//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1: Darkness Beckons 
// Story: M̸y̶ ̸L̴i̶t̸t̶l̴e̶ C̵o̸r̷r̴u̶p̶t̶e̷d̸-P̵o̴n̴y̷ 
// by ScorchingFlamesInc 
//------------------------------//

As Twilight extended her darkness-covered hoof to Spike, his senses finally caught up to him. He had to do something! As much as he didn't want to take action to defend himself, he really had no other choice. He backed away, as quick as possible, took a big deep inhale, and breathed out a massive amount of fire, trying his hardest to not exactly hurt his friends but keep them at bay.

The five corrupted ponies quickly backed away and the black mass backed away. He had time! Quickly, he opened his wings.

"I'm sorry, Twilight!"

He flew up the window, nearly making it out, before a few corrupted Pegasi got in the way, blocking his way out. 

Spike knew what he had to do. Again, he inhaled and exhaled enough green flames to keep the Pegasi away. 

Just as Spike had hoped, they backed of, and it was enough for him to take his chance. Not stopping what he was doing, he flew past them as quick as he could and the moment he passed them, the fire-breathing came to a stop.

He kept going. He looked back, but he never stopped. They were chasing him, right on his tail. He again attempted to breathe fire to get them away, but he could tell that this was the last time he would be able to use it at his fullest. His chest started to feel drained, and if he kept going, pretty soon, there would be nothing but puffs of smoke.

Spike was no Rainbow Dash. But if he flew fast enough, while also keeping his chasers away, he could have a very good chance of making it out okay. 

And his best way to outmaneuver them would be the Everfree Forest. 

Immediately he proceeded to fly throughout the whole town of Ponyville, taking no time to look down at whatever was happening, focusing on what was ahead of him and what was behind him.

It didn't take long for him to reach the forest. He took another quick moment to send his weakening fire breath at the Pegasi chasing him. Immediately after, he dove straight down into the trees, staying focused, darting left and right between trees. His lungs felt empty, both due to all of the fire-breathing and energy used to fly, but it was just something he'd have to deal with if he wanted to survive.

It got harder to put up with, however, as he got deeper and deeper into his forest. His wings started to ache, the burning feeling being rooted all the way into his back. He wanted to look back badly... he wanted to know if his efforts even worked, or if there really wasn't any way to escape.

Spike had to risk it. He stopped where he was, and quickly looked behind him.

Nothing. No traces of anything that lived or breathed. No trace of the sickening black mass.

Just an empty forest.

Spike breathed a sigh of relief. He was safe. He was alone. Sure, being alone isn't fun especially when he needs someone during chaotic times like these.

But at a specific time like this, maybe being alone was the best outcome possible.

Spike turned to keep up his flight through the forest, and then that's when he failed to realize that he wasn't paying attention. He ran right smack into a branch, causing him to lose control, and fall to the ground.

Unfortunately, it didn't end there. What Spike also failed to realize was that he came across a deep slope in the forest, and when he ran into the branch, he fell right into where the slope started, and from there complete control was lost as he rolled and bounced down the hill, his arm landing brutally on a boulder and bouncing off it, and his tumble down the hill ending with a direct land on the head.

Everything blacked out, and Spike's mentality was sent into pure darkness.




***




As Spike rolled down that slope, there was a part of him that truly believed that was it. Either the fall would end his life, or a corrupted beast would find him and make him one of them.

So when he woke up, there was a mixture of relief, confusion, and even a tiny smidge of fear. His arm and head were both in pain, especially his arm... in fact, his arm was even all bandaged up. 

There was no doubt about it that someone took him in. Spike's panic grew, but when his mind completely cleared and he saw where exactly he was at, he quickly calmed down.

He was in the Treehouse of Harmony. He hasn't gone there much... Twilight's students have been there way more than he has. But he's been around there enough to recognize the place when he saw it. And when he did realize where he was at, the tension in him went away... if someone like an enemy of his took him in, he wouldn't be taken here. Anyone that took him here would most likely be a friend he could trust.

