//------------------------------//
// Chapter 16- The Carnival in the Courtyard 
// Story: Sweetie's Mansion 
// by Moon Shooter 
//------------------------------//

     This isn't real! It can't be real! Sweetie thought as her possessed friends counting got higher and higher. Just a few moments ago, she was in the courtyard of the mansion... now, she wasn't quite sure where she was anymore. The sky had changed from its dark cloudiness to a disorienting dark shade of pink, with ghostly white lines flying through it. Wind whirled in the air above her, howling madly like some kind of sick animal. It wasn't the sky that had changed that horrified Sweetie the most, but it was her new location.
As she ran, she passed by a sign that said "Stabletown Carnival- Here till the end of Summer!". She wasn't in the mansion anymore. Hay, she wasn't even sure she was anywhere around Ponyville anymore. The only Stabletown she could think of was the one that she saw in the painting, and read about in the book. Why was Sweetie here? Why would Pinkie take her somewhere so far away from home? And most importantly, how was she supposed to get back?
Sweetie had been to a carnival before and knew what they were like. A few booths here, a ride or two there... But no, this carnival was different. It wasn't a normal one, nor did it have the abandoned look of the mansion. Instead, as Sweetie ran by each booth, She noticed distinct signs of burn marks, as though they had been on fire at one point.  The toys and prizes in each booth had aged significantly, showing signs of wear and tear over the years. Sweetie doubted she could use any of them, but for the moment, she didn't see them as being useful even if they were in good condition. Now, her main priority was to hide from her pursues. Only then could she stop and figure out her next plan of action, whatever it may be...
Hiding spot. Gotta find a place to hide from those crazies. Sweetie thought panicked. She wasn't sure if criticizing their sanity helped her very much. For all the filly knew, she could be going crazy herself. There! Sweetie noticed an open booth, with a crate in front of it. She hopped up onto the crate and into the booth. She put her flank against the wall, as she heard a "Ready or Not! Here we come!" simultaneously from her friends, as they cackled in the general direction they saw the filly run.
Sweetie held her breath as she heard them run past the booth. She swore one of them stopped in front of her booth, but some of her fear left when they continued on their way.
They'll be back... Sweetie thought. Need a plan... need a plan... Sweetie looked up to find that she had hidden behind a "Ball Toss" stand. Above her were cups, though blackened with smoke, were neatly stacked, likely to be thrown at by the balls that were scattered on the ground. One ball in particular caught Sweetie's eye. It was a little red ball with the words "C.M.C" written on it. It was hers! She thought she'd lost it for good after she left the kennel in the mansion basement. What's this doing here... she wondered, she then remembered Pinkie. She was likely the person who threw her here, so she wouldn't be surprised if there weren't one or two things that were familiar to the filly... then she remembered something else. Pinkie's game.
If you catch me, the game is over! And you win!
Her next objective was to find Pinkie and catch her. It was her only chance to escape this weird world. The ghost book had already said that she couldn't catch her unless she wanted to be captured... but the question became how could she make the mare want to be captured? Or at least get her magic shield down long enough to get her with the GCD. Then Sweetie had a realization: Pinkie would know...
Who would know better how to capture pink pony than the mare herself? If Sweetie could get a snap of her with the camera, she just might be able to formulate some plan with her friend to capture the ghost. It was definitely worth a shot. It wasn't as though she had any other option anyway...
Sweetie took her ball and put it in her saddlebags, in case she might find some use for it later. It wouldn't be the first time the ball had gotten her out of a serious jam. Sweetie looked over the booth to make sure it was clear for her to leave. There was no sign of the fillies or the dragon who were trying to kill her. With that, she climbed over the booth and back out into the carnival. She cautiously started to move down the line of booths, in search of Pinkie Pie.
As she walked, she noticed several things. One thing was the large Ferris wheel, not too far from her location. She remembered a time that she'd been to a Ponyville Carnival, with a similar ride. Prior to the airplane the CMC had worked on just earlier that day, the filly had never really gone that high. She remembered thinking that she was flying once her and Rarity reached the summit of the wheel. She remembered how Rarity stood by her, smiling at the small filly's amazement at the view from the top... but as Sweetie thought of it, something changed. In her head, as she remembered the ride, Rarity changed. Her face turned from a smile to a grin... a toothy sickening grin that made Sweetie shake her head. Then she started to laugh... similarly to the nightmare she'd had earlier that night. Without thought of caution, she screamed at the memory. It wasn't her memory, rather it was a memory changed... was this new world really messing with her mind like this? Could she not trust her own memories anymore? The thought horrified the filly, as the memories were the only thing that kept her going. If the real memory of Rarity was gone... then what would she have left to keep moving forward with?
Sweetie looked up fearfully, realizing what she'd just done. She looked around her immediate area... no one was coming for her. Did no one hear her scream? Maybe it was quieter than I thought Sweetie hoped. She continued to walk, looking around at the rest of the booths to avoid another memory. At one, she noticed a shooting gallery, with ducks as the targets. A rifle stood loosely in its stand, as the bolts that held it were missing. The game was made for unicorns such as herself, given no pony could really use the triggers efficiently with their hooves. Magic was commonly used for guns like these in order to pull the triggers. Sweetie herself hadn't ever tried it, for two main reasons. The first was the simple fact she couldn't manage to hold the thing, given her weakness in magic. The second was the prospect of shooting ducks, even if they weren't alive, seemed horrible to the filly. Sweetie thought of attempting to take the rifle with her, but decided against it. It wasn't like she was going to use it against her friends, right? It was just another burden Sweetie didn't need to carry...
Sweetie continued to walk, hearing her hoof steps crunch in the dirt she was walking on. She was starting to get paranoid, as though there were other hoof steps besides her own... at first she assumed it was simply the echo of her own steps. Though she knew how unlikely this was, she knew it would be worse if she stopped, or broke into a run, alerting her friends to her location. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched...
Sweetie found herself around the area of the Ferris wheel. She looked at the empty cart, in which she figured was made for an adult mare. She even saw the "you must be this tall to ride this ride" which was at least three times higher than the filly's normal height. Sweetie went to examine the ride... but suddenly, she was kicked from behind, forcing her into the cart.
"Wow, you suck at this game." Scootaloo said, joining the filly in the cart. The door shut to the cart as carnival music began to play over the loud speakers. Sweetie was trapped on the ride with Scootaloo, as the cart began to slowly make its ascent on the wheel. "You were supposed to hide... ah well, guess that now that we found you, you lose huh?"
Scootaloo had kicked Sweetie pretty hard in the flank. It took her a moment to get back up and face the filly. She was cornered by the filly, and probably wouldn't have an exit until the wheel descended again... if it did. In the meanwhile, Sweetie would have to survive Scootaloo. Sweetie gave her best battle stance, according to what Rainbow had shown her. Though Sweetie didn't mimic Rainbow's example very well in the safe zone, she found herself a little more solid this time. It was as though she knew what she was doing. In either case, Scootaloo laughed.
"So you think you’re gonna fight me huh?" Scootaloo asked. "Now that's more like it. Come on!"
Scootaloo came at the filly fast, and Sweetie proceeded to block, as Rainbow had demonstrated. She gave three good hooves to Sweetie as she blocked them, keeping her hooves in front of her face as she balanced on her hind legs and flank. The filly was strong, and Sweetie felt with each blow Scootaloo gave to her legs, the filly received unbearable pain. Sweetie felt as though if she didn't do something soon, Sweetie's leg wouldn't be able to take it, and probably break. Then, her head would be defenseless. Sweetie had to do something. She had to fight back without seriously hurting Scootaloo.
Sweetie saw an opening during Scootaloo's fourth punch. It was now, Sweetie decided to take her chance. As Rainbow had shown her, Sweetie gave a quick light rounded jab to Scootaloo's side. The filly, although it wasn't a strong hit, it was enough to throw the filly off balance for a couple seconds, allowing Sweetie to push Scootaloo away to the other side of the metal 5 by 3 cart. For the few moments, the sound of hoof against bone had stopped, and the only sounds that filled the air were the sounds of the creaking wheel as it took the fillies higher and higher. It was another few seconds before Scootaloo said anything else. 
Scootaloo laughed. "Didn't know you could fight Sweets! I like that!"
"There's a lot of things you don't know about me ghost." Sweetie said, trying to sound as brave as possible.
"Doesn't matter. You still look stupid anyway."
"I look wha-" Sweetie said before Scootaloo charged at her again. This time, Sweetie didn't have the reaction time to dodge. Instead, Scootaloo got Sweetie's head and banged it against the back of the cart. The sound of metal rung in Sweetie's head as she felt a lump forming on the back of it. Sweetie moaned in pain, but didn't waste time as she saw another hoof coming for her face. An instinct in Sweetie got her to push the hoof up, parrying the hoof. Sweetie thought quickly, seeing an opening in Scootaloo's chest, and gave another quick light jab in the area. Like before, it wasn't enough to hurt Scootaloo visibly, but it was still enough to give the filly a good sting.
Scootaloo staggered back, to the opposite side of the cart. She laughed insanely at Sweetie, and charged for Sweetie. This time, she head-butted her against Sweetie's side of the cart. Sweetie couldn't have dreamed of blocking or parrying this attach, as she was thrown against her wall of the cart. Scootaloo then grabbed Sweetie by the upper-body, and slammed her down onto the cart floor. Sweetie faced her as she got on top of the filly. Scootaloo, faster than Sweetie could react, was pounded twice in the face. She could feel blood starting to seep from her nose again, and her body losing its grip on consciousness. Scootaloo could see it in her misty green eyes. She grinned.
"You’re finished Sweets." Scootaloo said. Scootaloo brought her hoof down on Sweetie, but she caught it before it could reach her face. "Come on! Don't you give up?"
"You... you’re not Scootaloo." Sweetie grunted as she kept the orange filly's hoof from reaching her face. "Because if you were Scootaloo, you'd know... that a crusader... doesn't-give-UP!"
Sweetie wasn't sure where she found the strength to do so, but she threw the filly off of her, and back over to her own side of the cart. Sweetie got up, as her legs shook from the beating she'd received... and probably would continue receiving if she didn't get away from the crazy filly. Sweetie wasn't sure how she was going to do it, but she had to get off the Ferris wheel... but the only question was, how? Sweetie figured by now that they were at the climax of the ride... and even worse, it was now standing still, as though it had shut down. If the filly tried to jump from this height, she would most definitely not get back up... but there had to be a way down. There just had to be...
Out of the corner of Sweetie's eye, she noticed something. Something white and triangular flying through the air... was it the CMC paper airplane?! What the hay is THAT doing here?! Sweetie understood less than she did before. It didn't make sense... but could she still use it? The way it was flying told her that it would fly a couple feet away from the cart she was on... she wasn't sure how she'd come up with the calculation by eye-balling the plane, but she figured that she had just enough of a jump arch to possibly land on it as it flew by. It was her best shot now... it wasn't as though she was going to survive any longer with Scootaloo.
Scootaloo gave another insane burst of laughter as she charged for Sweetie again. Sweetie repeated the same plan she'd executed back in the basement when she fought Applebloom. She timed it just right, and jumped on Scootaloo's head, onto the railing that kept any ponies from falling out on the ride, and into the air.
At first, she didn't think she was going to make it, as the plane looked farther away as she jumped... but during her jump, the strange thing was she felt as though she was floating. That little boost she received gave her enough of a stretch to land on the paper airplane. She grabbed the middle rope in order to keep herself from tumbling off.
