//------------------------------// // Them Bones // Story: Tricks and Traps // by Samey90 //------------------------------// Apple Bloom shuddered hearing the buzzing somewhere before them. It wasn’t similar to anything they’d encountered in the maze before – not a continuous hum of unknown machinery or strange steps in the darkness, but rather an oscillating, low-pitched buzz, as if of some enormous lawn mower. “What d’ya think it is?” she asked Scootaloo. “Nothing safe, probably,” Scootaloo replied, staring at the ground beneath her hooves, littered with some rusty junk. “Maybe a woodchipper that only waits for someone to fall into it.” She shrugged. “Maybe we should let Silver Spoon go there first?” “I heard that,” Dinky muttered, walking past them. “That wasn’t nice.” “We’re nice to her,” Apple Bloom replied. “That doesn’t mean we have to think good of her.” “It’d help much,” Dinky said, staring at Silver Spoon, who was trotting next to Boysenberry, carefully watching the ground before taking every step. “Ah prefer the hard way,” Apple Bloom said coldly and trotted forward. “Let’s see yer woodchipper, Scootaloo.” The group followed them, walking through the narrow corridor and entering a large room, full of rusty, scattered devices that were clanging under their hooves. “The others were there...” Boysenberry muttered under her breath. “How do you know?” Dinky asked. Suddenly, some terrible stench attacked her nostrils. She staggered, holding her stomach, and threw up, trembling. Next to them, Ruby screamed, pointing at something. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo ran away, hiding behind some damaged machine. Only Featherweight walked to the corpse, tied to two rusty girders rested against the wall, and looked into the empty eye sockets. Some sophisticated symbol was painted in her blood on the wall behind it. “It’s Tornado Bolt...” he whispered. “They cut her wings off...” “Diamond Tiara went crazy...” Ruby muttered, raising her head to look at the body, surrounded by a swarm of flies buzzing loudly. “They made some fucking shrine and sacrificed her, or something...” “She was shot,” Featherweight said in a strange, empty voice. “Look, there are wounds here...” Nopony looked. Silver Spoon rested herself against Dinky and threw up too, crying and screaming. “Whatever it was... They dissected her...” Rumble said, joining Featherweight. “Like in the movies... They took her organs.” “But why did they leave her tied here?” Scootaloo asked, avoiding looking at the body. “They’re checking our reactions,” Featherweight replied. “First they split us into two groups and now they want to know if we still care about the others...” “Shut the fuck up...” Ruby muttered. “Just... shut up. I can’t take it anymore.” “For once I–” Dinky started, but Ruby pushed her away and grabbed some metal pipe, throwing it at the wall. “Get out of your holes, fuckers!” Ruby’s voice echoed through the room. “Come here and face us instead of murdering us one by one! Come on, cunts! Come here or just kill me!” “Ruby... Chill out,” Scootaloo said, grabbing Ruby’s hoof. “Please...” “I won’t!” Ruby exclaimed, firing her magic at the nearby pile of rubbish, sending it flying. “I want to know why!” “It’s all a test,” Featherweight explained. Ruby freed herself from Scootaloo’s grasp, ran to Featherweight and tackled him, punching him repeatedly before Rumble grabbed her and pulled her away. “Let’s get outta here,” Apple Bloom whispered, looking at Tornado Bolt’s body. Before they left, Scootaloo grabbed a rusty pipe and tucked her under her wing. “Just in case,” she muttered. They turned right and walked through the room as quickly as possible, with Rumble still holding Ruby, and Dinky and Silver Spoon guiding each other. Boysenberry was walking behind them, turning back to look at Tornado Bolt from time to time. Featherweight was trotting next to her, limping and wiping blood from his nose. The dark and narrow corridor was guiding them deeper and deeper. Scootaloo stomped on something that crunched under her hoof. She looked at it and realised that it was a bone – more exactly, a piece of pony’s jaw. She patted Apple Bloom’s back and pointed at it. “Do you think it’s the other group again?” Scootaloo