“What a day!” Pinkie Pie shouted as she flipped the open sign to closed on the bakery door. “I hope Mrs. Cake is having a great time, she deserves a vacation!”
Despite Mr. Cake’s untimely death two weeks before, the bakery was running smoother than ever. Two days ago, Cup Cake received a letter from her sister in Fillydelphia, inviting her to spend a week away from the business. With her children in tow, the older mare left Pinkie in charge of any bakery related decisions.
“I know you’ll do a great job, Pinkie.” Mrs. Cake said as she boarded the train. “Mr. Cake and I have taught you well.”
Jumping onto the couch, the exhausted young baker kicked her hooves up.
“I had no idea doing everything in a bakery was so difficult,” Pinkie said with a yawn. “I think I’ll take a break tonight, Spider-Mare needs a rest.”
Resting her curly mane against a pillow, Pinkie peacefully shut her eyes. She quickly fell into a peaceful slumber, a reward for a job well done from a hard work day. Unfortunately, her moment alone was short lived.
“WHAT WAS THAT?!” Awakened by her Pinkie Sense, the startled mare sat up immediately. Climbing off the couch, she carefully walked though the bakery, making sure everything was in order.
Oh! The backdoor flew open, that’s all!” Moving toward the unlocked threshold, the young pony discovered something else besides the door alerted her Pinkie Sense.
“The lock broke…it looks like somepony kicked it in! Who would do such a-“
Turning around, she found the pony that would do such a thing. Standing before her, an intimidating pony, dressed in a green riot suit and helmet stood before her. Staring into his large, yellow eyes, Pinkie began to cower in fear.
“What…what do you want?”
The frightening pony slowly moved toward Pinkie, dropping to her level.
“I’m looking for Spider-Mare, have you seen her?”
The mare shook her head, but the response wasn’t good enough. The scary stallion picked Pinke by the mane and brought her to his eye level.
“Don’t lie to me, little one. I have seen her come in and out of this building every night for the past week. I’m going to ask nice one more time before things get…dirty.”
“Ok, I’ll talk!” Pinkie squealed. “Just don’t hurt me!”
The frightened mare led the stranger to the basement door. “She stays down here when she isn’t out and about, please don’t hurt her…”
“We’ll see…” As the bad pony slowly descended the stairs, he asked the pink pony standing above him to turn on the lights. Instead, she slammed the door and locked it.
“Oh you silly, silly mare,” he said with a chuckle. Retracing his steps, he forced the locked door open. “If Spider-Mare isn’t here in two minutes, this whole place is going up like a tinder box!”
A minute later, he heard hoof steps from the other side of the room. The intruder turned and smiled, as he saw his prize enter the room.
“I hear…you wanted to see me?”
The mysterious stallion cracked his hooves as he remained still.
“Well then…aren’t you going to come get me?” Spider-Mare taunted. “I’m right here.”
He didn’t need to be told twice. Running full speed at the masked mare, the stranger was ready to attack.
“I’m going to get you, Spider-Mare!”
The arachnid pony was too quick for this slow stallion. Using her webs, Spider-Mare was able to tangle her foe’s hooves, causing him to trip.
“Geez, where are all the good bad guys?” Spider-Mare asked. “You’re just as bad as the guy I fought last week.”
In one swift motion, the hog tied stranger broke free from his constraints, and delivered a blow to his surprised foe. After a moment,
Spider-Mare was ready to fight to this creep.
“I see you still have some fight in you,” she teased. “Bring it, buddy!”
Exposing some hoof mounted blades, the bad pony started to slash and hack at Spider-Mare. While the mare was avoiding every attempt, she knew it was a matter of time before he got lucky.
“Hey, watch out! You’ll put someponies eye out with that thing!” She cried.
“That’s my plan!” The intruder continued to use his blades as Spider-Mare was forced to back into the kitchen. The masked hero began looking for something, anything that could be of use to her.
There must be something I can use in here!
Her spider sense tingled as she watched the sharp objects swing towards her face. As quick as a flash, she opened a nearby cabinet. The knives penetrated the thick wood and became lodged inside. As the intruder began to struggle with his weapon, Spider-Mare moved a safe distance.
“I think I finally get your point.” She said with a chuckle “Who are you anyway?”
Managing to pry his toys free, he retracted them. “You may call me the Green Galloper.”
“Green Galloper huh?” Spider-Mare muttered. “I don’t like that name…how about…The Green Grump? The Grumpy Green Man? Forrest Grump?
“No, I am the Green Galloper.” The stallion said. “And I have a message for the pink mare that was here earlier.”
“Pinkie Pie? Why couldn’t you tell her yourself?” Spider-Mare asked. “She was here earlier, you couldn’t have told her then?”
“No.” The Galloper explained he wanted Pinkie to meet with him tomorrow, or else.
“Or else? You need to be a bit more specific.”
The evil stallion chuckled. “Or else I will find that pretty boyfriend of hers and make him a little less pretty. Is that specific enough for you?”
Spider-Mare nodded, so the Green Galloper left the bakery just as quickly as he arrived. Removing her mask, Pinkie sat on the counter, shaking as the thought of Gray Shade getting hurt entered her psyche.
She felt a hoof on her shoulder. Turning around, the jumpy mare shoved her web shooters in face of the pony behind her.
“Gray Shade!” she sighed, lowering her hooves. “You scared me to death!”
The stallion apologized, “I thought I’d check on you while Mrs. Cake was gone…and it’s a good thing I did. What happened?”
Pinkie Pie rehashed everything that happened a few minutes prior to her boyfriend’s arrival. She went into great detail about the scary stallion, his fancy gadgets and his desire to see the young baker instead not the super powered pony.
“I think I’m going to stay here until Mrs. Cake gets back.” Escorting his girlfriend upstairs, Gray Shade helped her into bed. He kissed her forehead and began to leave, when Pinkie asked him to stay in her room.
“I’d feel a lot safer,” she said with a sweet tone, batting her eyelashes for added effect.