“Silver? Silver?! SILVER SCREEN!”

My eyes shot open as those words were spoken, the shock nearly sending me off my chair and to the floor.

“What the hay?!” I shouted as I looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. As my synapses slowly began to fire, I saw a familiar red-and-black pegasus stallion. It was my employee and surrogate little brother Jet Black standing there.

“Hi, Jet. Now that you’ve got my attention, what’s up?” I asked.

“It’s nine. We’re open.” He replied. “Just wanted to let you know.”

“Ah.” I said as I started to rub the sleep out of my eyes. “Alright.”

As I got to my hooves and stretched, Jet gave me a concerned look.

“Are you okay?” Jet asked. “You don’t really look all that awake.”

“Yes Jet, I’m fine.” I replied, trying to smooth out the wrinkles in my favorite Hawaiian shirt. “I was just up all night working on something.”

“What is it?”

I smiled as I took out a paper from my desk and unrolled it. I had decided to show Jet the blueprints for what I called my masterpiece. Jet examined it for a bit before asking what it was.

“It’s the future of the restaurant, Jet.” I said.

Jet stared at it some more. “What the buck is it? Is it supposed to be a mare or a stallion?”

My face fell. “You can’t tell it’s a mare? Really?” I asked. Jet shook his head.

“No, I don’t see it.” He said. “It looks more metallic and creepy than anything.”

I sighed. “Eh, it’s a work in progress. This is the third piece of the puzzle that will put this restaurant on the map. We’ve got the first two, we just need to get this one done.” I said.

“Can I see the other two?” He asked, intrigued.

“Sorry Jet, but no.” I put the blueprints away and turned to him.

“What’d you come in fo- Oh yeah! Time for Silver to make his rounds.”

I trotted to the door and opened it. I reveled in the ensuing sight.

The main room of the restaurant was crawling with little colts and fillies wandering about. They all had in their hooves either pizza, a drink, or a little toy from home. They were either wandering around laughing and giggling playing the games set up around the place, or they were sitting in front of the large television set, enjoying a nice movie.

This sight… the sight of kids happily spending time at Silver Screen’s Ponyplex Theater… it always warmed my heart. I watched Jet trot off to either take care of his duties or try and fail to flirt with Fluttershy, whichever came first. I took a stroll around the main room, asking everypony how they were doing, catching up with them, asking if they needed anything, and making sure the kids picked up after themselves.

“Uh… Silver?” I heard Jet ask.

“What’s going on Jet, my bro... my man?” I replied, trying to sound hip. The awkward look he gave me told me that I had failed. I rubbed the back of my head, nervously chuckling as I realize how weird that must have been for him.

“Uh… What’s going on Jet?” I asked.

“Silver, are you feeling okay?” He asked back.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

“I don’t know. I just thought that with… you know… you’d be pretty messed up or something.”

“Jet, the accident... It’s been almost two years. I’m completely fine now.”

“Alright, I’m just making sure my older bro’s okay.” He sighed. “I feel bad for that poor stallion… losing his sister like that… and no chance for her to survive…”

“Jet.” I said. “Please… drop it.”

-----------------

I remembered what happened like it was yesterday…

It was a chilly night, chillier than usual. My trenchcoat flapped in the breeze as I trotted home, the restaurant safely locked up for the night. I was whistling a random tune.  

BOOOOOMMM!!!!!!

I ran towards the direction of the noise, and found a house on fire. After running to a nearby payphone and calling the fire department, I stood by and waited. Then…

“HELP! HELP US, PLEASE!”

I looked up to see a colt, about seventeen, at the window on the second floor. His orange coat and blue mane were singed, and he started coughing like a chain smoker. I knew he wouldn’t last long, and the fire department was a ways away… I had to do something. I ran up to the door and rammed it as hard as I could. The door flew off the hinges, more due to being weakened by the fire than any strength on my part. Taking a few breaths, I then ran inside.

I didn’t believe what I was doing at the time, knowing that I could have died, but I just had to try.

I dashed up the steps to the second floor, breathing in smoke and coughing. As flames danced around me, I made my way to the door at the end of the hallway. I checked the door with the back of a hoof, then opened it. The colt turned to face me.

“Forget about me!” He shouted. “My sister… she’s down the hall… get her out first!”

“Come with me!” I shouted. “Come on!”

“Get her out! Please…” was all the colt could get out before he fell to the floor, passed out. I managed to get him onto my back and then headed for the stairs.

“Help!” I heard a girl’s voice shout.

“I’ll come back for you, sweetheart!” I shouted. “I promise!”

