Popped

“Look! I can see it!” Marble Pie skipped along. “Look, look! We’re here!”

Limestone Pie trudged along next to her sister, every so often stopping to rub the crusts out of the corners of her amber eyes. She yawned before turning her head to look at Marble. “I get it, Sis.” She said with a groan. “You’ve already pointed out every possible landmark on this trip.”

“I know, but everything here is just so pretty! I mean, you saw that big windmill, right? And the little stone bridge? I wish Maud were here to see this!”

Limestone did her best to tune out her sister as she continued following her mother and father through the gravel streets of Ponyville. She loved Marble as much as a sister could, but she absolutely couldn’t stand her once she got excited. While one half of the Pie sisters, Pinkamena and Marble, were full-on extroverts, Limestone and Maud much preferred to keep to themselves. She always thought it was interesting how they all complimented each other.

Before long, the four ponies stood in front of Sugarcube Corner. Before approaching the bakery, Cloudy Quartz turned around to face her daughters. “Now girls, I want you to be on your best behavior while we’re visiting Pinkamena.” She glanced briefly at Marble, and her eyes widened immediately as soon as she noticed her unkempt mane.

“Marble Pie!” she cried, her tone stern and unyielding. “You’re about to visit your older sister and you look like you just crawled out of bed!” Without hesitating for an instant, she retrieved an old, worn-out hairbrush from her saddlebag.

Marble yelped as Cloudy Quartz combed her tangled hair. “Ugh, I’m not a foal, mother!” she protested, puffing her cheeks out. “You don’t have to- Ow!" She winced in pain as the brush got stuck on a particularly tangled bunch of hair. “It’s not like Pinkamena will care, anyway! Have you seen her mane in the last ten years? It’s at least three times as worse!”

Cloudy Quartz simply ignored her daughter's protests, humming to herself as she ran the bristles through her daughter’s long, dark grey mane. “Oh, hush, Marble. I’m nearly finished.” She gave one final stroke of the brush and stepped away, leaving Marble's hair straight, tidy, and presentable. Limestone, who had been watching the whole ordeal, couldn't help but giggle when she saw Marble’s face flushing red.

“Oh, shut up.” Marble growled under her breath, but not before checking to see if her mother was still within earshot. She stuck her tongue out at her sister and turned away to join her parents as they approached the front door of Sugarcube Corner.

A small silver bell above the door jingled when the Pie family entered the bakery. Cupcake, busy with a customer, looked up and flashed a welcoming smile from behind the counter, but quickly turned her attention back to the customer she was helping. “Your total is five bits, dear.” she said in her usual maternal tone after placing a large box on the counter. The customer happily laid the specified amount of bits on the counter and picked up the box between his teeth. Cupcake waved as he turned to leave. “Have wonderful day!”

The customer looked over his shoulder and returned the favor. "To you as well!" He said as the door closed behind him.

With the customer out the door, Cupcake turned back to the four ponies waiting on the other side of the room. "Sorry about the wait! Welcome to Sugarcube Corner! What can I get for you all today?”

Marble Pie, who had moments earlier been busy admiring the various fresh pastries that lined the walls, excitedly trotted up to the counter with a look of awe in her violet eyes. “Wow! I’ve never seen so many sweets in one place before!”

Cupcake returned Marble's enthusiasm with a hearty laugh. “Well aren't you just the cutest young mare!” She said.

Marble’s face flushed a deep red. She looked behind herself at Limestone, who was holding in yet another fit of laughter.

“Would you like a free sample, dearie?”

Marble’s face lit up as she instantly turned her head back towards the counter. “You bet!”

Cupcake smiled as she placed a small chocolate-chip muffin on the counter, which Marble snatched up without hesitation.

Not long after, Igneous Rock joined his daughter at the front of the shop. “Hello, ma'am” he began, removing the black stetson from his head and pressing it against his chest. “Would you happen to know where Pinkamena Pie might be found?” He spoke slowly and politely, his voice worn and rugged like an old scratched-up record.

As soon as Igneous had uttered Pinkie’s name, Carrot Cake curiously poked his head out from the kitchen. He stared awkwardly at the family for a few seconds before making the decision to pass through the saloon-style doors and make his way into the room proper. “Pinkie Pie? he stuttered, standing beside his wife behind the counter. “Sorry, she’s not here right now.”

“Mmm." Igneous replied. He closed his eyes and looked down for a moment before looking back up again. "Terribly sorry for the trouble, but would any of you know where she might have gotten off to, then?"

“Oh, she’s been gone for a little over a week now. We believe she's visiting her family, but we're not certain.” Cupcake clarified.

“I beg your pardon?” Igneous said, one eyebrow raised. The other three ponies beside him exchanged confused looks. Igneous brought his hat to his face and coughed loudly into it. “Ma’am," he said, pausing to clear his throat. "We are her family.”

Cupcake’s ears perked up at the statement. “Oh? It’s so nice to finally meet you all!” she leaned over the counter to shake his hoof. “You must be Pinkie's father, Igneous Rock.”