Once she felt she had a good hold on the rope, she looked back at Scootaloo, who simply stared at her. Her grin had disappeared due to the loss of her pray. As Sweetie flew further and further away, she finally sighed. She was safe-
A gunshot rang through the air as Sweetie was starting to calm down.
"What the-"
A second gunshot rang through the air, this time, it whizzed past the CMC paper airplane. Sweetie carefully looked over the side of the plane, just enough to keep herself from tilting it, and causing it to fall. When she looked down onto the booths and booths of games below, She could see Spike and Applebloom, sitting there... but Spike wasn't just sitting. Instead, in his claws, he held the rifle Sweetie had neglected to take with her. Spike's hand-like claws allowed his fingers to slip behind the trigger of the rifle with ease, and aim it without the use of magic.
"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me!" Sweetie said angrily.
Another shot was fired, this time, it barely missed Sweetie, but created a fairly large hole in the plane. The shot hit just to the right of Sweetie, causing the new vent of air to force the plane to its side. As it fell to its side, it started to fall, at first gradually, but then her speed increased to the point she was almost falling. Sweetie was helpless this time to pull herself up. All she could do was hope that she survived the crash.
Finally, she fell into a group of booths that surrounded a long line of picnic tables. The crash yanked the filly off of the plane, and caused her to tumble over onto the tables, and into a group of pies that were set up. It was as though some pony was setting up for some kind of pie eating contest. Thankfully, the pies and other foods set up cushioned her fall, as her face was filled with blueberry filling on the impact.
Sweetie got her face out of the pie, which was thankfully not spoiled, but rather delicious and refreshing to have in her stomach. As she licked her face, she realized how hungry she was... she didn't have dinner that night, after all. It took a certain will-power to resist staying on the tables to eat the pies, though slightly burned, still just as good to eat.
This is no time for eating. Sweetie convinced herself. Got to keep moving to find Pink-
Sweetie then heard the giggle of the devil she'd just spoke of. Pinkie materialized in front of Sweetie, giggling.
"You should see your face Jumpie!" Pinkie giggled at the filly's blueberry covered face. "You’re gonna make me start calling you 'Blue Belle'!"
Now's my chance! Sweetie realized.
"Now's your chance for what?" Pinkie asked. She must not have known about the plan Sweetie had planned for her. "Plan? Ooooh! What kind of plan Jumpie?!" Pinkie said happily, reading the story with anticipation.
Sweetie reached into her bag and snatched out her camera. Pinkie frowned at the filly, realizing what her so-called "plan was". "Ooooh! I get it! No, not now Sweetie. What? I'm not good enough for you, so you need a second Pinkie?"
Sweetie aimed her camera at Pinkie, who flew at the filly. Sweetie was barely able to hit the camera button as the mare snatched it from her hooves.
"Hey!" Sweetie yelled. "Stop stealing stuff from me!"
Pinkie simply giggled, as she chucked the camera as far as she could away from the filly. First her map, and now her camera was gone too. Still though, she hit the camera button before it was taken from her. Did she still get the shot? Sweetie didn't hear the bubbly mare's voice in her head, which caused her heart to sink. If she didn't get the shot, then how was she supposed to catch her now?
"Gotta fly Sweetie." Pinkie said, floating over past the booths. "See you soon. Don't die too fast for me. Okay?"
Sweetie didn't waste any time to giving chase to the ghost mare, who so nonchalantly flew from her. As Sweetie went around the corner that led out of the circle of booths to follow her, she is driven back by a shot from Spike's rifle. Sweetie doesn't wait to check out where the shot came from, as she retreated back to the pie eating area.
Ok... Spike's somewhere with a gun, got me cornered and probably headed this way... great. Sweetie thought. She had to figure out an alternate route out of the eating area without completely losing Pinkie. Maybe she didn't get the shot, but she still couldn't give up on trying to catch her. As Sweetie turned around to check for another exit, she was shocked. Now, the pie eating area was filled with transparent ponies. The place was no longer burnt, but rather new looking, with every design of the booths showing vibrant shades of red and blue, along with other miscellaneous colors. The sky's creepy pink was replaced by a pleasing light blue.
"What the..." Sweetie said to herself. Was she having another one of the flashes she'd experienced in the mansion? If so, did that mean...
Sweetie headed into the crowd of ponies. Just like the last two times, they paid the filly no mind, as though she didn't exist. She could even pass through one of them, and they wouldn't notice. The filly passed through several ponies before she found herself at the front. Now, the previously empty line of picnic tables were filled with fillies and colts, their heads buried in pies. The plane had disappeared and the pies were back in their previous places prior to Sweetie's crash. Sweetie scanned the ponies eating their pies, and recognized one yellow ghost from her first vision: Marbles. On the side of the crowd opposite of Sweetie, she saw Specter, Madame and Candy sitting, watching their son/brother gorge himself on the blueberry pies. Sweetie noticed how Candy cringed at the sight... she wondered why and decided to get closer to the ponies. She sat in front of the family, who like every other pony, didn't even acknowledge her existence.
"I swear. That colt has a bottomless stomach I tell you." Madame said to Specter.
"He must get it from his mother." Specter commented.
"I don't eat like that!" Madame argued.
Specter chuckled. "Tell that to Spiffy who ended up making you 6 plates of food the other day."
"Oh hush you. I didn't get the chance to eat the whole day with all of the ponies requesting help now a days. I swear, I've never heard of so much property damage in so long." Madame said. "I wonder what's causing it."
Sweetie noticed Specter flinch at the words. Property damage... Was he somehow responsible for that?
"Yes... it is strange... Candy, are you ok?" Specter said, changing the subject.
"Y-yeah daddy. I'm... I just don't get how ponies can put their heads in stuff like that." Candy said. 
"The pies?" Madame asked.
Candy nodded. "I'd just hate for my mane to get covered in that hot gooey stuff. It makes my spine feel all funny."
The two parents looked at each other, and Sweetie had a good idea of why. Was that the filly's fear? What was more was if she was engaged with that fear, would she react the same way as Candy? Through exchanged looks, they came to a decision.
"Candy, would you like to go somewhere else? You seem on edge." Madame asked.
Candy nodded shakily. It seemed the more and more she watched the manes of the colts and fillies get smothered in the blue filling, the more nervous she got.
"How about the mirror maze? Does that sound fun?" Madame asked. Candy responded again with a nod, this time taking her eyes off of her horror, and putting them on her mother.
"Okay mommy." Candy said.
Madame turned to Specter. "Will you two be fine meeting us there when this is done?" Madame asked.
"That sounds fine." Specter said. With that, Madame and Candy went past the crowd of ponies and around a corner of booths. As they escaped Sweetie's sight, the pie eating area turned back to its original burnt state, and the ponies of the pie eating area disappeared. Sweetie was alone again... or so she thought.
A bullet whizzed by Sweetie's ear, which forced Sweetie into a run. It didn't take much to figure out Spike was right behind her. She heard Spike laugh manically as she ran around the corner, following her vision of the Yield's example. Once there, she put her flank against one of the booths, breathing panicked. She did her best to calm her mind down, and figure out her next plan of action.
Ok... they were headed to the hall of mirrors? Maybe I should too... Sweetie figured. The last time she followed one of the apparitions, she was pointed in the right direction. Hopefully that was the same case here, and not Pinkie leading her into another trap.
Sweetie popped her head out of the corner, and took it back as she was shot at again. Spike was coming for her, only encouraging her immediate action. Sweetie moved in the opposite direction of Spike, heading down the line of game and food booths. She looked back, moving faster and faster, as she felt in her gut Spike getting closer and closer to the corner. Once he made the turn, Sweetie knew she wouldn't have a chance... especially if he decided to use his fire-breath again. They may have been slower than the bullets of the gun, but its wide range wouldn't be in Sweetie's favor in the narrow line of booths she ran through.
Finally, Sweetie found the opening to the booth line. It opened up to a rounded area. Judging by its size and the statue of a clown pony, she figured that she was at the center of the carnival. The odd thing was though, that she never really imagined a clown to be in a carnival... but then again, the way it was designed reminded the filly of the Ponyville mayor, and her costume on Nightmare Night. It wasn't too outlandish to think that the carnival was something based off of the real Stabletown carnival and Pinkie's own memories.
"There ya are!"
Sweetie looked to her left to see Applebloom, her knife sticking out of the right side of her muzzle, allowing her to talk.
"Hold up! I got here first!" Sweetie looked to her left to see Scootaloo, approaching her.
"Oh, will you two quit arguing." Spike came from behind, aiming his gun at Sweetie. From all three sides, Sweetie was surrounded.
Oh no... Sweetie thought, as the three came closer and closer to her.
"Can't you keep your sibling rivalry buried for just a few seconds?"
Sibling rivalry? What is he- Sweetie thought. Something then clicked in the filly's head. Something she should have realized a while ago... It made sense: the mistake of name, the way Scootaloo slipped the word "daddy" out of her mouth back in the crypt...
"Bu' Spike, ah got 'ere first! Let me kill 'er! It's only fair." Applebloom argued.
"Specter told me to do it! I should get to!" Scootaloo argued back. It was a little disorienting to Sweetie to listen to her friends argue over who got the chance to kill her. As Spike tried to calm the fillies down, Sweetie formulated an escape plan. It was risky, but if her theory was right, it was worth a shot. 
"Hey Marbles!" Sweetie called to Scootaloo, pointing to . "Check out that mouse over there!"
"Huh?" Scootaloo said turning around fearfully in the direction Sweetie pointed. Now was Sweetie's chance. She bolted towards Scootaloo, and pushed her to the sides to the new path of booths.
"No!" Spike said, shooting at Sweetie as she ran. His bullets nearly hit the filly's head, but she ducked at every shot she expected. One of the bullets whizzed through her hat and through her mane, nearly cutting through her skull.
Scootaloo and Applebloom were ready to give chase to the filly, but Spike held his had up to stop them from pursuit. Despite the fact the filly was escaping, he grinned as he saw what she was running past. As she ran through the next line of booths, which would ultimately take her out of the concession area, he saw a barbecue stand... and behind it, from Spike's angle, three propane tanks. Spike, or rather, the ghost possessing Spike, was around long enough to know what happened when the heat and speed of a bullet pierced gas. Using the remaining piece of ammo in his rifle, he shot one sole propane tank with the accuracy of a hunter. The bullet immediately ignited the gas in the tank, creating a one-second chain explosion right next to Sweetie, who had no chance in dodging.
Sweetie screamed over the explosion as it threw her to the side like a rag doll, and out of the sight of her pursuers. Spike put the rifle down to his side, to look at the wall of fire they created. Spike's smile faded after a few moments of admiration. Spike rubbed his neck before turning around, and walking away.
"Come on you two." Spike said, heading to the opposite path of booths.
"Wha'" Applebloom asked. "Bu' Spi', don't ya think we should check ta see if she ain't dead yet."
"No... we have our instructions." Spike said.
"But I wanted to fight her again. I want a rematch! That wasn't fair!" Scootaloo argued.
"Listen to me you two... if Sweetie is still alive, that's a good thing. The longer she has to mess with her." Spike said. "You've enjoyed playing with that mare so far... imagine what she'll do once she loses her playmate? She'll get bored and come after us. The goal of all of this isn't to kill her as fast as possible. It's to keep her here as long as possible."
"Sounds boring if you ask me." Scootaloo said.
Spike chuckled. "From what I've seen in that mare, ghost or otherwise, it's never going to get boring. Come on. Let's leave the filly to her next little trial." With that, he cackled as he walked away. The two fillies followed his example and laughed as well...
