Applejack readjusted her flamethrower, making sure it was properly lit before continuing with the blood test. She heated the wire and carefully stuck it into Pinkie's dish, and the blood fizzled, proving Pinkie is still a pony. So Applejack untied her and she slipped on a flamethrower.

Applejack heated up the wire again, and stuck the wire into Rarity's blood, which also fizzled. Rarity sighed.

"Thank Celestia, now get me out." Rarity said, when Applejack and Pinkie hesitated a bit, Rarity got angry. "Come on, get me out of here, get me out of here! Cut me loose!" Rarity shouted as she struggled.

Pinkie and Applejack untied Rarity and gave her a flamethrower, leaving Shining as the last one in the room to still be tested. Shining held his breath as Applejack placed the wire into the dish, and it fizzled, confirming that the 4 of them were still ponies. Shining broke the silence.

"I know you ponies have been through a lot tonight, but when you find the time, I'd rather not spend the rest of this winter TIED TO THIS FUCKING COUCH!" Shining shouted. The others flinched slightly before untying him.

"So what's the plan now AJ?" Pinkie asked as they bundled up in their jackets and hats.

"Now, we gotta go test Twilight's blood, since she's the only other pony who hasn't been tested, Rarity, you stay here to guard the base while the rest of us go to the shed to test her." Applejack explained. Rarity nodded and they began to head out into the blizzard.

"Oh and Rarity.." Applejack said, stopping in the doorway, "If any of us comes back alone, torch em, don't even hesitate." Applejack said in a serious tone. Rarity nodded again and Applejack closed the door.

Applejack, Shining Armor, and Pinkie Pie all trudged through the snow and wind towards the Shed. Applejack finally reached the door and unlocked it before swinging it open as quickly as possible. But when the 3 peered inside, the tower was empty and Twilight was nowhere to be found.

"Where the hell is she?" Shining asked as he stepped in behind Applejack. Applejack glanced around the room before noticing some ripped up floorboards over by the table.

"What's this?" She asked, bending down to get a better look.

They all gathered around and lifted up the boards to reveal a tunnel going down about 10 feet. The 3 ponies made their way slowly down the hole and found a little workshop area. There were 3 tables all cluttered with what looked like scrap and pieces of electrical equipment. And in the center of the room was a large black, spherical object that looked like a miniature version of the frozen spaceship that the crew found in the ice.

"I don't think Twilight needs her blood tested, I think this proves that she's no longer a pony." Applejack said as she glanced around this little workshop in disbelief.

"So now what?" Shining asked.

"Now, we use the dynamite to destroy this thing, this is probably what that thing was going to use to get out of here." Applejack speculated.

"Go where?" Pinkie asked.

"Anywhere but here." Applejack responded as she began to ascend the rope out of the workshop.

The 3 climbed back up and Applejack and Shining started planting the dynamite around the shed while Pinkie stood guard, when suddenly the lights in the base went out, leaving the 3 of them in darkness in the storage shed, the only lights being the guiding lights out in the snow, leading back to the base. Applejack immediately lit a flare.

"That thing must've taken out the power." Applejack said.

"But without power it'll be negative 60 here soon, that's suicide." Shining said in disbelief.

"Not for that thing, it wants to freeze again, its got nowhere else to go, it wants to just go to sleep in the cold until the rescue team finds it." Applejack explained. Suddenly Rarity ran in to the shed, panting heavily.

"I just saw Twilight, I saw her run into the base, and now the powers out." Rarity explained, almost out of breath.

Applejack then got a last ditch effort idea.

"We need to blow up the base, we need to find that thing at burn it. If it likes the cold, then we need to warm this place up." Applejack explained.

"What exactly are you saying AJ?" Rarity asked, a bit concerned. Applejack gave a somber look to the others for a second before regaining her composure.

"We're not getting out of here alive, but neither is that thing." Applejack explained, she nodded to the others, who nodded back.

"For Maud." Pinkie said.

"I'm in." Rarity said.

"Let's go fry that son of a bitch." Shining said confidently.

Author's Note

Almost Done, just 2 chapters left after this one.