//------------------------------// // The Grim of Dark // Story: MLP: The Fight for Friendship // by sapiking //------------------------------// “Of all the worst things that could happen, this is the... worst... possible... Thing!” Rarity flopped on her bed moaning pitifully. She had a hoof across her forehead as she dramatized her own sorrow, even though there was nopony other than herself to witness the display. She lifted her head up and looked at the mannequins across the room, they were all outfitted with unfinished dresses. Each one had a different design with several color schemes contrasting each other. And though they were by no means terrible to begin with, Rarity was not pleased at any of them. She slumped back and continued wallowing in misery. “This simply will not do! How can I present the... these uninspiring atrocities to Sapphire Shores? Why, she needs to look fabulous, she needs to look spectacular, she needs to look... Sensational!" Rarity's eyes sparkled as she held both front hooves together below her chin, emphasizing her last word with exuberant flair. She could picture the Pony of Pop in her mind wearing a simply magnifique dress designed by Rarity herself. The pop-star had approached Rarity during her time in Canterlot, and the both of them had discussed about a new ensemble line for Sapphire Shores' upcoming Equestrian Tour. Rarity knew she had to come up with something much more stunning than the previous undertaking she did for Sapphire Shores. The only problem was she couldn't seem to find the inspiration to bring her new creations to life. Every line, every color combination, every fabric choice just didn't feel right to her. She had hoped the fun time she had with her best friends at the Canterlot Garden Party would stimulate her passion to create amazing fashion. She was less than thrilled to discover she had developed a creativity block when she got home. Rarity sighed to herself, acknowledging that she won't be getting anything done if she continued moping in bed. She got up and trotted to her dressing table and sat down in front of the mirror. Rarity pouted at her own reflection in the mirror. She needed inspiration if she was to even get pass the sketch stage of her designs; she literally had dozens of unfinished drawings scattered across the floor. Her horn started to glow a light blue and the pieces of roughly sketched portraits were encased in the same luminous color. Rarity lifted them from the floor and dexterously arranged them neatly in mid-air while levitating a pair of red framed glasses onto her muzzle at the same time. She brought the sketches down into her hooves and stared at them through her spectacles intently as if to gleam some sort of revelation from them. 'Too frilly, too bland, too many feathers... Ugh, this one, what was I thinking? Too boring...' She flipped through the many artworks shaking her head from side to side with disappointment at each of them. The lid of a nearby bin suddenly raised up, glowing with magic. Rarity tossed the stack of drawings into it, guiding them with her unicorn powers as they glided through the air. If she wanted to create art, she had to start afresh. Maybe some tea would help? The thought sounded tempting, she hadn't had anything to soothe her senses ever since she got back from booking the next day's appointment at the spa. It didn't really help that Pinkie Pie was with her the whole time. And being Pinkie, she just wouldn't stop talking about everything. Though most of her conversation was about preparing for Twilight's party; Rarity wondered if the hyperactive pony really believed that Twilight and Flash Sentry were an item, or she was just milking an excuse for another one of her crazy parties. Not that it was a bad thing. Rarity, like her friends, had come to love Pinkie's parties, excessive at times though they may be. Besides, it was for a good cause. And Rarity was all for it if it meant distracting Twilight from fretting over her 'princess' problems. She levitated a jar of her favorite 'Plum & Pear Withers Cream' off the dressing table and unscrewed the cover before allowing the contents to flow out with her magic and applying the cream to her muzzle. 'Oh, that is simply divine!' She thought to herself dreamily. 'Flax and Wheat certainly haven't lost their touch.' Rarity remembered the country earth ponies that she had helped saved their business from going down the water trough. It was good to know that they were still keeping to their au natural policy with their beauty products. After she finished applying the cream to her face, Rarity placed the jar back with her assortment of cosmetics. She looked back at the mirror and smiled, feeling much better after pampering herself a bit. 'Now, about that tea.' Rarity opened up one of the many drawers of her dressing table with her magic and started sorting through her items inside. She was looking for her favorite comb to brush her mane before she head down to the kitchen. She would take no chances of somepony catching her with her head in such a terrible mess through her own windows. Some ponies may be able to stand looking scruffy in their own home but not Rarity, she had to be fabulous where ever she was. She had an image to maintain after all. Out of a sudden, she came across a familiar sight. A bright heart-shaped fire ruby framed in gold. Rarity lifted the jewel tenderly from her drawer, the glow from her magic making it sparkle prettily. She placed it on her left hoof and gently caressed it with the other one. She had not realized that her mouth had curved upwards by itself into a loving smile. It was a special gift from her dear friend, Spikey-Wikey. While it was true many ponies had given her all sorts of presents and offered her jewels with extravagant promises. The little dragon had given her something no other stallion has ever truly given to her, his heart... *flashback* "Rarity! I need to tell you something! Just in case we don't make it! I've always sorta had a crush...” Rarity stopped Spike before he could continue, her hoof pressed against his lips. Tears welling up in her eyes as she smiled in understanding at her Spikey-Wikey. Spike returned her smile, not a word was needed to express their feelings... To her surprise, Rarity could feel her own eyes starting to water. She gazed into the fire ruby, memories began to flood her mind with the many times Spike had sacrificed whatever free time he could get just to help her with something particularly nasty, like taking out the trash or cleaning the gutters. The little dragon didn't mind helping Rarity with any task, nothing was beneath him when it came to the pony of his dreams. Even risking life and limb to save her from the Diamond Dogs... She had to admit it, Spikey-Wikey had won a special place in her heart. Rarity closed her eyes and started to think rationally. No, Spike is a dragon, and she is a pony. The idea of them being together was impossible. In the long run, the relationship wouldn't make any sense, Spike would outgrow this crush of his eventually. It was just filly love, nothing more. Rarity just hasn't met that special-some-pony of her dreams yet, when that day comes she will need to break Spike's fantasy about her, it was for his own good. Rarity was sure that even Twilight, the closest thing to a mother, or a sister that Spike has, would agree with her. She would still cherish Spike as a good friend of course, he will always be dear to her. Just not in the way he might have hoped. She opened her eyes with a more stony look in them, and thought she had made up her mind about the matter... when suddenly she intuitively gazed downwards. The fire ruby was still in her hooves, glimmering softly in the light. Rarity wasn't completely sure, but she thought she could see Spike's adorable face reflecting on surface of the red gem, her stony demeanor was gone in an instant. If