The Tower of Doom

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4

Chapter 1

Tia looked through the photographs she had taken of Canterlot. She and her little sister spent the whole day on a tour of the city, seeing everything from famous landmarks, museums, art galleries, stopping for a snack at Joe’s Doughnut Shop.

She flipped through another photo and found some snapshots of the ruins of the Great Castle of Canterlot. Tia gazed at the photos with a sense of longing. It was a shame what happened to it. The tour guide explained it used to be the most beautiful castle in all Equestria until the King and Queen were usurped by General Sentarion, followed by a public execution. Sentarion ordered the destruction of the castle, so there can be no reminders of the previous rulers.

Tia imagined what the castle looked like before it was destroyed. She closed her eyes and pictured herself trotting through long halls with golden chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. She’d wear a dress straight from a fairy tale, all the castle servants and maidens happily bowing to her as she passed them, then she’d open the door to the most extravagant throne room anyone has ever seen, guests on both sides smiling at her.

The tour bus arrived at a new location, an isolated area of land miles away from the city. Everyone filed out of the bus, along with Tia and her little sister Lulu. They gathered at a grey brick wall that stretched for several yards, but that was not what caught their attention. Tia and Lulu stretched out their necks to get a look at the dark tower. It seemed to rise up toward the sky.

“That’s a really tall tower,” Lulu said timidly.

“Yeah, and creepy,” said Tia. “Maybe we’ll see a ghost!” she said excitedly.

Lulu’s throat tightened. She didn’t share her older sister’s enthusiasm about meeting spectres and phantoms.

“Alright everyone, attention please!” the tour guide announced. The stallion gave an impish smile to the tourists. He seemed like a pony who would be thrilled to tell a scary story around a campfire. Everyone listened to him attentively.

“Mares and gentlecolts, welcome to the legendary and terrifying Tower of Doom! A rather pleasant name, isn’t it? Centuries ago, when this tower was constructed, it served as General Sentarion’s base of military operations. After he proclaimed himself Ruler of Equestria after his deadly coup, the tower was used to hold captures and prisoners. At the time it was the tallest structure in ponydom, standing at 110 feet.

“General Sentarion promoted his most trusted confidant, Lord Thorbane, as overseer of the Tower of Doom. His duty was to round up anypony who was seen as a threat to General Sentarion, pony and nonpony alike, and transport them to the tower to either be imprisoned. . . or be tortured and executed.”

He said the last part in a low, ghastly tone. The tour could easily see this was a pony who really loves his job. Tia and Lulu had goosebumps just listening to him. Tia’s enthusiasm for the tour remained. She loved creepy and scary things, more than her little sister. Tia's favorite thing to do was to pull pranks on Lulu whenever it was bedtime, whether it was to make spooky noises or hide either under the bed or inside the closet to scare her when she least expected it. A devious smile grew on her face when she thought about how to scare Lulu in the Tower of Doom.

The tour guide reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a set of keys, and opened the rusty gate to the old courtyard. The gates screeched as it pushed open, striking the nerves of the tour group. The tour guide spoke again:

“Anyone accused of a crime by the newly-crowned General Sentarion was transported to the Tower by wagon. Several dozen ponies arrived at different intervals of the day. If there were too many ponies, half were forced to wait outside at the courtyard, exposed to the elements: heat, cold, rain and snow, they waited for days and weeks to be dragged in the Tower by Lord Thorbane’s stallions. Most folks died of starvation and illness before taking a single step inside. And those who haven’t. . . well, they’d wish they were dead.”

Tia and Lulu looked around the courtyard, and so did everyone else. Everything was still and quiet. It was hard to believe that centuries ago this courtyard was filled with dozens upon dozens of ponies waiting for their fate in the dark tower. The tour guide opened the door to the tower. The tour group peered into the blackness of the other side of the door.

“Watch your step,” he said as he led everyone inside.

Lulu stayed behind for a moment. She felt an unnatural chill crawl over her nerves. The air was a little cool, but that wasn’t why she felt cold. It was like an invisible someone or something wanted to get her attention. She looked around the courtyard. Nothing. Lulu quickly trotted beside her sister when she called her name.

“You’re not too scared to explore the Tower, are you?” Tia asked playfully.

Lulu didn’t answer. She heard her older sister chuckle. Lulu knew Tia was thinking of ways to scare her.

The tour guide led the group through a long spiral stairway. “As you can see, this stairway doesn’t seem to have an end in sight,” he explained. “But it does, at the very top. If you were a prisoner at the Tower of Doom, Lord Thorbane’s stallions, at any time of the day, will come outside and snatch you off the ground. Then you will walk, walk, walk up these stairs until you reach the top. It doesn’t matter if your little legs are tired or you’re out of breath. Lord Thorbane will bring down a thrashing of the whip on your back!”

“What’s at the top?” asked Tia.

“Oh. . . so many dreadful, nasty, horrible things.”

The tour guide answered in a hushed, grave voice. Tia let out a tiny, involuntary chuckle under her breath. She wasn’t quite sure whether to be excited or frightened.

Lulu, meanwhile, could not keep up with the group as they climbed farther up. The tour guide was not exaggerating when he said the spiral stairway appeared to be endless. She either trotted as quickly as she could or trotted slowly, stopping every now and then to catch her breath. The stairway did not have a railing, which complicated things even more. She feared she might slip and tumbled downward. Lulu only thought about one thing: this tour sucks.

Clop. Clop.

Lulu turned her head and gazed at the other side of the dark stairway. From the shadowy depths came the sound of hooves on the old stone steps.

Clop. Clop.

Was someone left behind? Whoever it was did not seem to be in a rush to catch up with the group. The sound grew deeper and louder. The little blue hairs on Lulu’s fur stood up on her back. She again felt that unnatural chill that made her blood cold. Could it be? She did not want to stick around to find out. She quickly trotted up the stairway, rushing to Tia’s side.

