Chapter 3
Snow had started to fall, the roads and roofs being coated in the cold, soft, powder. Twilight stood there, gazing at the giant rift in the earth. She watched as the snow drifted down around her. It would have been peaceful, serine even.
“Ok ok keep it together Twilight, you just woke up, everypony is missing, and now there is a great big canyon blocking my only path to Zecora’s house!” she stood there for a moment, her mane frizzled and sticking out in all directions. Placing it back the way it was, she decided to head over to Sugarcube corner to check to see if she could find anypony.
The fog was too thick to see very far, the buildings loomed ominously above her. Her skin felt cold, the odd box thing was still nestled above her ear. She stopped just a few blocks from Sugarcube corner. Bringing the odd device down to her face, she turned it back on. Not a sound was heard from it, not even the odd hissing noise that played before the thing in the library attacked her. . . “Wait a minute.” she said out loud. “If this thing made the noise. Then after I turned it off, the thing attacked me, and now that I’m far enough away from the library it’s not making the noise. . . Then this thing must make the static to warn you when danger is near!” she beamed at her reflection in the small glass rectangle, “Oh Twilight, you’re so smart.” grinning, she placed the small box back above her ear and continued on her way.
However, she only past a few houses when static started to fill her ears. It was faint, but the quiet crackling made her heart freeze. The static continued to drone on at a steady pace, neither rising nor falling. Taking a step forward, the static grew in intensity. Taking a step backwards, it grew fainter. The only way to Sugarcube Corner was directly in the path of whatever was causing the box to make the noise.
She walked forward slowly, listening as the static continued to rise in pitch. She paused as she saw a round shadow lying in the middle of the street. Cutting the silent air, the static droned on. She knew it was a bad idea but she called out
“H-hello?” the shadow did not move. She took another step forward, her hoof crunching the soft snow. “Are you alright?” still nothing. Then, slowly the shadow got up. As Twilight watched, her mind picked out several details that made her mind scream to run. First, the thing stood on its hind legs. It did not seem to have any front legs either. The second thing was the fact that it had no head, just a long narrow torso that ended in a dark blue stump. Its skin was pale, almost like it was frozen. Light blue veins spread out and crisscrossed over its body, forming a dark blue spider web. The third and last thing was the quiet whining sound that it made with each step. Almost as if it was in great agony, but had no energy left to cry out.
Twilight took a step back, her mind reeling as the thing started to whine louder. There was only about five or so yards between them, she had no doubt that it could clear it easily. If she didn’t act now the thing would be on her in no time. Backing up she yelled, “S-stay back, I'm warning you.” If the beast heard her, it made no intention of doing so. Instead, it let out a loud warble and leapt at her.
Jumping out of the way, her attacker hit the ground and flipped over on its back. Its legs kicked the air, trying to find purchase. Twilight turned and ran, not caring which way to go. She passed another one of the things, it too leaped at her. But she was already too far way for it to be a threat.
The ground turned from the paved roads of ponyville to hard cold earth, slowly it sloped upwards. Eventually she came to a stop, looking around she realized that she was at the school. She must have come here subconsciously, but why she chose this place was unknown to her. She never went to school here; the only place that she went to school was. . .
“Look at what they did to her!” the mare screamed at the older colt.
“I understand that your upset, but he said that he-”
“I don’t give a DAMN if they knew or not, she almost died for Celestias sake!”
Twilight shuddered, why had she thought of that just now. She knew who the mare was, it was her mother. However, she could not figure out who the colt was, and why those two were fighting was a mystery. The building looked deserted; a thick layer of snow coated the ground. The wood was old and rotting, the windows boarded, the old bell swayed slightly even though there was no wind.
But oddly, the door looked like it did yesterday. She gave the door a sharp tug, but it was unmoving. A small piece of notebook paper fell from above her head.
“The clock ticks,
The Bell chimes,
Buried memories will be unlocked
Monsters long forgotten will begin to stalk
You must be quick to hide,
Or they will find you quick outside.”
She didn’t like the last sentence at all. She looked up at the bell, then at the door. Then she thought, the town hall had a clock on it. Suddenly the image of that thing came to mind again, what if more of them were outside?
She shook her head; she had to go check out the tower.
She knocked at the front door to town hall. No response, she didn’t really expect any. But she at least had to check before kicking down the door. Thinking back, she tried to remember how Apple Jack had taught her to kick apples loose from the trees.