she truly treated Spike no more than just a good friend, why was this one gift from him always bringing out such feelings in her every time she held it? Why was love such a mysteriously complicated thing... Rarity's bright blue pupils widened and she cried out in sudden epiphany. “I got it!” She pushed away from the dressing table and turned to her mannequins with excitement dancing on her muzzle. “Sapphire Shore's new line of dresses will be known as... Amour de Mystere!” Rarity painted an invisible line in the air with one hoof as she announced the title of her soon to be reality idea. She simply must get to work while her motivating vision was still fresh in her mind. She gave the fire ruby one last look and lovingly placed it back into the drawer she took it from, reminding herself to thank Spike the next time they met. In fact she decided that she would make a gift for her little Spikey-Wikey. Rarity wasn't entirely sure what it would be yet but she knew it should be something adorably fitting. She enjoyed dressing the little dragon up as cute as possible, even though he would openly object to the notion of 'looking cute', not that it had stopped Rarity in the past. She than proceeded to begin her task of redesigning her dresses, starting with sketching on the drawing board. Her horn glowed brightly as she manipulated multiple objects simultaneously, guiding them towards her from their different places of origin. She furiously drew her sketches on blank papers, letting her art naturally flow with her inspiration. Cloth, gemstones, threads, and all kinds of sewing materials swirled around her in perfect co-ordination. Rarity may not be a mistress of spells, but her mastery of dress-making had it's benefits. After honing her craft for several years, Rarity could levitate several items at once and manage them with acute dexterity, from suspending bulky cloths to seaming a pattern with a needle down to the last detail. All this required a lot of her attention however, therefore she did not realize it when a certain unicorn entered her inspiration room. “Now, for a touch of sensational, some lovely star sapphires...” “Rarity! You're back!” “Gaaaaaaah!?!” Rarity nearly dropped all of her equipment in alarm, but she manages to maintain control of her magic and save her precious works from a terrible fate, one of her sketches was not so lucky. It was an extravagance in the making, until a stroke of chalk ran across the surface marring her design. One of Rarity's eyes twitched at the damage done to her art. Frowning, she huffed and turned to face the unicorn who had entered her room. She was greeted by the sight of a smiling muzzle on a young filly with the same fur-coat as Rarity's; her mane and tail a lovely blend of mulberry and light grayish rose, her greenish eyes glinting with joy. “Sweetie Belle! How many times do I have to tell you not to interrupt me when I'm having my... inspiring moments?” “I'm sorry Rarity but, it's been a week since you were gone and it's so good to finally see you again. I was really starting to miss you. Don't you miss me too...” Sweetie Belle walked up to Rarity with her pale green eyes looking longingly at her older sister. Rarity saw Sweetie's face was turning into a picture of sadness, the glow of her initial joy disappearing after being yelled at by her own sister. The older mare sighed before lowering all the levitating items in the air down; and with careful swiftness, placed them on any available space for the time being. “Please forgive me little sister, I just had this amazing idea for my current project and I really want to take advantage of the momentum. You understand right Sweetie Belle?” “But you just got back! Can't we at least spend some time together?” “We can... just, not now alright dear? Maybe some other time? Why don't you go, er... Cutie Mark crusading with Scootaloo and Apple Bloom! I know how much you fillies love discovering your Cutie Marks together. Who knows, maybe this time you might actually get it!” Rarity tried to sound encouraging. “Rarity! I just got back from Sweet Apple Acres. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and I just went crusading this morning trying to catch rabbits. We stopped because I knew you'll be coming back today, and I thought of seeing you first before heading back home.” Sweetie Belle hung her head and turned away from Rarity. “...but if you're busy, I understand... I guess I'll see you tomorrow.” Rarity was torn between wanting desperately to finish her work, and deciding how to not disappoint her little sister after she had so eagerly come all the way to Rarity's Carousel Boutique just to welcome her back. There were many occasions in the past that she had to sacrifice time with Sweetie Belle in order to meet a deadline for her dresses. Was this going to be another one of those moments? She glanced back at her unfinished works of art and than back at Sweetie Belle who seemed ready to leave as soon as Rarity gave the word. Sweetie Belle felt a hoof around her shoulders and looked up, her older sibling smiled affectionately at her as she pulled the little filly into an embrace. “Sweetie Belle darling... why don't you go back home and inform mother and father that you will be coming over tonight for a sleepover with your big sister?” “Tonight? Really?” Sweetie gazed hopefully at her sister. “Yes, really. All I ask is that you give me the afternoon to work with. And I promise by evening, it will just be 'us' time, regardless the condition of my endeavors...” Rarity nervously twitched her curvy tail at the thought of another creativity block if she could not finish her work, but didn't retract her offer to Sweetie Belle. “We can cook dinner together, and after that, we can give each other new hoof polishes, try out some of this month's latest fashion trends, and...” Rarity paused, realizing she was prattling on. “...or we can do what you want to do.” “I don't mind what we end up doing Rarity, as long as we do it... together.” The simple, but earnest answer from her little sister melted Rarity's heart, bringing new tears to her eyes. “Aww...Sweetie Belle...” As emotions filled her up, Rarity remembered something odd her sister had mentioned earlier. “Sweetie darling, why were the three of you trying to catch rabbits on Applejack's farm in the first place?” “Well... Apple Bloom told us that they would occasionally have vermin trespass on their land, and that Applejack would end up spending hours chasing them off. We thought of giving it a try and see if we could get our cutie marks as exterminators!” The two of them laughed in unison, and Rarity squeaked with joy as both sisters hugged each other lovingly. -------------------------- Rarity awoke with a jolt. She found herself in bed wearing her favorite pair of silk pj's, not quite able to remember how she ended up falling asleep. Darkness covered the room, it seemed that evening had arrived without Rarity even realizing it. “Opalescence!” Rarity instinctively called out for her pet, the Persian cat always made Rarity feel more secure when she was alone. Then Rarity remembered, she had left dear Opalescence at Fluttershy's before they all left for Canterlot. Maybe she should have retrieved her darling pet right when she got back instead of waiting another day. As she sat there in bed trying to recall what she was doing prior to her nap, a sudden chill crawled all over her body. She shivered from the cold and wrapped her front hooves tightly over her chest, rubbing both shoulders. Thinking that maybe she had left a window opened, Rarity surveyed the glass panels of her room, but all of them were shut tight. Yet she could not shake off the eerie iciness that gnawed at her ever so faintly. She gasped, suddenly remembering her promise to Sweetie Belle earlier. Goodness, had Rarity slept through her sister's return from their parent's as well? She quickly got out of bed and flipped the light switch... nothing happened... After a few more tries, it was clear that either the switch was not working or the lights had blown a fuse. Rarity frowned to herself, disliking the idea of having to wait until morning to get somepony to come fix her problem. She would have no clue on where to start if she were to attempt to fix it on her own, hardware maintenance was more of Applejack's field. She did have a more immediate solution however, and all it required was a touch of magic. Rarity's horn produced a light blue glow and the rays emitting from her magic lit up the general area around her. 