“Tia! I - I saw something! I - I,” she stammered.

“Shh! We’re almost at the top,” said Tia.

Lulu looked back at the other side of the stairs. She never heard the hooves again. Could it have been her imagination? Or the creepiness of the dark corridor playing tricks on her senses? Was it a ghost? No, not a ghost, she said to herself. Anything but that.

After what felt like an eternity, the group finally arrived at the top in front of a large wooden door with a latch across it. The tour guide waited patiently for his group to catch their breaths.

“A long way up, eh?” he said. “Well, you folks have it easy. This is nothing compared to the pain and suffering of Lord Thorbane’s prisoners - right behind this door.”

He pulled the latch back and pushed open the door. They entered a dark anteroom with barely any light except for a small bright beam from a square at the ceiling. Either side had displays of torture devices, and the tour guide pointed most of them out with creepy enthusiasm. The one that stood out the most was the Iron Mare, a large upright casket with spikes inside. Tia could not stop looking at it. A slick smile crossed her lips. She had an awful idea.

Lulu, meanwhile, followed the tour group through the torture room. She was not aware of her older sister’s disappearance. Her sole attention had been on the tour guide. He pointed out every torture device one after another, listing every unnerving fact in gruesome detail, leaving the group horrified and disgusted. Lulu thanked her lucky stars she was not alive during those times.

They stopped at the far end of the torture chamber, at an empty cell. The tour guide’s playful yet grim demeanor evaporated. “I understand you folks heard of what happened to the King and Queen,” he said, his tone flat. “Well, this is where the story continues with the Royal Sisters, the saddest part of that story.” His voice was low and heavy. It made everyone uneasy.

“The Royal Sisters were taken to the Tower and placed in this cell after the execution of their parents. They were held captive for what might have been several days, with little to eat or drink, with no light except for the torches hanging on the wall. With the Sisters being unicorns, General Sentarion ordered magic-resistant metal rings to be placed on their horns, so they wouldn’t use their magic to escape. Sadly they were still very young, and had not fully developed their abilities.

“After spending three days imprisoned in this cell, General Sentarion ordered a public execution of the young sisters at noon the next day. He wanted the citizens of Equestria to watch as the last remnants of the Old Kingdom had their severed heads in baskets. Strangely enough, on the night before their scheduled execution, the Sisters disappeared, vanishing without a trace. No one knows what has happened to them. There were no eyewitnesses. Many historians agree they might have died from illness or starvation. Others believed they took their own lives. Who knows. The Disappearance of the Royal Sisters remains a mystery to this day.”

Lulu gazed at the empty cell. She couldn’t imagine what it was like for fillies as young as her to be locked up in this dreadful tower. She wondered if any other children got tortured here. What sort of pony would do such a thing? It was too awful to think about.

“Well, that’s enough gloom and doom for today,” said the tour guide.

Everyone turned around and made their way out of the torture chamber. Lulu was relieved. She could not wait to get outside. She listened to the tour guide, who seemed to have his sense of humor back; he started making jokes again to lighten the mood. Lulu noticed Tia had been silent the whole time. Lulu asked about her thoughts about the Sisters, then waited for an answer.

“Tia?”

So that’s why she hadn’t said anything. Tia disappeared during the tour. “Tia! Tia, where are you?” she called out to the dark chamber. The last members of the tour group walked through the large wooden door. “Come on, Tia! We’re going to miss the group!” she cried. The door shut with a loud boom, then somebody pushed the latch forward to lock it. Lulu found herself surrounded by darkness, and started to breathe rapidly. She pleaded for Tia to come out.

“Tia, where are you?” she called out.

A low thump caught her attention. It came from that creepy Iron Mare. That horrible torture device stuck with her ever since the tour guide pointed it out. She did not like the way it was shaped, and she definitely did not like what was inside - sharp spikes. It was something she never wanted to experience. Despite having been pierced with all those spikes, the Iron Mare guarantees that you suffer a slow and painful death from bleeding. Lulu took cautious steps toward the Mare, at the top part in the shape of a pony head. There was something strange about it, but it was too dark to see. She leaned closer.

Eyes were staring at her.

Lulu stumbled backward, letting out a shriek of horror. The rusted metal of the Iron Mare creaked as it opened slowly. The little blue pony became too frightened to move, only turning her head away from the gruesome sight.

“Gotcha!”

It was only Tia. She stood in front of the open Iron Mare, having a good laugh. Lulu stood upright, frowning deeply, which made Tia even more.

“Why did you scare me like that? I thought something happened to you!” shouted Lulu.

“Relax, I’m fine,” replied Tia. She gestured toward the Iron Mare. “They removed the spikes, see? You’re such a ‘fraidy-cat.”

The fillies argued, which tends to happen a lot. Lulu blamed Tia for having them locked up in the Tower, which means they had to wait for the next tour, whenever that will be - which also means they have to wait in the dark. Tia accused Lulu for being such a baby, always scared of everything, never learning to take a joke. Besides, she wasn’t afraid of the dark.

“Easy for you to say,” Lulu retorted. “You tease me because I still sleep with a night light!”

The sisters jumped at a loud thump from the shadows. Once again the air became still. That unnerving feeling from earlier returned to Lulu. And then. . .

Clop. Clop. Clop.

That sound from the stairway, hooves on the cold, stone surface echoing throughout the dark chamber. It grew closer, louder, more dreadful than before. Lulu huddled close to Tia.

Heavy breathing accompanied the sound of hooves approaching them. The fillies could see a dark hulking outline slowly coming for them. The figure stepped forth underneath the beam of white light from the ceiling, revealing itself to the terrified little fillies.

“Your time has come,” it said with a deep, menacing voice.

