//------------------------------//
// The Truth Revealed (Here we go again) 
// Story: Plague 
// by Even Evil Has Standards 
//------------------------------//

              "So let me get this straight," said Rainbow Dash, "Thomas isn't really dead, but he was turned into his zombie ego by a female version of Discord, and they have formed an alliance with a ram named Screwtape-"

"Who is named for a senior demon that sends letters to his nephew, dresses like a Russian lich who has an awesome song, and happens to be related to one of our G1 villains."

Rainbow Dash looked at Pinkie Pie. "Right. Anyway, they have a...mental library?"
"YES! Full of creepy creepy creepy creepy creepiest stories that any pony has ever read or seen! In fact, I don't think they were written by ponies at all!" She gasped. Maybe...Tirek wrote them!"

"Given how dark and disgusting those stories sounded, I don't think I want to know how they came to be. But they threatened to kill Percy unless you did all this?"

Pinkie Pie nodded sadly. "They also threatened to expose the "Cupcakes" book." she sniffled. 

"That sounds kinda hypocritical," remarked Rainbow Dash hesitantly, "I mean, threatening to kill one pony to make another pony kill hundreds of other ponies," she shook her head in disgust, "all just for sick grins, the sake of being evil, and collecting pony souls?"

Pinkie Pie nodded again. "Now do you see why I had no choice?"
Rainbow Dash sighed. "I can sort of understand that. But I also understand that there IS a way out of these things, no matter how dark they are. That's why it's called eucatastrophe. I'll help you because I'm the Element of Loyalty. I'm sure that Percy would help you as well as as the others once they've listened."

Pinkie Pie looked up hopefully. "Do you really think so?"
"I'm sure of it."
The earth pony threw her forelegs around the Pegasus, now crying tears of joy. "I LOVE YOU DASHIE!"

"I love you too Pinkie, but bleagh! Take a bath. Cotton Candy and rotten meat don't mix."

As Pinkie Pie began to free her, there was a sinister glow and in the middle of the room, a bright yet dark glow appeared. When it vanished, there they were: Eris, Screwtape, and Timothy. "You have betrayed us!" roared Screwtape. 

"It's a good thing she did too," retorted Rainbow Dash, "this isn't good for her!"
Eris snorted, "What's the mind and health of a pony to beings like us? We do it all because we're evil."

"Yeah right! Even Tirek wasn't that sick."
"Because he stole the magic from ponies, that it?" growled Timothy. Too bad. I need those cupcakes because to become King Onan. Then I will have my revenge on the Sudrians. As for these 2-" he looked at the draconequus and the ram "-I don't care to know their business, so long as they help me." 

"Yeah? Well for putting my friend through such a sickening vision and making her a serial killer and doing Celestia knows what to innocent ponies, I'm going to give an EXTREMELY painful whoopin'!"

The warlock smirked. "I think not." He bent over and began to shake. Soon, he flew out like a rocket through the ceiling with Timothy telekinetically hanging on to the reliquary. Eris simply vanished in a bright light.

Rainbow Dash looked up at the hole. "Sunlight," she thought hungrily. She shook her head. "Come on, Pinkie. We have to stop them."

"Okie dokie, just let me get this stinky dress off."


MEANWHILE

"Come on Twilight." said Applejack with a hint of annoyance. "Y'all gotta do something."

Twilight spent most of her days inside the Friendship Castle sulking and brooding over the "death" of Thomas, the blue tank engine turned unicorn stallion. Recently, Thomas had run away from his home Sodor and befriended Twilight and her friends. His own friends had missed him and followed his best friend Percy who had stumbled upon here by accident. The Mane 6 had formed an alliance to save Thomas from Onan, although the alliance melted into friendship, and in some cases, crushes. 

Likewise, Twilight had developed feelings for Thomas who didn't acknowledge this until he helped them by mentally battling the evil gargoyle. Unfortunately, some time after that, he had been struck by sickness and was presumed dead by it. Every pony attended the funeral at Ponyville and set him adrift in a longboat. Today, however...

"Please every pony. I want to be alone," moaned Twilight in a creepy sort of voice.
"But Twilight, you need to move on!" protested Percy. "Look at me. I was his best friend and moved on, thanks to Pinkie Pie."
Rarity smirked. "Sure, in more ways than one."
Percy blushed. "Well, you've been doing the same thing with James." Rarity went redder than the Pegasus as Percy went on, "And don't tell me you've been calling him "Jamesy" for the fun of it." 

