//------------------------------// // Chapter 35 - Looking For The Exit // Story: Denuo Fortuna // by Firecaller //------------------------------// Chapter 35 - Looking For The Exit Applejack finally let out the frustrated snort she'd been keeping in. “Argh! It’s been hours, Sunbeam should've been back by now.” Rarity, who'd been quietly watching Applejack stomp back-and-forth in the chamber, nodded. “I’m inclined to agree with you Applejack. Something has gone drastically wrong I fear.” Flicking an ear, Rainbow looked up from her hooves. “Yeah, I think we should get moving. All this sitting around isn’t helping anypony.” She gave Brother Steady-Eye a glance. “How long have we got until everypony in this bucked-up place is up and around anyway?” Swinging her head round towards him, Applejack raised an eyebrow. He cringed back. “A-About three-quarters of an hour.” Applejack snorted again. “Well that tears it. If we don’t make a move soon they're gonna find us! And that’ll be the end of this little escape.” Twilight, who'd been sitting silently staring off into space, swung her head to focus on Applejack. “But what about Sunbeam and Greywing? We can’t just leave them.” “Sugar, if nopony escapes then we’re all stuck here... for good. Ain’t no way they're gonna let us have another chance at this. As long as one of us does escape, they can bring back half the Equestrian military with them... to knock politely on the door.” Lifting a hoof to point at Applejack, Rainbow nodded in agreement. “Yeah, what she said. The…” Rainbow looked up in thought. “...Window of opportunity is closing. We need to exploit it while the advantage persists.” Rainbow looked back at the others and her ears fell. “What? Spitfire has me reading all kinds of books that a Wonderbolt needs to know.” Hiding an unladylike smirk behind a hoof, Rarity nodded towards Rainbow. “There you go Twilight dear, from the mouths of babes.” “Hey!” Giving a wane smile at her firends, Twilight turned to Pinkie. “Pinkie, what do you think?” Sitting to one side of the group, Pinkie didn't look round from her apparent staring contest with the door. “I think we should leave. We need to find Sunbeam. She needs us.” Applejack took a step towards Pinkie. “Now hang on sugar, we need to get going. If we start searching for her we’re just gonna get caught.” Turning her head to look at Applejack with a serious expression, Pinkie suddenly smiled. “That’s right, we should make our way calmly and quietly towards the exit... without stopping to pick up personal belongings. But if we happen to find Sunbeam on the way…” Pinkie’s smile grew. Applejack shook her head, but didn’t say anything. Glancing round at her friends, Twilight's shoulders slumped as she started to rub her eyes. “Okay. I agree. I just wanted… needed somepony else to say it. Okay! If there’s no objections, let’s get ready to go then. Applejack, keep an eye on the good brother here, as he’s going to be the one leading us out.” She glared at him. “By the safest route.” Turning towards Brother Steady-Eye, Applejack smiled and gestured for him to come closer. As everypony got ready, Twilight tried to ignore the thought going through the back of her mind. ‘You’re leaving her! You asked her to do this and now you’re abandoning her.’ Her ear twitched. ‘We’ll come back to rescue her. I’ll make sure we do!’ ‘But she’s of no value to them, not with her below-average reserve. They’ll have no reason to keep her alive, by the time you get back she'll already be...’ “Let’s get going girls.” Twilight suddenly called out, her voice a little shriller than usual. - - - - - - - Applejack, dressed in an orange robe, walked alongside Brother Steady-Eye. The others followed, with Rarity, in a blue robe, bringing up the rear.  Striding down the empty hallway, Applejack repeated Rarity’s words over and over in her head. ‘Look like you’re supposed to be here. Confidence darling. Most won’t bother you if you look like you belong.’ Applejack sniffed. ‘Yeah. Most.’ She looked around the hallway again. ‘But darn if this ain’t creepy. I know nopony is supposed to be around yet, but this doesn’t -feel- like the empty you get when there’s just nopony around. This is the empty you get when it feels like there -should- be somepony around, but isn’t. Huh, looks like the good brother feels the same way, by all his looking around. Almost like he’s...’ Brother Steady-Eye’s wings twitched. “Where is everypony?” There was a second before his hoof flew to his mouth. There was silence in the corridor for a moment before Applejack placed a hoof on his shoulder. “Something you’d like to share with us partner?” “I… I… This is the safest route to the exit.” Applejack’s hoof didn’t move. “But…” “This is the way with least guard rooms. Honest.” “I believe you’re telling the truth on that sugar. But…” The pressure on his shoulder increased slightly. Brother Steady-Eye mumbled something. Applejack’s smile grew wider. “I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that partner. Care to repeat it.” “It takes us past the canteen and kitchen.” He squeaked out. Twilight facehoofed. “Of course, there would be ponies getting breakfast ready before the wake-up call.” Applejack, never taking her eyes off Brother Steady-Eye, flicked an ear. “But, as he said, there's nopony around. So mister, where is this canteen?” He lifted a hoof and pointed down the corridor. “O-on the left.” Rainbow tilted her head. “I can’t hear anything... and it’s right in front of us. At the academy, you could hear the mess hall from halfway across the field. I hear nothing.” Taking her hoof off the shivering Brother Applejack looked towards Rainbow. “Rainbow, could you watch this… pony, for a moment while I go and take a look?” Stepping forward, Rainbow wrapped a hoof around the Brothers' shoulders and pulled him tight. “Sure AJ, we’ll be best buds. Won’t we?” He whimpered as Applejack walked off down the corridor. As she approached the door, all Applejack could hear was the echo her own hoofsteps. Carefully, she peered around the open door and into the canteen. Most of the canteen looked like it was in mid-preparation for breakfast. Tables half laid out with cutlery, plates, jugs of water and empty glasses stood on the tables. Over in the corner though, by the door she presumed lead to the kitchen, it was a disaster area. Tables were overturned, chairs scattered and… Applejack blinked. A pair of hooves stuck out from behind a table laying on its side. While the rest of the pony was hidden behind the table, the brown stain that had seeped under the table wasn’t. Applejack took a step back, nearly walking into Rainbow and making her jump. “Goshdarnit Rainbow! I thought you were going to be staying with Brother What-his-name.” Rainbow waved a hoof. “He’d a quivering mess on the floor. Fluttershy could beat him up right now. I’d thought I’d come give you a hoof.” She glanced inside. “Oooweee, looks like something happened in here alright.” Applejack looked back in. “Yeah. The fact that there’s nopony else here is… concerning.” She swallowed. “Not complaining, but this is just…” “Creepy.” Rainbow finished her sentence, her gaze fixed on the table. “Let’s just shut the door, no point letting the others see all the… on the floor.” Rainbow nodded again, but pointed upwards. Following her hoof, Applejack looked at the ceiling. Above the overturned table, the ceiling was also splashed with brown stains. Applejack quietly closed the door. - - - - - - - Applejack shivered, the drop in temperature had become noticeable as they walked down the corridor. As she passed the opening to another corridor to the side, the blast of cold air from it was enough to take her breath away. “Horseapples, that’s cold!” Looking down the corridor she could see about ten meters or so down it, after that, the torches had gone out plunging the rest of the corridor into darkness. The last torches still alight were flicking erratically in the cold, the frost being clearly visable on the walls near them. Applejack shivered again. “Darn it, if that darkness ain’t downright evil looking. Like there's something’s hiding in it.” She glanced at Brother Steady-Eye. “What’s down there?” Not getting a response Applejack turned to look at Brother Steady-Eye. “I said...” She tailed off as she looked into his terrified eyes. Stepping forward, Rainbow waved a hoof in front of his face. “Hey! Equestria to Brother Whatever-you-name-is, she asked you a question. What’s down there?” Brother Steady-Eye never stopped looking down the corridor, his voice faltering when he finally spoke. “T-t-the dormitory. The dormitory is down there. Almost everypony would be down there. I should be...” Twilight, now shivering in the cold, rubbed her chin before pulling out a piece of paper. “Rarity, could you float this down there, into the darkness, please.” Rarity silently nodded as her horn lit up and the piece of paper was encased in a corresponding blue glow. The sheet of paper was floated down the corridor and into the darkness. Soon all that could be seen of it was the dull glow around the paper, the glow itself failing to even reach the walls. Twilight nodded to Rarity, who started floating it back up the corridor, bringing it to stop in front of Twilight. Twilight studied it for a second before holding up a hoof and lightly tapping the sheet. The sheet shattered into shards. Twilight didn’t look round, her voice hollow. “How many ponies would be in the dormitory, say... from when Sunbeam set off?” Brother Steady-Eye’s voice copied the hollowness in Twilight’s voice. “About two hundred. T-two hun...dred p-ponies.” Twilight nodded, her hoof over her eyes. “Rarity, can you feel it on your horn?” Rarity nodded. “Now you mention it, yes, yes I can.” Rainbow gazed alternated between Rarity and Twilight. “Feel what? Care to share for those of us without a horn.” ‘Sunbeam… what did you do?’ Twilight rubbed her eyes. ‘What did you do because I asked you to?’ Twilight looked up, her eyes now red rimmed. “On my horn, I can feel the residue of a high-yield magical discharge. Sunbeam did this.” Fluttershy brought a hoof to her mouth. “Oh my! High-yield? But I thought you said Sunbeam was below average magically wise.” She looked away. “S-sorry I didn't mean to sound so mean about Sunbeam.” Twilight looked up at the ceiling, the cold forgotten for the moment. “She is, unless the spell is frost based.” Twilight gestured down the hallway covered in ice. “Frost!” She looked down the corridor and glared at the darkness. “If the spell is frost based, her efficiency increases by over an order of magnitude. I measured it one night down at ‘The Swift’.” Twilight shifted uncomfortably. "When she wasn't looking... Anyway! At a conservative estimate, I would say that she uses an eleventh of the power usually needed by a unicorn to cast any frost based spell. Or to put it another way, her reserve would be eleven times bigger if she were to only cast frost based spells. Even with her below-average reserve as a starting point, that puts her right into the low-to-mid field bracket of top-tier unicorns.” Twilight pointed a hoof down the corridor. “I may not know the exact details of the spell, but I would classify this is as a high-yield, frost-based, area-assault spell.” She rubbed her eyes. “Cast in an enclosed environment.” Rainbow glanced down the corridor in the silence. “You sure it was Sunbeam? I mean...” “Who else could it have been? Who else would have reason to? Who else could? I - I - I’m sorry girls! This is all my fault!” Applejack put a hoof around Twilight. “Now, now sugar. We all agreed that there would be casualties. That we would all be responsible for those, right girls? Just looks like Sunbeam got a little...” Applejack swallowed. “Carried away.” Twilight shook her head, her tears glistening in the cold. “I - I asked her to…” Applejack opened her mouth, Pinkie put her hoof over it and shook her head. Twilight carried on, oblivious to Pinkie actions. “I asked her to… to… disrupt the chain of command. I asked her to do this… I didn’t know she’d…” A look of determination settled on her face. “No! I must accept the responsibility for my actions, however unintended, or unwanted, the consequences may be. I - I should have been more specific. I should have… I should have…” Twilight slammed a hoof down, before rubbing her eyes with the other one. “My fault. My fault.” Applejack pushed Pinkie’s hoof away. “Now hang on there partner. Are you saying you asked Sunbeam to…” She pointed down the dark corridor. “No! I didn’t ask her to do that!” Twilight recoiled, before her shoulders slumped. “I might as well have done though. I didn’t ask her to… do that. I asked Sunbeam to ‘disrupt the chain of command’, but I was too vague. It’s my fault. She was only doing what I asked. Sunbeam just took to the logical extreme, I can see that now. What she’s done is perfectly logical, from a certain standpoint.” Fluttershy ears pinned back. “W-why Twilight?” Twilight slammed a hoof into the ground, making Fluttershy jump. “Because how far did you all think we would get? Look at the condition we’re in. Did you all really thing that we’d get out of here and that’ll be it? That they’ll just shrug their shoulders and ‘let us go?’ Of course they’d come after us!” Twilight’s anger evaporated. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. But I had to do something. We wouldn’t get far, I needed to buy us time. I… I used Sunbeam.” Twilight’s voice became halting. “I asked her… I used her… And I’m responsible for all those deaths. She only did what was asked of her. And now I’m abandoning her.” She added in a whisper. Rarity put a hoof around Twilight’s shoulders. “Shhh, darling. I, for one, am not going to lose any sleep over the fate of those beasts.” Twilight looked up hopefully. Stepping forward, Applejack looked her in the eye. “While I agree with Rarity on that point, what I am upset about sugar, is that you went behind our backs. You asked Sunbeam to do this... and thought we didn’t need to know.” Rarity’s hoof stayed around her shoulders, but Twilight could feel it tense up. Rarity’s voice lost some of its compassion. “Indeed Twilight. I certainly would have like have had some say in this decision, before you sent Sunbeam off specifically to assassinate ponies.” “P-please girls. I just wanted to spare you…” Applejack shook her head, her tail swishing. “Sugar! We all agreed that some casualties was gonna happen, and we