Sweetie moaned in pain on the other side of the flames. She muttered one single word. "...why?" she moaned painfully. "As if I wasn't in enough pain..." Sweetie got back up on her hooves and looked behind her. Her friends were gone... it wasn't particularly comforting to the filly to know that they could be anywhere, but at least they weren't here. In either case, with the wall of flames, the only direction Sweetie could go, was forward. In the meanwhile, she'd learned something. The fears of the ghosts inside of her friends. They were still evident...
Can I use that?

***

Sweetie had walked down the line of booths generally uninterrupted. She only stopped to look in a booth or two to see if there was anything she could use. Like the rest of the carnival though, there was nothing new enough for the filly. Despite this, there were different games along her path that still looked functional. Namely, a "Test Your Strength" bell, a game labeled "Filly Filling Ponies"  and a slingshot game. Sweetie attempted to avoid the three mini-games, and remain focused on reaching the hall of mirrors... though with the lack of impending danger, and the overall boredom of the filly, she couldn't help but get a little side-tracked.
Well.... I guess one game wouldn't hurt. Sweetie figured. She'd been spending the entire night capturing ghosts. She thought it would be good for her head to get in some leisure time. Out of curiosity, Sweetie went over to the Belly Filler Pony Game. Sweetie hopped up on the stool in front of the booth. In front of her was a little handle that was connected to a nozzle, similarly shaped like her own GCD. On top of the handle was a button. As she took a hold of the handle, the world around the filly changed back into the new version of the carnival. Sweetie noticed that there was a small crowd of ponies gathered behind her, likely parents of the two colts and filly that sat by her now. The one filly she noticed was Candy. She must have gotten as side tracked as Sweetie on her way to the 
"Alright you four. You know the name of the game." the pony behind the booth said. "Aim your squirters at the mouths of the ponies here." The pony motioned his hoof over to the figurines of ponies with their mouths agape. Inside of each mouth could be seen a little red mark, made for something to hit it, and inflate the pony. "The one who pops the belly of their little pony first wins! Who's it gonna be?"
"Me!" Said one of the colts. "It's gonna be a cinch beating a blank flank like her."
Sweetie's attention was briefly brought to Candy's flank. Like herself, her flank was bare, not displaying any cutie mark to speak of. Now that she thought of it, she didn't remember seeing a cutie mark on Marble's plot either. She felt for her, and immediately saw the sign of depression on the filly's face. That look, however, turned quickly from sadness to cockiness and determination. It was something that reminded her a little of her own friends. 
"You’re gonna eat those words." Candy shot back.
"On your mark..." The pony started, bringing Sweetie's attention back to the game at hoof. "Get set... SQUIRT!"
Sweetie hit the button, causing a stream of some purple gooey substance to spray from her nozzle. She initially missed the mouth of her pony, driving her back in the race. She quickly re-adjusted her aim, and hit the pony's mouth dead on causing it to fill up. The handle shook, trying to make her lose her aim again. Sweetie kept her aim steady, fueled with the unexplainable determination to beat the colts who'd insulted Candy. The colts however, slipped on their aim, and let the goo go onto the side of the mouth, causing them to be driven back in the race. Candy, unlike either of her opponents, had a very good aim, and didn't let a single drop escape her filly's mouth. It was but a few minutes before a bell went off.
"We've got ourselves a winner!" the pony behind the booth said.
Candy stuck her tongue out at the colts in victory. The colt closest to Sweetie just looked down, sour in defeat... however, the other colt wouldn't take it. He turned the nozzle over, so it was aiming at Candy, and shot the goo at her.
"AH!" Candy screamed as the goo got all over her. The sticky gooey substance covered her, even her main. "G-get it off! GET IT OFF!"
The colt didn't foresee this as Candy's reaction, as he and the other colt got down from his stool and backed away from the filly. Madame tried to approach the filly, but before she could, she bolted away in the direction Sweetie was originally headed. Madame gave chase to the filly, remembering what happened the last time her children had been consumed in their fear. As the vision ended, the ponies once again, disappeared, and Sweetie was brought back to the reality of the carnival.
Sweetie wondered what had become of the filly, and where she would go now... but the good news was that she was headed in the right direction. If Madame and Candy were still headed to the hall of mirrors, she had to be going in the right direction. Sweetie resisted any lingering urge to check out the other game booths, and went on her way. 
It wasn't but a few more minutes before Sweetie came to a dead end... or rather, the end of the booth line. In front of her, was a double door. The door said: Mirror Maze- Enter At Your Own Risk. At the side of it, written in pink ectoplasm, were the words This means you Jumpie :D
Sweetie gulped. The fear that had been numbed by her constant running prior was returning. She didn't have her camera anymore. Her map was destroyed, leaving her navigation to her own instinct. Worst of all, she still had no clue now to beat Pinkie... she would try, but something in her gut told her without help, she would most definitely fail.
Sweetie reached for the door-
Sweeeeetie Beeeellleee!
Sweetie jumped at the sound of the new voice. It was Pinkie's.
"Pinkie?! What do you want now?" Sweetie looked around for the mare, expecting her to pop up anywhere to scare her.
Huh? What'd I do? Pinkie giggled. I'm just trying to have a little fun is all. Sorry if I scared you. I guess that act's getting a little stale huh?
"Like hay you are..." Something clicked in Sweetie's head. "Wait... say that again."
Say that again.
"No, I mean... say what you first said. My name."
Sweeeeeeetie Beeeellleee? You mean like that? Pinkie asked.
"You... you called me Sweetie. Not Jumpie... Sweetie." Sweetie said.
Yeah, I kind of wish I'd come up with that, but it sounded kind of mean..." Pinkie said. "I like a good joke once and a while, but I hate making fun of other ponies when their scared.
"You’re... you’re the real Pinkie aren't you?"
The one and only! Pinkie said happily.
I guess the camera thing did work! Sweetie said. The filly figured that since she could communicate with her, there was no point in talking to herself. Why didn't you say anything when I first got you?
Sorry Sweetie. I screamed super loud for you, but you didn't hear me. Pinkie said sadly. But hey! We can talk now, right?
Are you in the mirror maze? Sweetie asked.
Yeah, but let me tell you, it's like a maze down here. Pinkie said.
That's what it's called. Sweetie commented.
Oh yeah. It is supposed to be a maze isn't it? Pinkie said. Even though Sweetie couldn't see the mare, she could feel her warm smile in her head.
Can Pinkie hear you? Sweetie asked.
Which Pinkie? Pinkie asked.
Which one do you think? Sweetie asked.
Well... I can hear you, but I don't think the other one can hear us. She can hear me, but I don't think she's paying attention. She's busy working on a couple things.
What? Sweetie asked.
I can't tell you. It's a surprise. Pinkie said.
You're not serious, are you? Sweetie asked angrily.
Sorry Sweetie... but she forced me to Pinkie Swear! It's named after me, I can't break that. Pinkie said. Would you break a Sweetie Belle Promise? I don't think so.
But she's going to try and KILL ME! Sweetie argued.
Yeah... but I'm sure you'll be able to take care of it. Plus, you'll have me to cheer you on! Pinkie chirped happily.
Sweetie Belle was beginning to get another headache, this time out of annoyance. She used the tip of her GCD nozzle as a make-shift ice-pack. She took a deep breath... at least she had the mare's support.
Well... do you have anything that you could tell me that's remotely useful? Sweetie asked.
Well, if how to capture me counts, then yeah! Pinkie said happily.
How?
Fight fire with fire.
What? Sweetie asked.
She's been scaring you all night, right? Why not return the favor?
Scare her?
Yeah! I always love a good scare. If you do that, maybe I could convince myself to let down my guard for you to have at me! Pinkie said.
But what about your Pinkie sense? I can't even touch you with that. Sweetie said.
Hm... good point... but her Pinkie sense works differently from mine. Sure she can expect stuff, but only by breaking the fourth wall.
The what?
Maybe I could distract her from the story, long enough for you to give her a good BOO!
I have no clue what the hay you’re talking about Pinkie... but if it's a plan, I'm good for it.
Happy to hear Sweetie. Just get through the maze, and you'll find her. M'kay? Good luck Sweetie! I'm here for you all the way.
Sweetie smiled. It was refreshing to have a companion that would be with her in her battle to capture Pinkie... but something told the filly that her presence wouldn't make things any easier...
Sweetie opened up the door to the mirror maze, and walked inside. As she entered, the doors behind her slammed shut, encasing her in darkness.
Great. Now what?
Why not use you hoofty doofty note- I mean flashlight? Pinkie asked.
But it's not working. Sweetie said.
Have you checked? Pinkie asked.
... Sweetie went into her saddlebags to take out her flashlight. She found it was switched off. Um... Pinkie... she didn't-
Just switch it off? Yeah... Pinkie said.
Sweetie sighed. She turned it on and shined it around. She looked behind her to find that her exit was gone, replaced by mirrors... but this wasn't what scared the filly. Sweetie walked closer to the mirror her flashlight was bouncing off of.
Something wrong Sweetie? Pinkie asked.
Sweetie couldn't think as she looked herself in the mirror. For what she saw wasn't the white filly she knew... but a freak.
You look stupid anyways Sweetie remembered Scootaloo saying. At first, she'd just assumed it to be another insult... but it was true. She did look kind of stupid. For on her coat... were cutie marks. Not one, not two, not three... but four extremely familiar cutie marks. On the left side of her flank, there was Applejack's cutie mark of three apples. On her right hind leg was Rainbow's cutie mark of the rainbow bolt. On her left eye was what she recognized to be Fluttershy's cutie mark of three butterflies. Finally, right below her own horn, was Twilight's star cutie mark.
"No way... their cutie marks... how... why...?" Sweetie thought. Twilight was right. Her friends' cutie marks didn't just disappear... they were attached to her.
Sweetie... where and how did you get those?
I... I don't know. Sweetie mind was brought back to the Cutie Pox incident, where Applebloom was given random cutie marks and took up their talents.
Well... can you use 'em? Pinkie asked.
Maybe... but I'm not really sure how... Sweetie responded. Sweetie took a deep breath. Another mystery... she wasn't sure what she was doing with these marks, or what their purpose was... but it didn't change the fact she had to keep moving. In either case, she still had to keep moving... though the question kept coming back, no matter how hard she tried... What in the hay was she doing with these cutie marks?

***

Sweetie wandered through the mirror maze. her light bounced around the twists and turns disorienting... Sweetie wasn't sure how long she was wandering around... but she was sure that she'd have gone crazy if it weren't for Pinkie's company. The fact she still had a friend on her side was comforting, even if she wasn't able to help her completely. It almost helped her forget the impending doom that she was headed toward.
And that's where foals come from! Pinkie chirped happily.
I... I didn't need to know that. Sweetie said shakily.
Oh come on! As Twilight always said, knowledge is power! Pinkie said.
That's not knowledge, that's just weird. Sweetie said.
No it's not, you silly filly! It's natural! You'll do it someday.
Sweetie shuddered. Celestia, I hope not.
Pinkie giggled in response. I could see you and Spike being a cute couple.
No. Just like everyone knows Spike has a crush on Rarity, everyone who really knows Applebloom knows she's got a small crush on Spike. Not me.
Oh yeah, I forgot about that. I just thought since you're Rarity's sister and all-
No. Sweetie said flatly.
Maybe some pony will make more ships you two someday.
What are you talking about ships for? Rainbow was right... you are rand-
Wait! Pinkie said. Sweetie stopped.
What? Sweetie asked.
I... I remember this part. Just... just keep going forward. The exit is just down that way on the first left you can find. Pinkie said.