'Much better.' She thought. The sounds of rumbling in the evening sky, betrayed first by a flash of lightning striking across her window, startled the mare slightly. Was a thunderstorm about to arrive? “How splendid...” she sarcastically muttered under her breath. In hindsight it might have been a good idea to have requested Rainbow Dash to make sure the skies were clear for the night, no doubt the pegasus was snoring away in her cloud house by now. Rarity was now genuinely worried that Sweetie Belle might get caught in a storm if she had not yet arrived at her Carousel Boutique. As she trotted by her dressing table, Rarity felt something compelling her to look in the mirror. She turned to see herself staring back from the familiar piece of glass, only this time there seemed to be something odd about the reflection. The glow from her horn could be playing tricks on her vision, but Rarity thought she saw something different about her in the mirror, something on her face that shouldn't be there, something that resembled... scars... She must be seeing things, how could she have scarred herself in her sleep? Maybe she was just still hazy from having just woke up, yes, that was probably it... Than why was her mind screaming that something was very wrong about the whole situation? The room suddenly felt quiet to her, unearthly quiet... Rarity nervously approached the mirror, she wanted a closer look, even if only to comfort her fidgeting senses. She now was directly in front of the looking-glass and the light of her magic gave a clearer view than before... nothing, she looked just as beautiful as she normally would. Rarity sighed in relief, but her solace was replaced by spine tingling chill that shot up her back, freezing her with fear as she heard an unnatural voice being whispered in her ears... “...don't worry... Mommy's still pretty...” Just at that moment, a flash of lightning across the windows lit up her room with a bright flare of white light, and Rarity shrieked in terror at what she saw in the mirror. Her reflection was peering back at her, with a twisted toothy grin on it's mouth. It's face was like her own, except for the scars that ran across it's muzzle, notably the three cat-like scratch marks on the left eye. In it's front legs held a slumped figure, a doll. It was the most horrid doll Rarity had ever seen with it's greyish pink coat sewed in patches and it's sickly flattened mane. But it was the black button-like eyes and deceptive smile that gave Rarity a feeling that the thing in the reflection's fore-hooves was a far more sinister creature than just a mere doll. And while it only lasted but a second on the mirror, the image Rarity saw had been burned into her mind like hot searing iron. The indigo maned pony stumbled away from the mirror, gasping frantically. She turned her head around her eyes darting at every direction fearing that the thing from the mirror was in the same room with her. Nothing. The glow from her horn was casting creepy shadows all across the room that danced around the half clothed mannequins she was working on earlier. But other than that, Rarity could not see anypony else. However, it did not make the dreadful feeling of fear inside of her go away. Rarity decided it was best she got out of her Boutique and head for one of her friend's place. Pinkie Pie was the one who lived the closest to her, and the thought of having the happiest pony in Ponyville by her side was a much more comforting thought than staying in her own home right now. And the sooner she got out of the room and find Sweetie Belle, the better. Rarity galloped out the door and called out for Sweetie Belle as she aimed straight for the spare room reserved for her sister when she came over to Rarity's Boutique. “Sweetie Belle! Sweetie Belle! Are you here?” Rarity didn't wait for any answer before pushing the door open with her head and rushing in. No Sweetie Belle. Rarity had to make sure no room was spared before she ruled out that her sister had not returned from their parent's house. As she left Sweetie Belle's room, Rarity heard noises coming from the main showroom where she entertained all her customers, could it be her sister? She raced towards the source of the sound, as she got closer she could recognize Sweetie Belle's voice, it sounded like she was having a conversation with somepony. Rarity reached her showroom, and was about to call out for her sister again when she stopped in her tracks. In the middle of her Boutique was Sweetie Belle sitting in the dark, and besides her was the creepy looking doll from her nightmarish reflection in the mirror earlier. She also noticed something else, near the pedestal surrounded by three mirrors where Rarity would have her clients pose, was a tripod; and on top of it was a camera that had it's lenses pointing in the direction of her sister and the doll. Sweetie Belle seemed oblivious that anything was wrong with this whole scene and just turned her gaze to Rarity, as if just realizing her sister standing by the stairway. “Oh hi Rarity. I was wondering when you were going to play with me.” “Sweetie Belle.. What are you doing?” Rarity gingerly took a step forward, she remained calm externally, but on the inside she was starting to panic. All of her instinct told her to get Sweetie Belle away from that doll. “Why, I was just talking with my new friend here, Pinkamena.” Sweetie Belle gestured towards the doll as it continued to stare at Rarity with that unmoving grin on it's face. And though in her eyes it looked like a lifeless doll, Rarity felt as if it was watching her every move. There was an unnatural aura surrounding the doll that made Rarity feel physically ill. 'Pinkamena...' why did that name sound so familiar? She crept closer, inching her way to Sweetie while keeping an eye on her sister and the doll at all times. She was ready to use her magic and everything at her disposal, if she had to fight to pry her sister away from that sinister looking puppet whom Sweetie Belle was now cooing at and stroking it's head with one hoof. “Don't you just love her mane?” “Sweetie Belle, dear... get away from, that thing... and come to your big sister.” “Wh-why? Don't you want me to have a new friend?” “I do, darling... I'm sure she's... interesting, but you have to trust me on this, don't you trust your big sister?” “I.. I..” A look of confusion suddenly covered Sweetie's face as if she was awakening from an enchantment. “It's alright Sweetie, just hold my hoof and everything will be alright...” Rarity was now a few hooves away from her sister as she reached out towards Sweetie. Her horn was like a beacon of light for her little sister to focus on as she released her hold on the doll and stretched out her front hooves, longing to be in the embrace of her big sister... All of a sudden, the Pinkamena doll reached out and grabbed Sweetie Belle by the hind-legs before Rarity could react. A black hole appeared beneath the doll and it began to sink through it. It's limbs slithered around Sweetie Belle, dragging the screaming filly down with it as the darkness grew, slowly encompassing the floor in a bottomless, oily, black pit. Everything in the room was gravitating towards the black hole as if being pulled down a water sink. The doll