Plague

by Even Evil Has Standards


9. Jeremy Irons

UP ABOVE-SWEET APPLE ACRES

Pinkie Pie had decided to take the Apples home since they had a lot talk about. Once they got to the farmhouse, Granny opted to make em some apple fritters, which the three barely touched. There was a few minutes silence before Applejack spoke:

"So...ya like Percy?"
"Yep."
"And...he likes ya back?"
"Apparently."
"And the only reason ya couldn' tell any of us about about those killings...was because those varmints were...threatening to...rip him apart?"
"Afraid so."
Apple Bloom raised her hoof. "But how did ah figure in all that?"
Pinkie Pie thought for a moment. "I guess I just needed some pony to be with me and it couldn't be one of my bestest friends because they would get suspicious and endanger Percy-Wercy. I thought if I used a filly, they wouldn't say anything or no pony would believe them.'
"Ah would've believed Apple Bloom!" protested Applejack.
"Ya didn' even listen about Troubleshoes," grumbled Apple Bloom. That shudderup.
"Ah shoulda known. But the thought of you killing ponies willingly was so...and poor Apple Bloom."
"Ahm ok now, sis," said Apple Bloom although she didn't look it.
"Why don't ya go see if yer friends are at the clubhouse sugercube," said Applejack. Apple Bloom trudged out. Afterward, the two older ponies continued their conversation. "Ahm sorry ah went an accused ya of bein' a bad friend. Ah didn' quite know all the facts 'til they were pointed out by Percy and...his ego.'

"And I'm sorry I shanghaied Apple Bloom into making those killer cakes. I just wanted to see a genuine smile that would say that everything was going to be alright, no matter what happened."
"Ah should've thoughta that," sighed Applejack, "can ya forgive me fer real?"
"Of course I will, silly," answered Pinkie Pie, "we might be related, remember?"
The two hugged each other lovingly. Unfortunately, the moment was ruined when Apple Bloom burst in. "Ah saw him! Ah saw him!"
"Saw who?"
"The big horse that saved us! Ah saw him in the orchard! And get this: he's headin' this way!"


BENEATH

The Duumvirate struggled on. Twilight was still a little ruffled from their encounter with Death Head. "Thanks again, Thomas."
"Don't mention it, Twilight." answered Thomas.
"i had no idea other ponies would object to us like he did. I didn't think you would be THAT loving."
"Same here. Why can't they just let us be?" grumbled Thomas.
"If some of my problems had proved one thing, it's this," answered Twilight. "Friendship won't work on every pony or creature. Sometimes, when ponies see things they don't approve of, their first instinct is to attack those that do."
"Why those...that not only defeats the purpose of liking something, but it also devaluizes the morals of the ponies who like said thing!" shouted Thomas. "I'd like to teach those trucks a lesson."
"Ooh, i quiver with fear," hissed a voice.
"What did you say that for?" aasked Twilight.
"I didn't say that."
"Birds of a feather flock together, so do pigs and swine. As nice as your chance is, it will soon be mine."
"Now I know that wasn't you," remarked Twilight.
"Who are you?" demanded Thomas.
"Call me Simon."
"Well, "Simon" what do want?"
"I want to play a game: Simon Says."
"Simon Says?" whispered Twilight to Thomas.
"Children's game," Thomas whispered back. "I'll explain later."
"I'll explain now if you don't mind, pretty boy. It's simple: someone who is "Simon" tells some others what to do. If they fail to comply, there are penalties. If the person doesn't say "Simon Says" and the followers do comply, there are penalties. In this case, the penalties will be VERY deadly."

"What if we refuse?" asked Thomas.
"Instant death."
"I suppose we have no choice." grumbled Twilight. "I don't want to find out the hard way what happens after death in Tartarus."
"Excellent. In seven miles, you will find a lake with 2 jugs. Simon says head there and the rest will explain itself."
"Like you said, we have no choice." hissed Thomas.

SEVEN MILES LATER

"Oh my," whispered Twilight.
"Is that...?" gagged Thomas.
They had come to the lake, but forgot to ask "Simon" exactly what was in the lake. It was blood. On the bank were 2 jugs, one held 3 gallons, the other 5. In between them was a scale. Beneath the plate was a sign that read:

FILL ONE OF THESE WITH FOUR GALLONS AND PLACE IT ON THE SCALE.
IT WILL SHOW YOU THE WAY UNLESS YOU FAIL.

