It was a stormy day and the pegasi managed to erupt the worst rain in years. Rain pouring down by the gallons, lighting and thunder rolls followed each other almost in a heartbeat. Somewhere just outside of Ponyville, there was a funeral being held. Its attendees were not caring for the raging storm in the slightest. If anything, they found it fitting for it all.
“May the night skies be kind to her. For she never deserved any of this. Goodbye, Cheerilee,” a preacher spoke towards the ponies who were present. The robed stallion looked at the ponies who came to the funeral and all of them were crying their eyes out next to the rain. Tears that were being shed for their passed away and beloved teacher. And slowly was the coffin being placed in the grave whereas the fillies lined up behind each other to pay one last honor to her. One by one they went by.
“We will miss ya miss Cheerilee. Ya were the best teacher we ever had,” the young but strong Applejack said. She held her hat against her chest with a hoof.
“Nopony can ever replace you Cheerilee, nopony,” spoke Rainbow Dash while tears had been built up in her eyes. The grieve she felt for the teacher was something she never felt before.
“We all, miss you, so very much...” was all Fluttershy could say. After that was she unable to keep herself anymore. She had begun to cry a river. The rain that streamed down her face was not able to hide or mask the falling tears.
Pinkie didn't even say anything as she just cried a river. Last but not least, there was Rarity. “Cheerilee, you were always there for us. To help us and this, this is how it ends now... I’m sorry teacher. I really am.”
As the fillies passed the coffin, it sank deeper into the soils of the earth. All of them went back to their seats. There they would have only begun to sob deep against each other.
The grave was would be closed and the tombstone revealed. One that spoke the following words: Here rests Cheerilee, beloved teacher, may her soul rest in peace. All the fillies paid one last respect to their passed away teacher, before going home with the parents or caretakers. That day truly was, the darkest day of the them all.
---
The calendar wrote that very same day. Only difference was that it was a decade and a half later. The fillies had all grown up into the mares. All of them were known in the quiet town of Ponyville because of what they did. Though every year, they still paid their respects to their fallen teacher. What was unknown to them, was the fact that that very year things will take turns for them all. Turns that were for the worst.
“So here we are again, Cheerilee. All those years have passed and we still remember you. You will never leave our hearts, not until we are finally joined together up there. We all can only hope you found rest among the night skies,” spoke Rarity with a tremble in her voice. All the others were crying to much around her grave to say something. The seamstress went silent as well. Soon enough there were streams of tears who ran down her cheeks.
They all cried for hours while they remembered the times they had with their teacher. It were happy memories that flooded their minds and souls. Each of them spoke about those times like they were yesterday. Sharing a laugh every now and then, before the tears took over again. None of them truly had processed the loss of their beloved teacher.
---
As the sun set and the moon rose, the graveyard become a creepy place to be. A faint fog had crawled up. A thing that caused everypony to look up at the scenery and then to each other. “You know, this is mighty creepy,” stated Applejack before she looked towards it. Fluttershy curled herself up in fear and Pinkie tried to comfort her by patting her on the back.
“Probably just Twilight pulling a prank on us for once,” answered Rainbow in a tough voice. She tried to remain on top, but even she was shaking to her soul.
“Rainbow Dash! Twilight wouldn't do such a thing. She knows how important Cheerilee was for us. And still is,” growled Rarity in return. The annoyance was revealed greatly towards the pegasus. It was a shame that the comforting thought of it being a prank had been busted. Which meant they had to face the harsh reality of their situation.
“I know, but, it could be, right?” answered the cyan coated pegasus while she shook in pure fear. She was unable to face the facts as they would be.
“It is alright, Fluttershy, we are still here. There is nothing to be afraid of,” spoke Pinkie in a soft tone. All in order or attempting to comfort the curled up, other pegasus of the group. Fluttershy managed to calm herself down some more. Only after that would she have uncurled herself. But the pink mare saw it in her eyes that she was really afraid for that too come.
“Ah think it is best to go home, together,” said Applejack with confidence in her voice. Even she was scared to death itself, she didn’t wanted to admit it though. Everypony nodded before they all crawled back up on their hooves. Fluttershy was having some trouble, but the reassuring face of Pinkie did help a lot. They were more than ready to go home.
The cowgirl went first followed by the rest. Though the more they ventured onward, the thicker the fog managed to become. Up to the point where they couldn’t see a thing in front of them.
All of the sudden was there the sound of fillies laughing that fell in their ears. A joyfully laughter. A sound that scared the living daylight out of everypony. Fluttershy started to scream in fear and each of them ran through the mist all across the graveyard. Until they all met each other again by one tombstone that was broken down.