“Ok, now just stand like this.” The orange pony stood with her tail facing the tree,
“Now lean forward an’ kick out with yer legs real hard. Like this.” Apple Jack kicked out, five ripe red apples fell in a circle around her before rolling down the hill. Twilight spent the entire day practicing. When the sun had set, she was apple bucking right alongside Apple Jack.
“Ok, lean forward.” She faced her tail towards the door. Slowly she bent her legs so her hind hooves were high in the air.
“And kick!” she kicked as hard as she could, her hooves hitting the thick wood with a solid thump. The force of the impact sent her toppling forward. When she got back up and dusted herself off, she frowned. Two big hoof marks were centered on the door.
A shrill wail cut through the air. Standing there, she watched as the fog around her slowly turned from the brilliant white mist, to almost pitch black smoke. The dull paint of the town hall was slowly falling away, as if it were aging before her eyes. The wood slowly began to rot beneath her hooves. The stench of burning wood and copper began to fill the air. The door’s hinges rusted until they were only thin flakes of orange rust, just barely holding onto the door.
Slowly the siren’s wail picked up again, the ground in front of the town hall slowly merged together, chunks crumbling away and falling into the deep black pit below. Dull orange embers rose up from where the ground had fallen away, slowly they drifted down around the town hall. Slowly as the wailing faded away, it gave to a new, stronger sound. The steady clanking and pounding of heavy machinery reverberated from the black pit
Twilight could imagine what the huge machines must look like, tall pistons and hammers slamming into each other. The rusted old metal, chains loosely draped around the machines. Each pound made the earth shudder. The sound of dragging chains caught Twilight attention.
Squinting her eyes, Twilight could just make out a dim orange light making its way towards her. The rhythmic rattling of the chains growing louder as a small dark figure dragged its self into view.
Twilight gasped, a dark black plate of metal covered its head, shinning dully in the half-light. Long strands of flesh draped down from the creatures head, a dull amber light pulsed from behind the ropes of burnt flesh. Black cast iron loops and hooks were seared to the strands, connecting them to the things body. The ears were only melted black stubs. Its skin was dark and shriveled, dull ember coals poked out from where it had torn, making it look as if it were some demon from hell. Its hooves were covered in searing white iron shackles. Short chains rattled beneath it, leaving dark black marks where they dragged over the earth, and it was not alone. Slowly another came into view, then another and another, until she was looking out over an ocean of black burned bodies
Just before the front steps, they stopped. Slowly the drumming of the machinery died away. Twilight stood there staring at the mass of creatures. The one leading the pack lifted its head, an amber sac hung down from the inside of its skull, expanding and contracting quietly. Twilight’s heart was beating so hard and fast that she was sure that it could be heard by the creature.
Suddenly it let out a high pitched wail and took a step forward. The wood under the things hooves began to crackle and burn around them. The others started to wail and surged forward, the metal chains on their ankles burning any of the others that got to close. Twilight let out a scream and began to furiously kick the door. The thing was on the second step, the rusted door hinges began to crack. Seeing this, Twilight began to kick even harder and faster. The thing was on the third and final step, only two or three feet separated the two. The heat was immense, the smell of burnt hair and flesh filled her nostrils causing her to gag. As it wailed and surged forward, Twilight let out an almighty roar and kicked the door down.
Not wasting any time, Twilight jumped backwards into the town hall and ran up the stairs. She had been in here before so she knew the way to the door that led to the clock tower.
“C’mon Twilight, keep moving keeYAAA!” white hot pain shot up Twilight back right leg. A loud wail cried out from behind her. Not looking back, she yanked it forward and kept climbing up the stairs.
She panted with effort as she reached the top of the stair case. Her back leg was completely numb, she couldn’t even put weight down on it or else she would collapse. The air burned her lungs every time she took in a breath, her vision started to blur as she rushed forward towards the small brown door. Yanking the door open, hot air blasted out, casuing her to stagger backwards slightly.
The wailing started up again, Twilight groggily turned around as three of the burnt creatures began to limp towards her. With the heat from the bell tower bearing down on her, and the creatures closing in she made a decision. Slowly and painfully, Twilight turned back around and limped up the stairs. The metal plates burned her through her hooves but she didn't care. Grunting she slammed the door closed just before the heat made her fall to her knees and blacked out.