Final Chapter: Time
"I suggest you run." The pony in the black mask said as it pulled the knife out of Fluttershy's neck.
Blood spewed out of her neck spraying hard, covering Twilight's face from horn to chin. The life drained out of Fluttershy's eyes, her mouth filled with blood.
"I-I-I…" Twilight stuttered with tears running down her face, blood streaking with it.
She turned her head to the open door the murderer entered through. The pony in the black mask had stepped backwards away from Twilight, but only to rub the bloody knife against its overalls to clean it for the next kill. Dropping Fluttershy, she booked it for the door. As she got out of the door she turned around and slammed the door closed, then melted the hinges with her magic just for good measure.
Knowing that there were other doors to the bath she turned back to the hallway.
She drew her full attention to the wall in front of her that had been lit up by candles. The wall itself was covered in blood and the centerfold was the nailed corpse of Rainbow Dash. Six pins held her to the wall, one in each of her legs and wings. Her torso was slit from neck to tail, clearly showing where all the blood was drained from to place on the wall.
"N-n-n… Wh-why." Twilight was slowly devolving in her speech as more of her friends corpses appeared in front of her, diminishing her sanity. The sight also caused her to lose more than her sanity, as everything she had for dinner ended up on the floor, mixing with the blood.
Numbers were written in blood on each of her wings.
'Ten, four, zero, twenty-one, four, eighteen.' Twilight read off the numbers in her head.
"I… I don't…" She said aloud trying to comprehend the reasoning.
A scraping could be heard coming down the hallway as she stared at the painted scene.
As it got louder she turned to see what it was coming from, looking down both sides of the hallway she was in. The hall was a big U-shape that connected both ways back to the stairs, with the bath in the middle.
The noise grew louder, as she turned her head back and forth to see which direction it was coming from. The black mask appeared around the right side's corner, the pony dragging the cleaned knife it used on Fluttershy against the floor. The noise wasn't very loud, but the sound rang out like a stick being dragged on concrete.
Twilight bolted as soon as she knew the direction it was coming. She ran to the stairs, stress clouded her judgement as she ran up the steps past Pinkie's corpse, which had been uncovered. Rushing to the top, she needed to make another decision, four doors in which she could hide.
Choosing the most lit room - she ran for the guest bedroom, closing the door behind her.
She quickly caught her breath before stepping forward, noticing the room had been ripped apart. Blood covered part of the floor and sheets, along with some left over speckles of violet strands of hair.
Cautiously, Twilight approached the opposite side of the bed where the light of the single candle didn't reach. She lit her horn with her illumination spell and the light reflected back at her.
A knife was on display, proudly protruding above several other stab wounds in Shining Armor's back. The knife had clearly been cleaned using his own fur before being stabbed one last time directly into the back of his neck.
"B… B…" Twilight couldn't even finish her nickname for her brother before breaking down in tears.
Just as she began to cry a voice called out to her, tearing her away from her plummet even further into depression.
"Twilight? Twilight. I can't see. Help?" The voice called out.
Twilight raced to the door, tears still filling her eyes as she braced against the door with her body. She put her ear to the crack to hear the voice again.
"Help me. Twilight." The voice called out again.
'That sounded like…'
"Help. Help me."
Twilight opened the door, the voice so familiar to her, but did not ease her mind.
"Cadence? Is that you?" Twilight called out.
"I'm here Twilight. I can't see. Help me." The voice ran out from across the hall in Twilights room.
The door still laid on the floor, but the room was just as dark as the hallway itself. The only light was shining from Twilight's horn.
"Okay Cadence, I'm coming! Just… Just keep calling out to me! Okay?" She yelled, cautiously entering the hall for fear that the murderer would catch her by surprise.
Slowly, Twilight walked towards her room, looking both ways every few seconds. As she reached the middle she stepped and almost lost her balance on a cylinder object on the ground. She regained her footing and heard the object roll all the way to the wall in front of her, hitting it lightly before stopping.
Making her way to the door she looked at what could have been the clutter, illuminating the floorboards. She finally saw the pink pointy horn lying against the wall.
