//------------------------------//
// The Farm 
// Story: The Bakery is Closed... 
// by RarityFigma 
//------------------------------//

	A short train ride left Twilight, Rarity and Applejack a mile from the rock farm. Fear of Pinkamina attacking them had kept each pony on high alert. Three of their friends were gone. There was no time to lose. 

Twilight was the first to see the old barn standing around huge forgotten boulders. The sky had grown bleak. The grass was dead. A sense of despair filled the stagnant air. Applejack was the first to speak. “How in tarnation did Pinkie Pie ever live here?” 

Twilight ran towards the old barn. Her friends caught up to her as she magically threw open the doors. As the trio looked inside they didn’t find Pinkamina, but inside a massacre lost to time.

The barn’s interior was red, but an ancient red. The blood all around the old building was dried, long dried. In the room’s center were 4 tombstones. The ponies walked in and looked around. They opened drawers and pushed aged hay bales. However each came up short.

“What are lookin for anyway Twi?” Applejack asked. “Pinkamina aint even here.”

The purple mare levitated about dusty furniture. “Something here might explain what happened to Pinkie.” Twilight’s eyes became focused on an old family photo. In the picture amongst 4 older ponies was a tiny filly Pinkie. “Check this out,” Twilight said as she motioned Applejack over. “Pinkie’s hair is straight in this picture.”

“This must be before she got her cutie mark,” Applejack said.

“But I don’t get it,” Twilight said. “If getting her cutie mark made Pinkie love smiles and laughter then what would turn her so violent and depraved?” 

“Um Twilight,” Rarity called from a few feet away. “I think I might know.”

Twilight turned to see Rarity pointing. The purple mare looked up to see a symbol cut into the room’s ceiling. It resembled an alicorn only its body was strange. The wings were drooping and the horn was broken in half. “I’ve seen this somewhere before,” Twilight said. 

“What is it?” Applejack asked.

Twilight scratched her head. “It was from that book the Crusaders borrowed once. You remember Ghosts Goblins and Ghoulish Figures? But I can’t remember what it’s called.” Twilight turned to Rarity. “Good job finding this Rarity. Once we get back to Ponyville I can research this thing. Maybe it can explain what’s happened to Pinkie.”

“Oh it was my pleasure dear,” Rarity said managing a smile. 

“We should get going,” Twilight said putting down the picture. 

Applejack sniffed the air. “Hay do y’all smell something burning?”

The trio grew wide-eyed. The barn caught fire all around them. In mere seconds the old dry wood was fully ablaze. The ponies huddled together as the flames closed in around them. Then the ceiling started to topple down on them.