I looked at the ad again, reading it over again to make sure this is something I’d want.

“Pinkie’s Party Palace!” It read. “A great place for kids and grown ups alike, where friendship and magic are the same! This place is a place for friends who are loyal, generous, honest, kind, and can always turn a friends frown upside down!”

This place was hiring for a night guard, and I need a job. I looked up at the building, seeing the great colors of the place and how much the children entering were filled with excitement.

The Party Palace was always deemed to be the most kid friendly restaurant in Equestria, and if not, then it’s pretty high up there.

I’ve been to the Party Palace a couple of times when I was a kid, it was amazing. Pinkie Pie and her friends could always turn someponies frown upside down.

But then there was an incident, and the restaurant was closed for a couple of days while a trial went on against the pony who murdered some kids and shoved them into the animatronic suits.

I just want to know why. Why would he or she do that? What would drive them to do that?

But that didn’t matter anyways, right now I need a job to support me and my wife. I previously had a job as a newspaper delivery pony, but quit when I found this job that payed more than paper delivery.

I already sent my resume, now I just needed to meet the manager and get the job.

The manager was apparently some different pony than when I was a kid. I always loved the old manager. His cheerful attitude, his positive attitude towards things, and his way to make kids smile. After he disappeared he was replaced with a young mare that was too shy to even speak to anypony. I always wondered what did happen to him.

I walked into the building and was greeted to an amazingly clean restaurant. It surprised me just how clean the current manager kept the place. I looked to the floor and saw my reflection. The walls were covered with drawings made by little colts and fillies, all of them depicting a happy pony family. One thing I noticed is that there was a lot of drawings made by some filly named ‘Apple Bloom.’ Whoever that is.

I walked down the entrance area and found the Stage, tons of little kids were all cheering as Pinkie and her friends sang their famous song, ‘Smile.’

I didn’t really know what to do when I got there. This was a different location than the last time I was here, and I was now in unfamiliar territory.

"Excuse me?” I heard a voice say.

I turned to my right to see two stallions standing there. One of them was a bald blue pegasus wearing a hockey mask. The other was a red earth pony with a black and white mane and sunglasses.

“Are you Shining Armor?” The earth pony said.

“Yes.” I said.

“You can find Fluttershy’s office down the main hall, which can be found that way.” The earth pony said.

“Alright, thanks.” I said.

“Don’t mention it.” The pegasus said through his mask.

I walked through the door I was directed to and found my way to a large hallway that seemed to go on forever.

I found a door at the end, as well as a large room with a desk, and entered the room through the door.

I entered the room, silence was all around. The only sound in the room was from the ceiling fan and the sound of the pen writing on papers.

I closed the door, making sure to keep it silent and the yellow mare looked up at me.

“Ah, hello.” She said. “Can I help you?”

“Uh, my name’s Shining Armor.” I said. “I’m here for the night guard job.”

“Ah yes, Shining Armor.” She said, reaching into a cabinet. “Please, have a seat.”

I sat down on the chair and she pulled out a piece of paper that I think is my resume.

She read it over, giving a couple of approving slow nods.

“Well, Mr. Shining.” She said. “I don’t see any reason why not to hire you.”    I was pretty happy by this, if I failed this then I would be forced to go back to my Faust-awful old job. “Thank you Ms. Fluttershy.” I said.

“Well, I bet somepony will need to show you around the place so you can get acquainted with the place.” She said, getting up and walking to the door.

I got up and followed her as she showed me around the building. We got to the Stage area and Fluttershy took me to a big shed looking place in the Stage area. She opened the door and, judging by all of the stuffed animals, I knew this was the prize counter where kids trade in their tokens for prizes.

Fluttershy closed the door and wound up a music box that was starting to slow down.

“The last night guard wants me to keep this wound up whenever I’m in here.” She explained.

Why? Why does he or she want that?

“Well, this is the prize counter.” She said. “Any questions about the places you’ve seen so far?”

I shook my head and she took me out and down the long hallway again. She took me to the room at the end and told me this was where the night guards work.

“What’s this thing?” I said, poking a Pinkie Pie animatronic suit head above the chair.

Fluttershy just groaned to herself upon seeing it. “It was put there by the previous night guard. I don’t know why he does these things.” She started mumbling to herself, but loud enough that I could hear her. “First hating the new place, then the late night stress, then the hatred to the prize counter, then adding that. I swear.”

“I take it you don’t agree with some of the things he does?” I asked, it was pretty stupid since anypony would think it would be obvious.

“Yes. No. I don’t know.” She said.

“What does that mean?” I said.

“Ever since we moved to this new location he’s been acting strange. He seems almost, unhinged.” The last part lowering down to a whisper.    “‘Unhinged?’” I said.

“He just seems to talk to himself. And he barely spends any time here other than when it’s his shift for work. And he added that head above the chair, he made the electrical team add lights to the vents. He also made them add a remote so he can turn on flashlights remotely.” She said. “I keep asking what’s wrong, but he never tells. He only says he’s doing it for me.”

I looked down at the floor.

‘What’s wrong with that guy?’ I wondered.

“I don’t know, but we’re working through it together.” She said, walking out the door. “You're shift starts at midnight.”

I looked back at the Pinkie Pie head and left, wondering what was going on with that guy.

I spent the rest of the day with my wife, watching our favorite movies.

When midnight hit I let her walk to bed and kissed her good night. I went to the Party Palace and the animatronics looked different. I couldn’t explain it, but they didn’t seem the same.

I ignored it, figuring it was because it was dark, and walked down the hall to the night guard office. The phone rang as soon as I sat down.

I picked up the phone and put it on speaker.

"Hello, hello hello? Uh, if you're hearing this, then you've made a very poor career choice my friend." Next Chapter: Night 1: The Visitor Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 35 Minutes