“What in tarnation? Did we walk in circles?” Applejack asked herself aloud and confused as her eyes fell on everypony.
“Apparently, we did,” Rarity managed to speak even though she was still scared for her life.
“Everypony, take a look at this!” yelled Pinkie after she had hopped a bit forward. Her eyes had investigated the words that stood upon the stone. The pink earth pony had tried her best to read through the thick fog. “...-ed teacher. May her soul rest in peace,” she mumbled up.
Everypony's eyes became big when they heard the words. The broken down tombstone happened to be the stone of their teacher, Cheerilee. Fluttershy began to cry because of the fear that raced through her and Pinkie got scared for her life as she began to shiver, Rainbow curled up, Applejack and Rarity held each other in fear.
Through the fog there were those creepy, joyful laughs heard once again as some singing filled the already creepy atmosphere. “One, two, she’s coming for you. Three, four, better lock your door. Five, six, grab your crucifix. Seven, eight, stay up late. Nine, ten, never sleep again.” The voices erupted into a laughed once again. They faded away, back into the darkness of the mist.
It was that little moment that got everypony spooked. None of them wanted to spend another second on the ghostly ground. Which resulted in them running around like a chicken without a head. They didn't care where they could go to. As long as it just wasn't the cursed graveyard, they were happy. They had to leave, no matter what.
Thanks to a miracle had each of them reached the gate and parted their ways to head home. All while the fog cleared up as they left. Each of the mares made it to their home safely and tried to sleep for the dreaded night. Though given what happened, that was something which was easier said than actually done. Nopony could have escaped the grasp of the night though. Over time did they all fall asleep in their beds.
---
While the night made way for the morning, Rarity was the first one to wake up. Her eyes opened themselves and every single bone felt as if it was disjointed. Despite the rest, she still was tired. The mare managed to hoist herself straight up in the bed and cracked everything within her body. She then rubbed her eyes. The mare used her magic to open the curtains, revealing the faint moonlight.
Her dulled out, sapphire blue rims fell upon the clock as she tried to read the time. “Five in the morning? My goodness, no wonder I feel so broken,” she mumbled to herself. She left her warm and comfortable bed and would trade it in for the cold bathroom.
When the unicorn rose back up from splashing some water in her face, her eyes fell in the mirror to have a better look. A blinked a couple of times. After the fifth blink did she a figure. One that stood behind her, shrouded in the darkness of the bathroom. She could only make out the shape of a pony that stood on its hind legs.
That image alone terrified the mare. She quickly called upon her magic to relit the candles. In a split second did she turn herself around in order to see the mysterious visitor. But when she looked, there was nopony to be seen. “W-What in..? I, I swear to...” The unicorn then slowly turned herself back to the mirror. There where she gazed in a set of light green eyes for a split second. The eyes were enough to let her jump against the back wall of the bathroom. Only to have a scream of terror leave her lungs. Rarity had become terrified for everything and everyone.
Faster than Rainbow would take off into the skies, Rarity galloped back to her bed. She hid herself under the comfort of the blankets were she let seconds become minutes and minutes become hours. She just laid there, shivering in utter fear for what she saw. She didn’t make plans to leave soon enough. It wouldn’t happen. She wouldn’t come out for anything.
---
With the passing of hours there was a sudden and loud knocking on the front door. The sounds did their turn through the entire boutique. Rarity got again the scare of her life. She hadn’t expected it and the mare took the blankets away from her head. Her eyes fell upon the clock and she tried to read the time. “Ten, in the morning,” she whispered to herself before the head was shaking.
The unicorn gathered all her guts. After which she stepped out of the comfort of her bed with care. Only to gallop passed the bathroom. To her it felt like some evil demon was housed there. Her hooves clattered on the steps of the staircase as she quickly made her way down the stairs and ran up to the front door before carefully opening it.
She was met by the warm rays of the sun but also a terrified Applejack and Rainbow Dash. “R-R-Rarity, can be c-c-come in, please?” asked Rainbow. She seemed deadly pale. Rarity didn't say anything and just let the both of them enter without a question. The cowgirl and the daredevil made their way to the living room. They took place on the couch and the unicorn closed the door before she took place in her chair.
“R-R-Rarity, this morning, Ah, Ah saw a figure... In mah mirror,” said Applejack. “But, there w-w-was nopony there...” There was a shiver down her spine when she remembered the events.
“I-I had the same,” said Rainbow in a terrified tone.
“I, h-have seen it too...” Rarity confessed.
The both of them looked to the ivory mare, shocked and even more terrified than they already did. “W-W-We need to, to go to Pinkie and Fluttershy,” managed Applejack to bring forth. It was obvious that she tried to gather her guts.
