CHAPTER 14

Hey everypony. I'm back with chapter 14. I hope you all like this one. I told you at the beginning that this story was a bit dark. To one of my loyal readers, I know that using Dash's friends against her was a bit of a low blow, but that's how thew house operates. It uses your worst fears against you, and knows exactly how to get to you. The story is far from over, and don't worry...it gets a little more macabre before the end. Please send reviews. And enjoy the chapter.

Budder and I meandered down the dark halls, searching for Dashie. The house seemed to have shifted, changing its layout once more. It had separated us...again. The house seemed to want to get us alone as possible...to trap us individually and hammer on our minds with our worst fears. If we could stay together, I was confident that we could beat the house at its own game. If we could stay together...that was the problem.

"Dashie!" I called. The halls remained silent. My sister and I gave each other a worried glance. We continued down the hall where Rainbow Dash had been only minutes before. Or was it? With this house, it was hard to tell where you were and where you were going. I called to Dash again, but again there was no answer. The house had us separated again, and I knew that something Hellish was happening to my marefriend.

"Bub..." My sister whimpered. "What's gonna happen to Dashie?" She asked in a frightened tone, as if reading my mind. I shook all of my negative thoughts away.

"Nothing, angel..." I replied. "Dashie's gonna be...be fine. We'll find her and we're all gonna get out of this Hell house." Budder stopped walking. I turned to my sister questioningly. "What?"

"Bub..." She squeaked. She stared into my eyes. "You're lying...aren't you?"

"Budder..."

"Drake..." She sobbed, grabbing me in a hug. "I'm scared, okay? I'm really freaked out, bubby!" She cried. All I could do was hold her, and try to keep myself calm.

"I know, it's..." I couldn't even say anything to calm her. She would see right through any kind of lie I tried to tell. It was one of her gifts, and one of my weaknesses. "I'm here, sis...I'm here. And you know I'd die to protect you..."

"BUBBYYYYYY!" She squealed. "Don't even...I don't WANT you to die!"

"I know...I know..." I muttered. I just had to say 'die' didn't I? I sighed, and squeezed her in a tight hug. "I know you're scared. Budder...angel...I'm scared too. I'm scared to death, and I don't want anything to happen to you or Dashie. That's the only things that scares me this much...but I'm not gonna stop. I'm going to do everything I can to protect you...the both of you. I promise, Budder. I promise." My sister looked into my eyes, and saw the tears that had welled up in them. I squeezed my eyes shut.

"I'm sorry, Budder." I whispered. "I'm sorry I got you into this."

"Hey...I wanted to come. I want to go everywhere with you...good and bad. I would've come with you no matter what...you know that." She said softly.

"Yeah..." I nodded. I sniffed. "Thanks, sis."

"Heh." She replied, releasing me from the hug. "And I gotta take care of you, don't I?" She added, giving me a small smile.

"Touche, sis." I smiled back.

"Love you, bubby." She said.

"Love you too, sis." I returned. "Now, we gotta go find Dashie."

"Yep." She said. I nodded solemnly, and we began walking along the lengthy hall again. We rounded a corner, to find yet another dead end.

"Wha...this wasn't here before..." I muttered. "This was a hall...ugh...Shouldn't surprise me. Damnit, this house..."

"Bub..." Budder said softly. She gently placed a hoof on my shoulder. "It's okay. We can go back. We can find another way."

"Yeah." I sighed. "Yeah, I guess so." We turned and started walking back down the hall, in the direction we had just came from. I was even prouder of my little sister now. She was stepping up in ways I'd never have imagined. Here she was, coming up with ideas, and even trying to comfort me. She was growing up, and it was only a pity that it took a bad situation like this to be the catalyst. Still, I was proud.

"Oh crap!" I heard Budder cry out, following by a long, fading scream. I turned in time to see a small trapdoor in the floor of the hall slam shut.

"BUDDER!" I screamed, leaping onto the spot the floor had opened up, swallowing my sister. I pounded on the wooden planks, but to no avail. The door wouldn't open. "Budder! Sis!" I called, trying desperately to break through the floor. I finally stopped, realizing that I would never find her this way. Then...I was struck by a horrible thought: Budder and Dash were gone, and there was nothing I could do. My heart began to pound heavily in my chest.

"No..." I choked out. I tried to keep from panicking. I failed...badly. Damned old house. I fell on my back, tears streaming down my face. "NOOOOOOO!"

This can't bode well, can it? The house has separated the three of them again. What's going to happen now? And what happened to Budder? I will try to have the next chapter up tonight. It depends on how long my ambition holds out. So until next chapter, thanks for reading, everypony.