//------------------------------// // Devils Night // Story: The Last Something Sweet to Bite // by Knackerman //------------------------------// This was going to be harder than she thought. "We've been walking for hours and my feet are killing me!" complained Rarity. It was already long past sunset and they'd been walking since school had let out. It seemed as though the pair had been around the town square twice over, stopping in at each shop. While Pinkie talked to the owners and, really, anyone who would listen, Rarity had busied herself with her shopping. Weighted down as she was by the bulk of Rarity's many purchases, it was a wonder that Pinkie Pie was still bouncing cheerfully along beside her. As Rarity sat upon a bench in a pool of light from a street lamp to fan herself, Pinkie took the opportunity to accost a nearby police officer. "Excuse me, sir! But have you seen any suspicious characters wandering around town? Anyone who might not belong?" asked the bright and cheerful pink haired girl with a contagious grin. The police officer eyed the many bags of goods that the young girl was carrying. "I may have seen one or two. Aren't you girls out a little late to be on your own?" "Oh but we're not on our own officer! We're with each other!" replied Pinkie cheerfully. "So who have you seen that doesn't belong? A chaotic criminal? A horrible shape shifting creature? A tall dark and handsome tyrant? A giant ancient monster bent on seizing power from the innocent populace!?" "No ma'am, just you two," answered the policeman warily. "Why don't you ladies head home, huh? It might not look it, but these streets ain't the safest at night. Aside from that, we've been getting word of a couple of girls loitering around town. You two wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?" "Us? Why of course, not officer." responded Rarity rising from her seat, clearly affronted. "We've seen nothing of the sort." "I'll bet," was the cops cynical reply. "Never the less, you two move along before I have to call yer parents." "Okie dokie loki! I think we're done here anyways, right Rare?" asked Pinkie Pie. Rarity took a moment to reply, eyeing the officer. She had half a mind to tell him exactly what she thought about him calling the parents of two young ladies such as their selves. She would've too, if her ankles weren't already aching so bad that it was troublesome to stand in one place like this for too long. "I believe so Pinkie, especially if some people are going to be rude enough to accuse us of loitering. Come along dear." As the pair rounded the corner they began to head in the direction of the more urban part of town. Fortunately neither of them were far from home. In fact they lived in the same neighborhood, and had been neighbors for years. Already they could see the tell tale Halloween decorations, glowing merrily from peoples front porches, that let them know they were only a few streets away from home. This close to the big night, there were even a few jack-o-lanterns out. While a few of the shops on the main drag had been decorated as well, there was something especially heart warming about seeing the fake ghosts and spiderwebs festooned on the otherwise quaint little bungalows. At least, Rarity thought so. Of course the big part of the holiday for her had always been designing fashionable Halloween costumes. The extra work of helping with alterations to attire for the Fall Formal had cut into her time somewhat, but since most of the students would be attending the ball, instead of going to costume parties, the work load had largely evened out. It was a pity though, Halloween was the one time of year that she got to cut loose and try some really dramatic and ambitious designs she wouldn't dream of attempting the rest of the year. Well, there was always next year, she thought. Pinkie's mind, on the other hand, was otherwise occupied with the thought of all the candy she was going to collect after the Fall Formal. While she hated the idea of missing out on the after party, she had been trick or treating since before she could remember, and she wasn't about to stop just because she was a teenager. She even had the perfect costume picked out, a cuddly fluffy puppy! It was going to be just the perfect outfit to wear with her sisters, who were going as a kitten and a mouse. Last year Pinkie had gone as a chicken, and her other sisters had gone as a bear, a bunny, and a fox. There were only going to be three of them this year though, as Maud had gone off to prep-school and was probably going to be too busy to stop by. Thinking of Maud made Pinkie tear up a little. She was so proud of her big sister and hoped to follow in her foot steps, even if she was planning to go to clown collage instead of majoring in geology. Distracted as the pair were, lost in their own thoughts, it's a wonder that either noticed the girl in pig tails dart out of the alleyway in front of them. As it was, it wasn't until Pinkie almost crashed into her that the pair had a chance to react. "Excuse you!" called