trixie resolutely pulled her to their left, down the corridor and towards the other wing.

They ran. When they had covered about three quarters of the hallway they heard the classroom door open behind them.

“Admin… wing,” Trixie wheezed.

They turned around the corner at the end of the hallway and into the administrative wing. Trixie pulled Sunset towards the first door on the left.

“Locked,” she explained. As Sunset was about to ask her how the heck a locked door would be useful to them, Trixie pulled a keyring out of her pocket. With two swift clicks she unlocked the door and pushed Sunset inside. She pulled the door shut and locked it up again before leaning against the door and slowly sliding to the floor.

Why does she have a key? Sunset wondered. And how badly did the bastard get me? But most importantly—

“Are you okay?” she mouthed.

Trixie nodded, too out of breath to reply.

Then they heard the footsteps on the corridor.

They stared at each other with their eyes wide open. Please don’t know we’re in here…

The killer grabbed the knob of their door and tried to turn it. When it didn’t move he rattled the door, shaking the two girls who were leaning against it. The door didn’t budge.

After an incredibly long timespan, or at least so it seemed, the steps started moving away from the door. Seconds later they heard the killer rattling the next door before moving down the hallway.

Now that the immediate danger had passed, Sunset remembered her arm. It didn’t hurt much, but it still took some effort to just look at it.

The sleeve of her hoodie was cut open right above her wrist, and she had a small cut in her forearm which had almost stopped bleeding already. “Bastard.”

“You’re hurt?” Trixie whispered. “Is it bad?”

“Just a small cut,” Sunset said dismissively. “You?”

“I’m alright,” Trixie replied. “Thanks to you saving my b—bacon up there,” she added, audibly fighting back tears.

“You mean your Great and Powerful bacon,” Sunset said in an attempt to brighten Trixie up.

She gave a feeble laugh before she spoke again, her voice almost breaking. “He had me. He had me, he was sitting on me and I couldn’t get him off of me, and he had that knife, and I just knew there was no way I could stop him, that he was going to stab me, and I—and you—“ She fell silent and drew a heavy breath, her lower lip quivering, moisture glistening in her eyes.

“But he didn’t!” Sunset whispered. “Please don’t cry, or he’ll hear us!”

Trixie nodded and bit her lip, but managed to remain quiet. Sunset gave her an awkward pat on her shoulder. Trixie’s presence helped her to keep her composure too. She didn’t want to think too hard about how she had felt when she knew she had made herself vulnerable to attack, or when, for just a moment, she was certain the killer would get Trixie and there was nothing, nothing in both worlds that she could do. She was still shaky enough.

Not wanting to discuss any of this, she asked, “How come you have a key to this place?”

Trixie visibly straightened up. “I don’t have a key. But as I told you before, I’m good at picking locks. These school doors are so easy to pick.”

“Why the heck do you know how to pick locks?”

Trixie shrugged. “My dad taught me a couple of years back. It’s good practice for your hands and gives you better dexterity. Which is very useful as a magician.”

“Oh, right, you’re a magician.”

“Yes, I am. A Great and Powerful one.” Trixie sounded defensive, and Sunset decided not to push the issue. For a few moments they sat in silence. Then Trixie abruptly said, “You’re much nicer than before you turned into a Demon Queen.”

“Thanks,” Sunset replied. “I’m trying to be less mean. Which is actually why I’m here tonight. It’s a long story.” She cleared her throat, not wanting to go into any more detail.

“I’m glad you are.”

“Did I really hold you into a toilet?”

“No, you didn’t,” Trixie said to Sunset’s relief. But then she added, “It was your lackeys, Snips and Snails.”

“I’m really sorry. I was a pretty awful person back then.”

Trixie waved it off. “It’s okay. Saving me from a killer more or less compensates for that, I’d say.” Her voice sounded shaky once more.

Sunset patted her shoulder again. “You’re welcome?”

She looked around the office they had found themselves in. She couldn’t see all that much in the darkness and didn’t dare get up, not yet, maybe the killer is still out there. There were several stacks of files on the desk, and more binders in a shelf behind it. Nothing that would prove useful against a maniac with a knife.

The room’s only promising feature was a connecting door. There was probably another office behind that door. There was likely going to be a phone somewhere in this wing.

Just as she was about to suggest this to Trixie, they heard steps in the hallway outside. Startled the two girls huddled up closer. The steps disappeared, from the sound of it around the corner into the other wing.

They looked at each other in silent agreement not to move for another while, lest the killer heard them.

Chapter 6

Vice Principal Luna and Star Gazer hadn’t returned yet.

“We should go find Miss Luna and tell her,” Sunflowers said for the fourth time since they had left the ruined computer lab. “What if he has other pranks planned? What if they are as stupid and destructive as that scene downstairs?”

“Can’t we just wait until she returns?” Micro Chips sounded uncomfortable. “And until Dex returns? There’s got to be a good explanation for all of this.”

“It’s just a silly prank,” Sweetie Drops said. “He’ll show up eventually, Miss Luna will return once she’s finished up on the roof, and he’ll get his due punishment. No need to risk running into more setups and give him the satisfaction.”

Micro Chips mumbled something. “Yeah, yeah, you still don’t believe your little buddy really did all this,” Sunflowers said irritated.

“I don’t,” Micro Chips said. “I know him.”

“Still waters run deep.” She picked up the newspaper from where Sunset had left it and, after a glance at the headline, dropped it again. “Speaking of which, what happened to our esteemed guest?”

“Haven’t seen her since…” Sweetie Drops interrupted herself. “I don’t even remember. Has anyone seen her after we found that fake body?” The others shook their heads.

“So it could have been her instead of Dex,” Micro Chips mused.

“Don’t play dumb,” Sunflowers admonished him. “She was with us when we first heard the noises, and when we found the cupcake. Face the facts, your friend Dex is in on this.” She picked up the newspaper, got up from her chair, and tossed it into the bin.

Suddenly they heard a muffled clatter from somewhere downstairs, like some piece of furniture being knocked over. Sunflowers tilted her head and listened more carefully. She thought she heard someone screaming, but couldn’t be sure.

“Good sound effects,” Sweetie Drops commented sarcastically, maintaining her eerie dauntless air.

Sunflowers decided that it was enough now. “I don’t really care what you are going to do, but I’ll go and find Miss Luna. She’s gotta be in her office or on the roof.”

“We shouldn’t all leave this room,” Sweetie Drops said.

“Yeah. I’m going to stay with Sweetie Drops.”

Surprise, surprise, Sunflowers thought. Out loud she said, “See you in a bit,” and left the room.

The lights were still not working in the staircase. She moved cautiously, her eyes firmly on the floor in front of her. She really didn’t want to step into any unpleasant or messy surprise courtesy of Poindexter.

Micro Chips, even though he was obviously defending his best friend, had a point—it seemed very unlike Poindexter to pull such a prank. Although Sunflowers didn’t know the boy very well, she could tell from how he acted in the Astronomy Club that he was probably one of the shier, quieter guys. Even in the club where he obviously felt safe and more familiar he didn’t speak much, outside of knowing a lot of facts about whichever astronomical feature they were discussing. Sunflowers knew that he and his buddy Micro Chips spent a lot of time in the computer lab, and from what she had heard others say, it was in no small part to avoid the other students. Apparently both Micro Chips and Poindexter were quite regular victims of other students’ pranks, and even bullying.

Especially by Sunset Shimmer.

The combination of shyness and being a victim made it all the more surprising that Poindexter would arrange such a prank. Especially the reckless abandon with which he had damaged the computer lab—and set himself up for one hell of a punishment—was something one would rather expect from some of the less sophisticated pranksters.

Maybe he snapped. Had enough of whatever fun people were making of him and decided to get back at everyone.

Or maybe it is actually one of the other pranksters who’s snapped, and what we thought was a mannequin covered in fake blood was actually his dead body.

Very funny.

She shuddered. On the second floor landing the remaining light coming from upstairs was as faint as the street lights and the moon shining in through the windows. It was certainly not the right place for ridiculous thoughts like that.

To distract herself she turned her thoughts towards Sunset Shimmer. She had no idea what her story was, why she had joined the Astronomy Club, or why she was trying to play nice all of a sudden. As far as Sunflowers knew, people didn’t just change. Sunset Shimmer was still the same alpha bitch she had been before the Fall Formal. Where she had also turned into a demon monster.

If she hadn’t been with us…

And even then…

Sunflowers hurried down the hallway to the corner behind which the administrative wing lay. A faint light was reflecting on the floor, probably from Miss Luna’s office in the hallway around the corner. The chances that Poindexter—or whoever—had messed around in this part of the school were basically nonexistent.

Before she reached the end of the corridor, a person barely recognizable in the dim light turned the corner, coming straight at her. “What is it with those lights tonight,” Sunflowers heard her murmur.

“Miss Harshwhinny?” she asked, surprised to see the teacher at this time of the night.

“Sunflowers,” Miss Harshwhinny greeted her, walking up to her. She looked at Sunflowers suspiciously. “What are you still doing here this late at night?”

“We’re here with Vice Principal Luna and the Astronomy Club,” Sunflowers explained feebly. Miss Harshwhinny always made her feel guilty, even though she never got herself into trouble. “I was just looking for her.”

“Well, she isn’t here. I have some tests that I need to correct, and it seems like I’ve lost track of time,” Miss Harshwhinny said. “Someone was causing a ruckus in the hallway. Was that you, Sunflowers?”

“No, I—“ In this moment Sunflowers saw the motion behind Miss Harshwhinny—a shadowy figure, covered in some sort of hood or cloak leapt out from behind the corner and rushed towards them, behind Miss Harshwhinny’s back.

“Miss Harshwhinny, careful!” Sunflowers shouted.

But Miss Harshwhinny didn’t turn around and instead looked at her with an almost comical expression of confusion. “What is—“

With one final lunge the killer was right behind Miss Harshwhinny, and whatever she had wanted to say was drowned in a wet gurgling as the knife blade was driven straight through her neck. The blade’s point exited her throat, and a gush of blood sprayed onto Sunflowers’ blouse.

Sunflowers screamed. She screamed harder than she had ever screamed in her life. At the same time, she was unable to move.

The killer shoved Miss Harshwhinny aside, and her now limp body slid off the blade and fell down. Then he slowly raised the knife again.

The matter she wanted to ask what is the matter, Sunflowers thought incoherently. In the last moment before the killer could bury the knife in her guts she leapt backwards, and the blade only cut her stomach superficially.

She screamed again as she turned around and ran for her life. The killer, thrown off balance by his attack, struggled to remain on his feet as she flew down the hallway and around the corner. As she reached the staircase door she looked over her shoulder and, seeing that the killer wasn’t around the corner yet, she rushed through the door and upstairs.

Just as she was about to reach the third floor landing the killer burst through the door and into the staircase as well, following her upstairs at full speed. Sunflowers quickly opened the third floor door and shut it again audibly before she sneaked up the stairs to the fourth floor and pressed herself into the shadowy corner of the next landing, praying that the killer wouldn’t come looking for her there.

The hooded figure reached the third floor landing and opened the door without hesitation. As he rushed through that door Sunflowers had to bite her lip as to not let a sigh of relief escape. She waited just long enough for the door to fall shut before she hurried up the stairs and silently slipped through the hallway door.

Her belly hurt where the killer had struck her, but she didn’t dare look at it out in the hallway, clearly visible to any killer who might be coming along.

Warn the others, get help. Warn the others, get help, she repeated in her mind.

***

Sunset and Trixie heard the muffled sounds of a conversation out in the hallway, but couldn’t discern any words. Just as Sunset was about to suggest that this was probably not the killer and they should leave their hideout, they suddenly heard something else through the door.

Hushed steps.

Trixie sharply inhaled, but fortunately didn’t say anything.

Then they heard the scream.

Sunset noticed Trixie taking breath and quickly put her hand on her mouth to keep her from screaming as well. Trixie squeaked in surprise and stared at Sunset with her eyes wide.

“Don’t!” Sunset hissed. Trixie slowly nodded, and Sunset lowered her hand.

“Who do you think that was?” Trixie whispered.

Sunset just shook her head. Trixie wrapped her arm around Sunset’s and leaned against her. She was shivering. They both were.

***

When she stumbled into the club room the other two jumped up from their chairs immediately. “What happened?” Sweetie Drops asked alarmed by the blood on Sunflowers’ blouse.

“This isn’t a prank. Miss Harshwhinny is dead,” Sunflowers explained. “We have to call the police and get Miss Luna.”

“Miss Harshwhinny?” Micro Chips asked incredulously. “What does she have to do with anything? And what’s wrong with you? Is that your blood?”

“It’s Miss Harshwhinny’s,” Sunflowers said and leaned heavily against a table. “And some of mine too I think.”

“What the hell happened?” Micro Chips asked. “I don’t understand a word you’re saying!”

“Just calm down and tell us from the beginning,” Sweetie Drops added.

