Chapter 5- Midnight Shadows

It happened again. Rainbow Dash knew it. The killer had struck again. Twilight had gathered a search party to look for the missing unicorn. She was sent to search the Carousel Boutique. Dash now stood before the last door in the building, the one leading to the attic. The scent of death washed over her, refreshing her memory of Fluttershy's death… and of Aero Wing's.

The thought of killing the green pegasus bugged her conscious. She had to defend herself from him, didn't she? He was going to rape her! But did he have to die? An image of his face twisted in rage appeared in her mind, making her blood boil. Yes, he needed to die. He deserved death.

Rainbow Dash pushed the green stallion from her mind with a deep breath. The taste of decay washed over her tongue. It was unnerving. The scent was rank yet had a strangely sweet touch. She knew the scent well enough now. How many more times would she have to breathe in its sickly sweet aroma?

It didn't matter right now. Rainbow could deal with it later. Right now, she would go in, find Rarity's rotting corpse, and leave to tell Twilight. The cyan pegasus forced down another gulp of the rancid air, and opened the door.

Rarity was there tied to the table, head in a vice grip. The right side of her face was disfigured beyond recognition. Congealed streams of blood leaked from her left eye, nostrils, mouth, horn, and from a gaping hole in her head. The severed end of the horn was in the puddle of blood on the floor.

Rainbow sighed and closed her eyes. A single tear fell. That was all. She wouldn't have any tears left after the nightmare was over. She knew it would end with all of her friends' deaths, and then she would die. At that point, it wouldn't be worth living anymore. She would give up her life happily. What was life without friends?

Rainbow opened her eyes again, promptly avoiding the sight of the carcass. Scrawled upon the wall in blood was yet another message: Back to the realm…

"Of course," she murmured to herself. "Yeah, Rarity's gone to the realm of the dead."

Rainbow then turned to face the fireplace. A few embers burned among the ashes. The thought of ashes reminded her of Applejack. Was there nothing that would remind her of her deceased friends? She shook her head, trying to clear it.

She made for the door, but halted in her tracks. There was something in the corner of the room. It just struck Rainbow Dash as… out of place. It was small, barely perceptible in the dark room. Yet, it had caught her eye. She cantered over slowly, her hooves creaking on the floorboards.

She drew in a gasp. How could it be? Rainbow felt tears begin to rise in her eyes. It wasn't possible, it just couldn't be! Nopony kills for no reason. There had to be an explanation. There, lying on the dusty ground was a small, orange feather.

---

"There was a sign. I-I think she did it. I don't want to believe it, but I think she's the one behind the killings."

"Why would you think that? What sign was there?"

"She's been acting weird lately, Roan."

"Are you sure about this? Maybe she's just grieving because of her friends' deaths."

"There was another sign, though. Explain this."

"It's a just a feather."

"Guess where I got it."

"Her wing?"

"No, I found it near one of the crime scenes."

"Well, she has been to the Boutique a few times before hasn't she? I mean, it's the home of one of her closest friends."

"Okay. I hope you're right. She's one of my best friends."

"You're just worried about her. I'll try my best to prove that Rainbow isn't the killer."

"Thanks, Roan. Oh, and would you mind not telling anypony I came to talk to you?"

"I promise."

"Do you Pinkie Pie Promise?"

"What's that?"

"Ugh! I never showed you? It goes, 'Cross my heart and hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye.'"

"Hehe! I promise, Pinkie Pie. Your secret is safe with me."

---

Scootaloo was in a dark ally, a stream of tears flowing from her face. Puddles of stagnant rainwater rippled in the icy breath of wind. The overcast sky provided a certain gloom that even further tormented the pegasus' heart. It was as if the world insisted on sadness, forcing it into the lives of everypony in Ponyville. Surely, the events of late have been affecting the lives of the civilians, not to mention striking fear in their hearts. And it was all because of her.