Rarity, "Do watch where you are going please!" Aria looked back at the two and was in the middle of making a rude gesture when their eyes locked. "Oh sh..." not even pausing to finish her expletive, she quickly ran in the direction the pair of friends had just come from. Rarity and Pinkie Pie turned to one another. Rarity frowned but Pinkie Pie just shook her head and set down her many purchases on the side of the road. The silent exchange was simple; If time allowed they would come back for the packages, but as it was they would just slow them down. With a swiftness that shocked Rarity, Pinkie Pie tore after Aria at full speed, both her and her quarry quickly lost in the distance. "Oh do wait up! Urgh, these stupid heels!" Rarity kicked off her shoes. If they weren't still here when she got back, after having to run on this filthy sidewalk, there was going to be hell to pay! She followed Pinkie as she darted behind a nearby restaurant. The alley looked none too inviting; ill lit by a single buzzing fluorescent bulb and, quite frankly, filthy. Rarity followed anyway, unwilling to be left behind. She could feel dirty water soaking her clean white stockings already, and had to suppress a low groan as she passed the stinking pile of garbage that sat in the overflowing dumpster behind the restaurant. Seeing a few roaches skitter into the dark as her feet pounded by, she avowed never to allow herself, her friends, or her family to ever eat at the establishment again! She quickly removed her ruined stockings and pressed on. Sadly Pinkie was already moving rapidly out of sight, little more than a pink blur darting into the woods of a nearby park. Rarity knew better than to go into the park after dark. Even though the pathways were mostly well lit, there were still a few thugs that tended to lurk there after hours. The local police would run them out every now and then, but largely seemed to tolerate their presence. She did know it was mostly her fellow students from school that thought it was 'cool' to defy authority, but even so, she wasn't the type of girl to be caught dead with those types of ruffians. Pinkie didn't seem to care, already bouncing between pools of intermittent lamp light. Rarity couldn't see Aria any longer. She decided she just had to trust that Pinkie Pie knew where she was going. Or at least, that had been her plan. The deeper they went into the park the more irregularly lit it seemed to be. A few of the lamps seemed to have been intentionally smashed out, probably by delinquent students who valued the privacy of their illicit activities more than their civic responsibility. Panting, perspiring, on the point of collapse and very much aware of how filthy her now bare feet were, Rarity stopped in the middle of a circle of lonely light in the middle of the park. The illumination from the town seemed distant here, obscured by numerous trees. She could still hear the sound of cars passing on a nearby road way, but their headlights were likewise obscured. She didn't even know there was a part of the park that was this distant from any signs of real civilization. It dawned on Rarity that she was uncertain of which direction to go in order to get back to the main road. She was suddenly aware of just how tired, and very much alone, she was. Perhaps standing in the glare of the only nearby light is not the best idea when one is in such a vulnerable state? she thought to herself. Too late. As that thought skimmed across her consciousness, a hand fell upon her shoulder. "AHHHH!" she howled loud and long, screaming bloody murder at the top of her lungs. The hand quickly clasped over her mouth, so that the only sound was the fading echoes of her screams and the soft sounds of distant cars and the rustle of fall foliage. Rarity lashed out, hearing a satisfied 'whoomp' of air rushing from her assailant as she buried her elbow into his stomach. She didn't have anything to defend herself with but her purse, but laden as it was with the many beauty products she insisted on having to hand at all times, it would serve well as a makeshift weapon against this fiend from the dark. No ruffians were going to lay a finger on her and get away with it! Pinkie Pie was doubled over, gasping for breath. She smiled weakly, though there were tears at the corners of her eyes. "S-sorry Rarity," she managed to gasp, "it's only me. I didn't mean *gasp* to scare you..." "Oh Pinkie I'm so sorry," cried Rarity bending down to help her friend stay on her feet. "You simply cannot approach someone when they're all alone like that. You have to at least say something first!" "I would've Rarity," replied Pinkie weakly, "but I didn't think it was a good idea to make too much noise this close to the Dazzlings hideout." "The Dazzlings hideout!" shouted Rarity before she could stop herself. She continued in a whisper, "The Dazzlings hideout? Are you sure? We've had people keeping an eye out for them for months." "They picked a pretty good spot. If you'll follow me I'll show you," replied the party girl, finally getting