“We don’t have time for this!” Sunflowers exclaimed. Realizing that Micro Chips wasn’t going to be of any help before he had gotten a better explanation, she forced herself to take a deep breath, and continued, “I went to the office wing. Miss Harshwhinny was there, correcting some tests. Right when I was talking to her, she was stabbed from behind.” When Micro Chips just continued to stare at her uncomprehendingly, she added, “He stabbed her in the neck from behind. I got her blood all over me. Then he… he tried to stab me, but I don’t think he got me bad.”

“Are you saying you got cut?” Sweetie Drops asked.

Instead of a reply Sunflowers lifted her blouse, exposing the cut in her belly. As far as she could tell it wasn’t that deep. It was bleeding weakly; most of the blood on her was still Miss Harshwhinny’s. She bit her teeth and forced her mind to not think of the blade bursting forth from Miss Harshwhinny’s throat and the blood—

Stop it right now or you’re gonna vomit.

“We need to get this treated,” Micro Chips said.

“We need to call the police,” Sunflowers said. “Just get your phone and call 9-1-1!”

Sweetie Drops knelt next to her bag and rummaged in it for a few seconds. “Wait, where’s my phone?”

“Whatever, take mine, it’s in the front pocket,” Sunflowers grumbled. “We don’t have time for this!”

Sweetie Drops opened the bag’s front pocket. “There’s no phone in here.” She opened the main zipper even though Sunflowers was perfectly sure that she had put her phone in the front pocket. She always put her phone in the front pocket in school. Just how hard can it be?

“Are you even sure you brought your phone?” she asked. “Chipper, get yours please.”

Micro Chips took a moment to react, but finally opened his bag. “It’s gone,” he said. “My phone is gone as well.”

“That can’t be—“ Sunflowers said, but interrupted herself. “He took them.”

“What?”

“There was nobody here when we went downstairs for the telescopes, remember? The killer had all the time in the world to pick our phones from our bags.”

“I’ll check the other bags,” Micro Chips said without a lot of hope in his voice. He quickly rifled through the bags of Sunset Shimmer, Poindexter, and Star Gazer, without success. “Looks like you’re right. What the hell do we do now?”

“First we need to treat Sunflowers’ wound,” Sweetie Drops said.

“Yeah,” Micro Chips agreed. He didn’t sound very confident. “What do we do? I don’t really know anything about first aid!”

“Give me your jumper,” Sweetie Drops said. “I know how to do a compression bandage.” Sunflowers couldn’t help but hope that she actually did, and this wasn’t just her feverish bravado. Micro Chips took off his jumper and handed it to Sweetie Drops. She shook her head. “Tear it apart. I need two smaller pieces and one with the sleeves.”

With quite some effort Micro Chips tore his jumper in several pieces and handed them to Sweetie Drops. The girl pulled up Sunflowers’ blouse and examined the cut. “Hold that up,” she ordered Micro Chips, who hesitantly held the fabric, careful not to touch Sunflowers’ skin. Sunflowers thought that he was probably as uncomfortable with being this close to her as he was with the blood.

Sweetie Drops used the first piece of the jumper to wipe off most of the blood, while Sunflowers grit her teeth and tried not to cry out because of the fresh pain. When Sweetie Drops was done, the cut was clearly visible. It wasn’t big or deep or gaping, but nonetheless seeing an open wound in that spot almost made Sunflowers dizzy.

Sweetie Drops folded up the second piece of jumper and placed it on the wound. “Chipper, hold it there.” When he gingerly placed the fabric on the wound, she added, “No, you gotta press!”

“Isn’t that going to hurt her?”

Too impatient to deal with Micro Chips’ insecurities, Sunflowers put her hand on his and pressed, inhaling sharply as the pressure added a new wave of pain. Sweetie Drops picked up the third piece of the jumper, the one with the sleeves, and tied the jumper around her with the knot on top of the wound. “Make sure it stays tight,” she said.

“Thank you,” Sunflowers said, grabbing both sleeves and holding it tightly.

“What now?” Micro Chips asked.

“We go to the roof,” Sunflowers said decisively. “Miss Luna wasn’t in the office wing, so she’s most likely up there. She can call for help.”

If she isn’t dead as well, she thought.

Don’t. Just don’t.

“But it’s dangerous out there,” Micro Chips protested.

“Staying here is worse,” Sweetie Drops chimed in. “This is the only room with the lights on on this floor. It won’t take long before he finds us. We gotta go out there.”

“I didn’t—“

Of course you didn’t think of it, Sunflowers thought.

“There’s no time for this. Chipper, we have to go, now.”

“Okay,” he agreed. He started. “Why in the world are you calling me Chipper?”

“I thought you needed a nickname, and calling you Micro just didn’t seem okay,” Sweetie Drops replied with a titillating smile. “But if you don’t like it…”

“Actually I do like it,” Micro Chips said, reddening.

Sunflowers rolled her eyes. “Anyone happen to have a flashlight?” she asked. The others shook their heads. Of course not—that’s what you have a phone for. “Alright, let’s go. Keep your eyes and ears open.”

“And if we see him?” Micro Chips asked.

It was Sweetie Drops who answered, “Run.”

***

The cut hurt, and having to constantly hold the makeshift bandage in place slowed her down even more, but Sunflowers knew that she had been lucky. Again she was taking the lead. Micro Chips and Sweetie Drops were following here, almost huddled up against each other.

Hansel and Gretel, she thought. As if that’s important right now!

Fortunately it wasn’t far; all they had to do was go down the hallway to the other staircase and up to the roof. It felt less safe out in the hallway, less than in the familiar and bright club room. Sunflowers was aware that this was a fallacy; in the brightly lit room they had been like fish in a fish bowl.

But still.

When they reached the staircase door, Sunflowers signaled them to stop and pressed her ear against the door. She heard nothing. She opened the door and led the way up the stairs, trying to make as little noise as possible. There was no need to alert the killer in case he was nearby.

Hopefully Miss Luna was there.

Hopefully she wasn’t—

Nope. Not gonna finish that thought.

When she reached the roof level she again paused to listen through the door. Again there was nothing to be heard. If the killer was out there, he was being perfectly silent, Sunflowers thought. She suddenly had a very clear mental image of a hooded figure with a knife lurking behind the door, ready to strike the second she opened it.

Gritting her teeth she pushed away the mental image and opened the door. The fresh air made her shiver. In the faint light of the moon and the stars she couldn’t see anybody. There was no trace of the new telescope either.

Sunflowers stepped through the door. The staircase exit was in the middle of the roof, and for a moment she was hesitant where to go. She decided to turn right.

She took a few steps before Sweetie Drops tugged on her sleeve. Sunflowers turned around and immediately saw what had caught Sweetie Drops’ attention. The new telescope had been set up near the far end of the roof, behind some chimneys.

I could just call for her, she thought. But she didn’t dare.

She nodded at Sweetie Drops and slowly moved towards the telescope. There didn’t seem to be anyone nearby. Where were Miss Luna and Star Gazer?

Or the killer?

Moving as silently as they could they passed by the first chimney. Sunflowers noticed something on the ground, something—

Oh shit.

“Dex,” Micro Chips whispered.

Sunflowers almost gagged. Behind the chimney, in a rough heap, lay the bodies of Miss Harshwhinny, Poindexter and Star Gazer. Star Gazer’s dead eyes seemed to be looking at her.

“What the hell is this?” Sweetie Drops asked and made a tentative step towards the next chimney. Sunflowers, unable to look away, realized that at least Miss Luna wasn’t among the dead. Maybe she has called for help already.

“Don’t go closer, please,” Micro Chips pleaded.

“But look at this, what is this?”

“I’m not gonna look!”

“It’s lines and some sort of weird symbols. Here, on the chimney as well,” Sweetie Drops mused. “Drawn in blood.” She made a gagging noise. “Eugh.”

“Is this some sort of ritual?” Micro Chips asked. “Why did he bring all the bodies up here?”

“No,” Sunflowers whispered, “when did he bring the bodies up here?” How much time had the killer had after killing Miss Harshwhinny? “Guys, we have to—“

In that moment she saw a figure appear from behind another chimney. Hooded. With a silvery knife in his hand. She realized the fatal mistake she had made—how she had led everybody into their doom. He’s been hiding here all along.

“Run!” Micro Chips cried and pulled Sunflowers and Sweetie Drops backwards. “To the staircase!”

The three ran across the roof. The hooded figure, which had been walking up to them slowly and menacingly, also started to run. Looking back Sunflowers estimated they had a head start of no more than ten yards. It wasn’t even going to be close, not after how fast she had seen the killer run.

Then she saw something to her right that gave her hope.

“Fire escape!” she gasped.

“Genius!” Micro Chips cried.

The three turned towards the fire escape, Sweetie Drops and Micro Chips pulling a step or two ahead as the pain from her wound slowed Sunflowers down. She knew it was futile even before something kicked against her ankle from behind, knocking her off balance. She stumbled and fell, rolling across the roof. The fire escape, as she could see, was only a few yards away. She tried to sort out her limbs and get on her feet again, but a hand gripped her left arm, and suddenly she was being dragged towards the fire escape, where Sweetie Drops and Micro Chips—

“Don’t stop, you idiots!” Sunflowers yelled. “Run! To the staircase!”

Can you believe those two?

She heard steps running away, and then she was being lifted in the air. The killer put her onto her feet, still holding her arm like in a vice. She tried to make a step backwards, but to her surprise felt nothing but empty air underneath her shoe—apparently the killer had dragged her all the way to the edge of the roof.

There was no escape. This was it.

“Please don’t,” she whispered. She didn’t want to die, not on the school roof, not for some silly extracurricular activity that she had only taken because these things looked good on a college application. She didn’t even have her high school diploma. She had had such great plans.

“Please, let me live.”

The killer thrust the knife into her belly. Intense, hot pain. He let go of her arm, and now the only thing holding her upright was the knife inside her. Her insides burned like fire.

She stared at the hooded figure who stood there motionlessly. Completely unmoved by her agony. She tried to take a breath, just one more breath, but the pain this caused in her belly was unbearable. She was certain the killer, her killer, was smirking.

I don’t wanna die like this… not with him watching me… not like this…

Whether it was instinct or a final act of defiance, Sunflowers managed to bring up an arm and push against the killer. She felt the knife sliding out of her as she slowly fell backwards. The world turned upside down, and she screamed. The last thing she saw was the pavement coming closer.

Chapter 7

The scream ended abruptly. There was no doubt as to what had happened. One more, Sunset thought. She turned to Trixie who was looking back at her with big frightful eyes. Just don’t ask me who I think it was because I can’t handle thinking about that.

“What do we do now?” Trixie asked instead.

“We have to get out of school, but we can’t. So we have to find a phone and call help.”

“But yours is in the clubroom upstairs. I don’t think we should go out there. We’ll just run into him again.”

“It’s not safe to stay here and do nothing either,” Sunset said.

“But at least we don’t have to go out there, where the killer is roaming,” Trixie said.

“Okay, let’s start with this place. There has to be a phone somewhere.”

They got up and looked around in the gloomy office. Sunset didn’t know which teacher it belonged to, and it wasn’t obvious from the books and files lying around. She carefully shifted some of the files on the desk around to see if there was a phone, but didn’t find one.

“Art history books,” Trixie remarked, looking at the book shelf. “Probably Mister Cranky Doodle’s.” She flicked against one of the books. “He lives so far in the past he probably still uses pigeons.”

Sunset chuckled. “You’re right. Let’s try next door. At least we don’t have to get out in the hallway.” She carefully turned the knob of the connecting door and found it open.

Another office. This one contained two desks facing each other in the center of the room. There was another door opposite the one they had just come through.

The desk facing them was neat and clean, with no phone on it. Instead there was a baseball in a Plexiglas box, and several photographs of football and soccer matches. “Coach Iron Hoof’s,” Trixie commented.

“Let’s see if there isn’t—“ Sunset murmured and carefully pulled out the desk drawers. One contained a few old newspapers. The second one was empty except for some paper clips. And in the third she found a reeking jersey.

“What are you planning with that?” Trixie asked, audibly grinning. “Choke the killer to death?”

“Very funny. I was hoping for maybe a baseball bat,” Sunset replied.

“Why would you have a baseball bat in an office?”

“He’s the coach, what do I know?” Sunset hissed. “You got a better idea?”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie does not.”

“Then stop wisecracking and check the other desk, okay?”

Trixie didn’t reply and instead went to work on the other desk’s drawers. “Just math tests. I wouldn’t have expected Miss Cheerilee to have a weapon anyway.”

They tried the next door and found it open as well. This office again only contained one desk, but what drew their attention was the light shining through the opposite door. Sunset was about to rush towards it, but Trixie held her back. “Careful,” she whispered. “We don’t know who’s in there!”

Sunset nodded in agreement. They sneaked past the desk, only giving it a passing glance. There were some papers scattered on it, and a pocket calculator next to it, but no indication whose office this might be. No phone either.

