The halls were silent once more as Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo wandered the house. The light of the moon through the windows was the only comfort offered. Scootaloo looked at the moon, hoping for a miracle. I wish Princess Luna could see or hear us. She’d get us out of this in no time.

Their ears perked up, listening for any and all sounds: a crackling of the walls, the ticks in the floor as they moved on by, the slow, almost inaudible breaths they took... a pin could drop and somehow, they would pick it up. Scootaloo was dead certain of it.

However, doing so made their situation much less comfortable, as Scootaloo would love nothing more than to talk to Sweetie Belle. It didn't have to be about anything important... it could have been about that colt that Sweetie secretly liked or about the new Daring Do book. She honestly didn't care what they talked about. She just wanted to escape the thundering silence... but she didn't dare raise her voice. The stallion they feared could hear them, and they needed to hear him. They couldn't afford to miss any sound due to excess chatter, so alas, the hallway remained silent.

As they marched through the hall, door after door greeted them, seeming to just beg to be opened. Scootaloo swore she could hear them taunting her, mocking her for not taking a chance. Scootaloo stopped in front of one, simply staring at it.

“Scootaloo?” Sweetie Belle said, causing Scootaloo to turn back toward her friend. Scootaloo glanced down at her hooves and back at the door, torn on what to do. “What is it?”

Scootaloo reached for the doorknob and placed her hoof atop it. Sweetie Belle rushed up and grabbed her foreleg. “Scootaloo?! What are you doing?” Sweetie whispered.

Scootaloo glared at her. “We aren't going to find Apple Bloom or anyone else by just wandering the hallways.” Scootaloo could see the tears welling in Sweetie Belle’s eyes, and could only imagine the fear going through her head. Actually, she didn't have to. She knew it all too well. “We need to search the rooms and hope that they're inside.”

The two were still for a moment, as one waited for the other to make the first move. Finally, Sweetie Belle silently surrendered, and released Scootaloo’s foreleg. Scootaloo looked at the doorway, taking in a deep breath. Her heart began to race once more as she slowly turned the knob. The door creaked open, revealing a small library with rows upon rows of books stacked on each of the four different bookcases.

The floor was littered with shredded paper. There were books opened with numerous pages torn out, and books whose covers looked as if the players in the last Canterlot Open had put on their golf cleats and done a Gene Nelly tap dance number upon them. However, there was nopony else in the room. Scootaloo breathed a sigh of relief and closed the door before they moved on.

They searched room after room after room, but there was no Apple Bloom, no Cheerilee, no Mrs. Winter to be found. There was no way to escape, either: like the rooms on the lower floor, the windows were barred, as if somepony wanted the house to remain locked away.

Resuming their trek through the labyrinthine house, they came upon a large hallway with several windows at the far side. Once again, the windows were barred, along with their possible escape route. However, Scootlaoo noticed something as she looked out: on the grounds just outside there was a little hut, surrounded by a large fence. A light flickered through the hut's small window.

Scootaloo turned towards Sweetie Belle. “Maybe there's somepony there.”

Sweetie Belle lowered her head. “What if it’s the one chasing us?”

Sweetie Belle looked back outside and was silent. She was thinking the exact same thing as Scootaloo. Scootaloo couldn't help but notice her body language: shaking hooves, slight sweating down the back of her neck... Sweetie Belle was just as frightened as she was. A few moments later, Scootaloo spoke again. “But what if it’s Apple Bloom or Ms. Cheerilee?”

Sweetie Belle looked away, but the point was made. She sighed in surrender. With a nod of her head the two made their way down the hall, looking for the stairs.

Minutes ticked by. The fillies moved as quietly as they could. The hallways seemed to be nothing but rows upon rows of doors that led to various rooms, many that looked like they hadn't been used in ages. For a moment, Scootaloo gave up searching for the stairs and began to wonder about Mrs. Winter’s house.

