I woke up early in a cold sweat, fighting to catch my breath. The nightmare was horrible. I looked around and saw Cadence… lovely, faithful, understanding Cadence. I considered waking her up, but I felt she needed her sleep. I got dressed and walked out the door, heading to the Party Palace.

I walked through the front door, and found Fluttershy and Jet in the Stage. They were in a heated argument.    The sight alone of meek little Fluttershy raising her voice at Jet told me that getting involved was a bad idea.

They kept arguing for a while, and eventually Jet just stormed off, saying, “I do it for you and I do it for them!”

Jet shoved past me as I trotted over to Fluttershy, her head down. “What happened?” I asked.

Fluttershy’s head popped up. “Jet wants me to move you to the day shift and him back to the night shift.” She said, looking down.

“Why?” I asked.

“I don’t know.” She said, her voice a whisper. “Do you think you could talk to him?”

“I don’t know what I can do, but I’ll try.” I said.

I trotted to the game area. Jet was behind the prize counter, fuming. Getting behind the counter, I saw him next to the music box, staring at a bigger box at the end of the room.  

“Jet? What’s going on?” I asked

“I still don’t trust you.” He said to the box. “You always have that look on your face… you always look like you're thinking. It’s because you’re not like the rest, are you?” He trotted to the box, and kicked it slightly with a forehoof. “Then what are you?”    

“Jet? Who are you talking to?” I asked.  

Jet flinched, snapping back to reality. “Uhh, nopony.” He said, trotting to the door. “Wind the music box if you’re going to be in here… It can still move during the day.”    

I looked at the music box. Good advice. I thought, as I wound the box up.    

I trotted out the door and saw Jet trotting to the security office. Fluttershy trotted up to me.

“Did you find out what’s wrong?” Fluttershy asked. I ignored her and trotted to the office. Jet was seated at the desk, reading a well-worn book. His front hoof covered the title, but the cover looked familiar. All I could make out were the words “Long ago, he made a deal to save someone he loved.”  

“Why wouldn’t you leave?” I asked. “The job’s making you crazy. Now I hear you want back on the night shift Why in the buck do you want it?”

“I just need it…. It’s my job now.” He said. He put the book away, but with the position of his hoof as he held it, I still couldn’t make out the title.

“I need to go find some things… I need to know why it hates us.”    

“What? What’s the ‘it’?” I asked.    

“The one pulling the strings… the puppet master.” He said. “I don’t know how it’s doing it or why it’s doing it… but, by Faust, I need to know.”  

“You are one crazy, mysterious, bucked-up stallion, you know that?” I asked.    

“No. I’m just some kid from Buckklyn.” He said as he trotted down the hallway.  

Cadence decided that some fresh air would do the both of us good, so we went to Hayburgers for lunch. As we sat outside in the warm weather, Cadence was tucking into a Quarter Baler with Cheese, while I poked at my hay nuggets and horseshoe fries, trying to force Jet’s strange behavior from my mind.    

“So, how’s work been so far?” She asked, taking a bite from her burger.    

“It’s okay.” I said, biting into a nugget.    

“Is it completely boring?” She asked.  

“It keeps me on the edge of my seat.” I said.    

She looked up at me with a face that just read ‘are you being serious right now?’ all over it.    

“Yeah. It’s pretty exciting.” I said. She continued to give me a look, so I started laughing. This was apparently enough to defuse any suspicions, as she started laughing as well.

We finished lunch and trotted home, and I was temporarily at peace. Just being with my very special somepony was enough to drive away the horror, at least temporarily. I wanted to tell Cadence about my troubles… just wanted to tell her what was going on… but I knew she wouldn’t believe me at best, and have me committed at worst. Discretion was the better part of valor in this case, and I kept my muzzle shut.

A hour later, Cadence went to town to get some food, and I needed something to do. I looked through the bookshelf and picked up one I hadn’t read in a while: Funland. The irony hit as soon as I got to the second chapter: a book about a theme park terrorized by the mascots designed to entertain… Celesta, was everything in the universe out to remind me of what I had gotten myself into?

When I was done, I noticed it was time to get to work…. woo hoo…

I walked to work. As soon as I entered,  I ran through like I had a jetpack implanted in my flank. I sped past the stage, and practically jumped down the hall to the office and leapt onto my chair.  

I landed on the chair and grabbed the tablet. Thankfully, I noticed as I flipped through the feeds,  none of them had decided to move yet. Key word: YET. The phone rang, and as usual, I put it on speaker..    

“Hey... uh, hey, Shining.” Jet said. “I’m sorry for acting weird earlier.”    

“It’s fine.” I said.    

