I made sure to wake myself up early, a decision that I would end up regretting immensely. I trotted downstairs, enticed by the pleasant aroma coming from the kitchen. Cadence was there making breakfast: pancakes with hay bacon.

A short time later, I had finished my breakfast and was walking to the door when…

“Honey?” She asked.

“Yeah?” I replied.

“Where are you going?” She said, finishing her bacon and plate.

"To work.” I said. “I have to talk to somepony.”

"Who?” She asked as she washed her plate. “And who were you talking to last night?”

“Some kid named Jet Black.” I said. “He was the former night guard. I just want to ask him something about the job, you know… tips from an old pro.”

“Well, all right.” She said, walking me to the hallway. “Remember to hurry back, and for the love of Celestia... be safe.”   We kissed each other a few times, and soon I walked out the door and the several blocks to the Party Palace. As I entered, I saw Fluttershy at the Stage, watching the animatronics with a group of kids.

"Fluttershy!” I said.

She turned her head and saw me, pushing her pink bangs out of her eyes as she did so. “Hi, Shining! What’s up?”

“I have to talk to Jet.” I said. “Is he here?”

“You met him?” She said.

“Yeah. He came by my place last night. I was hoping we could talk.” I said.

“Well, he is the day guard, so he’s in the same office you were in last night.” She said, pointing to the hallway.

“Alright, thanks.” I said, walking to the hallway.

“But, Shining.” She said.

“Yeah?”

"Be careful about what you say to him.” She said. “He’s got a lot going on in his life right now.”

I nodded. She turned back to the animatronics as they performed a comedy skit for the kids, something involving Applejack, Pinkie, Rarity, a giant pie, and hay bacon strips, several of them.

I walked down the hall to the security office. Jet was at the security desk, his face buried in his hooves as he watched something on a tablet. I could only make out one sentence.

"Let someone else carry the curse. You’re free now. After all... a deal's a deal.”  “Jet?” I said.

He didn’t look up, and only responded with a grunt.  

"Um... I was just wondering if you could help me.” I said. “Could you answer a couple of questions I have?”

“Promise you aren’t going to quit.” He said. “And that you won’t tell anypony. Then I’ll help you.” He said, not bothering to look up.  

“I promise Jet, don’t worry.” I said.  

He sighed and turned the tablet off, pushing it to the side and giving me his full attention.

"What do you need?” He asked.  

"I was just wondering... the animatronics... why are they doing this? HOW are they doing this?” I asked.  

"I’m just going to say that... if you know about the incident of ‘86, then you know.”  

“‘86? I think I remember that. Didn’t somepony kill a couple of kids that year in the old location?”  

He just stared at me for a while. “Yes. It was some despicable pony that deserves punishment for their crimes.” He said, the last part slowly turning into a whisper.  

"Do you have any tips?” I asked. “So I can have a better chance at surviving the night?”  

"Keep an eye on the cameras, keep the music box wound, and use the mask when you need it.” He said, his voice tinged with a tone of ‘seen-it-all’ disinterest. He got out of his chair.  

"Where are you going?” I asked.    

“I’m going to go look for Flutters.” He said.    

I decided to spend the rest of the day at home with Cadence. We were in the middle of talking about where our next vacation was going to be when she decided it was time for bed. An hour later… it was time to go back. I wasn’t ready for this. Not at all.    

I walked into the Party Palace and found myself speed-trotting to the office, not wanting to be next to any of the mechanical monstrosities when they came to life.  

I sat down at the desk and immediately picked up the tablet. When the phone rang, I nearly dropped the tablet, then wondered why there was no lanyard or something to keep me from dropping the bucker. I picked up the phone and put it on speaker.    

"Hey! Hey, man… uh, well... you made it to night two!” Jet said. “Congrats! It feels good huh?”    

“No.” I said. “This is the dumbest decision I’ve ever made in my life, next to entering that butter-eating contest at Canterlot U.”    

“Look, I know you don’t agree with me, but you can’t tell anypony. It’s just as simple as that.” He said.    

I just rolled my eyes and checked the stage. Everypony was in their proper place.    

"So… by now, you’ve probably found the back room with the old animatronics, right?” He said.    

I flipped the camera to the back room and saw the old animatronics. They were in their proper place as well. I flipped back to the stage and set the tablet down.    

“Well, they weren’t originally going to be back there. They were going to be fixed and maybe upgraded with the latest tech, but the higher-ups just thought they were too ugly to use and just not that cost-effective to upgrade. It’s just the way they look too metallic and, sometimes, dead-eyed. ‘Who’d take their kids to see that?’ They asked themselves. So they just lay back there, now just a ready source for spare parts. I don’t really agree with that… but it’s too late now. Oh well, mistakes happen, I guess.” He said.    

“What do you mean? Why don’t you agree with it?” I said.    

"No reason... but it’s okay. They shouldn’t be able to move around during the night… but if they do, the Pinkie Pie head trick should work on them.” He chuckled nervously.    

"Wait? What!? They move, too?” I asked in astonishment, checking the back room again.    

"Uh… maybe?” He said, nervously. “But, it’s okay. Flutters and I really like the old models, did you know that? Yeah… Did you ever see Rainbow Dash?”    

“Yeah. She was my favorite as a colt.” I said, watching Applejack in the party room, staring at me.    

"Yeah…. Rainbow… oh, Faust… Rainbow Dash. Um… listen, that one was always a bit…. twitchy… to say the least. And, unfortunately, the whole Pinkie Pie head trick thing won’t work on her… believe me. I nearly had a heart attack the first time I tried it and she just kept charging ahead. So, if you see her, or any of the other old animatronics, just flash them with your flashlight. They’ll go into a little “reset mode”... thing... and leave you alone.”.    