Through her tears, she pictured the mangled, decrepit corpses of her once living friends. The sharp scent of their blood reached her over the boundaries of time, causing her to gag. Memories of their terrified expressions as one they trusted cut nauseated the young pegasus further. She retched and a geyser of clear, reeking fluid sprayed from her mouth.

Then, she began to laugh. It was subtle at first, but it grew loud until she was cackling maniacally. She was losing her grip on reality. She was being used as a puppet to fulfill the puppeteer's own ends, and what use does a puppet have with sanity? What choice did she have if she couldn't control her own body? Why not just let the puppeteer have his way and sit and watch numbly, not caring what he does?

"No, Scootaloo. You have to fight this!" the filly commanded herself, wiping tears and puke from her face. "Get a hold of yourself. It's all a matter of willpower!"

…But is your will strong enough to challenge mine?...

"SHUT UP, PATHOS! Just stop talking to me!"

…But doesn't it get lonely without friends? They are dying around you, one by one…

"That's your fault!"

…You think it was my fault when they killed my wife, sending me to the end of my rationality?...

"No. But you can stop the death now!"

…I need revenge… And nothing will STOP ME!...

Scootaloo's body was Pathos' once more. He slammed her into the wall of the ally. Scoots' nose began to bleed again, flowing freely down her face. His will forced her body harm itself, punching and beating her into a whimpering submission. Cuts and bruises covered her small body, the wounds aching with overpowering soreness.

"Please… I'll help you…" she whispered. Pathos let her body go and she collapsed to the ground in a weeping mess. It was hopeless. How could she fight against Pathos? His control over her was growing more powerful and complete. Just how long would it be before he had total control?

As she laid, there bawling in pain both physical and emotional, Scootaloo looked up into the cloudy heavens. A single raindrop fell and landed on her nose. She blinked away her tears as a warm feeling of calm spread throughout her. Then, she swore she saw the face of a yellow pegasus smiling down at her from the sky. A swift breeze vaporized the image but the feeling was still there. Fluttershy was watching over Scootaloo. And for the first time in almost a week, she smiled a real, sane smile.

---

"No, Twilight. The punch bowl goes over there!" Pinkie Pie said to the purple unicorn, analyzing Twilight's work.

"Pinkie, why don't we just call off the party? We're all feeling rather depressed after all the death," Twilight suggested.

Pinkie bounded over and put an arm around her shoulders. "Listen, Twi. Nightmare Night is one of the most celebrated holidays in Equestria and all of Ponyville will want a party like every year, and that job falls to me. I know it'll be a little hard to thoroughly enjoy but, hey, it'll bring smiles to others. And, not just that, it may help to raise our spirits, too."

Twilight nodded. "You're right, Pinkie. Thank you."

"Don't thank me. Move the punch bowl, instead!" Pinkie Pie giggled and bounced off to put up orange and black balloons. Twilight watched the pink pony with an amused smile. Sometimes she was crazy, but she also made sense in a lot of ways. It seemed like she didn't have a care in the world, sometimes. Maybe she should try to be more like that, just take her mind off of everything for a while. Life was a dark place for her right now, but maybe she could ignore for a while and walk in the light.

"Thank you, Pinkie," Twilight said again under her breath. The unicorn then turned back to her task, helping Pinkie set up the party for Nightmare Night.

---

"No! I can't go. Rarity's dead! She died! My big sister is dead now!" Sweetie Belle argued with Apple Bloom.

The yellow earth filly sighed. "Mine is, too. But, we promised Scootaloo we would go to Nightmare Night party tonight."

"Who cares," Sweetie Belle threw back, "That was before everypony started dying! I think we should just stay here. If she wants to go, let her go alone. Both of our sisters are dead and I'm not gonna go feeling like my world has been torn apart." The white unicorn filly sat there gazing out the window of the treehouse at the gloomy skies, tears still streaming down her face. A cool wind blew in across her face, making the tears on her face freeze. She took in a shuddering breath of the icy air, letting it refresh and soothe her.

