The walls of the house stood high above the five ponies as the sun peeked just over the roof. The orange and purple sunset seemed to illuminate the house as they trotted down the road. The dark blue roof seemed to shine in contrast with the twilight sky, while the trees, with their orange and yellow leaves ready to fall at the Running of the Leaves, seemed to mimic the night sky, either out of envy or something else. The group took in the spectacle. It looked like something out of a painting.

Scootaloo looked up to the mare standing next to her. “Wow, Miss Cheerilee!” she cheered. “That place is huge!”

Apple Bloom leapt next to her. “Yeah! It’s bigger than my house and the barn put together!”

The two story building towered over them, with dozens of windows extending to both sides. At the center of it all was a grand entrance with a large path, as if to show them the way to the front door.

Cheerilee smiled as she and her three students trotted down the road. “Yes. It is quite impressive.” She turned to the pure white mare beside her. “It certainly was nice of you to invite us to your home, Mrs. Winter.”

The mare returned her smile. “Of course, Cheerilee. I thought it would be a wonderful chance for us to catch up.” She pointed to the large mansion at the bottom of the hill. “And this place has a lot of history to it. I was happy the day I purchased it.”

Cheerilee raised an eyebrow. “Is that why you wanted me to bring some students?”

Mrs. Winter smiled and nodded. “Yes. You are a teacher, aren’t you?” Cheerilee nodded. “I thought it might be fun for the children to learn a thing or two about this place.”

Sweetie Belle leapt in between them, giving a squeal of joy. “I can’t wait to get in! It’s going to be so much fun!”

Scootaloo made her way beside Sweetie Belle. “Come on, you two! I’ll race you down there!”

As if someone had fired a shot into the air, the three Cutie Mark Crusaders darted down the hill, laughing and giggling as each attempted to outrun the other.

“Girls!” Cheerilee called after them, but they continued down the hill, as full of life as ever. Cheerilee smiled. “Children sure are something else, aren’t they?”

White Winter was silent. Cheerilee turned to her and noticed that she was just standing there, staring intently at the house. She turned back, hoping to spot whatever she was looking at, but could only see the sunset.

She turned back to her. “Mrs. Winter? Are you alright?”

Mrs. Winter turned to Cheerilee as if she had broken out of a trance. “Oh, I’m sorry, Cheerilee.” She smiled. “I was just lost in thought.” She took several steps forward. “Come on, we don’t want to lose the children.”

Cheerilee smiled and nodded as she followed Mrs. Winter. The early morning hours of their hike had taken their toll on her. It was a long way out of Ponyville, but the travel had been good for her. If anything, the view they were able to partake in was breathtaking. The various species of plants and wildlife were always a pleasure to see, especially since many of them weren’t often seen in Ponyville.

Cheerilee could see her students enjoying themselves throughout the hike. Not that she didn’t either, but there was just something gnawing at the pit of her stomach. Why would Mrs. Winter contact me after all these years?

It was strange to hear from her old foalsitter after all this time, and even stranger to be invited to her house for the weekend. However, she wasn’t about to let her weekend of being waited on go to waste. She blamed weariness for her doubt and continued down the path.

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The doors creaked open as Mrs. Winter thrust them forward. The front foyer was a gigantic room with a bright chandelier hanging pompously above them, illuminating the room with a bright orange that mirrored the sunset. The ceiling seemed to be much higher than the top of Apple Bloom’s barn, and the room could easily house half of it. Across the room was a large table, surrounded by several pieces of furniture.

Sweetie Belle ran towards a small chair and crawled onto it. “Wow, this is great!” Her body was treated to a comfortable seat as she sunk into it, giving a deep sigh. “This is the best chair I’ve ever sat in.”

Scootaloo looked up at the ceiling, her eyes wide with wonder. A high ceiling with a large staircase to their left stuck out in her mind, as if screamng for their attention. “Wow, this place is so much bigger on the inside.”

Apple Bloom gave a smirk. “You read too many comic books!”

Scootaloo glanced over to Apple Bloom, her eyes narrowed. “I do not!”

Cheerilee made her way to one of the sofas, her mouth hanging open. “This place is truly magnificent.” She turned towards Mrs. Winter. “It’s larger than you said it was.”

Mrs. Winter smiled. “Of course. I said there was room for all of you. We have the entire weekend to ourselves.” She made her way to the center of the room at the head of the table.