"C-C-Cadence? Hello?!" The knowledge that Cadence didn't have her horn made her feel very uneasy. Cadence was afraid of the dark, would she be alright just sitting alone in the pitch black room? How could her tone of voice be so neutral?
Twilight did not dare enter the room, so she stood against the fallen entrance and illuminated the room with her horn. The light shined like a spotlight against the walls until finally zeroing in on the bed.
To the side sat the figure of a pony who was wrapped in the sheets of the bed, clearly pulled out from under the broken canopy.
Twilight examined the pony closely, noticing that the hair was a light violet with white streaks.
"Cadence? Are you…" Twilight gulped before she continued. "…alright?"
"Twilight? I can't see anything. Help me."
Ignoring her fears, Twilight put both her front hooves onto the collapsed door to climb over. Placing them on the door also placed them directly into the blood that covered it. She quickly pulled back and shined the light down to examine what the liquid was.
"C-Cadence? Whose b-blood is thi… is this?" A ringing started to strike in her ear as she tried to wipe her hooves on the crystal flooring, instead just smearing the blood more.
She quickly looked back up and shined her light at Cadence's figure.
The portions of hair had started to fall down onto the ground, sliding down the sheets. Twilight realized that it wasn't Cadence, and then as if on cue the head slowly turned and the body following. The bright red painted eyes absorbed the light of Twilight's horn, saturating the rest of the room in gray. The last of Cadence's hair fell to the ground in one swift motion, following with the sheet as the masked pony got up.
"Don't you recognize your own blood, Twilight?" The tone of the voice changed mid-sentence from Cadence to the male-like ring it made previously.
Twilight ran without hesitation to the stairs, blood still dripping from her hooves. Mid way through the stair case the blood slipped her up as she fell on her side, slamming Pinkie's corpse as she landed.
She rolled over the corpse of the pink pony, catching her footing as she looked down past the guarding that displayed the first floors foyer. Instead of following the guard rail that ran down the stairs on either side, Twilight made her way down the opposite hallway she had originally went upstairs from.
In this hallway there was a lack of light, and luckily for Twilight - blood and vomit. Near the middle of this hallway was a double door, she quickly slammed them open and entered the dining hall.
It remained one of the few rooms that didn't contain a corpse. She rushed to close the doors behind her and then jumped onto and over the table, hiding behind the chairs that opposed the entrance.
The galloping could be heard getting closer and closer. Twilight readied herself to use her magic to lock herself in like she did with the basement level and first floor's rooms. She knew that the murderous pony was unable to enter the rooms she had sealed but was unsure if she had the ability to unseal her own magic.
As the noise drew closer it all of a sudden got quieter. She could no longer hear the trots of another pony in the hallway. Twilight raised her head to look at the door, making sure it had not already been opened.
Pointing her horn, she felt that sealing the door was probably her only option at this point. The only way to save her life, as the last of her friends may have already been dead.
She unleashed her magic just as the door opened, the magic flowing right past the pony and out into the hallway.
The light lit up the blonde hair of the pony.
"What in tarnation?!" The pony said, startled by the sudden lightshow.
"A-A-Apple… jack?" Twilight raised her head more as she used her magic to light up the doorway.
Applejack looked back towards the table, the light blinding her vision.
"Could you turn down the sun, sugarcube?" She said as she covered her eyes.
Twilight dimmed her horn back to the ceiling, allowing the light to shine all around.
She lowered her hoof and started to walk towards Twilight. "Thanks. I sure am happy to see ya, Twilight."
"Not another step Applejack!" Twilight demanded, knocking a chair down to the floor between them. "You're not to be trusted. No one is!"
Applejack halted herself, shocked by her friend's outburst. "Now just wait ah minute sugarcube. There don't need to be any hostility. I know yer afraid, and I am too but you need to hear me out."
Twilight nodded and said, "I'll listen but don't come any closer." She knew not to rule anypony out, but Applejack was her friend after all.
"Okay, okay, that's fair enough. We've had a rough night but it's not gonna get any better till we finish this. I need yer help to do so. You've gotta trust me Twilight."
