Twilight Sparkle was turning ten this year. May 8th was on Sunday and it was Saturday afternoon.  Twilight, being a terrible pony at dropping hints, her mother brought her to the 99 cent stores, letting her choose her own birthday present.

“Now, just look around and let me know if you see anything. I’ll be looking at novels over there.” Her mother had told her. A knick-knack here, a curio there; it was a quaint little shop.  Twilight didn’t know what to get; there were so many things to choose from.

She’d just about settled on an odd pony doll with five hooves (She liked strange things, what are you going to do?), when she saw it in the window display.  It was a new-looking rag doll with buttons for eyes. “Oh, he's so handsome!” she said, in awe of the beauty of the doll. She happily skipped to her mother and brandished the doll. Mrs. Sparkle raised the doll up like Twilight did.

“Wow.  Um... you really want this doll?"  Twilight nodded as a response.  "Well... alright.  Go ahead and buy it."

Twilight happily trotted to the front counter.  

“I’d like to buy this doll, please, sir.” she asked politely.

The old man squinted at the doll and said “Oh no, you wouldn’t want that doll.”

Confused, she asked “What? Of course I want this doll.”

He just shook his head and said “Well, alright, but…” His next words were mumbled under his breath. She took the doll off the counter and held onto it as Mrs. Sparkle paid for a few books.

On the way home, she couldn’t stop looking at the doll. He looked a little sad that nopony wanted to buy him.  But I bought him.  He shouldn't be so lonely anymore. “… Smarty Pants. His name shall be Smarty Pants.” She hugged the doll tight on the way home.

Upon even closer inspection after arriving home, she noticed a flaw. Smarty Pants only had one button eye. Twilight pinned this as weird, but nothing is perfect. After playing with the doll for the entire day, it was bedtime at 9:00. She left Smarty Pants in the living room along with her other dolls.   Her mother kissed her good night and walked down the stairs to her bedroom.

Twilight had lovely dreams, her playing with a living Smarty Pants in a meadow and dreams such as that. Then she awoke, hearing clacking. Tiny, but audible clacking hoofsteps. They grew in volume, sounding like they were getting closer to Twilight's room. Then there was high-pitched mumbling. Twilight stopped whimpering and listened closely. “… first step. Smarty Pants on the second step, Smarty Pants on the third.”

Refusing to take anymore, Twilight yelled out “Mommy, mommy! Come quick!”

The tiny footsteps pattered away as Mrs. Sparkle rushed to her daughter’s room. “What, what, what?”

        “Mommy, I heard footsteps and I think it was Smarty Pants!”

Her mother sighed, unhappy at being woken up at 11:15 at night. She took Twilight and turned on the light in the living room. Twilight hadn’t moved an inch from her position. Twilight unhappily went back to bed as her mother left to rest.

She managed to get 30 minutes of rest before the sing-song chanting and clacking returned. The chanting continued past three. “Smarty's on the fourth step, Smarty's on the fifth step, Smarty's on the sixth.”

Calling her mother again, Twilight insists she believes its Smarty Pants who’s making the noises. Another check-up on Smarty reveals no change.

“Twilight Sparkle, I really am getting tired of this act. Smarty Pants is a doll, he can’t walk, he can’t talk, and there’s nothing to be scared of.” Twilight looked uneasily at Smarty. The longer she stared, the more Smarty's expression looked malicious. “I have to work overtime tomorrow, and you have magic school, so please sleep and forget about Smarty. She’ll seem less scary during the day.”

“Ah… Oh… Alright, mommy.” She sullenly climbs the stairs to her room and lies in bed. She manages to get some sleep when the clacking and chanting come back. It exceeded the sixth step and continued. There were only 12 steps to her room. “Smarty's on the seventh step,Smarty's on the eighth step, Smarty's on the ninth.”

“M-m-mommy!” she couldn’t help yelling out. Her mother didn’t respond. “Smarty's on the tenth step, Smarty's on the eleventh step…” “MOTHER!!!” she screamed out. Silence was her response.

“Smarty's on the twelfth.”

There was silence in those heart-pounding seconds. But the doorknob jangling broke the silence. The door creaked open. There stood Smarty, holding a steak knife, all bloody. Twilight scrambled under her bed, hoping Smarty didn’t see her. “Smarty killed your mommy. Now Smarty's gonna kill you~” She grabbed Twilight by the hair and pulled her from under the bed. Pointing the knife towards the crying little girl and said “Smarty's in your room.”

On the corner of Canterlot road and 24th Avenue, Smarty is still in the window display, in the 99 cent store, still run by the same old man. He's waiting for another victim.

And did I tell you?  Smarty got two new eyes recently.  Two beautiful, real looking purple eyes.