Sugar Valley

Stern talons roll Lane’s head to the side, revealing a broken arrow protruding from his eye socket. The shot is surrounded by gore.

“Black; they had prisoners.”

The dark griffon turns away from the corpse, looking instead at the dirt-ridden face of his comrade. She’s covered in a lot of blood; but few wounds.

“Show me.”

Pinkie Pie quickly lifts her head as shadows begin to move about the room, her mane bouncing in tandem with the motion. Two fully matured griffons make their way to the cell, stepping over the bodies that littered the floor. The larger of the two approaches Pinkie directly, a meter from the cage.

“What’s your name?”

Pinkie puts on a bright smile, and extends a hoof through the bars.

“Pinkie Pie, the one and only.”

The two avian creatures share a glance, the female shrugging her shoulders briefly. The griffon near the cell grabs Pinkie’s hoof, and shakes it casually.

“Name’s Black. That’s Crow.”

Crow gives a slight nod towards Pinkie. Black lowers the pony’s hoof, noticing a knife wound as he does so.

“Hell; Crow, get some bandages on her... I’ll take care of that one.”

Black points at the figure in the other cell, who lies on the ground enduring panicked breaths. Without a hint of protest, Crow moves next to Pinkie Pie’s cage, and begins to try each of the prison keys. Pinkie watches her with a smile on her face.

“You’re Equestrian, right?”

Pinkie Pie nods her head, watching Crow toss the first key she tried.

“You’re a long way from home, Pinkie.”

“So I hear.”

The second key turns with a click, and for a moment, Crow simply holds the metal with her talons. Pinkie Pie’s smile expands, as she motions towards her shoulder.

“The wound?”

Crow shakes her head, and opens the cage fully.

* * *

Twilight closes the door behind Rarity, and the room falls into complete silence. It appears incredibly normal; which wasn’t going to help the ponies’ search at all.

“I just can’t believe she lived in this drab cellar for half a decade.”

Twilight glances over her shoulder at the white mare.

“Remember why we’re here, Rarity. We need to find any clues at all regarding Pinkie’s location.”

“Of course; clues…”

With a quick scan, Twilight finds the room to be appropriately ‘Pinkie’; party supplies and obscure festivities were piled along the walls. The princess waves a hoof at the chaos.

“Knowing Pinkie Pie, it’s not likely any of this will get us anywhere. But why don’t you skim it just in case.”

Rarity nods her head and takes a deep breath.

“Right.”

Twilight furrows her brow.

“Skim, Rarity.”

The unicorn steps towards the mess and begins to remove items with her magic.

“If you say so.”

Twilight turns back towards the remainder of the room, moving close to Pinkie’s bed for inspection. The bed itself isn’t peculiar; underneath, however, there is a box filled with notebook paper. Twilight squints to read the disastrous hoofwriting.

Song lyrics?

“Twilight… what do you suppose we’ll do if the elements are needed again, and Pinkie remains lost?”

The violet alicorn lowers the papers back into their box, and considers her friend’s concern. She hadn’t thought about it before.

“I’m not sure. But we haven’t needed them for quite some time now; let’s just hope we find Pinkie Pie before we’re attacked by another evil monarch.”

Rarity returns to her work, content with Twilight’s answer.

“Yes I suppose things have been relatively quiet around here… which makes it all the stranger that someone would do something like this.”

“We don’t know if it was ‘someone’. Let’s just consider all possibilities until we have more information.”

Rarity stares at a photo of her ecstatic friend holding a small crocodile tightly to her chest.

“Yes, I suppose you’re right.”

Twilight walks the length of the room, stopping at a small refrigerator. It’s plastered in stickers and small notes; one of which, catches Twilight’s eye.

~~butter~~
~~salt~~
~~vanilla~~
~~sugar~~
~~SUGAR~~
~~milk~~
poison joke

After Twilight silently reads the list over, Rarity approaches from behind, glancing at the paper from over her friend’s shoulder.

“Is poison joke… safe to cook with?”

“It’s certainly not known for its taste; but you can boil out the actual poison.”

Twilight levitates the note down towards her chest, and flexes her wings impulsively.

“Regardless, it’s important to note that she hadn’t retrieved it yet. This may be the exact lead that we need.”

* * *

Embers rise gently into the night sky, as a feathered corpse burns brightly before the others. Black tosses a bow into the flames, then turns his back to the scene.

“Tonight we’ll sail for Equestria. We go our separate ways once you’re safe.”

