Someone's Here
Everyone in Ponyville—if not the entirety of Equestria—knew of the pony Pinkie Pie. Close friend of Princess Twilight Sparkle, one of the pillars of friendship, and a holder of an Element of Harmony. The only thing that remained an enigma to most was her strange ability.
The Pinkie Sense.
Pinkie Pie skipped through Ponyville, carrying a basket of sweets in her mouth. Each step in a steady rhythm, a smile plastered on her face—something bright to see in the evening. She was greeted by the ponies she passed by. Pinkie responded by smiling even more.
Before anypony knew better, her jolly demeanour vanished. She stopped in place, and Pinkie’s eyes were glued to the moon.
“Huh?” Pinkie tilted her head in confusion.
Pinkie’s breaths grew unsteady, and her heart began to race. The beat in her chest was clearly heard in her ears. It felt as if her heart wanted to leave her body. Her hoof began to dig into the dirt as sweat dripped from her cheek. Pinkie’s breaths grew unsteady.
She couldn’t pinpoint what it was. Normally, her body would react in ways she could interpret, but Pinkie had never felt that way before.
In the face of the unknown, she could only do one thing.
Pinkie giggled to herself; it was probably nothing.
“Silly me.”
She switched her attention to whatever task she had delayed. Pinkie gasped and picked up her basket, almost galloping away.
“Right! Pinkie’s on the way, girls!” There was a slumber party at Twilight’s castle.
As she ran, a shiver went through her spine. She spared one last glance at the moon before chortling. There was nothing to worry about.
Pinkie Pie went to bed early for the day. Just last week, she had the time of her life with her best friends. Now, she had to face the reality of her world: work. She didn’t despise it—rather, she loved it. Despite that, it would naturally take a toll on her physical well-being.
She stared at her room’s ceiling, waiting for sleep to beckon her. She waited, and waited. Pinkie tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable. Yet, something felt off. Pinkie was sweating profusely, and her eyes kept glancing to one place: her ceiling. Again, she could hear the beat of her heart in her ears.
Pinkie stood up from bed, wrapping one hoof over her shoulder as she walked towards her window sill. She stared at the moon. At that moment, her body pulled her back, away from the window. She yelped as she tumbled onto the floor. She rubbed her leg to soothe the pain. Pinkie looked around her room in the meantime.
“It’s… awfully dark in here.” Darker than usual.
Looking down, she noticed the shadows creeping towards her. Pinkie screamed, bolting up and bouncing away from the dark. She found herself back at the only source of light in her room—the moon. Her Pinkie Sense went haywire. She could feel the cold hair on her coat, the sweat dripping from her puffy mane, the thumping on her chest, and the clicks of her hooves as they hit the floor.
“Why?”
Pinkie turned to the moon, looking for answers. Chills encapsulated her body, and she realized that anywhere she looked, she would end up feeling no comfort.
“Is someone watching me?” she asked.
No response.
Pinkie took a deep breath. She ran for her door, bolted down the stairs and headed straight towards Twilight’s palace.
As she ran, she glanced over her shoulder. Wherever her eyes would meet, she felt one thing.
Someone was watching her.
“So, you’re telling me…”
Pinkie Pie made it to Twilight Sparkle’s palace. Lucky for her, the alicorn was still awake. They sat beside a fireplace, Twilight holding a notebook and Pinkie bundled up in a blanket.
“That you feel like you’re being watched?”
“Y-yes,” Pinkie affirmed. In a split-second, her eyes were glued to the wall. Twilight followed her gaze, yet found nothing but an empty, normal-looking wall within her palace.
Twilight sighed, levitating books all the way from her library to her. “Pinkie, I know you have your days, but are you sure—”
“I’m sure.”
Pinkie snapped her attention back to her friend. Surely, an alicorn, and someone as knowledgeable as Twilight, would be able to help her.
Her ears twitched again, this time, behind her. Pinkie slowly craned her head, pulling the blanket closer to her. As expected, she saw nothing. There was nothing behind her. Yet, she couldn’t get over the feeling. Someone was watching her. She turned her attention back to the fireplace. The flames danced, forming shadows. As she stared into the fire, her vision began to dim. Thinking the light had something to do with it, she averted her gaze. Nothing changed. Everything was getting darker.
“Pinkie.”
Twilight snapped her out of her trance. Her vision returned to normal.
“I couldn’t find anything in my books. There are a handful of creatures that can turn invisible, but…”
“I-it’s okay, Twilight,” Pinkie reassured, forcing a giggle. “Maybe I’m just being a tad bit silly.”
“If your silliness is enough to make you like this, then I’m sure it’s more than just silly.” Twilight flipped through her books with incredible speed. “Why don’t you get some sleep for now? I have a bunch of spare rooms you could use.”