Pinkie... what's down there? Sweetie asked, shining her light down the maze.
Uh... I... I got to go.
Pinkie? Sweetie asked. She didn't want the mare to leave. She didn't want to be alone again.
You'll do fine. Just remember to give her a good scare when you hear me again... got it? Especially when I start talking a lot. Hopefully, it'll be harder to read what you'll do next. Also keep whatever you do short and sweet... say, something that could be said in a sentence or so. Don't let it reach farther than one line, ok? Stay brave and safe for me ok?
Sweetie nodded, barely understanding what the mare meant. There was silence for a few moments. "...Pinkie?" Sweetie whispered. There was no answer... the mare was gone, and Sweetie was alone again. "Alright Sweetie. Remember what Pinkie said. Stay brave. Stay safe." Sweetie took a deep breath and kept walking. She wanted to get out of the mirrored maze as fast as possible. She didn't have a good track record with too many mirrors in one place that night. 
Jumpie... dear, is that you? It was Pinkie again... but Sweetie knew very well this wasn't the real Pinkie. She spoke in a different voice. Sweetie figured she was trying to mimic Rarity's.
"No point in trying it Pinkie. I know it's you." Sweetie called back to the voice down the way, not stopping for it.
"What are you talking about dear? It's me." Pinkie said back... then Sweetie saw something, lying along her way. A pony with a white coat and purple mane. It didn't glow or move... it was Rarity's body.
What the hay... Sweetie thought as she approached the body. There was a chill down her spine... there were ghosts around her... but the question became where?
"Sweetie dear... what are you doing here? Why don't you just play by the rules like Pinkie asked so kindly?"
Sweetie stood over the corpse of her sister. Her cutie mark was grayed out, as Sweetie expected, proving she was dead. Sweetie had learned back in Cherielee's class that discolor of the cutie mark usually showed signs of death or dying for a pony. Sweetie touched the body of her sister. It was cold... ice cold.
The body's eyes opened up wide, showing a glowing green. Rarity's corpse grabbed Sweetie and wrapped its fore legs around her. Sweetie screamed as the ghost inside of Rarity laughed. Sweetie's flashlight dropped out of her muzzle and faced where she was coming from. Sweetie squirmed to escape the corpse's grasp.
"Oh, hush now dear. It's fine. Relax... its fine... relax."
Sweetie screamed.
"Quit yer squirmin filly." came the voice of Applebloom from down the hall. "Jus' let it happen already."
Sweetie saw the shadow of Applebloom as she approached. Her shadow was joined by Scootaloo's and Spikes. Sweetie squirmed as hard as she could. She thought... did she still have anything in her GCD to help her? There weren't any ghosts, so the Spectral Throwback wouldn't work... but maybe she could use the Elemental Capture... did she possibly have any bit of water in her GCD to use it?
Sweetie managed to free one of her fore arm, and get her GCD nozzle. She switched it to Elemental Capture and pointed it behind her at Rarity's head. Something in Sweetie didn't want to have to do this to her sister, even if it was just her corpse. Even if she still had a chance to bring her sister back... it still didn't feel right doing anything to her body. Sweetie shook off the feeling and hit the nozzle button. She moved her head to the side, narrowly dodging the mist of freezing cold. Rarity's head was frozen within seconds, and Sweetie's right ear, was freezing cold. None the less, it was enough for Rarity's corpse to let go of her, and fall down to the ground. Once it hit, Rarity's head was shattered into pieces. Though there was no blood, the sight was extremely disturbing to the filly...
Sweetie quickly got over the fallen corpse that was once her sister, and grabbed her flashlight. She bolted in the opposite direction of her pursuers, who laughed as she ran.
Left! Left! Where the hay is that left! Sweetie panicked
Sweetie checked each panel, hoping to find some kind of opening... finally she found it! There was one mirror missing from the wall to her left that turned into another pathway. This pathway, Sweetie could see light coming from a small opening. It looked like the window to another door. Sweetie ran as fast as she could, as she heard the hoofsteps of her friends close behind her. As she hit the door with her shoulder, she burst through onto the ground outside, as the doors once again closed behind her. She panted for breath as she lie outside. The wind and pink sky indicated she was back outside again. Strangely enough, being outside deactivated her light again.
From what she could tell, she was in an entirely different part of the carnival. The only thing out here... was a rounded building. It looked as though it was meant so the ponies outside could see inside, however, it was blanketed with a large white sheet. The sheet reminded the filly of the mansion's abandoned look... did that mean she was getting close to escaping? Knowing Pinkie though, it wasn't going to be that easy.
Sweetie figured it was her only lead, so she approached the building. Upon closer examination, in front of the sheet, she saw the name of the building on a sign, which said: Merry-Go-Round. Sweetie had heard of these types of rides, and how they were banned from amusement parks across Equestria. After all, it was basically a pony with a rod stuck through it.
"What kind of weirdoes would want to ride something like this?" Sweetie said. She looked around as though some pony might have heard that... maybe it was just her own paranoia acting up again.
Sweetie took a deep breath as she lifted the sheet to go under and into the ride. As she'd expected, it was dark inside. Sweetie was about to re-activate her flashlight, but she stopped as she heard something... it was a voice. No doubt about it, it was Pinkie... and Pinkie. She could vaguely hear them talking in the distance and figured neither of them had detected her yet. Sweetie remembered what Pinkie had told her. She had to keep her movements short as a sentence, whatever that meant, sneak up on Pinkie and give her some kind of scare... if that was even possible to do with the mare. Sweetie figured she could use the volume of their voices to figure out their location. There was no room for error here... she couldn't get caught. Sweetie took a deep breath before blindly walking up stairs in the darkness, and onto the Merry-Go-Round.
The Pinkies giggled.
"And then Specter was like 'Oh, kill this filly. Nueh nyeh nyeh nyeh' and I was like, are you CRAZY? I'm not gonna pass up an opportunity to mess with her now you know?"
Sweetie took a few steps, trying to keep them short, sweet and especially quiet.
I know! Some ponies just have to loosen up a bit The real Pinkie chirped back. Like back at the bakery, Mr. Cake was always "This amount of sugar this" or Mrs. Cake was like "This amount of flour that"
Sweetie took a few more steps, nearly losing her balance at one point.
Have you ever thought about throwing some kind of ghostie party? I'm sure Specter would love that! Pinkie suggested.
"I did! But he said only when the Elements were 'erased' whatever that meant." the ghost Pinkie responded back. "He said his life depended on it."
Sweetie found herself hearing the voices getting softer, so she stopped.
Why is your boss such a serious silly? the real Pinkie said back. He really needs to learn how to have some fun! He needs a party
Sweetie turned around and headed in her new direction, hoping she was going the right way again.
"You don't think I don't know? I've gotta hear him all night complain about this and that and don't do this and don't do that... it gets kind of annoying... maybe once this is all over, I'll really give him a party he won't forget" Pinkie said, with a certain sinister tone to her voice.
The voices were as loud as Sweetie had heard. She figured she was as close as she'd get.
Oooh! Will you let me come? Pinkie asked.
"You're much more fun than your friends, you know?" Pinkie said happily. "But what else would I expect? I'm the funest person I-"
"BOO!" Sweetie yelled.
Pinkie screamed, as she fell out of thin air... or rather phased out of something in the darkness Sweetie couldn't see. She laid on the ground, as though she had just gotten a heart attack.
"Um... Pinkie?" Sweetie asked. "Did I-"
Wait for it... the real Pinkie said.
It started out as a small, weak giggle... then it turned into a stronger, much more Pinkie like giggle... then finally, it turned laugh... and finally an insane cackle, which drove Sweetie a step back. Pinkie floated into the air, laughing until she was fairly above.
"Pinkie, it's not-"
Wait for it.
"That was a GREAT scare Jumpie!" the ghost mare exclaimed happily. "I've haven't been that surprised since... EVER! I didn't think you could-"
DING!
I got it! Sweetie! NOW!
An instinct in Sweetie activated immediately. She took up her GCD nozzle, switched it to such and hit the button, aiming it at Pinkie.
"Gotcha!" Sweetie said. With that, Sweetie was starting to get dragged along by Pinkie.
40, 39, 38, 37... the grey colored GCD on her back said.
The thing that didn't make Sweetie feel comfortable, besides she had no will over where Pinkie dragged her, was the sheer fact... she was barely even putting up a fight. Rather than truly making an attempt to fly away, she flew on her back, gripping her stomach. She was giggling.
"Stop it!" She said between giggles. "That tickles!"
"This isn't supposed to be fun, you know!" Sweetie said annoyed, as she was dragged in circles around the Merry-Go-Round. Something was wrong. Sure, this was Pinkie's ghost, but Sweetie didn't think she'd be laughing as she was sucked into the GCD.
30, 29, 26... the GCD said. As it continued to count down, and Sweetie was still dragged around the ride, Sweetie got the feelings of dizziness and paranoia. She was going to get captured, but she didn't even seem to give a buck. Sweetie tried to yank the GCD nozzle back to quicken the capture... but it wasn't working! Every time Sweetie yanked, the GCD didn't change its pace in count down at all, as though she weren't even yanking to begin with. There was something definitely fishy here...
20, 19-
"Ok, that's good enough!" Pinkie said. She abruptly changed her direction and charged at Sweetie. Out of surprise and fear, Sweetie barely dodged to her right, causing her to let go of her GCD button. The capture was broken.
So close! Pinkie said.
"I'll admit, using me to distract me from you was a great plan... and you were doing so well too." Pinkie said. "Ah well... maybe if you play by the rules this time, I'll give you another chance."
Sweetie! You have to-
"Aaaand that's enough from you." Pinkie said to herself.
Sweetie! Don't give up! You can do it! You- Her voice sounded muffled... and then it was gone.
"Pinkie?! What did you do to her?!" Sweetie asked angrily.
"Oh don't get your hose in a knot. She's fine. I just pushed her a liiitle further into my sub-conscious. Now, we won't have any more intrusions in our game. Now that that's taken care of, we can continue. Meet me at the next area, once you've had a little fun with your friends, kay? Don't leave ti'll it's time."
Pinkie disappeared from Sweetie's sight before any other words could be exchanged. Sweetie wanted to give chase to the mare, but she knew better than to disobey her order. She had to stay on the Merry-Go-Round until it was time...
Time for what though? Sweetie thought.
The filly activated her flashlight and looked around. The ride was just as it had been described to her when she'd learned about them. There were ponies made out of metal, and painted over attached to rods in a galloping position... but there were 5 ponies that were incredibly jarring to Sweetie. It was her friend's bodies... they were on the rods, their bodies in between plates on the end of their own rods, holding them in place. For a moment, Sweetie assumed the worst... that her friends had once again been turned into ghosts, or worse. Then she noticed, each of them had their own grayed out cutie mark, indicating they were her friend's old bodies. They were still dead bodies, but the fact they weren't her friends, or technically any pony for that matter, made Sweetie feel a little better.
Suddenly music started to play on the Merry-Go-Round. It was starting to spin.
"Oh boy..." Sweetie said, readying her flashlight. She felt a chill down her spine... there were ghosts coming. She heard the laughter of the ghosts echo on the walls of the ride. She looked around, expecting one or another to pop up at any time... but then, she heard a metallic click. Her attention was turned to her friends' old bodies. The rods holding them up by their torsos had shifted slightly, freeing them from the piston like rod. They all fell off of their posts, and got up...
Sweetie laughed nervously. "You have got to be kidding me." From their mouths, they dripped red glowing ectoplasm, like a drooling hungry dog. Their eyes glowed red as well... they must have been being possessed by some ghost dogs...