She said she had lived here for years, but it doesn’t look like somepony could live here comfortably. And what about all the strange rooms? All the damage, like the books in that library. How could she not notice? I know it’s a big house, but still... She flashed back to the moment before the nightmare began... about the last time she saw Mrs. Winter and Ms. Cheerilee. And what about her son? We haven’t seen him yet. Could that pony have gotten to him? Or… what if…

“Scootaloo...” Sweetie Belle’s voice snapped Scootaloo out of her trance. She turned to see Sweetie Belle pointing at the wooden staircase they had been looking for. “I’d thought we’d never find it.”

Scootaloo momentarily cracked a smile. She wasn’t sure if Sweetie Belle was genuinely trying to lighten the mood or if she was trying to hide her fear. Either way, she would welcome any distraction.

I’m really glad I found Sweetie Belle. A relieved breath escaped her as the two made their way down the stairs. They were so close to each other that they found themselves constantly bumping into one another on their way down. Maybe it was just to remind each other that they weren't alone, and that, if nothing else, they at least had each other.

As the fillies reached the last step, they found themselves back at the ballroom. Sweetie Belle was shivering worse than before. Scootaloo looked at her. “Sweetie Belle, are you okay?”

She was silent. She didn't move. She didn't whisper. She didn't even breathe. A moment or two had passed before...

“Sweetie Belle?”

Sweetie Belle blinked as if she had snapped out of a trance. “What did you say, Scootaloo?”

“I asked if you were okay.”

Sweetie Belle nodded, but failed to smile. “I’m okay.”

Scootaloo wasn't convinced, but decided to let it go. With what they had been through, she wasn't sure she wanted to put any more pressure on her, nor did she herself want to be pressured. They made their way through the ballroom to the row of doors Sweetie Belle had seen earlier. They picked one through an old, tried and true decision maker...

"Eeny, meenie, miney, moe..."

They went through the door to find yet another empty hallway with a series of windows. There was a single door at the end. Sweetie Belle poked her head up to the window and looked outside. “Scootaloo, it’s just right there.”

Scootaloo made her way to the door and tried to open it. It wouldn’t budge. She tried again, summoning every bit of strength her tiny body could muster, her teeth clenching as she put her back into it.

“Locked?”

Scootaloo shook her head. “No, it’s stuck.” She tried one last time, and she finally surrendered. The door had won.

Sweetie Belle made her way past Scootaloo and stood before a small crack in the wall, just large enough to stick her tiny hoof through. She felt around, touching the cold grass. “How are we going to get there?” Sweetie Belle asked, pulling her hoof back inside.

Scootaloo put her hoof on her chin, rubbing it thoughtfully. Moments passed, but nothing came to mind. She let out a frustrated grunt as she looked at the crack. “If only this hole was just a little bit bigger.” She angrily bucked the wall with her hind leg.

A loud cracking came from the wall. The two fillies took a step back in shock as a small portion of the wall began to crumble, leaving a larger hole to the outside.

Sweetie Belle had a smile of pure joy on her face. “Scootaloo, you did it!”

Scootaloo was in shock. "Yeah... I guess I did." The pair made their way to the newly created hole. Scootaloo got into the prone position and crawled through the hole. Her body rubbed against the rocks, cutting her as she moved. She winced, looking down at her forearm as it rubbed against one of the jagged rocks. A tiny scratch had marred her body, but there was thankfully no blood oozing from the wound.

Exiting the hole, she stood up and waited while Sweetie Belle passed through. She couldn't help but look up at the moon. The heavenly body shined pure and bright over her, as if it were spotlighting her presence. It was almost like this was a stage play and they were all just actors immersed in their roles. I wish this was a play, Scootaloo thought. At least then I'd know we’d get out of here alright.

Sweetie Belle finally emerged from the hole and stood up straight, shaking the dust off her white coat. The two fillies looked around for a moment. The shack stood several yards ahead, a single tree keeping it company in the confined space that separated one part of the house from another. It was like yet another hallway, and the house just seemed to be openly mocking them at this point. They were so close to the outside world and freedom. It was the proverbial carrot on a string: the outdoors were dangled in front of them, offering the possibility of escape. However, when they tried to take that chance, they remembered the insurmountable fence around them, and the chance was jerked away from them.