“I’m glad you could convince these young girls to come, Miss Cheerilee,” Mrs. Winter stated. “I heard you girls were the flag carriers for Ponyville.”

Sweetie Belle nodded, leaning forward in her seat. “Yep! We were the best flag carriers ever!”

Mrs. Winter gave a chuckle. “Well, I’m happy you three are here. It’s nice to see the flag carriers of Ponyville in my home. You three are quite famous.”

As pride started to envelop Scootaloo’s body, she heard a slight rumbling coming from next to her. She looked over to Apple Bloom, who only replied with a slight smile. “Sorry, I guess I’ve got my sister’s appetite.”

Cheerilee looked over to Mrs. Winter. “It was a rather long walk. And I think the children are a little hungry, Mrs. Winter.”

Mrs. Winter smiled. “Not to worry, supper is almost ready.” She made her way to the other side of the room to the large staircase, ascending to the top floors. “Why don’t I give you a tour of the house until then? When we have supper, you’ll get to meet my son.”

Cheerilee’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped. “Son?”

Mrs. Winter raised an eyebrow. “Is something wrong, Miss Cheerilee?”

Cheerilee shook her head. “No, I’m sorry.” She looked at the ground. “I just didn’t know you had a son.”

Mrs. Winter smiled. “A wonderful little colt. He loves to play with other children.” She turned to the Cutie Mark Crusaders. “I’m sure he will have a lot of fun playing with you three.”

Scootaloo smiled as she turned to her fellow crusaders. “This is going to be great! We have somepony to show us the whole house and all the cool things we can do here!”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement.

“Come along, children.” Cheerilee said as she followed White Winter up the staircase. “Let’s not be rude to Mrs. Winter.”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders leapt from their perch on the sofa and started their way up the staircase, not far behind Cheerilee and Mrs. Winter.

Mrs. Winter started to go over the history of the house, but Scootaloo was hardly paying attention. Her mind wandered as she kept eyeing the house in wonder. She felt a combined sense of awe and fright.

She looked around the hallways. Each contained mysterious marble statues of a pony, standing straight and looking down at an object in its hooves. She tilted her head and leaned forward, and saw the image of a mare with a gentle smile looking down upon the small creature in her hooves. A feeling of warmth and tranquility flowed over her, like she had just received a smile from her own mother.

However, as Scootaloo turned her gaze towards the item in its hooves, the face that greeted her removed any sense of peace. Its eyes pierced at her like knives digging into her skin. A fierce frown was on its face, as if it disapproved of anypony looking upon it.

Scootaloo took a step back, unable to take her eyes of the disturbing face before her.

“Scootaloo!” Apple Bloom called from down the hallway. “Come on!”

As if snapping out of a trance, she turned back to the group, gathered just a few yards away. Mrs. Winter made her way past the others and faced one of the statues. She smiled as she turned to Scootaloo. “Curious little one, aren’t you?”

Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. “I was just admiring the statue.”

Mrs. Winter looked at one of the statues that seemed to be lined up and down the hallway. She seemed entranced by it, almost as if the room and everything around it had disappeared. “This is Cuba.”

Cheerilee glanced over at Mrs. Winter. “I don’t think I’m familiar with that name.”

Mrs. Winter didn’t even look at her, but continued to stare intently at the statue. “She is the protector of children. The legends say that she was completely devoted to them and would do anything to protect them.”

Try as she might, Scootaloo couldn’t help but glance up at the still image of the child in the statue’s hooves. Why would Mrs. Winter have something so… scary... in her house?

“You sure do have a lot of these statues,” Sweetie Belle pointed out.

Mrs. Winter finally turned her head and smiled at Sweetie Belle. “I’m a bit of a collector.” She continued down the hallway. “Shall we continue?”

The others followed as she continued to move through the mansion. It felt to Scootaloo as if the house stretched on for miles, with doors littered across the hallway.

“This place is so big! How do you not get lost?” Apple Bloom asked.

Mrs. Winter turned her head and smiled. “You get used to it after a few years.” She turned to her left and opened one of the doors. She turned to the Crusaders. “This room will be yours, girls.”

The Crusaders poked their heads into the room, and smiles came across their faces as they glanced around. The mattresses of the beds were longer and wider than all three of them put together and yet there were one for each of the Crusaders. The curtains that covered the windows seemed to be the finest in the land. Scootaloo thought that even Rarity might be a little jealous of the shining silk.