Sweetie Belle felt Apple Bloom place a hoof on her shoulder. She didn't turn around, but could feel the warmth of her breath against her ear as she whispered, "It's okay. You don't have to go. But you know, it might lift your spirits."

Sweetie Belle exhaled slowly, shivering as a chill swept over her. She clenched her eyes shut and another icy tear slid down her cheek. "What if I don't want to lift my spirits? All I want is my sister…"

"That's something that's not going to happen. I'm sorry, but sometimes life can seem cruel. It isn't fair how fate can take away those you love most. I mean, Applejack died only the night before last. But, I've found out that life will go on. In the end, you come to realize that, no matter what happens, you can't let grief slow you down. They're in a better place now. Instead of grieving for them, envy them. Live your life knowing that you will be with them again. You aren't broken and neither are they. Applejack, Rarity, and even Fluttershy are probably up there smiling down at us wishing for us to smile as well. I know it seems sad to lose somepony dear to you, but you just have to let her go. She'll be waiting to embrace you when your time comes. If you believe that, the world won't seem as dark anymore." Apple Bloom slid her hoof from Sweetie Belle's shoulder and turned to leave.

Sweetie Belle let out a sharp laugh. "You figured that out in only a day?" Apple Bloom turned back around and smiled widely. The two laughed together. A gust of wind blew through the open window, carrying with it the scent of rain and something else. It smelled like…

"Rarity? Are you watching us?" Sweetie Belle asked aloud.

---

Scootaloo ran as fast as she could towards the Golden Oak Library, ignoring the pain in her body and the rain that was beginning to fall gently around her. It was her one moment of clarity; she had to tell somepony of her guilt. It was beginning to dawn on her that, even if she was punished severely for the crimes of Pathos, she had to warn somepony or else more ponies would die. It had to happen, even at the cost of her friends, her life, and even her sister. It was heartbreaking but it seemed to be the only way to end this nightmare.

The tree which housed the library loomed ahead of her. There was no turning back; this was the end of Pathos' tyranny. Scootaloo skid to a halt at the door. The young pegasus took a deep breath to compose herself. Then she knocked loudly on the door.

After a few seconds of waiting, she opened the door. The lights were all off, and silence reined throughout the building. Scootaloo took a tentative step inwards, her heart still pounding from her frantic dash.

"Hello?" she called. She was met only with silence. Scootaloo let out a growl of frustration and slammed the door shut as she exited the library. Where were they? She needed to speak with Roan or Twilight fast before Pathos somehow diluted her mind once more. The thought made her cringe with rage.

Then she remembered: tonight was Nightmare Night! Everypony would be at the Town Square set up for the festivities. They had to be there! Determined to find them before Pathos' influence returned, she dashed off towards the center of town, wings flapping.

---

Rainbow Dash sat in a chair, within the Sugarcube Corner. She glumly stared at the orange feather resting on the table before her. She had tried to find Scootaloo earlier, but the filly had evaded her. Night was already beginning to darken the overcast skies outside. That was her fault. She had killed the manager of the Cloudsdale Weather Corporation. Now there would be nopony to give out commands until they realized Aero was dead and replaced him. Rainbow shook her head in an attempt to rid him from her thoughts. Instead, the memory of his final moments flashed through her head with even more intensity. His green face contorted with fear and his blue eyes wide with shock as the knife forced its way through his skull with such accuracy that the blade did not bend, but split the bone and pierced his brain. The vivid image of his lifeless corpse collapsing to the ground, blood soaking into the cloudy floor below, shot through her disturbed consciousness.

"Rainbow Dash? Would you like something to eat, dear?" asked Mrs. Cake, saving the pegasus from her tormenting ideas. She looked up at the pastry chef thankfully.

"Just some cider would be nice," Dash said. Mrs. Cake nodded with a smile and shuffled off to fetch the drink.