Both Rainbow and Rarity nodded and quickly made their way over to the door before it was being followed up by the calm streets of Ponyville until they saw SugarCube Corner and a scared to death pink coated earth pony mare.
All three of them explained what they saw and the pink mare nodded, like she had seen it as well before she replied through her tears. “I saw it too, it wanted to kill me!”
“We know sugarcube, it tried us all, but we need to check on Fluttershy now, are ya coming with us?” said Applejack in a caring voice. Yet deep within it, the fear could be heard.
The pink mare nodded but wasn't her usual happy self. No, that Pinkie was gone and replaced by a terrified version of her. All of them turned around and began to walk down the streets once more, leaving the little town for a small forest path leading to the lonely home of the yellow coated pegasus.
---
When they finally reached the cottage, something was wrong, terribly wrong. No birds sang their song, no creatures roamed around, no nothing was to be found around the place.
The only sound that filled the area was a soft sobbing. One that came from inside the building. The door stood wide open and all four of them quietly went inside on the tips of their hooves. None of them was willing to disturb anypony who might be here yet the shaking on their legs never seemed to stop.
Everypony looked up in pure horror when their eyes saw the cottage from the inside. It was just one big mess. Almost like Fluttershy had been fighting with somepony. A scenario that seemed highly unlikely for a mare of her calibers. “Stay here y’all, Ah'll look upstairs,” the cowgirl spoke. Before anypony could argue, she was already on the steps of the stairs.
Applejack made her way up with care. Once she reached the second floor, she inspected every single room there was. In most of the rooms it was quiet and clean, but the sobbing came closer with each passed room.
In the end there was only one room left and that was the room where the sobbing came from. Applejack carefully opened the door and allowed her eyes to look inside. To fall on a blood covered blanket with the sobbing pegasus on it.
“F-F-Fluttershy? What, what happened here, sugarcube? W-What happened, to you?” Those were the only words that she could bring out to the situation.
The pegasus kept sobbing softly. Yet she managed to say her words through her tears. “She, she got me... I don’t have much time, left...” The calming, yet terrified voice of Applejack was instantly recognized by her. That alone was why she spoke her reply. Though the truth of the situation was something that couldn’t be understood at all.
“Wait, she, who, Fluttershy?” Applejack asked as she came closer and closer to the mare.
“She, wants, revenge... On, all of us...” the grayish yellow coated pegasus spoke softly.
“Revenge? On us? Who?” Applejack asked again as she stood next to her bed and took a good look at the curled up mare.
Fluttershy knew she was there and that she couldn't hide it anymore. With a lot of moans from pain did she uncurled herself. Only to show a cut. One that went all the way from her chest to her underbelly. The cowgirl shivered in fear at the sight of it and looked into Fluttershy’s eyes. She took notice that the normal color was gone. A dull color replaced it and she had bags under her eyes, indicating she had been awake a long time.
“Applejack... L-Leave, please,” was all the pegasus could say before her eyes closed themselves from the world once again. Applejack removed her hat to pay her respects to her.
---
The pegasus mare then opened her eyes again and blinked a couple of times to get her sight correct again. But only to reveal to herself that she was in a place unknown to her. She was in a part of the forest that was hidden deep away. Mist surrounded her area and the cold, almost cruel wind cut through her coat like sharp knives.
She was truly scared of what might happen next. Her eyes fell on her belly which was still cut open and bleeding quite the bit. But her attention was caught by something, a sound that went through marrow and bone.
“Welcome back, dear Fluttershy, did you finish your drawings?” a voice asked through the mist. A voice which was calm yet eerie. A voice that was unable to be identified.
Fluttershy’s cyan rimmed eyes became as small as possible upon hearing the voice. She seemed to recognize just who it was. “No miss, I didn't,” was the only answer she could give.
“And just why, didn't you do it? It was your homework for the weekend, remember?” the voice spoke up again. It appeared to have been a lot closer to her.
Fluttershy began to sob even harder before she squeaked her words. “I know miss, but I forgot them, I truly forgot them!”
“Now, now, now, there this no need to cry, little Fluttershy,” the voice said. The volume gave away that it had almost appeared right in front of her.
The mare suddenly felt a hoof being laid on her shoulder. Her eyes peeked at the hoof with care and through the tears. She noticed the fact that it was all burned up but managed to make out a purplish coat of some kind. “I’m sorry miss, I truly am, I shall never, ever do it again,” the pegasus spoke through her loud sobbing. She was terrified for her life, afraid she would lose it on the spot.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Be quiet now, my dear Fluttershy.” The pegasus held her mouth and sobbed softly, only to have felt a sharp pain in her chest. Her eyes left the hoof and gazed upon her body but only to burst out in a scream of agony followed by more tears flowing down her cheeks.
