“Mmmm~!” Sweetie Belle hummed contentedly as she dug into her plate of food. Applejacks cooking was great as always. “This is wonderful, Applejack!”
“Heh, well thank ya kindly, Sweetie.” Applejack smiled and patted the little unicorn filly atop the head. Sweetie Belle beamed.
“Indeed! Very delicious, even by your already high standards, I must say.” Rarity complimented with a gesture of her hoof to Applejack, who in turn began to blush slightly from the sudden heaps of praise on her cooking.
“Aw, shucks. Cut it out, y’all… heh, yer embarrassin’’ me.” Applejack waved her forehooves at them dismissively.
“Nnope.” Big Mac added from his seat, a small, playful smirk spreading on his face.
“Oh, come on! Not you too?”
“Eeyup.”
“It is but the truth, darling.” Rarity smiled widely and took another lady-like bite from her meal, using a fork to pull the finely cooked bundle of hay to her mouth.
Applebloom smiled widely herself. “Hey, Ah helped! Don’t forget that!” she raised a forehoof into the air with a big, happy grin.
Scootaloo simply smiled, opening her mouth to say something. The words caught in her throat, her ears turning on her head and perking up to better listen to… whatever it was she was hearing.
“Come on now, Scoots. Didn’t yer folks tell ya not to eat with yer mouth open?” Applejack teased lightly, causing Scootaloo to snap her mouth shut and shake from her trance.
“Oh, sorry. I just thought I heard something.”
All at once, the happy and relaxed atmosphere gave way to uneasiness and tension. Applejack and Rarity looked between each other nervously. Clearing her throat to get Scootaloo’s attention, Rarity piped up. “Um… what did it sound like?”
“I don’t really know how to describe it… like… um… a ringing?” Scootaloo rubbed her head, seemingly flummoxed.
“Ringing?” Applebloom pressed, looking at her friend curiously.
“Yeah. Like… okay, say you took a really nice sounding bell? Like a hoof-held one, maybe a bit bigger, and then slowed the sounds it made? I guess?” Scootaloo’s face scrunched slightly as she analyzed her words to make sure it sounded right.
Big Mac, from where he was sitting, stood and made his way for the door. “Ah’ll take a look.” he said simply, opening the door and peering outside.
“Ah’ll go with ya. Rarity, stay here with the fillies, ‘kay?” Applejack added, also standing up and trotting over to Big Mac’s side.
“Of course.”
Sweetie Belle looked between everypony worriedly, but it was Applebloom who spoke. ‘What’s goin’ on? Do y’all recognize that sound or somethin’?”
“Not quite, sugarcube… Ah just ain’t taken any chances. It’s probably just a bird or somethin’, but best make sure. Stay here, y’all, alright?” Applejack looked at the room firmly, everypony nodding along in silent agreement. “Alright. Let’s go, brother.”
“Eeyup.” Big Mac added before stepping fully out, Applejack following and closing the door behind her.
Silence. The whole house was plunged into an uncomfortable silence for several minutes. Rarity was about to open her mouth to say something, strike up conversation to lighten the mood when a noise came to her ears. It was just as Scootaloo had described. It was like the echoing chimes from a distant bell tower, stretched out into a subtle, gentle drone in her mind. The fillies all perked up as well, hearing it at the same time.
“That’s the sound…” Scootaloo muttered when she realized everypony else was hearing it as well.
“What is it?” Sweetie Belle asked nervously, shifting to sit by Rarity, taking comfort in the presence of her big sister. Rarity, in turn, wrapped a foreleg over Sweetie and bit her lower lip.
“I don’t know… but… It sounds pleasant, if nothing else.”
“I mean, yeah, kinda. It’s relaxing, but still…” Scootaloo nodded along, crossing her forelegs and glancing out a nearby window at the evening sky. “Nothing I know about can make noises like that.”
