"W-where am I?", Shadow Volt asked as he opens his eyes, "Ugh, it feels like I was hit by a train."
Shadow rubbed the side of his head as he looked around, what he saw is a familiar view of Ponyville but something seemed off about it.
"I wonder how I got here, last time I checked I was on the opposite side of town, well I guess I better head in to town and see how everypony is" he said.
Shadow headed for town still feeling as something is out of place but can't quite put his hoof on it.
As he gets closer and closer to town he notices that not many ponies are out on such a lovely day.
"Huh, they must have better things to do than enjoy such a beautiful day", he says as he enters town.
Looking around he sees a familiar pink friend of his and decides to call her over.
"Hey Pinkie," he calls.
When she turns to look at him he waves her over, as she gets near him he continues to speak.
"Hi Pinkie, where is everypony?", he asks.
Pinkie looks at him confused.
"They're around but who are you," she asked.
He returns her look of confusion with his own.
"Pinkie, it's me Shadow Volt" he said, only for Pinkie to look even more confused.
"Shadow Volt? I've never met you before and I know everypony in Ponyville", said Pinkie.
"But thats impossible, we fought alongside each other against Shadow Stryker just yesterday, and before that I've lived in Ponyville for most of my life," he said.
"Who's Shadow Stryker? And you've lived here for most of your life," she asked even more confused.
Shadow was completely stunned.
"Where's Twilight maybe she knows what's go-," he stopped when he saw the look of pain and sadness in her eyes, "Pinkie, where's Twilight," he said with deep concern in his voice.
"S-she's......she's gone," Pinkie said as her eyes started to tear up.
Shadow sensing she didn't mean that his cousin was just out of town was starting to worry, "What about the other's, where are they," he asked.
Pinkie, barely managing to speak, "T-they're all dead."
Shadow was completely horrified.
"How did they die," Shadow asked.
Pinkie now one the brink of tears only said, "I-I killed them."
Shadow, was taken aback.
"What are y-...," he started to say.
Shadow then quickly thought back to what happened after the fight against Shadow Stryker and about the light that blinded him after the fight.
"That light, I thought it teleported me to just outside Ponyville, it may have sent me to another world instead," he thought to himself.
"Pinkie, why did you kill them," he asked.
"To make cupcakes," she said.
Shadow, now not only shocked but also starting to get angry, looked at Pinkie.
"What's the real reason you killed them," he asked.
Pinkie's ears dropped as she spoke, "Why does it matter anyway, you'd never believe me if I told you."
"Why did you need to kill them to make cupcakes," he asked.
She looked at him, eyes now showing fear instead of pain and sadness.
"C-cause it's the rules," she said.
He stared at here, looking into her eyes, he knew that she couldn't have killed them like she said she did, there had to be something else going on, but what was it.
He took a deep breathe, "Who made the rules?"
Pinkie now even more scared, but felt as though she could trust Shadow, when she looked into his eyes she knew that he could protect her.
She decided to tell him why, "I-it was Pinkamena, she's the one that made the rules."
Shadow became even more confused.
"P-pinkamena?! I thought you and Pinkamena were the same person," he said.
Pinkie once again looking Shadow in the eyes replied, "We were, that is, until she got her own body, I don't know how she did it but I woke up one day with her standing over my bed, and she's the one that made me kill everypony to make those stupid cupcakes."
Shadow, now realizing that Pinkie never wanted to hurt anypony and was only doing it for fear of her life, put his arms around her.
"Then lets go stop her, I know you're scared of her, and that you don't think you're strong enough, but I'll be there every step of the way," he said.
Pinkie simply replied, "But then I'll be all alone."
Shadow began to hug her tighter, "I'll never let you be alone, I may not be from this reality but when it's over I want you to come back with me, your friends will be there."
Pinkie was now crying her heart out.
"Y-you promise,"she said sobbing.
"I Pinkie promise, cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," he said letting her go and standing up, "Let's go free you from her once and for all."