They both pressed their ears against the door to the lit room. There was no sound. Trixie knelt down and peaked through the keyhole. “Empty,” she mouthed as she got back up.

“Let’s,” Sunset whispered.

The slowly opened the door and found themselves in a brightly lit office. On the desk there were two stacks of papers, a pen, and a mug with tea in it. There was also a photograph depicting the desk’s owner.

“Miss Harshwhinny.”

Sunset carefully touched the cup. “Still warm. She can’t be gone for long.”

“More tests,” Trixie said, looking at the papers. “You don’t think she was correcting these and got annoyed and left her office to restore order?”

“Don’t be silly!”

Trixie pulled out a drawer. “Ooh, this is all the stuff she has confiscated!” She picked up a small item from the drawer. “This one is actually mine.”

“What do you have there?”

“A Chinese finger trap, which was gifted to my great uncle by a Mongolian clan leader. It is a prized heirloom, but sadly nothing immediately useful.” She took another look at the drawer. “Darn, Miss Harshwhinny confiscates everything. Why aren’t there any phones in there? She’s even a nuisance when she’s not here!”

“Yeah, I’ve had a few run-ins with her too. She hates me,” Sunset said.

“You’re not that special. I think she hates everyone.”

“Likely.” Sunset came over to have a look at the confiscated goods as well. “No slingshots or anything?”

“Nothing.” Trixie closed the drawer. “Were you really going to shoot him with a slingshot?”

“If all else fails, yeah.” Sunset moved to the next connecting door. “We can’t stay here,” she said. “It’s the only lit room on this floor.”

“You’re right.”

Sunset tried to open the next door, but this one was locked. “This might be a case for the Great and Powerful Trixie.”

“There’s no need to be making fun of me,” Trixie scoffed, but went to work at the lock regardless. It only took her a few seconds again to pry it open. They hurried through and closed the door behind them.

This office was darker than they had expected—someone had affixed a piece of cardboard on the connecting door’s glass pane, and almost no light came through from Miss Harshwhinny’s office. There was one desk, this one much bigger and older than the ones in the offices so far, and a book shelf.

“I think my father has this one,” Trixie remarked, pointing at a thick leather-bound volume. Sunset read the title: Unaussprechlichen Kulten.

She looked around and read some other titles. Some were in languages she didn’t understand, and most of them were unfamiliar, like the one Trixie had pointed out.

Sunset started. Did I read this right? She tried to find the book again. The title read Spirits and the Otherworld, by one S. Swirl.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she said.

“Huh?”

“Nothing.” There was simply no way she could explain to Trixie just how inexplicably weird it was that a book she knew from her magic studies back in Equestria was standing on a book shelf in Canterlot High. “What the hell is this place?”

“I’d say it’s a magic library. Go on, say it,” Trixie added dejectedly.

“What now?”

“’There is no magic’,” Trixie said. “It’s what everybody always says. I’ve heard it a million times.”

“You do remember who I am, right?” Sunset asked, laughing. “Mind-controlling Demon Queen? I know for a fact that magic exists.”

“That’s a first,” Trixie remarked. “But what is the purpose of having a magic library in the school?”

“Beats me. Let’s check the desk.”

They tried the drawers. Only the second one was unlocked, so they opened it first. It only seemed to contain a sheet of paper, some sort of invoice from the University of Fillydelphia about a specimen delivered to the school’s science department. The specimen had been received and the invoice paid, according to two stamps. It dated back eighteen years. Under the paper lay an old photograph of a man Sunset didn’t know—judging from his clothes and the colors of the photograph it was at least as old as the invoice.

“Hmm?” she asked when Trixie kept staring at the photo.

“I think I have seen him before, but I can’t remember where.”

“Odd.”

“Uh-huh.”

Then Trixie tried her trusty lock picks on the other drawers. But unlike the school doors, these locks were too hard for her.

Just as they were wondering what to do next, they heard the sound of someone furtively opening the door of Miss Harshwhinny’s office. The door was closed again almost immediately, and there were no more noises after that.

Sunset hurried to the door, grateful for the cardboard covering the glass pane. She peaked through the keyhole and gestured for Trixie to come over.

“Sweetie Drops and Micro Chips,” she mouthed, pointing at the door.

“Obviously we can’t trust them,” Trixie whispered back.

“Obviously we won’t,” Sunset replied. “We’ll keep our eyes open. But maybe they can be useful.”

Trixie nodded, although it was clearly visible that she wasn’t all too happy about the newcomers. Sunset gave her an, as she hoped, reassuring smile and quickly opened the door.

Chapter 8

Sweetie Drops and Micro Chips, who were cowering on the floor, leaning against the desk, jumped, but were alert enough not to scream when they recognized Sunset Shimmer. She and Trixie hurried through the door and hunkered down next to the other two. Sunset noticed that they were holding hands, and that Micro Chips was pale.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Sweetie Drops asked. “And who’s this?” She pointed at Trixie.

“I am the Great—“ Trixie started, but Sunset put her hand on her mouth and shushed her.

“This is Trixie,” Sunset replied in a much lower voice than the self-styled magician. “Sweetie Drops, Micro Chips,” she introduced the other two.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Sweetie Drops asked again, this time sounding suspicious.

“Hiding,” Trixie deadpanned. “There is a killer running amok in this school.”

“Tell me about it,” Sweetie Drops said. Then she gave them a brief account of what had happened since Sunset Shimmer had stayed behind in the first floor classroom. “… and then we found the entrance chained up, and came here to look for a phone.” She eyed Trixie. “Why are you in school on a Friday night?”

Trixie turned beet red. “It’s… I… the Great and Powerful…”

“It was you, wasn’t it,” Sweetie Drops hissed. “You set up this fake dead body downstairs and made all these noises.” Trixie just slowly nodded. “And why should we believe you that you’re not the killer?”

“Because the killer attacked her too,” Sunset chimed in.

“You’re just saying that!” Sweetie said. “For all I know you could be in this as well, Miss Demon Queen!”

Sunset felt her anger flare up. Unfortunately this was not the right place to put this idiot in her place. “And for all we know, you are the killer!” she shot back.

“At least I didn’t set up a stupid prank with a fake dead body!”

“Give her a break! So maybe the prank was silly—“

“’Maybe’?”

“—but we’re all in on this now, like it or not! Do you think you can just tell that guy with the knife that everything’s just a big misunderstanding, and he’ll leave you alone?”

Their whispering argument was interrupted by the sound of someone rattling a door a few offices down. Trixie and Sunset looked at each other. It was the office where they had first taken refuge. The killer was coming to finish them off.

“Shit, what do we do now?” Micro Chips whispered, his voice shaky and hoarse.

“We can’t stay here where it’s lit,” Sunset said.

“We can’t go out on the hallway either,” Sweetie Drops said.

They heard the rattling again, this time one office closer. The killer was apparently slowly making his way down the corridor.

“I have a plan. Follow me,” Trixie said and got up. She opened the door to the next office and gestured everybody through it. Then she closed the door again and, putting her lock picks to use once more, locked it up from inside. “He’ll move past us. And then we exit through the next office.”

“What if the door here is open?”

The Great and Powerful Trixie obviously hadn’t thought of that possibility and rushed to the front door. To everybody’s great shock the knob turned when she tentatively tried it. In a hurry she pulled out her lock pick and jammed it into the lock, causing a faint but audible click. Sweetie Drops glared at her, and again Sunset had to pull herself together to not punch her. What’s her problem? It’s locked now, isn’t it?

They heard the sound of the next office’s door, the one of Coach Iron Hoof and Miss Cheerilee. Again someone rattled the door, and when it wouldn’t open after a few tries, left it alone.

The four trapped in the next office hunkered down on the floor. Sunset couldn’t help but realize that Micro Chips and Sweetie Drops were both keeping their distance from her and Trixie. Micro Chips was almost shuddering as he leant against Sweetie Drops’ shoulder. Trixie was fiercely staring at the door as if she could will the killer to move past, her jaws clenched. Sunset put a hand on her shoulder to try and calm her down, but Trixie ignored her.

The door was rattled. The knob didn’t turn. After a few more moments, they heard steps moving to Miss Harshwhinny’s office.

They heard the sound of the door being opened. Someone stepped into the office. Then the connecting door was rattled, again to no avail. “Well done, Trixie,” Sunset mouthed behind her back.

After a few more moments of tense silence they heard the killer leave the adjacent office again, and his steps trailed off down the hallway.

“Wait another five minutes,” Sunset whispered as she saw Micro Chips and Sweetie Drops about to get up. In the meantime Trixie crawled to the office door and readied herself to unlock it again.

“How much more?” Sweetie Drops complained after a while.

“I think we’re good,” Micro Chips chimed in.

Trixie looked at Sunset who nodded confirmation. “Everybody, get ready to run,” Sunset said. “He might still be around.” They got to their feet, and Trixie unlocked the door.

“Go!”

Trixie burst through the door, turning right immediately, and ran towards the corner behind which lay the center wing. She turned into the next hallway—

—and slipped, falling flat on her butt.

“Trixie!” Sunset hissed, hardly able to avert falling over her. She slid to a halt, but Sweetie Drops and Micro Chips rushing past behind her almost knocked her over. For some reason the floor was extremely slippery here. Sweetie Drops cussed as they ran by.

Sunset steadied herself and pulled Trixie to her feet. Wary of the floor they followed the other two as fast as they could. The others turned into the staircase, heading down. On the stairs Sunset and Trixie managed to catch up.

Maybe being the queen bee of this place was a better workout than being a computer nerd.

When they reached the second floor landing, they suddenly heard steps on the stairs somewhere above. “Into the hallway!” Sunset hissed.

They hurried into the hallway, and Sweetie Drops tried the first best classroom door, only to find it locked. With a smug grin Trixie pushed past her and picked the lock. They entered the room, and in the twilight shining through the windows they realized that they were in the chemistry lab. Out of breath and shaky they settled down at some of the tables.

“Are you trying to get us all killed?” Sweetie Drops accused Trixie.

“It was slippery!” Trixie shot back.

“Erm, Trixie,” Sunset said, “are you sure you’re alright? You’ve got something on your back that looks a lot like blood.”

“I’m not hurt,” Trixie said. “It must be what I slipped on.”

Sweetie Drops and Micro Chips both inhaled sharply. “What?” Sunset demanded.

“It’s probably where Miss Harshwhinny got killed,” Micro Chips murmured. “Sunflowers told us it was out in the hallway, so…” He gagged.

“Eugh,” Trixie made and hurried to take off her bloody blouse.

“You just should’ve been more careful,” Sweetie Drops said.

“Just drop it, okay?” Sunset said.

“Yes, please,” Micro Chips agreed.

“Whatever.” Sweetie Drops stood up and started pacing through the lab. “What do we do now? Any more bright ideas?” She circled the front desk and poked some of the bottles of chemicals that were standing there. “What do we have here? Maybe something useful?”

“Let me see.” Micro Chips joined her and examined the bottles. “This one’s acetic acid.”

“Ohh, acid, we can burn him with that!” Sweetie sounded excited.

“That’s not gonna work, see, the concentration is way too low.”

“Shoot,” Sweetie pouted.

“This is hexane,” Micro Chips read the next bottle’s label.

“It’s flammable.” Sweetie Drops pointed at the warning sign. “We can torch that bastard!”

“That would be very hazardous,” Micro Chips said.

“Yeah, maybe try not to burn us,” Sunset agreed.

“What, and wait ‘til he finishes us off? If you’re too scared you’re more than welcome to get stabbed, but I’m gonna put up a fight.”

Without acknowledging the others any more, Sweetie Drops picked up a cloth from the blackboard, unscrewed the bottle of hexane and stuffed it into the opening. She tilted the bottle, soaking the cloth, and put it on the desk. Then she picked up a box of long matches.

“Erm… do you know what you’re doing?” Micro Chips asked.

“My, um, friend Lyra went through a serious punk phase last year, and she read all these books and pamphlets about the revolution and resistance and whatnot. Of course she had to tell me everything about it. I guess I picked up a few things.” Sweetie Drops’ eyes were again glowing with the same feverish energy as before.

Micro Chips didn’t dare talk back to her, not in this strange state.

“Just aim that away from us,” Sunset said from her table.

“Just make sure you and your little friend don’t fall on your asses in front of me, and you’ll be fine,” Sweetie Drops shot back.

“Guys,” Trixie interrupted. “I think I heard—“

The door flew open, and the killer burst into the room. He charged at Micro Chips and Sweetie Drops immediately. They both tumbled backwards, Sweetie grabbing her fire bomb and fumbling around with the matches.

Sunset didn’t wait for the results of that, jumped up and charged into the killer, shoving him against the wall and allowing for Sweetie Drops and Micro Chips to withdraw. Behind her Trixie was apparently frozen in place next to her table.

“That’s right, you bastard, we got you now!” Sweetie Drops yelled and threw her fire bomb, now with the rag lit on fire. The bottle flew, rotating, spilling drops of burning liquid over the teacher’s desk, and landed on the killer. Flames erupted and Sunset hastened to withdraw from the now burning figure.