Chapter 2

“Who are you?” screamed Lulu.

The pony did not answer. The dark bulking figure edged closer to the frightened fillies until his towering frame cornered them against the wall. Tia felt her little sister clinging to her, whimpering and shaking in fear. She caught a glimpse of the black mask that concealed his entire face as he walked underneath the beam of light from above.

Was this guy an employee? An actor hired to scare the tourists? If so, he was doing a pretty good job. Her legs felt as though she was standing on wet noodles.

“Excuse me, sir,” Tia said timidly. “D-do you work here?”

The stallion said nothing. Tia’s breathing became hollow. “W-we didn’t mean to be here so late. You see, we were taking a tour, and we lost our group. . .” she trailed off, too stricken with fear to finish her words.

“There is no escape this time,” the stallion said with a snarl.

Tia’s legs shook, and her heart pounded against her chest. She could not remember any time in her life when she was this scared.

The pony rose on his hind legs, making himself look taller than before. It happened so suddenly the fillies fell on their flanks. One of his hooves reached into the folds of his black cape, and in the next second pulled out an intimidating looking battle axe. Tia couldn’t believe this was happening. Whoever was in charge of the Tower must have seen her crawl inside the Iron Mare. Never in her life had Tia ever been so sorry.

“Don’t hurt us!” pleaded Tia. “I was just playing around!”

“There is no escape this time,” snarled the pony.

“Leave us alone!” Lulu screamed.

The masked stallion raised his axe, ready to bring it down on the young fillies. Thinking fast, Tia grabbed Lulu and quickly moved out of the way before the blade struck the ground. They made a run for the entrance, forgetting it was locked. The fillies bang their little hooves against the wooden door, hoping someone will hear and save them.

“I want to go home!” cried Lulu.

The heavy hoofsteps of the stallion reverberated through the floor, causing the girls to stumble where they stood. The stallion growled, wielding the sharp axe as he approached Tia and Lulu, ready for another lethal swing. Tia pushed Lulu out of the way, then grabbed her little sister’s forearm, dashing through the darkness of the chamber.

The walls of the torture chamber were closing in as they ran. Tia noticed the interior was shaped as a giant triangle. She realized they could not run for much longer. She stopped to look at the torture devices on display, desperately searching for something to fight him off. She found a whip rolled up on a pedestal. She unrolled it, revealing nine cords with sharp metal objects at the tips - a cat o’nine tails. These guys were crazy back then, thought Tia.

“There is nowhere to run!” the stallion bellowed.

Tia told Lulu to stay behind her. The masked psychotic pony emerged from the darkness. Tia raised the cat, whipping the air with a loud crack.

“Stay back!” she shouted.

The stallion paused to consider his next move. After a moment he let out an animal-like grunt. He advanced forward, axe ready to cut the filly down. Tia swung the cat with a single move at his arm. The stallion grunted in pain, backing away just a little. Tia took a few steps forward, striking the dark air, giving him a warning not to come closer. The masked pony dodged the next blow of the cat. Tia wielded the whip for one more strike, but the stallion grabbed the tails with his forearm, pulling it away from Tia’s hooves. Once again the girls found themselves cornered, seeing their scared faces reflected on the blade of the axe.

“Do not delay the inevitable,” the pony said. “It is time to meet your fate.”

Tia and Lulu held on to each other, backing away, knowing there would not be anymore space to back themselves to. Lulu turned her head away, burying her face on the back of Tia’s neck. Tia took another step backward, and one of her hind legs pressed on a stone slab that sunk to the ground. The back wall opened like a sliding door. Tia and Lulu fell through a tunnel made of stone, tumbling into oblivion until they were dropped into dark shallow waters. The girls picked themselves up. They could not see a thing, but they were relieved the nightmare was over.

“Where are we?” asked Lulu. “Who was that guy? Why was he trying to kill us?”

One question at a time, Tia said to herself. She sniffed the air, then gagged. The tunnel led them into the sewer system. Somehow this was worse than being chased by the crazy axe-wielding pony.

“Come on, let’s find a way out,” said Tia.

Tia did not know which direction she was going. The path of the sewer only went one way; which way it went she had no clue. With Lulu behind her they slowly trotted in the darkness, holding in their breaths so they would suck in the raw sewage stench.

So many thoughts ran through Tia’s mind. Who was that axe-wielding stallion? There was no way he was an actor. It felt all too real, like he really wanted to kill them. Is he an escaped convict? Would he have killed the other members of their tour group if he had the chance? Tia had the striking feeling that he had killed other ponies before. A nerve-wracking feeling slithered down her spine, realizing she had come face-to-face with a murderous criminal. She and Lulu must go to the police about that pony before he goes after the next tour group. First, they have to find a way out of the sewer.

“Tia, I want to get out of here!” whined Lulu. “This place smells awful, and my fur and hooves are all sticky and wet!”

They stopped walking. A strange sound came from the darkness behind them. Lulu immediately sought protection by hiding behind her sister. She said something in a low, frightened voice, but Tia did not hear her. Splish, splosh, splish, splosh went the murky water. Tia dared not speak out to the darkness, fearing the answer she would receive. Something. . . or someone was following them.

“Tia,” whimpered Lulu.

Ripples appeared on the surface of the filthy water. Silence filled the empty space of the foul air, followed by a familiar ominous grunting that echoed in the darkness of the sewer, and the clopping of hooves on the watery surface. What approached them dragged something large and sharp.

“Tia,” squeaked Lulu.

Walking on his hind legs and holding the axe with his forearms, the masked pony emerged from the darkness. He let out a vicious growl, then charged forward.