"How do I know you aren't the killer?" Twilight replied, knowing Applejack's answer wouldn't be good enough.
"Twilight, I'm the element of honesty. You and I both know that fer a fact. I am not the murder, and I would not go around killin' all our friends."
Twilight rolled her eyes at Applejack. "Okay. Prove it. Show me your hooves." She said as she shined her light down onto Applejack's legs.
If they were muddy, that'd be a good sign she was the killer. Twilight also knew that if they had been super clean, then that'd be an even better sign.
"Mah hooves?" Applejack asked, raising one of her front hooves up to look at it, revealing no sign of mud.
Twilight looked to see how clean they had been.
"What about my hoo-"
Applejack was caught midsentence as a rope was rung and tightened around her neck in a quick instant.
Her horns illumination quickly raised from Applejack's legs to her face, and then followed the rope to the pony who threw it. Applejack was resisting fairly well until she lost footing and was pulled back.
"R-Rarity?!" Twilight yelled.
Applejack struggled and grasped for the rope, but was slowly pulled harder by Rarity's magic.
"Twilight! She's a liar and the killer in the mask! She has been abusing her element to fool us all into believing she's innocent!" Rarity yelled to Twilight, as she raised the rope to the ceiling by use of her magic.
With the rope raising, Applejack struggled harder whilst being lifted off the ground. Her feet kicked and rocked as the rope was tied to one of the beams of the ceiling, part of the birthday decorations for Spike were tied between them.
"I told you Twilight, I would destroy the one who murdered our friends, and especially my sister! I saw her murder your brother in cold blood! I witnessed it as she stabbed him mercilessly!"
Twilight stared as Applejack wriggled about in the rope, gasping for air. She listened to what Rarity was saying, but felt that she was wrong to let it happen.
"How do I know you're telling the truth, Rarity?" Twilight yelled, she grabbed a knife off the table with her hoof.
Rarity shook her head. "You don't. If I was though, wouldn't I be in costume?"
She made a good point to Twilight, and then she added, "Think back to any evidence you may have found and I'll bet it matches what I'm saying!"
Twilight thought back to all the evidence she obtained throughout the night.
Spike had been killed with Applejack's present, a strange way to murder someone. She hadn't seen Applejack for most of the night after they had found Spike's body, although she had seen less of her brother and his wife. Applejack was also the strongest pony of anyone there, she could have easily placed Rainbow Dash against the wall and hammered in the spikes or overpowered Shining Armor.
"But why would she kill her… her own sister?" Twilight asked, confused and starting to understand Rarity's words.
"Because Twilight, how else was she going to not have it pinned on her? Somehow she and her sister were going to be the only two to make it out alive without anyone suspecting her? She's had it planned from the start!"
Applejack slowly started to stop her struggling, unable to break free from the rope. Rarity tied the other end to the leg of the table, releasing her magic.
Twilight stopped to think of the evidence. 'Three large rocks would be pretty difficult for a unicorn whom wasn't the best at lifting heavy things with telekinesis. Was Rarity able to lift them?'
'And the numbers did spell leaves… Would that be the running with the leaves? Could Applejack have left a calling card of resentment for Rainbow Dash?' Twilight contemplated.
"She clearly had outside help Twilight. Magic from the outside is the only way to prevent two alicorns and the captain of the royal guard from tearing down their barrier. We should return to the foyer and wait for the sunrise." Rarity called to Twilight, beckoning her to follow her.
Twilight felt the evidence fit more for Applejack than Rarity. She looked up at Applejack as her struggling finally ceased. Still carrying the knife she walked over to Rarity who held a comforting look.
"I'm so glad you're alright, and I was able to get here on time." Rarity said as she hugged Twilight.
"I just can't believe it, I can't believe it's over." Twilight said, tearing up as she dropped the knife.
"It's alright darling. While it won't bring our friends back or the fillies, at least we can have closure to know we won't be next." She replied, as she let go of Twilight.
Twilight walked through the doorway with Rarity following behind. She turned and took one last look at Applejack's hanging body.
"Why would she do all this? Why drown Fluttershy, or kill Spike? Why do any of this?"