Three suitcases stood inside, one at the foot of each bed. She had heard Mrs. Winter talking about having a pony bring their stuff up to the house, and she wondered what had happened to him. He seemed really nice, even though he never once looked them in the eye... or said a word... in fact, he seemed out of place.

Scootaloo approached her bed and placed her hoof on it. It wasn’t quite as soft as she had imagined it to be. She thought that her old bed back home was softer, but it was nowhere near as large as this one was. She leapt onto it, hoping that it would change her mind, but the bed felt lumpy and somewhat stiff, almost like a soft wooden board.

She looked around the room as Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle tested their beds. She looked back to the doorway where Cheerilee and Mrs. Winter stood. Mrs. Winter took a step forward. “I hope everything is to your liking.”

Apple Bloom turned and nodded. “This is great! We get our own bedroom!

Sweetie Belle smiled. “With huge beds!”

Scootaloo laid flat on the bed, hoping that it would finally be more comfortable, but it didn’t change anything. She looked over at the window and saw several small marks against the wall, as if it had been slashed at by something. As she looked around the room, more scratches caught her eye. Curiosity grew within her as she watched them.

Upon closer examination, red spots were found deep within the cracks. She wasn’t sure what it was, but she felt a surge of discomfort flow through her. She blamed it on the hunger and moved on.

She took another look around and saw several spots in the room that had been painted over. She only noticed because the spots were a slightly different shade of dark purple than the rest of the walls. She wondered what could have happened to cause the wall to be repainted so many times.

Maybe it was Mrs. Winter’s son. Scootaloo thought. Maybe he just liked to roughhouse a little too much.

Scootaloo turned her attention to Mrs. Winter, who gave her a smile. “I’m so glad that you girls are excited about your stay.” She glanced over to the other Crusaders. “I’ve told my son about you for weeks, and he’s so excited.”

Sweetie Belle jumped up and down on her bed. “When do we get to meet him?”

Cheerilee narrowed her brow and took a step forward. “Sweetie Belle, don’t jump on Mrs. Winter’s bed!”

Sweetie Belle stopped in her tracks, lowering her head. Mrs. Winter placed her hoof on Cheerilee’s shoulder. “It is quite alright, Cheerilee,” she assured. “It’s good to see she has energy. My son doesn’t like it when they’re boring.” Cheerilee raised her eyebrow and gave a surrendering sigh. Mrs. Winter took a step forward. “I’m going to take Miss Cheerilee to her room. We will be back shortly.” She gave the three a smile. “In the meantime, why don’t you three make yourselves at home?”

The three Crusaders nodded. With that, Cheerilee and Mrs. Winter disappeared through the doorway. Scootaloo turned to her friends and smiled. “Is this going to be the best weekend or what?!”

Apple Bloom leapt back onto her bed. “It sure is! We’ve got a huge house to play in and explore!”

Sweetie Belle skipped to her suitcase with joy. “Yeah! And find our special talent!”

Scootaloo thought about the son that Mrs. Winter kept mentioning. She wondered what kind of cutie mark he would have... or if he even had one? “Maybe we could have her son help us?!”

The girls continued to dig out essentials from their suitcases: toothbrushes, small pillows and blankets and anything they would need to help them enjoy themselves.

Scootaloo dug through the bottom of her suitcase and pulled out a small book, the latest Daring Do adventure. She had been reading the books for a while, but was ashamed because she thought that Rainbow Dash would think she was a bookworm for reading them. She remembered her heart leaping with joy when she discovered that Rainbow Dash loved them as much as she did. Maybe more. She couldn’t wait to finish the latest book and talk about it with Rainbow Dash.

Scootaloo noticed that Apple Bloom had brought a small picture of her family. She placed it on the nightstand next to her bed.

Sweetie Belle seemed to have a lot of nonessential clothes within her case. “Do you really need all those clothes?” Scootaloo asked.

Sweetie Belle smiled. “Just a few necessities.”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. She couldn’t help but think of Rarity as she continued to examine her suitcase. Rainbow Dash would have probably said something about how ‘they were staying two days’ and that ‘she didn’t need all those clothes’. She thought about saying something, but gave it up. Nothing could be done about it anyway, unless Sweetie Belle was willing to throw all her clothes out the window.