Tia told her sister to run in a loud voice. “Run! Run! Run!” she yelled again. She warned Lulu not to look back. Tia wishes she listened to her own advice. She managed to get a quick glance behind her. She could not see the madpony, although she knew he was right on their tail. “Keep running!” she shouted to Lulu. Tia made sure to not let go of her sister, but something was wrong. Lulu had been putting much effort to keep her little legs moving, although Tia could feel her blue arm limping, and soon enough will slip out of her hooves, caught right under the blade of the crazy pony trying to kill them.

“Slow down!” cried Lulu.

“We can’t slow down! Not now!”

Tia saw a ladder on a wall, out of the dim electric light of the sewer. She hauled Lulu up, then climbed up. Lulu looked down, catching a glimpse of the masked murderer below. He hoists his giant axe behind his back, then starts climbing. Seeing him almost made Lulu lose her grip. “I told you not to look!” yelled Tia.

The girls climbed to the top, reaching the metal seal of the sewer hole. She tried to lift the seal using her little blue arms. “Tia, help!” she cried.

A hoof caught hold of one of Tia’s hind legs. The masked maniac grunted, which soon turned into a menacing snicker. She used her other leg to kick him, to no effect. “Leave her alone!” shouted Lulu.

Tia held onto the ladder with a tight grip. However, the masked pony may succeed in pulling her down. Suddenly, the struggling ceased. Although his face was concealed by the black mask, Tia could imagine the look of confusion on his face. The stallion looked down. A large hairy rat clung to his leg, crawling all the way to his face. He accidentally released his grip on Tia’s leg, then his hoof slipped from the ladder. He let out a deep roar, and he fell to the bottom of the sewer with a loud thud.

“Gross,” was all Tia could say.

She carefully climbed over Lulu, and helped her push the metal seal out of the way, then climbed out. They stood in the middle of the street, under the glowing lights of the buildings and street lamps of downtown Canterlot. How could the day become evening so quickly? It was only in the midafternoon when the crazy pony started chasing them. There was no time to think. Tia and Lulu dashed across the street, dodging oncoming traffic, finding safety at a sidewalk bench.

They sat for a while to catch up with their breathing, relieved that the terrible day was finally over. Tia heard her little sister crying softly to herself. Tia hugged her. She felt like letting it out, too. She read about it somewhere that there are times ponies cry after surviving a distressful or life-threatening situation. Those ponies become emotional because they are lucky to be alive.

Something caught Tia’s eye when she looked up. She saw the Canterlot Continental Hotel just down the street from where they sat, just a mere walking distance.

“Our hotel is over there!” said Tia. She pulled Lulu from the bench.

Tia thought about their parents as they rushed down the city sidewalk, beating traffic lights before they turned red. She thought about their parents. They had to attend business meetings all day while she and Tia toured Canterlot. She wondered if they realized they had not returned to the hotel by now.

Something else also occupied her thoughts. There was something about the Tower of Doom that seemed so. . . familiar, like she had been there before. The idea blossomed inside her head. Tia could not remember seeing pictures or images of it before taking the trip to Canterlot. Still, entering the Tower felt like entering a distant memory, like having visions of a half-remembered dream. Why did it feel like that?

They pushed through a red uniformed doorpony as they entered the Canterlot Continental, and found themselves in a brightly-lit chandelier lobby. The fillies bumped into many ponies; Lulu nearly collided with a bellhop, almost knocking down a cart full of luggage. Tia searched the lobby for any sign of their mother and father.

“Where are they?” she muttered to herself. “Their meetings should be over by now.”

That’s when Tia got the idea to check the hotel room. Tia grabbed her sister’s arm and rushed her to an elevator. They caught it right before it closed. Tia pressed the button for the sixth floor.

Tia can feel the eyes of well-dressed, high class looking ponies in suits and dresses on them. A large mare in a red dress and nice dress stared at them in bewilderment; their fur and hair were dirty and unkempt, like they just crawled out of a sewer. She might have smelled a foul stench coming from them. Tia rolled her eyes. Let’s see you try to outrun a crazy axe-happy pony, she wanted to say to the mare.

The elevator door opened to the sixth. Tia and Lulu quickly let themselves out, running through the empty hall until they found Room 620. The door was closed. Tia knocked.

“Mom, dad? Are you inside?” she called out. There was no answer. She knocked again. Still no answer. “Mom, dad! Hello! Anypony in there?” Tia called out again. Her knocking turned into banging. After a while she stopped. Her hoof ached.

“Tia, I’m scared,” whimpered Lulu.

A hotel keeper came to their way after she turned a corner. She rolled a basket with a pile of neatly folded towels and washcloths inside of it. Tia ran up to her.

“Excuse me, do you have a key to that door?” she asked. “We don’t have one. Our parents are supposed to be in there, but they’re not. Can you help us out, please?”

The hotel keeper looked at the two fillies. They looked and smelled awful; so helpless and poor, so miserable like street urchins. And they were staying at a hotel like this? It was not possible. She had the idea of turning them away, although she relented, giving them the benefit of the doubt. The hotel keeper reached into her pocket. She unlocked the door with a set of keys.

“Thanks! You’re a lifesaver,” said Tia.

Tia turned on the light. To her surprise the room was empty. The beds were made, as though nobody had slept in them at all. The sisters searched everywhere; Tia looked in the bathrooms, which only recently changed towels, Lulu searched under the beds. All the closets had no traces of clothes or jackets, or any of dad’s neckties. Tia opened drawers and nightstands, hoping they left a note. Nothing at all. It was incredible. The hotel staff must be really efficient at their jobs.

“This is so weird,” said Tia dreadfully.

“Where’s mommy and daddy!” whined Lulu.

“Stay calm, okay? They’re still here. Mom and Dad are probably still at the meetings. Let’s go downstairs.”

Tia was frustrated, but tried to sound as reassuring as she could for her frightened sister. They cleaned themselves up in the bathroom. Afterward they entered an elevator, this time with other ponies (thank goodness), and made their way down the lobby, to the front desk.