Rainbow took the orange feather and tucked it behind her ear. Nopony else was in the sweet shop, leaving her in utter silence. The only sound was from the light drizzle outside and the two workers in the kitchen.

"Here you are, dear. Tell me if you need anything else," said Mrs. Cake placing the cider on the table. She returned to the kitchen, leaving Rainbow alone once more. The pegasus took a gulp the mug and let the cool liquid run down her throat and into her empty stomach. She hadn't eaten since she murdered Aero Wing, and thus far wasn't even tempted to try, so the cider sat comfortably in her deprived belly.

Rainbow Dash let out a heavy sigh. She couldn't take the silence much longer. Quickly guzzling down the rest of the drink and leaving the money on the table, she got up and left Sugarcube Corner. Outside, rain cascaded off the roof with drops thicker than the rain itself, creating a kind of curtain of water separating the dry world to the wet. Rainbow stepped through the chilly curtain and walked the down the block and around the corner to see Town Square. Giant tents were set up to protect the persistent party-goers from the wind and rain. Music could be heard echoing through the dark gloom, making the darkness seem just a little bit brighter.

Although Dash didn't really want to go to the party, the prospect of having some company beckoned her, so she went forward and walked through the gargantuan tent that towered in the center of the others. She was instantly barraged by warmth and cheer coming from DJ Pon-3's blasting music; laughing and socializing ponies, some already intoxicated from overdrinking; and the dancing, costumed partiers.

Rainbow Dash thought that it may be possible to forget all her problems and just have fun tonight… until she spotted Pinkie Pie staring coldly at her from across the room.

---

Scootaloo weaved through the costumed ponies in the tent attempting to find Roan or Twilight. It was impossible to see clearly through the crowding because of her short stature. There had to be some way to look over the entire room. Then her purple eyes met the stage.

The young filly fought through the crowd and clambered onto the stage. A few ponies gave her awkward looks but she ignored them as she peered out across the tent. Then it occurred to her that even with the enhanced vantage point, she still probably wouldn't be able to spot either unicorn; they'd be in costume.

"Dang it! Why is this happening?" Scootaloo stamped her hoof on the stage.

"What's wrong?" asked Pinkie Pie, bouncing onto the stage behind her. "Oh no! What happened to you? You look like you're hurt!" The pink earth pony gazed out into the crowd with an icy look then spoke to her without ripping her gaze from whatever she was gazing at. "Did Rainbow Dash do this to you?"

"What?" exclaimed Scootaloo, incredulous. "Why would she do that?" She thought for a split second before adding, "Besides, the wounds are fake. It's my… costume."

Pinkie shifted her gaze back to the pegasus. "Oh. But I'd stay clear of her if I were you. I know you love her but I think she's been acting strange lately."

"What do you mean?"

Pinkie sighed and gazed around the room. "I… come on. There are too many others here. Let's step outside." Scootaloo hesitated; she needed to find somepony to tell about her secret. Maybe she should tell Pinkie. Deciding that revealing it to her would be the best idea, she followed the pink earth pony through the tent and out a back exit.

Pinkie turned around as soon as Scootaloo pushed her way through the flap that acted as a door. Gentle rain cascaded around them making Pinkie's usually joyful visage look all the more dark and worried.

"Listen Scoots, I know you love Rainbow Dash with all your heart, but you have to stay away from her, at least until we find the truth."

A feeling of apprehension wormed its way into Scootaloo's stomach. "What are you saying?"

"Scootaloo," said Pinkie, placing her hoof on the young pegasus' shoulder. "I think Rainbow is the murderer…"

Scootaloo backed up. It was time. If she was going to say it, it had to be now. However, the very thought of revealing herself was terrifying. No, she had to do it. "No… it's not Rainbow. I know who is killing them." Anxiety sat like a rock in the pit of her belly. "It's…"

"It's who?" Pinkie asked.

Scootaloo opened her mouth to speak but her gullet was terribly dry. She shuddered as a chill wave surged through her body. She wanted to puke, her gagging and retching amounting to nothing. Poor Scootaloo hadn't eaten in so long that there wasn't anything left to come up.

