Ivy didn't leap over the fence, but instead went to walk up the small set of stairs that led up to the doorway. Upon making it there, she looked at the large intimidating door ahead of her and gulped. While the others sneaked to hide after climbing the fence, Ivy was left at the doorway. She was clearly scared and worried, knowing that whoever was possibly behind this door was a monster that the town had been living in fear under for years. But at the same time, Ivy didn't seem to flinch. She was scared, her heart was beating at a million miles a minute and she was sweating profusely. But....she stood there calmly before taking a deep sigh. The well-dressed girl knocked on the door, expecting the sound of faint footsteps inside of the home to come and unlock the door. However, something seemed to be very up. The door just creaked eerily to the side, opening slowly..... "Great....not only is it the home of a murderer....but it's also haunted!" Pinkie seemed to mutter. "Pinkie, please. It ain't haunted..." Applejack rolled her eyes. Ivy looked at what looked like an empty space ahead of her, dark and foreboding. She took a deep breath, and despite her mind screaming at her to not go ahead with it, she slowly took baby steps inside...
As they went further into the house, they could hear muffled noises from inside the coat closet. "See, I told you the place was haunted," said Pinkie in a hoarse whisper. "Nah, that's prolly just Vinyl, hun," said Applejack irritably, before taking a moment to realize what she had just said; a look of horror swept over her face when she did. "Consarn it, we gotta get her outta there."
The sounds of muffled screaming could be heard from the closet, to which Circuit seemed to have found first. What he'd seen was very troubling to say the least, with Vinyl behind restrained by two tight handcuffs by her arms and legs. Across her body was bruises and cuts, and the girl had been stripped to her undergarments. Her puffy eyes and nose had sensed that she had been crying for quite a long time, and some red marks around her wrists showed that she had been trying to escape for a while. While the girls went over to tend to Vinyl, the hairs on the back of Crimson's neck stood up. This seemed easy.....way too easy.
"Thank goodness you guys found me," said Vinyl nervously, almost gasping for breath, "I've been struggling with these damn cuffs for hours... I thought I was gonna pass out." "No worries," said Circuit with a reassuring smile. "We're gonna get you outta here."
Vinyl shook her head. "I thought I was gone for sure....I hope Octavia hasn't worried th-........" she suddenly paused before her eyes went wide. "What?" Applejack asked the captive girl. "I haven't been in this house before! I.....think I was taken into another house prior and then woke up in the closet. And if you've found me....that must mean...." "IT'S A TRAP!!!" Crimson rushed past the group. "THERE'S A BOMB INSIDE!!!"
"You've gotta be kidding me!" shouted Rainbow Dash angrily, as she lugged Vinyl up over one of her shoulders. "JUST RUN, DAMNIT!" replied Crimson as he rushed for the door.
Crimson rushed to the front door and held the door open for the others, having Rainbow carry Octavia out the door first. Then came Circuit and Ivy, then Sunset and Pinkie, then Fluttershy, Rarity and Applejack..... Crimson held the door for as long as he could, before he pulled it shut behind him and bolted. Not a moment later, an unbearable heat and horrible sound twisted away the house and sent glass and wood flying all over the place, like an oversized grenade. As the others hid behind a car down the street, a large piece of wood that blew apart from the house violently smacked Crimson in the back of the head, sending him crashing onto cul-de-sac below him. It seemed that despite being too late to find cover, he saved everyone's life.....
Circuit winced as he saw Crimson fall to the ground. Sunset gasped slightly. "We need to get these two to an ambulance."
Three weeks later.... The explosion within the outer suburbs of Canterlot seemed to have had more of a lasting impression then previously thought. The Police Department, now under heavy pressure following the Mayor and the city's council to demand answers from the bizarre case, had devoted most of their available resources onto the terror investigating the city. Vinyl Scratch, previously a held captive that had been bruised and scared, had recovered remarkably. Her roommate had burst into tears of joy when reuniting with Vinyl, and expressed their thanks. Crimson however, as bad as his injuries were, took not much longer to recover. Despite the blow to the head, things could have been much worse. Doctors kept him in an induced-coma after stitching up the back of his head, and would be out of hospital soon, but it was what would happen while he slept that would change his life...... Among the explosion, Vinyl started to give evidence of what she thought was the "Canterlot Terror" as the tabloids started to call it. This, combined with the enormous pressure on the department, would mean that the group of students can relax for now...
----- "So what the hell are we supposed to do now?" said Rainbow Dash irritatedly. "The ONE lead we got lead us to a BOMB. A BOMB!!" Circuit sighed as he ate his sandwich. "Rainbow Dash, keep it down... there's other people in the cafeteria, remember?" he told her in a near-whisper.