Igneous nodded. “That’s correct.” He motioned to the rest of the Pie family. “This here's my wife, Cloudy Quartz, and two of my three other daughters, Marble Pie...”

Marble smiled and waved at the Cakes, crumbs tumbling out of her muffin-filled mouth. "Hi!" She said, crumbs spraying out of her mouth. Cloudy Quartz shot her a disapproving glance.

“...and Limestone Pie.”

Limestone looked up sheepishly with a small smile. "It's nice to meet you."

“Now, about Pinkamena...” Igneous said, turning back to face Cupcake and Carrot Cake.

Carrot looked nervously at his wife before speaking. “Wait, you mean Pinkie hasn’t been staying with you?”

Cloudy Quartz re-adjusted her glasses. “Of course not, we’ve come here to visit her.”

Carrot and Cupcake looked at each other, their mouths hanging open in realization.

“Is something the matter?” Igneous said.

Cupcake was the first to speak after a long period of silence. “Oh, it’s just that...ah...” She began.

Carrot picked up. “Well, Pinkie sort of disappeared about a week ago.” He nervously jogged in place as he spoke. “We just assumed she was with you all."

Igneous Rock stood frozen in place. He stared at the floor, irises trembling as thousands of thoughts entered his head at once. One, in particular, stood out from the rest. He cleared his throat and slowly looked up. “So you’re telling me that my daughter has gone missing.”

* * *

Twilight Sparkle sat at her desk in the library, deep in concentration. Her eyes shot rapidly from left to right as she studied the lengthy scroll sprawled across her desk, occasionally pausing for a moment to scribble a few words down on a separate piece of parchment before returning to the text.

While Twilight was thankful to not have been forced to relocate to Canterlot after her coronation, her new life as a princess was far from the status quo. She no longer was required to study obscure spells and bottomless tomes written hundrededs of years ago, but Twilight now had an entirely new list of responsibilities to fulfill.

One of those responsibilities, it turned out, was leading the country in the absence of the Regal Sisters.

Tomorrow, Both Celestia and Luna would be traveling to the Griffon Kingdom on an extended diplomatic mission, leaving Twilight alone as the sole sovereign of Equestria. Twilight, of course, had come close to a nervous breakdown upon receiving the news. She had been put under pressure by Celestia plenty of times before, but running a country in her absence? That was a new one.

Thankfully, Celestia had assured her that she was more than capable of handling the task. She would only be gone for a week or two at most, and would still be fully capable of raising the sun from across the ocean.

The scroll in question was a handwritten guide on the responsibilities of being a princess. Celestia had written it specifically for Twilight at her request. It was written on a particularly long piece of parchment, one that extended from Twilight’s desk all the way across the floor to the opposite wall. Her light purple aura enveloped the scroll as she pulled it upwards to continue reading.

Section VI: Delegation

As Princess Regent of Equestria, you will hold the sole executive power in the country until Luna and I are able to return. It is vitally important, Twilight, that you understand how to delegate your powers.

Diplomacy and legislation are the responsibility of the Chancellor, while judicial matters are too important in my experience to delegate to a member of the Royal Cabinet. Other areas, such as military-

“Twilight!”

For the third time today, Twilight groaned and rolled her eyes. “What is it now, Spike?” she said, showing lot more aggression in her tone than she had intended. Spike shrank back in response.

Seeing this, Twilight felt a pang of guilt in her stomach. “Ugh. Sorry, Spike.” she said, using a much friendlier tone. “It’s just that you know I need to concentrate on this!”

“It’s alright, I shouldn't have disturbed you,” Spike looked down towards the floor. “But Rarity, Fluttershy and Applejack are all waiting downstairs. They said they really need to talk to you.”

Twilight let out another frustrated grumble as she put down the tome. It landed on the desk with a loud thump as she stomped her way down the stairs. This had better be important, she thought. Before descending the second set of stairs that lead to the Library’s ground floor, she stopped, breathed in, and put on a fake smile for her guests.

With an artificial spring in her step, Twilight made her way down the staircase to find her three friends, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack waiting for her. Their expressions grew increasingly uncomfortable as she approached. “What’s the matter, girls?”

Applejack turned to look at Fluttershy and Rarity, who both nodded in response. “Hey,Twi’. Sorry for interruptin’ you like this, but we’ve all been gettin’ real worried about Pinkie.”

Twilight’s fake smile was replaced with an expression of legitimate concern. “Pinkie Pie? What do you mean?” She said, putting on a frown and tilting her head slightly. Only now did she realize that she had been cooped up in her library for almost the entire week.

“The girl’s gone missin’, Twilight.”

“I thought she went to visit her family. Isn’t that where she’s been for the past week?”

Rarity shook her head. “That’s what we all thought, dear. But her family just arrived in Ponyville to visit her. They don’t have any idea where she is.”

“Then where could she be?” Twilight said. She tapped her chin.

“We don’t know,” Applejack chimed. “She didn’t leave a note or nothin’. We’ve already asked around town, and nopony knows a thing.”

