Author's Note

I am back, it's official!

As you're reading this chapter, I'd like to mention that this is certainly not a crossover, the likeness of a certain character to another character is both completely intended and completely necessary for her character!

It may not make sense now, but it will!

Chapter 4: Wonderland

A month ago, Ponyville was shocked by the revelation of a gruesome double homicide involving two fillies inside Carousel Boutique, home of the Element of Generosity. We have recently been updated with some very disturbing details of the tragic incident, by Rarity herself. Allegedly, she had visited a local clinic to arrange an appointment for her sister, who had “been having bad nightmares. Whilst she was out, Sweetie Belle (Rarity’s younger sibling) had arranged for her two friends, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, to meet her at the boutique.

Once the youngsters had arrived, Sweetie Belle had her two friends into the boutique’s basement, where she brutally murdered them. “Scootaloo, a physically miniscule pegasus, had almost certainly been the first to perish’ claimed Dr. Splatter, a forensics expert from Canterlot. he continues to say “Her neck had been snapped in three different places, and her skull had suffered intense blunt force trauma, caused by what we assume to be brick found nearby the filly’s body.”. Scootaloo had been an orphan in life, with only a guardian in the form of Rainbow Dash, Element of Loyalty.

“Apple Bloom’s murder had likely taken a great deal of effort.” says the pathologist who performed autopsies on both of the fillies. “She suffered a great deal of bruising and several deep scrapes along the side of her abdomen. her most noticeable injury and likely the cause of her demise, were twenty seven stab wounds dotted throughout her midsection and upper body. We suspect that several of the stabs had pierced her lungs, causing internal bleeding.”

Thus far, little has been heard of Sweetie Belle, who after a short trial had been detained in the Ridgeworks Psychiatric Centre, some ways out of town. From what we have heard, whenever questioned on her atrocious actions on that terrible day, she repeatedly blames her murders on “the monster”. Her older sister, Rarity had later discovered after intense psychiatric sessions that “the monster” referred to a terrible beast tormenting Sweetie Belle’s dreams. Psychologists and psychiatrists alike working at the asylum have determined that Sweetie Belle had been suffering from vivid hallucinations of the beast.

The Royal Guard have yet to comment on the incident, merely stating “That they are working closely with Ridgeworks to uncover the truth of what had happened in the basement that day”. Thus far, Apple Bloom has been arranged to be cremated by her older siblings, Big Macintosh and Apple Jack. Several ponies close to the victims have organized a memorial service for the fillies, which is to be hosted within the city hall under jurisdiction of the Mayor herself. We here at The Ponyville Express give our greatest condolences to the families affected by this horrid tragedy.

One Week after the incident.

Rarity saw only darkness.

An all consuming blackness had enveloped her. As though she were lost within the confines of some unimaginably dark hole - falling deeper and deeper into the abyss. As though she had followed a rabbit to a hole and fallen in, yet never hit the ground. She heard nought, nor did she feel. For she was numb - numb to her friends, herself. And thus she stayed in the pitch blackness, away from preening psychologists and conspiring journalists.

Away from her friends.

I can’t face them - what would I tell them? That two fillies had been butchered in my basement by my own little sister?

My sister.

She shut her eyes tight again and tried to focus on the ever-present static silence - anything to push out her memories. She couldn’t face the truth, her psyche couldn’t handle it - it was too much for her to handle.

No, no, no, no - it isn’t true, it can’t be true.

She reminisced of a time gone past, a happier time. A time when everything wasn't so numb to her - when everything was fine. A time when her friends were with her, when she wasn't so alone in her mind - when all she’d think about were trivial, normal, happy things. What dress she’d wear, when her spa session would begin, the smiling faces of her friends, Sweetie Belle’s beautiful smile.

Sweetie Belle.

It’s all wrong, all those happy memories - they’re so far now. Their happy faces... all … gone - their faces, oh sweet Celestia their faces. So lifeless, like something magical had left their eyes, leaving behind only a bloodied husk. Fake, they were fake, they were too full of life to just vanish - it couldn't be true.

