The Cutie Mark Crusaders lay in a shell-shocked heap upon the mansion floor. Minutes ago, the true horror of their situation had fully set in: not only was Miss Cheerilee still missing and the crazed stallion still on the loose, but they had learned that sweet and motherly Mrs. Winter was in fact a cold-blooded psychopath. And she was as deadly as the stallion.

Minutes had passed before Apple Bloom stood up. She must have realized that laying there and crying was not going to help them. At least, that is what Scootaloo figured. “Come on, girls," she said as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "We got to find Miss Cheerilee and get the hay out of here.”

Scootaloo placed a comforting hoof on Sweetie Belle’s trembling shoulder. She sniffled, but nodded in agreement. After helping Sweetie Belle to her feet, the Crusaders made their way down the hall and back into the labyrinthine corridors of the Winter house.

The girls made it back to the ballroom and took a look around, monitoring the room as if expecting the stallion to appear at any second. None of them made a sound. They all knew what could happen if they did not take the stealthy approach. After a few moments, Apple Bloom started to push forward towards the staircase, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo at her hooves. One by one, they trekked upstairs to the long hallway.

“Maybe we should search the rooms, too,” Apple Bloom suggested. Scootaloo had mixed feelings about the idea. One one hand, it was their only shot at finding Miss Cheerilee alive. On the other hand, if they ran into Mrs. Winter or the stallion... it was too horrible to think of.

There was no protest as Apple Bloom opened the first door she saw and poked her head through it. When she was sure it was safe, she turned to the other Crusaders, nodding her approval. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle followed her inside.

The walls were covered in old newspaper clippings. Scootaloo tried to examine them, a difficult task considering the only light source was the light from the hall. Suddenly, the room was bathed in a bright orange light. Scootaloo turned to see Apple Bloom turning on one of the lamps. “Apple Bloom, shut it off!” She said in a hushed whisper.

Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow in confusion. “But how are we supposed to see?”

Sweetie Belle facehoofed, shaking her head in dismay. “But what if somepony is around? They might see the light.” The realization hit Apple Bloom like a two-by-four to the face, and she shut the light off.

Scootaloo's attention returned to the clippings, and began to read one...

Missing filly: Aurora Glow, age 6. Last seen in Ponyville Market.

Scootaloo glanced at the date of the story: it was three years ago. She started reading the others, and her blood ran cold. The victims... they... they were all children.

Missing colt: Copper Coin, age 8. Last seen in Canterlot Gardens.

They were all around the Crusaders’ age... They were all missing... They were never recovered...

Missing fillies: Angel Heart and Merry Field, ages 7 and 5 respectively. Last seen in White Tail Woods.

She was haunted by the faces of those children... she could swear she heard their screams... their death throes...

Missing filly: Star Crystal, age 4. Last seen at the Ponyville Museum.

She could hear them... the voices of the children... they were overwhelming... "I want my mommy... Please let me go... No... NO..."

Missing colts: White Noise and Golden Slumbers, ages 5 and 8 respectively. Last seen leaving Sugarcube Corner.

The clippings felt as if they were leaping off the wall and pushing them against her face for how much of an impact they had on her.

Are these… trophies?!

Scootaloo fought back the urge to vomit as she slithered to the floor. She looked in despair at the shadows of more and more clippings... clippings that were rendered indecipherable thanks to the darkness. It was a mercy that arrived late, as Scootaloo already knew what they would say: a child went missing... and they were never seen again.

As the images flashed through her mind, Scootaloo found herself thinking... thinking about how many fillies and colts were lured into this house, just like them... thinking that they were safe and going to have fun. She thought of how many ran screaming at the sight of that horrible stallion... of how many of them begged for mercy... of how all their cries fell on deaf ears as the knife was brought down... down... down...

Apple Bloom rushed to Scootaloo’s side and helped her to her feet. “Hurry, this way,” she whispered.

She didn't know why she said that, but Scootaloo was thankful for the distraction. The Crusaders moved to the far wall and scrunched together. Hoofsteps echoed from the hallway into the room. Scootaloo listened closely to the sounds: the steps were normal. No limping. She put her front hooves together and prayed to Celestia that it was the pony she thought it was.

The steps grew closer... closer... closer... a shadow appeared at the doorway, seeping into the room. A moment later, it vanished. It was as if it didn’t have time to deal with a slightly opened door. A moment later, Sweetie Belle braved the silence and marched towards the doorway. She poked her head out slightly, pulling it back in a second later. Horrified, she turned to her friends. “It’s Mrs. Winter!” she whispered, her eyes widened.