“What? Really?” Twilight said. She scanned her eyes across her three guests. Each of them gave her a silent nod.

“It’s just not like her to just disappear like this!” Twilight said. The three other ponies nodded again, this time to show their agreement. “Don’t you girls remember when she left for two days to go to that baking convention in Manehattan? She almost missed the train because she tried to give a goodbye hug to everypony in Ponyville.”

Fluttershy looked down towards the floor. “You girls don’t think she’s, um, hurt, do you?” She said, scratching at the floor with her hoof.

Twilight looked down as well. “I don’t know, Fluttershy. But I’ll tell you what we’re not going to do, and that’s panic.” She began a trot towards the Library's front door. “C’mon, girls, we have some research to do.”

Her eyes scanned the hundreds of books that lined the shelves of the reference area. “Come on, Ponyville...Ponyv- ah ha!”

She levitated the book off the shelf. It just barely fit within the definition of a ‘book’, bearing more resemblance to a crudely-bound bundle of old, yellowed paper. Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity crowded around Twilight as she flipped through the pages.

The three exchanged skeptical looks. “Twilight, If you don’t mind me asking, how exactly is this supposed to help us find Pinkie Pie?” Rarity asked.

“I was hoping you’d say that.” Twilight said. “Before we panic about this, we need to-.” Twilight was interrupted by the sound of wood cracking as her door slammed hard against the wall. She looked towards the doorway in surprise, only to find Rainbow Dash standing there, clearly distressed.

“I’m...here...” she said, taking a breath between each word. Her face was flushed red and her mane was hopelessly disheveled, a fact that caused Rarity to cringe slightly.

“Rainbow Dash? What are you doing here?” Twilight said as she and the others trotted towards her.

“I came...as soon as I heard...about Pinkie...”

“What about the Wonderbolt Academy?” Rarity asked, all the while making sure to keep her distance from Rainbow Dash, who was covered in sweat.

Rainbow Dash shot daggers at Rarity, who took a step back in surprise. “Are you kidding? Being a Wonderbolt means nothing to me stacked up against my friends.” she said, sounding almost offended by Rarity’s inquiry.

Twilight nodded. “Well, it’s good that you’re here. We were just about to begin discussing our plan of action.” She motioned to the chalkboard across the room. “Come on, we’ll clue you in.”

The four ponies followed Twilight to the other side of the room, stopping in front of a large chalkboard covered in mathematical formulas, ingredient lists, and scientific theories. Twilight quickly erased them without a thought. Rainbow Dash groaned, having missed the opportunity to make fun of the inspirational quote she had caught a short glimpse of before it was erased.

Twilight cleared her throat before she began. “I think we should begin by assessing the possible reasons for Pinkie Pie’s disappearance.” She levitated the book she had taken off the shelf earlier so that everypony could see it. “I have here a record of every missing pony in the Central Province of Equestria from the year 970 to the present day. With this, we can use the process of elimination to determine the most likely cause of her disappearance, and then take appropriate action.”

Rainbow Dash and Applejack looked at each other with equally confused expressions. “Um...what?” Rainbow Dash asked, turning back to look at Twilight.

“Just bear with me for a moment, Rainbow.”

“I thought we were planning out search routes or writing a letter to the princess or something. Isn’t that what we should be doing?”

Twilight chuckled. “No, Rainbow. We can’t just make gut decisions before we have a proper plan.” She began flipping through the pages of the book. “Plus, Celestia and Luna are too busy preparing for an extremely important diplomatic mission. They’re not going to have time to respond to one of my letters.”

“Not have time?” Applejack interjected. “Twilight, you’re not just Celestia’s student now, you’re a princess! There ain’t no way they’re not gonna have time for you!”

“I doesn’t work that way, Applejack. Can we please get back on track now?” Twilight flipped to the page she needed. “Over the past thirty years, there have been about twenty-one disappearances in and around Ponyville.”

She began drawing a chart on the board. “Six of those disappearances occurred between the years 970 and 974. Those six ponies left Ponyville to join the infamous Cult of the Stars, which has since been disbandedt.” She crossed off “cult” from the chart.

Applejack rolled her eyes.

“Between 975 and 998, there were only eight reported disappearances. Three were ponies who had run away from home, and the remaining five were ponies who had been injured while hiking alone. As far as we know, Pinkie has no good reason to run away, so we can cross that off the list.”

Rainbow Dash had fight to prevent herself from falling asleep.

“Now, what concerns me are the remaining seven cases, which remain unresolved. All of these ponies have gone missing within a five year timespan, in the same immediate area, and are all young mares.” Twilight took a deep breath before delivering her next statement. “I’m not certain, but this appears to be the work of...” She hesitated for a moment “...a serial killer.”

“WHAT?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, propelling herself into the air. Rarity put a hoof over her mouth, while Applejack and Fluttershy exchanged worried glances.

“Calm down, everypony!” Twilight said. “As I said before, if there’s one thing we’re not going to do, it’s panicking.”

“Well, what do you suppose we do, Twilight? Rarity asked.