Getting the colt down the stairs was tricky, as I had to go slow to keep him from falling off my back. After a few moments, we were down the stairs and out the door. I set him down on the front lawn, the air rich with the sounds of fire truck sirens. I turned around to go back in... and that’s when I saw the most heart wrenching sight of my life…

The building, having taken all the punishment the fire could dish out, had taken too much. As I watched in horror, the house collapsed.

“That filly.” I said to myself. “She was… oh, Celestia…”

I fell to the ground, sobbing. I had broken my promise… I felt worthless… I couldn’t save her...

It was at that point that the paramedics led me away so the fireponies could do their work. It was then that I heard…

“WHY DIDN’T YOU SAVE HER?!?!”

The colt was up and headed toward me, followed by the paramedics. He was pissed.

“I was going to go back in…” I started.

“YOU SHOULD HAVE HELPED HER!” The colt shouted. He turned to the flaming wreckage and fell to the ground. He then raised his head up high and unleashed an ear-splitting wail of sorrow and grief. My heart broke further. After a few moments, he shakily got to his hooves, then turned to me, his eyes filled with rage.

“YOU MOTHERBUCKER! YOU KILLED HER!!! YOU BUCKING KILLED MY SISTER!!!! YOU’RE A MONSTER!!! I SWEAR TO FAUST THAT SOMEDAY, SOMEDAY YOU’LL PAY FOR THIS!!! THERE’S OTHER JUSTICES IN THIS WORLD BESIDES THE LAW!!!”

Had a firepony not gotten in the way, the colt would have bucked me into next week.

Not a day goes by that I don’t remember what happened… that I don’t remember my failure… that I don’t hear the words of that colt… but, I had to soldier on. My children needed me, after all, and I wasn’t going to let them down like I did that filly.

-----------------------

“Oh… I’m sorry, man..” Jet said.

“It’s fine, Jet.” I replied. “I’m gonna be alright… it’s just going to take time.”

“I’ll be here to make sure my big bro’s okay.”

“And I’ll be here to help my little bro any way that I can.”

Jet and I hoofbumped, after which he looked out towards the main room. He must have spotted Fluttershy, because he bolted away from me faster than Derpy toward a pile of free muffins. I chuckled to myself. They’d be wed someday, I could feel it.

The rest of the day went on like it normally did: the children watched the movies I played for them in awe, I put on a short little puppet show with help from Jet, Jet tried to flirt with Fluttershy, and then at eight at night, we closed up and headed for home. For a while, I debated whether we should have a night guard… but I figured that the only thing worth stealing would be my movie collection, so I dropped the idea.

As I trotted home, I could swear I heard hoofsteps behind me. I turned around… nothing.

Still jumpy after two years… I thought. I kept walking. I got a few more feet… and I swear I heard hoofsteps again… I turned around… nothing.

I started to pick up the pace, slightly panicked. I heard the hoofsteps again. I went to turn around again… and I felt a dull thwack to the back of my skull. I fell to the ground in a daze, As the darkness overtook me, I saw an orange shape holding… something… in its mouth.

------------------------

“Come on…. Wake up….” I heard a voice call out that sounded both near and far. “Don’t you dare be dead you motherbucker….” I felt something slap my face. “WAKE UP!!!!”

Black. All I saw was black.

I searched through the darkness, hoping for even the smallest hint of light. There was none.

I felt a rustling around me. I closed my eyes tight as the bag was taken off my head. I found myself staring into the blue eyes of the orange stallion in front of me.

He ran his hoof through his blue mane and walked to the side, hitting me in the face with his wing as he moved.

“Well, look who’s awake! I guess that you’re wondering where you are, aren’t you?” He asked.

“No.” I said. “I’m wondering who you are.”    

He turned to me, a baseball bat in between his teeth. He dropped it to answer my question.    

“The moniker’s Flash Sentry.” He picked the bat up with his mouth again and tried to communicate as best he could.

“I want you to help me with something.” He said. “I need to get revenge on somepony.”    

“Who?” I asked.    

“A pony… a pony who needs to feel pain for what he did.” He said, putting the bat on a table next to me. “He must be punished… SEVERELY…”

He hung over the table for a bit, as if in thought. I took the moment to get my bearings. The only light I could see was from the light from the lamp above me. I couldn’t see anything other than the two tables next to me and the stallion.    

I looked at the stallion and noticed... he was talking... to himself.    

“He can help us.” He whispered to himself. “But what if he doesn’t? What if he just gets the police like the others?”    

“Excuse me?” I asked. His head shot up and his eyes stared straight into the darkness. “Who are you talking to?”    

“Nopony.” He said. “Look... Silver Screen...” He grabbed me by the front of my Hawaiian shirt and pulled me close, my face right up against his.

“You’re going to help me. And if you tell anypony… I have creative ways of making you regret it...”