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom gave a sigh of relief. “Good thing she didn’t spot us,” Scootaloo stated.

Sweetie looked back out the hall and then back to her friends. “We need to follow her.”

Scootaloo’s eyes widened. Apple Bloom took a step forward and shook her head. “Are you crazy?” She asked. “Why would we follow her? She locked me up as if I belonged in a zoo.” Those words shook Apple Bloom severely. Her tears ran down her cheeks like the liquid rainbow in Rainbow Falls.

Sweetie Belle bit her lip. “But girls, she might be the only one who knows where Miss Cheerilee is.”

Scootaloo looked down at the floor. Sweetie Belle was right. If Cheerilee was near, Mrs. Winter was the only pony who would know of what happened to her. She placed a comforting hoof on Apple Bloom’s shoulder. There was a sniffle as she nodded and made her way to Sweetie Belle’s side.

The Crusaders poked their heads out the door as Mrs. Winter continued down the hallway, turning a corner and disappearing from the Crusaders' sight. When they were certain she wouldn't see them, the Crusaders tiptoed to the end of the hallway.

Snaking their heads around the corner, they saw Mrs. Winter, trotting as if there weren't a care in the world... like she was just some normal mare taking a stroll down to the market. How could any pony be so… like this… towards all this bad stuff? Scootaloo wondered.

Mrs. Winter stopped at the third door on the left and opened it. She marched inside and disappeared from sight once more, the door closing behind her.

The Crusaders gently marched towards the doorway. As they stopped in front of the door, Scootaloo looked into the keyhole, hoping to scout out the room before simply bursting in. Unfortunately, only a small portion of the room was visible. A small candle was burning in the corner of the room. A single chair sat perfectly against the fireplace. As she looked over at the fireplace, she spotted Mrs. Winter.

Mrs. Winter reached for something. The next thing they knew, a loud rumbling noise echoed all around them. Scootaloo leapt backwards in fear, but she caught her voice before it could let out any sound. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle made their way to her side. “What was that?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Scootaloo shook her head. “I don’t know.”

The rumble was heard once more, but this time it was followed by a heavy pounding, as if there were something settling in the room. Scootaloo made her way back to the keyhole and looked through it. The room was exactly the way it was before, save for a lack of Mrs. Winter.

Scootaloo looked at the others. “Mrs. Winter’s gone!” She whispered.

Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow. “Gone? How?”

Scootaloo shook her head as she stepped away from the door. “I don’t know, but she’s not inside anymore.”

Apple Bloom made her way to the door and had a look. After a moment, she turned to the others. “Maybe we should go inside and look.”

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle silently agreed. Apple Bloom slowly pulled the door open, and the three poked their heads inside. There was a large window in the middle of the room, curtains drawn. A large ceramic pot sat in a corner of the room, and at another, one of the Cuba statues gave a intense glare at them. It almost felt like the actual stallion staring them down.

Their search yielded no other door in the room, no other exit that Mrs. Winter could have taken to leave. “Where do you think Mrs. Winter could have gone?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Suddenly, a voice came from behind the walls. “Oh, Cheerilee, everything is going rather well tonight.”

The Crusaders stopped in their tracks. The voice was Mrs. Winter’s, no mistaking it. Paranoid, they looked around, but there was nopony else around. Scootaloo felt her pulse rise once again as they remained still, as if any sudden movement would expose them.

After a moment, Sweetie Belle finally moved toward the walls. She examined one of them, she let out a small gasp. “Girls, its Miss Cheerilee!” she whispered.

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom ran to Sweetie Belle's side. At the far edge of the wall, a small vent stuck out only a foot away from the chair. Through the vent, the fillies saw Cheerilee. Their teacher was alive, but that was her only blessing. Her eyes were closed, her breathing slow and her front hooves were hoisted in the air by rusty chains connected to equally rusty manacles.

Slowly, Cheerilee's eyes began to open. “So, finally awake?” Mrs. Winter asked as she stepped in front of the dangling Cheerilee.

Cheerilee slowly twitched forward. “Winter… do what you want… with me…” Cheerilee took a deep breath every time she spoke. “But… leave the children… alone.”

The chains continued to rattle as Cheerilee weakly struggled against them. Mrs. Winter marched in front of her, a syringe filled with a light blue liquid in her hoof. “Getting your strength back?”