The frail prisoner the griffons had saved, Violet, steps ahead of Pinkie Pie.

“You mean you’re not going to say anything for him?”

“He was a good fighter. Now he’s dead. I thought that much was obvious.”

Violet stares at the griffon, dumbstruck.

“But—he was your comrade…”

Black turns around, the plethora of equipment and weapons on his back making quiet metallic noises.

“Mud’s murderer was killed while cowering in his room; his guards, slaughtered. There is nothing that can be done to better ease the loss of our brother, and further rituals would only lengthen our journey.”

Pinkie Pie has been staring vacantly at the night sky, deaf to the griffon’s words.

“We are tired, cold, hungry and alive. Mud would want us to move on.”

Why do we only eat candy canes on Hearth’s Warming Eve?

Violet watches the ground before her as she walks slowly behind the griffons. She takes one last look at the fire, noticing Pinkie’s silhouette in front of its light. Violet waves a hoof, unable to grab the pony’s attention.

“Pinkie Pie!”

The mare finally brings her attention to the group, a smile sitting comfortably on her muzzle.

“Yes. I suppose it is time to go home.”

* * *

The sound of dozens of hooves sloshing through the mud of Everfree fills the air, the shadows of several pegasi sliding over the earth. Twilight stands atop a grassy knoll, speaking with Zecora.

“And you’re sure you haven’t seen anyone around here?”

Zecora shakes her head in response.

“I can assure you, my friend; no news on my end.”

Twilight Sparkle sighs softly, pushing aside her soggy bangs. Before she can ask another question, Applejack approaches the pair from behind.

“There ain’t a patch of Poison joke we haven’t checked, Twi. Even if they were here, the rain would have washed away their tracks.”

The violet unicorn listens to her friend’s words, but continues to silently watch the sky.

“Let’s just call it a day; maybe roundup another lead back in Ponyville.”

Twilight finally turns to face AJ, noticing her tangled mane and tired eyes.

“You’re right; we would have found something by now.”

Applejack raises a hoof to the sky, motioning towards a cyan figure above the horizon. Rainbow Dash ceases her gliding, and instead hovers before her party.

“Come on guys, let’s bring it in.”

As the team of pegasi terminate their search, and began landing on the wet ground, Zecora steps close enough to Twilight that the two could speak privately.

“I don’t like where things are heading. I can feel an evil spreading…”

Twilight watches the forest closely, Zecora’s observation raising hairs on the back of her neck.

“We’re going to get to the bottom of this. There has to be an explanation.”

Her gaze settles on a shadowy form in the distance. It looks curiously close to the silhouette of a pony.

“What is…”

The figure ducks underneath a fern. Twilight doesn’t hesitate to break into a sprint towards the pony, her friends watching with a mixture of confusion and worry. Twilight instinctually casts a telekinetic field over the colt as he begins to run, revealing his identity.

“Featherweight?”

“Please don’t tell my mom…”

Twilight releases the young pony from her grasp, watching him cradle his camera.

“What are you doing here? It isn’t safe.”

Twilight’s friends catch up to her as the colt sheepishly rubs his shoulder.

“N-nothing; my ball, I was looking for my ball…”

Applejack approaches the child with a concerned expression.

“You know you’re not supposed to be here; you could get hurt.”

Twilight allows her friends to deal with the situation. She couldn’t admit to being a fan of the colt, or his total disregard of privacy. Rainbow Dash flies over AJ’s shoulder, showing assertiveness Twilight found to be entirely appropriate.

“Tell us why you’re really here, kid.”

Applejack pushes Rainbow Dash back, glaring at her.

“I-if I tell, will you promise to not let my mom know I was here?”

Princess Twilight holds her tongue as her mind grows louder with thought.

Does he not realize that I can imprison him for staying quiet?

“If it won’t cause no harm, we won’t tell.”

Featherweight gulps, uncomfortable with how many eyes were on him.

“I saw—I saw Pinkie Pie, a few weeks ago. She was heading into the Everfree Forest, alone.”

Applejack’s stare meets with Twilight’s, as the colt continues his story.

“You gotta understand, it was a really weak time for stories. But you guys… your stories really sell… So I followed her.”

Rainbow Dash scoffs at the pegasus.

“Don’t you guys have any respect for personal—”

“Rainbow!”

Applejack looks from her friend back towards the frail colt.

“What happened next?”

“She kept glancing behind her back—like she felt like she was being watched or something. At first I thought my cover was blown, but then…”

The pony is hesitant to continue. AJ places a hoof next to the colt’s.