I gulped in agreement.

He let me go and nodded. “Good. Now, you start tomorrow.”

“What do you want me to do?” I asked.

“I want you to find some poor, innocent, adorable little foal… And slaughter it.”

“What!?” I asked, my eyes bulging from their sockets.

“You heard me. I need you to kill some foal. And it’s going to be a girl... kill it.” He said. “Oh… and you’re not going home tonight to possibly try something cute. You’ll tell somepony about this meeting, won’t you? But if you stay here... then I can keep an eye on you.” He grabbed the bat and put it down next to him, a sadistic grin on his face. “And I’ll be with you every second of every minute of every hour until I see you slaughter the foal. I’m gonna be your bucking shadow.”

I gulped as my brain locked up. He wanted me to kill somepony… that would have been bad enough, but he wanted me to kill a foal… Oh Faust, help me.

We wound up engaging in a staring contest. Since I couldn’t fall asleep, it became a question of who would fall asleep first. If he dozed off, maybe I could get away and get to the police… get this crazy bucker put behind bars…

It was hopeless… he was fueled by pure insanity. He didn’t need sleep… but I did…

My eyelids grew heavier… heavier… heavier…

--------------------

I was woken up by a slap.

“Wake the buck up. It’s time.” He said, with a grin that made every hair on my neck stand up.

The bag was shoved onto my head. He then route marched me up a flight of stairs and through wherever we were until I felt a cool breeze. As the bag was wrenched away, the sudden light burned my eyes and I squeezed them shut. I took a moment to adjust to the light before opening them again to see… my front porch. The bastard knew where I lived...

“I needed to make sure I could do this.” He said as he trotted out my front door, a bag strapped to his side. “Now come on… it’s time to go to work.”

The walk over to the Ponyplex was the longest walk I’d ever had. Flash was behind me, prodding me forward with a hoof. I was praying that something would happen… a storm, a tornado, an invasion of hungry aliens from the planet Zizzabottawaddawaddaboinkboink-3… anything that would keep me from going to the restaurant… unfortunately, it was a bright and cheery day. Oh, goody...

As we reached the restaurant, Flash whispered in my ear “Not a word… or else.” I gulped. I stopped at the doors and opened them, as Flash walked in ahead of me and turned, giving me the biggest, scariest slasher smile he could muster. As I followed, he whispered in my ear.

“I brought the knife. It’s in my bag. All you have to do is find some poor foal, and if you don’t... then maybe I’ll go after some ponies closer to you before I actually get to you.”

“What ponies?” I asked.

“Oh… these two…” He whispered as he forced a couple Polaroids into my hoof. I looked down… my heart sank… the pictures were of Jet outside his house, Fluttershy outside her cottage, and the three of us together… Oh, Faust. I couldn’t let him hurt them, but at the same time I couldn’t hurt a poor, innocent foal.

“You wouldn’t.” I hissed.

“Try me.” He replied. “Get going, meatsack! CHOOSE!” I felt a hoof fly into my back and I looked at him fearfully. He just groaned and looked out to the crowd, soon pointing his hoof to a small purple unicorn foal running around and giggling happily.

“Her.” He said, his voice tinged with bloodlust.

“Flash... “ I said.

“Her.” He said firmly. “Now, Silver. Now!”

I lowered my head and walked to the little foal. “H-Hey… There…. Uh…. H-How are you?” I asked.

“I’m good!” She replied as if she was the happiest being in Equestria. “I’m here for my big brother’s birthday! I’ve been so excited to come here I felt like I was about to burst!” She jumped up in excitement, her horn sparking.

I gulped and looked back to Flash. He just gave me a menacing slasher smile and nodded. “W-Well how about you follow me and….” I looked back to Flash. “Hi. I’m Silver Screen, I own this place and I think that you’d like to see something a-a-awesome.”

“I know who you are, and what is it Mr. Silver Screen?” She asked.

“..... Sadly, the future of the company……” I said.

“Don’t you like it?” She asked.

“No, but I thought I’d get a child’s perspective on it. I’m hoping that children would like it.” I said.

“Really? And you want me to check it out!? Yes!” She jumped up and circled around me.

“Y-Yeah…” I said, lamenting what was to come.

Flash and I walked her to the back room, which was only accessible with my skeleton key. I knew Flash was going to kill me… he knew I’d tell the police if I were to get away. But I was racking my brain, trying to find some way that I could get out of this predicament without him killing me and the foal himself right now… and I had nothing. It was like my brain had locked up from the stress.

