The Cutie Mark Crusaders made their way back to where Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had hidden Miss Cheerilee, and Scootaloo couldn’t help but feel that the nightmare was almost over. The only matter left was escape. She turned to Sweetie Belle as they made their way down the hall. “Sweetie Belle, you still got that key ring we found?”

Sweetie Belle nodded. “I left it with Miss Cheerilee. I didn’t want to lose it while we followed you.”

Scootaloo wanted to hug her friend out of sheer joy. It took every ounce of restraint to play it casual, as if this was just a walk in the park for them. They finally reached the closet where Cheerilee lay and dug her out.

They gently dragged her from her hiding place, Scootaloo wincing as the dead weight fell into her hooves. She had forgotten how heavy she was, but thankfully Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were there to help.

Cheerilee was still unconscious. Save for her slight breathing, you could hardly tell she was still alive. The stuff Mrs. Winter injected her with seemed to have drained her strength. The Crusaders picked her up and made their way down the long staircase.

They hobbled down the steps, careful not to make any noise, as they yet again found themselves near the ballroom. The exit can’t be too far now. The happiness generated from that thought gave Scootaloo more strength than any amount of adrenaline could. She felt as if she could carry Cheerilee all by herself. She could almost see Ponyville now... Sweet, wonderful Ponyville. The first thing I’m going to do is run home and… Well, perhaps the first thing would be to get Mrs. Cheerilee to a hospital, Scootaloo debated with herself. She then decided the next thing would be to tell somepony like Twilight about the house and what happened.

We're safe now. Mrs. Winter is gone.

Scootaloo's tempting of fate was punctuated by the sound of the door behind them opening. Her surge of energy and optimism left as silently as it came.

They turned, and they saw him. Standing at the doorway, knife in his hoof, was the stallion. His face was as blank and emotionless as ever... except for his eyes. Those golden orbs radiated pure hate, and were trained on the Crusaders. They swore they could feel them boring into their souls.

The Crusaders' piercing screams filled the air as they ran to the nearest door. They didn’t bother to look back. They couldn't dare to. Time was the one thing they couldn't afford to waste, definitely not with an unconscious mare to carry.

They struggled to keep Miss Cheerilee on their backs while they ran as fast as they could, and were doing well considering the amount of dead weight slowing them down. However, even if they had to do without Miss Cheerilee, Scootaloo knew the results would be the same. He still wouldn't be that far behind.

As the three made their way through the door, Sweetie Belle tried to quickly slam it behind them. A single hoof slipped through the door before it could close.

The Crusaders threw down Cheerilee as they rushed to push the door closed. They pushed with all their might against their larger, powerful opponent, but the door continued to open slowly. His hoof was flailing wildly, searching for his prey. A piercing scream left Sweetie Belle's mouth as he nearly grabbed her horn.

Scootaloo continued to push with all her might, hoping to force the psychotic stallion back, it seemed to be a wasted effort. He wasn't going to slow down, not even for a second. He stuck his head into the room, smiling a psychotic smile. As Scootaloo looked around her for something, anything to help her stop the stallion, she saw Apple Bloom rush back from a nearby table. She was carrying a glass bottle in her mouth, filled with an amber liquid.

Apple Bloom swung her head in a way that would make a headbanger at a hair metal concert proud. The bottle collided with the stallion’s exposed face and shattered, the liquid splattering all over the stallion’s hair and face along with shards of broken glass. The stallion roared with pain and withdrew into the ballroom. Wasting no time, the Crusaders finally slammed the door and locked it.

A moment later, something heavy crashed against the door. Scootaloo knew that the door could only take so much punishment before it became kindling. A pungent aroma soon filled the air, possibly from whatever liquid was in the bottle. Scootaloo had smelt it before; it was a liquid she was too young to drink, not that anypony would let her with all the anti-drinking rallies at school. She turned to Miss Cheerilee, still out cold on the ground. If we get out of this, I promise I’ll pay more attention in class!

The girls took a moment to examine the room. It appeared to be a living room; fine curtains were set against the window, a set of chairs set against one another. A large bookshelf was set against a wall near the door. Several small candles littered their surroundings, adding an almost warm and inviting orange glow to the place. The illusion was soon shattered by the sound of the door taking another thrashing behind them. Sweetie Belle made her way to the curtains.