Again, he looked at his arm. It definitely didn't seem completely broken, but it hurt enough to where the bandages felt necessary. He felt his head and noticed there were bandages there too, but he felt they could be removed much sooner.

Spike's attention to his condition didn't last much longer. Right then he heard the sound of hoofsteps... slightly, making their way to his room. They were offbeat, like whoever was on their way was injured.

Even though Spike was certain he was safe, he couldn't help but tense up.

The source of the hoofsteps turned the corner.

"Hi Spike! Wakey-Wakey!"

"Pinkie Pie!"

Relief and excitement washed over Spike, and he instantly got up to run and hug the mare.

Only now has he realized that the pink mare was absent from the attack at the castle. He was in so much shock and fear that he didn't even consider the possibility that she was safe and okay.

She didn't seem entirely without a scratch, though. She was in more of a worse condition than he was. She had bandages on her neck and right hind hoof, and a splint on her entire left forehoof wrapped in more bandages. She was a little scratched and scuffed up, and even her ear was freshly chipped, the exposed flesh still appearing raw.

"Y-you're okay!" Spike stuttered. "You're injured, but... you're okay!"

"Mhm!" Pinkie nodded vigorously. "Lemme tell you, what happened to me back there was such a doozy!"

"What do you mean? What even happened to you? How did you get away?"

"Alright, Spike, sit back and relax, because this story isn't just a doozy, it's a super-duper lllllllloooooooooooooooong doozy!"




___


*Flashback*


___




Pinkie's ears twitched as she quickly sprung awake, the loud noises from the kitchen alerting her.

"What could be going on down there? Ooh! A surprise party! Wait, what would it be for? I would also know if there was one..."

The bubbly pink pony hopped out of bed and bounced down the stairs, somehow one step at a time, before soon finally reaching the bottom.

"Mrs. Cake? Mr. Cake? Cake twins? Hellooooooooooo?"

Nothing. No response. The place was completely cluttered, and the lights were all off.

"EEP! Is there a... a... burglar!?" Pinkie quickly ran off and returned with her signature party cannon, a colorful army helmet strapped snugly on her head. Like what she does for emergencies, she stuffed a fresh vanilla cake right into the cannon. "Alright! Show yourself! You mess with the cakes! You mess with their snacks! You mess with me!"

A sudden sound from behind Pinkie prompted her to quickly turn around and shoot her party cannon, covering whoever was there with confetti and cake. The figures of both Mr. and Mrs. Cake could be made out in all of that cake splatter.

"AH! OOPS! Sorry Mr. and Mrs. Cake! I thought there was a burglar, and-"

Pinkie Pie was cut off. The cake slid off of the Cakes, revealing them to also be covered in a black goop with many small flashing colors. They opened their blank white eyes, their mouths stretching open farther than they should... even farther open than Pinkie's mouth ever stretched.

In a rare occurrence, Pinkie felt her confusion slowly transcending into fear. She slowly backed away as the couple slowly stalked to her.

"M-Mr. Cake? Mrs. Cake?"

Sounds from behind Pinkie prompted her head to spin 180 degrees to look behind her.

The two infant Cake Twins were both crawling on the walls and ceiling like spiders, their legs having gotten incredibly longer.  As they got closer, they kept giggling constantly, their baby giggles heavily distorted and scratchy.

"W-wait! Cakes! I-It's me! Pinkie Pie! Cause all I really need's a smile-"

A tendril made of the black matter lashed out from Mr. Carrot Cake's back, swiping at Pinkie, nearly hitting her. Pinkie yelped and quickly attempted to run back to her room, only to get blocked by the Cake Twins, continuing to crawl on the wall. Pinkie stopped right where she was and dashed to the kitchen, and ducked down to hide, holding her breath, cheeks puffed out even though they didn't need to be.

"Oh! I gotta get out of here and warn Twilight! But... I don't want to hurt the Cakes! Oh! Think! Think!"