Rarity put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "I'm not sure why Twilight. I don't know why she would suffocate Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, it makes no sense. Why burn Scootaloo instead of suffocating her too? But… I do know that it's over now, and she can't hurt anyone ever again." She smiled at Twilight. "We need to get out of here and contact Luna and Celestia."
Twilight sighed and looked down at the floor. "I know… I know you're right and all." She wiped her eyes from the tears.
"It just leaves so many unanswered questi-" Twilight paused. The look of horror filled her face as she stared at the ground.
'I sent Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy to get candles.' Twilight thought. Sweat starting to drip from her brow.
'I was the only one to go to the lower floor except those two.'
Twilight raised her head to look at Rarity. Rarity smiled at her and asked, "Dear, let's go to the exit. Don't let your adrenaline wear off until we are out of here. I'm not strong enough to carry us both"
She stared at Rarity.
'Only me, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy were able to see Scootaloo before I sealed it up. No way was anyone getting in after I sealed it.'
At that moment - she knew. Her face said it all.
"Darling?" Rarity said, her smile turned into a concerned look.
The smell of apples returned to Twilight's senses. The same smell that covered the mask she removed in her struggle to close the storage room door. Applejack never smelled of apples, only sweat and the outdoors.
Rarity's face turned from the concerned look to a grimace in an instant. "Darling, you're just too darn clever for your own good."
Twilight slammed her body against Rarity's, knocking her backwards into the dining hall. She then used her telekinesis to grab the knife off the floor.
"Oh please, Rainbow Dash already tried that." Rarity said as she got back to her feet.
As Rarity marched towards Twilight, she threw the knife at Rarity with her magic. Rarity easily dodged out of the way, the knife flying past her into the darkness.
"You'll have to do better than that." She said as Twilight turned and ran for the stairs, Rarity hot on her trail.
Twilight reached the stairs leading down as Rarity caught her, slamming into her with both of them falling down the steps.
As they slammed against the ground, Rarity was the first to get up. She rushed over to Twilight and grabbed her by the mane.
"You." She slammed Twilight's face into the ground.
"Couldn't." She again slammed Twilight's face into the ground.
"Stop." The final slam, blood spewing everywhere.
"THINKING!"
Rarity let her mane go with the last slam, then turned her hind legs toward Twilight. She bucked Twilight right in her side, sending her towards one of the windows next to the entrance of the castle.
The thud when she struck the wall resonated amongst the foyer, blood poured from Twilights face as her forehead had suffered a massive scrape.
"Rar… Rarity please… Wha… Why?" Twilight coughed a large portion of blood just trying to make a few words.
"NO! Don't you speak to me!" Rarity yelled as she stomped on one of Twilight's legs, causing her to scream out in agony.
Rarity shuffled back and forth in front of Twilight.
"I was going to let you LIVE! My element is generosity, and now I have to take my generosity back. I've already been more than generous with the amount of blood I have shed!"
Twilight, unable to see from one of her eyes, looked up with the other and asked again, "Wh-why Rarity? Wh… do all of… t-this?"
Rarity turned to her, anger and paranoia had taken a toll on her face. Twilight knew this was a face of a true serial killer.
"Why? You all have made my life MISERABLE! My cutie mark said I was going to be a great fashion designer! Not a fighter of evil, or friendship-fixer-upper!"
She stomped her hooves towards Twilight.
"You want to know why I killed all of our friends?" She paused for a moment. "It's because I knew I could. There was a hole here, it's gone now."
Twilight stared at her, mouth open in amazement.
"That's right Twilight. I've had many instances where I've grown to hate every one of you, but until only recently I was unable to truly feel hate or understand what it meant."
Rarity took a moment to gather herself, prepared for her long awaited speech of killer to victim should it ever arise.
"I've known great happiness, I've known it better than anypony else. That's because I've understood the polar opposite. Something you or any of our friends could never comprehend outside of Discord's magic."
She gave a snooty look to Twilight, something Rarity was not known for doing. Very rarely would should look down on those less fortunate.
