“What in the nine hells?” Slapsticks ears pinned to his head as the trio walked through the seemingly deserted settlement. “Do ya figure it was raiders?”
“I’ve never seen raiders that gave ponies guns to put in their own mouths.” No Name’s snake’s darted from his mouth at full alert. “Or encouraged them to go to sleep with plastic bags on their heads.”
“We should not be here.” The tiny, white automaton’s autotuned voice rang out from her perch on the giant’s back. “I calculate an 89% chance that we will find nothing happy here.”
“Sunshine, sunshine, happy summer days!” An eerie voice rang out. “Bright times, good times, all the fillies play!”
“Are you alright, ma’am?” Slapstick approached the source of the song, an elderly earth-pony mare.
“All the little foals went off to the circus.” The green old mare turned to face the rtio with a blank stare and a sickly smile. “They’d never seen a sunrise before…”
“We should not be here.” Bullette repeated with greater urgency.
“”Who would have thought a sunrise could cost so much?” The mare giggled maniacally, before a horrified sob escaped past her manic smile. “Please kill me before the song starts again…”
“No no no no no…” Ocellus sobbed uncontrollably.
“What could do that?” Silverstream seemed to lose just a little of her color as she watched the scene unfold.
“Yak… not know…” The normally enthusiastic yak was suddenly at a loss for words.
“Wait… did that mare say circus?” Galus looked sick to his stomach as his mind put pieces in place. “As in the same circus they ran away from? Just what is it they saw that scared them so bad? I mean, it’s a giant, hideously deformed circus freak, a killer robot, and a changeling clown… and somehow they weren’t the scary part?”
“Oh no,” Discord tsked, “There’s no way I’m showing you THAT! I’m going to be in enough trouble as it is.”
“Not complaining at all.” Sandbar observed dryly, recieving a mute nod of agreement from Silverstream as the bus thankfully vanished once more into the abyss of time.