Pinkie made her way to another door, but once she opened it, the Cake Parents were somehow right there as if they teleported, their stretched grins seeming to enjoy her efforts to escape.

Pinkie turned and the twins were right there, the family of four starting to close in on her.

The family pounced and scrambled like a giant blob with heads and hooves, stabbing the ground with tendrils, in belief that they caught Pinkie.

But Pinkie being Pinkie, she was out of her spot in less than a second. Quietly, she tried sneaking away, taking advantage of the confusion.

But right as she was nearly out, something glided right past her head, and she got a sudden pain in her ear. That's when she noticed the knife landing on the floor.

Pinkie touched her left ear. There was a massive cut, practically a massive chip.  She looked behind her. Pound cake had an extra arm that grew out of his back, that was only now retreating. She could only guess that he took and threw a knife at her.

That didn't stop Pinkie from bolting away, attempting to escape from Sugarcube Corner. Continuously, the Cakes popped up out of nowhere and dashed right for her, with Pinkie dodging out of the way every time. 

Eventually, she ran up the stairs, and with no surprise, Mrs. Cake already got there first, attempting to catch her. Quickly she turned to get back down the stairs but both Cake twins were already there. Pinkie had no other choice but to jump, met with Mr. Cake sprouting from the ceiling and hitting Pinkie with a cake pan.

For the first time since anyone could remember... if there even was a time... Pinkie had a loss of what made her... Pinkie... and had a rough landing. She toppled down the stairs, spraining her left front foreleg in the process, and ending the topple with a cut back leg and a cut, bruised neck. Something fell out of her poofy mane and landed right near her with a clutter.

The Cakes all appeared again, surrounding her, staring at her. They stared at her, all giving the same disgusting smile, but spreading the same message with their looks. They could have got her when they wanted. They could have gotten her anytime she was at the door. Mr. Cake could have gotten her instead of hitting her with the pan. They didn't want to get her while she was active. They wanted her to crumble.

And Pinkie, noticing the remote and where Mr. Cake stood, gave them a look that they should have gotten her when they could. 

Using her tail, she quickly extended it to press the button on the remote. From underneath Mr. Cake, a party cannon shot out of the ground and launched him to the ceiling. Using the small window of time, she rolled out of the way and got back on her three good hooves before Mrs. Cake could stab her with a tendril.

With her three good legs as more party cannons went off, she quickly took a large bounce, flipping to the ceiling, and wasting no time she bounced off the wall to the side, and bouncing only off the walls, made her way upstairs. She maneuvered into her room before anyone got there, took one massive bounce, and jumped right out the window.

Instead of hitting the ground, Pinkie had a better idea, being quick enough to make her tail spin continuously, causing her to practically fly. She flew away and got a devastating glance at what has become of Ponyville. The Cakes, as it turns out, weren't the only ones that fell victim to whatever this was. Ponies left and right were falling victim to it too.

Then, she heard the hiss, and noticed the Pegasi chasing her with increasing speed.




___


*End of Flashback*


___




"And what happened then?" Spike asked.

"I had to take it full throttle, and lemme tell you, it was not easy!" Pinkie exclaimed. "I had to go up, down, left, right, here, there, they made it impossible to get to Twilight's! They chased me into the forest, and I had to hide here and fix myself up! I decided to come here since it felt like a safe place and I didn't feel like anyone would come here. Luckily there was a first-aid here. Also super-duper-lucky, I found metal good enough for this splint. Not enough bandages though, but oh well! Worked with what I got! Hm, I had a question, but I think I forgot-" Pinkie cut herself off with an immediate gasp. "TWILIGHT!!! THE OTHERS!!! Where are they?! Are they alright!?!"

Spike gulped. He had to make two choices. Lie and deal with any consequences, or tell the truth and hope that Pinkie doesn't lose her happiness and optimism, the one thing that's keeping her going.

What he chose was something not even he expected.

"Pinkie... they're gone. It got them."