For out of her chest there were two blades that were sticking out while the blood dripped itself from them and into the soft grass. A couple gasps left her mouth before her head hang itself, for she was losing her consciousness. The blades retracted from her body and the figure just smiled and began to walk away as her body dropped to the ground, losing blood fast.
---
Applejack had watched in utter horror to the sight before her, the body of Fluttershy moving on its own, it was indescribable for her. “Everypony, up here, now!” she yelled in desperation. Soon enough had all the others came upstairs. Only to see the happened events with their own eyes.
“Applejack! Did you do this to her!?” yelled Rainbow in a confronting and terrified voice.
“Rainbow, ya know Ah would never do something like that. Ah am not involved, she was lying on her bed, then she went out and said something about being sorry, something she forgot to do. And this, this happened. Something killed her,” the cowgirl managed to explain to the best of her ability on shaky legs. “I-In her sleep.”
Nopony could believe it that Fluttershy was gone. She was somehow killed by somepony. Pinkie started to think through her fears and after some time she spoke her thoughts. “How did your figures look like? If it is the same, maybe we can figure this out before, anypony pony else passes away.” All of them looked to each other because they never expected those words to leave her.
Nonetheless, one by one did they told their story. An earth pony mare who was all burned up as she wore a hat and a glove. A glove that carried two knives on it, standing on her hind legs, making herself taller than most ponies. But the worst part, those green irises that pierced through their souls. Everypony was shocked now and said one name at the same time. “Cheerilee!?”
“But, how?” Applejack dared to ask.
“How can she, we saw her...” was all Rainbow could say before she started to shake on her legs again.
“This is unbelievable...” spoke Rarity before she placed a hoof before her mouth.
Pinkie Pie didn't say anything. She was too terrified to speak. Frozen on the spot.
Rarity removed her hoof again and looked towards the orange coated earth pony. She didn’t wanted to ask the question, but felt like she had to. That one question, could have saved them all. “Applejack, what happened to her... before she got killed?” the seamstress asked with great care.
“She fell asleep,” answered Applejack. But only after she came by from the scare and revelation. The cowgirl had to recollect her mind on the matter deep. Which was something she didn't wanted to do. She couldn’t bare seeing those lifeless eyes before her.
Then it was the unicorn who begun to think deep about everything that happened. Last night, the morning, every single time was taken into account. Until she had a spark. A spark of insanity, one could have called it. “That is it then... And remember the song? Nine, ten, never sleep again? We need to do that. There is no other way,” the mare explained.
“Are you crazy, Rarity! Nopony can go without sleep forever!” Pinkie managed to speak.
“If you have another plan, I am happy to hear it, Pinkie!” Rarity replied in a rather annoyed tone towards her. “This is the best I can come up with for the time being!”
Then it was Pinkie who got hit by a wall. Not even she could come up with anything else except the proposed plan. And she finally did agree with Rarity, as did the others. The question then was how? How did they plan on staying up forever? Or would their fate be sealed much earlier than thought?
---
All the remaining mares had gathered at Carousel Boutique for the first night. One which luckily went pretty easy. Pinkie fell a couple times lightly asleep but the others woke her up as soon as they noticed, they played mind games to keep themselves awake. Brain crackers of riddles did their turns as Rainbow and Pinkie played some board games in order to keep themselves awake. With the occasional cursing of a sailor from Rainbow’s side.
“We must tell Twilight about this mess one day. I mean, if we don’t sleep, we become slower, and she'll wonder about it, she’ll ask questions of herself,” said Rarity before she gazed out of the window. On top of the hills did she notice the first rays of sunlight. They had survived the night.
“We can’t tell her, remember. She is gone with her family for a couple weeks. Some sort of family reunion from what Ah heard,” replied Applejack with a tired voice. She had turned her head towards the unicorn from the chair she sat in.
“Applejack is right, Rarity. Twilight is gone for a couple weeks. And now with Fluttershy dead, I don’t know it anymore,” added Rainbow while Pinkie was resetting the game. The pegasus glanced over to the unicorn from an upside down position.
Rarity released a deep sigh and replied. Only after her eyes were removed themselves from the window. “So it is just the four of us against her then... this is going to be just bloody fantastic.”
Everypony nodded to it and made themselves ready to leave the boutique. All in order to begin on the day ahead, to do their jobs. Applejack went to the Acres, Rainbow controlled the weather, Pinkie went to Sugarcube Corner and Rarity stayed in her boutique. But none of them dared to fall asleep. Because if they did, they would be dead. Literally.