Sweetie contemplated using the ectoplasm they drooled as ammunition, but figured that there was too little for her to create anything. All she could hope, was that one of the ghosts that were giggling would show up. Sweetie's friends closed in on the filly, each of them grinning their own sick grin. One of them even barked at Sweetie.
"Uh... nice doggies?" Sweetie said. Finally, one of the bodies, Twilight, leaped for the filly. Sweetie dodged to the left as it rammed into Applejack's body and threw them both off of the spinning ride. She herd them fall through the blanket, but she didn't see them get back up, or even make any sound indicating them hitting the ground. For once, Sweetie was happy she'd followed the ghost Pinkie's orders, for now, she was surrounded by some bottomless pit of no return. She couldn't leave now.
"Never did think you'd make a good dog anyway." Sweetie mumbled to herself.
Rainbow barked at Sweetie and lunged to bite her. Though the mare wasn't as fast as the real Rainbow, she did catch the filly off guard, and managed to land a on her hind leg. 
"OW!" Sweetie said, as she attempted to shake Rainbow off of her. Being mainly a vegan society, ponies commonly didn't have as sharp as teeth as K-9s, so thankfully, the bite didn't do any real damage to Sweetie's leg. It didn't change the fact it hurt like hay. Sweetie shook Rainbow off, only to be rammed in the head by Pinkie Pie, and nearly knocked off of the ride.
Sweetie got up. She had to get rid of her friends bodies and soon. The last thing she wanted was to fall into the abyss she was likely around. Suddenly, like a bat out of hell, a foal ghost flew through the curtain, and tried to attack Sweetie. She got out of the way, just in time. Sweetie thought for a moment, as she looked at the foal ghost... what could it do again? It was then, an idea lit up into Sweetie's head.
"Hey baby! Bet you can't hit me!" Sweetie taunted the ghost. The yellow foal ghost laughed and spit its yellow ectoplasm at her. Sweetie dodged as the ooze spread over the surface she was previously standing on. The filly sucked up the ectoplasm before jumping back to dodge another blast from the foal ghost. The first red light on the back of her GCD went green. She sucked it up as well. "Come on! You've got to do better than that! Hit me foal! One more time!" Sweetie yelled. 
The ghost gave one more hefty spit at Sweetie, who dodged it and sucked up right out of the air.
Warning. GCD capacity at 50 percent
Now to take care of you. Sweetie thought. She swept her flashlight in an upward direction to hit the foal.
DING!
Sweetie caught the ghost in the grasp of her GCD. As the GCD counted down, Sweetie was dragged past her friend's walking corpses. She did her best to drive herself and the ghost away from the edge of the Merry-Go-Round.
...5, 4, yank!,3210. Capturing ghost. the GCD said. The foal was then dragged into the confines of the spectral containment pack on her back. As she screeched to a stop, she whirled around to find her friends, simultaneously charging at her. The white filly didn't waste any time in switching to her Spectral Throwback function and aiming at her friends. Much like with Rarity in the mirror maze, it felt weird pointing her device at her friend's... she shook off the feeling and shot the GCD at them. The force of each shot she fired at the mare's corpses was enough to knock them each off of the Merry-Go-Round before they could get close enough to the filly. Once they were gone, the adrenaline in Sweetie's veins began to wear off, her heart was beating slower and calmer. She was okay... for now.
As the music ended, and the ride stopped spinning, Sweetie heard Pinkie's giggle echo in the Merry-Go-Round, as though there were millions of her surrounding the filly. Suddenly, Sweetie's light went out and she was consumed in darkness once again. Before she could try and activate her light, she saw something. The walls of darkness she was around fell... literally. Like panels of cardboard, segments of darkness fell around the Merry-Go-Round, revealing a new path. In front of the ride, Sweetie noticed a new path had appeared... it lead to a mansion. Not the Yield manor the filly had first walked in on, but a mansion all the same. Was she even still in the carnival anymore? Having no other option, and there being no other building in sight, Sweetie hopped off of the platform of the Merry-Go-Round and headed for the mansion, sure she wouldn't like what she found once she got there.
Sweetie walked along the path, having a slight sense of deja-vu as she walked... almost expecting to hear a ghostly "Boo" from behind. She looked around, feeling the chill, and seeing the cold mist come from her mouth.
"Been here before Jumpie?" Pinkie's voice echoed in the wood that surrounded the path to the mansion. Sweetie ignored it, focusing her way to the mansion. She walked up the steps to the door... they weren't stone, rather they were cheap concrete... it was then Sweetie noticed a new sign on the door: Haunted Mansion- Enter If You Dare!
"Bet you wish you got a warning like that before you came here, huh Jumpie?" Pinkie said.
Sweetie didn't think, knowing while the mare was around, there was no point in doing so. She might as well be talking to herself... she did however hesitate when she went for the knob to the haunted mansion.
"Aw, c'mon Sweetie. Don't be scared. I promise nothing's gonna kill you when you open that door." Pinkie reassured. "... probably."
Sweetie took a deep breath and pushed the door open. Suddenly, a jack in the box popped in front of her at the door, causing her to jump back, and nearly out of her own skin. Pinkie laughed as the filly's heart thumped in her chest.
"I didn't say nothing was gonna scare you!" Pinkie said laughing.
Sweetie shook her head, regaining her composure. "You’re a jerk." Sweetie said.
"I know." Pinkie chirped back.
Sweetie moved the jack in the box to the side, and shined her flashlight inside of the mansion. The foyer, rather than being decorated with portraits like the Yield, there were bars and ropes, made for ponies that might wait in line for a ride. Sweetie moved past the bars and ropes to the front.
"Are you skipping in line Sweetie?"
"No one else is here!" Sweetie said.
At the front, Sweetie saw a cart, made for ponies to sit in. It was much smaller than the Ferris wheel cart, and seemed to be made for two or three ponies just her size. On the platform behind it was a small control panel, likely controlling the cart. Against her better judgment, she went inside to investigate.
"But what about me? How do you know you didn't cut past me and other ponies? We're all just a bunch of invisible ghosties anyway!" Pinkie said. "Oh! I know!"
Suddenly, something around Sweetie's hind hooves clamped around them.
"W-what the?!" Sweetie exclaimed. She looked at her hind hooves to find they had been chained to the cart. As it closed, she found that she was trapped. Pinkie then materialized next to the filly.
"We can ride together! What do you say?" Pinkie asked. Sweetie simply responded with grunts, as she tried to free herself from her restraints to no avail. "Great! Now, we're gonna play a new kind of game. Want to know how to play?"
Sweetie gave up on freeing herself, and hung her head in defeat. Once again, she was left only with the option to play along with Pinkie's games. "What?" Sweetie asked.
"We're gonna play a game to test your aim all the same and get you fame!" Pinkie said happily.
"What?" Sweetie asked.
"Let's see how you do without your GCD's vacuum and your flashlight. It isn't going to work here. Isn't that right flashy?" Pinkie asked the flashlight.
The flashlight flickered out. The only thing Sweetie could see now, was Pinkie's glowing body.
"H-how did you do that?" Sweetie asked.
"I'm Pinkie Pie! How else?" Pinkie chirped.
Of course. Because that totally makes sense. Sweetie thought sarcastically.
"Anyway, the name of the game is survival. Ghosties here are gonna try to kill you. Your mission, if you choose to accept it... well, not choose really, more like forced to accept... is to make it to the end of this ride, with your soul." Pinkie said.
"But how am I supposed to fight ghosts with flashlight like this?!" Sweetie argued.
"You'll figure it out. You’re the smartest ghost-hunting filly I know!" Pinkie said. "Wait... you’re the ONLY ghost-hunting filly I know. I guess that isn't saying much huh?" Pinkie gave a good long laugh. "Well, enough stalling. Let's get this show on the road!"
Sweetie didn't have her flashlight to defend herself from any ghosts... only her GCD. It was likely empty of anything she could use... maybe there'd be something on the track? Pinkie looked at the cart panel and the red lever switched on. Lights scattered dimly along the mansion ride came on as the cart started to move down its track. Pinkie and Sweetie started heading down the way, further into the haunted mansion.
"Here we go..." Sweetie mumbled.
Pinkie didn't say anything. She just looked ahead of them, grinning in excitement of what was to come. The track clacked below them, and occasionally made a rusty squeaking noise indicating is age and instability. Sweetie imagined it could be easily taken off of the track if given enough force. She kept that in mind as she rode out of the lit part of the ride, into the darker segment.
Lightning flashed to the side of the filly, drawing her attention to some portraits. Candles flickered at the sides of the portraits of the creepy looking ponies. Unlike the mansion she was originally in, none of them looked familiar to the filly. She figured they were just there for tension purposes, preparing for a-
"AH!" Pinkie screamed as they both heard a large crack of thunder. As though on cue, the paintings changed into drooped melted versions of their originals. Sweetie was too scared to scream, as she wasn't sure what scared her more: the ride, or Pinkie's own high-pitched scream. Sweetie thought of saying something to the mare, but decided it was pointless. The only thing she'd try to do was scare the filly more.
Pinkie giggled as the lights went out again. "Aw, don't tell me you’re scared already. We just started!"
"I-I'm not scared." Sweetie lied.
Another flash of lighting brought the attention of the two mares. It was by a table, with ponies heads face down on their plates. Another crack of lightning caused them to transition into skeletons... this time however, Sweetie noticed something glowing inside of 2 of the skeletons. Out of curiosity, Sweetie attempted to suck up the substances inside of the skeletal systems. Through the bones, she sucked up what she assumed to be ectoplasm. Her suspicions were confirmed when the first GCD light on her back lit up.
I could use this... Sweetie thought. The filly looked at Pinkie, who merely smiled. Sweetie was having a hard time figuring out wither she was smiling at the filly for figuring out how to defend herself... or what she had planned for her ahead. Sweetie sucked up the second bit of ectoplasm, knowing she'd need as much as she could get.  As she turned back to face the path ahead, only to be scared by a ghost that popped up in front of them. It giggled maniacally.
"AH!" Sweetie screamed. She pointed her GCD at the ghost and hit the nozzle button. Rather than the sound of ectoplasm being expelled from the GCD, Sweetie heard the vacuum noise. It was then she realized that this wasn't a real ghost. It was just another prop, with a light inside of it to make it appear like the ghost was glowing. It wasn't real, but it also didn't make the filly feel any better. If she had switched to her GCD Spectral Throwback earlier, her fear would have caused her to waste her precious ammunition. She'd have to be more careful... if she were to run out of ectoplasm, she would be done for.
Sweetie felt them turn in the darkness, likely down another part of the track. In front of the cart, on the ride's track the filly could vaguely see splatters of ectoplasm on the tracks. She sucked it up, causing her GCD to indicate it was half full. 
"Or half empty if you want to be negative." Pinkie said.
On either side, Sweetie heard the sounds of glass breaking on either side of her. She looked around in the darkness, trying to determine where her next ghost would pop up. She switched her GCD to the Spectral Throwback, ready to hit any ghost that tried to pop out at her.
Sweetie felt a chill up her spine, different from the one she'd been constantly feeling from Pinkie who sat right beside her. There was definitely another ghost close by... but it wasn't in front of her. Sweetie knew that the ghosts weren't beyond sneaking up behind her to get at her, even if she was chained down. Sweetie forced her torso around to see behind her, and sure enough, there was a butler ghost flying at her. Sweetie didn't waste any time in aiming at the specter, and shooting the ghost down with the GCD.
"Not bad." Pinkie said.
Sweetie! Front! Pinkie said.