Scootaloo focused on the small shack in front of them. The light was continuing to flicker off and on. Perhaps it was meant to draw something to it, like a signal for something... like a lighthouse in a storm.

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle slowly made their way towards the shed. The sounds of the children of the night echoed in their ears, drowning out all other sounds around them. It was almost as if the birds and night creatures were trying to keep them from hearing anything else, like they had become malevolent.

A small gust of wind blew through the trees, causing Scootaloo to stop and look around. The rustling of the trees echoed through the night, adding another sound to the cacophony of noise around her. She felt her breathing become more violent. After a moment, she shook her head and tried to calf herself down. Keep it together, Scootaloo.

“Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle’s voice came from the hut. Scootaloo turned around to see Sweetie Belle standing on her hind legs, looking into the window. “It’s Apple Bloom!”

The instant those three words left Sweetie Belle's mouth, Scootaloo was there, peeking inside the shack. Apple Bloom was imprisoned in a small steel cage, her face laid across her foreleg. Her body was moving as if she were sobbing heavily.

“Come on, we’ve got to get her out of there,” Scootaloo said.

The pair made their way to the door and pushed it open, the door creaking on its rusty hinges. A whimpering sound met their ears as they stuck their heads through the doorway.

“Sweetie Belle! Scootaloo!” Apple Bloom greeted them with a smile, tears still running down her face. “Thank Celestia, it’s you!”

“Apple Bloom, what happened?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“It was Mrs. Winter!”

Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. “Mrs. Winter?” While it wasn't as surprising as it probably should have been, she could still barely believe what Apple Bloom was saying. However, after all that had happened tonight, it was possible. Her mind was racing as she tried to decide what to believe. The sincerity of Apple Bloom’s voice, however, seemed to make up her mind for her.

“She put me in this cage and told me that her son would be here soon!” Apple Bloom gave a loud sob. “I’ve never been so scared in my life.”

“Don’t worry, Apple Bloom! We’ll get you out of there.” Scootaloo said as she looked around the hut. She soon noticed a small silver key lying on a table on the far side of the room. With one quick movement, Scootaloo grabbed the key and rushed over to Apple Bloom’s cage.

“Hurry, I don’t know how long it will be until he gets here,” Apple Bloom begged.

“How long has it been since Mrs. Winter left you here?” Sweetie asked as Scootaloo struggled with the lock.

Apple Bloom shook her head. “I don’t know. A long time?”

The lock finally clicked and the door squeaked open. Apple Bloom trotted out, embracing Scootaloo. “Oh, thank you for saving me!” She rushed over to Sweetie Belle, giving her a tight hug. “I thought I was a goner for sure!”

Scootaloo wanted desperately to smile. She desperately wanted to say it was going to be okay. However, they still had a huge problem. “We’re not out of the woods, yet. We still need to find Miss Cheerilee.”

Sweetie Belle’s ears drooped. “And we have to find a way out of here.”

Apple Bloom’s smile vanished from her face. “You haven’t seen Miss Cheerilee, either?”

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo shook their heads. The three stood silent for a few moments before Scootaloo moved to open the hut door. As she reached for the knob, the door began to open.

The familiar face of the stallion stood just outside the doorway.

Scootaloo's mind went completely blank as she pushed herself against the door. The door vibrated and slowly opened, her tiny body no match for the strength of a fully grown stallion.

A piercing scream left Scootaloo's mouth as her friends rushed over to the door, pushing against it with all their might. Their combined strength forced the stallion outside. Unfortunately, the door was still slightly ajar... a crack small enough for the stallion to put his hoof through.