---
Thankfully did the dreadfully long day made way for the early evening. Which for the four of them heralded another sleepless night ahead. The second time around, they stayed at Sweet Apple Acres but all of them were as tired as they could be. For over forty-eight hours had they gone without sleep. A thing which caused them to be mentally worn out. “Rarity, don’t you know a spell, to make us, less tired or something?” Rainbow asked before she yawned all over the place from behind the board game she and Pinkie were playing again.
“I am sorry, Rainbow, I do not. Never been that talented in magic, remember,” the ivory unicorn responded from behind her book.Rarity had turned into mare who had massive bags under her eyes. The effects of the sleepless nights had already become visible to them.
“Well, here we are again. Ah have plenty of coffee to hold us awake,” said Applejack who brought the mugs into the living room. Everypony took a cup and prepared themselves for yet another sleepless night.
“You mares are crazy... I'm off to hit the hay, just keep it quiet for Granny, alright?” said Big Macintosh when heard the plan of the mares. He shook his head before going up the stairs but little did he know about why they were staying awake. Though the ponies simply nodded to keep the sound down and wished him a goodnight in return.
Slowly the night crawled passed them and they did everything to stay awake. They would be playing games, reading stories or even telling each other tales. Somehow had they managed to pull it off once more. When the hours had crawled by, the had survived another night of no sleep. The real problems would only begin from there on out though.
Because of the facts that the dangers of lack of sleep kicked in. Each of them felt that fine line between dream and reality had become dangerously thin, if not non-existent already. It would only be a matter of time from then onward before the first one falls asleep.
---
Once again did they all went to their homes and work. Pinkie went to Sugarcube Corner where she started to work on her most famous cupcakes as she tried to keep herself awake. But the poor pinkish coated pony just couldn't hold it anymore. She took a look in the newspaper which had the death of Fluttershy on the front page.
She tried her best to read it, but placed the paper aside in the end. The party pony was just too tired to do anything. It was on the middle of the day that she collapsed. The pink pony closed her eyes and fell asleep, deeper than ever before.
Though when Pinkie opened her eyes again, they fell upon a burned out Sugarcube Corner. Her attention quickly turned to herself and she inspected her body from mane to horseshoe. Only to discover that she wasn't even scratched, but something told her that it was not good at all.
Soon enough there was a scream to be heard in her ears. One that came from the burned out basement. The mare swiftly made her way over to the staircase and descended down the scorched steps. Yet each step she took, caused her to be fearing more for the sights she would encounter in the place itself.
When Pinkie finally did reach it, her horrors came more than true. For the basement was the one from the many stories she had heard. The horror story about her alter ego had become a reality. The place where Pinkamena always worked to make her flesh cupcakes. The cyan eyes went over the horrible place. They fell on the Cakes which were hanging in the air with the help of some flesh hooks. The both of them were cut open, their guts were just hanging there. In the eyes of Pinkie it seemed like they were just slaughtered cattle.
That same Pinkie dared to take a step forward in order to inspect it up close for herself. But only for a door to close and shut tight behind her. Taken by surprise, she looked around for another way around but couldn't discover any. "Oh no..."
“Welcome back, Pinkie. I have missed you so much. You always made the whole class laugh, remember?” a creepy voice spoke from an unknown direction as it appeared to be all over the place.
“W-W-What do you want from me? What have I ever done wrong to you?” Pinkie asked terrified. Her eyes peeked around the entire place. She wanted to find the origin of the voice.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. You still don’t know, who I am now do you?” the body of miss Cake spoke all of the sudden. The pink pony gazed upon it only to shiver in utmost terror as the screams just couldn't leave her mouth.
---
But out of the body's torn open wounds, there appeared a figure. One that came through the cut given to the belly and revealed to be a burned, hat wearing figure. The face was covered due to the fact that it looked downwards. Though it rose up and gazed into the eyes of the terrified mare. “Hello Pinkie, remember me?” the figure asked with a smirk.
“Teacher, Cheerilee?” was all she could say.
The figure gave her a confirming nod. “Yes Pinkie, I... So many years have passed, and you just couldn't forget me... One of you foals could.”
“What, what do you mean? You were our teacher, we could never forget you,” said Pinkie.
“Still as foolish as always,” answered Cheerilee before she made a step closer.
“Are you, going to kill me?” Pinkie asked scared for her life.
“Maybe, maybe not, I always liked you as a student. But you're as dumb as a rock,” replied Cheerilee cold. She rose up further on her hind legs. The burned mare would have begun to make her way over to the pink mare. She scraped the blades of her glove over the metal tables, creating a most uncomfortable sound. With a slow pace did Cheerilee walked to Pinkie. She wanted to see the mare cower in fear before. She wanted to see her become mad, driven mad by fear itself.