"Huh? I thought I got rid of you." Pinkie said.
Sweetie whirled back to the front of the cart, and saw that there were two ghosts, a butler and a foal ghost, ready to upchuck at the filly. Sweetie wasted no time in switching back to  her vacuum function. In barely enough time, she managed to hit the nozzle button and suck up the yellow ectoplasm out of the air as it was hurled at her. It entered her GCD as it indicated its capacity once again. Sweetie switched back to her throwback and hit the butler ghost as it tried to get close to her. The foal ghost spat at Sweetie again, which she caught again with her GCD's vacuum. The foal ghost gave up on trying to hit Sweetie from a range and charged at the filly. She fired her GCD at the foal and caused it to disappear.
Pinkie? You still there? Sweetie thought.
"Sorry. Guess she's a little more slippery than I thought. Don't worry Jumpie. She won't bother us again." Pinkie chirped happily.
Pinkie! If you can hear me, I'm gonna get you out of there! Ok? Sweetie thought, hoping the mare, despite her lack of speech, could still hear the filly inside of the pink ghost mare's mind.
"Anyway, that was really good!" Pinkie continued. "Let's say we step it up a notch. Kay?"
Against most laws of physics, even in the ghost world, Pinkie snapped her hoof. On cue, the cart started to speed up. Lights flashed in the mansion, as though it were trying to give the filly a seizure. The rust sound below the cart, as it gained in volume and frequency, was maddening to the filly. She covered her head and ears for a moment, trying to block out the loud sounds of the cart. The suddenly... it stopped.
"Hey Jumpie. Like roller coasters?" Pinkie asked.
"What? No, I don't like them. What are you-" Sweetie asked as she put her head back up. The world around her had changed again. The pink ghostly sky was now visible again. Now, Sweetie was on a new track acceding, like Pinkie mentioned, like a roller coaster. In the distance, Sweetie could see ghosts flying around them. They were too far to tell what kinds they were, or if they were real or not... but it seemed like there were thousands of them. It horrified the filly.
"W-where are we?! Where did you take us?!" Sweetie asked panicked. "This isn't the carnival! Where are we?!"
"Calm down Jumpie. We're still the same place we've always been." Pinkie said.
No it's not! It's different! Sweetie thought. It didn't make sense. Was Pinkie doing all of this? Could she alter reality so drastically?... Then Sweetie came back to the thought... was this even real?
Finally they made it to the top of the roller coaster. From there, Sweetie could see the entire track. It wasn't made of one single track however. It looked like down the line, there were other tracks that stemmed throughout the world like a wildly growing vine. Random items, such as china, paintings, chairs, beds, you name it, floated in the air along the track. There were many twists and turns that Sweetie could notice,.. but Sweetie did see an exit: a gate at the end of the ride she couldn't quite see past. The two of them were up on the top of the tracks for a good 10 seconds... before the cart started to dip down.
"Oh no..." Sweetie said to herself.
"Here we goooooooooo!" Pinkie said happily behind Sweetie's scream as they flew down the track.
Their rapid decline was too much for the filly to be able to think at all in those few seconds. She was caught between the normal adrenaline pump that came with riding in a roller coaster, and the instability that made her think the cart as going to fly off of the tracks at their first turn. Thankfully, once the cart leveled out and came to the turn, it smoothed in, somehow managing to remain on the tracks. The track turned into a portion of the ride that had other tracks stretching alongside it.
HeheHAHAHAHA!
There was another foal ghost to her left, accompanied by two butlers. Sweetie tried to stable herself as much as she could to aim at the new hostiles. As usual, the foal ghost tried to spit at the filly, which she sucked up with the GCD. As the foal was preparing its second spit, Sweetie took the time to shoot one of the butlers... then she heard something to the right side of her.
Grrrrr.... BARK
Sweetie's attention was broken from the two other ghosts and brought to the track to the right of her. There was a red, glowing K9 running alongside her cart.
"Not you again." Sweetie said. The K9 barked again before leaping at the filly. Blindly, having no time to aim, she managed to hit the dog at the leg, sending it flying off to the side. Before Sweetie could turn back around to face her new butler and foal enemies, something slimy hit the back of her head, causing it to be thrown down onto the seat of the cart. Her head was thrown onto the seat of the ghost mare sitting right beside her. It wasn't as cold as Rainbow's ghost form, but it was cold enough for her teeth to chatter in the mare.
"Get your head out of my plot!" Pinkie giggled. "You've got ghosts to fight."
Sweetie panicked as she tried to release her head from the gelatin like substance that stuck her inside of the mare's body. Sweetie took a moment to breath, which helped her remember earlier that night. It wasn't the first time she'd been caught in the goo after all. She used her GCD to suck off the goo over her head...
18, 17, 16... the GCD said. Sweetie realized something... the numbers didn't count down when she sucked up the ectoplasm. Did that mean... that she was catching Pinkie? Was the Pinkie inside keeping the ghost mare's shield broken? Pinkie realized this at the same time the filly did.
"Oh no you don't." She smiled, flying off of the cart, breaking away from the grasp of the GCD. "I'll see you later Jumpie." And like that, she was gone.
Sweetie sucked the remaining ectoplasm off of her head, just in time for her to get back up and suck out another bit of the substance out of the air. The butler ghost was just a few feet from her face once she did. She switched back to her throwback and blasted it out of the air just as it was about to phase through her. The foal ghost spat again, and Sweetie sucked again. Sweetie caught another bit of spit before something clicked in her head: The last time she spent so much time trying to catch the ecto-spit from the ghosts, it had given up entirely on trying to hit the filly with it... why was it so persistent now?
Behind you. Something said in Sweetie's head. It wasn't Pinkie, rather it was an instinct she felt. It was then she heard a second clatter of wheels along a track... they weren't her own however. Off of an impulse, she shot the foal ghost out of the air with the GCD. She whirled back to her left, to find that not only had the right track branched off further from hers, but there was a giant emerald green fireball headed for her cart. 
"No way!" Sweetie yelled, ducking in the cart. The fireball hit the cart with so much heat and force, Sweetie felt it on one wheel, tipping to the side, ready to fall off of the tracks. Sweetie managed to use her own weight, stretching her body across the cart, to push both wheels back onto the track. She popped up over the cart door to see her suspicions confirmed. Her friends were riding in a second cart to her right. Spike stood, aiming his mouth at the filly's own cart. Sweetie had to do something. If she took another hit like that, she was almost sure she'd tumble off the track. Sweetie thought of trying to hit her friend's own carts, but knew that if she did, they might get tipped off themselves. It was a simpler solution... but the filly couldn't even bear the thought of possibly killing her friends. Sweetie had to think. There had to be another way to stop her friends from causing her to fall into the pink abyss below her... then she got an idea. The foal ghost had stuck her head to the seat by simply hitting her at the top of her head, around her mane line. If she could hit Spike in the forehead before he blew another fireball at her, she might stick him to their own cart.
Sweetie aimed carefully. The cart was a pretty fair distance away... too far for Sweetie to aim efficiently. She fired one shot of the GCD. She missed, causing Applebloom and Scootaloo to laugh at her failure. Sweetie crossed her eyes, now even more determined to hit Spike. She fired a second shot... she honestly expected it to miss, but she managed to hit Spike dead on in the forehead. A lucky shot to say the least. At first, she was afraid she might have knocked him off the cart, but when she saw that there wasn't a small purple dragon falling anywhere, and that the two fillies had ceased laughing, and were now looking down at the cart, she knew she'd succeeded.
The roller coaster cart turned again, away from her friend's track... something told the filly that she was going to see them again very soon. After all, they'd pursued her up to this point. Sweetie looked forward and saw the gate was there. She'd made it. She aimed at the center of the gate, shooting it to make it swing open. She headed through, into the darkness. The gate closed behind the filly, putting her back in the dark. The roller coaster cart slowed to a stop, as Sweetie's flashlight, which at some point she'd dropped to the cart floor, flickered back on. Sweetie's shackles were released and the door of the cart opened.
"Glad that's finally over. No more amusement park rides for me." Sweetie said to herself as she picked up her flashlight and walked out of the cart she'd hope she'd never have to set foot in again. She found her hooves on a new surface... it was made of wood. Ok... now what? Where do I go from here?
She didn't take but a few steps forward before something hit her in the back of the head. Sweetie fell, knocked out in the darkness.

***

Sweetie woke up, once again in darkness. Her body ached, and she could swear her ears were playing tricks on her, for what she heard was the sound of hundreds of ponies around her... kind of like a crowd.
"Mmmmm...." Sweetie moaned painfully, getting back up on all four hooves. As her nerves woke up with her, she noticed something about her. Around her neck, and apart of where her mane was supposed to be, she felt something fluffy around it, kind of like cotton... no, not cotton... hair. When Sweetie tried to pull it off, it was stuck there. It was as though some pony had super-glued it all around her neck... Sweetie also noticed something else strange. Her muzzle had something round stuck to it, with smaller hairs sticking out of it.
"What the hay...?"
"Ladies and Gentlecolts! Welcome! To the greatest show in Equestria!" Pinkie said.
It was then a light came on below Sweetie... and that she realized what kind of situation she was in. Far below her, she could see Pinkie, in the spotlight. She was wearing some kind of circus announcer outfit from what Sweetie could tell. Either Sweetie was really high up, or Pinkie was in some kind of pit.
"Today, for your viewing pleasure! A live lion! Will walk across a tightrope, or fall to her death."
L-lion? Where? Sweetie thought. The last thing she wanted to have to deal with such a large ghost cat. Suddenly, a spotlight from below shined on the filly, allowing her to see herself. She was in some kind of lion outfit, in a circus performer's tights. "W-what the hay?!" Sweetie yelled.
Sweetie heard the crowd in the darkness cheer. The blinding spotlight that shined on her kept her vision limited, only being able to see what was immediately around her. She was atop some kind of wooden platform, connected to a large pole. Attached to the platform was a tightrope, which Sweetie assumed led to another platform across from her.
"Give our Jumpie lion a round of applause and a good cheer every pony! It just might be the last she'll ever get!" Pinkie said.
Some of the crowd of ponies cheered and clapped, their hooves together, but most of them simply laughed at the filly's situation. Sweetie checked her back... her GCD, her saddlebags and even Applejack's hat were gone.
"W-what did you do with my stuff?!" Sweetie yelled at Pinkie.
"Now folks, I know what you’re thinking. How could a fat scardy cat like that possibly want to cross a tightrope?"
Did she just call me fat? Sweetie thought.
"Well, let's just say we've given our little kitty a little... incentive to get across." Pinkie said.
My stuff... Sweetie figured.
"And if she doesn't get across in time... let's just say there'll be consequences. Doesn't that sound fun ya'll?" Pinkie asked. The crowd roared in response, ready for the show.
She doesn't honestly expect me to tightrope! I can't do that!... Can I? Sweetie thought. She didn't have the best balance of any filly she knew... possibly some of the worst. Then again, she did have her friends' talents. If somehow, she could use one of them, could she possibly balance her way across the rope?
She thought... Applejack's talent involved bucking apples... Fluttershy's talent involved care for animals... Rainbow's talent involved weather and speed... and Twilight's talent was magic. If only Sweetie had Pinkie's talent, as the mare had perfect balance, and also had a habit of breaking the laws of gravity... but then again, if she had Pinkie's talent, she wouldn't be in the situation in the first place. The she remembered... gravity. She remembered Twilight knew many spells, one of which was a gravity reducing spell, which caused the one it was casted upon, to disobey the laws of Equestrian gravity for a short amount of time. When Sweetie first saw it in one of her books, she had no idea what it meant... but now, thinking back on it, she did remember a few spell casting marks, symbols that represented magical spells, that now made sense to her. They were weak in her mind, and barely there... but they were present. Maybe she could lighten herself just enough for her to be able to get across with those few symbols... It was Sweetie's only chance at getting across...