Cheerilee took in a deep breath and once more struggled against her bonds. As the Crusaders glanced down at Cheerilee’s hooves, the manacles clamped against her hooves dug into her skin, drawing forth streams of blood. The streams trickled down her body.

Scootaloo wanted nothing more than to burst through the vent and rescue her... an urge that took all her willpower to fight. They had to get past Mrs. Winter... and then there was that stallion. He was still out there, and the Crusaders had no idea how to find him. She took in a deep breath and continued to watch.

Mrs. Winter shook her head and sighed. “I’m afraid I can’t have that.” She grabbed Cheerilee’s foreleg and stuck the needle inside. Cheerilee winced, her eyes closed tightly, a single tear running down her face.

Mrs. Winter smiled as she gently pulled the needle out. “There. That will keep you from fighting back.”

Cheerilee's breathing intensified as she looked Mrs. Winter in the eyes. “Please… leave the children alone…”

Mrs. Winter shook her head in mock despair. “I’m afraid I can’t do that, Cheerilee.” She turned back towards the wall. “I’m afraid the children are dead.”

Cheerilee’s eyes widened. Only silence followed, as if those words were taking their time to sink in. “Dead?”

Mrs. Winter turned, a smile on her face. “My son is such a good boy... though he does like to rough house a bit... and sometimes his toys break.”

Toys?! Scootaloo's mind screamed. Is that why we’re here?! To entertain her son?!

Mrs. Winter approached Cheerilee. “Oh, I hope he had a fun time tonight. Did you know it’s his eighteenth birthday?”

The Crusaders looked at each other, the gears turning. Scootaloo thought about it. She's keeping Miss Cheerilee alive for some reason... Her son's eighteen... oh, sweet Celestia. She's going to be... Scootaloo felt ill and unclean. The looks on the faces of Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom showed that they had reached the same conclusion. The sooner we get Miss Cheerilee out of there, the better.

“He’s been so excited. He’s going off on his own soon.” Mrs. Winter lowered her head and frowned. “He’ll be out in the world.” She said as tears flowed down her cheeks. “I’m going to miss him so much.”

Mrs. Winter wiped away her tears, her hooves shaking. She took a deep breath, as if trying to collect herself, then smiled and looked back up at Miss Cheerilee. “But tonight, he will enjoy himself and be in the company of his mother.” She placed her hoof on Cheerilee’s cheek and smiled. “Good bye, Cheerilee. I did enjoy our friendship for as long as we had it.”

Cheerilee didn’t move. She didn’t speak, or give any kind of response. She hung there, broken beyond belief.

Mrs. Winter made her way to the far end of the room, where the Crusaders couldn't see her. Scootaloo couldn’t bear to think of that stallion leaving the house and wandering Equestria. Nopony would be safe.

Sweetie Belle made her way past the fireplace, looking at the wall above her. A set of keys hung there, just out of hooves' reach. Sweetie Belle turned and smiled at her friends, her look asking whether or not she should grab them.

Scootaloo nodded.

However, as Sweetie Belle reached for the key ring, the walls roared once more. The wall behind the fireplace opened backwards, revealing a staircase behind it. Scootaloo quickly dove for the ceramic pot, hiding behind it. She looked over to see that Apple Bloom dart behind the statue.

Scootaloo took in a small breath and held it as tightly as she could. She dared not pull her head up, and dared not to see where Mrs. Winter was. An eternity seemed to pass as the sound hoof steps trotting up the staircase filled the air. Scootaloo still did not look up.

A few minutes later, there was the rumbling sound of the wall closing. There was the sound of hoofsteps approaching the door. Scootaloo watched as Mrs. Winter left the room without another word. She waited a few moments before she shot up from her spot on the floor and made her way to the fireplace.

Maybe there’s some kind of secret to getting down there. She looked over as Sweetie Belle emerged from behind the curtains. She made her way to the side of the fireplace, where a candlestick base stuck out of the wall.

“This is what she pulled on when she got up here,” Sweetie Belle said. “I think this is how we’ll get down there.”

Scootaloo nodded as Apple Bloom joined them. Sweetie Belle reached up, grabbed the old candlestick holder, and gave it a yank.There was a small click. The room shook slightly as the rumbling began. The fireplace opened, revealing the staircase.

The Crusaders rushed downstairs, their eyes taking in every single detail of this chamber of horrors. Knives of all shapes and sizes were hung all over the walls, and all were shining as if they had never been used. A sink lay to the left of the stairs. the basin stained a light red. Chains were strung from the ceiling, all leading to their teacher. The fillies ran over, checking her for any sign of life. “Miss Cheerilee.” Apple Bloom whispered.