“How may I help you?” asked the clerk. She seemed like a pleasant enough pony.

“You see, my family is staying at this hotel, in Room 620,” explained Tia. “They have to attend some business meetings while my sister and I toured the city. Well, let’s just say we had a really bad day. We’re trying to find our parents, but they’re not in 620. We figured they might be at their meetings or whatever, but we can't find any trace of them, not even a stupid note. Can you help us find them?”

The clerk nodded. She opened a large book, which Tia figured was the guest book. The clerk flipped through pages and pages. She stopped at one, then drew her hoof attentively, murmuring to herself. “Which room did you say you were staying in?” she asked.

“620,” answered Tia.

“According to the book, that room is vacant. Nopony has claimed it.”

TIa’s heart stopped. How can Room 620 be vacant? She tried not to freak out in front of Lulu. Her mind zigzagged into different directions; she did not know what to think.

“That’s impossible. We checked in this morning! I know we did. . . did we?”

Tia asked that question to herself.

Lulu went up to the clerk. “Please, please find my mommy!” Her eyes were big, glassy and full of terror, like she had seen something awful or had a bad dream.

“There’s no need to worry,” said the clerk. She spoke in that reassuring tone Tia used earlier. “We’ll try to get to the bottom of this.” She held a telephone to her ear and dialed a number. She had a conversation with someone on the other line that lasted for a couple of minutes, then she put the phone down when she mentioned business meetings happening at the hotel. “There are business meetings happening in some conference rooms right now,” she told the girls. “We might be able to locate them, we just need their names.”

Tia opened her mouth to speak. Something was wrong. She spent some moments thinking and thinking, digging deep in the back of her mind. She looked at Lulu, who was just as confused as she was. Her throat tightened.

“I. . . I don’t know their names,” said Tia.

Chapter 3

“I beg your pardon?” asked the clerk.

Tia’s mind went blank. Something was terribly wrong. How can she not remember her parents’ names? It is the craziest thing that can ever happen. There has to be a logical explanation. Tia figured that maybe she is still in shock from what happened. She calmed herself down and tried to clear her thoughts about the crazy pony, the sewer, the hotel room, and thought about her mother and father.

The masked pony is gone, she told herself. Everything is going to be fine. Now think about your mother. Her name is. . . her name is. . .

Nothing. Not even a nickname came up. None of this made any sense. But Tia did not give up just yet. She had an idea. What if she imagined what they looked like? She closed her eyes to conjure up an image of her mother.

Think, Tia, think! She thought to herself.

She could not think of anything. What is going on? Why can she not remember her parents?

“Tia, what’s wrong?” asked Lulu.

“I-I don’t know,” stammered Tia. “I can’t remember our parents.”

“What do you mean?!” cried Lulu.

The clerk and Tia exchanged confused looks. Tia suspects the mare behind the desk must think she is crazy, or some silly filly trying to pull a prank on them. The look of panic on their faces said otherwise. Lulu was so shaken by what was happening that she looked like she might start crying. Tia wanted to say something, to both the clerk and her sister. How can she explain this? How can anyone explain what is happening to her?

“Miss, I don’t feel so good,” she finally said.

The desk clerk suggested that she and Lulu take a seat in the dining room. She promised the fillies that she will locate their parents, wherever they are. Their stomachs rumbled. They have not had a meal since early afternoon, and running for their lives from a masked killer pony worked up an appetite.

The girls found an empty table in the dining hall covered in white tablecloth, silver lined up by size on either side of the dinner plates. Lulu fiddled with them for a short time. They sat under brightly-lit chandeliers that hung from the white ceiling like Hearth’s Warming ornaments, surrounded by mares and gentlecolts in suits and dresses. A string quartet played classical music on stage, although nopony in the room paid attention. Strangely enough, both of them felt out of place.

Tia looked at the surrounding tables. The food the ponies ate seemed more expensive than their suits and dresses. She searched her saddlebag, finding only a few bits. Hopefully it will be enough to order an appetizer, if it does not cost too much.

A waiter appeared out of thin air, requesting their order. Minutes later he returned to their table with a platter of hors d’oeuvres, little sandwiches and cheese crackers. They were so small, not nearly enough to fill their empty stomachs. Still, it was the only thing they could eat at the moment. They ate in silence.

Tia was never a fan of classical music, but it was soothing enough to help her clear her mind. She closed her eyes and thought of her parents. After a minute of thinking, nothing came up. Lulu looked up from her food, noticing her big sister did not look well.

“Lulu, I need you to do something for me. Think about mom. Close your eyes and think about our mother. Think as hard as you can,” said Tia.

Lulu did exactly as she was told. She closed her eyes. She tried to imagine the color of her hair, the softness of her coat, her kind and beautiful eyes. Only. . . something was not right. What did her mother look like? Was she tall or short? Did she have blue eyes or green eyes? Did she look more like Tia or herself?

“Lulu?” said Tia.

Lulu opened her eyes. She felt horrible, like having a nightmare she could not wake up from. “I don’t know what she looks like!” she said.

“Neither do I.”

“Oh Tia, what’s wrong with us?” wailed Lulu.

She closed her eyes again to conjure up an image of their mother and father. It was like someone had gone inside their minds and erased them. She heard Lulu’s voice cracking. She let out a few emotional bursts that caught the attention of some of the ponies in the dining hall. Tia put down the spoon. She held the little filly’s blue hoof. She wanted to say something to comfort her. What can she say? Tia’s thoughts scrambled all around inside her mind, like a tornado had picked them up for a violent spin.

“I think We’ve lost our memory,” she finally said. It was an awful revelation, but she tried not to sound too much in despair. Lulu laid her head on Tia’s side. “At least. . . we lost some parts of it. We still remember our names. We remember what hotel room we’re supposed to be in. We remember the reason why we came to Canterlot.”

