//------------------------------//
// Chapter 7: Cupcakes and Rainbows 
// Story: Vexes of the Multiverse 
// by Crowborn 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 7: Cupcakes and Rainbows.


Twilight gave a confused frown, "I...like them? Why do you ask?" she asked as there was another pop as they appeared in yet another world. When she once again felt solid ground beneath her hooves, she heard the dark grey stallion reply, "You will see soon enough."

Twilight blinked as the majestic light of Celestia's sun hit her eyes. It took a moment to adjust to the brightness, before she stopped, recognizing the place she was now at.

"It's Ponyville!!" She said with some excitement. It looked exactly as she remembered it, back when she was still Celestia's student. Fond memories trickled in her mind before she reminded herself that this was not her world. No, this Ponyville showed no signs of the ravages of war, like hers did. The memory of that battle lingered in her mind for bit before she shook her head, clearing her minds of such things. 

She recalled what Verse had said about there being a 'darker' version of Pinkie Pie here. And then considering that he had asked her about cupcakes, something Pinkie Pie was known to enjoy baking. Twilight then asked, "Let me guess, does this world's Pinkie Pie make poisonous cupcakes or something?" 

Verse only replied, "No pony in this world has died from eating her cupcakes." He did not elaborate further, much to Twilight's annoyance.

Verse began to lead her to the all too familiar direction of Pinkie Pie's bakery.
As they walked, Twilight observed that it was just like before. Nopony seemed to be able to see or notice them, and her theory was confirmed when a fellow townspony walked right through them, as though they weren't there.

It didn't take them long before they were finally standing just outside Sugarcube Corner. It looked perfectly normal as far as she could tell. However, as they entered, it no pony seemed to be around. 

"No one is here?" She asked, scanning the room for any signs of Pinkie Pie, but did not find any.

"No, Pinkie Pie is quite certainly here. Follow me." He said, leading her to a book shelf. He then walked straight through it, much to Twilight's surprise.

She had paused, momentarily taken aback by what she had just seen, until Verse's head popped back out from the shelf, along with one of his hooves, motioning for her to follow. 

She took a breath, gathering herself, before following him through. Much to her surprise, there was a dark stairway leading down to a door below. The bookshelf must have actually been a secret door. 

She cursed to herself when she realized that she should have noticed earlier, when they entered the bakery, that neither of them had actually opened the doors to come in. They had simply walked through.

Must be a side effect of us not actually being in the time stream yet... she thought, recalling the events of the last world they has visited. Twilight shook her head, she needed to focus on the task at hand. She looked down at the metal door that lay at the end of the stairway as they walked. She was very certain the Pinkie Pie of her world did not have a secret stairway or iron door like this, and she had an uneasy feeling gnawing at her gut as they drew near the cold grey door that lay below. 
Like before, they didn't bother opening it, they simply walked through.

They entered a very dark and dimly lit room.Twilight couldn't make out any details of the room except for the center, where a single lamp hanging from the ceiling illuminated what was below. 

Twilight froze as she saw what the light revealed. An unconscious Rainbow Dash was strapped to a slightly elavated rack. "W-What is going on?" asked Twilight in confusion, when suddenly, she heard Rainbow Dash slowly stir. 

Twilight went to free her friend, but was stopped cold by Verse. "We are outside the time stream, we cannot interact with them anymore than they can with us. It is not time to step in just yet. For now.... Just watch," he said, his face and tone completely devoid of emotion. 

Twilight wanted to protest, but Verse's stern gaze finally made her take a step back, and she complied to his wishes, observing to see what would happen next.

As Rainbow Dash finally awoke, Pinkie Pie appeared as if from nowhere, jumping around with glee, happy that Rainbow Dash, who was now struggling in her straps, was now awaking. Twilight watched as Pinkie disappeared into the darkness of the room before returning, pushing a cloth-covered cart.

Twilight felt the pit of uneasiness in her stomach grow. Through Rainbow Dash's next line of questioning, it was apparent that Pinkie Pie had lured Rainbow Dash here with the promise of making cupcakes. But when Pinkie Pie replied, saying that were going to make cupcakes, and that Rainbow Dash was the secret ingredient, Twilight froze in confusion.

"Wait, what does she mean?" She asked Verse, "How is Pinkie Pie going to turn Rainbow Dash into a cupcake? WHY is Pinkie Pie trying to turn Rainbow Dash into a cupcake?"

Verse only pointed his hoof towards the two, "Watch and see."

Rainbow Dash then laughed, commenting on how this was all a good prank. And for a moment, Twilight pondered if it indeed was one, before having all her hopes dashed as Pinkie Pie pulled the cloth off the cart, revealing very sharp surgical tools and a medical bag. Twilight gave a tense and nervous look at Verse, who showed not a hint of emotion.

Rainbow Dash began to plea for her release, but Pinkie Pie only giggled, and when Rainbow Dash threatened that Pinkie Pie would get found out if she went missing, Pinkie Pie laughed, then walked over to a switch and turned on the light.

Queen Twilight's eyes widened in sheer horror as she looked around the room in horror. The skulls, organs, and flesh of countless ponies of all sizes, young and old, were strewn about, shaped into horrid and grotesque party items and furniture.

Twilight wretched forward as she began to puke, unable to stop the flow of bile from spewing out of her mouth. From the corner of her eye, she swore she saw a smile upon Verse's lips, but she was too busy managing her own puke to confirm.

It took Twilight several minutes before she was able to look back up at was happening, the taste of bile still fresh in her mouth.

She looked in horror as she saw Pinkie Pie carve Rainbow Dash's cutie marks off of the screaming mare. Then, when she had both, she waved them about and the abomination that dared call itself Pinkie Pie smiled.