Slowly, Cheerilee’s eyes opened. A slight, weak smile spread across her face. “Girls… you’re safe.” She took a deep breath, and resumed. "Thank Celestia..." Her weakened state made it difficult for the poor mare to speak.

Scootaloo took a look to her left, and saw a small hoofstool just a few feet away. She looked up at Cheerilee. “Don’t worry, Miss Cheerilee. We’re busting you out of here.”

A slight shake of the head was her response. “No… you have to leave… you have to … get out of here…”

“Not without you, Miss Cheerilee,” Sweetie Belle replied as she made her way to Scootaloo’s side. The two pushed the stool next to Cheerilee. Sweetie Belle gave the keys to Apple Bloom, who climbed up to the manacles holding Cheerilee prisoner. While Apple Bloom tried to find the right key, Scootaloo took a minute to look at Cheerilee’s body. Her chest moved little as she drew in each and every slow breath, almost as if she were asleep. She then noticed that Cheerilee’s hind legs were shaking like Fluttershy if she were forced to speak in public. Scootaloo could neither begin to, nor bear to, imagine what Cheerilee had gone through during the course of the night. However, they knew it would be worse for all of them if they didn’t try to escape.

The tumblers moved and the locks gave way. Cheerilee tumbled to the ground as the Crusaders made their way around her. “Come on,” Apple Bloom whispered. “Mrs. Winter might come back at any moment.”

Cheerilee took a small breath. “Girls… you have to go… go without me…”

Sweetie Belle shook her head. “No. We aren’t leaving you. Either we all get out or none of us do.”

“Please, Miss Cheerilee,” Scootaloo begged. “Just get up.”

Cheerilee placed one hoof in front of her. Slowly, she started to rise to her feet. Her face was a show of agony as she moved. She toppled to the ground before getting to her fourth leg. She took in several deep breaths before she tried to speak. “I’m… sorry… I can’t even stand…”

Apple Bloom approached Cheerilee’s head and pulled it up as high as she could. “Then, we’ll just have to carry you out.”

Apple Bloom laid Cheerilee’s head against her back and turned to the other Crusaders. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle nodded as they made their way to Cheerilee’s hind legs, placing each side of her lower torso against their backs.

Scootaloo winced as the dead weight hung at her back. As they slowly made their way toward the stairs, a feeling of doubt grew in the pit of Scootaloo’s stomach. How are we going to get her out of here? All the doors are locked and the windows are barred. And if we run into Mrs. Winter or her son, how will we protect her?

Despite her doubt, she continued to place one hoof in front of the other, keeping up with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.

They made their way up the staircase, one step at a time. Her mind shifted to the key ring they found. There were several keys that either they hadn’t tried or found didn't fit the chains that held Miss Cheerilee. The front door key might be one of them. She looked over at Sweetie Belle, who was carrying the keys in her mouth.

Eventually the group found themselves at the top of the staircase. Scootaloo set Miss Cheerilee’s hind leg down as she made her way to the door, slowly opening it a crack. She looked down the corridor, searching for any sight or sound of their pursuers. No sign, thank Celestia. With a nod to her friends, she declared, “All clear.”

Scootaloo returned to her spot and helped to pick up Cheerilee once more. The group slowly made their way through the door and into the hallway, struggling all the while with the dead weight. After a few yards, Scootaloo could see a staircase ahead leading to the lower floors. She smiled. The weight on her back was starting to get to her, and beads of sweat were rolling down her face.

Just down those stairs! And we’re home free! Scootaloo declared.

As if on cue, the group heard hoofsteps coming from downstairs. The sounds caused them to freeze in place, their ears perking upwards to catch everything. A pure white mare came into view, her eyes wide with rage. “What are you doing here?!” Mrs. Winter screamed. She took off up the stairs, a look of murder in her eyes.

Apple Bloom quickly dropped Miss Cheerilee and rushed towards Mrs. Winter, ramming her as hard as she could. Mrs. Winter staggered backwards for a moment, but quickly reclaimed her balance. “Run!” Apple Bloom shouted. However, before they could move, Mrs. Winter swatted her hard at the wall.

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo dropped Cheerilee and rushed at Mrs. Winter. Sweetie Belle dove for the left, trying to get to Apple Bloom. Scootaloo ran straight for Mrs. Winter, hoping to buy time for Sweetie Belle.