The killer didn’t even seem to notice the flames. He just continued past the desk in pursuit of Sweetie Drops and Micro Chips.

What again was in those other bottles on the desk?

A flash fire engulfed the killer as he was just behind the desk. Sunset threw herself around as the flames washed over her. The heat was intense. Somebody screamed in agony, possibly it was Sunset herself.

Somebody grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Her left arm was on fire, she realized. The pain was almost unbearable, a living, liquid thing that was trying to consume her entire being.

Then suddenly a jet of water hit her head from above. Steam erupted as the flames were extinguished. The cool water numbed her arm. Someone was holding her under the water until the fire was entirely gone.

The emergency shower?

“Trixie?”

“You’re okay, you’re not going to burn, you’re fine,” Trixie stammered.

“Trixie, the fire’s out.”

The water stopped. Trixie put Sunset’s uninjured arm around her shoulders to steady her. The pain in her arm had stopped for the time being, but seemed to lurk underneath the surface. In the front part of the classroom several small fires were still burning happily. For the moment Sunset was unable to do anything else but lean on Trixie, grateful for her steady presence.

Sweetie Drops and Micro Chips, both with blackened faces and clothes, but apparently unharmed, got up behind a table. Sweetie Drops was grinning like a crazy person. “I told you I was gonna torch his ass!” she cried. “I torched his ass!”

Sunset felt Trixie tense, as if she was about to run off and charge Sweetie Drops. Instead she yelled, “Are you insane? You almost killed us all!”

“But only almost!” Sweetie Drops howled. “You’re fine, aren’t you?”

“You set Sunset on fire!”

“She looks fine to me.”

“Only because I shoved her under the emergency shower!”

“So you’re actually mad at me for saving is all?” Sweetie Drops made a few steps towards Sunset and Trixie. “Would you rather he had stabbed us all?”

“I’d rather he—“ Trixie audibly shut her mouth before completing her sentence: stabbed you.

“Well screw you then. I’m not gonna lift a finger for you again. You may as well just rot for all I care!”

“Fine, I feel much safer already!”

“Guys, please,” Micro Chips shyly chimed in from behind Sweetie Drops. “Can’t we get out of here first? Or call for help? And you can hate on each other as much as you like then?”

“Fine, whatever, we’re safe now anyway, thanks to me,” Sweetie Drops cried. “C’mon, Chipper, let’s see who he really was!” She took Micro Chips’ hand and pulled him towards the front desk behind which the smoldering remains of the killer lay.

Trixie and Sunset followed. Sunset’s arm was throbbing with pain, but she found that she could walk quite alright. She didn’t quite want to let go of Trixie yet, as she was still shaking from the shock of suddenly being on fire.

“Thanks,” she whispered.

“I came to the conclusion that I’d rather have you around for this,” Trixie replied, her voice shaky. “It’s scary, and I’m less scared thanks to you.”

“Yeah, same.”

Sweetie Drops stood in front of the mess behind the desk and carefully poked the pile with a foot. “Still hot. Maybe I can—“

In that moment there was a convulsion under the half-burned army blanket.

“Shit,” Sweetie Drops whispered. “How can he still be alive?”

“Nobody could survive—“

Then the figure rose from the ashen heap in one fluent motion. Sparks and smoldering remains of the blanket where drifting off its limbs and its head as it turned to Sweetie Drops, who was too shocked to even step back, staring at the charred and blackened skeleton that was now facing her. In one fleshless hand it was still holding the knife.

Micro Chips quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the door. The abomination charged after them and caught up with them as they were passing through the door, crashing into them and sending them tumbling into the hallway.

Sunset and Trixie hurried after them. Trixie stopped long enough to pick up a still smoldering chair, letting go of Sunset.

In the hallway the skeleton was kneeling over Micro Chips who had fallen down while Sweetie Drops was trying to shove it off and at the same time block his knife. Trixie rushed into the skeleton with the chair as a battering ram and managed to throw it over. “Run!”

Micro Chips scrambled to his feet, and Sweetie Drops took his hand and pulled him down the hallway.

“This way!” Sunset shouted pulling Trixie along in the opposite direction as the skeleton was scrambling to its feet. Looking back over her shoulder she saw that the skeleton was going after Sweetie Drops and Micro Chips.

Thank goodness. She didn’t even feel sorry for the selfish thought. She just wanted to get Trixie and herself out of this nightmare.

How is that thing alive? What is that thing? What the hell is going on here?

Chapter 9

Sweetie Drops pulled Micro Chips along the corridors. Her eyes were burning from the smoke in the chemistry lab. There were steps behind her, the—

—thing that thing is still behind us that abomination the skeleton how can it be a skeleton—

—the killer was still after them.

She reached the hallway corner and turned into the next wing. Desperate she tried to open the first door and almost stumbled when it surprisingly opened. Not even aware where she was she dragged Micro Chips inside, only then realizing that it was a broom closet. She closed the door as quietly as possible and sat down against it. Micro Chips almost fell on his butt and leaned heavily against her.

Outside the steps moved past.

Phew.

“Are you okay, Chipper?”

He groaned and shook his head. She looked at him. His face was waxen, and there were sweat beads on his forehead. He was holding his side. Oh no. Please no!

She carefully moved his hand away and immediately noticed the blood, so much blood. In the darkness she couldn’t see any details of the wound, but with that amount of blood she didn’t need to.

“Oh, Chipper,” she said, putting her arms around him.

Micro Chips tried to smile at her. “It doesn’t even hurt that much,” he said, the expression on his face belying his words.

“I’m so sorry, Chipper.” Sweetie Drops leaned her head against his, her face buried in his hair. “Please don’t leave me, okay?”

“Anything you say,” he replied. “I… I like you a lot, you know?”

“Yeah, I do.” She had always known, ever since she had first joined the Astronomy Club two years back. How couldn’t she? Micro Chips had always been extra nice to her, always holding the door open for her, always sharing snacks with her, always trying to impress her with this or that fact. It had felt nice to have someone treat her like this. And now…

“I really like the nickname, too.”

Her tears started to flow. She couldn’t hold them back. She clung to Micro Chips and cried into his hair.

“You’re going to be alright,” he said.

“Please don’t leave me,” she cried, instantly ashamed at her selfish thought.

“I’ll stay… as long as I can.” He coughed, rocking them both. “Let’s talk about something. Make it count.”

But all Sweetie Drops could think of was how much she was afraid of losing him. And how selfish that made her.

“I’m so sorry,” she cried. “I was such a bitch.”

“It’s okay,” Micro Chips whispered. His voice was getting weaker, and his breathing shallower.

“It isn’t,” Sweetie Drops stubbornly insisted. “I strung you along because I liked the attention. I almost burned Sunset Shimmer. I… I don’t deserve someone like you in the first place, and now you’re… you’re…” But she couldn’t bring herself to say it. “I’m just such a bitch.”

“I think you’re great,” Micro Chips whispered. Sweetie Drops just continued to cry, even after he had stopped breathing.

***

Sunset only realized where they were heading when she saw the lit clubroom door. They entered the room and closed the door behind them. Trixie switched off the light, and they both sat down on a table. Sunset realized that she was sitting on the newspaper Sunflowers had been reading an eternity ago.

Trixie looked down. Suddenly she tensed. “I now remember where I saw that guy.”

“Which guy?”

“On the photo, in the magic library. It was when I researched this story.”

“What story? What the heck are you even talking about?”

Trixie pointed at the newspaper. “This is one of the props for my show. I left it here for them to find it, to set the atmosphere. The story is real, but it happened twenty years ago. The killer was caught a week later and died in prison sometime later.”

“You forged the newspaper?”

“Preparation is key,” Trixie said, sounding more and more uneasy. “I looked it all up in the library, and there was a picture of him and I just realized it was him. Why would there be a picture of a dead killer from way back in that strange room?” She sniffled. “And how can that thing still be alive? That’s clearly not natural.”

“Magic,” Sunset stated.

“But magic is supposed to be wonderful and—and magical!” Trixie exclaimed. “It’s not supposed to be like that! An undead monster murdering kids! Magic isn’t supposed to be terrifying!” She was sobbing.

Sunset put her arm around Trixie. She thought of the powerful magic of Princess Twilight’s crown, and how it had flowed through her and turned her into a winged demon. That had certainly been terrifying. And if she thought back to some of the things she had read in the forbidden wing of the library—no, magic was often enough terrifying. But that was clearly not what Trixie needed to hear right now.

Then they heard the steps again, out in the hallway. The door of a room further down was opened. Trixie almost immediately straightened up, scanning the room for anything that might help them.

“The closet,” Sunset whispered.

They got up from the table and sneaked to the closet at the back end of the clubroom. If only there’s room in there. If only the door opens.

They were lucky. It was pitch black inside, but between rolled up star maps and a broken tripod there was enough room for them if they huddled up close enough.

As they heard the clubroom door being opened, Sunset realized that Trixie was shivering. They were both still wet from the emergency shower, and Trixie was only wearing her undershirt. Sunset put her arms around her and held her. Trixie immediately clung to Sunset and wrapped her arms around her neck. The girl was shivering, and under the thin, wet fabric of the undershirt her skin was cold.

The steps slowly circled the clubroom, passing by immediately in front of the closet. Trixie nestled up against Sunset even closer, her shivers getting stronger. It’s probably not only the cold, Sunset thought and pressed the shivering girl against herself even more tightly.

Not her too, she thought again. And if I have to smash you into pieces, you bastard!

It seemed to take an eternity until the skeleton left the room again. The two girls remained as they were in their close embrace. Sunset didn’t want to let go of Trixie just yet—holding her like this was comforting. Also she didn’t know what else to try to get out of this nightmare. Trixie didn’t seem inclined to go anywhere either.

Freaking ironic that the star map has been here all along. No need to go to the map room after all.

***

She didn’t know how long she had been crying into Micro Chips’ hair, but finally Sweetie Drops’ tears were all spent. She kissed his head and carefully leaned him against the wall before slowly getting up. Looking down on him she found that in death his face looked almost calm. His eyes were closed and his lips curled in a tiny smile.

“I’m sorry,” she said to the dead boy. And there were a lot of things she was sorry for. For stringing him along. For treating him like a given. For never giving them a chance, even though she had known well enough how he had felt.

But she also felt sorry for how she had been acting all night. How badly she had thought of Sunflowers—and then Sunflowers had sacrificed herself so that she and Micro Chips could escape. And all she could think of was how arrogant and annoying Sunflowers was.

That’s just me.

Yeah. Feeling sorry for myself when all those kids are dead.

While I’m being totally useless.

She had even set Sunset Shimmer on fire. Trixie had been completely right to yell at her. She could have killed the girl—who knew how badly injured she was!

I must attune for all my wrongdoings. Maybe it isn’t too late yet.

“Goodbye, Chipper,” she said, fresh tears streaming down her cheeks. “See you around. Probably soon.”

She left the broom closet and wandered down the corridor. It all seemed increasingly unreal, the familiar floor tiles and the lockers as well as the pain in her heart. She didn’t even remember which floor she was on.

But she had a plan. Standing in the closet, mourning the loss of Micro Chips, she had remembered something she had seen earlier that dreadful night.

Sweetie Drops stumbled down the staircase like in a trance. She encountered nobody and heard nothing from anywhere in the school house. Maybe, she thought, it was over. Maybe the abomination had found and murdered Sunset Shimmer and Trixie and Miss Luna as well, and she was the only living soul left in the cursed school.

She didn’t really care if she was killed as well. What reason was there to continue on living, having seen all this? But before she went, she wanted to at least contribute. She was going to destroy the killer.

The basement was even spookier than before, now that she knew just how godforsaken this school was.

She took a quick look at the corridor opposite the one leading to the storage room and recoiled. A few steps in, sprawled against a wall, lay Clay Jug, his one remaining eye staring at the ceiling from his smashed face. The wrench was lying on the floor next to him.

“I’m sorry I thought badly of you too,” Sweetie Drops whispered as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. That’s just who I am.

She found the storage room from where they had fetched the telescopes without problem. And on one of the shelves lay the item she had thought of.

A sledgehammer.

She picked up the tool. It was heavy. She probably wouldn’t get in more than one swing.

It would have to be enough.

She would make it count.

“Where are you, you son of a bitch? I think I know where to find you.”

She climbed the stairs again, pausing every now and then to listen for signs of her target, but couldn’t hear any. It didn’t matter anymore now. She knew where she would find him. It was fate, she thought—right where she had first encountered him.

She left the staircase on fourth floor to head for the stairs to the roof—right as the skeleton stepped out of the clubroom. It turned towards her. Was it looking at her? She didn’t know—the terrible thing had no eyes.

“Come at me,” she growled.

The skeleton stood, watching or not, waiting or not.

“Come at me!” she yelled. “Come and get some!”

