Chapter 12

     The three fillies were in a long dark corridor. Applejack took a step forward, and a torch ignited. 

"The torches must ignite automatically," Twilight Sparkle said.

     Fluttershy felt uneasy as she stared down the dead corridor.

"Do you get the feeling we shouldn't be here?" Fluttershy asked. 

     Twilight Sparkle thought for a moment, then facehooved.

"I'm so stupid!" She said. "We're on the third floor corridor on the right hand side. It's forbidden!"

"Let's get outta here," Applejack said.

     As they turned to leave, they were met by a small white cat with a purple bow.

"It's Hayseed's cat!" Twilight cried. "If he finds us here, we're done for!"

"Run!" Applejack yelled.

     The three fillies took off down the corridor. It was extremely dark. Fluttershy just about ran into the door at the end.

Applejack tried opening it, but the door handle merely rattled, refusing to open.

"That's it," Applejack said. "We're goners!"

"Move over!" Twilight snapped. She pushed Applejack aside, and her horn began to glow.

Suddenly, the door burst open.

"How'd you do that?" Applejack asked. 

"Standard Book of Unicorn Spells," Twilight explained. "Chapter 7."

     The three of them hurried through the door.

"Why in tarnation was that door locked?" Applejack asked.

"Er," Fluttershy stuttered. "Girls? I think I see why."

Twilight and Applejack saw what Fluttershy was staring at.

     In the center of the room was a giant black beast. It was three giant dog heads connected to one huge horrific body. It was lying down, asleep, but as they looked at it, its snoring stopped. The three heads began to stir, until they finally opened their six yellow eyes. It made a low rumbling growling sound as all three heads bared their teeth. All three fillies screamed at the top of their lungs.

     The head on the left lunged forward, trying to grab one of Fluttershy's wings in its giant teeth. Fluttershy leapt towards the door, just dodging the creatures mouth. The three ran back into the dark corridor and slammed the door shut behind them.

**************

     "What do they think they're doin'?" Applejack shouted as they climbed the stairs to their dormitory. "Keepin' a thing like that locked up in a school!"

"You don't use your eyes, do you?" Twilight Sparkle said. "Didn't you see what it was standing on?"

"I wasn't looking at its feet!" Applejack cried. "I was sorta busy worrin' about his head!"

"It was standing on a trap door," Twilight explained. "It was guarding something!"

"Guarding something?" Fluttershy echoed.

"That's right," Twilight said. "Now if you two don't mind, I'm going to bed before either one of you comes up with another brilliant way to get us killed, or worse, expelled!"

Twilight kicked open the door, and hopped into her bed.

     Fluttershy and Applejack glanced nervously at eachother.

"She needs to figure out her priorities," Applejack said.

**************

     Applejack and Fluttershy sat nibbling on some fruit at lunch, when they heard a loud screech.

"The mail's here!" A light blue and white filly said. 

Suddenly, a swarm of owls flew into the room. They all carried envelopes and packages alike and began dropping them. It was as if it was raining mail.

     A newspaper and envelope dropped in front of Applejack. Ditzy got a small cardboard box. 

A red envelope fell in front of Fluttershy. 

"This says Lyra on it," Fluttershy said.

"That's me," the light blue filly said. She took the red envelope.

"Sorry you didn't get anything Sugarcube," Applejack said.

"It's okay," Fluttershy replied. She didn't exactly want to hear from the Tiara's. Still, she felt out of place being the only one not tearing open a package or letter.

She picked up Applejack's newspaper.

     "Could I maybe borrow this?" Fluttershy asked.

Applejack nodded as she opened her own letter.

The Pony Tribune

     Fluttershy was expecting a boring description of how the stock market was fairing, just like one of Uncle Tiara's newspapers. Instead, the pictures on the paper moved, just like the pictures around Hogwarts. The front page had a large black and white moving picture of three baby dragons examining an empty bank vault.

     "Um... Applejack?" Fluttershy said timidly. "Look at this."

She pointed to the article and read it out loud.

     "Dragon Bank Has Been Robbed. Authorities believe this to be the work of evil ponies unknown. The vault in question, number 713, had in fact been emptied that very same day. Vault 713 is the one Rarity and I went to."

     "Hey look!" Scootaloo shouted. "Ditzy's got a rememberall!"

Ditzy held up a small glass orb.

     "I've read about those," Twilight chimed in. "When the smoke turns red, you've forgotten something."

Inside, a crimson cloud began to form.

Ditzy sighed. "The only problem is, I can't remember what I've forgotten!"