her breath back. Rarity nodded as her friend, taking her hand, led her off the sidewalk and into the darkness. She was oddly thankful of Pinkie's warm hand in her own. She hadn't realized just how shaken she had been from this sudden headlong pursuit and where it had lead. As they left the relative safety of the lamp light, and her eyes began to adjust to the gloom, Rarity realized she knew where they were from the sounds of a creek nearby. As a matter of fact they were walking over a dry part of the creek bed even now. This late into the season they didn't even have to worry about getting into any mud, though if it were spring instead of fall, they would already have been up to their knees in water. Without having to be told, she knew exactly where they were going. Towards the end of summer time, the creek would often dry up entirely, and at those times there were many teenagers who enjoyed hanging out under a certain train bridge in the middle of the park. The rails were disused, a relic from when the train was for transportation of people rather than the movement of goods and raw materials, so it made for a perfect place for graffiti artist to practice their craft before tagging something more public. It was also a popular spot for young lovers to enjoy each others company in private. It was well known that there was an old storage shed with a broken door where the railroad crews had once stored their tools and emergency equipment a few decades ago. If the building had been anything more than a service structure it would have long since been condemned but, as it was, any teenagers caught there drinking beer, smoking, or engaging in more illicit activity were simply run off. On occasion the authorities would go a step further, employing thick chains and pad-locks, though those were easily thwarted with a pair of bolt cutters. Not that Rarity would know anything about such things, though she did devour any and all gossip about the somewhat sordid goings on. As they came into sight, there was a soft light flickering between the wooden slats of the broken down shed. Just as Rarity had predicted, there was a thick coil of chain in the dust by the door. Sure enough, someone was in there. The pair crouched behind a nearby tree. "Are you sure it's the Dazzlings?" Rarity whispered into Pinkie's ear. "This is where Aria went, I'm sure of it. I saw her duck inside just before I doubled back to check on you," replied Pinkie in truly hushed tones now. She could be oddly serious when the situation called for it. "I'm pretty sure she thought she'd given me the slip. Should we call the others? Let them know what we've found?" "I'm not sure Pinkie," responded Rarity knitting her brow. "I doubt they'd want to come all the way out here. Even if they did, there's no guarantee that the Dazzlings would stay put. Same goes for if we call the police. What do we tell them? We suspect someone may be plotting to get revenge on students at CHS by cursing them with dark magic, and we've got them cornered in a run down shack in the middle of the park? This close to Halloween, they'll probably just think we're trying to prank them." "Then what do we do?" asked Pinkie. Rarity thought about it for a moment. Surely it wouldn't hurt to text their friends. But any light this close to the shack might give them away. They could go some distance away and send a text then. However, while they were away Aria. and whoever else might be inside. could slip away. It was times like these that she wished Twilight were around. She always seemed to have a plan in these situations, even if the plan didn't exactly make much sense. "I think we should try to find out what they're doing in there. If they're just using this place to sleep, it should be fairly obvious. If there's something more going on, well, that should be fairly obvious too. Then we'll actually have something to tell the others aside from our suspicions." "Sounds good to me," replied Pinkie Pie before darting towards the shack. "Pinkie!" hissed Rarity, "What are you doing!?" The pink haired girl trundled back, putting herself nose to nose with Rarity so she was staring right into her bright blue eyes. "Improvising! I'll knock on their door and run away. When they come to see who knocked, I'll yell at them that I'm going to go get the cops, and if they want to stop me they better catch me. Then you go inside after we leave and see what you can find out." "Me!?" squealed Rarity. "Don't worry, I'm way faster than Aria is, she'll never catch me, but neither will she want to risk me going to the cops. I'll run just slow enough that they won't lose me until we're well out of the park. You'll have plenty of time to get in and get out. Trust me!" Pinkie said smiling. And with that Pinkie skipped out of the dark woods and into the gloom beneath the bridge. There was just one problem. Right before she knocked on the door, just as her fist was about to make contact with the wood, the door swung open. Arms reached out and pulled Pinkie inside the shack, the door slamming with a