was no longer visible save for it's coiled limbs around the young mare, whose body was quickly disappearing into the floor along with it. “Rarity, help!” Two hooves grabbed a hold of Sweetie's outstretched ones, a shimmering blue aura covering her body parts that was still visible above the black ground. Huge beads of sweat streaming down her brow as Rarity fought with both her physical and magical might to pull Sweetie Belle out of the swirling darkness. Her frame and back legs pressed against the floor trying to resist the pull of the growing darkness. She was gritting her teeth around the ends of pink curtains that acted as an anchor to the room for her. Though they were stretched beyond what they normally should be able too, Rarity was not going to give up. It didn't matter that her jaws were hurting badly or that she felt the throbbing pain of pounding hammers on her skull from the stress of dueling with the black hole; she will not let her sibling be taken from her. Celestia as her witness she will not lose her one and only sister! Rarity will save Sweetie Belle from this monstrosity or die trying. Her sister looked Rarity in the eyes, almost emotionless as her sister battled to save her. “It's okay Rarity, you don't have to fight it...” “Don't you let go! Don't you dare let go!” Rarity cried out through the tearing curtain sheets in her mouth, tears falling from her eyes from the pain the ordeal was causing her, but she would not give up. “I won't... mommy...” Sweetie's voice sounded unearthly childlike, as if a dozen voices were speaking through her at once. But Rarity didn't pay much heed to it, all her concerns were directed at preventing her little sister from being swallowed alive. But she was fighting an uphill battle, she had not gain even an inch back from the blackness and already her entire body was trembling with fatigue. She could feel herself losing ground as her hind-legs struggled to keep in place. She wasn't even aware that the camera, somehow avoiding being sucked into the void, had repositioned itself nearer to the two ponies. As if wanting to capture their struggles together. 'SNAP!' The curtain tore away from the scaffolding that held it in place and smacked against the unicorn pulling it tightly on her end. Rarity lost her balance from the abrupt backlash and fell forward together with Sweetie Belle. The little filly dragged her sister down with her as she uttered her last words before falling through the black hole completely. “We can all be together now...” “SWEETIE BELLE!!!” Rarity's scream was cut short by the looming blackness enveloping her entire body. The last light to be extinguish was the glow of her horn as all her other senses went completely numb. And the last thing she felt was the feeling of overwhelming sorrow that gripped her heart for failing Sweetie Belle, before her mind entered into oblivion... -------------------------- The glow around the unicorn's horn dimmed as she powered down her magic. The mare exhaled a deep breath, relaxing her tensed body after exerting her abilities. Creating such a powerful mind illusion was no small feat, but it was well worth the effort. A thin smile spread across her scarred features as she gazed down at her handiwork. Laying at her hooves was another unicorn, unconscious, but still alive. Her glossy indigo-mane and tail spread out around her body on the bedroom floor. Her three blue diamond cutie mark visible on her flank, betraying her identity as she lay on her side... Rarity. The unicorn standing over her slowly studied her victim, in many ways she was just like Rarity. They shared the same greyish white fur, the same fabulous indigo mane and tail, even the same cutie marks. What Rarity did not share with this mare were the visible body scars. And while the obvious ones were on her face, it was the heart-shaped carving on her chest that was the most prominent. She reached out and gently caressed Rarity's face with her right hoof, slowly running along the fur of her muzzle. She used to be perfectly pristine like Rarity, with no scars on her face or body. Now they were a part of her, they represent what she had become. The unicorn used her other hoof to touch her own scarred muzzle, as if trying to remember a time before she had the scars, and the horrible acts she did that will forever serve as a remainder to her loss. She turned her head to face the doll that was sitting on her back, it's body in a slumped posterior while it's button eyes stared back at the mare, it's mouth in a perpetual smile. She used her magic and levitated the doll off her back and brought it by her side. “Oh darling, Mommy's still pretty isn't she? You love mommy don't you?” The doll did not respond, but the unicorn acted as if she the doll had answered her, and was pleased by it. She nuzzled her plaything affectionately, cooing at it as she did so. “Yes, Mommy loves you too... Pinkamena...” -------------------------- On the outskirts of Ponyville, near the edge of The Everfree Forest... Fluttershy held an unfinished sweater in her hooves, knitting it while humming a familiar tune as she worked skillfully with the needles. One could almost make out what she was singing as she mouthed the words to the song softly. “My little pony... my little pony...” She paused to take a look at all her animal friends gathered around in her cottage. They were all enjoying a nice meal that Fluttershy had laid out for all of them. Squirrels and rabbits, mice and chipmunks, every creature was busy munching on nuts and green leaves in bowls that they shared among themselves. With her usual company of animals were a few welcomed guests, the pets of her closest friends. They had been sent to Fluttershy's cottage to be looked after by Minuette and Lemon Hearts while the six of them left Ponyville for the Canterlot Garden Party. The two ponies had done Fluttershy a real favor by taking care of her cottage and animals for her, she must remember to repay them for their kindness. The yellow pegasus took in the scene of her friend's pets mingling with the other animals. Tank the tortoise was slowly munching on his bowl of leaves, Rainbow Dash's pet was a little sweetheart. It's no wonder the cool mare was so fond of her beloved pet, though saving Rainbow's life when her wing got stuck under a boulder in Ghastly Gorge might have something to do with it as well. Rarity's cat, Opalescence, was stretched out on top of the fireplace. Haughtily gazing at all the other animals while she cleaned herself; taking slow, unhurried licks to her own paws. A form flew past Fluttershy startling her a little, and landed on a stand besides the pegasus. “Hoot... Hoot...” “Oh Owlowiscious, you startled me.” Fluttershy professed to Twilight's pet owl with a smile. “I do hope you don't mind spending another night here with me. I'll bring you over to Twilight's library first thing in the morning after breakfast, I promise.” “Hoot...” “I knew you wouldn't object, I enjoy your company around here as well Owlowiscious.” The owl replied with another hoot as Fluttershy continued her knitting. She had spent quite a bit of her afternoon on her little hobby. She made up her mind to create some clothing for the animals under her care because she thought it was a cute idea. And she wanted to do it as a little gift for the pets of her friends. She will have to visit Applejack and Pinkie Pie to get the measurements of Winona and Gummy though, as the two pets were not required to be sent to Fluttershy's place. She enjoyed making little gifts every now and then for her friends; as they have always been an inspiration to her. They have all helped Fluttershy when she was being too meek to stand up for herself or when she needed to be more assertive in a situation. And like Rarity and Pinkie Pie, she enjoyed being generous and happy as the two things went hand in hand with love and kindness. Her thoughts