“At the moment,” Twilight began, “I think the best course of action would be to do a bit more research, and then inform the mayor once we come up with a reasonable hypothesis."

Rainbow Dash groaned obnoxiously loud as she returned to the ground, earning her the attention of everypony else in the room. “Seriously, Twilight? What’s that gonna do?”

“I’ll tell you as soon as you stop interrupting me.” Twilight said. Rainbow Dash puffed her cheeks and sat down. “Thank you.” She flipped to a particular page of the book. “Now, statistics show that the first step towards finding a missing pony is raising awareness. I cite the famous case of Violet Ribbon, a foal who went missing in Canterlot in the year 995...”

The more Rainbow Dash listened to Twilight ramble on about statistics and averages and a bunch of egghead words she didn’t even know, the harder it was to keep herself from rolling her eyes. This is so stupid, she thought, tapping a hoof on the floor impatiently. She could barely stand to look at Twilight’s elaborate chalkboard drawings while she thought about the possibility of Pinkie being kidnapped by...

She shuddered.

A serial killer.

“...therefore, if we compare the crime rate of Equestria’s Central Province with the most common reasons for missing ponies, we can conclude that-”

‘’Oh come on, Twilight!” Rainbow interrupted again. “Pinkie could be seriously hurt or something! We can’t just stand around doing nothing!”

“We are doing something, Rainbow Dash! Don't lose your head!”

Applejack pushed Twilight aside as she moved to join Rainbow Dash on the other side of the room. “Sorry, Twi’, but I’m with Dash on this one. If you’re right about this killer business, we need to do somethin’ about this, and we need to do it now.”

“Would you both just stop it already?” Twilight said, raising her voice in frustration. “It’s just a hypothesis! If we just assume that there’s a serial killer on the loose, we’ll end up creating mass panic across the entire country! And that's the last thing I need right now. What if she was just injured on the way to her family’s farm?”

“That’s just as serious, ‘Twi!” Applejack retorted. “We need to start lookin’ for her!”

Rarity stepped between the two arguing parties. “If I may interject,” She began, raising one of her forelegs in a ladylike manner. “I do agree, Twilight, that you’re not taking this seriously enough. The least we could do would be to contact one of the Princesses.”

“Ugh!” Twilight grunted, hitting her hoof against her forehead. “Did you not hear what I said before? She doesn’t have time right now! We’ve saved Equestria plenty of times before, so I’m fairly certain we can handle something as simple as find a missing pony by ourselves. If you two would just cooperate, we might have already figured out a plan by now!”

“Who even cares? Your ideas won’t even do anything!” Rainbow Dash’s voice cracked, raising in response to Twilight’s.

Fluttershy stood awkwardly next to Rarity as the three other ponies argued. “Um, please stop yelling, everypony.” she squeaked. Her polite request was barely audible, drowned out among the bedlam of shouting that filled the room.

"Excuse me?!” Twilight took a single step towards Rainbow. “Would you care to explain exactly how doing research and coming to a reasonable conclusion wouldn’t help find her?”

“Because everypony in town already knows she's in trouble!” Applejack cut in. “We were all workin’ our flanks off askin’ around while you sat in your little ivory tower doin’ nothin’!”

“Girls, we shouldn’t argue, please stop yelling at each other.” Fluttershy mumbled in another attempt to mediate the issue.

“Well excuse me if I have important royal duties to fulfill!” Twilight sneered. “Maybe if you’d had the common sense to tell me I would have-”

“Don’t you try and make this about common sense!” Applejack interrupted.

“Please stop shouting!” Fluttershy begged. She herself was becoming increasingly frustrated. If there was one thing she hated, it was being ignored. Fluttershy dug her hooves into the floor and inhaled sharply.

“STOP IT! STOP YELLING AT EACH OTHER, PLEASE!” she exclaimed, using all the volume her delicate lungs could handle. Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash all turned to look at Fluttershy, who stood in place with an assertive expression. Thoroughly embarrassed, the three ponies looked to the floor in shame.

An awkward silence hung over the room for what seemed like an eternity, the only audible noise being the clearing of throats as the five ponies stood together.

Applejack was the first to speak up. “Y’all can do whatever the hay you want,” she said, her tone assertive. “Dash and I are gonna be busy actually doin’ something, and that’s lookin’ for the poor girl.” She started toward the exit, and Rainbow Dash didn’t hesitate as she turned around to follow her.

“Fine then! Go! We don’t need your help anyway!” Twilight said, her voice hoarse from shouting.

Rainbow Dash turned around to face Twilight as she passed through the doorway. “FINE!” she screamed, her voice cracking once again. A loud crash echoed throughout the library as she slammed the door behind her with all of her strength.

* * *

Pinkie Pie cowered to the best of her ability as she watched Pokey walk into her cell for the first time in days. He levitated next to him a long cylindrical object. Pinkie, squinting her eyes to get a better look, soon recognized it as the lead pipe from before. “No, wait! I’m awake, see?” she said as loudly as possible without revealing the panic that gripped her. “You don’t have to beat me again! I-I’m not sleeping!”

