Mud Briar and Discord sat lazily in the office.
“Say Mud Briar, do you remember how we met?” asked Discord mischievously.
“Yes,” responded Mud Briar dryly. “You said ‘hello, I’m Commander Discord. Would you like a job?’ I said I would and you hired me.” He resumed looking closely at a stick he held in his hoof.
“Well there goes that flash back,” huffed Discord. He slid back in his chair obviously bored.
Suddenly the curtain sneezed. Discord’s ears swiveled around.
“Did that curtain just sneeze?” he asked. “How very odd. I put the sneezing curtains in Twilight’s office.”
He marched over to the offending curtain and gave it a prod. His claw struck something solid. He wiggled it and was rewarded with some giggling.
“Well that settles it,” he scoffed. “I certainly didn’t order any ticklish curtains. There’s somepony back there.”
He moved the curtains aside and found Cheese Sandwich with a large disarming smile across his face and his hooves behind his back.
“Cheese Sandwich! The curtains come with this now,” Commander Discord bemoaned. “Honestly, it’s bad enough if they have moths but full ponies. I’ll call the curtain company immediately.”
“Technically, it’s more likely he hid behind the curtains after they were installed,” explained Mud Briar.
“Is this true?” Commander Discord asked the shaking party pony. He loomed over the smaller creature and eyed him suspiciously through his red tinted glasses. “Are you snooping?”
“Well I...” Cheese began. He started to sweat profusely.
“What are you hiding behind your back?” pressed Discord.
“Nothing,” assured Cheese,” certainly not the manga you based this whole scenario on.”
“Oh well that’s good,” sighed Discord. “It would be hard to know what comes next if I didn’t have that. Hey! How do you know about that?” He coiled around Cheese and looked right in the orange’s stallion’s face. “I warned you. But you broke the rules. I’m sorry but you can’t play anymore.”
The draconequuis snapped his fingers and a large black portal opened behind them. Cheese started to slide backwards with a look of terror on his face.
“I’m sorry. But you had fun right?” Discord waved as Cheese disappeared into the darkness. A small book fell out of the terrified pony’s hooves as he disappeared. “My word! He did have my manga. Well! See if I use his services for parties in the future.”
Discord bitterly grabbed the manga off the floor and strode to his desk. He placed it inside the only drawer.
“Well! That was a fine to-do. But I think that’s all they need from us,” Discord said and waved to his unseen audience.
****
Pinkie trotted into her apartment. She flicked on the lights and noted the emptiness of it. A sigh escaped her as she remembered the fun parties she used to have with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. The sounds of fun echoed in her mind as she replayed her favorite moments. The welcome home Fluttershy party. The surprise party for her. The first surprise party party for everypony else. So many good memories over the last few months. Yet here she stood by herself.
The world had suddenly gotten darker. Her pinkie sense told her so. She didn’t need to see the blinking light on her answering machine or hear it’s message to know that Cheese Sandwich was gone. Despite not having a shred of evidence, Pinkie knew it was so. Still she tried to shake it off. Her mind could not comprehend a world without him. But just because she wanted it, didn’t make it true.
With a long sigh Pinkie felt her joyous world melt away inside her. With it her perky, perfect, pink mane fell into long, straight, lifeless locks of mere hair. She dragged herself over to the answering machine and pressed the button.
“Hi Pinkie,” said the scratchy voice of Cheese Sandwich,” it’s me.”
“Me who?” she coldly asked the machine.
“Me so sorry that I won’t be able to see you again,” answered the machine. “I’m sorry this didn’t work as we wanted but we got to see each other again at least. Please take care of Boneless 3. He knows all the work I’ve been doing and can help you uncover the truth. Know this Pinkamena Pie. When we’re at parties I don’t talk about your spastic bladder. “
Pinkie immediately felt her eyes tear up.
“And when you tell me your feelings I try very hard not to yawn.”
Pinkie snorted but tears came from her eyes. She wore a pained smile.
“Lastly I left a microscopic bit of milk in the refrigerator, in case you wanted some.”
Tears were falling more freely now. The smile she had worn minutes ago broke. She began sobbing uncontrollably. She could feel her breath coming in spastic gasps. She felt like a balloon about to pop. She couldn’t hold it together any more. Her heart broke and she began to wail in a pitiful gut wrenching cry. Her apartment building was mostly abandoned due to the angel attacks. No one heard her anguish. No one knew her pain. She wanted to call her friends. Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash. But they weren’t there and she had no breath to attempt to call for them. The crushing pain in her chest squeezed all joy from her.
She lay in a fetal position until she felt a small wet weight attached to her tail. She lifted her tail and saw Gummy dangling from it. She pounced on the helpless gator. Her body continued to spasm in soft sobs as she clutched her quiet companion. No words needed to be said. She wasn’t in a good place but knew that with Gummy by her side she wouldn’t be consumed by the darkness.