drifted back to Twilight Sparkle, she was so glad that the newly crowned princess had enjoyed herself at the party in Canterlot. Fluttershy had felt that Twilight was hiding behind a smile for weeks now, though she did not have the bravery to ask Twilight what was on her mind. Things didn't seem quite right ever since she returned from that other strange world; maybe a little reminder of how much Twilight meant to her friends would cheer her up. Fluttershy really hoped that Twilight would like the present she gave her earlier... With one last loop, the sweater she was working on was finished, and she held it up to approve with a satisfied nod. “There, all done!” She looked around, her blue eyes searching through the animals in her house. Fluttershy spotted the creature she wanted to find, a white bunny rabbit. She lifted herself off the sofa with a soft flap from her wings and hovered daintily across the room over the rest of the animals. She planted her hooves down right next to the rabbit that was wiping it's mouth after munching on his meal of carrots and celery. With one swift move, Fluttershy plopped the sweater over the surprised rabbit and squealed with joy at the perfect fit. “Aww, Angel, you look simply adorable in that sweater. Yes you do!” The mare fawned over her special pet while Angel, not looking too pleased at all, tried to wriggle his way out of his new attire. Fluttershy bent her face closer to the rabbit and patted him on the head. Angel crossed his front paws and folded them across his chest as he stood on his hind legs and glared at Fluttershy while tapping a foot rapidly on the floor. “Oh, I must show the girls how cute you are with that sweater on. And I can dress up the rest of your little friends as well! Why, I can make a whole set of sweaters just for you, one for each day. You'll love that, won't you Angel?” 'Smack!' Angel slapped Fluttershy across the muzzle, bringing her out of her wishful state. She rubbed the spot on her snout where the bunny had hit her while her pet turned his back on her in a huff. Before Fluttershy could say anything about the rabbit's rude behavior, there was knocking at her front door. She left Angel to be irritable on his own and trotted over to the door. As she opened it, two female unicorns stood before her. One was lemony yellow with light-blue mane and tail, with three hearts as her cutie mark on her flank. The other mare had a light-blue coat that contrasted with her half gray, half blue mane. She had beautiful sapphire blue eyes that sparkled as she spoke first. “Hi Fluttershy, glad to see that you're back. I hope everything is the way you like it, quite a task having to take care of so many animals in one week.” “Oh yes, everything is just perfect Minuette, both you and Lemon Hearts did such a wonderful job helping me take care of all my animal friends. I really must repay the both of you somehow.” “Nonsense Fluttershy, after all those times where you helped us with our own pets? We were happy to help out. After-all, the years of winter-wrap ups we've done together did teach us a thing or two about animals. Learning from the way you work with animals is amazing, Fluttershy. Frankly, I'm surprised that you're not a vet!” “Well, it is my special talent to work with animals...” The pegasus blushed shyly at the compliment. “I supposed I'm just happy to be out here among all my animals rather than being in Ponyville. I feel closer to them this way.” “That's really sweet dear. Oh, and before we forget...” Lemon Hearts rummaged through her saddle pouch with her muzzle and pulled out a letter and gave it to a surprised Fluttershy. “That's the bill from the construction company for your new shed. Amazing how they managed to get it done in such short notice really...” “B-b-but... I never asked for a shed to be built...” The puzzled yellow pegasus stared at the letter in her hooves, thinking that it was some sort of prank. “Really? The construction ponies came over in the morning with a request form they received from you last night saying you wanted a shed built before you came back from Canterlot by afternoon, it even has your signature and hoof-writing.” “Um, where exactly did they build this shed?” “Over there...” Minuette pointed with one hoof in the direction of the Everfree Forest. “Right at the edge of the forest. We haven't been in there yet, thought you might want to examine it yourself.” Fluttershy stepped further out of her doorway to look at where the blue unicorn was pointing at, and true enough there it was. It was a little ways down the small path from her backyard, situated just at the mouth of the forest entrance. She didn't know what was going on but it all seemed rather strange to her. “Well, we'd better get going, I have a business proposal over dinner that I have to prepare for. Don't want to be late for something so important.” “You're never late Minuette, and that’s why you have that cutie mark. You are always on time!” Lemon Hearts prodded Minuette's flank where the picture of an hour glass was. And the three ponies giggled together. “Alright, but the both of you have to promise me that we will at least spend some time together for all the help you've done. How about we'll at least go out for a nice lunch sometime soon?” “Lunch sounds good, looking forward to it. Bye Fluttershy!” “Bye girls!” Lemon Hearts and Minuette left Fluttershy to be with her animals, and the both of them started engaging in conversation as they trotted along the small bridge in front of Fluttershy's cottage. “...and what did you say this business dinner of yours was about?” “Well, I'm working on getting my idea for a new flavor of toothpaste off the ground, and I'm thinking that a meet up with the local dentist in Ponyville might be a good start.” “Toothpaste? Really Minuette, what possessed you to come up with such an idea? “I'm not sure, it was just so... sudden. Who knows, this might just actually work out, right? By the way, what do you think if I named the toothpaste, Cold Gate...” Fluttershy pondered for quite a while before deciding to go take a look at the shed just outside her property. She took wing and fluttered lightly in the direction of the shed. When she reached it, Fluttershy could see that it was just a small structure with no windows and only a single door as the entrance. She landed just outside the shed and walked closer to analyze it. It was made entirely of wood that was a dull grayish color, and the vibe that Fluttershy got from it was not a pleasant one. Why would anypony build such a thing right next to the Everfree Forest? And why use her name to authorize it's construction? As Fluttershy puzzled over these questions she thought she heard something coming from inside the shed. She carefully pressed an ear to the door to hear better, she could make out that there was somepony inside talking, no, singing... albeit very softly and slowly. It was hard to catch what was being sung but Fluttershy could almost make out the words to the hauntingly familiar voice. “Hush... now.. quiet now... it's time to lay your sleepy head...” “Hello?” Fluttershy called out but there was no response. The voice she heard was strangely familiar, it was almost as if it was, her own. Fluttershy wanted to run back to the cottage, to the warmth and safety of her animal friends. She would just treat this as somepony's idea of a bad joke and maybe in the morning the shed would no longer be there? But she couldn't shake the feeling that she needed to see who was inside the shed, she felt a strong pull to open the door and find out. Nervously, she turned the handle of the door and poke her head in. “Who's in here?” The room was dark, Fluttershy couldn't make out the walls of the shed without more light, though she could still hear the mumbled singing. She pushed the door further in, allowing more light to stream into the forlorn shed. Now she could