Pokey chuckled at her display. “That’s just the problem.”

“W-what?”

Pokey stepped closer. “Don’t worry, this will only hurt for a second.”

Pinkie let out a small whine, but said nothing and shut her eyes tight. Her face scrunched up as she cringed hard, preparing herself for the blow.

Without hesitation, Pokey hit Pinkie as hard as he could directly on the forehead, eliciting a slight crack as the lead pipe crashed into her skull. Shocked from the sudden trauma, Pinkie gave the slightest yelp before she lost consciousness.

* * *

Hours later, Pinkie Pie awoke to an unpleasant high-pitched ringing sound coming from her ears. Stirring slightly in a half-asleep stupor, she shifted her head backwards, only to wince in pain as it collided with the large wooden panel behind her. “Nngh...” She groaned, wincing from the slowly-fading pain. This latest injury only contributed to her blaring headache.

Once the pain subsided, she was now fully awake. She examined her surroundings, immediately noticing the fact that she was in a different cell. This room, unlike where she was previously held, was furnished with various items, such as a small fold-up table and a tripod. There was also a long metal pipe that ran across the wall and through the ceiling. It led to an unlit furnace on the left wall that Pinkie could just barely see out of her peripheral vision.

The way Pinkie was restrained was different as well. She was locked into a large wooden panel that stuck vertically out of the ground. There were three holes, One large and two small, where her neck and front hooves stuck out through to the other side. The lower half of her body was unrestrained and could move freely. However, with the wooden panel being bolted to the ground, her newfound freedom didn’t do her any good. Compared to hanging off of the ceiling by her forehooves, though, it was a much more comfortable position to be in.

Acting on impulse, Pinkie Pie attempted to squeeze herself backwards through the holes in order to free herself. As soon as she did so, she yelped, feeling a sudden, stinging pain around her neck and two front hooves. Out of the corner of her eye, she looked at the hole which her left forehoof ran through. Pinkie felt herself go light headed as she watched tiny trickles of her own blood pool around each spike. Each of the holes was lined with a ring of small metal spikes which dug into her skin. The slightest movement, as Pinkie had learned, caused them to dig further into her soft flesh.

Lightheadedness quickly turned into trepidation when Pinkie decided to examine the wooden panel more closely. Due to the sharp spikes around her neck, It was difficult to look in any direction but straight ahead, but the areas of the panel that she did manage to see were covered in flaking, dried blood.

A mouse squeaked in the distance. The sudden, high-pitched noise startled Pinkie, who was already on edge. It made her realize just how little ambiance there was around her. Save for the sound of Pinkie’s own hushed breathing, the entire basement was eerily quiet.

Minutes passed before the silence was broken yet again by another noise in the distance. It sounded like...

Oh, no. Pinkie thought.

A door opening.

She felt a block of ice drop into her stomach.

The staircase groaned under Pokey’s weight. Pinkie Pie closed her eyes and remained deathly quiet, her heart racing as she listened to each hoofstep grow louder as Pokey approached. Using sheer willpower, she managed to keep a straight face despite the throbbing pain in her head that would normally dictate otherwise.

Pinkie struggled to keep her breathing steady as she listened to Pokey unlock the cell door. It’s gonna be fine, she thought to herself. It'll all be okay.

As long as she could convince Pokey that she was still sleeping, she could at least delay the suffering to come. Perhaps if she stalled long enough, her friends would come and rescue her before Pokey could hurt her again.

Because they’ll all be here soon.

Right?

Pinkie heard the door groan under it’s own weight as it stubbornly creaked open. Her sense of hearing had become hyper-sensitive from adrenaline alone, allowing her to hear every little terrifying intonation around her. In an amazing display of self-control, she kept a perfectly straight face as she listened to the ominous sound of Pokey drawing near.

She resisted the immense urge to scream or at least cower in fear as she listened, knowing full well that another session of torture would soon follow.

Abruptly, the sounds stopped, replaced by the feeling of his warmth close to her body.

She could feel it. He was standing right next to her.

Right. There.

Pinkie Pie wanted so badly to open her eyes, but she knew that the instant she made the slightest movement, she would enter a world of pain.

The feeling of his hot breath enveloped her ear.

A single bead of sweat trickled down Pinkie’s face, gently tickling her as it made its way down to the tip of her snout.

“Pinkie Pie,” he whispered softly.

Her lips trembled as a wave of terror ran through her body.

“I know you’re awake.” He teased, backing away as he did so.

In one, sudden burst of emotion, Pinkie burst into a violent fit of tears, releasing all of the built-up tension inside her. “WHY?” She yelled, her voice full of despair. “Why are you doing this to me?” Clear, watery snot flowed out of her nostrils and down her chin.

Pokey turned around and pressed his snout against Pinkie’s. She grimaced as their faces met, and probably would have spit in Pokey’s face if she had any body hydration to spare. “Oh, hello there, Pinkie! Did you enjoy your little nap?” The ironic smile which donned his face contrasted sharply with Pinkie’s somber look of desperation and pain.