Pinkie gulped. “Can I, m-maybe… sleep with you instead?”
Twilight smiled gently and closed her book. “Sure, I’ve got no problems with that.”
Almost immediately, Pinkie jumped at Twilight with an embrace. The alicorn yelped and returned the hug.
“C’mon, let’s get you to bed.”
Twilight Sparkle caressed Pinkie’s slightly-less-poofy mane. The sleeping mare was sweating in her sleep, mumbling, and breathing erratically. Twilight looked around her room and saw nothing. She could only hug her friend as she slept, whispering gentle reassurance.
“What’s got you so worked up…?” Twilight wondered. “Luna, help her…”
Pinkie Pie woke up to a world of black. The world itself was void. She could only see her own colors—overly pink. She stood up on non-existent ground. As if the world wished to toy with her, light suddenly beamed from above her.
She looked up at the moon. A moon so bright it might’ve chased the darkness away. A comforting light surrounded her.
“Luna?”
No answer.
“Luna…?”
None responded to her calls.
Pinkie squinted. Something was sprouting from the moon. Red began to crawl around the moon, and the moon itself began to quake. She gasped at the sight before her. Suddenly, the sound of the heavens splitting apart resounded in her ears.
The moon began to fall like a meteor. All the while, a bloody red dripped from it, devouring the light that soothed her.
Pinkie stared, unable to immediately process what was happening. She screamed, hooves failing her. She tripped on herself, but the bloody moon did not stop. Pinkie got up and ran, hoping that the perpetually expanding space before her would get her away from the calamity befalling her.
The booming in her ears came to an abrupt halt. She fell on the ground, exhausted. In the corner of her eyes, a small, red sphere rolled up to her. Pinkie gulped, unsure of what to do. Her instincts told her not to do anything—to leave it be.
But that wouldn’t do.
It shot straight towards her face, dripping blood all over her form. Pinkie yelped, shielding herself in the process. She gazed at it again. The sphere contorted, and vein-like tendrils sprouted from nowhere, coiling around itself. Turning itself inside out, it shifted inwards, turning itself into an eye. It locked its gaze at Pinkie.
Whenever Pinkie looked away, it would follow. When Pinkie tried to close her eyes, she couldn’t. Pinkie tried to move her hooves, but they were frozen in place. She couldn’t cover her eyes.
“Luna!” Pinkie cried out.
No one was there.
The eye floated into the distance. Pinkie sighed; a sense of relief for the first time in that moment. Her legs could move again, and she wrapped herself in a hug. Pinkie sobbed for what she felt like hours. All the while, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was still being watched. A chilling sensation that emanated from above her. One that left her body locked in place. Haphazardly, she finally looked at the sky.
All she saw was a gigantic, bloody eye staring right at her. It had smaller eyes around it. Every single gaze met hers. Pinkie gave them a wavering smile.
“Ha…ha…” Pinkie feigned a laugh.
The eyes bobbed up and down, splashing blood on her. They repeated, “Ha… ha…”
Pinkie’s smile fell.
Pinkie’s eyes shot open. She held her hooves close to her chest, panting erratically. She was still in Twilight’s room, and the alicorn was right beside her, sleeping soundly.
“Was that… a dream?” Pinkie wrapped one leg around the other.
Her ears twitched. She turned around and saw nothing but the closed curtains. Gulping, Pinkie gently got up and walked towards the closed windows. She placed her hooves atop the soft fabric before gingerly pulling the curtains aside. It was another sunny day in Ponyville. She slowly opened the window and breathed in the fresh morning air. She beamed at the peaceful sight, at the gentle songs the birds sang, and at the sight of ponies starting their days.
Turning around to wake up her friend with a cheerier mood, Pinkie heard the windows slowly creaking shut. Her entire body flinched at the sound. She suddenly felt compelled to look up at the ceiling.
She didn’t want to.
Pinkie just wanted to go back to her normal, everyday life.
Yet, something wanted her to look. She wanted answers. What’s been watching her? What made her feel this way? At the same time, she felt a stinging pain whenever she tried to avert her gaze. Her neck slowly craned upward, and she was trying to call to Twilight all the while. She choked on her words.
There was nothing there.
But she still felt it.
Someone was still watching her.
“Who are you?” Pinkie asked.
No one answered.
“Pinkie?”
Pinkie looked at her groggy friend as her vision became blurry; everything had turned dark again. She began to hyperventilate, and her legs failed her. She could barely hear Twilight calling out her name. All she remembered was a loud thud as she fell to the floor.
“Luna, I don’t know what to do.”
Twilight Sparkle sat beside Pinkie’s sleeping form while Princess Luna stood beside her. The larger alicorn examined Pinkie’s condition with her magic, her horn glowing. Twilight was still flipping through yet another book.