just make out the outline of a figure huddled at the end of the shed, she couldn't see the face as it's back was facing Fluttershy. She involuntarily took a step inside, her eyes widening with anticipation. The shed felt unnaturally more spacious than it looked from the outside, maybe it was the fact that the corners of the room seemed to blend into the darkness, swallowing what little light there was. She crept closer to the figure who was still mumbling words, but Fluttershy could make out what the pony was singing, a familiar lullaby. “Hush... now... quiet now... it's time to go to bed...” “Um, excuse me... are you okay? Why are you all alone in here...” Fluttershy was now close enough to identify the the ragged pink mane and tail on the pony, a mare. The fur on her coat was a light yellow, like Fluttershy's. She even had wings, a sign she was a pegasus as well. There was something placed in front of the mare, but Fluttershy was not able to determine exactly what it was as the pony blocked her view. She was thinking of placing a hoof on the pony's shoulder when her head began to turn slowly around to face Fluttershy. She let out a small gasp and stepped back from the mare. Her face resembled Fluttershy's, her eyes, her snout, even the mane fell around her face the same way Fluttershy's did. However, there were dark circles surrounded her eyes as if she had not slept for a long time. And it did not help that the disturbing grin she had suggested she was a little deranged. Fluttershy was trying to decide whether to stay and help this strange pony or to run out the door, when the mare in front of her pulled up the thing that was on the floor, and caused Fluttershy to freeze up with terror. It had a blade full of jagged cruel teeth that was held together by a chain which ran through the mechanical handle being held tightly in her hooves... a chainsaw. “Hey... welcome to my shed...” 'WHROOOOOM!!!' The chainsaw came to life with a thunderous roar and the mare pounced towards her victim with the weapon raised as the air filled with the sound of Fluttershy's piercing scream... -------------------------- Evening in Ponyville... 'Ah got ta get ta Twilight!' The workhorse thought to herself as she galloped along the streets of Ponyville. She had not seen any signs where her duplicate had gone to, Applejack's only hope was that she had not caused anymore trouble by impersonating as Applejack. She knew the mare could be anywhere by now, and she dreaded to think that somepony had invited her into their homes. And why wouldn't they? The imposter looked exactly like Applejack, and every pony in Ponyville trusted the orange farm horse. The townsfolk would have no reason to think that Applejack would even hurt them, never mind kill them... Applejack shook off the last thought and focused on her mission at hoof. Twilight's library, that's where she needed to get to now. She knew if there was any pony who could help figure out what was going on, it was Twilight Sparkle. Before long, Applejack could see the green top of the Golden Oak Library, she had made it. The workhorse picked up speed for the last lap of the journey and galloped harder to reach the front door. The lamp hanging outside gave off a light that flickered around the bark of the tree structure, casting a welcoming glow around the library as the sun slowly descended on the horizon. The last rays of sunlight slowly fading away, introducing the night's sky. Applejack braked hard and kicked dust into the air as she skimmed to an abrupt stop in front of the library. She hammered her hoof on the door, calling for her friend. “Twilight! Twilight! It's me, Applejack! Ah got ta speak with ya'll, it's important!” A purple glow encased the door and it swung inwards. Applejack quickly went inside and saw Twilight was reading one of her books on a tree stump stand with her back towards the orange mare. She didn't turn around but instead continued flipping the pages of her book with her magic as she answered Applejack. “What seems to be the problem Applejack?” “Twilight, Ah gotta warn ya... Ah think maybe the Changelings are back. When Ah got back home on da farm, there was dis ere' imposter who looked exactly like me! Cept' she was up to no good and tried ta hurt ma family, she tried ta hurt Apple Bloom! Ah managed ta chase her off of mah farm, but when Ah realized dat she was making her way ta Ponyville, Ah knew Ah had ta get ere' lickety split. Yer gotta help me look fer dat pony Twilight, before she causes any more trouble round' ere'...” “That's all very... fascinating Applejack, I'm glad coming here was the first thing you did. But I wouldn't worry about her if I were you...” “Huh? What do yer mea...” 'Slam!' Applejack snapped backwards at the slamming of the door and to her utmost shock, saw who the it was that did it, her double... “Well howdy pardner...” She smiled mockingly at Applejack as her orange-red eyes glinted with devilish glee. “Ah guess yer found me.” Applejack took a few steps back away from the mare, her eyes not leaving the duplicate for one second. Her body tensed up as her mind told her something was very wrong about the whole situation. She afforded a glance towards the still pensive Alicorn. “Twilight... what's going on?” “Why my dear Applejack, I... we have something very special in store for you...” The lavender Alicorn casually turned from her book, closing it with her magic. Applejack now noticed her friend wasn't quite the same mare she once was. Her irises now glowed bright red, and her features twisted into a manic smile that reminded Applejack of the time she had almost lost her mind over not being able to send her letter to Princess Celestia. A gray pendant in the shape of a winged unicorn hanged around her neck, a red gem decorated the center of the amulet that shimmered with the same light as Twilight's eyes did. Applejack recognized it as the Alicorn Amulet that Trixie once used to terrorize Ponyville. But what caught her eye the most were Twilight's wings, they were a different color, almost shimmering blue. They did not look natural, it was almost as if they were... grafted on to her back... The Alicorn levitated a flask of strange looking fizzy drink to her mouth and downed half of the contents with one gulp, trickles of the liquid dripping from her still grinning lips as she advanced towards Applejack. “...in fact, we are all going to have a wonderful time together, and rediscover the meaning of, friendship...” Her horn lighted up with a blaze and dark energies swirled over Applejack, growing and twisting around the orange mare as she yelled in defiance before her entire world fell into a black void... -------------------------- That evening, at Sugarcube Corner... “Here you go Mrs. Cake, my latest batch of Chimi Cherry Changas! I promise this time I left out the chipotle chilies.” The blue-hued, crimson mane mare looked at Pinkie Pie's treats with skepticism, remembering the last time she had tried one of her wacky recipes. Having to dip her muzzle into a bag of frosting to kill the heat burning in her mouth was an experience she'd rather not go through again. Mrs. Cake was considering declining but than she saw the eagerness on Pinkie's smiling face and sighed. She took a whiff at the pastries, they didn't smell too bad, though they could use a little touch up in the presentation department. Mrs. Cake gingerly bit into one of the chimi cherry changas and closed her eyes while she chewed carefully, letting the flavors swim in her mouth. “So... SO? What do you think?” Mrs. Cake opened one eye and looked at Pinkie while swallowing the pastry down. “It's... actually quite good Pinkie Pie, definitely better than your last attempt at making them.” “YES!!! I knew I could pull it off! So these go on sale tomorrow right? Oh, how about a free sample for the next few ponies who walk through the door? They can be our lucky latecomers!” “Now, now Pinkie, I never said anything about selling these yet...” As Mrs. Cake tried persuading the excited Pinkie Pie to calm down, a light-gray pegasus with yellowish-green mane and tail trotted through the doors of Sugarcube Corner. Neither ponies noticed her as she approached the counter, they were still busy discussing the fate of Pinkie's pastries. The pegasus seemed to stare off into space as she stood there, but in actual fact it was her walled eyes that gave her an unfocused appearance, she was just trying to spot her favorite confectionery that she usually purchased from the Cakes. Then she saw a wrapped up package on the counter, and gasped with delight while mouthing the words 'muffins'. She stuffed her muzzle into her saddlebag and brought the exact bits for the sweets she so often bought, and tossed them on the counter before snagging the bag and headed for the door. Mrs. Cake managed to noticed the mare in time to give her thanks. “Thank you for dropping by, see you again tomorrow!” “Wait, wait! You haven't tried my chimi cherry changas!