A Warning: Don't Read This
I don't know where I am. I'm lost, floating somewhere that doesn't exist. It's not real, none of it is. There's nopony else... just me.
Nopony... hm, that's kind of a funny word. I wonder why I use it. Pony... is that what I am? Am I a pony? Why would I be a pony, anyway?
Well I guess the others are... I hear them sometimes, but I can never spot them. They whisper things... secrets that nopony would ever tell. Hidden loves, confessed obsessions, lies and deceptions. But they have no meaning in this detached world.
I wonder what my name is... I can't remember anything right now. I don't know what I look like. Hell, I don't know if I'm male or female. I just... am.
There's something in the distance... a spot of fuzzy white in this colorless plain. I find I have legs as I instinctively start towards it. Front right, back left, front left, back right. What an odd way to walk-- I guess I do have four legs. Pony is looking good.
The fuzzy spot is turning into a long rectangle... no, wait, three rectangles. I think it's words.
I wriggle my nose, feeling a small movement. A short, moving nose means I can't be a dog, alligator, or bird. I move my ears similarly, and find I have full range of movement. That leaves out groundhogs, squirrels and the like. Besides, my legs were taking too long strides to be such a small animal. I was a pony, then.
The rectangle was getting clearer now, I could almost read it. I don't know how it was hanging there, or even if I'd remember how to read it, but it was the only thing to see in this place.
I can read it now. It says:
Hello, Vinyl Scratch
And that's when I remember. I remember everything: I'm a pony, a unicorn to be specific. I'm a DJ, with the stage name DJ Pon-3. I'm dating a gal named Octavia, and--
Don't read this.
If you keep reading this, she will find you. No, not Octavia. She'll find you and She'll--
Do. Not. Read.This.
~~~~~
The day felt so... normal. The sun was beating down on my bright blue hair as I trotted to the Music Supply store. I'd broken a guitar string (just a hobby, really, nothing serious) and was on my way to buy a new one. I'd taken an unprecedented detour to avoid some kind of mob (who was I to judge? Crazy pony mobs seemed to happen at least once a week) that took me past Twilight's library.
I heard some crashing from inside, like something toppling over.
"Hello?" I called, trying to peak through the window, "Hey, Twilight? Are you alright?"
I trotted to the door, pushing it open just a crack. A small bookshelf had toppled over. It was nothing she couldn't handle with her magic, but she looked rather stressed. She wasn't exactly paying attention to the shelf, but was instead running back and forth to different shelves, pulling down books and reading small sections before tossing them aside.
She threw a particularly heavy book toward the door, and I slammed it shut to avoid be clocked in the head.
Twilight heard the slam of the door, and a magenta aura appeared around it. It opened, revealing the face of a distressed alicorn, wings drooped at her sides.
"Um, heh," I chuckled nervously, "I know it's none of my business, but I heard a crash--"
"You need to leave," she cut me off.
"Sorry, you probably don't know me, I just wanted to help if I could. You see, I'm--"
"Vinyl Scratch. I know you. But you can't come inside. You have to stay out of this house," Twilight mumbled, very
serious and a little sad.
"I don't understand."
"Well, good. Keep it that way." the door clicked shut.
~~~~~
You must think you're really great, huh? Really brave. Good old impervious you. Somehow, the warning doesn't apply to you, does it? Just to everypony else. But not you. Never you.
I mean, I think I've spelled out pretty clearly how dangerous the information on these pages is. Do you need me to say it again?
You will die if you read any further. But not just die. Oh, no. She's got much more in store for you. you will be trapped forever in a living hell. She has free reign over your memory, your surroundings, and your mind. She will steal your sanity and keep it for herself, in order to keep up the mask that so many have fallen prey to in the past.
God. Your skull must be pretty damn thick if none of this is getting through.
What the hell do I have to do? Staple your eyelids shut? Just reading this helps her find you. She'll hunt you down. You'll never be safe. You can't ever get away from her. She's clever, devious, and relentless.
So do yourself a favor: put this book down and walk away. It's just not worth it.
~~~~~
Okay, so, much like you, who continues to read after repeated warnings, I found it easy to ignore Twilight's advice and do my own thing.
I'm going to make this sound as non-creepy as possible. I snuck into her house at night. The main room was in shambles: bookshelves, chairs, and display cases lay in ruin around the room. I saw the silhouette of a pony on the bed above me, her chest slowly moving up and down.
I pulled my goggles away from my eyes, trying to get a better look at the room. It was pitch black, but not much could've been seen in the light. Yeah, things were toppled over, but the books... they were gone.
Something moved behind me, a tiny shadow covering my line of vision for less than a second. I whirled around, my hair spinning around my head like a tornado of blue.