The skeleton waved its knife, the blade shimmering in the moonlight. Then it slowly started for her.

***

“Did you hear that?” Sunset asked.

“Sweetie Drops,” Trixie mumbled against her shoulder. “Sounded like she’s just out in the hallway.” She let go of Sunset. “Do you think we should check on her?”

“Yeah.”

They hurried out of the pitch black closet and into the clubroom. The door was still open. They heard the skeleton’s clicking steps out in the hallway. Carefully they sneaked towards the door and peeked outside.

What the hell is she doing?

Sweetie Drops stood in the middle of the hallway, the sledgehammer in hand, while the skeleton was slowly walking up to her. Run, Sunset thought. Why don’t you run away?

When the skeleton was almost right in front of Sweetie Drops she raised the sledgehammer. It was obvious that it was too heavy for her to hold for long. The skeleton stopped. Sunset had no doubt that it could just lunge at her, like they had seen it do more than once this night. But it only stood there.

Why doesn’t she hit it then?

***

Sweetie Drops looked into the skeleton’s face. It was mostly blackened due to the fire in the chemistry lab. She could clearly see the chipped spot on the cheekbone—crazy as it seemed, this was Billy Bones.

He didn’t move, just stared at her with his empty eye sockets.

How could she ever have hoped to destroy an unnatural thing like this? A monster?

She wasn’t strong enough to do it. Maybe one of the others had been strong enough, maybe Sunflowers or Sunset. Sweetie Drops wasn’t. Even now she continued being useless.

She slowly lowered the sledgehammer.

The skeleton dropped his knife and reached out with his left hand. He took the hammer. In one smooth motion he gripped the hammer with both hands and swung it. Sweetie Drops felt the impact, and suddenly she was lying on the ground, looking at the ceiling, not feeling her right arm anymore.

The skeleton moved into her field of view. He raised the sledgehammer again, this time smashing her right hip. The snap of the breaking bones resounded through her body, and Sweetie Drops yelled in agony. With a loud clatter the skeleton dropped the hammer.

“Just finish it,” she whispered. She was done being useless.

The skeleton disappeared from her view, and suddenly the world began to shift as he dragged her along the hallway. The bones in her shattered hip ground against each other, incredibly painfully. But Sweetie Drops only screamed when he started dragging her up the stairs to the roof.

***

When the skeleton raised the hammer, Sunset quickly turned around. Trixie huddled up to her and buried her face against Sunset’s arm. They both still heard the terrible crunching sound of the hammer hitting Sweetie Drops, but at least they didn’t have to see it.

Sunset only chanced a peek after the second impact and the clatter of the dropped hammer, curious what was going on, and saw the skeleton dragging Sweetie Drops away. To her horror she realized that the girl was still alive.

When the screams began both girls covered their ears, but it wasn’t enough.

“She had the right idea,” Sunset murmured. “And a whole lot of courage.”

“Yeah.” Trixie swallowed. “We must finish this, don’t we?” She looked at Sunset with those wide eyes, still shaking. She seemed at the verge of losing her mind, and yet she still willed herself to help Sunset fight the skeleton. She pulled Trixie into a quick hug.

Up on the roof the screams finally died down. They left the clubroom door, and Sunset picked up the heavy sledgehammer. The knife was gone; the skeleton had probably picked it up again.

Chapter 10

Sweetie Drops was dropped on the floor. She could see the stars above her. She was bathed in sweat from the horrible agony of being dragged up the stairs. She didn’t have the strength to scream anymore.

“My poor darling, your eyesight isn’t the best right now, is it?” she heard a woman speak somewhere behind her. She chuckled affectionately. “You got it almost right, dear. And you even hobbled her. But this one’s more of a cream color than yellow. We don’t need her.” There was a short pause. “Yes, put her with the others and finish her.”

She was dragged again. After only a few steps she was picked up. The pain caused by this motion in her shattered limbs made her black out for a moment. When she regained what was left of her consciousness she was lying on something. From the corner of her eyes she saw a purple face with closed eyes.

“Chipper,” she tried to say, but she couldn’t speak anymore. I told you we’d see each other again soon. She was happy that he’d be with her for this last part, that he’d once more help her through her pain.

The skeleton’s arm holding the knife came into her vision again. The pain as he sunk the blade into her was sharp and short. Then there was nothing anymore.

***

They saw the skeleton immediately as they stepped onto the roof. It was standing next to the chimney where the dead bodies lay, looking down on something.

This was their chance.

They hurried across the roof, praying that the skeleton would remain distracted for long enough. They were lucky; as they had crossed about half of the distance the skeleton bent over for a few seconds. It looked like it stabbed one of the dead bodies they knew were piled up there.

Just as they reached it, the skeleton straightened up once more. Not wanting to alert it, Sunset didn’t hesitate, raised the hammer, and smashed it on the skeleton’s right shoulder. Bones shattered, and the impact sent the skeleton sprawling to the ground. Sunset almost lost her balance, but managed to raise the hammer once more. She vaguely realized that Trixie was yelling something next to her as she smashed the hammer into the skeleton’s lower back, just as it tried to get back to its feet.

Then a gunshot was fired. Startled Sunset looked up. Behind the second chimney, the one covered in weird symbols, stood Vice Principal Luna, aiming a gun at the two girls.

“Drop the hammer, or I’ll shoot your little friend,” she said coldly. “I’m not going to ask twice.”

Sunset’s thoughts raced. But Luna was too far away to reach her. She’d just gun them down. At least she had almost smashed the terrible skeleton into two pieces. With a concerned look at Trixie she dropped the hammer. She wasn’t going to let her be murdered as well.

“Good girl,” Luna said and fired. Without a sound Trixie collapsed to the ground.

“Noooo! Trixie!”

“Stay right where you are!” Luna slowly came closer, the gun pointed at Sunset’s chest. “You’ve caused me a lot more trouble than I would’ve liked. You and your little friend with her annoying pranks.” She stopped in front of Sunset and picked up the sledgehammer.

“Since you’ve proven to be quite the troublemaker, I’m afraid I’ll have to hobble you for the ritual,” Luna said and seamlessly brought the sledgehammer down on Sunset’s right foot. Sunset screamed in agony and fell on her side, right next to the lifeless shape of Trixie.

Luna put the sledgehammer down, seized her arm and dragged Sunset along behind her. She groaned, then put the gun down as well and grabbed Sunset’s other arm. Sunset shrieked in agony as she carelessly grabbed her burns.

She tried to keep her smashed foot above the ground, but the pain was still almost paralyzing. When they finally reached the other chimney, Luna propped her up against the wall, inside the magical symbols.

“I’ll show you what I’m doing,” Luna said. “You are interested in magic, aren’t you?”

Magic? What in the world is she planning?

Trixie…

Sunset only caught a glimpse at the ritual circle. It was painted on the floor and the wall of the chimney. She was surprised to recognize some of the symbols used—mostly, she thought, from some of the books in the forbidden library back home in Equestria. If she wasn’t mistaken they were for shaping living flesh.

“And now we’ll see what you’re actually made of,” Luna said, a cruel curiosity in her voice. “Normal girls don’t turn into winged demons, which means you’re not normal. Just what are you?”

“Buck… you,” Sunset groaned.

Luna gave Sunset’s smashed foot a poke with the tip of her foot, making her scream again. “In fact, it doesn’t make a difference. Ever since you turned into a demon I’ve known that there’s enough magic in you to power the ritual. I am ever curious, but in the end the ritual is more important.” She suddenly laughed. “Oh, I know what you are thinking. ‘At least I destroyed the skeleton’, is that close enough? It’s true, my poor darling looks pretty grim right now, and you deserve all that you’re suffering for what you did to him alone—but this ritual will fix him. It will make him whole again. It doesn’t matter what he looks like now. He shall be fine within no time.” She bent over to look at Sunset from up close. “You’ve lost. If it is any consolation, you never were a match for me to begin with.”

Sunset spat in her face. That bitch was responsible for all the killings, for all the horrors of this night, and she had shot Trixie. She wanted nothing more than to claw her eyes out.

Luna absentmindedly wiped away the spit, looking intently at the magical symbols on the floor and the chimney wall. Sunset turned to look as well and realized that some of them were glowing faintly.

“Yes, my dear girl, it is your blood that is powering the circle.” She pointed at Sunset’s foot. Blood was seeping out of her shoe. “It is beginning! Hold still, my beloved!”

The faint glow from the magical symbols grew and also covered the pile of dead bodies lying opposite of Sunset Shimmer. Suddenly a big chunk of red flesh was torn out of Sweetie Drops’ body, which was lying on top. It circled through the air and finally came to rest on the skeleton’s hips where it stuck with a sickening wet sound.

“Why are you calling this thing your ‘beloved’?” Sunset asked. “Are you sick?”

Luna looked down on her, and for a second Sunset feared she was going to get hurt again for insulting Luna. But then Luna smiled. “I managed to secure his mortal remains. I even had them delivered here. Nobody ever suspected that it was actually my beloved.” She furrowed her brow. “You must understand, they murdered him. It was unjust. They threw him into a hole to rot and killed him. But I loved him. I couldn’t allow for that to happen, could I?”

“So I procured his skeleton. Luckily the school needed one anyway, for the biology lab. And then I took to researching just how I would be able to bring him back. It took me more than a decade.”

“But I only had the theory. The runes. The ritual. For all I tried I couldn’t get it to work. I needed a source of power.” She snorted. “Let me just say that they are incredibly rare, and impossible to obtain.”

Luna smiled again. “And then the Fall Formal happened, and one of my students turned into a winged demon. That was when I knew a way to power my ritual. It was I who convinced Celestia to not expel you. And of course I gave her the idea to suggest you’d join the Astronomy Club for one of their sessions.”

“But why did you have to murder all the others if all you needed was me?” Sunset asked. And why did you have to kill Trixie?

Luna laughed. “You see, I didn’t only need you. As you can see, the ritual requires warm flesh. My beloved’s new body has to come from somewhere after all.”

As if to confirm Luna’s words, a new chunk of flesh detached from Sweetie Drops, whose thigh was looking rather thin now, and floated to its new place in the skeleton’s upper arm.

“Yes, it is indeed working,” Luna jeered. “But not fast enough.” She looked down on Sunset, her eyes shining in cruel anticipation. “We need more of your blood. I think I’ll gut you to speed it up.”

Sunset just glared at her.

“Ah, my dear dropped the knife over there. Don’t run away while I’m getting it.” She chuckled at her own joke as she went over to the pile of bodies, from which a few more chunks of flesh were floating over to the maimed skeleton. She picked up the knife and, turning it back and forth in her hand, returned to the ritual circle where she knelt down in front of Sunset.

“You know what, I think I’m going to enjoy this.” She brought the blade to Sunset’s throat and gently caressed her skin with the point. Applying a bit more pressure she drew a little blood. “Yes, this is a very fitting punishment for an incessant troublemaker like you.” She raised the blade to Sunset’s face and abruptly drew it across her cheek, leaving a shallow yet painful cut. In response to Sunset’s blood some more of the runes began to glow.

“You see, I can take all the time I want before I kill you. Just cutting you accelerates matters.” She gently moved the knife’s tip down Sunset Shimmer’s upper body, almost caressing her. Then she stopped and began to push. The tip slowly sunk into Sunset’s belly. “All the time I want. Isn’t that—“

Suddenly another gunshot was fired.

Luna’s eyes widened in shock. She let go of the knife and brought her hand to her back. She coughed once, spitting warm blood into Sunset’s face. Then she collapsed sideways. With the view now open, Sunset saw Trixie, propped up on one arm, holding Luna’s gun in the other. She gave Sunset a weak grin and slowly sunk to the ground.

“Trixie,” Sunset gasped.

The skeleton suddenly turned towards Trixie. She was only lying a yard or two away from the abomination. It seemed that the skeleton was still mostly immobilized due to how Sunset had damaged it with the hammer, but it was still able to slowly pull itself towards Trixie.

“Sunset… eleton…” Trixie moaned.

“Not her too!” Sunset screamed. She rolled over, crying out again because of the pain in her foot and her burned arm. Then she used her healthy arm and leg to drag herself towards the skeleton, grabbing the sledgehammer with her other hand.

The skeleton had reached Trixie’s legs. The girl was trying to crawl away, but was obviously too weak. The skeleton clawed its fingers into Trixie’s flesh and pulled itself closer towards her. There were still sporadic chunks of meat floating through the air and attaching themselves to the skeleton’s body.

“Leave her alone, you piece of shit!” Sunset growled. The skeleton ignored her. She was going to be too late.

Gritting her teeth against the immense pain she also used her shattered foot to propel herself forward. It was sheer agony, but she managed to close the last bit of distance and could hold on to the skeleton’s legs.

Trixie screamed her name as the skeleton crawled over her. Then her scream became a choked gurgle as the skeleton closed its hands around her throat.

Sunset pushed herself into a kneeling position, groaning from the strain. She tried to lift the hammer, and for a second it seemed that she just didn’t have the strength anymore. Trixie, her face already purple, looked at her pleadingly.