A shadow bolted by the window. Scootaloo yelped in alarm and ducked under the table. At the same time, something struck the door, hard. Rarity immediately got to her hooves and stood in front of Sweetie Belle. “Girls, behind me! NOW!” The fillies were swift to comply.
The door rattled and then swung open, revealing Applejack without her stetson and eyes wide. Her breath was coming in rapid gasps and there was a small cut on her cheek. “F-f-fiend!” she sputtered, stumbling into the house and falling down.
“Applejack!” Applebloom cried out, swiftly leaving the cover of Rarity’s protective pose to go to her ailing elder sister’s side. “Are ya okay?! Where’s Big Mac?!”
“It’s got him! Th-that thing h-has Big Mac!” Applejack stuttered out, gasping for breath and slowly picking herself up. “Ah’ve never seen one like it… i-it moved so fast…”
“We need to warn Twilight.” Rarity said instantly, using her magic to lift Sweetie onto her back. “And the rest of Ponyville, while we’re at it.”
“But… but what about Big Mac?!” Applebloom asked fearfully, clutching to Applejack’s foreleg with her own.
“Rarity is right, AB. We won’t do any good for Big Mac if we get caught, too.” Applejack said solemnly before bending down. “Come on, up.”
A sadistic, raspy cackle sounded from the doorway, followed by a dull thud. Rarity went pale and frozen in fear, as did Sweetie on her back and Scootaloo behind her. Applejack slowly turned and beheld the fiend that had attacked them, Big Mac’s motionless form pinned beneath the long, coiled claws of its right front leg. It’s teeth were mangled beyond repair, coiling and twisting like springs and tree branches.
“Yes. Twilight. Princess of Friends…” The fiend cackled and slinked forwards over Big Mac, putting pressure on his belly as it passed, forcing the breath from his unconscious lungs. He was alive, then, if his instinctual inhale was anything to go by. The fiend licked it’s fangs. “I need Princess of Friends. Need her blood…” he shuddered with anticipation. “Need friends of Princess to get her… so, then…” it bared its teeth menacingly, tilting it’s head unnaturally far to one side, several pops and cracks sounding from it’s neck. “Come.”
Applejack cried out in pain as the fiend suddenly shot toward her at impossible speeds. She had no time to react; its long, sharp teeth sank into her shoulder and yanked, tearing free a substantial chunk of flesh and sending her dropping to the floor in paralyzing agony. Applebloom screamed in terror, toppling off of Applejack’s back and scrambling to get away from the monster.
“Rairty!” Sweetie Belle screamed out, clinging to her older sister for dear life. Rarity, however, was petrified with fear herself. She had no way of defending herself against this thing; it was too fast, too strong. It’s movements were agile, swift and wildly unpredictable.
“Skeintooth needs messenger…” the fiend snarled out as it drew closer to Rarity, teeth dripping with drool. “Somepony willing to obey... “
Rarity tried to back away, but had no chance. Skeintooth lurched forward, striking her across the front of her forelegs with a swipe of his claws. Rarity gasped and fell down, screaming in pain. Skeintooth smirked and smashed the side of his head into the back of hers. She fell like a sack of potatoes. Sweetie Belle screamed and cried, backing away from the creature until her back was to the wall, Scootaloo following her.
Behind the fiend, still near Applejack, Applebloom watched the proceedings with horrified eyes, not knowing what to do. She didn’t get the chance to decide on a course of action; the long, whip-like tail protruding from Skeintooth’s rear lashed around and clobbered her in the back of the head. She too was knocked out cold by the force of the blow.
Scootaloo was shaking uncontrollably, whimpers subtly slipping from her tightly constricting throat. Sweetie was even worse, breaking down into terrified sobs and screams of fear. Scootaloo gulped and did her best to put on her brave face. “L-leave us alone!” she barked, though there was no strength in her words.