Then suddenly, the darkness dissipated, and Rarity found herself forcing her eyes open. She could hear voices, but they seemed so distant. A hoof touched her forearm, and she found herself ripped from her paralysis. She sat in a cold, dark room, which she quickly made out to be her kitchen. To her left stood a concerned Fluttershy, who still rested her hoof on Rarity’s forearm.

“I’ve been trying to wake you up for the past five minutes, you were starting to scare me.” Fluttershy said softly, “You shouldn’t be in here in the dark by yourself, it’s not good for you.”. Slowly, she sat down next to Rarity, who had huddled herself into the corner of a set of drawers.

“I… I just can’t face it.” Rarity replied softly, opening herself up slightly so that she could face her friend, “I just can’t…”.

Fluttershy rested her head against Rarity’s, “I know, it isn’t fair on you. It isn’t fair on any of us. But we need to stay strong, or we’ll crumble.” she cooed.

“I know, but it’s so hard… I still see their faces - Apple Bloom and Scootaloo’s I mean. I can’t get them out of my mind… I can’t.”. Rarity broke down into tears, everything had simply become too much for her to bear.

“Shh now, go to sleep.” Fluttershy whispered as rarity slowly faded out of conscience and fell asleep against her shoulder.

Five weeks after the incident.

Moonlight shone through Sweetie Belle’s window, bathing her in light.

She sat up in bed, staring plainly into the corner of her room. The monstrosity stared back, yet it no longer frightened her. If anything, she almost wished that it would simply end her - slit her throat and leave her to bleed out on the hospital bed. But she knew it would never happen, the creature loved feeding off her torment - it thrived off her agony. It loved watching everypony around her stare at her in disgust. It loved listening to them whisper of she’s a dog, a lesser being - a monster. But most of all, it cherished watching her try and convince them that it wasn’t her fault - how they’d never believe the truth.

No, she was quite safe, the terrible thing wouldn’t dare let her die, lest it lose it’s favourite play-thing. But as the same as every night, she couldn’t take her eyes of its twisting, twitching and writhing form. Something forced her to watch it, so she’d never sleep at night and she’d never sleep at day - too many sick interviews, scheming psychologists and journalists in her her way.

So at first she’d hoped that she’d die to exhaustion. Yet even that simple desire was cast aside, because after a while, the doctors had begun to realize that she hadn’t been sleeping. So they forced pills down her throat - to keep her in the vicious cycle.

“Why won’t you just leave me alone?” she called out to the ever-twisting form in the corner of her bedroom. She was met simply by a cold silence and a series of scratching sounds. All at once, the darkness evaporated, leaving behind only a writhing smoke cloud, which too dissipated.

It… It left…

For reasons Sweetie Belle couldn’t quite understand, the beast had followed her command. Left her in the blackness - alone. She almost felt lost, lonely without its terrible company. She’d known its constant horrors at night for so long, that’d they’d almost begun to be become normal to her. As though her hatred for the monstrosity had dissipated had slowly begun to diminish since the deaths of her two friends.

Could I have… wanted them to die?

“No, no, no, no. T-they were my friends… I loved them, I couldn’t want to have hurt them… Could I?”

Then, from where the beast had once lurked, crawled out the terrible forms of two young fillies. Sweetie Belle instantly recognised the pair as Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. Yet… they were different - wrong. Scootaloo’s neck had been twisted and broken to a disgustingly unnatural angle and her forehead had bloodied depression. Apple Bloom had faired no better, as her entire midsection and chest had been drenched in blood. Yet even in the darkness, she could discern dozens of tiny puncture holes.

But… but… those aren’t claw marks…

“Why Sweetie Belle?” called Scootaloo, as the pair edged ever closer to her hospital bed.

“I-It wasn’t me, I swear! It was the monster, you have to believe me!” Sweetie Belle cried out to the two broken fillies.

“Why did you hurt us Sweetie Belle? Aren’t we supposed to be friends?” Scootaloo called solemnly, as they reached the foot of her bed.

“Please, listen to me! I didn’t do it!” Sweetie Belle plead with them, sobbing uncontrollably.

