“It’s me.”

I could still hear it as I trotted home, the memory of the purple unicorn… thing... and that voice still fresh in my mind...

“It’s me.”

Come on, Shining, stop this. You’re gonna drive yourself nuts if you keep thinking about it. Then again, you come back to this job night after night so your sanity is already questionable at best…

I decided to just focus on getting home and sharing some sleep with Cadence. She had a way of making even the worst things seem trivial. Thank Faust I found her.  

I locked the front door behind me and trotted my weary flank up the stairs. I could see Cadence in bed, asleep. She looked so peaceful, so serene. I planted a kiss on her forehead and climbed into bed. I hoped for a peaceful rest, but in my dreams, all I could see was that purple unicorn, and all I could hear was those two words…

“It’s me.”    

“Well, thank you.”

I woke up to Cadence’s lovely voice. She wasn’t in bed, though. I stretched my weary legs and went to the front door to see what was going on, but the door had already shut and Cadence was walking back.    

“Who was that?” I asked.    

“Your friend.” She replied.    

“Jet? What did he want?”    

“He just wanted me to tell you that he’s going to be gone today, so he might not get the chance to call you. Between you and me, I don’t think he’s very stable.”    

“Why?”    

“I don’t know. He just seemed... out of it… like he was miles away.”    

I went back upstairs and got dressed. Something was up, and I wanted to see if Fluttershy could fill me in.

I trotted into the Party Palace. It just seemed... different. I guess that’s what happens when you have the job I have... you just don’t see the place the same way again. Fluttershy was at the Stage. Her face showed happiness, but I could tell there was sadness and fear underneath: a classic Trotford Smile.    

“Hey, Fluttershy.” I said.    

“Oh, uh... hello Shining.” She said.    

“What’s going on?” I asked.    

“Uh… nothing.”

“Fluttershy, don’t lie to me. You may be my boss, but I’m also your friend. What’s going on?”

She paused. “It’s Jet.” She said quietly.    

Oh, crap. I thought. “What did he do?” I asked.    

“He’s just….” She started to tear up slightly as her voice became wistful. “He’s just not the same as he was a year ago. He’s different... he’s changed, and for the worse. Whatever it is, it’s starting to scare me.”

“What did he do, though?” I asked.  

“He just… he just screamed.” She replied. “After the movie, we decided to go out and get some dinner. When we got to the restaurant… he just collapsed and he started screaming.”  

“Did he say anything?”    

“I don’t know.” She said. “He’s losing it, and he refuses to tell me what’s going on. He just says that he’s doing it for me and them. He’s scaring me, Shining… he’s just...”  Fluttershy started to sob. I wrapped my forelegs around her and pulled her into a hug, letting her cry it out on my shoulder.  

What’s wrong, Jet? I thought. Are you finally cracking?  

Fluttershy stopped crying, and I released her from my hug. “Thanks, Shining.” She said, smiling.

“Like I said, you’re my friend.” I replied.

“Well, I hope you have a good day.” She said, trotting down the hall to the manager’s office.    

I tried to, honestly, I tried to. I took Cadence out to lunch and a movie, but I just couldn’t enjoy myself. Not with Jet on the way to a permanent residence in the Casa De Cuckoo, and slowly growing more and more distant from reality with each passing second.    

Midnight. Time for another night in the trenches.

I took a seat in my chair. I was worried about Jet, and was hoping he’d call anyway, just so I’d know he was okay. As I switched on the tablet and flipped through the feeds, I heard the phone ring.

Thank Faust, I thought as I quickly switched on the speakerphone.    

“Shining?” It was Jet.  

“Dude, where the hay are you?” I asked. “Do you know or even care about how much you’re scaring Fluttershy?”  

“I’m… I’m…. I don’t know how to answer either right now.” He replied. “That’s not important right now. What is important is that you need to be super careful right now, okay? This is the fourth night, and they’re going to throw all they’ve got at you, so you better can the chatter, get the gum out of your ears, and focus. Remember: keep that music box wound, watch out for Rainbow and Mangled Rainbow, keep an ear out for Balloon Spike, and most importantly, watch out for Twilight. She’ll definitely be out now.” I was about to ask something important when I heard the sound of him hanging up the phone..    