I closed and locked the door, shuddering. I turned on the light and saw the foal staring in awe at the animatronics that would have made the company big… that would have put us ahead technologically compared to others… that would have made us a bigger name across all Equestria. I would never be able to have the pleasure of kicking Colt Whinny’s dead ass in the area of children’s entertainment.

The foal stared in awe at my creations, especially at the yellow one. She looked over to the black and white one and shuddered slightly at the sight. She turned to the one without an exoskeleton and cocked her head to the side slightly. “What’s this one?” She asked.

“That’s one that we’re still making the outer suit for… well we have it...” I looked over at the purple suit nearby, a featureless lump that barely resembled a pony and really needed to be redesigned. “We just need to redesign it because… well… it just ain’t working...”

“Alright, Silver. Cut the crap.” Flash whispered. I turned as a knife was pressed into my hooves. “You know what to do.” In his mouth, he held a bat. Crap. He knew I’d use the knife against him…

I looked at the knife before hesitantly taking it from his hooves. I turned and saw the foal staring back at the animatronics. I slowly made my way over to her before feeling the bat prod me forward, causing me to move right behind her.

I looked down at her, my hooves shaking.

“I prefer the eyes, but you can also stab directly into the brain if you want.” Flash whispered to me. “But make sure she doesn’t make a bucking sound. Or else.”

I gulped and closed my eyes. I raised the knife…

Celestia forgive me…

I brought the knife down...

----------------

I sat in a corner, huddled up in a ball as Flash shoved her body inside of the purple animatronic suit. “Come on… Get in there you little…” He let out a sigh as he finally shoved her inside. “There… Now that that’s done.” He put the head back on and walked to me, the knife gripped in his hooves.

He looked down at me and shook his head. “SIlver… You look so pathetic huddled up on the floor…. Weak, traumatized, horrified, terrified. But you know what? You had this coming.”

I didn’t pay him any attention, I just stayed there and felt the tears flow as my emotional dam burst.

“You were in an accident about two years ago, right?” He said. I looked at him one last time, as best as one could through tears… and it finally clicked. I remembered him. The stallion… I remembered him...

“My sister is gone now.” He continued. “But she stayed… up here…” He pointed to his head. “And we’ve been planning on some way to make you pay.” He gripped the knife tighter. “We would kill this precious company of yours… then we would kill you.”

He had me cornered. I didn’t care. I had betrayed everything I stood for. I had murdered a child. Sure, I was coerced into it, but it still stood… I took an innocent life… He stood above me.

“Just make it quick.” I said.

The last sound I heard was the bat caving in my skull.

“Hey, Fluttershy… You seen Silver anywhere?” I asked.

“No, Jet. I haven’t.” She replied.

“I haven’t seen him all day. I’m worried.”

“I’m sure he’s here somewhere, Jet. I mean, the place is open.”

“I know… but where is he? He’s usually mingled with the kids by now.”

“Maybe he’s sick and he went home early. Poor thing… I hope he’s okay…”

Shoving Silver’s lifeless body into the black and white suit was not easy whatsoever. It took a lot of sweat and effort. Should have laid off the pizza, you bucking tub, However, it will be worth it to see this place crumble. I took his key out of the pocket of his ridiculous shirt and left the room, making sure nopony saw me. I locked the door behind me and turned to leave.

I left the Ponyplex Theater with a smile on my face. A smile wider than any smile I could have ever had. I was just happy... I had finally gotten my revenge on him, the stallion who murdered my sister.

And today was the day that everything changed. Today is the day when the entire foundations of Silver Screen’s Ponyplex Theater would crumble down to the ground.

I woke up early, kissing Fluttershy on the forehead before I left my house. I always did this when I left home to look for them… the animatronics.

I spent every night hunting them down. If they hurt or killed another innocent pony, it would be more blood on my hands. I couldn’t let any more innocent blood be spilled.

I had been searching since last year, when they disappeared from the police impound. Shining didn’t know... in fact, we barely kept in touch these days. I don’t know what he’s doing, but I would be pretty safe in assuming that he’s making plans to move as far away from this city as he possibly can.

But I wouldn’t… I can’t. Fluttershy often asked if I’d like to move somewhere else, start over... but I always shot it down.

I couldn’t leave.

This city was my home.

The animatronic demons were my curse to bear.

Let someone else carry this curse. You're free now. After all... a deal's a deal.

And I wouldn’t stop until I found them.

No. I'm gonna own this curse... and I'm gonna use it against you. Whenever innocent blood is spilt, it'll be my father's blood... and you'll find me there. A spirit of vengeance... fighting fire with fire.

Did I find them? Oh, yes, I found them. But… what I found was the animatronics and something else. The other thing I found… was the truth… and to be honest… I kind of wished I had taken Fluttershy’s offer to move back home to Manehattan when I had the chance...