"I've felt true hate, and it amplified my past experiences with you all. Take for example, Rainbow Dash having to save me when my wings burnt up in Cloudsdale? Do you have any idea how embarrassing that was? Do you know how much she gloated to me afterwards? On and on, days and days! At the time I was without any form of knowledge on how anger truly felt. Now that I know - I wish she would have just let me become a stain on Equestria's surface, then I wouldn't have to deal with such agony."
Rarity snarled out of anger, the rage building up inside of her.
"How about the time I had to listen to Pinkie Pie talk about cherries while we had to work our way back from Dodge Junction? Actually, that's how I killed her! The cherries rolling her infuriating pink mouth down those steps! It was one of the few moments in my life she truly made me laugh!"
A manic laugh came quickly from Rarity as Twilight laid herself up with her back to the wall. Rarity looked back at Twilight.
"Fine, I guess I should tell you everything." She looked out the window. "It won't be sunrise for quite a while."
"I started with Spike, he was the only one that I wish I didn't have to kill besides you." She said as the outline of her pupils turned green. "But he knew too much, and he could easily have sent a letter to Celestia, warning her and ending my fun too early."
She paused, grinned at Twilight, and then continued as if she was giving a presentation to a class of fillies.
"He found something that unlocked a deeper feeling in me, something that unleashed my magic and taught me how to HATE. Of course he didn't know that the book he swallowed didn't wear off completely. Since then I've awakened, I'm able to do more with myself. I've trained not only my magic but my strength as well, all in secret!"
"But… Why have us all killed in the same place?" Twilight asked her, unable to keep her head up to look at her.
"Shush, I'm getting to that! Killing Spikey-wikey was hard, but I knew I had to frame somepony else. There's no one I hated more here than Applejack, and she was the easiest to frame. She was trying to work her moves into my little Spikey and obtain him for herself. I've seen the way she looked at him. I know for a fact that she felt I didn't deserve his affection and attention."
Rarity paused, grinning for a moment. "Of course I showed her. Using her gift to choke Spike, cherries for Pinkie Pie easily also could have come from Applejack as she worked for Cherry Jubilee. And I even wrote the word 'leaves' next to Rainbow Dash. If that doesn't give the guards enough evidence I don't know what will."
Rarity took a moment to catch her breath as she knew her murders would soon be finished for the night.
"Of course not all the kills were to plant evidence. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were suffocated in mud."
Rarity raised Twilight's head to look her dead in the eyes. "Want to know why?" She let go, Twilight's face falling back down into her chest.
"I had to deal with Sweetie Belle for half my life. Constantly annoying me with incredibly trivial things. Like the Sisterhooves Social. Mud just isn't my color. Of course, it suited their faces as I covered them, suffocating, smothering them HARD. As for Scootaloo?"
Rarity turned around away from Twilight.
"I decided to tie her to a post and place the newspapers that held articles from that time they decided to share the towns' secrets. I didn't really have a reason to kill her, but I had to anyways. It was incredibly fun, the skin and fur searing from her bone."
Rarity paused and turned her head back to Twilight.
"I had a good reason to kill your brother and sister-in-law, though."
Twilight looked up, anger on her face. She lunged with all her might towards Rarity who immediately bucked her in the stomach, slamming her against the window.
Rarity turned back to Twilight as she slid down to the floor. She then continued speaking as if nothing had happened.
"I didn't open the Canterlot Carousel for a long time. Of course my excuse was because I was looking for the best spot, but you KNOW me Twilight. I've had that spot picked out for YEARS! No, I had to wait until the Canterlot ponies forgot about my name."
Her face turned back to anger, her eyes shifted as her nose pointed up. "Do you have any idea how many times I heard the Canterlot elite say 'Isn't she the dress maker for that evil queen Chrysalis?' No one wanted to buy dresses from that dress maker – NO! Of course not! It wasn't until you became a princess that they started to say 'Isn't she Princess Twilight Sparkle's friend?' and they completely forgot about the changelings!"
Rarity looked back down at Twilight, her eyes still shadowed with green.
"I could tell you more of the reasons I killed our friends, but let's be honest, the sun is starting to come up and I don't want to be late for the arrival of the royal guard."