“Why are you doing this to me?” She said again, her voice soft and trembling as she gazed deep into Pokey’s yellow eyes.

“Didn’t I already tell you this?” Pokey said. He removed his snout from hers. “I don’t pick any particular mare to take. I wait for opportunities, Pinkie. You gave me one. Does that answer your question?”

Pinkie sucked a large amount of snot into her throat. She opened her mouth to speak, but decided against it.

Pokey shrugged. “Now, if you’ll excuse me...”

He set a plastic shopping bag on a fold-up table just outside of Pinkie’s visual range. “I hope you’ll forgive my unprofessionalism, but I’ll be using some rather, ah, makeshift tools today. It’s a funny story, really. You see, I was planning on using the whip, but I had the best idea while I was shopping for some last minute supplies back in Ponyville.”

Pokey moved the table in front of the panel so that it was within Pinkie’s field of vision. He grasped the bottom of the bag with his teeth and lifted it up, letting its contents spill out. On the table sat a wide array of household objects, including a fish hook, a staple remover, two needles, and a razor blade.

Pokey watched Pinkie’s face as she investigated the selection of household objects laid before her. Her eyes grew wide in worry as she examined each, just as he had expected. “Oh! I see you’ve noticed a pattern.” Pokey said, levitating one of the needles off the table. “They’re all...SHARP!” Pokey jabbed the needle into Pinkie’s right hoof as he finished the sentence.

“Ow!” Pinkie whined.

Pokey ignored her and continued with his presentation. “But wait, I’m not done yet! You’ll love this!” He levitated the two needles in front of her face. “Guess where I got these?” he snickered, the look on his face resembling that of a filly about to deliver a hilarious punchline. “Go on, guess!”

Pinkie squinted her eyes as she examined the two objects floating in front of her. “No!” she gasped. “No! You didn’t!”

“I did!” Pokey exclaimed, bursting into laughter. He jumped in place with sadistic glee. “That’s right! Your suffering, brought to you by your good friend Rarity!”

“Shut up!” Pinkie screamed, her voice trembling in anger. “She didn’t know! My friends would never want to hurt me! And they’re gonna kick your butt when they come to save me!”

Pokey simply laughed harder. “That is, of course, implying that they still care about you.”

“Of course they care about me!” Pinkie retorted. There was a long silence before she spoke again. “T-they’re looking for me right?”

Pokey shook his head. “I don’t think they’ve even noticed that you’re gone. And even if they did, they’re probably too busy taking advantage of the opportunity to relax.”

Pinkie didn’t respond.

“No rebuttal? Alright then.” Pokey said. He turned the camera on. “Pinkie Pie, session three.”

Instead of trying to convince Pokey to stop, Pinkie simply let out a loud, drawn out whine that quickly devolved into sobbing. She knew by now that after he said those words, pain was coming, and no amount of begging would help her. Despite this realization, however, Pinkie still let out a few half-hearted ‘no’s in between sobs while she watched him prepare his tools.

Pokey grabbed the staple remover with his teeth and lifted it off the table. Pinkie watched in horror, a million different possibilities running through her head. A shiver ran down her spine once she noticed that the tool was headed towards her eye.

“Pinkie, has anypony ever told you how pretty your eyes are?”

“No!” she begged. “I don’t wanna be blind!” Pinkie shut her eyes tight to shield them from harm.

Pokey was unfazed by her defenses, fully expecting such a reaction. He brought the tool closer to Pinkie’s face, and, after some careful positioning, Pokey slowly inserted the bottom teeth of the staple remover under Pinkie’s left eyelid. The cold, metal teeth made contact with the sensitive tissue, causing Pinkie to flinch slightly.

“Plea-nngh!”

Pinkie’s objections were interrupted by a grunt of pain as Pokey suddenly bit down hard on the staple remover. The tool mimicked his actions and clamped down on Pinkie’s eyelid in response. It held the thin flap of skin in its tight grip, but its dull teeth failed to puncture through. Pokey pulled up, and Pinkie wailed loudly as she felt her eyelid being stretched to its maximum extent, forcing her eye open.

“Ow tot wasin tow haad, wassit?” Pokey mumbled from around the tool. He levitated the razor blade off the table.

“No! What are you doing?” Pinkie panicked, her voice filled with terror as she watched the razor blade levitate towards her. Without hesitation, the blade made contact with the side of her eyelid, and Pokey began cutting across.

Pinkie didn’t scream. She didn’t want to. She moaned, whined, cried, and grunted, but she didn’t scream. She didn’t want to give Pokey the satisfaction. Pinkie sucked her lips into her mouth, desperately trying to keep herself quiet as she felt the razor blade tear through her skin.

Pokey moved the sharp blade up and down in a steady rhythm, and Pinkie’s eyelid slowly separated from her body as the blade slid across. It twitched erratically as it was detached, desperately trying to somehow swat away the foreign object. As a result, instead of a clear, straight cut, the blade was forced to make its way across in an erratic zig-zag line, leaving behind a jagged stump of skin in its wake.