The abomination calling itself Pinkie Pie then took a butcher knife and began to hack at one of Rainbow Dash' wings, causing the bound mare to scream in agony. Pinkie Pie didn't seem satisfied though, and threw the knife aside in the direction of Twilight, but it passed through her harmlessly. Pinkie Pie then grabbed a hacksaw, and Twilight's eyes widened as Pinkie Pie then walked back to Rainbow Dash, intending to finish the job with her new toy.

But Twilight would not let her. The changeling queen rushed over and bucked as hard as she could at Pinkie Pie, but to her dismay, it passed through the pink made harmlessly. Twilight began to attack relentlessly, desperately trying to save her screaming friend. But every spell, hoof, and buck passed through harmlessly.

Finally, she stopped as she heard the sound of ripping flesh as Pinkie pie ripped the remaining wing off of Rainbow Dash.
Twilight turned to Verse, who watched as if nothing was wrong. Twilight began charging a spell, "Stop this!!" She cried, tears flowing from her eyes.

Verse only blinked and replied, "No. This is good. This version of Pinkie Pie is displaying all the necessary traits. We will recruit her after she finishes." 

Twilight couldn't believe what she had just heard, and with a burst of anger, she fired her lavender spell, intending to kill the stallion right then and there.

But her magic never reached the crimson-maned stallion.

Suddenly everything froze. Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Twilight---nothing moved. Twilight stared at her attack which just hung there, frozen in place. She tried to move, but couldn't. 

Verse walked slowly towards her and, with but a tap of his hoof, dissipated her attack. Suddenly, she could move again, but the sensation jarred her and she fell flat on her flank. As she quickly regained her footing, she noticed that everything else in the room was still motionless, frozen in time.

She gave Verse a death glare. "This is wrong! How can you just standby and do nothing, let alone even THINK of recruiting t-that...that Monster?!" she spat, rage and tears shaking her voice.

Verse gave her a confused look. "She is what we need. Pure. Raw. Madness. One of the traits needed in the next Key," he said in an emotionless tone, as if what was going on was perfectly logical.

Twilight bared her fangs, "This is wrong! There has to be another way! Maybe we can gather the Elements of Harmony a-and--," her sentence was cut short as Verse slammed his hoof down upon the ground at the mere mention of the Elements of Harmony, causing the entire room to shake for a moment, though everything remained frozen. "NO!!" came his reply, "That won't work!! Do you think i haven't tried that already?! Do you think in the billions of years that I have existed, that I haven't thought of that? It doesn't work!"

"But maybe if we--" she attempted to protest, but again he cut her off.

"Stop being childish!!" Verse seethed, anger clearly burned on his face, "Reality isn't all cupcakes and rainbows! You, out of anyone, should know this already!"

Twilight recoiled at his words. She did know. The universe was not a kind pony. She knew of well the pain and horrors that her life had to offer. However, she remained resolute.

"This is still wrong, we have to stop this, and we can't recruit t-that monster!" She protested, steeling herself and locking eyes with the stallion's own.

Verse growled, "Stop being naive!! Do you think this is the only dark universe out there? There is a world where Rainbow Dash sacrifices fellow ponies to fuel the Pegasus Device. A world where Pinkie Pie carved out your eyes and served Celestia's head on a platter. A world where AppleJack murders half of ponyville, and even her own sister! A world where Rarity carved up her friends and made them into mannequins, including you! And even a world where Fluttershy snaps and butchers her friends before exiling herself to a nightmare world of eternal torment and regret."

He took a breath, "It is true that not every world is that dark, but to ignore that darkness and pretend that it doesn't exist is childish!"

Twilight stared coldly, and spoke with a tone to match. "Stop this right now, or I won't help you."

This time Verse gave her a death glare, "You will help me, or I will erase you from existence!" He threatened.

"Fine, go ahead and do it! Then you won't have one of your precious keys or whatever!" She retorted.

Verse bit his lip, "Fine, if you don't help me, then I will erase your entire world! All your friends and loved ones to never exist again!"

Twilight glared at him, "Well if you do that then I definitely won't help." She said with cold finality.

Verse glared for a moment longer before defeat filled his eyes. "Fine."

All of time unfroze, and with a familiar pop, they both entered the time stream. Green flames engulfed Twilight as she instinctively changed into the form of her unicorn self.

Neither Pinkie nor Dash had noticed the two appear. Twilight, ready to make the abomination who called Pinkie Pie pay for what she had done, was suddenly stopped by a hoof from Verse as he silently walked up behind Pinkie Pie and put a hoof upon the bottom of her muzzle. "Huh?!" Exclaimed Pinkie Pie. In one fluid motion, Verse snapped her neck and tore her head clean off with but a single hoof.

The stump where Pinkie Pie's head had been squirted a fountain of blood onto a screaming Rainbow Dash. With another stomp of his hoof, the bindings keeping rainbow dash in place dissolved into nothingness. As Rainbow Dash's body began to fall, Twilight rushed forward and caught her friend with her levitation spell and began to cast healing spells, all the while reassuring Rainbow Dash that everything would be okay. "T..T-T-Twilight?" she asked before falling unconscious.

Twilight looked down at her friend. Her injuries were severe, but she was breathing for now. Twilight's spells had stopped the bleeding and covered and cauterized the wounds, but she would still need quite a long while to recover.

Verse began to walk away, "Now let us dump her at the hospital so that she may be treated, and then we leave. Thanks to you, we now have to search for yet another Key candidate."

"She is coming with us!" Twilight demanded, not wanting to leave her friend behind, not after what she had seen her go through. Verse shot her another glare, and twitched his tail in annoyance. But as she met his stern stare with her own he sighed, "Fine."