"Scootaloo?"

The young filly gazed up at Pinkie Pie with tears of agony forming in her eyes. Standing behind the earth pony was Pathos, his wicked, bloody grin stretched across his face.

…It's time to kill again…

"NOOOO!" Scootaloo yelled. Pinkie was alarmed and backed away… and bumped into Pathos.

---

Pinkie woke to see flickering a dark room, illuminated every now and again by a flickering light overhead. She sat up and rubbed her head with a hoof. All she could recall was bumping into somepony and whirling around to see a pony that shouldn't exist. He was the one from the story.

Pinkie Pie wasn't sure where she was. It was obviously a place rarely used; rusty, leaking pipes coursed along the walls. Sparking wires drooped from the ceiling and fiberglass insulation littered the floor like giant clouds of yellow and pink cotton candy. The scent of damp air and mold filled her nostrils. The frigid air created a billow of stem every time she exhaled.

"Where am I?" she called into the darkness. The light flickered again. Pinkie sunk to the cold concrete floor, not wanting to advance into the shadows. A spark fell from a dangling wire, vanishing before it hit the ground with a clank. Wait, a clank? Sparks don't clank. Then she heard it again, echoing through the gloom, like a chain dragging across the ground.

The light sputtered again, but this time somepony was standing under it, her silhouetted form casting a menacing shadow over Pinkie Pie's face. She shivered as the pony advanced, the clank of something metal scraping the concrete reverberating through the icy stillness.

"Welcome to my playground of torture," said a voice. Or, rather, two voices. The familiar voice of young Scootaloo was mingled with a dark, heavy, masculine voice. Or was her mind playing tricks on her? Pinkie was too petrified to figure it out.

Scootaloo cantered past the cowering pony in the floor. Pinkie heard the sound of a match striking and a small aura of light dimly lit the room with a consistent glow. "So do you know why you're here?" Scoots inquired with the demonic double-voice.

"No, I just want to go home! I don't know what I did or what you're doing, but you're scaring me. Can I go," Pinkie burst.

Scootaloo snickered and stepped around to where Pinkie was facing her. "I figured as much. Now, do you know a mare named Rosy Bash?"

"I don't know. Should I know? I usually know everypony but I don't know her. If you're looking for her ask somepony else. Just let me go!"

"Well, let me enlighten you. Rosy was a mare just like you. She grew up thinking she was making everypony happy. But, oh, how her jokes hurt. She won the appreciation of many, like Diamond Star, Apple Seed, Feathers, Dawn's Ray, and Tsunami. That laughed along with Rosy's jokes. It hurts to be treated like that."

"What are you…" Pinkie trailed off, seeing Scoots glare at her.

"Listen here, Pinkie," Scootaloo spat. "Someone has to pay or I'll never get out of this wretched place called Equestria! I hate Equestria! I hate the entire world! I just want to go away. I want my wife…"

Something clicked in Pinkie's mind. Pathos was using Scootaloo's body, Scootaloo wasn't doing this. An image appeared in her mind of Pathos. However, it wasn't the mangled corpse of the figure she had seen earlier. It was a strong, confident stallion. He stood beside a mare, gazing happily at the world. Then, the mare disappeared and the stallion deteriorated before her eyes.

Pinkie opened her eyes once more. Scootaloo wasn't standing before her anymore. It was Pathos, blood leaking from his numerous wounds. His gaze was one of pure hatred.

"What can I do?" she asked.

Pathos glared down at her with cold, black eyes, the red pupils glowing. "Rosy's blood courses through your veins. That blood must be spilled to bring about the calm…"

All sympathy for the once living stallion immediately fled as he said this. Pinkie bolted and turned to run. Pathos grabbed the chain he had been carrying earlier and whipped it at her like a lasso. The chains wrapped excruciatingly and brought Pinkie to abrupt halt with a choke. She collapsed onto her back and Pathos began to pull her across the floor grainy ground with the chain. Her spine scraped against the concrete painfully. Pinkie struggled to free herself by tugging at the metal links. She rolled over and the chain uncoiled from her neck. Immediately she shot up and darted away from Pathos.