accepted it. But you went way beyond that, way beyond on what we agreed on. If you had asked, we would have probably said yes, but you ignored us Twi! You went and shut us out!” Rarity dropped her hoof around Twilight. “Yes darling, it is quite vexing. You asked us, then completely went and disregarded what we’d agreed on.” Twilight’s eyes darted from face to face.”G-girls?” She stopped on Rainbow. “Rainbow, you have to see…” Rainbow flapped her good wing as she shook her head. “See what Twi? How much horseapples have we been through together? But now that you’re a princess, you think you can just pat us on the head like little foals and ignore our opinions?!” Rainbow’s voice steadily got louder, with Twilight slowly pulling away from her as it did so. “We’re grown-up fillies Twi, but is that how you see us, little foals?” Rainbow’s voice suddenly dropped, she just sounded tired now. “Is that how you’re going to treat us from now on, princess, as little foals?”  “Of course not! Please girls! You have to see, it needed to be...” It was Fluttershy that placed a hoof over Twilight’s mouth. She shook her head at Twilight’s surprised expression. “S-sorry Twilight, but I don’t think you should say anything else right now. I suspect that all of us are quite upset at you at the moment.” She looked around at the others before taking a deep breath. “It’s not why you did it, it’s how you did it. Trying to justify your actions is only going to make things worse now.” Rarity nodded. “As Fluttershy said, I quite agree with your reasoning Twilight dear, but I find your execution of it quite appalling. In fact...” Fluttershy’s head snapped round to look at Rarity, her voice uncharacteristically sharp as she cut her off. “In fact I don’t think anypony should be saying anything right now.” Rarity opened her mouth, but a glare from Fluttershy made her close it again. Fluttershy continued. “I think it best if we all had some time to calm down, to think about what we’ve done, before we say anything else about this matter.” Fluttershy dropped her hoof from Twilights muzzle. “We are all thinking with our angry-heads right now. This place, what’s happened… we are all so angry. So angry...” She took another deep breath. “And if we start being angry with each other, we might end up saying something that we didn’t really mean.” She lowered her head. “Something that can’t be taken back.” Everypony found themselves either looking down at the floor or up at the ceiling. It was Applejack broke the silence. While still looking up at the ceiling she rubbed the back of her head. “Yeah, I guess so. I know my feelings are all over the map right now. If I get started, I might end up venting more than I mean to.” She glanced at Twilight. “We still need to talk about this Twi, but as Fluttershy’s said, now’s not a good time.” A murmur of agreement went round the group. Twilight didn’t look up. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Fluttershy stroked Twilight’s mane. “Shhh. We just need some time Twilight. We all just need some time.” Applejack scraped a hoof on the floor, her voice forceful again. “Time we haven’t got right now. I say we quit flapping our gums and get moving. We need to get outta this dump before anything else goes wrong.” Twilight lifted her head, but found herself unable to move as she watched her friends walk down the corridor, away from her. She jumped when Pinkie wrapped a hoof around her shoulders. “Of course, you know we’re all still friends here Twi. You just made a mistake.” Pinkie leaned in and, in a perfectly happy tone, whispered into her ear. “One which I’m sure you won’t make again.” Letting her go, Pinkie bounced after the others as Twilight’s ears pinned themselves back onto her head. Still rooted to the spot, Twilight watched as the distance grew between her and her friends. Each step they took felt like a tug on her heart. ‘I’m so disappointed in you, Twilight Sparkle.’  She whimpered as her eyes teared up. Just before the end of the corridor, Applejack stopped and looked over her shoulder. The others soon followed suit, so that they were all looking back at her. Twilight cringed back, tears stinging her eyes. Applejack called out. “You coming?” Applejack sighed when Twilight didn’t more. “Come on Twi, don’t make me come down there, sling you over my back, and carry you out of here like a little filly.” Her voice softened. “‘Cause we sure as heck ain’t leaving without you. Now move your flank!” Twilight’s first, hesitant steps, turned into a mad gallop to catch them up. She looked up. “Girls…” Rarity held a hoof and shook her head. “Ah-ah-ah! Not yet Twilight dear. Not yet.” As Twilight’s head fell Pinkie reached over and playfully rubbed the back of her head. Applejack went to set off, but Rainbow held up her hoof in front of her. Rainbow glared down the hallway before turning to look at the others. “Hey, anybody see where Brother What’s-his-Name went to?” - - - - - - - - Brother Steady-Eye galloped down the hallway, panting heavily. ‘Must get to Brother Adeptus! He’ll know what to do. Just need to tell him what’s happened, he’ll know what to do, tell me what I need to do.’ He turned a corner too fast and slid into the wall opposite, winding himself for a second, before he continued galloping. ‘There's the door!’ Brother Steady-Eye burst into Brother Adeptus’ chambers and threw himself onto the floor. Wheezing badly, he forced the words out, trying not to throw up in the process. “Brother Adeptus! The ponies in the crystal chamber have escaped! And I think something terrible has happened in the dormitory. What are your instructions?” He lay there recovering his breath, awaiting a response. ‘Oww! I need to get out and exercise more. My heart feels like it’s going to burst out of my chest.’ After a few minutes, he risked a quick glance up. He could just make out the still form on the bed from his low angle. “Brother Adeptus?” Another minute passed with no response. Brother Steady-Eye, still panting, lifted his head for a good look at Brother Adeptus. “Brother Adept…” - - - - - - - - - With Applejack in the lead, they walked along in silence. The unspoken agreement, after seeing that Brother Steady-Eye had disappeared, was to get out before he could find anypony to stop them. As they walked along, they kept a careful eye on any doorway or corridor entrance. So focused was everypony on that, that nopony noticed Pinkie dropping further and further back. Soon she was at the back, behind Rarity. As they passed another guard room, Twlight saw Applejack glance in, but not bother to close the door. Just like the last two times. As she passed, Twilight glanced in. This time a pony lay face down in a large brown stain; another pony, with a surprised look on his face, was sitting in two pieces on a bunk, and she thought she might have seen two hooves laying on the floor in another room. Twilight shook her head and walked on, slightly shocked at her lack of reaction to the sight. As they approached another junction, Twilight, like everypony else, didn't notice Pinkie, now behind Rarity, slow down even more, making the gap between her and Rarity even larger. Nopony at all noticed Pinkie stop at the junction, tilt her head, as if listening, and suddenly smile. Didn't notice her walk off down the left corridor, as they all walked off down the right corridor. - - - - - - - - - Walking along the hallways, each time Pinkie came to a junction she’d stop, close her eyes and tilt her head as her ears twitched. Then she’d look one way, smile, and resolutely set off down it, with each time taking a little less time than the last. Eventually, she turned a corner and stopped when she saw a ball of green fur curled up in the middle of the corridor. Softly approaching, smiling, she gently tapped a shoulder. A bloodshot eye opened and latched onto her. Pinkie smiled. “Hiya Sunn… Oh. Oopsy! I shouldn’t have done that should I...” A hoof lashed out, swiping Pinkie’s forelegs away from her. Tumbling over, Pinkie found herself rolled onto her back before she could recover. Looking upwards, Sunbeam loomed over, her lips pulled back into a snarl. A hoof was non-too-gently placed on her shoulder, pinning her down, while another was carefully placed on her throat. Sunbeam’s voice may have been husky, but simmering malice it held was unmistakable. “Why? Why did you do this to me? Why?” “S -Sun…” Pinkie was cut off at the pressure on her throat increased. “Why did you turn me into this thing... Scrolls?” Sunbeam shook her head, trying to clear it, before a half smile twisted her features. “No matter. I’ve dreamed of this for years Scrolls. Of what I’m gonna do to you.” Leaning down, she whispered into Pinkie’s ear. “You’re gonna die screaming Scrolls. One scream for every scream I hear when I try to sleep. We’re... “ She sniggered. “I’m... gonna have so much fun.” Sunbeam suddenly grimaced, her eyes closing tightly as if in pain. “Tell you what Scrolls. I’ll kill you quick… If you’ll just shut the buck up! I’ll make it quick if you shut up.” Sunbeam opened her eyes again and looked down into Pinkie’s. Pinkie looked back up. ‘Wow! Not even that big meanie Sombra had that much hate in his eyes. And what happened to her ear? She’s all lopsided now… Aaa!’ The pressure on her throat increased, Pinkie was having distinct trouble breathing now. “Well Scrolls… I win either way, make it easy on yourself. Shut up!” “S-Sunny.” Sunbeam placed both hooves onto Pinkie’s throat and started pushing down hard. “Shut up Scrolls. Why won’t you shut up? Just shut up!” With all of Sunbeam's weight on her throat now, Pinkie couldn't breathe. She was barely aware of a powerful, yet familiar, feeling rising up from within her as her vision started to blur. Pinkie wasn’t fully aware of her actions as the feeling took over. Her hoof brushed Sunbeam’s muzzle. ‘Giggle at the ghosties.’ The pressure on her throat vanished and Pinkie rolled over onto her side, her forehooves at her own throat, as she spluttered and gasped for air. It took Pinkie a minute to recover and another minute to actually realize Sunbeam was no longer standing over her. Looking round, Pinkie saw Sunbeam. With her back against the wall, and silently moving her lips, she stared at Pinkie with terrified eyes, Still panting, Pinkie got unsteadily to her hooves. Sunbeam watched her intently and started to tremble. Trying to smile, Pinkie took a step towards Sunbeam. Sunbeam dropped to the floor and curled up into a ball. Pinkie could just hear her voice. “I’m sorry Pinkie. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry… I thought you were...” Pinkie stepped closer and placed a hoof on Sunbeam’s shoulder. She felt the flinch go through Sunbeam. “Shhh.” “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” This time Pinkie could actually see the jolt go through Sunbeam at those last words. Sunbeam’s voice filled with bitterness. “I didn’t mean to... Sorry, I didn’t mean to. No hard feelings about trying to kill you eh? As long as I didn’t mean to, there’s no hard feelings.” Her voice became pained. “How many ‘I didn’t mean to’s’?” There was a long silence before Sunbeam spoke again. “I killed him Pinkie. I killed Greywing.” Sunbeam could feel Pinkie’s hoof twitch. She lay there, unable to look up at Pinkie. “It was supposed to be a simple plan: go in, wipe out the dormitory and cripple this cluster-bucked place in one fell swoop. Then go rescue Greywing, from the dungeon, with no pressure. Simple. The stupid bastard was supposed to be in the dungeon.” Her voice cracked. “H-he wasn’t supposed to be in the dormitory. He wasn’t s-supposed to...” Sunbeam curled up tighter and was silent for a moment. Pinkie’s hoof didn’t move. “I went round the complex looking for him, I swear I did Pinkie. I tore the place apart looking for his aura. I tore ponies…” She swallowed. “I couldn’t find his aura! I couldn't find it.” She giggled. “So, if he’s nowhere else in here, that’s where he must of been, right?” Sunbeam lifted her head to look at Pinkie. “I couldn’t go back in there Pinkie! I should have gone back in to look for him. I couldn’t… I told myself there’s no point. They’re all meat-popsicles by now. No way to tell them apart, certainly no way if all their cutie marks have been removed.” She nodded towards the black mark on her flank, where her cutie mark used to be. She stared at it for a minute before looking back at Pinkie. “All lies, of course.” Her head tilted as an incredulous expression formed. “I realize this now, I was too scared to Pinkie! Me, scared! Of dead meat! But all I can think of is all those dead eyes looking at me. Judging me. So many Pinkie! There were so many. And Greywing would be looking at me all the time, silently asking me why with those dead eyes. And I wouldn’t be able to answer.” Sunbeam went silent. She looked away and closed her eyes. “I can feel him now, all of them in fact, through the walls, all of them looking at me Pinkie. All of them turning their heads towards me, all those dead eyes, looking at me. All of them raising their hooves to point at me. All of them stepping out of their beds…” Sunbeam’s eyes snapped open, her breathing noticeably faster. She glanced nervously down the corridor. Her head fell. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me! I can’t stop wondering now how many could have been saved? How many might have been good ponies? How many of them liked pizza?” She gave a strained giggle. “How bucking stupid is that last one?” Lifting a hoof, Sunbeam examined it as it shook. “Why? I shouldn’t be thinking like this. It’s dangerous to think like this, but I can’t stop.” She giggled again. “I reckon it was about two hundred, two-fifty ponies maybe... and look at me, I’m a wreck. Scrolls would be so disappointed. This is a tiny fraction of what he hoped I’d achieve in Canter…” Her mouth slammed shut and she guiltily looked away from Pinkie. She was silent for a moment. “Why is this bothering me Pinkie? It’s not like I’ve never killed before. This is just… more. Something’s changed! It’s like…” Turning to look at Pinkie, Sunbeam’s eyes went wide for a second, before they narrowed as she pointed a hoof at her. “You! You and Sparkle-Butt! All of you! You did this! You all did this to me!” Pinkie tilted her head but said nothing. Sunbeam deflated as she sunk her head into her hoof. “I’ve hung around you all too much. I let my guard down. I let you in. I - I let you in. You… You’ve...” Her voice