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, leaping over the counter with tray in hoof trying to reach the gray pegasus in time. But it was too late, she had already taken wing, flying off into the evening sky. Pinkie's enthusiasm turned into disappointment as she was unable to get one of their most loyal customer to try her creation. Now that they were going to close up, it was unlikely there would be too many ponies dropping by at Sugarcube Corner. Mrs. Cake placed a hoof on her back, comforting the pink mare. “Don't worry dearie, you can always make more tomorrow, I'm sure there will be more time in between orders.” “You're right Mrs. Cake! I could just make more tomorrow, I'll even ask all my bestest friends to come over and try it! Wait, does this mean I get to sell them?” “Heheh, not just yet Pinkie.” Mrs. Cake chuckled. “We'll talk about it tomorrow alright?” “Okie-dokie-lokie!” Pinkie flung the remaining pastries into the air and opened her mouth, each of the chimi cherry changas landed inside her gaping hole and she gave them a quick munch before gulping them down her throat. She licked the sauce and crumbs off her lips thinking, '...needs more cherries and whipped cream...'. “Are you ready to go honey bun? We have to get the twins from the foalsitter.” A stallion with a brilliant orange coat walked in from the kitchen. He hanged his apron on a stand and trotted up to the two mares. Pinkie Pie perked her ears up at Mr. Cake's mentioning of a foalsitter. It seemed just like yesterday that Pinkie herself foal-sitted the twins for the very first time. And though she learned the hard way just how tough it was to care for young foals, it was all worth it to hear the little ponies speak their first words in their sleep, her name... “Ready when you are sweetie.” Mrs. Cake replied her husband. “Alright Pinkie, I'm so sorry we have to leave in such a rush, are you sure you're okay with closing up the shop all by yourself? I know you just got back from Canterlot today yet you still helped us with running the bakery. You must be exhausted by now.” “I'm A-okay Mrs. Cake! This isn't the first time I've done it you know. Don't you and Mr. Cake worry, Pinkie will take care of everything for you guys.” She confidently told her employers and landlords. “Very well Pinkie, I know we can trust you.” Mr. Cake affirmed. “We'll see you in the morning.” “Um... there is this one thing I wanted to ask you guys about...” The pink pony rubbed her front hooves nervously as the couple gazed at her, listening intently. “Can I foal-sit Pumpkin and Pound Cake the next time you need a foalsitter? It's been a while since I spent time with them... and I really want to be around as much as I can during their young years before they grow up and forget about me. Then they wont want to play with their 'aunt' Pinkie anymore...” Mrs. Cake understood Pinkie's concern and laughed at the pink pony, but her laughter was not a mocking one. Rather, it was comforting and warm. The older mare wrapped her hooves around Pinkie, reassuring the pony whom she treated as if she was her own daughter. “Of course you can, and don't you worry about our precious Pumpkin and Pound Cake; no-pony, filly or colt, can ever forget a mare as special as you, Pinkie Pie...” Pinkie hugged Mrs. Cake back before pulling away, wiping her teary eyes with a hoof. “You had better go get them, wouldn't want to be late for your family dinner right?” “Okay Pinkie, take care, see you tomorrow. Bye!” “Byeeeee!!!” Pinkie Pie saw the Cakes off, waving goodbye at them until they were out of sight. She closed the door and turned to face her task ahead. 'Time to get to work...' she firmly told herself. Pinkie Pie began the mundane task of cleaning up the bakery, starting with putting away all the edible goods and making sure they were stored well. Then she moved on to the washing, such as scrubbing and mopping. If anypony saw Pinkie Pie right now they might mistake her for some other pony, as this was not what they would expect to see from her, they were used to the hyperactive party animal with that she was famous for. However, this was a side of Pinkie that few ponies have ever seen... the restrained, responsible side. After a good few hours of cleaning, Pinkie was finally done. She rubbed her forehead with a fore-leg, wiping off the sweat from her brow. 'Done and done...' She put away her cleaning tools and climbed the stairs slowly up to her room, exhausted after the excitement of the day; well, the week of fun spent in Canterlot did contribute to her tiredness as well. She reached her room on top of Sugarcube Corner and slumped against her door after closing it behind her. She let out a long sigh before getting up slowly and headed to her bathroom for a shower. As she sat in her bathtub letting the shower-head above her rain droplets of water upon her dripping mane, her mind drifted back to all the fun she had with her best friends during their time at the palace. She was happy that all her friends managed to enjoy themselves just being together and spending some time off from their personal lives and commitments, especially Twilight. Pinkie Pie may have a reputation for being a crazy party pony with a few apples short of a bushel, but the truth is, all she wants is to see everypony with a smile on their face, even more so when it came to her closest friends. She understood that life can be harsh, sometimes unfair, and that is why she made it her purpose in life to bring what joy she could to the ponies around her. And if it required her going all out to make somepony feel a little happiness in their lives, than that is what Pinkie Pie would do... but now she had to think of the friends closest to her, particularly Twilight... Princess Twilight. The rest of her friends may have not taken her seriously when she told Twilight about being nervous-cited, yet Pinkie meant it from the bottom of her heart. She couldn't imagine how life would be like if Twilight had to leave Ponyville for good to assist Princess Celestia; and after all that time together, things would never be the same again with their little circle of friends if she left. But Pinkie Pie was determine to stay happy and joyful in front of her friends, for Twilight, for their friendship. Come what may, Pinkie will be the same happy pony that everypony loved and enjoyed being around with. And if this meant she had to throw as many parties for Twilight as it took for her to realize that her friends will never leave her side, princess or no princess, than so be it. Suddenly, Pinkie Pie felt something clamping on to her hind-hoof underneath the water in the tub, she screamed and lifted the leg where she felt the bite. Her eyes bulged at the thing that was hanging on to her hoof, Gummy, her pet baby alligator. He had clamped his toothless jaws onto the ankles of Pinkie Pie, and even if it didn't hurt her, it still gave her a pretty good shock. “Oh Gummy! You really gave me a good fright there!” The little alligator had a distant look on his face as he stared unblinkingly at Pinkie who just proceeded scooped him up with her front hooves and hugged him tightly. She remained in the bathtub together with Gummy, lingering in a state of bliss with her pet as the water cascaded down her dripping mane and coat, a precious moment of peace for the pink party pony... Pinkie Pie warmed herself by the fireplace, her mane now puffed up in it's usual bouncy character. The sun had finally set completely and it was already night time. She was going through her family album that she kept safely in her room. The pictures in the album were mostly of her family and their time back on the rock farm that Pinkie grew up on. She smiled softly as she ran her hoof through a couple of pictures of her sisters and herself when they were just little fillies. She wondered how Marble and Limestone were doing, it had been a while since she last saw them... 