Ivy sighed as she looked out a window. "I don't know what else we could do. The police are doing everything in their power to investigate the case, and they've been making leaps and bounds but....I feel so useless." Circuit nodded. "And Crim's still in that induced coma, so he can't give us any updates unless we talk to his mom directly." Everyone looked saddened. It was hopeful that a new update in the case would be made. But little did they know, the largest piece of evidence was about to walk past them...wearing a Crystal Prep Uniform as she made her way past the school on the sidewalk.
---- Orchid Bloom needed help. Ever since her problem began, her grades had fallen dramatically. It had gotten to the point where Crystal Prep simply decided to transfer her to save their reputation. The prestigious private school's dean even e-mailed Principal Celestia to inform her, which, not counting the attached paperwork, read simply: "Sorry, but she's your problem now. -Dean Mi Amore Cadenza (Cadence), Crystal Prep Academy" In any case, Orchid wasn't sure she could keep a secret any longer. She approached the door nervously, uncertain of the road ahead...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Principal Celestia's office had a grand bookcase that dominated the left corner of the room, alongside a line of prestigious awards that the Principal personally had adorned among her wall. In the center was a large wooden desk, connected with an inbuilt intercom and a custom chair that sat the middle-aged woman, curiously eying down a list of printed emails and reports about the girl among her with a sense of judgement. Principal elestia, dressed in her brown jacket and purple trousers, seemed a little bit confused about what Crystal Prep did to get rid of this student. The fact that the young girl on the other side of the table was enough of a burden that Crystal Prep basically "Shipped her off" was surprising enough, even for her, to Canterlot High for a multitude of undisclosed reasons. But it wasn't the ones that she personally expected. Normally, she was expecting things such as bad behavior, lack of funds for the student to attend the prestigious academy, negligent activities that would hinder the student in the long run, all sorts of problems. But.... "......Your grades are absolutely superb, Miss Bloom." Celestia muttered, trying to hide her bewilderment in a rather stern face to retain some professionalism. "I understand that everyone has weak subjects, according to your rather satisfactory grading in physical education but....your creative writing and literacy skills are absolutely extraordinary. Prodigal even.....like, Perfect A+ scores since 7th grade in writing? I've never seen grades like that before...." "Um....actually it was 9th grade, Principal Celestia." Orchid meekly told her. "I was home schooled for a long time by a private educator, then my father sent me to Crystal Prep during my freshman years. I also write as a spare hobby whenever possible." "I see...." Principal Celestia told her before a smile came on her face. "Well....aside from the reasoning to why Crystal Prep suddenly decided to send you here, that doesn't matter. I just wish to welcome you to Canterlot High, Miss Bloom." "T-thank you Principal Celestia....." Orchid quietly said. "I shall also be following your writing grades with great interest, maybe we are going to see the next big thing in the writing world!" Orchid didn't know what to say, smiling weakly before politely leaving the room and sighing deeply. She had a terrible secret that she hoped nobody would know...
----- "THERE'S A NEW STUDENT?!" shouted Pinkie Pie excitedly as she and the others went into school the next day, "If they're new, then that means they don't know anybody, and if they don't know anybo-" "Yes, sugarcube, we get it, okay?" replied Applejack as she raised a finger to silence Pinkie. "Ya like meetin' new people, we know, but calm down."
As soon as class was set to begin, Orchid made an impression in the hallway by remaining quiet. She didn't talk to anyone, and even when some students tried to engage in conversation, she barely said the minimum. She kept to herself, her mind wondering elsewhere til.....a certain pink-haired girl came up behind her. "SUPRIIIIISE!!!" Pinkie said gleefully. Orchid screamed at the top of her lungs at the sudden loud sound, almost jumping high into the air, looking petrified. She started to breathe heavy til Pinkie realised what she did. "Oh....I'm sorry...I got carried away, I guess." Pinkie said, biting her lip and looking down in shame.
"Don't worry, dear, that's how she normally is," said Rarity, attempting to reassure the startled young woman. "...I'd hate to see her acting weird, then," Orchid replied quietly.
"Sorry about that darling, what's your name?" Rarity asked nicely, the eligant young woman asking the timid girl. "Oh, I'm not really anyone important...." Orchid tried to say humbly, knowing that it was only in attempt for people to stop questioning her.
"Um... are you okay?" Fluttershy asked Orchid calmly. Though Fluttershy normally didn't like talking to new people, she could tell when someone had emotional baggage. Her years of working with animals had taught her how to read body language in a variety of animals, including humans.
Orchid's eyes slightly widened at the mere suggestion of someone asking if she was fine. The girl looked slightly agitated, but at the same time, she wanted to not drop anything that could hinder the chance of her starting a better school life....or life in general. "Yeah, I'm fine....." The girl told Fluttershy. Rainbow folded her arms as she looked up and down at the new girl. Sunset for some reason, was running questions in her mind. However, it was Ivy who noticed something that the other girls didn't recognise on the spot. Fear....