“Sweetie Belle, what are you doing?” Scootaloo asked.

Sweetie Belle ripped the curtains from their resting place. “Trying to buy us some time!”

Scootaloo looked over at Apple Bloom. “Let’s get Miss Cheerilee away from the door.”

The two knelt down and quickly picked up Cheerilee by her front hooves. As they dragged her to the other side of the room, Scootaloo couldn’t help but glance at the next room. She nearly leapt with joy when she recognized it: it was the foyer. They were back where they started! She turned to Sweetie Belle, who by this time had pushed a chair over to the bookshelf and climbed to the top, her curtain in tow.

The door shook again, sounding like a cannon had discharged in the room. The door had enough: it fell to the ground, the hinges broken. The stallion trotted into the room, the knife blade glistening from the candlelight. The stallion was bleeding from the shards of glass in his face, his psychotic smile made ten times scarier by the light cast across his face by the candles. He raised the knife and licked his lips in anticipation...

With a warrior's cry, Sweetie Belle tossed the curtain over him. It worked: the stallion's awkward movements caused a quick entanglement. As the stallion struggled and fought against the curtain, the fillies heard the knife clatter to the ground. His blind struggle sent him into the side of the bookshelf, the force of the blow sending Sweetie Belle to the ground.

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom rushed over to Sweetie Belle’s side, helping her to her feet as the stallion continued to struggle against the curtain. He rammed into a table, knocking a few candles to the ground. In seconds, the curtain had caught fire. The fire began to ride up the curtain, enveloping it in a coat of red and orange.

The Crusaders darted back to Miss Cheerilee and picked her up once more. They slowly moved toward the front door as smoke began to billow from the room. Scootaloo looked back at Sweetie Belle. “Sweetie Belle, the keys! Hurry!”

Sweetie Belle set Miss Cheerilee down and ran to the front door, forcing Apple Bloom and Scootaloo to hobble the rest of the way up. She ran through the rows of keys, placing one into the keyhole. It didn't work. She grunted in frustration as she picked up another key and tried again.

The remaining Crusaders stopped at the door as Sweetie Belle tried another key. She screamed in utter frustration as it didn't fit, and tried forcing it in. Scootaloo looked back to see the door behind them. The stallion hobbled through it, his coat and mane now engulfed in flames.

How is he still moving?! What kind of monster is he?! Scootaloo asked herself.

“Sweetie Belle, hurry!” Apple Bloom begged.

“I’m trying!” Sweetie Belle screamed as she put in another key in the slot. It didn't fit. She looked for another key.

Scootaloo felt her heart racing again. It can't end this way, it just can't. We've come so far... so close... Please, Celestia, please... don't let us die like this...

“I got it! Let's go!” Sweetie Belle shouted as the door creaked open. Hope flowed through Scootaloo's veins as she and Apple Bloom rushed to Miss Cheerilee's side, dragging her once more. This time, they made their way safely through the doorway, and Sweetie Belle slammed the door.

The relief turned out to be temporary, as the doorknob started turning. Sweetie Belle threw her body against the door, pushing with all her might in a valiant effort to keep the stallion contained. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom rushed to her side, attempting to assist.

The door thundered against the Crusaders, accompanied by loud roaring. The force momentarily sent them flying, but like a yo-yo, they ran back and held it against the stallion. Celestia help us all if we fail. Scootaloo thought. Nopony will be spared. How many ponies will die if he gets out?

The cycle continued for several moments. The fillies were sobbing in fear, but kept at it. They cried out inside for somepony to help them... Spike, Pinkie, Derpy... hay, even Diamond Tiara would do.

Moments later, the pounding stopped. The three waited. Scootaloo’s ears perked up, taking in any sound that could possibly come from inside. There was nothing. There was no pounding. No hoofsteps. Not even the slightest hint of breathing. The evil was gone forever. We did it, Dr. Viridian. We saved the world. The monster is dead, just like you wanted. Scootaloo's relief gave way to grief. Grief for those who weren't so lucky. Aurora Glow... Copper Coin... Angel Heart... Merry Field... Star Crystal... White Noise... Golden Slumbers... you've all been avenged. May you all rest in peace.