Sweetie took a breath and closed her eyes, visualizing the markings. Her horn glowed faintly... though she felt a bit more in control of her magic with Twilight's mark, her magic was still limited. She didn't have nearly as much magic as the mare, and barely had enough to cast the spell. Weakly, she managed to cast the spell on herself, causing her body to glow for a moment. Once it was done, she cut off her small flow of magic with a hefty sigh... did it work? Sweetie didn't have any more time to waste. She had to get across the tightrope as quickly as possible. Who knew what Pinkie had planned if she started to bore the mare.
Just don't look down Sweetie... don't look down...
Sweetie started to walk across the rope, leaving the spotlight. It was hard to see due to the sudden change in light, but she could still see the rope ahead of her. As she did, she started to hear piano music from below... she assumed it was Spike, given he had already displayed his knack for the instrument. Still though, she never thought he could play so quickly... 
As she walked, she noticed that her balance had increased, thanks to the lack of gravity trying to pull her down. Still however, she couldn't risk misplacing one hoof on the thin tightrope.
Why a circus anyway? What the hay happened to the carnival? Sweetie wondered, doing her best to keep from looking anywhere but her own tightrope.
Maybe it was because she wanted the author wanted to mix up the story a little bit. Pinkie suggested. It was the real Pinkie.
Pinkie?! Is that-
Shhh! She can still hear us. Just keep going. You need to wind up the music box!
The what? What are you-
Can't talk. She might really mess me up if she finds I escaped again. Pinkie said. Just get to the other side, and watch out.
Watch out for what?
Pinkie didn't respond. She was gone again. What did she mean by winding up the music box? the last music box she'd used was back in Specter's room... it did something to help her there... could it do something here too?
The crowd was starting to get restless. "C'mon Jumpie! The crowd is getting really bored by watching you walk so sloooowly." Pinkie said. "Applebloom, would you kindly move things along?" 
"Don't mahnd if ah do." Applebloom said. Sweetie's curiosity caused her to look off of the tightrope and down into the circus arena below. She saw several things. She saw Spike, playing ridiculously on the piano. She saw Pinkie, flying off into the crowd of pones... Sweetie noticed that some of these ponies looked familiar... it wasn't a few moments before she realized that they looked like ponies from Ponyville! She spotted ponies like Derpy, Cherielee, Doctor, The Cakes, Lyra and Bon-Bon... along with other ponies that looked familiar. Had they somehow been turned into ghosts too? It didn't make sense though... how did they get changed so fast? And more importantly, what the hay were they doing in a circus?
Sweetie also noticed something in the center of the arena... it was square and pink. Could that be the music box Pinkie was referring to? Finally... there was Applebloom, wearing a similar circus get up... though it also reminded her of her CMC costume they'd worn at the talent show. She stood on top of a cylindrical type cup, juggling what Sweetie counted to be about 4 knives.
"Hey Sweetie! Think fast!" Applebloom laughed, tossing one of her knives out of the air and at the filly. Sweetie ducked, careful to maintain her balance as the knife whizzed by her head. 
"Give me a break already!" Sweetie yelled.
If it wasn't enough she was basically doing a circus act, she was now being used as target practice! The filly kicked it into high gear as Spike's piano music became more and more intense. Sweetie had a second close call when the knife's edge grazed the back of her neck. She could feel droplets of blood touch the back of her mane and apart of the lion hairs. Sweetie was close to the other platform... she couldn't give up now.
She saw another knife coming for. This one was impossible for her to dodge, as it zoomed for her stomach. Sweetie fell off to the side in order to evade the knife. Before she could fall, she managed to wrap her left foreleg around the tightrope to keep herself from falling.
"AH!" she yelled. She looked down at Applebloom, who laughed at the filly. Sweetie didn't have that much time before Applebloom would eventually try again to hit her. Because the filly couldn't get a good grip with her hooves on the tightrope, she moved forward by swinging her foreleg over the tightrope, hooking her legs on to the rope with each swing. Slowly but surely, she inched her way toward the platform. Once she was there, she put all of her strength into climbing onto the platform. She panted tiredly... but she'd made it.
"Phew... glad that's-" Sweetie said to herself before another blade flew by her head, grazing her ear and piercing the wooden plank the platform was connected to. "I'm already at the other side! Quit it!" Sweetie said, now more annoyed rather than scared. She turned around to see that the knife had struck just under where Pinkie had hung her saddlebags, GCD, and Applejack's hat by a looped rope. Sweetie yanked the knife out of the wood and cut the rope that held her equipment. She then proceeded to put on her saddlebags, followed by her GCD and hat.
Guess I should keep the knife. Sweetie thought, holding it her hoof. Could be useful.
Before Sweetie could put the knife in her saddlebags, the worst possible thing happened. The platform gave under her feet. It tumbled over the tightrope and fell to the arena floor... and for a moment, with Sweetie as well.
Not good! Not good! Sweetie thought panicked as she hung on for dear life to the tightrope. 
"Time's up Sweetie! Oh, you got it? Great, but you look silly hanging there like that. Why don't you drop down for us, kay? I'll be right back..."
She had to think fast. She was a sitting dictionary if she hung there any longer. There was no doubt in Sweetie's mind that she'd try again to hit her with her remaining knife. Sweetie thought... then she got an idea. She was hanging on her escape. She could use the rope to get down. Sweetie estimated that the rope's length was just a foot or two short of the height of the wooden pole. And the knife, which miraculously stayed firmly in the filly's hoof... if she cut the rope from where she was now, she could swing down. It was her only chance.
Sweetie used her free hoof to begin sawing at the segment of rope that was behind her. Once she cut through, she immediately felt herself falling. She screamed fearfully as she swung for the ground. She underestimated the length of the rope... it wasn't long enough for her to simply fall to the ground, but it wasn't short enough for her to climb. Sweetie realized this when she felt the heat of her hooves scraping along the ground. It caused her to let go of the rope, and tumble onto the dusty circus arena ground. She rolled about 5 times before she finally came to a stop. It wasn't the most graceful decent, but she'd made it down from the platform alive.
She got up, showing every ghost pony watching her that she was still alive. Suddenly, they all started booing for reasons Sweetie couldn't understand.
"H-huh? What did I do?" Sweetie asked. The crowd only booed louder. Something about the mass ridicule, despite the fact they were all ghosts, was incredibly embarrassing and horrifying to the filly. She blushed, as her mind raced of what she could have done wrong.
Don't let them get to you! Pinkie said in the filly's head. They're just trying to distract you!
Sweetie shook her head and nodded. She couldn't get embarrassed by them, no matter how many ghosts there were.
She's right. Sweetie thought back. For all I know, they're just mad because I'm still alive... wow, that's a little depressing now that I think about it.
Sweetie looked over at the center of the arena at the pink box. That was her new objective: to use the music box. Whatever would happen once she played it had to be good if Pinkie were telling her about it now... The filly could only hope.
Sweetie broke into a run for the music box, narrowly dodging another knife as it was thrown at her by Applebloom.
Almost there! Sweetie thought as she approached the box. Suddenly, just as Sweetie was about to get close to the box, a cage fell from out of the sky, blocking Sweetie from the box. What the-?!
"Ah ah ah!" Pinkie said over a megaphone from somewhere in the crowd. "It's not time for that game you silly filly."
No! I need that music box! Sweetie thought. The filly gritted her teeth in frustration.
"Uh oh. Our little lion is starting to get angry. Oh lion tamer!" Pinkie called.
Lion tamer? What?
Sweetie turned around, to see Scootaloo, in a similar circus/talent show getup to Applebloom... though rather than a knife, she wielded a flaming whip. The orange filly lashed out at Sweetie with the whip, which she managed to narrowly dodge to the side.
Ok, I get the tamer thing, but why does the whip need to be on fire! Sweetie thought.
Scootaloo laughed at the filly as she lashed out again at her. Sweetie dodged to the right a second time. Now Scootaloo was blocking her way to the cage. Applebloom circled around to join Scootaloo as they both approached the filly. Finally, Spike got up from the piano, and joined the two fillies as they began to back the filly up. Sweetie wasn't sure what to do. She didn't have anything to defend herself with, besides the knife she didn't want to have to use... and the GCD. She was sure the device was dry of water, but even if it was, she didn't want to freeze her friends. Who knew what the freezing temperatures would do to them.
It wasn't long before Sweetie found herself against the cylinder cup platform Applebloom was previously standing on. She put her flank up against it.
As Scootaloo and Applebloom laughed at Sweetie, Spike took a deep breath, ready to blow a breath of fire at the filly. Sweetie's eyes contracted, knowing she'd have to act fast in her cornered situation. An idea popped in her head: Could she use the cup as temporary cover? She didn't contemplate the idea for more than a moment before she slipped under the cup as intense heat surrounded it. Inside of the cup, Sweetie sweated from the hundreds of degrees that were surrounding it. Though it was hot, Sweetie wasn't burning. She was safe for a few seconds... now to come up with a plan, whatever it maybe.
But what? She was surrounded outside, not even counting the crowd of ghosts in the audience. And she still had no idea how she was going to get to the music box... but there was one hope she had: The Ghost book. Every time she'd been in a jam so far, the ghost book had told her something useful in one way or another... could it tell her how to save herself without hurting one of her friends?
Sweetie went into her saddlebags. Thankfully, her flashlight was stuck inside... she'd thought she'd lost it back at the haunted house. She took it out along with her ghost book. After putting it into her muzzle and shining it onto the book, she opened it to the newest page.

Music
Info: Not much on that subject kid. All that's known is that ghosts sometimes have a connection with music. They've been known to be used as a hypnosis type thing to pry into the hearer's mind and cause them to see things, such as memories... but sometimes, they can serve as an escape route, or even as a weapon against certain ghosts. They also appear at points a subject is possessed, or being hypnotized... think of your fighting to said music box served as you fighting to resist a ghost's control. Ghosts don't have control over it, and neither do the living. Again, it's a phenomenon no one really understands. Though since its ghost related, it's worth mentioning here. If you find a music box, or something musical, it'll probably be worth it to check it out.

That's probably why Pinkie wants me to activate it. Sweetie figured. In her nervousness, the filly had skipped a page. She flipped back one page to see what she'd missed.

Elemental Capture B
Info: The second half to your Elemental Capture whachamacallit. Now remember when I told you about the first Elemental Capture? It could suck up water, along with other frozen substances, provided it could fit into the GCD. This one however, it can suck up fire and fire it back at them. Not too many fire ghosts, so I'm not sure how you’re going to use it... but here you go. Have fun being a pyromaniac.

Fire Capturing huh? Sweetie thought. Before she could think anymore, she felt a large impact of heat against her cup shield. The cup flew off of her, putting her back into the light of the arena. Sweetie stuffed her ghost book back into her saddlebags as this happened. She got up to face her friends.
"Game over Sweetie." Spike said, taking another deep breath for another fireball.
Sweetie looked at her GCD nozzle to see the flame icon next to the snowflake icon. She switched to it, making sure it was set to "suck".
Elemental Capture B activated. the GCD said.
Spike blew his flame at Sweetie as she hit the nozzle button, aiming at the flame. The fire that approached her funneled into her GCD nozzle, as it was sucked into her Spectral Containment pack. The pack heated up, making Sweetie's back sweat. It took a few minutes before all of the air and fire in Spike's lungs were exerted.