The duo climbed onto her bed and began crawling towards her, dripping blood as they went. Sweetie Belle crept into the corner of the wall her bed was attached to in an attempt to create distance between them.

“Wait, please wait! Listen to me!” she cried out as the two leaned over her trembling form.

They tore at her with their hooves, gnawed on her limbs. She tried to push them off, but they were far too strong.

“HELP ME!” Sweetie Belle cried out into the night, as the two began beating her muzzle with their hooves. Alarmingly, the beast sprung from underneath the bed and tore Apple Bloom off the unicorn’s battered form. It ripped Apple bloom in two and almost instantly, the filly dissipated into a black smoke. Scootaloo’s demise came next, with the creature digging deep into her flank and throwing her light body into one of the room’s walls. She dissipated the moment she hit the wall.

The monstrosity regarded Sweetie with a grunt, before returning to its corner.

For the first time since its arrival in her life, Sweetie Belle was thankful for the beast’s presence.

“We found her with a bloodied muzzle this morning, sir.” reported a nurse, “We think she’s been beating her head against the wall.”

Dr. Open Mind considered the nurse’s words with great care before responding, “I’m thinking we should move her into a new room.”. He wasn’t a stallion of much personality or zaniness, donning a simple peach hued coat and a brown mane. He was a unicorn of course, that much was required to reach his station, especially for a case as important as this one.

“A padded solitary confinement chamber, sir?” the nurse queried, as though she already expected his answer.
“No. I don’t feel it’s safe to leave her on her own anymore, we should move her in with another filly.” he replied, pacing up and down his luxurious office. Trophies, medals and certificates decorated the many display cases he had set up around the room.

“But sir… Are you sure that’s such a good idea? Don’t you feel she may be slightly too… volatile?”

“I am indeed aware that she may be dangerous, which is why we need to keep a constant watch on whichever room she is transferred to. I feel that more than anything else at the moment, it is important that we reintroduce her to social contact. She desperately needs a friend.” he announced, turning to face the nurse - a pale white mare with a red mane, ageing no more than twenty.

“But sir-” she started.

“No, she will be moved. I feel I know exactly with whom we should pair her. Nurse Petal, make arrangements for her to be transferred to Wonderland.”

Later that morning, Sweetie Belle found herself being removed from her room by a pair of bulky earth ponies. For the first time since she arrived, she got a good look of her new home. The corridors were a dull green, with a multitude of numbered doors on each wall of the corridor. Within some of the doors she could hear speaking, laughing and crying. Other doors were deathly silent, yet all were the same shade of brown with a small glass window near the top.The corridors themselves were watched over by a few clinic hands.

“Ehm, may I just ask where we’re going?” Sweetie Belle asked meekly from underneath the huge guards. They remained silent for a moment, she had almost begun to wonder whether they had even heard her when one of them spoke up.

“You’re being transferred to a new cell- ahem, room. They’re here to make sure you or the other don’t try anything.” he replied coldly.

A new room? The other one?

The trio turned another corner and entered a new corridor, which was completely silent. No laughing, crying or speaking, just silence. Near the end of the corridor, stood another clinic hand. Their journey stopped next to the other clinic hand, who watched over a very peculiar door. This particular door had been decorated by multitudes of crayon drawings and had been painted to a deep shade of red.

“We’re here.” the clinic hand said nonchalantly, “That’s your new room, Number 18.”. The guards pushed her towards the door and the clinic hand carefully opened it. They quickly pushed her in and slammed the door shut behind her.

The room was incredibly dark, darker even than her own room at night. The reason was clear to see, somebody had purposefully shut the curtains. The only light came from a small crack in the curtains, which shed some light into the centre of the room. Somewhere in the darkness, another form moved. A white hoof planted itself in the light. The curtains slowly parted, as the foreleg raised to open them. Light filled the room, revealing a ghostly pale unicorn filly of around the same age as her. She had a long, straight pitch black mane. A simple black chess queen acted as her cutie mark.

She turned to face Sweetie Belle, before saying in a soft voice, “Hello, my name is Malice. Welcome to my Wonderland.”.