“This is important, Featherweight. You’re not gonna get in any trouble.”

“She gathered some kind of plant and then; somepony else was there—”

Rainbow Dash leans in towards Featherweight.

“Who was there?”

“I-I don’t know, I got scared and hid. When I looked again, Pinkie was gone.”

Twilight Sparkle finally intervenes.

“Were you taking pictures?”

Featherweight stares at the alicorn for a moment, then slowly nods his head, unbuckling his satchel as he does so. Twilight removes the photos that are exposed, before Featherweight can even touch them. The princess applies several layers of magic around the pictures, curving whatever rain that gets too close away from the paper. All of the ponies lean in close to see what was captured.

The photo on top of the deck shows Pinkie prancing merrily through the woods, the kind of attitude ponies had found to be synonymous with Pinkie Pie.

The next image shows Pinkie in a more controlled trot, although her smile seems no smaller. Twilight’s friends move closer as she slowly flipps through the photographs, all eager to discover what happened to the Element of Laughter.

The third photo is different than the rest. Pinkie is still the sole subject, but her pose is rigid, and her ears are perked. She stands at the edge of what appears to be a poison joke field.

Featherweight nervously rubs his forearm.

“There wasn’t nothing I could have done!”

Twilight slowly slides the third photo from the deck, exposing the last one in the pile.

“You gotta believe me!”

The final photograph reveals two shadowy figures, grappling with the pink mare. Pinkie Pie was now exhibiting an expression of unadulterated terror, apparent even through the motion blur. Applejack gasps, raising a hoof to her mouth.

The princess tears her eyes from the photo, and instead looks to her friends. Fear had clutched every one of them.

“We need to contact Princess Celestia. This… this is far worse than I imagined.”

Twilight can’t help but look back at the photograph as her friends begin to panic.

“Who in Equestria would wanna harm Pinkie?”

“I don’t care who they are; once I find them, they’ll regret ever laying a hoof on her!”

Twilight Sparkle squints her eyes at the photo. With the distortion, it almost looks as if there’s a grin on Pinkie’s face.

* * *

Black stares into the fire before him, occasionally glancing over at Crow, who is vigorously sharpening arrowheads.

“Are those in case the candy-colored ponies attack?”

Crow only momentarily looks away from her work, no joy in her eyes.

“It’s over, Crow. This is Equestria, remember? We don’t have to fight anymore.”

Crow drops a sharpened arrow into a pile at her feet, watching her friend over the fire.

“I hope you’re right; but hope won’t stop a spear from driving through my chest.”

Black flexes his wings, standing up from where he laid. Crow’s eyes follow Black as he walks around the fire, and stops just before the arrows. He then raises a talon to the sky, drawing Crow’s attention.

“Do you see those stars surrounding the moon? It’s said that they once aided the escape of ‘Nightmare Moon’, whom had been banished to the heavens thousands of years ago. Her return shook the entirety of Equestria, causing nationwide panic. It wasn’t until Princess Celestia and her students rose up to fight that Nightmare Moon’s terror was brought to an end.”

Crow had ceased her preparations, and was listening intently.

“She was defeated by, what I believe the Equestrians call: ‘The Magic of Friendship’.”

Black narrates the tail end of his story with a sweeping gesture of his arms. Crow stares blankly at her friend, and for a moment, the air is silent. Then Black releases a low chuckle, and lays a claw on his comrade’s shoulder.

“I think we’ll be safe…"

Crow hangs her head as the other griffon makes his way back around the fire. She wasn’t scared of Nightmare Moon…

“How can she be that happy?”

Black looks over the fire, a smile still on his face.

“Who?”

“Pinkie Pie. She’s been tortured. And yet she goes about her day as if nothing’s wrong.”

Black falls back into the entrancing dance of the flames, his smile fading.

“I don’t know. Maybe she’s blocked the entire thing out of her memory.”

Pinkie Pie stares up at the dark abyss, her limbs sprawled out on the grass. She grins from ear to ear, feeling an unfamiliar desire rise from within.

“Maybe, while imprisoned in the darkest corner of that cave, she simply found her own light. Something to keep her going.”

Pinkie sits up off of the ground, noticing a peculiar silhouette in the distance. That of a Ferris Wheel, it seemed.

“Or maybe it was the ‘Magic of Friendship’.”

Crow rolls her eyes as Black again begins to snicker. Satisfied with his explanation, Black stretches before the fire, and starts to move his equipment into the tent set up behind him. Crow lingers, watching her pile of arrows as she thinks about Black’s words.