took on a tone of defeat. “Do you have any idea what you’ve gone and done Pinkie? Have you any idea?” She looked up at Pinkie with a pained expression. “You’ve made me care! You’ve gone and made me bucking care!” Her hoof scraped the floor “Do you have any idea what caring can do... will do... to a pony like me?” Pinkie’s hoof started massaging Sunbeam’s shoulder. “So, you care for us Sunny?” Pinkie then smiled. “Like ‘friends’ care?” Sunbeam’s head snapped up and stared at her. Without a word, she laid her head on the floor and proceeded to wrap both forehooves over her eyes. “I don’t like this feeling Pinkie. Make it go away. My chest feels like its being pulled apart.” “Aww, is Sunny’s heart…” Her hoof slammed down, cutting Pinkie off. “Don’t call it that!” Sunbeam voice became quiet. “Don’t call it that. I have a muscle that pumps blood around my body, nothing more. I lost any right to call it a heart a long time ago.” Sunbeam looked away from Pinkie, her voice becoming strained. “He made sure of that, a long time ago. H-he tore it out Pinkie. He tore it all out... everything of value. He tore...” Sunbeam turned her head to look at her. To Pinkie’s shock, her eyes were glistening. “He tore little Singing Flower apart and drove what was left mad.” Sunbeam’s jaw trembled for a moment before a small smile formed as she looked wistfully into the distance. “You'd of liked Singing Flower, if you’d met her Pinkie. A f-flighty little filly with a contagious laugh.” Sunbeam’s smile grew. “She liked singing Pinkie, liked seeing other ponies smile. Mischievous at times, you’d of got on. You’d have liked...” The smile fell as her voice started to choke. “S-she was innocent Pinkie. She didn’t deserve what happened to her. She didn’t understand… couldn’t understand... what was happening to her. Why he was making her do those things. Those horrible things...” Sunbeam was silent for a moment before letting loose an unpleasant giggle. “Hey, you like to laugh don’t you? You’ll get a laugh from this one Pinkie. Did you know that the stupid bitch got so desperate once that she even tried singing to him! Just to try and get him to smile? If he’d smile, maybe he’d be happy, maybe he’d stop.” Sunbeam gave Pinkie a look that made her shiver. “Foal’s logic.” She slammed a hoof down repeatedly on the ground. “Stupid, stupid, stupid bucking bitch! Of course he wasn’t going to stop. He was never going to stop!” Her voice faltered. “H-h-he never stopped...” She placed her head back down the ground, her ears falling flat out to the sides, her voice became emotionless. “He made her do terrible things Pinkie. Things she knew were wrong. But she was never strong enough to resist. She was never strong enough. W-Why Pinkie? Why wasn’t she strong enough? S-she s-should have been stronger Pinkie. She s-should have b-b-been…” She was silent for moment. “Is that why Mummy and Daddy didn’t come for her? She wasn’t strong enough? Is that the reason nopony ever came Pinkie? Nopony ever...” Sunbeam swallowed before bringing her hooves up to examine them, turning them back and forth. Her head lifted and turned to Pinkie with a puzzled look. “Why can I remember this? I take something to prevent me from remembering this. I don’t want to remember this! I shouldn’t be remembering…” Both her eyebrows rose before she looked at Pinkie. “What the buck did you do to me back there Pinkie? When you touched my muzzle I felt something go through…” Her eyes widened. “I can remember. I can... You’ve made me remember! You bucking bitc...” I’m scared. I want my Mummy and Daddy. Abruptly Sunbeam cringed back, her tail wrapping around her as her eyes went wide. “Pinkie! I don’t want to remember this! Make it stop, make it stop!” Where’s my Mummy and Daddy? I’m so scared.  “Please make it stop Pinkie! I - I don’t want to remember…” I don’t want to do these things Mr Scrolls. A stunned Pinkie watched Sunbeam start to tremble uncontrollably. “Don’t make me remember this Pinkie… Please!” No Mr Scrolls! I won’t! This isn’t right! Sunbeam reached a hoof out towards Pinkie. “Pinkie, make it stop it! P-Please... I’ll do anything! Mercy! Stop!” P-p-please st-op. P-plea-pleas-se M-Mr Sc-Scrolls. S-stop... Pinkie saw the light in Sunbeam’s eyes go out. The outstretched hoof fell limply to the floor and Sunbeam turned her head away from Pinkie, before letting it to slump to the floor. Even with her head turned away from her, Pinkie could hear the whisper. “Please stop... I’ll do anything! J-just stop. P-Please... Mr Scrolls… I’ll do an-anything. Anything. Just stop. A-any-thing.” Sunbeam lay there in the silence, trembling. Pinkie hesitantly reached out towards Sunbeam. “Sunny?” The whisper became a whimper. “He’s hurting me Daddy! Where are you? It hurts so much! Make him stop! W-Where are...” There was a strangled sob. “I - I’m sorry Mummy and Daddy, I had to. I - I had to! I’m sorry, I'm sorry. I w-w-wasn’t strong…” The rest of her words became unintelligible as Sunbeam buried her face into her forelegs. Pinkie threw both her hooves around Sunbeam and held her tight as she started to convulse in her grip. All the time she held her, all the time as she shook, Pinkie never heard Sunbeam make a sound. - - - - - - - - - In Brother Adeptus’ chambers, Brother Steady-Eye lay on the floor, his pale-grey face screwed up in a frozen rictus of agony as he stared blankly up at the ceiling. His hooves grasped at his chest as, from the bed, a fixed grin smiled at his corpse. - - - - - - - - - - Pinkie watched Sunbeam plunge her face into the barrel of rain-water they’d found in a nearby store-room. After almost half-a-minute Sunbeam lifted her head out, panting heavily. Pinkie shuffled her forehooves. “Erm.” Without looking round, Sunbeam waved a dismissive hoof. “Don’t you dare apologize. You did the right thing, I’m glad you stopped me. I was trying to kill you Pinkie.” Her voice got quieter. “I was going to kill you Pinkie. You defended yourself. Whatever you did, it was just defending yourself. I’m glad you did it.” Sunbeam’s head fell slightly. ‘What did you do? Is that part of your elemental power Pinkie? To make ponies see what’s -actually- there? To make you see youself.’ She managed to muffle the whimper. ‘A spear through the gut would been kinder Pinkie.’ She lifted her head and forced a smile. “See, just needed a few minutes and I’m all better now.” Pinkie tilted her head. “If you say so.” A smile grew on her face. “Ready to go meet up with the others then?” “No! But lets do it anyway.” Sunbeam gave a half-hearted chuckle. “What’s the worst that can happen eh? They hang me from the nearest tree? Many would do worse. I’ve seen many do worse.” Her voice became a whisper. “I deserve worse.” Pinkie gasped. “They won’t do that! Sure they’ll be upset, but they won’t be mean.” Sunbeam turned to look at her, a tiny, hopeful smile on her still-puffy, dripping-wet face. “Promise?” Pinkie held up a hoof. “I pinkie…” Pinkie’s face flickered with emotions for a second before she put the hoof back down. With a slightly strained smile and being unnaturally still, for Pinkie, she nodded. “I promise.” Sunbeam’s smile grew marginally. Trotting out of the storeroom, she looked down the corridor and spotted the dagger she’d thrown against the wall. She rubbed her eyes. ‘Don’t you dare cry again you stupid mare! Pull yourself together, they need you. You’re of no use to them crying for your Mummy and Daddy on the floor. Be strong! Be strong for once. Show Mummy and Daddy that you can be strong enough for once, even if it -is- only for once in your pathetic life.’ She turned to look at Pinkie, trying to ignore the tremble in her knees and the itch growing behind her eyes again. ‘Get them back safe. Then you can fall apart... like you’re so pitifully desperate to. Control it until -after- you get them back. That’s all you need to do, get them back. After that, -then- you can stop all the pain. Stop all the memories. Then you can make the world a better place.’ A look of determination appeared. ‘Get back and it’ll be just one more pony you need to retire. Once you’re by yourself, it’ll be only one more. I - I - I swear. One last pony...’ She blinked several times, trying relieve the itching in her eyes. She turned a watery glare onto the dagger. “Gonna need that.” Her horn lit up to levitate the dagger over to her. - - - - - - - - - Applejack opened the door and a blast of fresh air hit them. “Finally! How many bucking wrong turns did we make?” They filed out onto the mountain pasture and Twilight looked around. Across the valley in front of them were snow capped mountains. The green pasture they were on gently sloped away from them and was dotted with white and yellow flowers. Turning round, Twilight found an unassuming wooden door set into a tall cliff face, the only marker to the complex even being there. Taking several deep breaths of the cool, fresh air, she enjoyed the slight breeze in her fur. Relaxing, she felt the tension in her shoulders ease a little. She smiled and turned to look at the others. Her smile dropped. “Where’s Pinkie?” Everypony stopped and looked around. Twilight took a step towards the complex. “No, no, no, no… How could we do this? How could we ‘just miss’ Pinkie!” Twilight dashed for the door, nearly getting hit by it as Pinkie trotted out through it. Coming to a stop, Pinkie looked around at her friends. An unconscious Sunbeam straddled her back lengthways, her head hanging down by Pinkie's left shoulder. She looked at Twilight with a puzzled look. “She collapsed Twi. Her horn lit up, she screamed, and just collapsed. Now she won't wake up Twi. She just won’t wake up!”