James went redder than ever, but managed to counter, "And why do you suppose Pinkie Pie has been calling you "Percy-wercy"?" 

"Hey! Why don't y'all leave him alone?!?" demanded Apple Bloom. 
"Besides Twilight, I got over Rarity," said Spike, "and there's many a stallion who's been giving you the look."

"How do you know they haven't been giving me the look just because I'm a princess?"

Before anyone could say anything else, there was a loud crash followed by panicking. They rushed out to find the streets filled with ponies running in terror. Sugarcube Corner was in a complete disarray. There was a large hole in the roof that was made by a strange, sickly looking comet that flew into the air. 

"PINKIE!" yelled Percy. He rushed to the front door and was met by Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. He threw his hooves around the latter without thinking and then immediately drew back. "Yech! Why do you smell like you're dead?" He took in her current state more before looking concerned. "And why do you look like you're dead? Are you ok?"

"Not exactly," she whispered so quietly that it was impossible to hear.
"We'll worry about that later," interrupted Rainbow Dash, "right now, we have to worry about them." 

She pointed to the street where what the ponies thought was a comet had landed. When the smoke cleared, the others were in for a shock. "TIMOTHY?!?"

"In bloody flesh."
A flash of light appeared on Screwtape's other side and the female draconequus was there. "Heeeeeeere's Eris!"

Screwtape stepped forward, brandishing his reliquary. "I have returned. Equestria shall know the true meaning of fear once again." 

Twilight studied the ram suspiciously. "I know I've seen that ram before, but where?"                                        

"What in the wide wide world is that?" demanded Gordon.
"Oh my," whimpered Fluttershy.
"Ew, the ram needs to see a tailor," groaned Rarity.
"I heard that!" thundered Screwtape, "First of all, this was fashionable in my day. Second of all, centuries in Tartarus can really take everything out of you. I'm practically a rotting corpse."

"Now I know who you are!" said Twilight. "You're the former counselor to Celestia!" 
"That's correct! Equestria was always a happy place until I came along. I sold my soul to the dark forces for the ability to spread unhappiness and death to all of Equestria. What gifts I had received: this reliquary and a particularly interesting mind library. I handled the bloody stuff, teaching ponies the REAL meaning of cruelty, fear, bloodshed, and every bad thing."

"You should've been sent to Tartarus!" shrieked Rarity.
"I was," growled Screwtape, "and met Tirek. We pooled forces after I told of witnessing Cerberus leave his post. The fool abandoned me at the entrance when the thrice headed mutt returned. So I stayed there, stuck in limbo!" He threw out his arms to emphasize the point and his left hand flew off. 

"Gross!" groaned Emily.
"Give me the smelliest job any day," agreed James.
"If you were banished there, then how are you here?" demanded Edward.
"My old friend." Screwtape showed them his reliquary. Ghostly bats flew out and picked up the 3 fingered hand. They all looked like they were gonna be sick as he snapped it back on. "I could feel the dark forces stirring. This came in with him clinging to it." He pointed to Timothy. "I was alarmed at first, but he told me of what hath transpired. This thing showed images that proved him correct. He recognized the advantage of pooling forces. We managed to escape via my powers slowly returning-"

"He could use dash of cologne for that smell," gagged Rarity. A snap of Eris' lion fingers zippered her lip, much to James' disgust. "You monster!" he snapped at Eris. 

"I've been called worse, dearie." Rarity's nostrils flared as she thought that the sorceress was flirting with her James, but said nothing as Eris continued, "Anyhoo, they found me after their escapade. After I knew of his library, I came up with the idea of making some pony feel that her nightmares are real."

Henry shuddered, but managed to ask, "How?"
Timothy's horn glowed blood red and the ground in front of the trio shook as a small paperback book rose from the earth. It rose into the air, glowing, and flew open. Rainbow Dash averted her eyes and covered Pinkie's. 

The other protagonists were not so lucky. They didn't burn up (this isn't Raiders of the Lost Ark), but they did look like there were going to be sick. None could say a word. Then Fluttershy looked at Pinkie Pie. "Um, we know you wouldn't do something like that Pinkie Pie." 

Pinkie Pie said nothing. "Pinkie?" Twilight said in a hesitant, if not threatening tone.

"Aw no! Say it ain't so!" bawled Applejack.
"But of course!" sniggered Eris. "Where do you think all the missing ponies have disappeared to?"  A plate appeared full of the deadly cupcakes appeared in her hands. 