Suddenly, the pink pony plummeted to the ground. A pipe lying on the ground had tripped her up. Already, the illusionary form of Pathos was upon her. The chain he carried was now adorned with a weapon; a dagger was attached to the end. Pinkie scrambled backwards away from him, panic in her heart. Pathos launched the blade at her with unnatural accuracy. It soared through the air and embedded itself in Pinkie's left foreleg. She erupted into a loud wail of pain. Tears burned her eyes as the chain snapped taut. She felt her body being dragged, but couldn't fight against it for the insufferable amount of pain it cost to struggle.

Pathos grabbed her when she drew close enough. Tears flowed down Pinkie's face as he leaned in close to her, a wide smile was painted across his face as if he were about to get something he had wanted for a long time. The image of the stallion wavered for a moment, briefly revealing the orange pegasus who Pathos was using as a vessel.

"Scootaloo! You've got to stop him!" Pinkie yelled. The image of Pathos returned with a raspy laugh. The sound of his doubled voice echoing in the darkness.

"She cannot do anything about your little predicament," he sniped. "I have complete control over her. She has no power against my dominant will!" Pathos reached over and wrenched the blade out of her arm, a spurt of blood flinging into the air as he did so. Pinkie screamed once more. Pathos simply stood there with a mocking smile.

Pinkie scrambled to her hooves once more and darted into the shadows. Pathos didn't advance after her; he simply watched. Pinkie could feel his gaze burning her pelt as she darted through the dank, freezing place. Where was she? There didn't seem to be any walls, only the occasional support beam and endless vastness. Here and there was some sort of sparking electrical wire hanging from the ceiling or flickering florescent light dangling by a couple cables. It didn't make any sense. All she could do is keep putting distance between herself and Pathos.

"It's like a dream…" Pinkie Pie muttered between breaths.

"How right you are!" Pathos appeared out of nowhere, causing her to run into him. She collapsed to the concrete ground and Pathos straddled her chest, placing his two front hooves on her throat and pressing down hard. "And it's the last dream you'll ever have!"

Pinkie spluttered as she was suffocated under the stallion. She thrashed under him, struggling to get free. Then she managed to free a hoof and punched in his bloody jaw with such force that he flew off of her and landed in a heap of orange fur and feathers.

The entire image of the dark, eerie darkness dissipated and warped into the form of her very apartment above Sugarcube Corner. The image of Pathos was replaced with the real form of Scootaloo, a stream of blood leaking from her open mouth.

"It was a dream," Pinkie whispered. She rose to her hooves cautiously, the wound on her arm still on fire with pain. "At least some of it…" She limped over to the still form of Scootaloo, not sure whether to feel sorry for her or to be afraid of her.

Scoots' violet eyes shot open. Her head lifted slowly to gaze into Pinkie's blue one. A wide, wicked smile spread across the filly's face revealing her blood-covered teeth. "It is so very fascinating when somepony walks into my world of dreams." Scootaloo's voice was no longer doubled, but somehow the filly's voice alone was just as disturbing.

The young pegasus stood up and wiped blood from her chin. "You are an interesting mare. Of all of those I've killed, you are the first victim to walk in my dreams. There were others to walk them of course, like Cyan and Scootaloo here. But they were vessels, not targets. This makes you one of a kind. It's a shame you ended the dream where anything is possible. We could've had so much fun."

"Shut up, Pathos!" Pinkie Pie lunged forward and tackled the smaller pony. "I'm sorry Scootaloo, but I need to protect myself. Forgive me." She thought she saw a quick nod from Scootaloo, but Pinkie was bolting for the door before she could be sure.