He continued cutting until Pinkie’s eyelid was attached to the rest of her face by only a thin strip of flesh. He bit down on the staple remover, and abruptly jerked his head backwards in an attempt to tear off the loose eyelid. Pinkie groaned loudly, still trying to keep herself from screaming. As her eyelid was ripped off, it took with it a lengthy strip of skin that stretched down to her cheekbone. The strip happened to be attached to a scabbed-over burn, causing Pinkie to dry-heave from the pain as the scab was violently torn off.

Pokey turned around and spat out the staple remover, detached eyelid and all, back onto the table. He also returned the razor-blade, exchanging it for the fish hook and two needles. He turned back around to find Pinkie Pie, whose exposed eye was twitching like mad.

Pinkie now realized how much she’d taken her eyelids for granted. Unable to blink, her left eye felt as if it was on fire, and it only burned more with each passing second. Pinkie jolted her head around in an attempt to relieve the burning sensation, only to gasp sharply upon puncturing her neck on the spikes around the hole in the panel.

“Ow ow ow ow ow!” Pinkie whined, cringing as she carefully tilted her head in the other direction. Blood seeped out of her neck as the spikes slid out. They left behind a straight line of five holes, each about a half inch deep.

While she was occupied with the spikes, Pinkie hadn’t noticed Pokey, who was standing in right front of her with the fish hook in his mouth. He leaned forward and held the hook near her eye. “Ready for part two?”

“No! Get away from me!”

“Aww, why not?” Pokey said, tilting his head. He spoke in a tone that resembled actual concern. Pinkie’s face was scrunched up on the left side as she attempted to relieve the intense burning sensation that plagued her exposed eye. “Oh, is it because your eye is bothering you? Here, let me get that for you.”

Using his magic to levitate the two needles for quick access, Pokey used his mouth to very carefully press the sharp tip of the fish hook lightly against Pinkie’s defenseless left eye. He didn’t apply any pressure to the hook, choosing instead to watch Pinkie’s face contort in horrified anticipation as the pointed tip rested against her exposed eye. His eyes lit up, watching with fascination as the soft tissue yielded to his touch.

The faint whistling of Pinkie Pie’s breathing was audible as she rapidly breathed in and out through her broken teeth. The muscles directly below her eyes, as well as what remained of her eyelid twitched erratically in a vain attempt at protection. Pinkie couldn’t help but stare at the razor-sharp hook as it filled her field of vision.

“Please, Pokey...” she pleaded softly. “Please don't hurt me...”

Pokey continued teasing Pinkie as he began to delicately drag the point across her eyeball. He moved it slowly back and forth, taking extra care not to pierce through. Pinkie was unable to scream due to the fact that the tiniest movement could cause Pokey to accidentally drive the hook through her eye. Instead, as the hook traced its way from side to side, she released a low-pitched moan from the back of her throat.

The anticipation alone was almost more distressing than the impending mutilation. Pinkie’s heart thumped erratically and her breathing quickened as she waited for Pokey to act. “J-Just do it already!” She cried, immediately feeling a pang of regret in her stomach. Oh, no. She thought. No, no no no no! Why did I say that?

Pokey looked at Pinkie with a sadistic grin. “As you wish.”

As soon as Pokey drew the hook away, Pinkie shook her head as well as she could without the spikes puncturing her neck a second time. “No, w-wait! Don’t! Wait!” she begged as Pokey lightly pressed the tip of the hook against her eye once again.

“NO! STOP, STOP, STOP! DON'T DO IT, PLEASE!”

Pokey applied pressure to the fish hook, and the pointed end sank into Pinkie’s eyeball.

“EEEEEAAAAGHHH!” Pinkie shrieked. Her head thrashed around erratically from the sensation of a foreign object piercing her eye alone, let alone the actual explosive pain.

Pokey’s grin faded just a little bit. Despite the beautiful sound of Pinkie’s screams that at last graced his ears, he was disappointed from the lack of the satisfying “pop” he had expected. This was the first time he’d done this to anypony, after all. He shrugged, and applied even more pressure. A mixture of blood and vitreous fluid began bubbling out from around the fish hook as it sunk deeper into Pinkie’s eye.

Once the hook was deep enough, Pokey rotated his head. The hook mimicked his actions, turning so that the pointed end was facing up. Pinkie shrieked even louder, her body convulsing as she felt the hook move around in her eye, tearing it apart from the inside like a carnivorous worm.

Finally, with one quick movement, Pokey jerked his head upwards, and the pointed end of the hook pierced through the surface of her eye once again as it made its exit. The tip of the hook glistened in the dim light of the cell, its surface covered in a glossy layer of vitreous fluid. With both the entry and exit holes still blocked by the hook, the flow of blood out of Pinkie’s eye was limited. A large portion of the white area around her iris had turned a deep crimson due to the buildup of blood from the hundreds of tiny capillaries severed. The cloud of blood slowly expanded around the hook, the red liquid filling up her eye faster than it could leave.