Tia thought listing the things they could remember will make them feel better, but it did not. Something still bothered her, a creeping, lingering thought that hung in the back of her mind, a missing piece of a complicated puzzle. What was it?

How did they get to Canterlot?

Tia grabbed a spoon with her hoof. She stared at her reflection. Long pink hair, skin as white as the winter snow, slender neck, and a frown that went with her face.

“Where do we live?” she asked herself. “Do we live in a house? An apartment? A town or a city? Are we rich? Poor? Somewhere in between?” She found no answers to any of those questions. Nothing at all.

Oh my gosh! Tia thought. She caught her breath in her throat. I can’t remember yesterday! Or the day before, or the day before that!

Tia sat like a statue, a horrified look glued to her face. She did not know what to do with this shocking revelation. Who can she tell about this? Who would believe her? What will happen to them now? How can anyone help them?

Lulu had not been faring well, either. Not only was she faced with this devastating revelation that her mother and father - the very ponies whom she thought loved them and will always take care of them, did not exist, that strange sensation returned. She felt the same cold chill from when she arrived at the Tower of Doom sweep into the room. It gave her goosebumps. Who opened the window? Lulu looked about the dining room at the tall windows. None of them were open. The chill was stronger than before. She turned her attention to the front entrance. The white curtains flowed like an ominous cape.

She shook her sister’s white forearm, bringing her out of her deep introspection. “Tia, do you feel that?” Lulu’s voice was high-pitched like a frightened mouse when it saw a cat.

Tia was initially confused, then she slowly understood why her little seemed so afraid. Everything is different. Not just with what they learned about their lives, but everything around them. She did not feel the chill as her sister did, but something else that was equally terrifying. Somewhere in the air was an invisible force that was coming for them because of their discovery. And it was near.

From the corner of her eye Tia spotted a glass door near the stage. She wasted no time and grabbed Lulu’s arm. She pushed the door open. A few eyes were on them, probably wondering where the parents of those fillies were. The girls quickly pushed themselves through a white curtain behind the glass door, and found themselves in the middle of a dark corridor.

“Where are we?” asked Lulu.

Not even Tia was sure where they were. Maybe a hall used by the hotel staff, perhaps? It looked creepy. It did not look like a hall that would be in a five star hotel. like the type of place that characters in a horror story find themselves when they are chased by a maniac. The lights flickered and blinked, and the paint was peeling off the walls. That familiar cold chill returned. This time the sisters felt something at the same time. Whatever they felt was inside the dark hall. Tia tried to open the door they came through. It was locked.

“No, no, no,” Tia muttered frantically.

Some of the lights stopped flickering, going out completely, leaving them in the pitch black darkness. Lulu let out a terrified shriek. The fluorescent lights flickered on again, and the masked pony stood over them like a dark phantasm. The girls locked their fear-stricken gazes on him - unable to move, unable to scream, unable to run.

“I told you there is no escape from what is to come,” he snarled.

“Why are you chasing us?” squeaked Tia. “What do you want from us?”

The masked pony said nothing. With a swift move he pulled Lulu away, wrapping her around his big, strong forearm. Lulu screamed for help, then cried, prompting Tia to rescue her. The masked pony brought down his axe, making her skid to a stop. It struck the floor, cutting through the surface. The masked pony let it stay in its place. Tia felt the very air escape her lungs.

“Don’t hurt her!” pleaded Tia. She was on the verge of tears.

“If you value your lives, you will do good to surrender!” the pony growled. He tightened his grip on Lulu. She gasped for air. “There is nowhere to run now,” he declared.

“I’ll do anything you want! Just stop hurting her!” shouted Tia.

The masked pony loosened his forceful hold on Lulu, but not enough to let her get away. Tia cautiously gave herself to the pony, only to slightly hesitate when he detached his axe from the stabbed ground.

“Good,” he muttered. “Excellent. He will be pleased with this development.”

Tia looked up.

“He?” she repeated.

The masked pony raised his axe. Tia and Lulu closed their eyes, knowing this may be the end of their young lives. Instead, he uttered some words and phrases in a strange language neither of them understood. The axe glowed a sickly green light. The blade sliced through the air, creating a swirling portal.

“Move!” barked the pony.

Under the threat of the blade, the fillies stepped through the portal, into the blinding light, floating in an empty void. This must be a dream, Tia thought to herself. It has to be. This must be the part where I wake up. Please let me wake up.

Tia opened her eyes. Sadly she found herself still awake.

Chapter 4

Tia’s eyes remained closed as they stepped through the portal, and then the blinding light vanished. The fillies landed on a cold surface made of stone. The journey only lasted for a second, from one location to another.

“Up!” the masked pony barked.

Once again the girls were under the blade of his giant axe. The pony grabbed Tia, forcing her to stand. He did the same to her sister, who was lying on the ground seemingly unconscious. Tia heard Lulu let out a sharp gasp, then a whimper. It was too dark to know if he had hurt her.

Tia wondered if they were back at the Tower. Unlikely, she realized. A great and dark hall replaced the dark corridor of the hotel. Columns of pillars stood on either side with cracks on them. A few toppled over, lying sideways on the floor. Across the hall were piles upon piles of rubble from the ceiling. It looked more like a creepy temple than a torture chamber. Where did the portal lead them?

“This way!” ordered the pony.

“Where are you taking us?” asked Tia.

The pony never answered. He made a sound like the grunt of a wild beast.

The walk was long and silent through wherever they were. Lulu stayed close to Tia, looking all around her as if something monstrous will emerge from the shadows and darkness. To where the masked pony was taking them they did not know. Tia already knew they were not at the Tower, and yet there was something peculiar about this new location. Among the ruins was a glimpse of what it once was, the grandness it once had.

