//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 - The Hunger // Story: Cursed // by Stealth1139 //------------------------------// “I hope you’ll be fine watching the store for a moment Pinkie, I have an errand to run.” Mrs. Cake told Pinkie as she left Sugarcube Corner. “Don’t worry Mrs. Cake; the shop will be safe with me.” She replied with a great big smile. Mrs. Cake just smiled as well and walked out, knowing that Pinkie is a capable mare. All was business as usual; many customers came in before the interesting blue pegasus Rainbow Dash walked in. “Hey Dashie, do you want something to eat!?” Pinkie Pie was smiling cheerfully at her. Rainbow looked up at the happy pony and sighed. “I wouldn’t mind something to eat right now.” She replied as she sat on a stool. Pinkie just smiled happily as usual, “I know what will turn that frown upside down.” The pony reached down into the glass cabinet and pulled out a pinked frosted cupcake. Dash looked at it; the cupcake didn’t look as satisfying as it normally does. “I don’t know Pinkie, I feel like I don’t want it.” The pink pony just laughed heartedly, “How can you not like cupcakes, just try to eat it and I bet you will love it.” Rainbow was very sceptic about it; the little cake was staring into her face. She slowly glanced at Pinkie; she was smiling happily waiting eagerly to eat it. Rainbow leaned down and nibbled at it. Her eyes became wide open and her iris shrank, the taste wasn’t sweet and nice like usual. Her body seemed to reject the sweet treat. She spat it out, spurting the little bits of pastry over the counter. Pinkie was shocked and she begun to ask questions “What was wrong with it? Was it burnt? Why don’t you like it?!” She leaned down to investigate the cake, the lifeless sweet sat there with only one nibble taken from it. The pink pony quickly consumed the whole cupcake. Whilst munching on it, she gave her verdict. Her speech was muffled but still understandable. “It tastes fine to me.” Rainbow only replied with a sigh, she turned around and headed for the door “Well thanks Pinkie, ill just walk it off. Just as the pegasus walked towards the door, Pinkie noticed something different. “What is that on your flank!” she asked abruptly, pointing her hoof at the strange black symbol on Rainbow. Rainbow stopped, with her eyes flinching and her head was twitching slightly. She again remembered the startling visions she had last night. The strange symbol, All the violence and horror was all there, more intense than ever. It began to slowly burned itself into her mind. Dash collapsed on the floor in pain. She was clamming her hooves against her head, screaming to make it stop. Pinkie wanted to help but she didn’t know how. “Dashie, what’s happening, what do I do?” Pinkie was panicking, she had to do something. She ran to Dash’s side “DASH, COME BACK TO US!” All the other ponies in town were drawn to the scene. Dash was making violent movements; her whole body was twitching and tensing. The ponies stepped back, shocked of the scene in front of them. “DASH, COME BACK!” Pinkie yelled. Rainbow stopped moving and her eyes opened suddenly. Her iris was a bright yellow, an unearthly sight to behold. “Are you ok Dashie?” Pinkie questioned. The blue pegasus slowly made it to her feet. Breathing heavily, she looked around at her surroundings. All the ponies, including Pinkie surrounded her, shocked. She was confused about what had just happened, “Why is everypony staring at me?” She said. Pinkie tried to explain to her what happened. “You collapsed on the floor making some scary movements.” Dash kept trying to think back, she found it hard to think, trying to remember what had just happened. “I don’t remember what happened.” She replied. Pinkie was scared for Dash’s safety, “Maybe we should take you to Twilight, see if she knows anything.” Dash pushed Pinkie away, showing her anger on her face. “I don’t need her help, why do you think I need help!” she stamped away from the commotion with anger. “DASH WAIT!” Pinkie yelled. Dash ignored the ponies cries and continued to walk. The crowd split when Dash walked near them, giving way to the angered pegasus. All the ponies were speechless as none of them would say anything to Dash as she walked away. The few whispers that were thrown around were all about Dash’s little scene, all of them being questions on what was wrong with her. The word cursed was tossed around the mass of ponies. Pinkie knew something was definitely wrong with Dash, and maybe Twilight would know something about this. *** Dash walked away from Ponyville with strangeness in her heart. The strange hunger was still lingering inside of her. A feeling of an eternal hunger, to eat something, but what was it? She thought for the moment, “The hunger seemed to intensify when I saw the ponies around me.” She was trying to piece it together; all the strange happenings have to point to something. She knew something was caged up inside of her, like a beast ready to release and take over. She felt its presence but didn’t know what it was. Remembering all that has happened today, piecing it together slowly. She thought back, “Why did I anger so quickly at Twilight and Pinkie?” She noticed that she was angering over the smallest things, and also not wanting help from others. Pinkies words ‘Dash wait!’ resonated in her mind, she had heard that before. She heard it from her dream. Was her vision coming true? Was Twilight right? She had to see Twilight about this; Dash was wrong for leaving her out. She sprung into action, running back into town on a mission to figure this out. *** The afternoon sun was setting on the countryside once again. The sun stricken road was open to him once again. Looking out from under his mattered hood, he saw his destination. Ponyville, a quiet and cheerful little hamlet, yet somehow manages to get into all sorts of trouble. But he wasnt just visiting, he was on a mission. As the wooden carriage pulled into town, many lingering eyes were on the stranger. He was a strange stallion, wearing a hooded cloak over his face obscuring it from view. he stooped the carrige in the middle of town and stepped off. Removing his brown hood he looked around the surrounding area. All the other ponies were fixated on him, staring at the strange character. His coat was a shadowy grey, as was his mane yet darker. Two violet eyes were looking around, for any sign of difference or change. All the ponies were scared and frightened by this character to talk to him, many walked indoors and closed their windows just like the times of Zecoras visits. As the stallion walked through town, he could feel something was stirred in the air. A door opened and out walked a brave mare. Miss Cheerily cautiously walked towards him, hoping to get some answers for his visit. "You there pony, what is your buisness in Ponyville?" She questioned the stranger. The stallion looked in her direction, sending a cold shiver down her back. His voice was deep and low "I'm looking for a pegasus, perhaps you may know her?" The cerise pony began to take a few steps towards him. "Most of us here in Ponyville know one another, can you give me specifics?" The Stallion reached into his jacket and pulled out a scroll "I'm looking for the one they call Rainbow Dash."