finality that sent shivers down Rarity's spine. She panicked. What should I do!? Should I go inside? Should I call for help? She reached into her purse and noisily fumbled through the wads of tissue and bottles of cosmetics. Where was her phone!? In the darkness it was impossible to tell her compact phone from a compact hairbrush. She cursed herself for wearing a dress that didn't have any pockets, even if it was absolutely perfect for the chilly autumn weather. "Looking for this?" said a voice as the soft glow of her cell phone screen flickered on in the palm of Adagio's hand. "Nice. This is one of the newer models right? Mommy and daddy must be doing pretty well if they got something this top of the line for you. Then again, I bet you're daddy's little girl, aren't you?" sneered the siren as she tossed the cell phone away. There was a soft plop as the glowing screen disappeared into the black waters of the nearby creek. "You'll never get away with this," said Rarity sternly, gripping her purse in one hand. "Oh but my dear little miss Rarity. We already have," replied Adagio with a smug grin. She'd had one hand behind her back the entire time, but as she brought it around towards Rarity, she could see Adagio held something strange. It wriggled and writhed as if it were alive. With a shriek, Rarity smacked whatever it was out of Adagio's hand with her purse, and then proceeded to beat the leader of the Dazzlings about the head. "Ouch, you little bit-" the curly haired siren lifted her hands to protect her face. That was the opening Rarity was waiting for. Gut checking Adagio with her heavy purse, Rarity thundered away from the shack, running at full speed through the park. She didn't head back for the main path, she figured that was what they would expect her to do. Instead she followed the creek, avoiding the thicker patches of bramble and brush, darting between trees. She could hear the sounds of distant pursuit behind her. Her legs, already burning from exhaustion, cried out for her to stop... To maybe find a place to hide. Her feet, aching and bloody, readily agreed. Unfortunately, Rarity was certain that if she stopped now it was all over for her. Whatever that thing was that Adagio had been hiding behind her back, Sunset was right, it was evil and not of this world. Distracted momentarily by the thought of that writhing mass, Rarity tripped and rolled headlong down an unseen incline, thumping into a bush. She could feel thorns scrapping into her flesh and tearing her dress, but the shrub still managed to cushion her fall, and she found herself in a hollow inside the bramble. She put her hands to her mouth and held her breath as the sound of pounding footsteps came closer. She needn't have bothered, as they quickly passed and receded into the distance. She felt wetness drip onto her hand. She feared blood, but realized she was only crying. She'd abandoned Pinkie Pie! No one knew she was out here except for a pair of evil wanna be pop idols, and worst of all, the brush she was in must have absolutely ruined her dress! Something rustled in the dry leaves. Rarity wasn't alone. It made sense that some badger or fox might have made this hollow their set, but Rarity found herself hoping that it might be something more benign like a rabbit or squirrel. At this point, as bad as her luck had been, she wouldn't be surprised if a skunk trundled into the moonlight. What she saw instead made her eyes go wide. Perhaps it had been a raccoon once, or maybe a possum. It was hard to tell as the flesh had been stripped from its skull. The rest of it's body was covered in the same writhing substance that Adagio had tried to throw at Rarity. In the soft moonlight, Rarity could see that the wet looking mess were actually individual pieces of candy. The wrappers, crinkling together, had been what she had heard before scraping against the leaves. The creature turned it's eyeless skull up towards her. As she watched, two long pieces of liquorice stretched from the empty sockets, and twitched in the air like an insects antenna. Rarity just knew she was going to be sick. She sat very still. Maybe it couldn't sense her. After all it didn't have any eyes to see with, ears to hear, or nose to smell. Though the things candy feelers seemed to be tasting the air. Rarity almost sighed with relief as they slid back into the cracked skull. Perhaps she was safe after all? The dead things jaws unhinged as the creature hissed. The wad of candy lifted free of the creatures half digested bones, suddenly all spines, legs, and claws. Rarity screamed and tried to rise, tried to run, but the thorn bush was too thick. No matter how hard she tried to struggle through she could feel her dress, her hair, and even her skin tangle and rip on the unforgiving thorns. The thing was on her in seconds. She let out one last desperate scream as the rotting, sweet stinking mass clamped itself over her mouth. Then there was nothing but the sound of the babbling creek, the wind playing with the leaves, and the distant rumble of passing cars.