For a quick moment, something happened. Tia blinked - the entire interior changed. Golden light filled the hall, the floor crystal clear like a porcelain ocean. Chandeliers lined up the ceiling like the hotel dining room. The vision of the great hall faded just as it appeared, and once more she walked among the ruins. Tia shook her head. What just happened?

The masked pony led them to a large doorway. He glanced at the sisters, growling like an agitated dog. He opened the door.

Tia had another vision. She trotted into a room surrounded by happy and smiling guards, stained glass windows, and great seats at the other side which were occupied by two very important looking ponies. Tia might have believed they were smiling at her. She couldn’t help but smile back.

The vision ended, fading into a dark, desolate and cavernous chamber. The sound of hooves trudging the cold ground echoed throughout the black chamber. Ahead of them was a tall throne made of iron where a cloaked figure was seated.

Lulu huddled close to Tia. “Who is that?” she inquired fearfully.

The masked pony trotted only a few inches from the throne. He laid his axe on the ground and bowed.

“My Lord, I have returned,” he announced.

“Rise, Lord Thorbane,” said the pony on the throne. His voice was like rusty nails on a chalkboard.

Air escaped Tia’s lungs. Lord Thorbane had been chasing them all this time. She thought back to the tour guide, and how he explained the horrible things he’s done to innocent ponies. Another horrible thought crossed her mind. If the masked pony is Lord Thorbane, then the cloaked pony must be. . . She held Lulu close to her, tightening her grip. She hoped to protect her from what is to come.

The cloaked pony rose from his throne. Tia heard Lulu gasp. The little pony brought herself closer to older sister. They can feel the pony’s eyes under the cloak watching them, examining them, even though his face is concealed.

“Lord Thorbane,” he finally said. “You have done well. . . for an imbecile.”

“My Lord,” Thorbane began to say. There was a slight change in his gravelly tone. He did not speak with the dread and menace that his voice carried. “I have brought the lost princesses to you. Are you pleased with my work?”

Tia and Lulu glanced at each other. Princesses? What is he talking about? They’re not princesses - they don’t have wings or horns. Neither of them had their cutie marks.

The cloaked pony was silent. “Yes, you have brought the Royal Daughters to me,” he replied. Then with a loud and angry voice he said “It’s also because of you that they have escaped from the Tower!” Thorbane continued to bow. “What has transpired is because of your negligence and folly! You are fortunate enough to have completed your task, or else I would have had you locked up in the Tower with the other filthy prisoners!”

“Yes, Emperor Sentarion,” answered Thorbane.

“There must be some kind of mistake!” said Tia. “We’re not princesses, we’re just-”

“SILENCE!” shouted Sentarion. “You speak only when spoken to, child!”

“I’m telling you, we’re not princesses! We’re just ordinary fillies! You have to believe me!” pleaded Tia.

Emperor Sentarion slowly rose from his throne. He stood like an elderly stallion, frail and weak. For a moment he only gazed at them with eyes they could not see under the hood.

A red magical aura surrounded him, then Tia and Lulu were lifted off the ground with the same magical aura enveloping them. Neither of them could move their limbs, like being wrapped around an invisible hand. Magic propelled them forward in front of Emperor Sentarion, whose face remained hidden underneath the shadow of his cloak. He inspected their fear laced faces, Tia especially.

“Yes,” he said slowly. He let out a long stretch of breath, like he was on his deathbed. “I see the souls of the King and Queen in your eyes. You have royal blood flowing through your veins. Your mother and father have raised you well,” he continued. “Now your power shall be mine!”

“Please! We’re not royalty!” said Tia. The magical grip of Sentarion was so strong she could barely get her words out. “We don’t even know who we are! You got the wrong ponies! Let us go!”

The beams of magic grew brighter. A surge of energy struck their nerves. The sisters writhed in pain, feeling as if the creepy pony was trying to steal their souls, like a vacuum being run through their insides. Tia begged him to stop.

Suddenly, Tia gagged as Sentarion’s magical grip forced itself around her neck, cutting her air supply. She closed her eyes. When Tia opened them she no longer saw the dark hooded pony, but a tall stallion clad in silver armor from head to hoof, with a flowing red cape on his back. The red swirl of magic surrounded him. His eyes were fixed on her with murderous intent. Tia caught a glimpse of an object hanging on his neck, which also seemed to glow that terrible red aura.

Tia closed her eyes, feeling the life being sucked out of her from the strangling. She opened her eyes once more, and the reaper-like figure appeared. Sentarion muttered some phrases she didn’t understand under his breath. It sounded similar to what Lord Thorbane was saying when he took them through the portal. Once in a while he paused, then continued the incantation. After a few moments he shift gazes from Tia to Lulu. The red swirls of magic withered away, releasing the sister. They fell on the hard surface on their backs.

Tia lied on the floor unable to move, slowly trying to breathe. Lulu helplessly crawled toward her, lying her blue head on her older sister’s white chest. Her whimpers turned into quiet sobs. “What did you do to my sister?” screamed Lulu.

Sentarion opened his wrinkled and scarred mouth, letting out a breath of hollow air. He stared at his deformed hooves. “I am still weak,” he croaked.

Tia had been slipping in and out of consciousness. She felt her young sister’s tiny hooves try to shake her awake, but her voice sounded far away. Knowing that magic was real sent shockwaves throughout her aching body. Tia wanted to believe so desperately everything that has happened up to this moment must be an awful nightmare, or a hallucination, or her imagination running wild. Even as the dark world around her grew evermore darker, she hoped she’d wake up in her own bed, with her sister and parents by her side, returning from the void of their lost memories.