There stood Twilight. She looked sad, yet excited and a bit crazed at the same time.
"I told you not to come inside," she told me, barely moving her mouth.
I forced laughter, backing into a bookcase, "Yeah, I know. I just-- I saw something run in here, so I went after it."
"You know what?"
I swallowed.
"You're a bad liar."
Something was jabbed into my leg, and the space around it immediately numbed. My knee wobbled, and I fell to the floor, hitting my head on the corner of a shelf and losing consciousness.
~~~~~
You don't give up, do you? I'd like to say that I really don't give a buck whether you read this or not. I'd like to say that I'm strong and brave, too, and that your death doesn't bother me.
But-- I can't do that.
You see, these voices that I hear, the ones that whisper to me about things that should never be said, they're you. They are what will happen to you if you continue. They are your future. I sure hope you come to your senses.
If you have, good for you. Throw down this book and get away. Get away as fast as you can. Take the train to Appaloosa, but don't stop there. Get out of here. Leave the place you call Equestria. Keep going until you couldn't possibly find your way back. Go until you couldn't call that place the same as the country you left behind. Then maybe, just maybe, she'll let you go. But you have to leave now.
And now for you. You're still here, are you? You like a scary story, hm? Is that what you think this is? A story that's trying to chase you away? And you think you're 'all that' because you can stick with it, keep going, pretend you aren't scared?
Do you want to prove it to me?
Turn off the lights. Close the windows, doors and blinds. Let the only light be the light you need to read this by. And now, for a moment, I want you to imagine that this was all real.
Yes, it is real. But I'm going to use the word 'pretend' to keep you skeptics happy.
Imagine that, just for reading this explanation, you are now being stalked. Stalked by an insane pony, one who's looking for fresh meat.
Now, if that didn't scare you away, I don't know what will. No more interruptions, I swear. If you want to read it, read it. I've done all I can at this point.
~~~~~
I woke up to an odd sensation: something was being placed in my temple. It was cold. A needle! A great, big needle was going through my temple and into my brain!
I jolted, and the cold slid into my eye. I squinted it shut, the force the jolt telling me that my legs, neck, and torso were secured to something.
Twilight clicked her tongue, "Look what you made me do. It wasn't anything dangerous, just a cotton ball with some alcohol on it. Calm down."
"Calm down? You kidnapped me, and locked me in your basement, and you want me to bucking calm down?!" I thrashed against the bonds, but they held firm.
"I'm sorry. But, honestly, it's not like I want to do this," she looked distant, sort of half there.
"Then why are you doing it?"
"Because I have to. Now, I'm sorry, but this process requires a drug with a natural adrenaline. You're probably going to be awake for most of it."
"W-what process? What the hell are you talking about? I don't understand! you barely know me! Why me?!" I was getting hysterical.
"It's okay. Just take deep breaths," I took several shaky breaths, my voice rattling like a tin can, "Good. I can't tell you why. Maybe once we get started. I have to know that you'll definitely make it through the process before I start spilling things. Then, I can talk to you all you want, and I'll just erase after," she seemed a bit too nonchalant for talking about wiping ponies' minds.
"Then what's the point?" I asked, spitting a bit on the 'p.'
Twilight's hoof wiped her face, "I don't know.. You'll be satisfied for the time being. Isn't that enough?"
"NO! No, that is not enough!" I mimicked her tone.
"Well... we'll see. Maybe if you don't scream too much, I'll tell you. I don't want to strain my voice to be heard."
I scoffed at this trivial concern, "What exactly are you trying to do to me, may I ask?"
"You'll see. Now--" Twilight turned, "You have two options-- you can swallow this pill," she held up a small tan object about the size of a dragon scale, "Or I can give you three injections in the stomach with this," she held up a needle thick as a hay straw and squeezed it a bit, some yellow liquid rocketed from the tip.
"Hmm..." I mumbled, "Tell you what, why don't I consult my lawyer and get back to you in a few months?"
You could tell I was getting on her nerves. She held up the pill, trying to get it in my mouth.
"Yeah, not gonna happen," I said through closed teeth.
"Fine then," she tossed the pill behind her, jabbing the needle through my skin. Past this, she slowed down, pushing slower than was necessary until there was a pop. It was felt more than heard, and was followed by the strange feeling of liquid flowing into my stomach. It burned, worse than alcohol, hotter than fire. I shrieked in pain, and she pulled the needle out.
"What is that? What did you give me? WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"
"It's called chartae mutante. It's an extract from the paper flower."
"Wha..." I mumbled, the feeling in my stomach starting to dull.