The exit was mere feet away from her when small hooves landed on her back and began to rip at her shoulders. Pinkie collapsed with a shriek and hit her head smashed painfully into the door. Stars danced in her vision and a drop of blood landed in her eye. She blinked to clear her eyes, as Scoots stepped off of her.

"You can't get away from me. Resistance is futile," said Scootaloo. "Unfortunately, it is much easier to force victims to be still rather than asking nicely. So…" The orange pegasus ripped a wire from a lamp, smashing the appliance to the ground in a brilliant shower of sparks. She dragged the wire in her mouth toward Pinkie Pie, who tried to push herself away but having nowhere to go. Scootaloo dove towards her and slammed her head backwards into the door. Sparks adorned her vision once more. Then her head was thrust back again, as if Scootaloo realized she wasn't unconscious. Pinkie spat out a mouthful of blood, spraying the filly in the face with scarlet liquid. Scootaloo, not at all put out, gave the pink pony one last violent blow to the head and all went black.

---

When Pinkie Pie opened her eyes again to see her apartment ceiling. Her head throbbed and her foreleg lanced with agonizing soreness. Her nose was clogged with congealed blood and mucus and the coppery taste of the life-giving liquid tainted her mouth.

She was bound and tied to a table on her back. Struggling was pointless, she knew, but she strained against the cords nonetheless. They were insanely tight, rubbing her skin raw with each minute movement.

Giving up, the earth pony looked around for the possessed pegasus. Her apartment was trashed; chairs overturned, lamps smashed, pictures shattered. The flickering lights reminded her of the endless, dark room from the dream. Pinkie suppressed a shiver at the evil place.

"How nice of you to join us, Pinkie Pie," Scootaloo's voice said from her other side. Pinkie whipped her head around to see the blood covered face of Scootaloo, glaring at her in the half-light. The filly cantered over to a counter and grasped a knife in her mouth. She came up to the pink pony and immediately began to cut into her chest. Pinkie wailed as Scootaloo carved shapes into her flesh with the blade. Blood seeped from the wounds and tears spilled down Pinkie Pie's face.

"STOP! AHHH! NO! STOP IT!" Pinkie shrieked, trying desperately to squirm away from the knife. Scootaloo persisted with her work, as if she wasn't even listening to the pleading cries of the writhing pony she was abusing.

When Scootaloo finished, she gazed down and smiled at her handiwork. She placed the bloodstained blade on the table next to Pinkie and turned, Pinkie guessed, to look for some other form of torture. Suddenly, Pinkie felt one of the wires that held her down snap under her efforts. She swiftly used the opportunity to grab the knife and cutting the rest of her limbs free.

Suddenly, a flash of orange appeared in her peripheral vision and smashed into her side; both came tumbling off the table in a writhing heap of fur and blood. Pinkie slashed blindly at her attacker but she dropped the knife as they slammed against the wall. The younger pegasus managed to pin Pinkie against the wall. "Come now, dear Pinkie. Where's that smile?" she said with a twisted smile, a trickle of blood oozing from new cut on her cheek.

"Leave me alone! I just want to be left alone! Go away! Get out of here! I don't want you to hurt me anymore!" Pinkie spouted, her fear and agony spilling out in a long plea for mercy.

Scootaloo's face began to darken as Pinkie continued to beg. The smile faded and rage began to spark deep in her eyes. "Stop talking," she hissed. Pinkie couldn't stop, her mindless babbling continued to come out in a raging flow. "SHUT UP!" Scootaloo yowled. The pegasus spun around and kicked the delirious pony solid in the jaw with her hind hooves.

Pinkie was instantly silenced. There was a feeling of release from the lower part of her mouth. She could no longer taste; no longer feel her lower jaw. It had happened so fast that she couldn't feel the pain that should've been in her face. Fresh blood warmed her chest as she looked down. Her lower jaw was lying there, soaking in the waterfall of blood gushing from her face. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed numbly to the bloody ground. Pinkie Pie's party had come to an end.