Sentarion watched Lulu cry over her sister. Such a pathetic scene, he thought to himself. The youngest one always cried, even when he ordered them to be locked in the Tower. The terrible thought crossed the dark recesses of his mind. He ordered Lord Thorbane to stand up. Sentarion filled his weak lungs with the dusty air of the chamber.

“The transformation must be completed,” he wheezed. “The magic of the sisters must be reawakened.”

“I shall force the wizard to undo what he did,” said Thorbane. “Under threat of my blade.”

“Yes. . . take them to the Tower. Restore their power. Time is of the essence.” He inhaled again, then struggled to speak, almost as though the next words he tried to say were stuck in his throat. “I must be rejuvenated, or else my soul will be forfeited to the Great Darkness.”

Lord Thorbane said nothing. He gave a look to his frail master. “Yes my Lord. It shall be done,” he finally said.

The masked pony swiped Tia off the ground and placed her on his back, while holding a forceful grip on Lulu. The blue filly screamed and banged her hooves against Thorbane. He turned around and raised his axe over her head. “Shut up, girl!” he growled. She remained silent while Thorbane led them out of the ruined castle, to the black wagon that waited for them outside.

Tia slowly opened her eyes, and when her blurry vision became clear, she realized she was lying on Thorbane’s back. The pain from Sentarion’s assault subsided from her body, but gained a splitting headache as she regained consciousness. Ever since she and Lulu arrived at this strange place visions flashed through her mind. Visions of what, she did not know. She could only remember a few of the fleeting images - smiling ponies, a great castle, a stallion and mare. . . looking at her with love; and another stallion in a suit of armor. . . looking at her with hate.

Tia turned her head. Thorbane was leading them to a creepy-looking wagon. She heard her sister whimpering. A powerful feeling burned inside her. Her forearms, and soon her entire body shook - not from fear, but from loathing. She didn’t know how or why she became Fate’s little plaything, why everything she knew and loved was taken from her in a single evening. Loathing grew into hate. She hated the way Emperor Sentarion treated them, and her hatred especially grew for the masked pony, Lord Thorbane. He ruined what was supposed to have been her special day with her sister.

She raised her white forelegs and tugged at his black mask, and pulled it back. Lord Thorbane leapt in circles, kicked his hindlegs in the air and grunt and roared like a raging bull. He tried to shake Tia off him. She caught Lulu staring at her.

“Run!” she screamed.

Lulu wanted to protest, only for her older sister to scream at her again. The little blue filly ran off, which gave Tia enough time to keep Thorbane leaping in circles. I’ll catch up with you, I promise! Tia said to herself. She hoped, somehow, Lulu heard her.

Tia tried to remove the black mask from Thorbane’s face. He grabbed her hooves with one strong arm. “No!” he roared. He pulled her off his back, then stood on his hindlegs, holding Tia by the arm like a ragdoll.

“I don’t know why Sentarion won’t let me kill you,” he said.

He reached for his axe. Thinking quickly, she kicked him in the stomach. The sudden force of the kick made him lose his grip on Tia, and immediately she ran down the dirt road. She tried not to look back, and if she thought she heard hooves galloping after her, she only ran faster, until she tripped on a root and tumbled on the ground. Tia tried to stand - pain stung her right hindleg. She looked up and saw some houses ahead of the road. She limped towards the small village.

She didn’t receive a warm welcome when she arrived at the village. Most of them looked at her strangely. When Tia tried to ask for help, they only turned away. Others looked as though they didn’t understand her. She approached a stallion for help, speaking to him as clearly as she could. He only had a stunned reaction, his open mouth not making a sound. Tia limped toward a group of fillies playing, only to gallop away when she came too close.

Tia heard frightened shrieks from not too far away. Lord Thorbane had arrived at the village. She looked around to see many of the villagers were closing and locking their doors and windows. A young red-haired mare holding her foal rushed past her toward a nearby house. Tia followed her, calling her out.

“Please, hide me! Don’t let him find me!” she pleaded.

“Away with you!” retorted the mare.

“Please, I’m only a filly! I can’t be taken away! You gotta help me, please!”

The mare was ready to turn Tia away, but she looked so helpless. What crime was she guilty of to have Lord Thorbane come after her? The young mare lifted her eyes, seeing the village empty of ponies, and a black wagon pulling to a stop. She held her foal close. She let Tia inside, then quickly shut the door before he could notice the tiny home. It smelled of fish. The mare placed her foal inside its small crib, then instructed Tia to climb inside a kindling basket. There was loud banging on the door just as she placed the lid on top.

Tia crouched inside the straw box. She could move any of her limbs. Her heart pounded against her chest, then she realized she could hear herself panting. She tried to stop herself; she didn’t want Lord Thorbane to find her. Tia wondered where her sister ran off to. Did she manage to get away? Had she found shelter? Hopefully she hadn’t gone too far. She’s okay, Tia thought to herself. I’ll find her soon. All I have to do is wait.

There was a loud banging at the door. Tia held her breath.

“Give me the girl,” demanded Thorbane.

“I don’t know no girl,” answered the mare.

The cottage was silent, not even Tia could hear the harsh breathing of the masked pony. She heard his hoofsteps as he wandered about the cottage. Shivers ran up her spine when she felt his presence standing over the basket.. She continued to hold her breath.

“There girl is here,” he growled. “Where is she?”

The mare tried to sound convincing. “I have seen no girl,” she said.

Thorbane glared at her, not saying a word. He approached the small crib, noticing a slight reaction from the young mother. He picked the foal from its crib, drawing a dagger from his side. The young mare let out an ear-piercing shriek. She begged Thorbane to release her foal.

“Bring me the girl. . . or this foal shall taste the blade,” he snarled.

The young mare had no choice. She opened the lid to the kindling basket. She gave an apologetic look to Tia.

“I’m sorry child,” she sobbed.