Sweetie Belle screamed as the hoof slowly approached them, ready to grab them, to drag them away to face horrors unknown by any living pony. Apple Bloom seized the opportunity: she reached up and sank her teeth into the hoof, biting hard enough to draw blood. A loud, guttural roar emitted from outside the door as the hoof was yanked outside.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders quickly slammed the door, their enemy safely outside. Scootaloo smiled. “Good work, Apple Bloom.”

She spoke too soon. There was a violent pounding, like a battering ram had slammed against the door. Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle put their backs into it, as the door was rammed again, shaking the Crusaders violently. Scootaloo had a feeling that it was only a matter of time before the door was reduced to firewood.

The stallion rammed the door again, causing the three to jerk forward. Scootaloo glanced towards the small window at the far side of the shack. It seemed to be their only way out. “Keep him out for as long as you can!”

Sweetie Belle glanced at Scootaloo, still pushing with all her might. “What are you doing?!”

Scootaloo ran to a small crate at the corner of the room. She managed to push it just under the window. “Getting us out of here.” I hope.

Finding a smaller crate, she placed it on top of the larger crate. The ramming at the door echoed into the room again, followed by Apple Bloom crying out “He’s gonna get in!”

Scootaloo pushed a large chair over and placed it on top of the small crate, creating a small ladder to the window. When she stood on top of the chair, she could just reach the window. Pushing it open, she felt the pleasant night's breeze on her face. She turned back to her friends. “Come on!”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle rushed towards the makeshift ladder and began to climb it. Just as they reached the bottom crate, the door toppled to the ground, their tormentor framed in the doorway.

Scootaloo leapt out the window first, landing hard on the grass. Her body felt a slight tingle of pain that soon dissipated. She looked up as Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom came soaring after her. The two flying fillies tumbled to the ground, grunting in pain as they got to their feet.

Scootaloo took a hold of their hooves and pulled them forward, leading them towards the hole they entered from.

Scootaloo could hear the stallion’s hoof steps gradually move toward them. Scootaloo quickly dove into the hole and crawled through as quickly as possible, ignoring the feeling of the rocks scratching her skin.

Once Scootaloo had made it through, she turned around to see Apple Bloom, scurrying behind her. Sweetie Belle emitted a piercing scream. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom looked back to see Sweetie Belle struggling to escape the hole. They had soon found the problem: the stallion had his hoof around her hind leg, and was trying to pull her back.

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom wasted no time: they reached for their friend, their front hooves latching securely on to Sweetie Belle’s as they pulled with all their might. Sweetie Belle whimpered as tears swam down her face. Her hind legs flew wildly as they fought against the stallion’s grip.

As the stallion raised his blade, a stray kick from Sweetie Belle’s hind leg found its way into the fiend's face. The sudden pain caused the stallion to release Sweetie Belle, which in turn forced Scootaloo and Apple Bloom backwards to the ground, Sweetie Belle in tow.

The stallion was quick to his feet. He stuffed his hoof through the hole, attempting to grab his elusive prey. He leaned against the wall, reaching as far as his massive body would allow him. No matter how hard he tried, he could not get any closer.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders backed against the far wall, staying well out of reach of the stallion's flailing hoof.

After a few moments, the stallion pulled his hoof back. Through the hole, the Crusaders could see the stallion hobbling back to the other side of the garden, as if he didn't realize there was a door nearby or he knew he couldn't get through. Either way, Scootaloo was relieved.

Sweetie Belle crumpled to the ground in a tight ball, her sobs filling the small hallway. “I … I wanna go home…”

Apple Bloom sniffled as well, tears flowing down her face. She tried to speak, but nothing came out but more whimpering. Scootaloo fought back her tears, but it was a lost cause. All three had reached the same conclusion: they may never make it out alive. They'd spend the rest of their lives, however long they had, running in fear.

The cherry on the horse apple sundae? Mrs. Winter was involved. Mrs. Winter, who had seemed so motherly... so kind... so sweet... she was now their enemy. All of it hit Scootaloo with the impact of a wrecking ball. She sunk to her knees beside her friends, the tears flowing freely from her innocent eyes.