Elemental Capture B containment capacity at 100 percent. The GCD said.
Sweetie was right back where she started. She knew Spike would try again to roast the filly, but she couldn't  suck up anymore flames. She knew dragons were likely fireproof, but that still left her friends. Even if she could somehow drive Spike back, her friends, more likely than not, would try to attack her; especially Scootaloo with her new fire-whip. She couldn't even touch them with fire without the risk of burning them... but there had to be something she could do. She couldn't hurt them...
But can I scare them? Sweetie wondered. Maybe she could bluff her way out of the situation... who knew, maybe the ghost possessing Spike didn't know that dragons were fireproof...
Sweetie switched to her GCD to expel the flames she'd acquired.
"Get BACK!" Sweetie yelled at her friends.
The three of them laughed.
"Whacha' gonna do? Shoot us?" Applebloom asked.
"You don't have it in you!" Scootaloo taunted. "You’re just a spineless-"
Sweetie tapped the GCD button, causing a large hot flame to burst from the nozzle. It was enough to drive the three of them back, and silent.
"Try me!" Sweetie bluffed. She took a step forward, periodically tapping her GCD to keep them in check. For some reason though, Sweetie saw the fear in their eyes... they weren't afraid of getting burnt, or lit on fire... but the fire itself. Was this another fear from the Phobiapathy? Or something else...
Sweetie was relieved that she was, for the moment, on the offensive... but she still needed to figure out how to release that cage and get to the box. As she continued to drive her scared friends back, she looked for some way to raise the cage. There was a rope attached to the top of the cage. Her green eyes followed the rope to the top of the circus tent to see that it was a part of a pulley system that led to some heavy looking bags being suspended by another rope to keep it from falling. That rope led to a segment of the wall that surrounded the arena. It was a ways high up, but the filly figured she could just get on top of the wall. She looked glanced over to where Applebloom's platform had fallen. It was just high enough to give her a boost up the barrier. 
After one final burst of flames, Sweetie broke into a run for the audience. She jumped up onto the cylinder platform, and then onto the wall that separated the crowd from the circus tent arena. As she did, Spike shot another fireball at Sweetie, which she managed to dodge. As she began to run along the wall, she was careful not to fall to either side. If she fell to the left, she'd be at the mercy of the Ponyville ghosts who continued to boo and put her down. If she fell to the right, she'd be back where she started in the arena. Though she had to be careful, she also had to move fast to keep away from Spike's fireballs. With that in mind, she ran across the wall to the rope. Thankfully, the anti-gravity spell, although it was wearing off, was still there, aiding her balance.
She had a couple close shaves with Spike's green balls of fire. She even felt the tip of her tail get grazed with a little fire... but she managed to make it to the part of the wall with the rope. Looking up, it was a little more complicated than she'd thought. Tied to that rope were about three other ropes that supported the one they stemmed from. It looked as though even if she managed to cut the rope at the base, it would still weakly hold up the bag that would likely pull up the cage. The only way Sweetie could fix this, was by climbing up and cutting the ropes at their branches. She still had the crusaders and Spike to worry about though. She'd have to move fast, and still hope none of them managed to hit her.
C'mon little lightning cutie mark. Please work. Sweetie said to Rainbow's cutie mark. With that, she hopped up onto the rope, and began to shimmy up. She didn't move nearly as fast as one might expect the 'fastest pegasus in Equestria' might imagine, but she definitely climbed faster than she did in the theater. She finally made it up to the portion where the ropes stemmed. While holding onto the rope with both hooves so she didn't fall, the filly took her knife into her muzzle and began to cut through each of the three ropes. Once she cut the first one, she heard the heavy bag slip a little out of the air. She cut through the second one, and Sweetie could hear the tension in the rope pulling on the final rope.
Just one more... Sweetie thought as she extended her neck to reach for the final rope... though she wasn't fast enough to sever it. Sweetie slid down slightly, just in time to dodge a fireball from Spike.
"Checkmate." she heard him say from the bottom.
What is he talking about? Sweetie thought... then she looked up at the ropes. Now, the rope she was aiming to cut was burning... along with the one that she was climbing on. Oh Celestia no! Sweetie looked down, realizing how high up she really was. If she fell from that height, she probably wouldn't surv-
Both ropes snapped simultaneously, and Sweetie started to fall. She screamed, knowing that once she hit the ground, she'd be done for.
Sweetie! Pinkie said. I know this sounds crazy, but you need to hit the wall! You need to break your fall!
Sweetie followed Pinkies advice. As she fell, she did her best to direct herself to the edge of the wall. In the end, her lower body hit the edge of the wall, causing her to front flip back into the arena. She hit the ground... hard. She didn't want to get up, but knew she couldn't afford to lie there for very long.
Sweetie got up... or rather she tried to. After rolling over onto her stomach, and attempting to get up on all four hooves, she felt an intense pain in her right hind leg. She looked back on it, seeing something bulging through her coat un-naturally. It was then Sweetie realized... she'd broken her leg.
Tears rolled down her face as the pain was unbearable. The crowd booed at her even louder, while some had simply started to laugh at the filly's new found pain. Then, when things seemed like they couldn't get worse.
"Alright, I'm back..." Pinkie said over the loud speaker. "Oh what Jumpie! Look what you've gone and done! Rarity was right, you’re just a big mess up. I told you it wasn't time!"
Sweetie looked through the blur of tears at the cage. It wasn't completely raised, but it was up enough for her to slip through.
Sweetie! Are you ok? Answer me! Pinkie said. The worry in her voice was more evident than she'd ever experienced that night, or even for the entire time she'd even known the mare. I know it hurts Sweetie, but please. You need to get to that box! I promise you it's almost over. The chapters going to end soon, just get over there!
"What? I thought I got rid of you! Ugh! No one’s doing their job!" Pinkie said angrily. 
Sweetie limped as fast as she could over to the cage. She didn't have to look to know that her friends were close behind her, laughing as they followed. Sweetie didn't care. All she could see was the cage... and all she could feel was the determination to make it there.
"Rarity said you were always a stupid filly. She always told me how much you loved to mess up her dresses, destroy her sketches, and be an all-around trouble maker!" Pinkie said angrily. "I knew you wouldn't play fair! I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!"
The ghost mare's words stung. They made her seem like a little devil that Rarity would have just rathered give her up, rather than keep her to live with her when her parents moved away. The crowd, as they booed and agreed with Pinkie didn't help in the slightest. Her mind was slowly slipping into believing Pinkie...
Just a little further Sweetie! You're soooo close! You've got this! Pinkie cheered.
It was only Pinkie's somehow happy mood that kept the filly from strait up giving in. She wasn't going to let her friend down... and she wasn't going to believe Pinkie's lies.
Pinkie laughed. "You think I'm lying don't you? You think 'She couldn't say that! She's my big sis and' blah blah blah. Fine. Don't believe your Aunty Pinkie. Maybe you'll understand if you do somehow manage to escape. Maybe listen when you actually hear it from her own-"
"Shut up!" Sweetie yelled at Pinkie. She finally made it to the cage. As she slipped under it, the cage fell, trapping her inside. She looked behind her... her friends; they weren't following her. Rather than that, they were simply standing together, waving and grinning creepily at the filly. Sweetie shook her head. She had to activate the music box...
She turned back around and went for it... but there was something wrong. The key was missing.
That's not fair! Sweetie thought. She fell down, still in intense pain.
Uh Sweetie? Don't you have a key of your own? Pinkie asked.
What?... Oh yeah! Sweetie thought. She did have a key. The one she'd picked up from Specter's room. Sweetie went into her saddlebags and swam her hoof around until she finally found the tiny metal music box key. She stuck it where she supposed to go in the roundish hole, and turned it in the same direction as back in the one in Specter's room. At first, the box played nothing but nonsense... but once that was over, it started to play again. Sweetie was almost positive she'd heard Applebloom humming a similar tune after a solo visit with Pinkie Pie.
As the tune played, everything seemed to go dark around the filly. The sound of booing ponies had ceased suddenly creating a silence that was just as thick as the darkness. After standing in darkness for a couple seconds, Sweetie decided to venture forward. It was then she found that the cage had disappeared, allowing her to proceed. The filly wasn't sure where she was going, or what would happen once the music box, but something in her head told her, no matter how painful it was, it was her only chance at escape... She limped onward in darkness until the music stopped. For a moment, everything was silent... then the world shifted around her. She was suddenly surrounded by maneiquins dressed in the various Gala dresses of her friends. Along with that, were several shelves of fabric on each of the walls of the new room Sweetie was in. Sketches of dress designs littered the floor... but most importantly, standing in front of the filly was a white coated, purple maned glowing ghost mare.
"R-rarity?" Sweetie asked. "Rarity, is that you?"
"Get out." Rarity said.
"W-what?" Sweetie stuttered.
Sweetie! Pinkie said. Look behind you!
It took a little will power, but Sweetie managed to turn away from her blank faced sister. What she saw was Pinkie, lying tired on the floor of what Sweetie assumed to be Rarity's inspiration room. She moaned painfully.
Sweetie! She's weak! Now's your chance! Pinkie said.
Sweetie nodded, and switched her GCD to capture mode. She pointed the nozzle at Pinkie and hit the button.
15, 14, 13...
Pinkie looked up, her eyes were fearful now. "Ha... ha ha ah...." Pinkie started as the numbers started to count down. She suddenly flew up into the air, and started to fly away from the filly. She began dragging the filly around the room. The pressure that was being applied to her leg was incredibly intense... but she was determined not to let go of her... not when she was so close. Not when she had the mare on the ropes now.
She was dragged around the large room of the Boutique against her will. Her leg kept her from trying to yank at Pinkie again, but she doubted it would work anyway.
7, 6, 5 The GCD continued.
Pinkie was starting to cry... no, she was starting to scream... no, she was starting to laugh... Sweetie wasn't sure what the mare was doing as she was being captured. But if anything, it was creepy as hay. It was a mixture of the three emotions of fear, sadness, and laughter... all of which didn't belong together.
As Sweetie was dragged, she crashed into several pieces in the room. She crashed into a lamp, a few maneiquens, and some of the shelves. As she was capturing Pinkie, she was also destroying the inspiration room. It was somewhat ironic when the filly thought about it. She'd fixed up the room, and now she was destroying it just like...
Rarity stared at the filly... there was a certain look of disappointment in her eyes that really got to the filly. The hypnotic stare almost made her want to let go of the GCD. Either way, something seemed familiar about the look...
3, 2, 1, 0. Capturing ghost. the GCD said.
Uh oh... Sweetie thought, anticipating what would happen next. A pink lightning bolt came from Sweetie's nozzle, pulling the mare into the GCD. While Sweetie screamed in pain of being electrocuted, Pinkie laughed as she was finally dragged into the GCD. 
"Ha ha ha ha...." Pinkie said, before she disappeared inside. "That was fun..." those were the last words she heard...
Rarity turned around and walked away from the weak filly.
"Wait... Rarity..." Sweetie said as she reached for her sister before collapsing. She was still somewhat conscious, but it was slipping fast. The world flashed around Sweetie... and suddenly, she was back in the mansion.
Before Sweetie completely lost consciousness, she noticed a couple things. First, that she was lying on some peculiar white surface. The second... was that there was a faint light on the filly. Not like a flashlight, but more natural... before Sweetie lost consciousness, one thought came into her mind. Something she wasn't sure if she should have been excited or horrified by...
The moon was rising...