“You always loved cupcakes, didn't you? You always loved sweets to begin with. You were even prepared to kill your friends to make them...” she said taunting as she came closer and closer.
Pinkie shook her head in disbelieve and crawled back into a corner where she was trapped. The burned mare stood right in front of her. The pink mare gazed up to the burned up face to see the numerous scars that ran over it. “What happened to you?” she dared to ask almost in a whispering and a fearful tone.
Cheerilee’s eyes went to thunder as she raised her gloved hoof and stood ready to kill Pinkie Pie. She got a hold on the manes of Pinkie and hoisted her up by it. The mare saw the anger in the eyes but didn't struggle as the grip was too strong.
What followed was the complete disembowelment of Pinkamena Diane Pie as the teacher cut her open. First in the chest and slowly making her way down. The pink mare just screamed in pain and agony as the blades cut through her flesh. But it wasn't over, not by a long shot.
The glove got retracted from the chest and was aimed for Pinkie’s very eyes. She saw the blood on the blades, her own blood that was dripping of the tips while the many tears fell down from her face. In a fraction of a second she lost her sight as the blades pierced her eyes and drilled themselves into her skull. They were even going so far as piercing the brain. A thing which resulted in the party pony being killed in cold blood.
Cheerilee dropped the body and finally answered the question asked to her. “Two down, three to go... A shame Pinkie, but the five of you is what happened, to me.”
---
The evening slowly began to its turn, Applejack and Rarity were wandering towards Rainbow’s cloudhouse. Though on their way, they shared the news of the death of Ponyville’s party pony didn't stay hidden for long. “We need to make an end to this madness, tonight rather than, tomorrow,” spoke Applejack in an even more tired voice than the day before. Her voice even went through her yawns. She was tired and done with it all.
“I know but maybe, if we all fall asleep, we end up in the same place... It is just an idea that’s been going through my head,” said Rarity in a dead tired tone, through her deep yawning as well. Emergency would be able to break law. That was their case more than anything.
“Worth giving a shot, either die from her, or die... Rarity, ya see what Ah see?” the cowgirl spoke all of the sudden. She stopped dead in her tracks while she gazed at a figure with a hat. One who stood on its hind legs. Yet the oddest thing was that it waved to the both of them.
“I see it, run. As fast as you can,” replied Rarity before she turned around and just galloped away. Applejack did the same and they both tried to stick together to the best of their ability.
“How can she, be here, Ah thought she only, entered our dream?” Applejack asked while they galloped over the ways as fast as fast as they could on their legs.
“The line, between dream and, reality, is no more... That is why,” answered the unicorn as reasonable as she could. “We’ve been awake for far too long!”
---
Eventually they reached and entered Carousel Boutique and took notice of Cheerilee still running behind them. Rarity locked the doors quicker than ever and guided the cowgirl up the stairs where they went to her bedroom and stayed there hidden with the door locked.
“I-I-If we don’t make it, I am sorry for everything, Applejack,” spoke Rarity in a scared tone.
“Same here, Rares”
The silence dominated for some time but it was broken by the sound of somepony climbing up the stairs. Both the fashionista and the cowgirl kept themselves as silent as possible, almost not even breathing. But their hearts bounced in their throats of utter fear. Then there was a familiar voice that suddenly broke the everlasting silence. “Rarity, Applejack, are you here? I thought we would stay in my house tonight!”
The two couldn't believe it as it was Rainbow Dash who stood before the door. Slowly and with no sound did Rarity walk to the door. She had to muster all of her guts before the mare dared to peek through the keyhole. In her eyes she caught the all too familiar blueish coat. Without saying anything from her side was the door opened and there she was, Rainbow Dash herself.
Rarity pulled her in and closed the door right away again. “Rainbow, I have an idea, but I need your help as well. We need to fall asleep, at the same time, so we end up in the same place. So we can finally undo ourselves from this nightmare. I hope,” the unicorn spoke up in a faster pace than usual. She was both terrified and on to something.
“What do you mean, you hope?” Rainbow asked, terrified from the idea.
“Rainbow, look at our options, we either die from not getting any sleep, or we die in her hooves. It is a lose-lose situation already.” Applejack replied boldly.
The rainbow maned thought deep about the chances. Yet she knew they were right on the matter. “Alright then, but how do you want to let us sleep all at the same time Rarity?” the pegasus asked eventually as she looked to the both of them.
“Well for that, I do have a spell,” the unicorn said as she allowed her horn to coat itself in the blue aura. “Search up a comfortable place, this may get bumpy... And we may never wake up again.”