“Alright… well…. keep an eye on them while I’m talking.” He said. “Unfortunately I’m going to have to get off pretty soon.”    

“Why?” I asked.    

“Flutters is coming over for movie night, and…. I just don’t know anymore. A lot’s been going on... and I’m starting to think I’m going crazy or something.” He said. “I’m just afraid one day I’m gonna snap and....”    

“Jet, it’s okay.” I said.    

“It’s not, Shining. It’s really not.” He said, his voice cracking. “I mean, animatronic ponies are coming to life at night with a thirst for blood. That’s not okay.” I heard sniffling on the other end.

“True.” I said. Understatement of the decade. I thought.    

“Well, anyways…” Jet started, as he managed to calm down, “You might want to keep an ear out tonight. Rainbow Dash, Mangled Rainbow, and Balloon Spike usually get really active this far into the week, so get the gum out of your ears and listen for them.” He said, before hanging up.

I picked up the tablet and started flipping through the feeds. I checked the game area first, and found the little dragon still standing there, still staring that terrifying stare and showing that horrifying smile… how I wished I could take a bat or a sledgehammer and wipe it off his face… how I wished I could smash it until there was nothing left. However, it would more or less make him angrier, and with what I had to currently handle...  

I switched over to Kid’s Cove and found Mangled Rainbow lying on the floor, her whole body a mess of steel and wires. If she weren’t trying to kill me, she’d have my sympathy.  

I flipped through the feeds at random, trying to find the old Rainbow Dash. You’d think a rainbow-maned pony would be easy to find, but no, I couldn’t find her anywhere. I decided to wind up the music box and check the Stage, and… this stallion has performed an illegal operation and must shut down.

Toy Applejack and Toy Rarity… they were both gone.  

I started to flip frantically through the feeds, looking for any sign of them.  I found Toy Applejack standing right in front of the camera in one of the party rooms, staring into my tattered soul,  and Toy Rarity in the Main Hall, picking up Applejack’s slack in the “staring into my soul” department.    

“Tag teaming? Well, you guys suck flank.” I said.    

I checked the vents and the hallway. All clear on both. I picked up the tablet and checked the party room Toy Applejack was in- CRAPCRAPCRAP! I flipped through the feeds until I saw she was in front of the vent in another room.

“Nice try.” I said.  

I checked the hallway and found Rainbow Dash ready to fly toward the security room..    

“DENIED!” I shouted, flashing the flashlight at her.    

I decided to be on the safe side and wind up the music box, just to be on the safe side. I was about to put the tablet down, it was instead wrenched out of my hooves by two white ones. It was Xenomorph Rarity, and she looked pissed.  

I freaked for a bit during my struggle to grab the head, but eventually managed to get it on. The lights started to flicker, and I prayed to Faust, Celestia and Luna that I got it on fast enough for her to think I’m one of them.

The lights came back on. XenoRarity was gone. I didn’t move for a few moments, just to be safe. They could think, after all.  As soon as I thought it was safe, I took the head off and wound up the music box.

“Hello.” I heard a little voice say.

“Yes, yes... hello. Please leave… NOW.” I said, checking the hallway. Rarity and Applejack were double-teaming tonight. They were down the hall, staring at me.  

The light was flashed and they disappeared.  I checked the vents: clear, but as soon as I grabbed the tablet, I heard a skittering in the vent. I had spoken too soon. I set it down and re-checked the vents. All clear on the right side, but the left…

There was Balloon Spike, staring into my soul, smiling his psychotic grin. I had a feeling he wanted to devour my soul.

I stared for a while before slowly putting the Pinkie head on. “Not tonight, flankhole.” I said as I lowered it over my face.    

It was a while before I heard the little freak crawled back through the vent. Good riddance. I checked the flashlight power and realized that, shockingly, I had barely used it at all tonight. I guess that was good: it meant Dash decided not to come at me tonight. That’s always a good thing.  I checked the hallway and… oh, Faust… I was keeping the flashlight on.  

All the way at the end of the hallway, I could make out a transparent purple shape. I squinted, and saw it was a purple unicorn... looking... thing. The dead, empty eye sockets had wires trailing from them.  Its mouth was hanging open, as if it saw the most shocking thing of all.    

“Ohhh… I know what I’m asking Jet about first thing tomorrow!” I said as I stared at the shape.  

I heard a ringing and… thank Celestia... the purple shape disappeared.  

“Yeah. Jet’s got a lot to answer for.” I said.    

I waited for a bit and walked out of the building, stopping at the door when I heard... something.    

When I heard it I tore out like a fruit bat out of Tartarus.

I had clearly heard that voice.

It said...

“It’s me.”

Next Chapter: Night 4: Something Borrowed Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 8 Minutes