Mrs. Winter was quick for an older mare, bucking Sweetie Belle in the torso before she could reach Apple Bloom. Scootaloo rammed into Mrs. Winter, but this time, she stood her ground. Scootaloo bounced off her harmlessly and toppled to the ground.

Mrs. Winter stood over her, a look of triumph on her face as she brought her forelegs down on her neck. Scootaloo flailed like a worm on a hook. Her lungs begged her to breathe, but Mrs. Winter wouldn’t allow it. Black spots filled her view. Blurred images slowly began to darken. She felt her legs going numb. She knew that in a moment, the rest of her would go as well.

Suddenly, with a cry normally reserved for a warrior princess, Cheerilee lunged at Mrs. Winter, shoving her back. This time, Mrs. Winter tumbled down the staircase, crashing and thudding her way down.

As air finally reached her lungs, Scootaloo hacked and coughed, her vision slowly normalizing. Life began to flow once more through her body.

She looked at Miss Cheerilee, who had collapsed. She barely moved, save for her slight breathing. What force possessed Cheerilee to hurl Mrs. Winter down that flight of stairs? Moments ago, she couldn’t even stand, let alone shove anypony. Scootaloo wracked her brain, trying to process what happened. It finally hit: despite all the pain and all the weariness, she only saw Scootaloo in trouble... and would do anything to protect her.

Apple Bloom rushed to her side and gently shook her. “Miss Cheerilee! Miss Cheerilee!”

Scootaloo looked over to see Sweetie Belle rubbing her side, trying to ease the pain. As she examined the stairs once more, she saw Mrs. Winter slowly getting up, a look of pure hate burning through her blood-streaked mane and face.

Scootaloo quickly made her way to Cheerilee’s side and picked up her foreleg. Apple Bloom joined her and they began to drag her towards a nearby door. Sweetie Belle caught on and opened the door as the fillies slipped into the room, the unconscious Miss Cheerilee in tow. Closing and locking the door, they listened as the hoofsteps echoed from the hallway

“You little brats!” Mrs. Winter’s voice roared all around them. “I know you haven’t gone far! Not with Cheerilee!”

Scootaloo knew Mrs. Winter was right. They couldn’t get very far. The only way they might get out of the house alive was to leave Miss Cheerilee behind, and no matter how much she wanted to see her mother, Rainbow Dash or her other friends, she couldn’t simply leave Cheerilee. Not even if that was Cheerilee wanted. If they took the time to hide her, there was no guarantee that she would be safe for as long as it took for them to find help. Definitely not in a house of killers.

Apple Bloom looked at them, heavy breaths escaping her lungs. “What do we do?” she whispered.

“If we run, she’ll see us,” Sweetie Belle pointed out.

Scootaloo looked down at the floor. “And if we stay here, she’ll find us for sure.”

A sniffle came from Apple Bloom. Tears were streaming down her face. “I wish Applejack was here. She’d know what to do.”

“Or Rarity,” Sweetie Belle’s eyes began to pour tears as well.

Scootaloo couldn’t help but do the same. Or Rainbow Dash. What would Rainbow Dash do? She closed her eyes, rewarded with the vision of her mentor and surrogate sister. So strong... so brave... and yet, she wasn’t even close to her magnificence. Rainbow Dash would have found a way.

Dash's voice reached her ears, almost leading her to believe she was right there with her. ”All I saw was that I needed to protect my friends."

A moment of silence filled the air around Scootaloo as she took in everything that had happened. Rainbow Dash focused on her task to save her friends. Only a few moments ago, Cheerilee focused on her task to save them. And now, it was her turn.

”Whatever it took.”

Rainbow Dash would make sure her friends would get out safely.

That thought sparked something within her. Her mind restated what Rainbow Dash would do, solidifying her mission. She wiped the tears from her eyes and looked towards her friends. Whatever it takes, then. “I’ll rush out there and try to draw her attention away from you, while you escape with Cheerilee.”

Her fellow Crusaders' mouths dropped. “You can’t be serious?!” Apple Bloom nearly shouted.

“What if you get caught?!” Sweetie Belle asked.

Scootaloo gave a slight smile. She thanked Celestia that they couldn’t hear her heart. It would have betrayed her confidence. The thought of her getting caught had reached her mind, but if Rainbow Dash would risk her neck to protect her friends, she would do the same. She repeated to herself the line that she hoped would give her courage. Whatever it takes.

“I’ll be fine. I’ll just run really fast and catch up with you.”