The mares all looked up a nice place to either wake up in, or to die in. Rarity released the power that she had stored in her horn. The charge allowed the three of them to fall asleep almost in an instant. Therefore entering the realms of the dreams, the realm where their former teacher can haunt them and kill them.
---
Applejack slowly opened her eyes and had a quick look around. She took notice that she was back on the Acres. But something was changed. Blood covered the walls and no sound could be heard. The cowgirl began to walk a little through her home. In the hope to figure out something of the events as they had happened. “What in tarnation happened here?” she wondered herself aloud as the place was filled with the stench of death.
Then there was a voice that did its turn from behind her. “You better tell me, this is your house my dear Applejack.”
“Who in... Oh no,” the cowgirl said as she turned around and stared right at Cheerilee. And her sharp blades she carried with her.
“Welcome home, Applejack,” said Cheerilee with a deadly grin on her face and a tone of sickening joy.
Applejack just turned herself around and started to gallop, she galloped away from the Acres as fast as she could right into a dark Equestria. No light shone and screams were heard all around the place but nopony was seen. She galloped to the center of town in the hope to find the others.
---
Rainbow Dash slowly opened her eyes and allowed her eyes to take notice of the nearby surrounding. Only to realize she was in a factory of some sort. The sound of countless screams, countless pistons that crushed bones filled her ears. She recovered from her sitting position with lightning speed. “Where am I now? What is this place?” she asked herself while rubbing her head.
A voice from behind filled the room over every other sound there was. “Welcome, you misfit, in the Rainbow Factory! This is your last stop before you miserable life ends.”
Rainbow looked in shock as the factory were just tales used to scare fillies and colts. But that place couldn’t be real. The pegasus turned herself around, only to see the monster of nightmares.. “Not, you... No,” was all she could say while looking into the green eyes on a burned face.
Rainbow started to gallop as fast as her legs could carry her and completely forgetting her wings in the process. She somehow managed to have found a way to exit the Factory by galloping through some corridors and the cloud she was on. Without any thought in her mind she spread her wings and hovered over towards the darkened Ponyville. Only before flying to the ground and galloped again, galloping to the center of town while hoping and willing to find both Applejack and Rarity.
---
Rarity opened her eyes only to see her most horrible nightmare coming true. She stood inside of a burning Carousel Boutique and she was trapped. There was no way out of it that she could discover that quickly. “No, no, this, this can not be real!” she kept saying to herself while the place became hotter and hotter.
Then there the voice from behind that was heard once again. “Oh, this is real, my little Rarity. Your sister has already passed away due to the smoke. And right now, she is probably being burned to death, a fate you will share with her.”
The unicorn turned around with tears in her eyes, but those tears froze at the sight she saw before her. Cheerilee who stood there, in the flames. “No... This, this is not real!” she screamed towards the figure. Every fiber of her body told her that it was a lie of some sort.
The burned mare took gentle steps out of the fire. She raised her hoof to cut Rarity open on the spot. “It is real, my little Rarity, it always has been,” spoke Cheerilee with a terrifying grin on her face. There wouldn’t have been any escape anymore. Her life would have come to an end.
The unicorn mare gazed around and spotted a window that wasn't indulged in the flames. Without much thought or things to lose, she just ran towards it and jumped out of it. The glass shattered and Cheerilee looked up surprised for she didn't expect that to happen at all.
Rarity fell on the roof of her boutique and jumped to the ground. The mare she looked around as the darkness surrounded her as screams came from everywhere while nopony could be seen. She looked at her boutique in flames and saw a small filly being burned behind one of the curtains. She looked away in horror and into the darkness of her town before she ran to the center. There was only one hope on her mind and that was to find the others.
---
All three ponies met each other at the same time, in the center of town. They told what happened to one another before the terrifying sound of metal over metal began to fill their ears. The scraping, terrifying sound that haunted them through both marrow and bone.
The mares looked into every direction, praying to spot the monster. Though nothing was seen. Not until a dark laughter took place in their ears. “So, my last three students have come, to die together, how precious it is,” Cheerilee spoke and walked on her hind legs out of a dark alley. Her blades were soaked in blood and ready to strike ferocious.
“Why are you doing this to us!?” Rainbow asked with a growl.
“Simple, since you killed me,” replied Cheerilee in a stone cold voice.
“We never killed you! We were fillies at the time!” the cowgirl answered in anger. With a deep huff that left through her nostrils which resulted in two clouds of steam leaving it.
“Not directly, but your parents killed me! Because you told them the truth! They burned me alive and with no remorse! Have you honestly never wondered why you never saw my body at the funeral? You are still the stupid fillies as you once were!” Cheerilee confessed and spoke to them in an outburst of rage. “Each and every last one of you.”