“Your friend is…” Luna began, “I cannot identify what troubles her.”
Twilight almost slammed her book shut. “Neither can I.”
She reached over to caress Pinkie Pie’s forehead. The pink mare was still sweating profusely and mumbling incomprehensible things in her sleep.
“It is as though something that exists beyond our realm of our existence is disturbing her,” Luna suggested.
Twilight met Luna’s gaze. “What? Does such a thing really exist?”
Luna shook her head. “Nay. However, it is the only thing I can think of.”
“Just what is…” Twilight grumbled. “I’ll look into it.”
“Very well. Then, I shall be on my way.” Luna’s horn lit up, preparing to teleport.
Twilight gave Luna a gentle smile. “Thank you.”
Luna nodded. “It is nothing. Feel free to call for me should I be needed again.”
In a flash, Luna disappeared from the room. Twilight turned her attention back to Pinkie and her books.
“I’ll find a way, Pinkie.”
Everywhere.
Wherever she looked, there were eyes on her.
Pinkie was thrown into a labyrinth filled with unwanted attention. Eyes surrounded her, staring at her, peering into her very soul. Chills broke through her coat and crawled on her skin. The beat of her heart rang loudly in her ears. Even if she covered her eyes, she couldn’t escape the feeling of being watched.
“S-stop…”
They wouldn’t stop.
Pinkie Pie woke up. She opened her eyes to the sight of the darkness. She could tell that she was still on Twilight’s bed, but she could barely see anything. She wondered if she was still dreaming.
What was real, and what was her imagination?
Were those even her imagination?
“Pinkie!” voices rang in her head.
Pinkie blinked multiple times, each time clearing up her vision slightly. Eventually, she came to see her five friends gathered around her. She couldn’t help but smile. Tears gently flowed as Fluttershy immediately rushed to her side.
“Are you alright, darling?” Rarity asked, gently resting her hoof on Pinkie’s.
Rainbow Dash flew at her side. “Yeah! Twilight told us something’s bothering you.”
“Not just botherin’– It got ya feeling off, too,” Applejack chimed in.
“We were so worried about you,” Fluttershy said.
Twilight sighed in relief. “You finally woke up.”
Pinkie beamed. “You’re all here!”
“Duh!”
Applejack hoofed Rainbow Dash.
“Ow—I mean, why wouldn’t we?”
As Pinkie pulled everyone in with magically long limbs for a hug, Twilight began to scribble down a note, presumably to send to Luna. She revelled in the warmth of her friends who all yelped the moment she embraced them, closing her eyes to only feel her closeness to them.
She opened her eyes again at the ceiling. The smile on her face immediately disappeared. The embrace she had wrapped her friends in loosened, and everyone around her pulled back with wide eyes. She was staring at a gigantic eye that pierced her own. Even at that moment, she was being watched. She met the gazes of her friends, who were all moving their mouths, assumingly saying something. She couldn’t hear them. All of Pinkie’s senses were focused on whatever was looking at her. She saw Twilight drop the quill she was holding while her friends hovered over her.
Soon enough, her body caved in again.
For what seemed like the millionth time, Pinkie woke up, feeling weaker than ever. She could barely move her mouth, her eyes were swollen, and her body failed to respond to her commands.
“Pinkie?” Twilight’s voice barely made it to her ears.
She glanced to her side and saw Twilight standing in front of her. Pinkie couldn’t see her face clearly. Even colors were vague to her. “Twilight?”
“It’s okay Pinkie. No one will bother you anymore.”
Pinkie noticed something dripping from Twilight’s cheeks. “Are you… crying? Are you okay?”
“Pinkie, I should be asking if you’re okay.”
Pinkie rubbed her eyes. “I’m… I don’t know.”
“You should be feeling better sooner or later.”
“What do you mean?”
Twilight leaned over to her. “You said you felt like you were being watched, right?”
“Y-yeah…?” Pinkie tried to move. Her body didn’t respond. “W-what did you do?”
“You don’t have to worry about that anymore…” she said breathily. “I got rid of them… for you.”
Twilight’s face hovered over Pinkie as colors trickled back to her sight. Twilight wasn’t crying… blood was dripping from her eyes. Eyes? Twilight’s eyes were gone. Pinkie was staring at a black void that was bleeding red. Twilight held up a jar filled with eyes—eyes that were all too familiar to Pinkie.
Pinkie gasped before Twilight collapsed on top of Pinkie. She held her friend with one hoof, staring at whatever she could as she tried to process what just happened. After all of that, she hoped everything was a nightmare.
But she never woke up.
This was her reality.
Pinkie looked out to the moon, searching for answers. Instead, she just found herself another question.
Pinkie met your gaze.
“Why are you still watching?”