Time continued to pass. Silence lingered in the room for several minutes. Sweetie Belle was sorting her clothes again while humming a tune. Apple Bloom sat on the edge of the bed, her hind legs swinging back and forth as if she was waiting for something.

A dreariness set in as Scootaloo glanced at the clock again. Five minutes?! she moaned to herself. Not wanting to spend another few minutes in boredom, she picked up her book and flipped to the latest chapter.

As she read through the pages, her mind couldn’t help but think about the day she and her mother had purchased the book. It was the first day of release. She was jumping up and down all the way to the bookstore. And when they finally received the book and made their way out of the bookstore, Rainbow Dash stood just outside to greet her.

Rainbow Dash had explained how it was the best book ever and how excited she was that Scootaloo was finally going to have the chance to read it. It only fueled the fires of excitement within her.

The only time she could put it down was when she was forced to by her mother, usually for dinner or sleep, but this was her weekend and she was going to finish this book so she could tell Rainbow Dash how she liked it. And with Mrs. Winter and Miss Cheerilee taking as long as they were, it seemed like she would be able to finish it.

“Hey, Scootaloo.” Apple Bloom’s voice broke her concentration. Scootaloo peeked out from behind the book covers. “Do you think that there was something weird about those statues?”

Scootaloo’s mind blanked out for a moment, completely forgetting about the book in front of her. “Well, a little…”

Apple Bloom lowered her head. “I just think they were … kind of scary.” There was a pause, as if nopony knew how to answer. “Don’t you think?”

Silence came over them. Moments passed before the three went back to what they were doing. Scootaloo tried to regain focus on her book, but found herself thinking instead about what Apple Bloom had brought up.

Every moment she found herself distracted, she shook her head, as if trying to dispel the thoughts from her mind. Finally, she gave in and glanced over at the nearby clock on the wall. Twenty minutes?!

Scootaloo glanced out the window for the first time since they arrived in the room and noticed the first signs of darkness overtaking the sky as the sun slowly disappeared over the horizon.

“Miss Cheerilee and Mrs. Winter have been gone a long time,” Apple Bloom pointed out.

Sweetie Belle sat up on her bed and turned towards Apple Bloom. “Well… maybe they’re talking to each other. I mean, they are old friends.”

Apple Bloom’s stomach began to rumble as she held it tightly. “But I’m starving.” Scootaloo noticed her stomach doing the same thing for a while, but she thought that Miss Cheerilee would be back by now. “They said dinner would be soon, but it feels like it’s going to be later than sooner.”

Scootaloo leapt off her bed and made her way to the door. “I say we just go find the dining room and see if we can get a head start on dinner.”

Sweetie Belle bit her lip and glanced to the back wall. “I don’t know, Scootaloo. Shouldn’t we wait here for Miss Cheerilee?”

Scootaloo shook her head and smiled. “Relax, they’ll find us. Mrs. Winter knows the house, remember?”

Apple Bloom stood straight up on her bed. “But we don’t. We could get lost.”

Scootaloo chuckled. “Don’t worry, all we have to do is get downstairs. How hard can that be?” Scootaloo placed her hoof on the doorknob. As she started to turn it, it stuck. Scootaloo pushed forward on the door, but it refused to budge. Scootaloo raised an eyebrow and pushed on the door even harder, but it still refused to move.

“Looks like it’s going to be pretty hard,” Sweetie Belle quipped.

Scootaloo turned back to them, bead of sweat gripped her face and slithered down her neck. “Girls, this isn’t funny! The door won’t move!”

Sweetie Belle’s smile dropped from her face as she leapt off her bed. “Really?”

Apple Bloom marched to the doorway and placed her hoof on the doorknob, shaking it as hard as she could. Apple Bloom pushed on the door again, but again, the door would not budge.

Scootaloo tried putting all of her weight against it, but still it refused to give. Sweetie Belle finally approached the door, pushing against it as well. The three continued to push against the door, but no matter how long they did, it would not move.

Scootaloo turned around, an eyebrow raised. What the hay is going on? Why is the door locked?

“Hello?!” Sweetie Belle cried. They waited for a response, but nothing came. It seemed as if the entire house was still and silent. Scootaloo perked her ears again, hoping for a delayed response. Nothing.