“What, no...” was all Rarity could say. Her mind started to travel down memory lane. Suddenly she remembered the horrible things done to her and telling them to her parents. It seemed odd of how she could have ever forgotten such a thing but it just had happened. Yet for some reason, she had just forgotten about them. Perhaps, she didn’t wanted to remember herself to them?
“And now, prepare yourself to die!” the teacher said to them.
---
“Ah hate to disappoint ya, teacher, but ya're the one dying here,” said Applejack before she set everything on everything. The cowgirl galloped towards her ex-teacher and gave her a powerful kick with her hind legs in the stomach sending the burned earth pony mare to the ground. “Rainbow, Rarity, now!” she yelled over to her friends. It was then, or it would be never.
The pegasus and unicorn galloped with haste towards the fallen down Cheerilee. The two of them would have held her firm against the ground. “And now it is you, who is going to say farewell world,” the always so sweet cowgirl spoke with a stone cold look on her face. She had more than enough the tortures and lack of sleep. Not to forget the fact that she wanted to have revenge on the deaths of the other two mares.
Rarity pulled off the glove from Cheerilee’s hoof with the aid of her magic and levitated it to Applejack. “Do what you have to do, darling.” she spoke in a cold tone. None of them would have showed their teacher any sign of remorse.
“Fools! All of you! I nearly got rid of all of you!” Cheerilee shouted while she tried to break the hold. She wanted to be free, but the situation had changed around.
The earth pony placed the glove on her own hoof and slowly raised it. She was ready to pierce the chest of Cheerilee, who just started to laugh. “I remember our times so well, in the little cave. With all of you. You five, were the best I ever had to hold me, company,” she said under a mentally twisted snicker.
That did it for Applejack and in one outburst of rage she just jammed the blades right in Cheerilee’s chest. Those very same blades rushed straight into her heart. To even add insult to injury, she twisted them around and thus allowed the demon to die slow and more painfully than she had killed any of them. Revenge would have been bittersweet for them all.
The cowgirl released her hoof from the glove and left it in the body. Both the unicorn and pegasus held the body firmly into place until no movement was felt again. “And that is how we do that on the farm. Brute force,” huffed Applejack before she spat on the corpse. Rainbow and Rarity nodded in response and released the body.
“And now, how do we wake up?” the rainbow maned pegasus asked curiously.
“Close your eyes and fall asleep,” answered Rarity with a content tone. In secret she hadn’t even the slightest of ideas that it would actually work. Yet both the earth pony and pegasus trusted her and gave a nod to the words. They plopped down on the stop where they stood and curled themselves up. As they closed their eyes, each of them tried to fall asleep which they eventually did.
---
The white coated, unicorn mare shocked up and gasped for air as she sat right up in the bed. Sweat ran down her body like she had spent way too much time in a sauna. Almost if she woke up from a horrifying nightmare. Her eyes fell on the surrounding area and to her surprise she wasn't in her own bed in the boutique. Instead she could be found lying in a hospital bed. It was something that took her by a massive surprise and the confusion began to hit her. Rarity wondered ever silently just what happened.
But when she looked a little further into the room, the faces of Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie could be seen staring into the window. Once she had made true eye contact with each of them did they all calmly entered the room. Rarity rubbed her head with both of her forehooves and asked the one burning question as her eyes went passed each of them once more. “Ugh, what happened, how did I ended up here? Somepony, please tell me.”
“Sugarcube, when we paid our respects to Cheerilee and that fog came up, ya ran away in circles. In the end ya ran into her tombstone and ending up breaking it. Ya passed out for over a week,” said Applejack before a caring smile came to her face. “Tis good to have ya back, Rares.”
“A, a week you said? My goodness,” replied Rarity before she lowered herself back in the bed again. The facts as they were revealed to her, were hard to believe for her.
“We are glad to see you all again Rarity, back again, awake,” said Rainbow. The left side of her lip curled up to a well meant smirk.
“But, uhm, we have to leave now, visiting hour is over,” spoke Fluttershy before letting out one of her adorable squees.
“See you tomorrow Rarity!” Pinkie Pie almost yelled before she got a stern look from Applejack. "Oops." Everypony hugged the freshly awoken mare and then left the room just as quick as they came. Rarity looked at them with a smile on her face after she hugged each of them back.
---
When they all had left, she looked around the room once again and on a little table next to her bed sat a plushie. A plushie that she had since her birth. Naturally did she took it and cuddled it deeply. “I missed you, my dear, I missed you so much,” she said to the plushie. Yet just as slowly she fell asleep again and drifted off into a peaceful realm.
The lights flickered a little bit before they went out in her room and a faint laugh was heard, followed by the sound of metal over metal...