"Ugh, are you losing it already? Most of the others lasted at least through the first injection," She patted my face with her hoof, "You've got to stay awake! This won't work properly If you're sleeping!"
I continued to nod off. The burning feeling was gone now, but my stomach was gurgling uncomfortably
"Well, let me give you the next one. As I said, it's got an adrenaline in it. Should pick you right up," she plunged again, much faster, making sure I would stay awake. She squeezed the trigger on the needle faster, and the liquid sloshed part way up my throat. I balked at the feeling, nearly throwing up.
"This would've been easier if you'd just taken the pill!" she refilled the needle once more, not bothering to clean it, and deftly gave me the last injection.
I swallowed hard, trying to keep the stuff down. I didn't want to have to go through that again.
"Okay... we have to wait a few minutes for the genes to kick in, then we can start."
I coughed, trying to form words with a tongue that was numb from fear.
"Well, since you had such a strong reaction, I'm guessing that it's going to work just fine. Do you want me to explain what's going on?"
I nodded weakly.
"Okay. See, the day I turned into an alicorn, I became an eligible heir to the throne of Equestria. Now, I didn't know this at the time, but the throne has certain requirements. You have to be strong in all areas of magic, you have to be a competent and just ruler, and you must still be able to follow the orders of the previous princess."
"What?" this had only confused me further.
"Well-- you see, it--" Twilight struggled for the right words, "Well, in a nutshell, the new princess has to be approved by the old princess. The test has to be... a hard one. Something that the new princess may find difficult to do, but she does it for the good of the country."
"O-okay..."
"It's tradition."
"Okay, fine. But what does this have to do with me?"
"Oh nothing, really. You were just unlucky. Anyway, this is my test."
"What, killing other ponies?" I asked, horrified.
"No, no. I have to make you into books."
"Y-you... what!? A book? Why?"
Twilight giggled, "What can I say? I guess Luna's creative."
"Princess Luna told you to do this?"
"Well, yes. Luna's heir after Celestia, and I'm heir after her."
"Oh."
Twilight was fooling with some tools on a cart. I could hear metal on metal, and knew a much more painful portion was coming.
The pit of my stomach was starting to feel rather odd. The bubbling was done now, but there was another feeling. It hurt, like a cramp after you've been bending over for too long. I started to groan, "Twilight? My stomach feels--"
"Oh, good! That means we can move on! Now, for this next part, I'll need to... well, you'll see. I'll need you to look toward the floor please."
"Yeah, right. There's no way I'm gonna--"
With no warning, Twilight snatched my hair with her magic and yanked my head down. Needless to say, I wailed at the sudden motion. If she'd pulled any harder, I may have broken my neck. Not that I knew what a broken neck felt like. For all I knew, I could have broken it.
Twilight grabbed another syringe, this one much thinner than the last, and jammed it into my spinal cord. I arched my back in pain, as Twilight pushed on the trigger, still keeping a good grip on my hair.
After that, a numbness spread from the spot where she had stuck the needle. It ran down my spine, feeling like tendrils were wrapping around my nerves, cutting them off. I couldn't feel anything below my bottom jaw.
"Well, from now on, you really shouldn't feel a thing. But--" she sighed, pulling the needle out, "This next portion does have a way of making ponies feel faint. I need you to try and stay awake, though, okay?" she spoke to me like I was a young filly being left with a sitter.
"What'll happen if I fall asleep?" I wondered, slurring my voice like a drunkard.
"Well... I mean, I do hate to waste things... but I'll have to toss you," now she was talking about me like a discarded banana peel.
"Toss me?" I repeated.
"In the basement. I'm starting a mass grave for the ones who don't make through."
"Aren't we in the basement?
"Or maybe I could take you to the Everfree... I could dump you there for the Timber Wolves... nopony would ever even know..." Twilight mumbled, ignoring my question.
She was fooling with the tools again, but I could only see by the dim light of her magic.
"H-how... how many..." I whispered, only forming half a sentence.
"Oh, you're the first. But I've practiced on some other animals, just to be sure my spells worked perfectly," she chirped, holding up a sharpened scalpel. She chuckled quietly, like she was keeping a secret, "You're so serious about this! You haven't even noticed-- well, I won't spoil the surprise."
My eyes drifted lazily open, and I saw a bald spot right over my stomach.
"It's more obvious in other animals, but your fur is bleach white to begin with, so it's harder to see."
"What? See what? That my hair's falling out? I'm not surprised. That stuff you gave me may as well have been hair removal formula."
Twilight chuckled again, closing her eyes with glee, "You're much more fun than rabbits."
"I thought..." I wheezed, "I thought you said you didn't want to do this."