asked. “No way,” Apple Bloom replied, pointing at other bones littering the floor. “At least Ah hope so...” “At least those shits don’t make shrines out of them,” Ruby muttered. Trails of tears were still visible on her face. Apple Bloom sighed. “Ah don’t think it was–” “I didn’t ask for your opinion,” Ruby said. “Just like I didn’t ask to be brought here with you.” “Ruby...” Scootaloo whispered, but Ruby quickened her pace, going to the front of the group. “Ah don’t get her,” Apple Bloom muttered. “Maybe she’s a test subject,” Featherweight said, catching up with them. “Boysenberry sees the future... Maybe they tamper with her level of aggression...” “Do you find it funny?” Scootaloo asked, glaring at him angrily. “Maybe I should smack you too?” Silver Spoon stopped and turned to them. “Also, she was a sorry bitch even before that maze...” she said. “Maybe because you were laughing at her mother?” Apple Bloom asked, walking closer to Silver Spoon. “Ah see that ya’re getting better... Dinky may protect you as long as she wants, but Ah know yer true colours...” “Apple Bloom!” Dinky yelled. “Ah’m only talking to her,” Apple Bloom said. “I think we shouldn’t argue,” Dinky muttered, staring at the wall. “They want it.” “Oh come on,” Scootaloo said. “Are you changing into Featherweight, or what?” She sighed. “This nutjob may be right, to think about it... Ruby’s more aggressive, you keep telling us not to argue...” Dinky gave Apple Bloom a nasty look, but before she said something, Rumble stopped and turned to them. “That’s something new,” he muttered. In front of them, there was a small room. In the middle of it, there was a changeling – or rather, an empty chitin shell, covered by a thick layer of dust. It looked as if something dried it a long time ago. “We’re not the only group here,” Featherweight said, flying to the body and poking it. “They also test changelings... Who knows, maybe zebras and griffons too?” “Does any of the tests include murdering somepony?” Ruby asked. “No,” Boysenberry replied in an emotionless voice. “But...” Suddenly, she shuddered and went silent. “But what?” Ruby asked, but Boysenberry didn’t say anything, staring at the floor next to the changeling's body. The foals walked around the chitin shell, trying not to touch it and left the room. Whatever managed to dry it could still be there. The scratching coming from behind the walls was also an indication that something was going on there. All the conversation stopped when they were walking through the tunnel, its walls covered by pipes. Something was gurgling and hissing in them constantly, making them stare at the pipes unsurely before quickening up. “It’s like some kinda factory,” Apple Bloom whispered. “I see,” Scootaloo replied, blinking. It was slowly getting darker. “Dinky, are you with us? How’s Boysenberry?” “Not good,” Dinky muttered. Boysenberry was walking next to her, counting to ten under her breath. “The corridor is getting wider,” Rumble said. Indeed, soon they could walk in pairs or in threes. There were still pipes by the walls, but they were bigger and not as rusty as before. The ceiling, however, was getting lower – in connection to growing darkness, it wasn’t making them feel better. “I’d rather not sleep in that place,” Silver Spoon muttered, catching up with Apple Bloom. “Who knows what can happen here... Aargh!” One of the pipes suddenly exploded, pipe hitting Silver Spoon who bumped into Apple Bloom. Somepony screamed. Scootaloo felt Boysenberry jumping and stomping on her. Ruby cursed loudly somewhere behind the vapour. “Silver!” Dinky exclaimed. “Are you okay?” “Again...” Silver Spoon muttered, rolling on the floor, hissing in pain. “I did it again?” “Did what?” Featherweight asked. He’d ran to Silver Spoon as quickly as he could and helping her up. Dinky’s eyes widened when she saw burns on her side. “I... I killed her...” Silver Spoon muttered. “Again... Pushed her...” She pointed at the floor between her and Scootaloo. A part of it was a trapdoor that was now closing slowly. “Who?” Rumble asked. “It wasn’t your fault, Silver, it could’ve happened to anypony–” “Oh no...” Scootaloo muttered. The steam evaporated and she was able to count her companions to see who was missing. “Apple