She managed to get the hammer up and brought it down on the skeleton’s shoulder. Bones shattered audibly, but it wouldn’t let go of Trixie’s throat. Sunset lifted the hammer again and hit the skeleton again. This time the impact almost knocked it off of Trixie, but Sunset didn’t stop. Trying to ignore the sickening grating of the shattered bones in her foot she changed her posture so that she could hit the skeleton in a wide arc from the side. This time it fell off Trixie, but immediately came clawing for her again.

“Stay dead, dammit!” She swung the hammer again, smashing the hip. Again, breaking the left arm. Again, smashing in the skull. Again, shattering a few ribs. Again, and again, and again, until her strength finally left her and the hammer fell from her numb hands. She realized she was screaming.

She looked at Trixie. She was breathing heavily, and of course she had a gunshot wound. They needed help. There was simply no way they’d be able to leave the school on their own power.

Maybe Luna had a phone.

Sunset turned around and noticed Luna’s bag. It lay next to the ritual circle, a few yards away. Or rather on the other end of the world. She started crying desperately, wondering how she should manage to return there. Trixie was wheezing next to her, and she knew she didn’t have a choice. She was going to get to that bag somehow.

She rolled around and blacked out. When she came to, she had no idea how much time had passed. Or if Trixie was still alive. She groaned her name.

“Sunset…”

“Don’t die,” she murmured, pushing herself towards Luna’s body. Her stomach was wet from the blood from the stab wound. Her shoulders were aching from the strain of hitting the skeleton with the hammer. In her foot her bones were grinding against each other. She had no strength to scream anymore, and so she only cried silently.

Another push. “Don’t die.”

Sunset blacked out once more before she reached Luna. She reached into Luna’s bag and hit gold—all the phones that had been taken from the clubroom were in there, including Sunset’s own. She dialed 9-1-1—

—when suddenly Luna’s arm shot up and gripped Sunset’s throat. Sunset dropped the phone in surprise. Luna tightened her grip, cutting off Sunset’s air. She was screaming, blood spewing forth from her mouth. Sunset raised her arm and began feebly punching against Luna’s arm, but she didn’t budge.

Someone gasped behind her. Probably Trixie.

Sunset could feel how with every second without air she became weaker and weaker. She couldn’t keep punching Luna’s arm and let hers drop to the ground. It landed in something painful—the knife!

With a gurgling groan Luna sat up and pushed Sunset to the ground. She almost collapsed on her, staring at her from above, dripping blood onto Sunset’s face.

“Will… kill… yooouuu…” she groaned.

Sunset managed to get a hold of the knife’s handle, but she was now rapidly losing what was left of her strength. She raised the knife and jabbed it at Luna’s arm, drawing blood from her wrist, but she kept holding on.

Can you just die already die die die!

Luna kept staring at her, her face a grotesque grimace. With her last ounce of strength she turned the knife and pointed it at Luna’s chest. Luna’s murderous grin only grew wider as Sunset drove the blade upwards. Luna spat fresh blood into Sunset’s face. Her grip loosened, and she slowly fell over to her side. Sunset drew a painful wheezing breath.

“Hello? Can you hear me? Are you still there?” came the voice from the phone lying next to her on the floor. Sunset turned her head towards it, not even bothering to pick it up.

“Please come and help us… we’re on the roof of Canterlot High… my friend’s been shot.”

The operator replied something, but Sunset didn’t hear it. She turned her head to look at Trixie. “Don’t die, you hear? You can’t die on me!”

“I’ll… try…” Trixie whispered, then she broke into a nasty cough.

“Don’t die,” Sunset whispered. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. She pushed herself around once more. She had to get to Trixie. Make sure she was okay. Be there for her friend. “Please don’t die.” Trixie didn’t reply anymore.

Epilogue

They’d told her that it had been four days since she had been brought in. They had also told her all kinds of medical terms about her condition, mostly concerning her foot, but also the burns on her arm. Sunset didn’t care. All she wanted to know was how Trixie was doing.

When, on that fourth day, the door opened and Trixie shuffled into her room, pale and hunched over, her arm in a sling, and pushing an IV drip, Sunset almost forgot all the orders to keep her foot still and nearly jumped out of her bed to greet her.

“Trixie,” she finally managed to say. She realized she was crying, which was pathetic, but also perfectly fine.

“Yes, I’m still Great and Powerful, thanks to you,” Trixie said nonchalantly as she sat down on Sunset’s bed. “Then again, I’m not that easily defeated.”

“How bad are you?” Sunset asked, still crying.

“I got lucky,” Trixie said. “My shoulder is smashed, but the bullet missed my heart by almost half an inch.” Abruptly she burst into tears as well. She buried her head on her knees, and for a few minutes both girls cried together.

“It’s over,” Sunset finally sobbed, stroking Trixie’s back. “We’re okay. We’re safe.”

“I know,” Trixie sniffled. “I just keep having those nightmares. Back on that roof, when she started choking you—“

“Shush. It’s over!”

Trixie sat up again and blew her nose. “Obviously,” she said with a meek smile. “So, how bad are you?”

“Mostly the foot. They say it will be a while before I can walk normally again.” She forced herself to smile. “It’s so great to see you again. They wouldn’t let me go see you when I came to.”

“They wouldn’t let me either. But I obviously needed to come and see you. And no pesky injury is going to stop the Great and Powerful Trixie!”

“I saw the news,” Sunset said, grinning at Trixie’s returning swagger. “They uncovered a part of the story. Of course they didn’t say anything about magic, but they traced it all back to Luna.” According to the news Green Pepper, the cannibalistic killer who had made a spectacular escape from a prison transport twenty years ago and who subsequently died in prison, had donated his body to science. Through some as of yet unclear channels his skeleton had been procured by a Canterlot High School teacher who had been his lover before he had been caught—Vice Principal Luna. According to the news Luna had lost her mind, supposedly over her grief, and had tried to bring her lover’s memory back to life by committing a number of gruesome murders in a style similar to his.

“She tried to bring him back to life, didn’t she?” Trixie asked when Sunset had finished her account. “And she needed you for that.”

“Yep. But we stopped her.”

“Yeah.” For once, Trixie wasn’t boasting about what they had done. For a few moments the girls remained silent, each lost in her own thoughts. Finally Trixie asked, “Can I stay here? I just kinda feel much safer with you around. And I’m obviously the most charming and entertaining company imaginable.”

Sunset chuckled. “Sure. As long as you like.” More earnestly she added, “I feel safer with you around too.”

***

The door to Sunset’s room opened, and five girls quietly entered. But when they saw the scene on the bed, they stopped, grinning at each other.

Trixie and Sunset were lying on the bed, snuggled up against each other on the narrow mattress, fast asleep.

“Let’s come back some other time,” Rarity whispered. “It seems like these two need their rest.”

The others agreed, and the five girls quietly left the room again.

Chapter 1

“Here we go”, Sunset Shimmer mumbled under her breath.

As she was standing outside the dark bulk of Canterlot High she felt doubtful again about this. Spending a Friday night at school was not something she was looking forward to. Although she had to grudgingly concede that Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna had made a good point.

***

“No, Miss Shimmer, we won’t force you to participate”, Principal Celestia replied. Her impenetrable friendly yet distanced manner was way too reminiscent of Princess Celestia for Sunset’s taste, even though the principal’s office didn’t compare to the princess’s throne room. “It is merely a suggestion. You seem to be struggling with your place in our school’s community after the occurrences of the Fall Formal, and that is why Vice Principal Luna—“

Just like Princess Celestia the principal’s manner had a way of driving Sunset mad, and she had to fight back the urge to jump up from her chair in front of Principal Celestia’s desk as she interrupted her, “So it’s yet another detention for—,” blowing up half of the school while trying to enslave the student body, she didn’t say ,“—the Fall Formal?”

“It is not a detention,” stated Vice Principal Luna, who was standing behind Principal Celestia. “You have been punished according to the school regulations, and as far as we are concerned, no further punishment is due.” Her eyes narrowed by just a tiny fraction—a tiny expression of displeasure with the power to reduce the bravest troublemaker to shivering goo. “But just so we are in the clear, Miss Shimmer—you still have a lot to make good for. The other teachers view you as a troublemaker, gifted, yes, but unruly. The other students—I think it’s safe to say they detest you.”

“If you’re saying—“

“What Vice Principal Luna is saying”, Celestia interrupted her in a surprisingly soft voice, “is that school isn’t only about good grades. It is also about learning to be part of a community. And about making friends. Being an outcast may look romantic and adventurous in the movies, but it is the most damaging thing you can do to yourself.” She made a deliberate pause to let her words sink in. “We’re not punishing you, Sunset Shimmer. We’re worried about the path you appear to have chosen.”

Even though she had heard words to this effect before, only from the other Celestia, they seemed to have hit a soft spot this time. It was a little bit harder to maintain a hard voice when Sunset Shimmer replied, “So watching planets with some astronomy—,” nerds, she didn’t say, “—fans is going to fix me?”

Again Vice Principal Luna answered. “It will show everybody that you’re trying. That you’re not just a common bully and a troublemaker. Maybe you’ll enjoy it. Maybe you’ll find a friend. Maybe you won’t—but that’s hardly the point. It will anyway earn you points with Principal Celestia, myself, and the other staff. If you are serious about changing your ways like you claimed after the Fall Formal—and I strongly urge you to be very serious—you’ll have to make a start. Your reputation among the students and the staff won’t be fixed by one Friday night spent with the Astronomy Club, but—you’ll have to make a start.”

Sunset Shimmer lowered her gaze and just nodded. She hated preachments like this.

Especially when they made sense.

“I don’t assume you want to be shunned by your peers until you graduate,” Vice Principal Luna added.

“Probably not,” Sunset mumbled.

“In this case,” Vice Principal Luna smiled, “I’m looking forward to you joining our little soiree on Friday.”

***

The most infuriating part of this was that Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna weren’t wrong, Sunset thought as she entered the quiet school building. Being the supreme queen of the school had been glorious, a permanent thrill ride trying to maintain her position of power over the other students. Her subjects, as she had liked to think of them. But as hard as it was to believe that that had only been a week ago, her time at the very top was undeniably over.

A very long week, actually. It was just as Luna had said—the other students detested her, and now that they had all witnessed her utter defeat after the Fall Formal they were not at all shy to let her know how they felt about her. All the things she had inflicted on the other students in years past were now coming back to her two- and threefold.

Her new friends—the Society of Admirers of Princess Twilight Sparkle, as Sunset called them to herself—weren’t that bad, she had to admit. At least they didn’t actively give her a hard time. Fluttershy had even defended her a few times against some mean comments—Fluttershy, of all people. But there was only so much a group of appointed caretakers could do considering that the entire school hated her guts.

They were alright, but a week was not going to turn them into best buddies.

Maybe trying some additional angles wasn’t a bad idea. Even though the Astronomy Club kids weren’t exactly the most powerful potential allies.

The school looked strange that late in the evening, with no lights coming in through the windows. The campy Nightmare Night decorations, put up in two extra shifts by Pinkie Pie’s seemingly untiring decorations committee, actually looked somewhat spooky in this twilight.

Sunset decided that she was in no rush to get this night started, and headed for the second floor restroom. She tried to convince herself that she was not anxious of some power nerds who might hate her. Slowly walking down the hallway Sunset tried to remember the Astronomy Club’s members. And whom of them she had insulted, or bullied, or otherwise attacked. And how bad it was going to get.

There were Micro Chips and Poindexter, the power nerds. It was safe to say that these two had taken a lot of abuse from her over the years. If she was lucky they would limit themselves to unfriendly glares.

Sweetie Drops. Formerly best friends forever with Lyra, until Sunset had found it entertaining to break them up in spring. As far as Sunset knew, Sweetie Drops was unaware of her involvement. She didn’t need to learn.

Sunflowers. Sunset didn’t remember doing anything special to her, apart from the usual scorn she treated her underlings with.

And probably some others that she couldn’t remember. In the intricate power structure of CHS the Astronomy Club hadn’t exactly played a pivotal role in, well, anything, so none of her power plays and intrigues had needed to involve them.

Idly she asked herself whether Celestia’s, or rather Luna’s, idea to have her start her redemption with the Astronomy Club of all places, was a stroke of genius or some elaborate form of cruel and unusual punishment.

She was just about to open the restroom door, still lost in her thoughts, when she heard voices from around the corner where the administrative wing was. Two women were having a heated discussion, but they were far enough so that Sunset couldn’t understand what they were saying. The distance didn’t keep her from recognizing one of the voices instantly.

Miss Harshwhinny! Like I needed that hag tonight!

Miss Harshwhinny had always hated her, from her first day in Canterlot High School. She never believed Sunset’s excuses and was completely immune to being played—unlike even Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna.

Then again, Miss Harshwhinny seemed to hate every student, so maybe it was nothing personal.