"Welp, let's get to it," said Thomas. "Even though it's blood. Yeech!"
"Hold on," said Twilight. "Let's think about this first. We can't use the 3 gallon one because 4 gallons is the requirement."
"But we have to be careful with the 5 gallon one because we can't use to much."
"Take your time. I'm in no hurry."
Thomas scowled. "No time like the present. So what do you think?"
Twilight thought long and hard. Then, "we could fill up the 5 gallon one.."
"Then pour one gallon into the 3 gallon jug..." said Thomas.
"Then we'd have 4 gallons!" they finished together. They tried it and then placed the jug on the scale. Almost immediately, a blue hole opened beneath it and the scale was sucked in, followed by a brightly lit pathway.
"Congratulations. Simon says follow the path for 90 blocks. Try and reach the next point in 30 minutes."

30 MINUTES LATER

"We...made it," panted Thomas.
"That..was a...run," panted Twilight. "Even those...tips from...the Running...of the Leaves...weren't as...much help."
"Aw, are the princess and her boyfriend plum tuckered out? No worries, so long as your brain cells aren't. On going to St. Ives, I met a man with seven wives. Each wife had seven sacks. Each sack had seven cats. Each cat had seven kittens. Kittens, cats, sacks, and wives. How many were going to St. Ives? Two minutes."

"Oh dear," moaned Thomas. "That's a dizzy one."
"Not to worry, Thomas. Nothing a little mathematics won't handle. Seven wives with seven sacks...that makes 49. Can you guess the reset?"
"Hmmm...seven cats makes 343. Times the seven kittens makes 2401. Add them up, we get-"
"2793*!" They both said again.
Twilight grinned. "How long will we keep that up?" She started to speak. Twenty-sev-MMM!"
Thomas slapped a hoof over her mouth. "We forgot the man."
"Thomas, now's not the time. We only have 15 seconds left."
"But it's a trick riddle. The begininng said how many were GOING to St. Ives. The group met, but they ween't all going in the same direction. The man was the only one headed that way."
"If you're sure," Twilight was a little hesitant, but she spoke out. "Only one was going to St. Ives."
"Yes, but you are 5 seconds too late. You might want to run, late answers aren't acceptable." This was followed by a rumbling noise. The two tried to run as fast as they could again. They didn't get very far before a stalagmite appearerd, cutting them off. "HA HA HA HA HA! I DIDN'T SAY 'SIMON SAYS'."

"Twilight! Are you ok?" called Thomas.
"I think so!" called Twilight. "How about you?"
"I still have everything attached! What do we do now?"
"We'll see where our seperate ways lead and regroup when they meet!"
"Sounds like a plan!"


Twilight continued to trek along the ground. It felt like hours since she had entered a canyon-like area. Then again...time was always hard to tell in Tartarus. Better pick up the pace and get to Thomas pdq. He was the main reason she kept on going. Because she knew they would meet again soon. It was then she noticed the ground shaking. "What the...?" She looked up ahead and saw a cloud of dust heading her way. "Are those...HYENAS?!? IN TARTARUS?!?" Eyup, a whole cackle of them were heading her way. She started to fly away, but rocks hit her wings. She spiraled out of control and collided painfully against a ledge. She started to climb on, but the pain was too much and she began to slip. She noticed a silhouette of a pony, walking towards her. "Help me! Please!" she wailed.

The pony was revealed to be dressed in medieval black robes with a black stetson and hexagonal glasses covering a scar on the left eye. He had a black beard and straw colored mane. He strode calmly up to her spot then pressed her hooves against the cliff side. "Now's not the time," he mocked. "Don't mean there won't be a time. Do you understand princess?"

"I understand." said a voice. The stallion turned to see Thomas standing there. "I understand that you're a bucking wacko that likes to play foals games, that's what I understand, Simon, if that's even your real name."
"Hardly." He turned his head to Twilight and growled, "It's Iron Jem, court statistician, attendent to the king.^" With that, he thrust a screaming, wounded Twilight into the turret (Is that even a word?) of running hyenas.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" screamed Thomas. Iron Jem turned to deal with him...only to be tackled by the enraged stallion. "I ALMOST LOST HER TO THAT DENNIS HOPPER [censored]! I WON'T LOSE HER FOR GOOD!!!" With all his angry might, Thomas sent Iron Jem into the gorge where the hyenas were waiting for him. THomas rushed to the edge and called out out several times "TWILIGHT!" But she never answered. After a painstaking hour, he turned and went on, promising, "We'll see each other again Twilight. With Awdry as my witness and Faust as yours, we will meet again. I know it!"

But he didn't hear a voice saying, "Do you know what you'll go through, pretty boy? You have no idea."