“Too bold.” Skeintooth stated before opening his jaws and lunging for Scootaloo’s throat. She screamed and fell limp when Skeintooth’s jaws clamped around her neck. Sweetie Belle screamed and closed her eyes, half expecting a spray of blood to cover her face, for one of her best friends to be killed right in front of her. None came, though she still dared not open her eyes. “Tch. Too weak…” Skeintooth mumbled as he let Scootaloo fall to the floor, seemingly passed out from shock and fear. He hadn’t actually bitten her; merely forced her into submission.
“P-please… help me… somepony help me…” Sweetie Belle begged in quiet, frantic whispers, clutching her head and staring at the floor with wide, unfocused eyes. Skeintooth smirked widely with maniacal glee.
“You.”
Sweetie flinched and looked up at Skeintooth fearfully.
“You get to leave. Tell Princess Twilight to find Skeintooth in everfree woods.” Skeintooth leaned down closer to Sweetie Belle, making sure his putrid breath was washing over her. “She comes alone. If Skeintooth sees anypony else, Skeintooth kills and eats friends of Princess.” He leaned back slightly, looming over the still passed out Rarity. “Tell nopony else. Only Princess. Anypony else knows…” he pointed the tip of his claw at Rarity’s throat, jabbing just enough to draw a very small trickle of blood.
Sweetie Belle shivered uncontrollably, unable to move or really react.
“Understand Skeintooth, little pony?”
“I… I…”
The fiend began to drag his clawtip down Rarity’s body, leaving a long, shallow cut that bled just slightly. “Understand?”
“Y-y-yes! Yes, I understand! Please, just stop! Don’t hurt her anymore!” Sweetie Belle pleaded, bowing down completely and devolving into incoherent cries and sobs. Skeintooth’s grin widened before he began to withdraw.
“Good…” Skeintooth hefted the numerous bodies onto his back, his spines and quills curling around them like fingers and holding them in place. “Go on, then. Send me Princess of friends.” and just like that, he was gone. Skeintooth broke into a sprint into the orchard and into the woods beyond faster than Sweetie could track.
All that remained to show of what had just happened were blood splatters along the floor. Sweetie Belle stayed still for almost ten minutes before working up the courage to move. When at last she left the house, it was at a full gallop for Twilight’s castle.
Spike couldn’t help the massive yawn that escaped his lungs as he sat upon the couch with his newest comic book. It had been a tiring day for him, and he was having a hard time focusing on his book. Twilight wasn’t far off, tending to a few letters that she would need Spike to send before he went to bed tonight. Fairly important requests for updates, resources and other work related to the fiend situation.
“Spike, you awake over there?” She asked playfully, earning a groggy ‘uh-huh’ from Spike. A half truth, really. “Well, you can go to bed here in just a minute. I’ll make sure the recipients don’t send replies until tomorrow unless it’s urgent.”
“Uh-huh…” Spike mumbled drowsily, flopping over on the couch and putting his comic book down on the end table next to it.
Then came the knocking. Twilight perked up instantly, the stones of her castle reverberating with the furious, frantic knocks from the front door. Twilight stood and began to trot from the room. “Hang on, Spike. One sec.”
“Uh-huh…”
Twilight was already curious about who it could be, grabbing the front doors in her magic and pulling them open. “Okay, okay, easy on the- Sweetie Belle?!” Twilight’s voice went from annoyed to shocked at the sight of the trembling filly. Her mane was disheveled and her eyes bespoke a complete and utter terror that Twilight hadn’t seen in almost two months. There were a few specks of blood on the filly’s face, too.
“T-t-twilight… help me!” Sweetie Belle managed before collapsing to the ground and crying her eyes out, covering her head with her forelegs and curling up tightly into a ball.
Twilight stood still, wide-eyed with shock at the image before her. Sweetie Belle shook horribly, hugging herself tightly and trying to rock herself back and forth like Rarity or their parents would whenever she got scared or sad. There was no comfort to be had for her on her own, though. Swallowing her shock and setting her jaw, Twilight gently picked Sweetie Belle up in her magic and brought her inside, closing the door behind her with a soft click.