She pointed her horn down at Twilight who stared back up with one eye open.
"Shame too, I was going to spare you. If you and I were the ones to escape I'd be hailed a hero. The unicorn who saved Princess Twilight Sparkle! They'd treat me just as highly as they treat you. I'd also be your only friend left, someone you could truly rely on."
Twilight closed her eyes and cried out, "Please Rarity! That could still happen! Just use your powers to make me forget, just don't kill me!"
Rarity sparked her horn up, green magic illuminated into a ball of sparks. Twilight looked up one last time to see that cheek to cheek smile that was lightened by the lightning coil of the white horn.
"But maybe they'll make me a princess instead. The last of the elements. After all, I killed the pony who supposedly killed you. Of course, they won't know that was me. I'll burn your corpse just so they won't detect the magic I'm going to send coursing through your veins."
Twilight sat there in silence, and closed her eyes. A big grin came to her face.
"All that detail you went into, you've got a real eye for it Rarity."
She opened her one working eye.
"It's a shame you missed the only detail that mattered."
Rarity looked up at Twilight, as she still powered her magic, only to notice Twilight staring at her with a smile.
"The knife cut the rope."
The look of horror on Rarity's face as those words were muttered would be described by Twilight as 'priceless'.
A deep kick to the face sent Rarity flying. The magic she had been powering was let loose, blasting the front door off its hinges and into the yard. The blast also pushed Twilight away from the window and onto her back.
Rarity fell hard to the ground as Applejack rushed to her. She quickly rose to her feet and turned at Applejack. As she was about to cast another quick spell, Applejack turned and flipped herself onto her back. She slid on the floor right to Rarity, who was bewildered by her movement for a moment, as Applejack forced her hind legs right into Rarity's chin.
This slammed Rarity to the wall, and as she slid down Applejack got up and rushed to her. Rarity opened her eyes right as Applejack slammed her hoof into her face. Applejack held Rarity steady with one hoof and punched her repeatedly with the other.
Rarity grabbed onto the leg that held her still, trying to force it off of her. With all the physical training she had done, Applejack's strength was still a force to be reckoned with. Her face became more and more bloody and bruised with every hit. Her long speech had released all the adrenaline that she had been using to run, kill, and move bodies. Rarity eventually managed to kick out Applejack's legs, forcing her to fall to the ground.
By the time Applejack was able to get back up, Rarity was on her – arm around Applejack's neck. Rarity started an onslaught of punches to Applejack's stomach as the choking continued.
Applejack started to buck and kick like a bull to try and force her off, finally working well enough for Rarity to fall backwards. As Applejack turned to face her, a quick blast from Rarity's powerful magic sent her into the railing of the stairs. She lay on the first step with her legs resting on the floor.
"You worthless," Rarity said as she walked towards Applejack, sending a small but powerful blast into one of Applejack's legs.
"stubborn," She continued, another blast except this time to Applejack's stomach.
"inbred," Reaching Applejack showed she was still awake, staring back at Rarity as she tried to recover.
"vermin." Rarity finished, grabbing Applejack by her mane and slamming her face against the steps edge.
She went to raise Applejack's head again but was stopped by a callout.
"Hey Rarity!" Twilight yelled. "Your hour... is up!"
Rarity looked at Twilight who had charged up the same type of blast Rarity had been charging for herself.
'This is the worst possible turn of events.' Rarity thought.
Twilight launched the ball of sparks at Rarity. Unable to dodge fast enough, she was struck with the ball and the electrocuting force filled her body.
Unfortunately it was true that Rarity had been training her magic and body. The electric shock merely stunned her, but fortunately for Applejack this gave her the chance at a counter.
She bucked with both back legs right into Rarity's dazed face, sending her body to the opposite window of Twilight. The window cracked and almost shattered, revealing to Applejack that Rarity's power had waned.
The moment hurried as Applejack quickly ran to the stunned Rarity. She sat her body on top of Rarity's to prevent a counter movement. Applejack let a volley of punches go, making sure that there was no repeat of the brutal fight Rarity had put up. Blood and bruises appeared more and more on Rarity's face, distorting and disfiguring more of her face. Lumps had swollen up, covering her eyes and puffing her lips. The white furred face had changed to a dark red swelling bulge of flesh and bone.