“Miss Cheerilee?!” Sweetie Belle cried. “Mrs. Winter?!” Silence again reigned supreme. The slight creaking within the walls overpowered every sound around them, save for Scootaloo’s heart pounding against her ribcage.

Scootaloo shook her head, trying to dispel her paranoia. “Maybe we should just stay here and wait for them to get back.”

Apple Bloom made her way to the other side of the room. “Stand back, girls.” Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo stepped out of the way, leaving a clear path between Apple Bloom and the door. Apple Bloom rushed at the door with all her might, her body slamming into it with a crack. However, the door stood strong and it flung Apple Bloom to the floor.

Apple Bloom slowly got up and shook her head. “I thought that would work.”

Scootaloo made her way to the same spot that Apple Bloom had started. “Maybe if we all hit it at once.” The Crusaders nodded in agreement. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle made their way to Scootaloo’s side and prepared themselves to charge.

Scootaloo looked to her left and right, seeing an approving nod from each of them. “Okay. One… two… three!” With that, their legs darted for the door, pouring everything they had into their charge.

As their bodies rammed into the door, it burst open with a thunderous crack. The three tumbled to the ground just outside their room.

Scootaloo was the first on her feet. She took a quick look around her, scanning the hallway. It was much darker than she remembered. She wasn’t sure if it was the sunlight finally setting over the horizon or the overall feel of the place.

The hallway gave off a melancholy feel as she absorbed every detail. The statues from before seem to be staring at her with disapproving eyes. She avoided their glance, trying to keep herself calm.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle started to look around them, their bodies shaking as Scootaloo had before. She wasn’t sure which one of them was more afraid. She wouldn’t have been surprised if it was herself.

It’s just a prank, Scootaloo convinced herself. A prank to scare us. Yeah, that’s it. Scootaloo placed one foot down the hallway, trotting back to the where she though the staircase was. Her mind may have thought it was nothing more than a cruel prank, but her body was hardly convinced. Her face felt as if sweat was pouring off her. Her legs were shaking as she marched down the hall, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom not far behind.

Her ears then caught a small sound in the distance. It sounded like somepony coming their way, but there was something off about it, almost as if the pony was hurt. Sounds of normal trotting would be followed by two really quick steps as if the pony was almost tripping, but caught themselves mid fall. It happened every few seconds.

Scootaloo stopped in her tracks, causing Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom to do the same. Apple Bloom made her way to her side. “What is it, Scootaloo?”

Scootaloo's head sunk into her chest as she stuttered. “Do… Do you girls hear that?”

Apple Bloom glanced down the hallway, her ears perking straight up. The sound slowly came into the hall. Sweetie Belle took several steps back. Scootaloo almost joined her, when suddenly they heard another sound.

A clunking sound filled the air around them, as if something big was coming down the hall. Three repeating steps, followed by a fourth that felt rushed, almost as if it was trying to catch up with the other three.

A moment later, a stallion… a very large stallion slowly limped his way into view. He stopped. Slowly, he turned his head towards the Crusaders.

Two yellow eyes peered at them through the strands of green hair littered with black filth. His mouth hung open, revealing a row of teeth. Black muck stained parts of his face like he had been in a coal mine and had never bothered to wash up, except around his mouth. His skin was a slight tint redder than his orange body.

The expression carried on his face was blank, as if he wasn’t sure what to feel. Yet, his eyes continued to pierce at them, as if he was looking straight through them.

Silence filled the air as the Crusaders stared down the stallion in the hall. Scootaloo could only hear the thundering in her heart as it beat faster and louder than it had ever beat before.

Scootaloo looked down at his hooves to see a long pointed knife, with a rusted handle that barely stood out from the large hoof that carried it. The blade had spots of red stained on it.

Scootaloo’s heart felt as if it was going to break out of her chest and run for its life. Like a well-rehearsed choir, the girls let out shrieks of terror, as their legs started to carry them far away from the mysterious stallion.

The mysterious stallion’s hoofsteps became faster and his panting grew closer.

The three girls raced down the hallway, their panicked breaths overpowering any other sound that might be heard.

As she placed one hoof in front of the other, Scootaloo felt her hind leg slip on the rug and cause her to tumble to the ground. Her sight blurred for a moment as she turned her head. The stallion was gaining on her and would be on top of her in seconds. She needed to move quickly to avoid him. She glanced to her left and noticed a slightly open door.