Without another word, Scootaloo poked her head out the door. Mrs. Winter was only a few feet away, looking in the opposite direction. If Scootaloo made too much noise too soon, she would spot where they were hiding.

She gently tiptoed out of the room, keeping her eyes fixed on Mrs. Winter. As she moved toward the staircase, the floor creaked beneath her hooves. Oh, horse apples, her mind screamed.

“There you are!”

Mrs. Winter glared at her, her hooves clopping against the floor at she rushed towards her.

Scootaloo waited until Mrs. Winter was nearly on top of her, pretending to be paralyzed with fright. Only half of it was true. As Mrs. Winter came within hoof’s length, Scootaloo ducked underneath her hooves and dove behind her, her legs picking up speed. She didn’t bother stopping, nor did she bother looking behind her. Mrs. Winter’s hoofsteps made it very clear she was both tailing her and coming on fast.

Heavy panting echoed in her chest. Her heart continued to race her feet, as if to see which could move faster.

Scootaloo spied a ladder in the dark that seemed to go up to an attic. She made her way to it and climbed it as fast as she could. As she did so, she caught a quick glimpse of Mrs. Winter, still in pursuit.

Reaching the top, she found a place covered in dust, much like snow covering the land. There was everything from old paintings to furniture that looked like it had been torn to shreds. As she ran, the floor creaked and rumbled at her every step, but her ears hardly paid attention; she just had to get away. She hoped that she would find a place to hide and escape.

Her legs took her to the end of the long, cluttered attic, standing in an open area, creaking all around her. She looked around, hoping for a way out. No exit presented itself. She turned and saw Mrs. Winter, a psychotic smile on her face, slowly trotting towards her. She was savoring her fear.

Mrs. Winter took a giant metal candlestick from one of the boxes nearby and held it tightly in her hoof. “Now, don’t struggle. It will only hurt for a moment.”

Scootaloo backed away as far as she could go. Her mind pleaded for an opportunity to get out. Then, as if the house had heard her pleas, the floor crumbled underneath Mrs. Winter’s front hoof. Mrs. Winter struggled against the floorboards, trying to free her leg, but it seemed in vain. Scootaloo found her moment and dashed straight forward, ready to dodge Mrs. Winter.

However, as Scootaloo passed her, the mare grabbed her tail, stopping Scootaloo in her tracks.

A moment of silence passed, the shock still hitting Scootaloo as the entire floor beneath them gave way. Scootaloo’s mind went into a frenzy, as her limbs instinctively reached for the edge of the floor.

Her hooves grabbed the edge, preventing her from falling, but she couldn’t pull herself up. She looked as best as she could behind her, and saw Mrs. Winter on the other side of the gap.

Mrs. Winter climbed up to the floor once more and stood straight up. She bent her knees, giving Scootaloo a death glare as a slight sneer spread across her face. “I’ve have enough of this nonsense!”

Scootaloo tried to climb up and run, but she didn’t seem to possess the strength. Whether it was fear or a true lack of strength, she couldn’t tell. Oh, if only I could fly.

She closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable, for Mrs. Winter to pounce like a panther and rip her to shreds. Suddenly, there was a crumbling sound and then an animalistic scream. As Scootaloo opened her eyes, she saw Mrs. Winter plummet into an unknown part of the house, deep into the darkness. Her screaming eventually stopped, and was replaced with a sickening smack as her body hit the ground. Then... there was silence.

Mrs. Winter didn't make a single sound. She would never make any more noise, nor would she ever hurt another pony ever again. She was dead.

Scootaloo attempted to pull herself up, when the floor piece she was holding onto snapped. Gravity took over and Scootaloo began to fall. Her mind went blank as she saw the tiny shards of wood start their descent with her. Her life began to flash before her eyes...

However, before she could even fall a foot, she felt something wrap around her hooves. Scootaloo looked up to see the faces of her friends. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.

They grunted and struggled as they pulled Scootaloo up from the pit to safety. After Scootaloo placed her hooves on the solid floor, she wrapped them around her fellow Crusaders. “Thank Celestia for you two.” Tears were running down her face. “But,” she sniffled. “I thought you were going to get out with Miss Cheerilee?”

Apple Bloom shook her head and smiled. “And leave our best friend behind? That’s not something Applejack would do.”

Sweetie Belle nodded. “Or Rarity.”

Scootaloo smiled. For the first time since her longest night started, she had a feeling that somehow, everything would be okay.