“Twilight?” I asked myself. “Who the buck is Twilight?”    

No matter, let’s just get this over with. I started flipping through the feeds when I heard loud crashing and clanging in the vents. I checked the vent cameras… oh, horse apples…

Applejack and Toy Applejack were both coming at me. I checked the hallway and saw Rainbow Dash at the end of it in flight position, with the Mangled Rainbow crawling across the ceiling. The sight of all of them together would have been terrifying enough, if it wasn’t for the gigantic Pinkie Pie that was standing there, suit so full of holes that she looked like a victim of the Manehattan Mafia.

I will admit, I nearly voided my bowels then and there.

I checked the music box, and OHCRAP it was almost out, I began winding it back up, but a pair of pink hooves wrenched the tablet away, and I barely got the Pinkie head on in time.    

I stared at her. That face of hers… ughhhh…. the years of disrepair had turned her once cheerful grin into an almost Troughgow smile. Why so serious? I thought.  

When the lights stopped flickering, Pinkie and the two Applejacks had gone. Thank Faust. I took the head off, then checked the music box and wound it back up. Oh, horse apples! The Rainbows!

Rainbow was ready to fly down the hall, while Mangled Rainbow was ready to enter the office and, I guessed, assimilate me into that collection of metal and make me into a creature from that movie “Virus.” I quickly flashed the light.

I checked the vents. Toy Applejack was at the right vent, staring daggers at me. Put head on. Lights flicker. Applejack gone. I checked the hallway and, much to my joy, Rainbow had decided to take a hike.The music box was my next priority, but right as I started to wind it up the tablet was snatched away by Applejack. Even with no face, I could see she was pissed.

Put head on. Lights flickered. Applejack gone. Take head off. This was getting old fast. I got back to winding up the music box, finishing and then checking the hallway: clear. I checked the vents and saw… he was back… that creepy little dragon guy and his psychotic smirk.    

I put the head on and waited for the little bastard to perform an about face and leave.   I checked the hallway again, and Rainbow was preparing to fly at me.    

“What’s that? ‘I’m gonna get yo-’ WRONG!!!!” I shouted as I flashed her with the light for a bit. I breathed a sigh of relief and went to wind up the music box, only for…

“Really?!?” The tablet was yanked away from me by Xenomorph Rarity. Put head on. Lights flickered. Rarity gone. I checked the vents and found Toy Applejack at the one on the right.    

“Oh, come ON!” I shouted in utter frustration.

Put head on. Lights flicker. Toy Applejack gone. Wow. This got old.

I took the head off and decided to check the music box… Oh, Faust.

The wind-up meter was empty.    

I turned on the flashlight in the game room, and I’m sorry, but I wet myself. There was a nightmarish creature emerging from the box. It was tall, slender, black and white. It’s face was white with black, soulless eyes that looked like they were crying purple lines. It’s cheeks were rosy red, as well as it’s chin, but the grin it sported was one of pure malice. It reminded me of those sock toys you’d see at a toy store, and that made it worse. Those buckers creeped me out.  

My soul was torn apart by the abomination in front of me, and I quickly shut the light off.  Okay. Maybe I was just seeing things. That’s all. Just seeing things. I switched the light back on, and I saw that a giant pony endoskeleton had taken it’s place.    

All of a sudden, I heard… something... playing “Pop Goes the Weasel.” Oh, Faust. I  failed. I was gonna die tonight. I’m sorry, Cadence, but it’s more than likely going to be a closed casket...    

The song was about to end when that most wonderful sound blared, signifying the end of the night. I fell back in my chair and sighed, then tore out of there like a salt addict threatened with rehab. I still didn’t trust them. Not one bit.  

I decided that tomorrow, no matter what, I would talk to Jet. I would try and see what the hell has been going on with him. And then I would tell him to take this job and shove it up his flank, promise or no promise.

I had reached the door and opened it when I heard...    

“It’s me.” Next Chapter: New Shift Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 2 Minutes