She dove for it, closing the door behind her and locking it, taking in a deep breath afterward. She glanced around the room and found that she had hidden in a bathroom. It looked like it hadn’t been used in a while. Everything looked spotlessly clean, but there didn’t seem to be any sign of usage.

Suddenly, the door vibrated with a thud, as if it was hit by something heavy. Scootaloo screamed as she leapt as far away from the door as she could. Frantically, Scootaloo searched the room for an exit.

Aside from a small mirror, a large bathtub, a toilet and a shelf that could be pushed around, there was nothing in the room to help her escape. She felt as if she were trapped as the door thundered once more.

Scootaloo glanced upwards to see the ceiling, covered in movable tiles that led to the rafters. There was more pounding at the door as she made her way to the side of the small shelf and started to climb it, placing each of her limbs in the cubbies, pushing bottles of perfume, toothpaste, deodorant, and other supplies out of her way as she climbed.

The door burst open as the massive pony slithered inside the bathroom. Scootaloo climbed faster, ignoring her pacing. She reached the top of the shelf and slid open the ceiling tile. She started to climb inside when something heavy wrapped around her hind leg. She looked down and screamed as the huge stallion started to pull on her hind leg. Scootaloo struggled against him, but he was far stronger than she was. The stallion pulled himself up to Scootaloo’s flank, the knife in his hoof raised as if preparing to strike.

Scootaloo pulled back with one of her legs and delivered a swift buck to the stallion’s face. The stallion let go of Scootaloo’s leg and fell to the floor below. Scootaloo took the opportunity to climb into the rafters and scurry over the ceiling tiles.

The thundering echoes of her every movement pounded in her ears, joining the bombardment of sounds that were already driving her crazy. Her heart was pounding in her chest, her lungs were taking in rushed breaths.

She turned her head as a rustling was heard from behind her. She looked back to see the pony climbing up to the rafters. Scootaloo, her mind blacking out for a moment, smashed her hoof against the ceiling tile just in front of her, causing it to split down the middle and plummet to the floor below her.

Now in full realization of what had happened, Scootaloo leapt out of the rafters and down to the floor. She took a look at her surroundings. She wasn’t sure what she was looking for, but she would take anything to escape this pony. She found herself in what looked to be a laundry room. Small stacks of clothes littered the floor near a large straw basket with a lid. Without a second thought, Scootaloo dove for the straw basket and opened the lid as she slipped inside. It was just big enough to hold her.

She curled up as tightly as she could as she heard the rafters thunder above her, most likely due to the large weight of her assailant. She attempted to look through the strands of straw to see her opponent, but the strands were so thick and woven so tightly together that the only things that could pass through them were strands of light.

The heat began to climb in the small basket. Her breathing became even more rapid. She held her breath out of fear of being discovered, but she couldn’t stop her heart. Her heart continued to beat in her ears, like a drum being beaten as hard as it could. Please don’t find me, she silently pleaded with whatever deity was listening. She plead countless times, attempting to quiet her heart with her own willpower.

Sadly, it didn’t seem to happen. If anything, it only became louder, as if to signal exactly where she was. As if her heart had turned on her.

She sat as quietly as she could, taking in a few breaths every few seconds. It seemed like an eternity since she entered the box. An eternity since she was chased by that thing… That pony… or what she thought was a pony. Maybe it was something else. She had never seen a pony act like that.

Minute after minute passed. Her body began to sweat due to the heat the basket was giving off. She knew she couldn’t stay here. But what if he’s right there?

Scootaloo perked her ears up as high as she could, listening to every sound in the room. Nothing. Not even an insect was buzzing. She focused her hearing again, desperately trying to ignore every other sound that could possibly be in the room in search of that monster. Again, there was no sound.

Finally, she gathered as much courage as she could and poked her head out of the basket. She slowly looked around the room, taking in as much detail as she could. The room was empty, save for the laundry, the basket and herself.

Scootaloo let out a deep sigh of relief. It was the first time in minutes since her breath had made a sound. As she climbed out of the basket, being careful not to make a sound, she soon had a horrifying realization: My friends! What happened to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle?

She wracked her brain, attempting to remember the last moment she had seen them, but the only moment she could remember was they were running for their lives from the disfigured creature. Scootaloo wondered if he was why Cheerilee and Mrs. Winter had been gone for so long. What if he got to them?

She made her way to the doorway, realizing that she needed to find her friends and get out of this house.