Applejack panted. She finally let go, stopping the beating. It was clear that no matter if she was still alive or dead, she would be unable to see to get away or operate with the concussion she had received from Applejack's hooves.
She turned to Twilight who watched the savage attack. Even though it was a brutal sight, especially since it was two whom she considered friends of hers, she still smiled at Applejack - knowing that it was over.
Applejack walked over to Twilight and pulled her over onto her shoulder.
"Thank you." Twilight said as she was helped up.
The two ponies maneuvered to the open door, the sun had started to rise in the distance as they made their way outside.
Chariots could be seen in the distance along with many pegasi, all flying towards the castle.
Applejack set down Twilight on her back in the soft grassy yard, then followed up with lying next to her.
"Thank Celestia, the cavalry has arrived." Applejack said. "Late to the party like usual."
Both Twilight and Applejack began to laugh.
"Twilight, I'm so sorry. We were unable to get here sooner because of the storm." Princess Celestia explained.
"We saw the emergency flare that the royal guard use, but we were unable to figure out where exactly it came from due to the clouds." Princess Luna added.
Applejack and Twilight were on stretchers next to each other and were being loaded into a cart to be taken to the Ponyville hospital. Blankets and a few bandages covered their bodies.
"It's okay. How did you figure out that we needed the help?" Twilight asked.
The sisters looked at each other before finally answering. "One of our pegasi scouts managed to work its way after the storm had cleared and saw that there was a head that had been planted directly onto one of your castle spires."
Both Applejack and Twilight gave each other a shocked look, the idea of a head on a pike is morbid enough to churn any normal ponies stomach.
"It turned out after closer inspection that it was a shaven, hornless head… of Cadence." Luna detailed.
Twilight started to cry. Applejack quickly grabbed Twilight's hoof from her stretcher and held it tight.
"It's okay sugarcube. It's ov-" Applejack was cut off by a guard pony.
"Princess! Princess Celestia!" The unicorn guard pony yelled as it ran over to the group.
Celestia commanded, "Report, guardsman?"
The guard panted and shifted his eyes between the sisters and Applejack and Twilight.
"Um, well, uhm." The guard worriedly misspoke, meanderingly and unsure if the words should be uttered.
"Whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of them, soldier." Celestia said as Luna confirmed with a nod.
The guard stood up straight and did as ordered. "Well, we cannot find the white furred body of the one called Rarity."
The four looked at each other in shock.
"There was no one in the foyer, and we have accounted for all the corpses. No sign of her can be found."
Twilight looked at Applejack, tears rolling down her face. Applejack looked back at her with a concerned face.
Celestia watched them look at each other and understood their pain. "Guard, lock down the castle. Don't stop searching until you find her."
She turned to Twilight and Applejack to comfort them. "We will do everything in our power to track her down, you can count on the guard."
Luna agreed with Celestia. "I'll help them search, she couldn't have gotten far." She then flew into the castle entrance with the unicorn guard following behind.
"I'll give you two a moment to rest before they move you." Celestia said. She then bowed to the two ponies and walked away.
Twilight wiped away the tears with the blanket that covered her.
"Don'tcha worry Twilight. They'll find her." Applejack said, trying to comfort her.
Twilight looked up at the sky, birds flying amongst the pegasi that were patrolling the sky.
"I'm not worried if they can find her." Twilight replied.
Applejack looked over, curious about what she meant.
She then added, "I'm worried if they can find her before she finds us."
"C'mon Twilight. Don't think like that. We may be pretty beaten up but she's the one in trouble, because…"
She paused for a moment.
"Her hours loo-"
Applejack was cut off by Celestia returning to their cart. "Sorry to interrupt but it looks like they're ready to move you sooner that I had thought. I'll see you both at the hospital."
Twilight and Applejack looked at each other and smiled. They remained in silence as two guard ponies began to pull their cart away to get them some much needed medical attention. Twilight took one last look back at the castle that had given them such a night of terror.
'Never judge a book by its cover.'