"Hm, now there's an interesting thought," Twilight put on a face of false curiosity, "Well, I'm not exactly happy to be killing other ponies, you know, at the root of things. I just... think it's kind of fun. It reminds of when I was a filly: We had to dissect frogs in magic third grade. It was so amazing... to see an entire system working like that. It was almost magical. The way the heart still beat, the way the little feet twitched, and how the leg jumped when you hooked it to a battery. Say... that's an idea... I should get an electromagnet for this..." she wandered toward me, scalpel in hoof.
I barely noticed, as my eyes were fixed on my chest. The bald spot was slowly spreading, though the skin it left behind was gaining a yellow tint. It had just covered my heart when Twilight took her first plunge.
I yelped in surprise, though I couldn't feel a thing. Twilight sliced through the skin like it was butter, humming a tune that was just a bit too jubilant.
After she had made a good-sized tab to grip, the magenta glow grabbed my skin and pulled with all her might.
To my surprise, blood did not flow. My skin made a tearing sound, not natural or normal by any standards. The piece of skin Twilight held was made of paper.
"See, now this is the fascinating part: There is a tiny membrane that's holding all of the organs, bone, and blood inside. It's like when you put an egg in vinegar. The shell disintegrates, but the inner membrane stays and holds the yolk inside."
You could see my stomach twist as I got ready to throw up. There was a shiny, wet membrane over my heart, lung, and part of my stomach. It was barely there, allowing all of my organs to be visible in excruciating detail. Blood only trickled from the tiny scratch Twilight had made at first, the one that had to pierce both layers.
My stomach reeled at the sight, but I swallowed forcefully to keep it down.
"No, no. Don't do that here. We're right in the middle. If you need a glass of water, I'll get you one," Twilight acted like a mother worried about her children tracking mud through the house.
I nodded to the water, afraid that opening my mouth would dump the contents of my stomach into view.
Twilight sighed, fetching a small paper cup off of her table of weapons, forcing it up to my mouth. I took a gracious sip, keeping my eyes away from the organs churning below me, scrambling as a momentarily unknown substance was dumped into them.
"You're doing good, Vinyl. Really good," Twilight praised, though it was of no value to me.
"Thanks," I slurred, my eyes drifting shut again.
"Oh, no no. You've come this far, you'll make it to the end," Twilight patted my face again, and it wobbled back and forth uselessly at the tiny amount of force.
"Do you need another adrenaline shot? I have plenty--"
"No!" I shouted, my head snapping up. the last thing I needed was to see the syringe going into my stomach. I would definitely lose it then, "No, I'm fine. Just-- tell me, what'll you do with me at the end?"
Twilight giggled, "That's my little secret."
She turned back to the table, grabbing a pair of paper scissors. She proceeded to cut the skin off me, revealing squirming intestines, a pumping liver, and stark white bones.
As each new grotesque view was exposed, I had trouble holding down what little was left in my stomach. Twilight was working from a good distance, just in case my weak stomach got the better of me.
Even she was getting tired now. Her deft skill started to become more sluggish and sloppy. She missed the space between several times, either ripping the skin raggedly or dipping to far and piercing the membrane.
She yawned. The sun was coming up, and all of the skin on my stomach, neck, and legs was gone. My cutie marks had been set aside. 'For the covers,' she had told me.
"Now, there's no good way to turn you without damaging membrane, so I suppose this is goodbye. It was nice being friends with you, Vinyl, but it's your time to go. Don't worry, I'll write a letter to the princess about accepting your loss, and I'll tell that marefriend of yours that you're gone. It's been fun, Vinyl," she yawned again, then her face brightened, "Oh! I just had a great idea! When I'm done with your book, I'll bring it to... oh, what was her name?"
"Octavia?" I suggested.
"Yes! Octavia! When she reads it, I'll be able to track her. There's a spell I'm going perform on it. A tracking spell. That way, the ponies who read the books can be the next one! It's the perfect self-cleaner!"
"NO! DON'T YOU DARE!" I tried to shake the bonds, but in doing so, ruptured the membrane in my leg. I couldn't feel it, I just slipped into what seemed like a deep sleep.
"Goodbye, Vinyl. I hope you liked the story."
~~~~~
That's all. My story is done. Which means that it's time to start over.
This is my fate: Reliving those last few hours in lucid memory, over and over. It makes for a good story, I'll give you that.
The trouble is, I don't know if Octavia would be wise enough to stop at the warnings.
There's the light. The light that means my time is up. This story will start again.
Goodbye.
~~~~~
I don't know where I am. I'm lost, floating somewhere that doesn't exist. It's not real, none of it is.
But there's somepony with me. Somepony familiar. She keeps me company, keeps me sane.
Her name is Octavia.
And she says you shouldn't be reading this.