'Creak!' Pinkie jumped at the sound, she turned around to see what had caused it. There was nothing unusual in her room, Gummy was in his little bed laying immobile and occasionally blinking his trance-like eyes. 'CREAK!!!' There it was again, it sounded louder this time, like a wooden plank croaking under the weight of something very heavy. Pinkie was sure it had came from downstairs, were the Cakes back for something they forgot? Pinkie took a lamp and candle from underneath her rug and lit it before going down the stairs. It was dark, and the only source of light was her candle flickering against the walls and angles of the bakery. “Hello? Anypony there?” The pink mare slowly made her way down the stairs, her every hoof-step making the same creaking sound she heard earlier, just not as pronounced. Pinkie began to think she was hearing things and decided to forget about it and turn in early for the night, fatigue can do weird things to a pony. She was about to go back upstairs when she picked up another sound, one with a more scraping tone in nature. She gingerly walked to the base of the stairs and listened intently, it was coming from the basement... Pinkie draw near to the door leading down into the basement and pressed an ear to it. The screeching sound resemble an object being dragged across a hard surface, Pinkie was sure she had heard something like it from somewhere, it sounded very much like what she would accidentally do in the kitchen at times as she sliced against the chopping board... a knife. More-so, Pinkie picked up a voice of somepony singing a strange haunting tune... “One... Two... Pinkie's coming for you...” Pinkie Pie wanted to call out to whoever it was downstairs, but she couldn't bring herself to utter a single word. Instead she placed the lamp in her mouth on the floor and turned the doorknob, pushing it open with her head before picking up the lamp again. The stairs leading down into the basement ended in pitch black, Pinkie took a step down, the lamp shaking in her quivering lips. What in Celestia's name was she doing? Pinkie was starting to question herself in her head. She didn't have to go down into the basement at night where her imaginations could run wild. All she had to do was gallop back to her room and she'll be safe there, all this could wait until morning. 'Screech...' No, she would not be scared witless like some young filly, she was Pinkie Pie! The happiest, craziest earth pony in all of Equestria! She had to do this, it was just the darkness playing silly games with her mind. Pinkie strengthen her resolve and continued down the stairs, not minding the screeching sound so much. But she nearly froze as she heard the singing voice again, this time... even more audible than before. “Three... Four... Lock the door...” The voice was now recognizable, it sounded like, like... herself. Pinkie gulped and forced herself to continue on, the darkness of the basement threatening to swallow the dim light of her miserable candle. “Five... Six... You've just got picked...” The voice was even closer now, and Pinkie wasn't sure whether it was because she was approaching the source... or the source was approaching her. If she remembered correctly, just a few more steps and she would reach the main lamp that would light up the basement. Her hooves automatically picked up speed at the promise of ending this weird dream like state. “Seven... Eight... Gonna bake cupcakes...” It was close, very close... the last verse had rung in her ears as if it was right beside her. In the dim light she could barely see the outline of the main lamp, and Pinkie was shaking uncontrollably now as she desperately tried to light it with her candle. “Nine... Ten..." 'WHOOSH!' The basement lit up with a bright glow from the main lamp and Pinkie saw... Nothing... Not a thing other than a few cabinets filled with stock items and random party decorations scattered across the room. Pinkie had almost forgot the many party hats she had chucked down here for future use. She stared at the room as silence filled the air. Then suddenly, a small giggle, than a restrained chuckle, and finally... outright laughter. “Heheh, Hee-hee... Ho, Ho... HAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!” Pinkie rolled on the floor of the basement with hysteria. She couldn't believe how silly she had been. Why, if Rainbow Dash was here she would have been dying of laughter by now if she saw her pink friend getting so scaredy-terrified of a couple of weird noises in the dark. She picked herself off the floor and wiped away the tears of laughter streaming down her cheeks, stifling a sniffle as she blew out the main lamp. The room went back to darkness with only her own candle to illuminate the way. But now, she was not afraid in the slightest and began to trot merrily back up to the bakery. As she reached the door, Pinkie Pie recalled back what her grandmother had told her all those years ago about laughing your fears away. 'I guess Nana Pie was right as always, you just have to laugh at the ghosti...' 'BLAM!!!' The basement door slammed behind Pinkie as she was grabbed violently from behind, her lamp falling on the floor, it's clattering noise echoing through the walls of Sugarcube Corner. She felt the unnatural tight grip around her throat and nearly choked when a pink hoof that she almost mistook as her own, came from behind and roughly stuffed a piece of pastry into her mouth while holding her neck in place. It tasted like... cupcakes. By the dying light of her fallen lamp, she caught the glint of a sharp object that was brought dangerously close to her left eye, held by her assailant's other hoof. It was a scalpel... and it looked like there was, dried blood on it. Pinkie was now truly scared, all her previous feelings of triumph lost as she tried to comprehend what was happening, when she felt a muzzle pressed closed to her left side. Out of the corner of her eye she could get a glimpse of the face that was grinning maniacally at her. It was like staring into a mirror, except this reflection was not pleasant at all. Those familiar light blue eyes had a look of insanity about them, and despite the fact she was smiling, Pinkie had never seen a smile more sinister than the one her replica was wearing on her face right now... Pinkie wanted to think of how to get out of this mess, but her mind seemed dull, slowly shutting off, as if she needed to fall asleep right there and than. Her captor spoke in a voice that Pinkie recognized as her own, but even though the tone was cheery and high pitched like her's, it sent blood curdling chills coursing through her body just to hear every syllable being said... “Nine... Ten... Guess how this ends?” At those ominous words, Pinkie fell into a deep... dark... sleep... --------------------------