I decided it was time to wind up the music box again, and did so as he spoke.    

"Oh, and make sure to wind up the music box while I’m talking, too.” He said.    

"Don’t worry, I am.” I said, just as the wind-up meter hit full.    

"All right. Make sure to keep on that. I never really liked that puppet thing… every time I see it, it’s face just looks like it’s thinking…maybe I’m paranoid, but it looks like it’s planning something.”  

“Planning what?”    

“I don’t know. I’m probably going crazy or something. But hey, good luck tonight. I’ve gotta go now. It’s date night and I’ve got to pick up Flutters soon. See ya.”    

“See ya.” I said as I hung up the phone. “Another night in the trenches. Here we go.”    

I flipped to the party room and saw Applejack was gone. Oh, Faust, where did she go? I flipped through until I found her next to a vent in another party room.    

"Well, hi there, buckface.” I said. “Don’t even think about going through that vent.”    

I flipped back to the Stage and saw that Rarity had decided stretch her legs and leave as well. I flipped to the main hall and saw her there, just staring at me. I wouldn’t have been scared if she were alone... but next to her I saw… what the buck was that? It looked like… Rainbow Dash?    

This Rainbow Dash looked absolutely nightmarish. It had two heads. One head had an exoskeleton, but the jaw was hanging open, revealing the inner set of teeth. It only had one eye as well. The other head didn’t have an exoskeleton,and had the other eye attached. The creature didn’t have a body. It was just a pile of robotic parts and a Rainbow Dash head, along with three hooves. It looked like the creature in that movie… what was it… Kurt Muzzle was in it… “The Thing!” That’s it! It looked like a mechanical version of the Thing had been interrupted in the process of assimilating Rainbow Dash. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a flamethrower on hand.    

I jumped several feet out of my chair when I heard the phone ring.    

“Dude!” Jet said when I put it on speaker. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I forgot to tell you something.”    

"What?” I asked.    

“In Kid’s Cove, we have a Rainbow Dash. We were originally going to keep her there to keep fillies and colts occupied, but, you know kids… they can never keep their hands to themselves, you know? So, after several shifts of putting her back together, we just kept her in there as a ‘build it yourself’ thing. And you need to keep an eye on her, okay? You don’t want her to get out.”    

"Jet?” I heard a soft voice in the background say. “Where are you?”    

“Crap! Gotta go! Remember, don’t let Mangled Rainbow get out!” He said as he hung up.    

I looked back at Rarity and… what I guess was called the ‘Mangled Rainbow,’ just staring at me, smiling slasher smiles.    

I set the tablet down and checked the vents: clear on both counts. I checked the hallway flashlight, and found it wasn’t working.    

"Horse apples.” I said, following that old saying “If it doesn’t work, try it eight more times and maybe it’ll work then.” I pushed it over and over again until it finally did work. When it did, I had a massive panic attack. Rainbow Dash was standing at the end of the hallway, in flight position and ready to pounce.    

I put the head on, but soon remembered that Jet said it wouldn’t work on her. I started to flash her with the flashlight, praying to Celestia that she’d go away.    

"Go away!” I said. “NOPONY LIKES YOU!!!!”    I stopped flashing when I remembered… oh, horse apples... the music box. When I was winding it up, I heard… oh, Faust… it was very faint, but clear.    

"Hello.”    

I looked up from the tablet and looked around.    

"No.” I said. “No, no, no, no, no, no, no, noooooooooooo.”    

I heard it again and checked the vents, stopping at the left one as I saw that  creepy little dragon animatronic there, smiling at me, his eyes boring into my tortured soul.    

I flipped to the Game Area camera then back to the vent, repeating this in the hopes that he would go away. That is, I did  until an orange, mechanical hoof wrenched the tablet out of my hooves.    

I looked up, and there was the old Applejack standing there, her Terminator-style red eyes staring right into the part of my soul that the dragon had left untouched. That the top part of her head was missing was what really did it for me. Instinct soon took over, forcing me to raise my hooves up and pull the Pinkie Pie head onto me. The room’s lights began to flash, as if in a light-switch rave. When the lights finally stabilized, Applejack was gone, and I was alive. Thank Faust.    

I stood there for a while, not daring to remove the head. After a while, my nerves finally calmed down enough for me to try lifting the head. Once I did so, I wound up the music box. I soon looked at the cameras and saw… horse apples, Toy Pinkie was off the stage and at the Game Area.    

I put the tablet down and checked the hallway. Rainbow Dash was still standing there. She was ready to try again. I prepared the flashlight… and then I heard it.    

6:00 AM had come. I had survived another night. I fell back into my chair, sighing in relief.    

I got up and ran out the door, running the several blocks that led me home.    

I slowed down and came to a stop. I couldn’t let Cadence know what was going on. I stood outside and took in deep breaths to control my breathing. Couldn’t look nervous.  

I opened the door. Thankfully, Cadence was sleeping.  

I walked to the bathroom and ran the sink, splashing water on my face. I wanted to stand there and think long and hard about my future at Pinkie’s Party Palace and what I’d like to do to Jet, but I was too wrapped up in thought that, thank Celestia, I was alive for at least one more day.  

I walked back to bed and laid down next to my wife. I could tell she had just taken a shower: that was her Neighbelline shampoo I was smelling. She looked as gorgeous as ever. I planted a kiss on her forehead. It’s funny how nearly getting torn apart by murderous machines makes you appreciate the good things in life.    

I rolled over and went to sleep. expecting to have the sweetest of sweet dreams, but instead, I was greeted with nightmares of the animatronics, that evil-looking dragon… and that… Mangled Rainbow…. Next Chapter: Night 3: Balloon Dragon Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 16 Minutes