While it was certainly a fascinating spectacle to behold, Pokey was not a patient pony. Growing anxious, he readied the two needles for the next part of his procedure. Pokey pressed the two needles lightly against her eye, just like he had with the fish hook seconds prior.

Pinkie stared with dread at the two sharp points, mumbling incoherently as she waited for the pain. They shook around slightly as they pressed against her eye, Pokey’s magical hold unable to keep them steady due to the adrenaline that coursed through his body.

Pokey looked into her one good eye. “Hey, Pinkie.” he began, his voice shaky with anticipation. “Wanna know why they call me ‘Pokey Pierce’?”

Pinkie produced a tiny wail of fear. He took that as a ‘yes’.

Pokey suddenly lifted the two needles in the air and shoved them both into Pinkie’s eyeball at once. Unlike the curved fish hook, the two needles were long and straight, allowing them to pierce all the way through Pinkie’s eye. Pinkie howled in agony, a small amount of vitreous fluid squirting out of her eye and landing on Pokey’s face. He didn’t seem to mind, though. In fact, it was a welcome sensation in the basement’s hot, humid air.

As abruptly as they entered, the two needles were quickly pulled out of Pinkie’s eye, dribbling vitreous fluid onto its surface as they hovered above. Pokey wasted no time. He stabbed Pinkie again in two different spots, thrusting even harder this time. Thanks to the extra power, Pinkie’s wailing sharply increased in volume as the needles went far enough through to poke the back of her eye socket. Pokey continued stabbing Pinkie again and again at an ever quickening pace.

Pinkie’s distressed wails of agony were like music to Pokey’s ears. In fact, Pokey pretended as if the two needles were batons, conducting a symphony of screams as they entered her eye again and again. Her screams followed a steady beat, dictated by Pokey.

“Does that answer your question?” Pokey said, stabbing Pinkie one final time before taking a step back to admire his work.

Her entire left eye crudely resembled a wasp’s nest, dotted with countless holes. Blood slowly seeped out from each hole, forming small red droplets. Every few seconds, the surface tension of one of the droplets would be broken, and the blood would flow steadily down her eye, taking along with it any droplets in its path. Blood would at last mix with her tears as both liquids steadily flowed down her cheeks.

“Please...no more...please...” Pinkie begged. Her entire body was shaking. She could still see, but the entire left side of her field of vision was nothing but the red color of her own blood. Each breath she took was deep and shaky.

“No more?” Pokey said, as if her request was a ridiculous one. He turned around, carrying the blood- splattered razor blade in his magical aura. “But we’re not even at the best part yet!”

Pinkie weakly shook her head as Pokey approached with the razor blade. “No...don’t! No!”

Pokey hovered the blade in front of Pinkie’s perforated eye, prompting from her a powerful, absolutely pathetic sob. Pokey almost felt bad.

“NO! PLEASE, NO! NO NO NO NO!”

Almost.

Making sure he didn’t obstruct the camera’s view, Pokey dug the razor blade into Pinkie’s eye, ruthlessly cutting downwards until he made a hole deep enough to insert the blade into. Pinkie Pie howled in absolute agony as Pokey mercilessly bored into her eyeball.

It was surprisingly easy. The thick, gelatin-like substance that made up the white of Pinkie’s eye put up no resistance, allowing Pokey to cut through it like butter. Within seconds, Pokey had created an opening that would adequately fit his needs. To Pinkie, however, the few seconds it took for Pokey to bore the hole felt like an eternity.

Pokey inserted the blade sideways so that that the sharp end was facing down. Then, with a single, swift slice, Pokey shifted the the blade sharply downwards. Pinkie squealed like a pig as her eye was mercilessly sliced open, leaving a long, deep gash that stretched from the top to the very bottom of her eye.

Pokey gave Pinkie a break for a few minutes while the fluids drained out of her eye. A sickly mixture of blood and eye fluid flowed freely from the new opening, staining the wooden panel as it dripped from Pinkie’s face. Pinkie felt herself go lightheaded from the massive fluid loss. She prayed that she would faint.

Once her eye socket was mostly drained, the interior of Pinkie’s eye was visible, optic nerve and all. Eager to continue, Pokey stepped forward and pressed the sharp end of the razor blade against Pinkie’s optic nerve. As soon as she did so, she jolted forward from the sudden explosion of pain.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!” She screamed, slicing her neck open on the spikes as she jerked forward..

Pokey moved the blade across the thick nerve stem, and Pinkie Pie’s entire body convulsed uncontrollably. The pain was unlike anything she had ever experienced in her entire life.

Pokey moved the blade across a second time, prompting more screaming and uncontrollable spasms. The spikes punctured her neck and forehooves as Pinkie thrashed back and forth, but she took absolutely no notice. The feeling of the spikes tearing through her flesh felt like a tickle compared to the feeling of a nerve being sawed through with a razor blade.

Pinkie would have begged him to stop, but she could literally not form words. The only thing her brain was capable of processing was screaming. Pokey moved the blade across a third time.

The combination of extreme fatigue, stress, starvation, and pain overloaded Pinkie’s brain, and she lost consciousness.