Curious what this was about Sunset quietly moved closer and heard the end of what seemed to be a lengthy rant by Miss Harshwhinny.

“I require an environment free of any disturbances whatsoever in order to grade these tests professionally. These are for the Advanced Literature class! Giving these children accurate feedback on their numerous shortcomings is of utmost importance. How else will they ever learn to do better?”

“Miss Harshwhinny, rest assured that nobody is going to disturb you during your work,” said Vice Principal Luna. “My students will be in the clubroom on the fourth floor, and later we shall be on the roof for our actual observation. You won’t hear a thing.”

Miss Harshwhinny snorted. “I sure doubt it. Students are loud and obnoxious, whether or not it fits your plans, Vice Principal. Had I known of these plans to stage a pajama party tonight I would have filed an official protest. Frivolities such as this are only distracting the children from what’s important—diligence and discipline.” She harrumphed, and then a door was being closed as she disappeared into her office.

Even Miss Harshwhinny thinks this is a bad idea.

Sunset quickly retreated into the girls’ restroom as she heard Luna turning her way. The vice principal didn’t need to learn that she had witnessed this conversation. She managed to get into a stall just in time before someone—Luna—stormed into the restroom behind her.

There was a loud bump—Vice Principal Luna must have punched the wall. “What does she think she is,” Sunset heard her hiss. She took an audible breath. “Not important, hah! Well, there’s no use, that woman isn’t going to learn, not in this lifetime. But I won’t let her ruin this!” She started pacing. “The nerve! The tone! Ugh!” She punched the wall again before rushed out of the room again.

Sunset hardly believed her ears. She never would have expected Luna to lose her temper like this—usually, even when she was dishing out punishments, she remained icy cold. She pressed her fist on her mouth to keep herself from giggling. Another five minutes, she thought, just to be sure she didn’t run into Luna while she was still fuming like this.

***

Only Sunflowers and Poindexter were in the club room when Sunset entered. Not only was she making an effort, she thought, she was also on time. Early even. If that didn’t show her enthusiasm…

Sunflowers looked up briefly, but didn’t bother to otherwise acknowledge Sunset’s presence. Poindexter was tapping eagerly at his phone.

“Whatcha reading?” she asked Sunflowers, taking the seat behind her.

“Just some old paper that was lying around,” Sunflowers replied before she remembered who she was talking to. “Not that it’s any of your business.”

Sunset sighed, but nonetheless glanced at the paper. It was a page from an issue of the Canterlot Chronicle, about a week old. The headline read something about a jailbreak not far away. She leaned back and looked to the other side. Poindexter was playing some cryptic game on the giant screen of his phone. To pass the time she tried to remember what she had done to Sunflowers. Was she just being a bitch, or had Sunset given her a reason to hate her guts?

The door opened again, and Micro Chips entered, carefully holding it open for Sweetie Drops who was right behind him. They both looked at her way, exchanged a look that was somewhere between exasperation and bemusement, and sat down. Making an effort was working out just great thus far, Sunset thought.

Luckily it only took a few more minutes before Vice Principal Luna entered the club room. As almost always when she saw her, Sunset Shimmer thought of Princess Luna, the renegade sister Princess Celestia had banished to the moon. She’d always wondered what kind of pony she had been before, and what she was like now, after returning from a thousand years of banishment. And how ponies treated her. As a powerful princess she probably didn’t have to deal with the same levels of daily sneer and contempt.

Or impertinent literature teaches, she thought, remembering the dispute in the hallway. Fortunately Luna seemed to have calmed down since the weird episode in the bathroom.

“Good evening, dear members of the Astronomy Club,” Vice Principal Luna greeted them. “Poindexter, please, you know phones are to be kept inside bags at all times, even for extracurricular activities like this one.” She waited for a few moments while Poindexter and two or three other students deposited their phones in their bags. Then she continued, “As you know, we still have ample time to set up everything for our observation. We will probably be done much sooner than we need to, but we can of course make use of that time to observe some other celestial bodies. But before that we shall…”

The door opened once more, and the one last member of the club entered, a junior whose name Sunset didn’t even remember.

“Ah, welcome, Star Gazer,” Luna greeted him. “Now we are complete.”

Star Gazer sat down, and Luna continued with her announcement. “Before we start,” she said, now smiling, “we will have our traditional observation feast. The pizzas should arrive any minute.” Predictably this resulted in cheers from everyone. Sunset was surprised. They even got pizza?

They did. Just as Luna had said, only a few minutes later four steaming pizzas were delivered to the club room. For a short blissful while everybody was too busy stuffing their faces.

As Sunset grabbed a slice with pineapple and mushrooms, she quickly scanned the faces of the other club members. So far only that chick Sunflowers was actively glaring at her. Poindexter, she noticed, was moving his lips as if he was talking to himself.

An entire pizza and a few slices remained, but, as Vice Principal Luna pointed out, they would be much welcome later that night when they went to work. They were put aside for the time being, and Luna assembled them all in front of her desk, urging Sunset to leave her comfortable and safe spot in the last row to come closer.

“Before we begin tonight’s observation, we need to make sure we know all the necessary facts about our object. So, everybody, what can you tell me about Uranus?”

This is probably the only place in the multiverse where you can say these words without people dying from laughter, Sunset thought, fighting back a giggle.

Everybody but her raised their hands, and Luna took their answers one by one.

“Uranus is the seventh planet of the solar system”, Star Gazer said.

“Uranus is an ice giant, so called because it is suspected that its core consists of ice”, Sweetie Drops added.

“Its orbital period is 84 point zero two zero five years,” Micro Chips explained.

“It was the first planet to be discovered by telescope,” Sunflowers said.

“Its distance from the sun is between eighteen point three three and twenty point one one astronomical units,” Poindexter said.

Sunset Shimmer, whose astronomical education had been very thorough back in her days as Celestia’s prime student, but was based on a night sky created solely for esthetic considerations by an almighty alicorn princess, said nothing. There was no Uranus in Equestria. She knew it was a planet, and possibly also a figure from some ancient legend.

“In astrology, it is associated with ingenuity, unconventional thinking, and great inventions,” Sweetie Drops added.

“Oh please,” Sunflowers sneered. “You don’t believe that hocus-pocus, do you?”

“Astrology has been a significant part of human culture for thousands of years!” Sweetie Drops retorted.

“But none of it has ever been scientifically proven,” Poindexter chimed in.

“Yeah,” Micro Chips assisted his friend. “Horoscopes are just a money-making scheme feeding on the gullible.”

“Students, please,” Luna interrupted them. “Sweetie Drops is correct, astrology is still relevant in many cultures, not only for horoscopes. The stars and planets are attributed with a host of different powers. And even though those powers might not be scientifically proven, the beliefs people place in celestial bodies are sure interesting from a cultural point of view.”

“How so, Miss Luna?” Star Gazer asked.

“For instance, it might be interesting why people would associate a cold and remote planet like Uranus with ingenuity, and unconventional ideas, don’t you think? Would somebody care to investigate this before our next meeting?” Both Micro Chips and Sweetie Drops raised their hands. “Great, why don’t you do it together?” They both nodded, Micro Chips looking way too happy about extra homework.

“If this is gonna turn into astrology asylum…” Sunflowers whispered to herself, so soft that only Sunset, sitting right next to her, could hear it. She suppressed a chuckle.

“So,” Luna said, looking at her watch, “we have about an hour before Uranus will rise above the horizon, and maybe two before it can be seen clearly above any obstacles. We should get started with our preparations. As you know, the school district had granted us the funds for a new more powerful telescope, and today is going to be its maiden observation.” The club members cheered.

“On top of that we of course still have the three smaller telescopes we’ve been using so far, so that we can all take turns in looking. Now, I have the new telescope in my office and would ask Star Gazer to help me bring it here. The rest of you, please go to the basement storage room, pick up the other telescopes and bring them here.”

Poindexter raised his hand. “Miss Luna, if I may… I’ve created a little 3d simulation of Uranus and its orbit and its moons and… and yeah, um… I’d like to show it to everybody?”

A 3d simulation of her… I’m not even gonna go there, Sunset thought, biting her lip.

“That is wonderful, Poindexter,” said Luna. “Do you need any equipment or preparation for your demonstration?”

“I brought my laptop,” Poindexter said, sounding more confident now that Luna had shown appreciation for his work. “I just need to copy the program from the computer lab.”

“Good, then I’d suggest you go copy your program while the others fetch the telescopes. We still have more than enough time.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Poindexter looked very pleased with himself. Micro Chips gave him a high five, and Sunflowers smiled at him appreciatively.

He basically did extra homework for nothing, and everybody cheers him on, Sunset Shimmer thought. What in the world is this place?

Poindexter didn’t hesitate to head to the computer lab on second floor.

Chapter 2

Vice Principal Luna gave Sunflowers the key for the basement storage room before taking off towards the administration wing with Star Gazer in tow.

Walking through the school’s hallways and staircases after dark was strange. Lights were only on were their group came through, shrouding all adjacent hallways in deep shadows. And it was quiet, unlike during the day when, even during class periods, there was always a constant hum, people walking around, and general background noise. Schools just weren’t meant to be seen at night, it seemed.

All those dark deserted classrooms that could hide just about anything right now.

Sunset considered for a second or two to tell her co-nerds a little ghost story to try and scare them a bit, but she realized that they probably weren’t going to appreciate that. And she was, after all, making an effort.

The basement wasn’t a very inviting place during the day, but it definitely looked like a horror film set late at night. The ceiling lights in the hallways were, in Sunset’s opinion, sadly lacking compared to the neon lamps upstairs. The ceilings being a few inches lower contributed in making the corridor appear like some primal cave.

The storage room where the telescopes were supposedly stored was the second door down a corridor to the left. Sunset waited impatiently while Sunflowers was unlocking the door, pondering countless wasted opportunities for mischief. Who would have thought that you could be granted a key to some unclear storage room just for being in a nerdy club?

“Spooky,” commented Sweetie Drops when Sunflowers had finally managed to open the door.

“There’s no need to be worried,” Micro Chips hurried to reassure her, and Sunset rolled her eyes. It was one thing to make an effort, but the awkward nerd courting was getting more and more irritating.

She only realized that Sunflowers was standing right in front of her, glaring. “Just so you’re clear, we’re no happier to have you here than you are. So at least either act like a decent human being or sod off, okay?”

Anger flared up inside Sunset Shimmer, and she welcomed it like an old friend. Who did this kid think she was?

Making an effort, don’t forget.

With unhuman—actually, she thought—willpower she managed to stay calm and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry if I offended you,” she said with just the smallest amount of sarcasm in her voice.

“Are you,” Sunflowers said coolly.

“Come on, Sunflowers,” Micro Chips called. “Let’s focus on the telescopes.”

“Yeah, let’s,” Sunset Shimmer agreed.

“Just so you know, I wasn’t supporting you, just the observation,” Micro Chips said in a strained voice before abruptly turning away from Sunset Shimmer and heading into the dark storage room. Wondering what that kid’s problem was, Sunset made sure to be the last one to enter.

The light in the storage room was even worse than out in the hallway, due to the storage being cramped with several rows of shelves casting the tight corridors in between in deep shadows. As she hurried to keep up with the others, who seemed to know exactly where they were going in this silly maze, Sunset glanced at all the stuff resting on those shelves. Boxes filled with old newspapers, crates, cable drums, toolboxes, a sledgehammer, pipes, rows of books between unclear metal parts, and—ironically—a collection of disconnected ceiling lamps. And who knows what else was hiding in the shadows. It smelled faintly of dust and old paper.

Sunflowers led the troupe to the backmost corridor where three long cases where lying on a shelf. Sunflowers, Micro Chips and Sweetie Drops each took one, while Sunset was put on door and light duty.

Just as they were about to leave the storage room, someone called from the corridor outside, “Who’s in there?”

All four students jumped, and Sweetie Drops almost clung to Sunflowers’ arm.

“Come out slowly!” the voice called. “I have a weapon, and I’m arrestin’ you for trespassin’!”

Freaking Clay Jug! Sunset almost laughed at how startled she had been just for a short moment. Of course the basement was the janitor’s realm, even though she was slightly surprised that the man was still at work. Then again, what do I know about what that guy does all day?

“It’s alright, Mister Jug, it’s only us!” Micro Chips called and took the lead as they left the storage room.

Clay Jug, an almost bald man wearing a dark grey overall, was standing at the corridor’s entrance, a wrench in his hand. “What do you want? You’ve no business bein’ down here!”

“Miss Luna—“ Micro Chips started.

“I don’t care about your excuses,” Clay Jug snapped. “School’s out for today, and you’ve no business bein’ here. Now get outta here and annoy someone else!”

“Mister Jug, we—“

“You kids think you’re funny, don’t you,” Clay Jug growled. “Makin’ fun of me. Makin’ a mess of the bathrooms. Destroyin’ the furniture, breakin’ windows, yellin’ and screamin’ and runnin’ in the hallways. And now you’re even comin’ at me on my knockin’-off time!” He slowly walked towards the group of students who inadvertently huddled up a little closer.