The door grew hot, and the Crusaders backed away instinctively. An orange light was emanating from the crack at the bottom, and was soon followed by a small flame. The flame began crawling up the door. Black smoke billowed through the cracks, rising into the night sky.

Scootaloo took in a deep breath, and felt her body grow heavier. It was as if all the land in Equestria had been placed on her shoulders. She collapsed, her eyes slowly closing. She tried to move, but her limbs felt as if they were encased in the strongest, heaviest steel imaginable. All she could do was lay in the dirt. She couldn't even look up to check on her friends. She couldn’t think of anything. She couldn’t do anything. All she could do was close her eyes and drift.

Just five minutes... you'll feel much better...

The chirping of the summer birds was what hit her first. It was such a pleasant sound... it was almost welcoming. The ground had become softer than she ever thought it could. She could no longer feel the dirt against her face... instead, the feeling was warm... cozy...

Scootaloo’s eyes snapped open to the sight of a white room. She looked down at herself and saw a white sheet covering her body, save her front hooves and, of course, her face. A ray of yellow light came from her left, where the sounds of birds emanated. She saw a pair of blue jays flutter around the oak tree outside the window. Was it all a dream?

“Scootaloo!” A familiar voice hit her ears. Scootaloo turned to see a pale blue Pegasus standing in the doorway, tears rushing down her face. She gave a relieved smile as she ran to her side, embracing her in her hooves. “Oh, my baby!”

“Mom!” Scootaloo cried, as tears ran down her face like a river. For the first time in a while, they were tears of absolute joy. She wrapped her hooves around her mother as tightly as she possibly could, as if she could lose her at any moment. She smiled as her mother’s hoof gently stroked her mane.

“Good, she is awake." Another familiar voice came from the hallway. Scootaloo saw the princess of the night herself. Luna smiled as she closed the door behind her.

“Princess Luna!” Scootaloo exclaimed.

Scootaloo’s mother turned around and bowed her head. “Princess Luna, what are you doing here?”

Luna’s smile vanished. “Scootaloo, we need to talk.”

Scootaloo’s heart sank. “About what?”

Luna made her way to Scootaloo’s side. “Last night, I had entered the dreams of you and your friends. What I saw was...” she stopped mid sentence, shaken. Scootaloo trembled like a leaf. If something could spook Luna, of all ponies, it was serious. “Disturbing.”

Luna turned towards the window, looking out at the sun. “There was a mare and a stallion. The three of you were so scared... so frightened.”

Scootaloo looked down at her hooves. The reality hit her with the force of a Sonic Rainboom.

“I sent my Royal Guard to find the three of you.” She turned back to Scootaloo. “They found you and your teacher, Cheerilee, unconscious outside of a burning building. You were all taken to this hospital. Your friends and teacher are all receiving medical attention.”

So… it wasn’t a dream?! Those words hit her like lightning from the heavens. It was… real… She let out a sniffle and tears poured down her face. Her mother drew her in close as she continued to weep.

Luna lowered her head and closed her eyes. She slowly made her way to the door. “I can see this will take some time.” With those words, Luna left, the door closing behind her.

It wasn’t a dream… Scootaloo reminded herself. It was … a nightmare. The longest nightmare I’ve ever had.

Her sobbing echoed, wandering into the hallway. Anypony who saw Scootaloo that day would speak of how she was shivering in fright, buried in her mother’s forelegs as tears slid down her face and seeped into the bedsheets. The sun had finally risen and vanquished the longest night of her life... but what had happened during the course of it had left her a broken filly. She opened her eyes and looked into the beautiful day, wondering if she would ever be the same.

How could it be the same? How could anything be the same with what she had seen... what she had been through... what they had all been through? How could they go back to the way things were before, just chasing cutie marks and laughing with their school friends?

She closed her eyes. As the darkness enveloped her, the eyes of that stallion appeared... those golden orbs of pure hate... the kind that only appeared in nightmares. She quickly opened her eyes, returning to reality as a soft sob escaped her.

The nightmare was over... but the scars it had left would never truly heal.