//------------------------------// // Chapter 9- Pump It Up // Story: Thirteen Little Ponies // by trombrony98 //------------------------------// Twilight stared at Bulk Biceps’ bloated body in shock and horror, unsure of where to look. He stared up at the ceiling as the library crackled and popped as the flames continued to burn. “Twilight?” The purple alicorn turned to Time Turner slowly, almost catatonic. “Are you alright?” Twilight didn’t look too good; her face was green and pale, and her eyes looked like they were about to pop out. “Twilight?” Cheerilee took a step forward. The lights flickered on, but no pony paid them any attention. “Oh Celestia, I-I can’t!” Twilight cried. “You can’t what?” Turner took a nervous step back. Twilight fled the room without answering, galloping as fast as her hooves could take her down the hallway to her room, leaving behind a confused Time Turner and an empathetic Cheerilee. “Twilight!” Nonononononono was all that ran through Twilight’s head as she slammed the door to her room shut. She rested her head against the cool door, trying not to let panic overtake her again. “I was wondering when you would be back!” Twilight jumped, jabbing her horn into the door. “Ouch! Oh, Filthy Rich. I forgot you were in here.” After painfully releasing her horn, she turned around to see a rather crazed Filthy. “Filthy Rich?” “The shadows, they’re comin’! They were here before! They might’ve gotten me if the lights hadn’t turned back on! PRAISE CELESTIA!” Filthy screamed. “No, they’re not,” Twilight said, wincing at his outburst. Her sensible side was coming back, and with it, her deduction abilities. “What is “comin’” is another death. Now,” she began, slipping into lecture mode, “we know that every murder takes place on the hour.” Filthy’s eyes darted back and forth.” The shadows! The shadows kill!” “Would you stop going on about the shadows! There’s plenty of light in here! Anyway, none of the murders appear to involve magic, but that doesn’t necessarily rule out anypony.” “Light! Light!” Twilight ignored him and began pacing. “Nopony here has a grudge on anypony else, and you’re the only one with an actual motive that’s plausible, if slightly. We could rule out a couple of the deaths as accidents or coincidences, but considering all that has occurred, it would be best not to assume.” “Let me go!” Filthy tried to bite the rope that bound him to his chair, desperately struggling at his bonds. “They’ll kill me if you don’t!” “Maybe I should go check Bulk Biceps’ room just in case,” Twilight mumbled, using her magic to untie Filthy Rich, who raced toward the lamp. Twilight rolled her eyes and was about to put the rope on the dresser when she spotted something stuck on it -- a single strand of hair. Plucking it from the rope’s fibers, Twilight brought it close to her face. It looked to be purplish, maybe even pink, but it was hard to tell since it was just one. Who has a purple or pink mane...well, there’s me--which makes sense, since this is my room -- Rarity, Cheerilee, Bon Bon--no, she wasn’t here. Twilight squinted at the strand. I would consider Cherry Jubilee, but she never entered my room. Then there’s-- Twilight squeezed her eyes shut. Oh, Celestia, why is this happening to us?! “It’s getting darker!” Twilight opened her eyes. “No, it’s not, Filthy.” “Yes, it is!” It didn’t help that Filthy was practically hugging the lamp. He kept glancing toward what Twilight had assumed to be a closet door. “Maybe if you’d--” Somepony knocked at her door. Twilight continued to levitate the hair as she took a few steps toward the door, an eyebrow quirked in confusion and her wings flared in alarm. “Who is it?” “It’s me,” came Cheerilee’s voice through the door. Twilight relaxed, her wings folding against her sides. “Coming!” Taking one last glance behind her, Twilight opened the door and re-entered the hallway. “Don’t leave me!” Filthy screamed as the door latched. Cheerilee smiled at Twilight. “Are you doing okay, dear?” “Somewhat.” Twilight shuffled her wings. “Th-the stains…P-P...” “I know, Twilight.” Cheerilee’s eyes glistened. Seeing the other mare on the verge of crying coaxed Twilight’s own tears into her eyes. She dropped the strand of hair, completely forgetting about it. A breeze blew through the hallway, chilling the ponies and fluttering the banners. The hair was blown away into an air vent. Twilight didn’t notice. “Where’s Time Turner?” Twilight asked, wrapping her wings around herself as best as she could. “He was with Bulk Biceps when I left him,” Cheerilee said. “It’s a shame that such a talented athlete was murdered.” Twilight was about to respond when Time Turner called out, “Hey, guys!” She whipped her head around, thinking she would see Turner, but no one was there. “Time Turner?” “Come here! I think I found something!” Something was off about his voice; was it the direction? The pitch? Had something frightened him? Who knows in this place, Twilight thought, but followed the sound anyway, Cheerilee trailing behind. “Hurry!” Twilight turned the corner, only to see nopony. Her brow furrowed. “Well that can’t be right.” “What can’t be right?” Twilight jumped ten feet straight up (somewhat literally) at Time Turner’s voice directly behind her. “Gah! What?” She looked at Turner, then back the direction his voice had been coming from. Cheerilee looked just as confused as she did. “But if you’re here, then how--” A scream pierced the quiet. Twilight’s pupils shrunk. “Filthy Rich.” “What does he have to do with anything?” For the second time in nearly an hour, Twilight raced off without answering Turner, who took a few moments before following her with Cheerilee. Twilight skid to a stop in front of her bedroom door. Filthy was pounding on it inside the room. “Somepony, help! The shadows are going to get me! THE SHADOWS!” Almost as if on cue, the lights shut off. A few bulbs popped in the hallway, and when Twilight opened her door, the lamp bulb popped and went out. Filthy fell face-first. He started to scramble to his hooves when something pulled at his back hoof, toppling him. “THE SHADOW!” It is the shadows. Twilight stood in shock for only a second before lighting her horn, but she was too slow. The shadows dragged Filthy to the only other door in her room, which she assumed led to the closet. The shadows didn’t abate and even pulled faster as Filthy tried more and more fervently to grab a hold of something, screaming, “HELP ME!” And as the clock struck three, Filthy Rich disappeared into the shadows, leaving only his screams of terror behind. =*==*===*==*= To be continued...