“Look, Mister Jug,” Sunflowers said in her firmest voice, “there seems to be a misunderstanding. We’re here on behalf of Vice Principal Luna to fetch the telescopes for the Astronomy Club. If you won’t believe my words, I’m sure Vice Principal Luna can explain everything to you.” She waved the key in front of the janitor. “She gave us the key to the storage room. We’ll fetch the telescopes and be out of your business in no time.”

“Vice Principal Luna, you say,” Clay Jug said. “I’ll ask her about that. And if her answer isn’t to my liking then God help you!” He slowly stepped aside and freed the way back to the stairs, still eyeing them suspiciously. They walked past him one by one “And stay out of my way,” he shouted after them.

“Can you believe this guy,” Sunset mumbled to herself.

“He just hates everyone because he’s old and hasn’t achieved anything in his live other than being a janitor,” Sunflowers said dismissively. “It doesn’t matter what he says. We could even go to Miss Luna and complain about him yelling at us like that. I’m sure he’s not supposed to do that as a janitor.”

“When I was a freshman I was super scared of him,” Sweetie Drops said. “Like in my first week or so he yelled at me because someone slammed a door somewhere down the hallway, but he was dead certain it had been me.”

“Yeah, I’m always trying to avoid him too,” Micro Chips said. “He’s got anger issues for sure.”

On their way back they went more slowly, apparently taking all the care in the world to not drop their precious telescopes. When they were back in the first floor hallway they had to wait for Sunset to switch off the light before they could head to the stairs to the second floor because she couldn’t find the blasted switch. Again they had to slow down because the only light in that hallway was coming from the staircase ahead of them.

Wasn’t that light on befo—

Before Sunset could finish her thought, a muffled rattling suddenly sounded from the right, probably from one of the classrooms. Sweetie Drops jumped so hard she nearly dropped the telescope she was carrying; the others, although more composed, also visibly started.

“What was that?” whispered Sweetie Drops.

Probably someone trying to be funny, Sunset thought. My money is on mister computer nerd preparing his quote unquote simulation. She grinned to herself. Who would’ve thought.

“Probably just the plumbing,” Micro Chips tried to explain, failing to sound convincing. “This edifice is from the fifties after all.”

“Plumbing doesn’t sound like chains!” Sweetie Drops insisted.

“Maybe the janitor is working on something?”

“Maybe he’s sitting in some closet rattling with some old rusty chains, you mean,” Sunflowers snorted. “I wouldn’t put it behind this weird old guy.”

Sunset chuckled. Sweetie Drops said, “Yeah, sure, Clay Jug has nothing better to do than try to scare us.”

“As punishment for disturbing him,” Sunset chimed in. She was pretty certain that Sunflowers was pulling Sweetie Drops’ leg. I deserve a little fun too.

“Very funny, you two!”

“Whatever it was, it doesn’t concern us,” Sunflowers said, and Sunset had to give her credit for almost sounding calm.

“Can we just go?” Sweetie Drops whined. Micro Chips freed a hand from underneath the telescope’s case and gave her an awkward pat on the back. Sunset shook her head and started for the staircase door where she waited for the others.

The three others hurried upstairs as fast as they could with their precious cargo. Just to keep her mind off Micro Chips and Sweetie Drops flirting, Sunset thought about the noises she had heard. It had definitely sounded like rattling chains, not like plumbing. But there were no chains in Canterlot High School, especially not in the classrooms.

So, what was it?

Probably nothing. Some Nightmare Night prank.

It wasn’t like the school was built on some zebra burial ground or something.

On the second floor landing Sweetie Drops, who was leading their group, stopped so suddenly that the following club members almost bumped into her, interrupting Sunset’s musings.

“What the hell?” Sunflowers asked.

“There’s someone standing in the hallway,” Sweetie Drops whispered. “I can see his shadow!”

“No there isn’t,” Micro Chips said and gently pushed past Sweetie Drops.

“Wait!” Sweetie Drops hissed, but Micro Chips tore the door open, stepped into the hallway and looked around—

—and almost immediately jumped to the right, away from whatever shadow Sweetie Drops had seen. Sweetie Drops shrieked, but suddenly Micro Chips snickered.

“What’s so funny?” Sweetie Drops demanded.

“It’s just Billy Bones,” Micro Chips explained, still laughing.

“Who??”

“The biology skeleton?” Sunflowers asked and also stepped into the hallway. Sweetie Drops and Sunset followed her. There was indeed a skeleton hanging from the wall right next to the staircase door.

“Yeah, it’s definitely him,” Micro Chips said, pointing at the skeleton’s face. “That’s the spot where he got into a scuffle. Right there on the cheekbone.”

“Don’t you tell me that’s a real skeleton!” Sweetie Drops cried.

“It’s not,” Sunflowers said. “It’s made from plastic of whatever. They’d never have a real skeleton for biology class—gross!”

“Sure,” Micro Chips agreed sheepishly. “It’s just something Dex and I once thought of… see, there’s this bump in the arm, he probably fell over at some point, and we made up this story about him… it’s silly.”

“See?” Sunflowers turned to Sweetie Drops. “Just the decorations committee going crazy. Let’s head back upstairs, and maybe try not to get spooked by your own shadow again.”

“It’s still a freaking skeleton,” Sweetie Drops mumbled. “Skeletons are creepy. Who’d put that up in the hallway?” But she nonetheless complied and followed the others back to the club room.

When they reached the club room, Luna and Star Gazer had not yet returned. While Sunflowers and Sunset made themselves comfortable in some chairs, Sweetie Drops took to pacing up and down the room.

“Just how long does it take Dex to copy some program?” Micro Chips wondered.

“Geez, could you stop that?” Sunflower said to Sweetie Drops before she had even completed her second round.

“Something is going on down there, and you’ll excuse me for worrying!” Sweetie Drops snapped.

“It was only the plumbing, just as Micro Chips said.”

“That didn’t sound like freaking plumbing!”

“Guys…” Sunset tried to calm them down.

“You stay out of this!” Sweetie Drops hissed at her. Sunset felt her anger rise yet again.

Just as she was about to jump up and give that chick a piece of her mind, the door opened and Vice Principal Luna returned, without Star Gazer. “Ah, you are all back already, very good, It just occurred to me that the school owns at least one, or possibly two star maps which we could put to use tonight. They would be in the map room. Sweetie Drops, if you could go fetch them, please?“

“Not on my own,” Sweetie Drops replied immediately, her eyes white open. “Miss,” she added.

Vice Principal Luna looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “And what appears to be the problem?”

“It’s spooky down there!”

Luna sighed. “Miss Shimmer, would you kindly accompany Sweetie Drops and make sure that no evil ghost attacks her?”

“Sure thing.”

“Sunflower and Micro Chips, please wait here for their return,” Luna said. “And mine. Star Gazer and I are almost done preparing the new telescope.”

Sunflowers just nodded, lounging in her chair. Micro Chips looked like he was going to volunteer for the basement trip, but eventually settled down, looking somewhat deflated. Luna hurried off, and Sunset led Sweetie Drops to the stairs again.

“I’m not crazy, you know,” Sweetie Drops said.

“Um, sorry? I didn’t say anything.”

“But you were thinking, you and the other two. Crazy Sweetie Drops believes in horoscopes and ghosties. But I’m not crazy!”

“Whatever you say,” Sunset said.

“Look, I know as well as the next person that horoscopes are a scam! But I’ve heard what I’ve heard!”

“Alright, alright, can you drop it already?” Sunset pleaded. “I don’t really care what you believe in. And if it’s any consolation, I heard something down there too.”

Sweetie Drops turned in front of Sunset and faced her, her arms crossed. “And what do you think it was?”

“I honestly have no idea. Maybe the plumbing, maybe Clay Jug. It doesn’t really matter.”

“Pfth, plumbing. How big a fool does Micro Chips think I am?”

Way less than you think, Sunset didn’t say.

All was quiet in the first floor hallway. Sweetie Drops nonetheless tiptoed past the classroom doors as quickly and silent as possible. Sunset didn’t really care. She was still convinced that there was nothing here.

When they had just reached the basement door, the rattling started again.

Sweetie Drops shrieked and instinctively clung to Sunset’s arm. As instinctively, Sunset removed her hands at once and shoved her away. “Stop that.”

“But there it was again!” Sweetie Drops yelped, her eyes wide with barely suppressed terror.

“It’s probably nothing,” Sunset repeated. Nothing but a crazy janitor, or a nerd trying to be funny.

As she looked back into the dark hallway which was only illuminated now from the staircase light, she noticed that one of the classroom doors wasn’t fully closed. It was easy to see by the way the faint staircase light was reflected by the slightly tilted door. It was probably the one where the chain rattling had come from. This particular ghost, or whatever else he intended to be, was either very dumb or trying to be very clever.

“What do we have there,” she murmured.

“What?” Sweetie Drops sounded as if she was on the brink of panicking. “Is something there?”

“That door is open,” Sunset pointed out. “Isn’t that where the rattling came from?”

Definitely someone trying to be funny, she thought. But now she also wanted to see what Poindexter had prepared for them. And just how scared Sweetie Drops would get.

“So what?” Sweetie Drops asked in a shrill voice. “I don’t care what’s in there!”

“Let’s at least take a look to make sure there’s nobody in there,” Sunset suggested innocently.

“How about no?” Sweetie said. “How about instead we return upstairs and tell Miss Luna something is seriously wrong down here?”

“I’ll go,” Sunset announced. “You can wait here and be quiet.”

Sunset tiptoed back along the hallway until she stood right in front of the door. Now that she was close enough she saw a faint light shining out through the crack of the door. She held her breath and listened, but from inside the classroom there was nothing to be heard. She quickly pulled the door open and stepped inside. To her mild surprise, Sweetie Drops followed suit immediately, almost bumping into her when she stopped right behind the door.

The classroom was almost dark, only illuminated by two candles standing on the teacher’s desk. The light was barely enough to recognize a sheet of paper that had been fastened to the blackboard, and to read what was written on it in some brown or dark red substance.

YOU ALL LOOK SO TASTY

That’s actually rather silly than scary, Sunset thought with a hint of disappointment. “It’s just a sign.”

“And what’s that next to the candles?” Sweetie Drops asked. She again held onto Sunset’s arm and pointed.

“Just a cupcake—“ Sunset said but was cut short by Sweetie Drops’ gasp.

“There’s an eyeball on top of it!” she screamed.

“Would you calm down!” Sunset snapped. Her ear hurt from Sweetie Drops’ shrill scream. She pulled away from Sweetie Drops and approached the teacher’s desk with the spooky decoration.

Sweetie Drops held her back. “Let’s get outta here”, she urged. “We’ll tell Vice Principal Luna that it’s not safe. She can call the police.”

Sunset sighed. There was no way she was going to get an opportunity to examine the scene, not with Sweetie Drops practically dragging her out of the classroom. She was sure that somebody had set this up, and she was curious what else there might be. It was still funny how upset this little setup had made Sweetie Drops. Here we go.

“Stop right there!” a voice cut through the empty hallway just as they left the classroom. “What do you think you’re doing here?”

“Miss Harshwhinny,” Sweetie Drops gasped.

“And? Would you care to answer my question, Sweetie Drops?”

“We’re… we…” she stuttered.

“We’re with the Astronomy Club,” Sunset explained. “Vice Principal Luna asked us to retrieve a star map from the basement, and so…”

“And did she also ask you to create bedlam and interrupt my work? Mind you, after she sang your praises and told me how I wouldn’t even notice you were here. What do you have to say for yourselves?” She looked Sweetie Drops over but quickly focused her gaze on Sunset Shimmer. “Not that I’m overly surprised to see you involved, Sunset Shimmer.”

“We had nothing to do with the noise,” Sweetie Drops said. “We don’t know where it came from!”

“Of course you don’t,” Miss Harshwhinny said coldly. “You never know anything about anything.” She narrowed her eyes, still staring at Sunset Shimmer. “I shall see Vice Principal Luna about this on Monday. There will be consequences, that I guarantee you.” She turned on the spot and headed for the staircase.

At the door she looked back once more. “If I have to leave my office again because you are causing more uproar, then God help you. Are we clear?”

“Yes, ma’am!”

They waited for another minute to make sure Miss Harshwhinny wasn’t in the staircase anymore before setting off for the clubroom.

Sunset took the lead again, with Sweetie Drops way too close behind her for her comfort. Sweetie Drops urged her to keep the lights on in the staircase, just in case. Sunset was impressed by the effect Poindexter’s little arrangement had had. Just one stupid muffin…

“She’s way scary,” Sweetie Drops whispered. “It’s like, I never get into trouble. But Miss Harshwhinny still always makes me feel guilty.”

“She just hates everyone,” Sunset said. “Regardless of what you do or don’t do.” At least I always made sure there was a reason for her to be mad.

Silently they continued on back to the clubroom.