"Twist...is dead?" choked Apple Bloom.
"Not only Twist, but a big red stallion."
"NOT BIG MAC!"
Timothy selected the biggest cupcake: a red one with a green apple half. He ate it contently (for a zombie pony) and when he was done, a spooky glow encased him. He grew in size until he rivaled Big Mac. Then he selected a yellow cupcake with a blue shield.

"FLASH TOO?!?"
"I don't see what you're so upset about, princess," retorted Screwtape. "Some ponies don't like him." As if to prove his point, the reliquary spewed green smoke that showed Flash behavior from the EQG movies.*

Timothy munched on the cupcake and sprouted Pegasus wings. "Besides," he sneered, "it was like, 'Become a guard, win a Princess!' As if that deal wasn't tacky enough. But enough of that. You see," he continued, gleefully spreading his wings. "I needed a new way to gain power from pony souls. What other way to do so than from the inside, eh Pinkie?"

Apple Bloom couldn't stand it anymore. "How could ya?" she accused Pinkie Pie. "How could ya kill mah brother and mah closest friend before Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle?" 

"You're the one to have the gall to ask her that, filly," remarked Eris. "You're the one who mixed their innards."
Apple Bloom now looked like she might die. "What?"
"Don't you recall a red substance in the batter mixes from all the times you were helping her? Or should I say, us?" asked Screwtape.

"But...Pinkie Pie said that was strawberry jam."
"Wrong!" crackled Timothy. "Pony jam!"
The little filly couldn't take it anymore. She burst into tears and threw her forelegs around a momentarily stunned Spike. 

Applejack turned to Pinkie Pie. "You knew all about this. You knew what was going on, you killed many background ponies, you used a pony Apple Bloom's age, and you said NOTHING? We are yer friends, fer cryin' out loud! Friends always tell each other when they have problems! Why didn't ya come to us?!? We could've helped!"

"Now Applejack, I'm sure she had a good reason not to," chided Fluttershy.
"Like what?"
Eris got up from her theater seat. "Oh don't worry. You'll find out. But in the mean time..."

A wave of her lion paw caused 3 bulls-eyes to appear: one on her chest, one on Screwtape's robe, and one on Timothy's head below the horn. "Let's see if you're still friends now." growled Timothy. 

"Use your little rainbows, frenemies," hissed Screwtape.
Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Henry, James, Percy, and Toby faced the 3 and glowed...and then levitated for a moment only to drop to the ground with the glow vanishing. 

"They...didn't work," whispered Spike. Apple Bloom let out a frightened squeak and hid behind him. 
"They've broken!" screeched Derpy.  "This is the end!"
"Evacuate! Evacuate! Run away run away!" yelled Doctor Whooves.
Every pony began ran this way and that, unsure of where to go or what to do. As Pinkie Pie continued to sulk, Percy walked up to her and placed his hooves around her. "I forgive you," he whispered. She was shocked by this but before she could say anything, she noticed the 3 villains chatting together.

"Ok boys, who's up for a little game?" asked Eris. "The rules are simple: I select a pony, Screwtape acquires him or her with his smoke people who throw him or her to Timothy who will destroy that pony in a such a grotesque way that any one reading this will want to stop."

The other two exchanged confused glances before Screwtape asked, "Alright, but how about a demonstration?"
"Gladly." Eris scanned the crowd of fleeing ponies and did "Eenie Meenie Miney Mo". Comet Tail was the unlucky stallion. "Seize him."
Screwtape held up his reliquary and his minions flew out to the yellow pony.
"NO!" yelled Pinkie Pie. She ran forward and was about to shove him out of the way, but the bats caught them both and took them to their master.

"Well well well," sneered Eris. "The cupcake killer. Sorry, but your services are no longer required."
"That's not why I am trying to stop you," retorted Pinkie Pie, "I'm doing this to prove that I AM NOT evil! And there's some pony who forgives me. The pony you would've killed if I hadn't done it!"

"In that case," growled Timothy, "you are now a second hor'dourve."
Percy was shocked; no wonder she did what she did. The others were speechless too. Applejack started to say something, but found herself in a sleeper hold. "So that's why," hissed Percy. "You should've let her explain herself." He threw her against a post that had a strange but familiar helmet. It had a horn and slits for peep holes. Percy noticed it falling to him. "And then there was trouble," he growled to the wall.

That said, the helmet fell on him and he let out a high pitched shriek.