Bloom!” “Ah’m here...” Apple Bloom’s muffled voice came from below the floor. “It’s some kinda basement.” “Can you walk out of it?” Scootaloo asked. “Y’all would have to open that thingy...” Apple Bloom replied. “It’s not too big...” Scootaloo pushed the now-closed trapdoor with her hoof, but nothing happened. “Don’t worry,” she said, her voice trembling. “We’ll find the way...” “There’s a skeleton here,” Apple Bloom said. Boysenberry shuddered. “Somepony from the other group?” Rumble asked. “No... It’s too old...” Apple Bloom replied. They heard her moving in her cell. “There’s something scratched here...” A moment of silence, interrupted only by Scootaloo banging her hoof against the floor in a vain attempt to free her friend. “It says, ‘don’t blink’...” “Is there something else there?” Featherweight asked. “Something, umm... alive?” “There’s a bigger room there,” Apple Bloom replied. They heard the sound of her standing up, followed by a knock, as if she hit her head against the low ceiling. “Ah’m not gonna go there... There’s another skeleton there...” She gulped. “It looks... crushed.” “Maybe you should try?” Dinky asked, holding crying Silver Spoon. “Maybe it’s another exit in there...” They heard hoofsteps echoing under the floor. After a while, however, they ended. “Oh no...” Apple Bloom whispered. “Oh, sweet Celestia, no... No...” “What?” Scootaloo asked, hitting the trapdoor so hard her hoof snapped. “There’s... somethin’...” Apple Bloom muttered. “D-doesn’t move... Can’t blink... Ah can’t blink...” “Don’t blink!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “I’m coming for you... Guys, help me!” She took a pipe she’d taken from the place where they’d found Tornado Bolt and tried to put it between the trapdoor and the floor. Rumble rushed to help her. “It’s closer!” Apple Bloom screamed. “Ah... Ah blinked and it’s closer... It’s... It’s...” For a moment they could hear only her heavy breathing. “What?” Featherweight asked. “How it’s like?” “Shut up!” Ruby exclaimed, running to help Rumble and Scootaloo. The trapdoor was now slightly ajar. With a loud clang, the pipe snapped in two. Scootaloo fell backwards, landing on Rumble and Ruby. Cursing her injured hoof, she ran forward, but the stump of the pipe slipped from between the tiles which locked again. “Hold on, Apple Bloom!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “Ah... can’t...” Apple Bloom muttered. “It’s...” Suddenly, Apple Bloom screamed. Her scream mixed with the sound of scratching at the walls and the floor and changed into gurgle. Scootaloo fell to the floor, putting her hooves on her ears. Dinky closed her eyes and fell next to, cowering. Only Boysenberry remained standing, her legs shivering. Everything went silent. Scootaloo ran to the trapdoor and banged her good hoof against it. “Apple Bloom!” she shouted, tears flowing down her face. “Apple Bloom!” “She’s gone...” Rumble whispered. The corridor went dark. “No!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “Apple Bloom... Please...” “Let’s go...” Ruby said, her voice barely audible. “I don’t care about the darkness, I don’t wanna stay here.” “But... Apple Bloom...” Scootaloo whimpered. “She’s dead, like Button, Tornado, and the others...” Ruby sighed. “Wanna be next?” She trotted forward, nearly bumping into Rumble. Somepony touched Scootaloo’s mane. She lifted her head, blinking, and recognised Silver Spoon. “I’m so sorry...” Silver muttered. “It wasn’t...” Scootaloo swallowed hard. Somehow, she couldn’t make the words “it wasn’t your fault” escape her lips. She took a deep breath, but Silver Spoon trotted forward, trying to catch up with the rest of the group. “Wait for me!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “If... If we’re gonna walk now, we should hold each other... So nopony gets lost.” “Right,” Rumble muttered. “And we should talk... So we always know if somepony’s missing...” “Apple Bloom...” Featerweight said. “How do you think, what was that?” Dinky shrugged. “I don’t know... But now it not only sets traps... It kills us too.” Everypony went silent, despite Rumble’s orders. Not caring about the darkness, they slowly walked down the corridor, whispering pleas to Celestia or sharing memories of yet another fallen friend.