A pink shape walks excitedly into the flame’s light.

“I’d like us to make a detour!”

Black freezes, holding a sheathed machete. He can see Crow’s scowl even in the dark.

“Pinkie Pie, we’re halfway to Canterlot. I don’t think we have any time for—”

“Just a teensy little stop at whatever that is!”

Pinkie flings up a hoof at the horizon, pointing towards the shadowed carnival in the distance. Black observes the park, then removes a map from one of the many packs still lying around the fire.

“It looks close to… Hollow Shades?”

Pinkie Pie begins to bounce uncontrollably as the griffon recalls his studies of Equestria.

“It’s a haven; collection of the lost and misplaced. I don’t think anyone from outside can just approach—”

“I don’t care! Let’s go!”

Crow was beginning to grow sick of the carefree pony.

“We’re not straying the path, you’re free to go wherever you want after we reach Canterlot.”

Pinkie’s expression transforms into a pout, Black responding with a rational explanation.

“She’s right. You’ve been missing for quite some time now; if you wander off and get killed, what’s to stop ponies from blaming the mysterious band of griffon foreigners she came here with?”

Pinkie was no stranger to voices inside of her head; but their words are no longer familiar.

“You guys are no fun.”

The bright pony spins around without another word, making her way back to the second tent. Crow isn’t keen on talking either, instead glaring at Black from across the camp. The tired griffon simply turns his head, moving the rest of the equipment into their tent.

The night grows cold, only the soft ambiance of the crickets and the nearby river audible. Pinkie lies awake, listening to the many words she alone could hear. It is all she can hear.

Pinkie Pie slowly rises from her sleeping bag, momentarily watching Violet’s steady breathing before grabbing their lantern and exiting the tent. Once alone outside, the pony closes the flap and seals it with the pins. A merry tune rings throughout her head, as she douses the tent with the fuel from her lamp. Satisfied, she then places the lantern down, and starts towards the griffons’ tent.

A sudden light from within the tent surprises Pinkie, causing her to quickly duck behind a large boulder. Black appears from the tent, holding a lantern out with his claw. Pinkie can hear his footsteps fade away, towards the river.

Black takes a long moment to observe his reflection, rippling with the soft motions of the river. He isn’t sure he likes what he sees. In an attempt to cleanse the image, Black splashes a clawful of the water on his face, working it through his unkempt feathers. When his talons again touch the ground, he notices a strange pink reflection taking shape in the rippling water.

Pinkie latches onto Black, forcing his head into the water. He immediately begins to thrash wildly under the surface, unable to shake the weight of the earth pony. Black brings his talons as far back as he can, clutching at Pinkie Pie’s shoulders. Blood runs down onto her stomach, as the griffon’s grip tightens. She doesn’t even notice; failing to stifle a snicker that had made its way to her muzzle. As the panicked struggling beneath her slows, Pinkie finds it more and more difficult to suppress her instinct.

Crow’s eyes open wide. She is sure that she had heard laughter. Not wasting a second, the griffon springs from her bed, grabs her bow, and runs outside.

Crow reaches the river on her hind legs, with an arrow nocked. Only one figure is present, slouched over the edge of the river.

“Black!”

A touch to the griffon’s neck with two fingers confirms Crow’s worst fear. Tears began to seep into her vision as she looks over the lifeless body. One detail brings her back, as she focuses on the empty sheath for Black’s machete.

Fighting the urge to break down, Crow returns to the camp, where the lantern’s glow aids her vision. Her breathing increases rapidly, as she swivels on her hind legs, muscles aching to draw the bow. There appears to be nothing beyond the glow of the lantern.

Pinkie attacks with unnatural speed. Wielding the blade awkwardly in her mouth, she slashes at Crow’s chest, drawing a strand of blood from the griffon. Pinkie continues to flail the blade around wildly, forcing Crow onto her back with her arms crossed, a vain attempt to defend against Pinkie's relentless attack.

When the pony had finally stopped, Crow was covered in lines of crimson, unable to do anything but weep in pain. Pinkie Pie tosses aside the blood-soaked weapon, instead grabbing the lantern. She splashed some of its fuel onto the hopeless griffon before her, then pours the rest of it along the way to her tent. Violet begins to fumble with the sealed flap.

“Pinkie? What’s going on?”

With a smile on her face, Pinkie Pie flings the lantern from her maw and sends it crashing into the earth, the flames quick to absorb the fuel on the ground. As Pinkie makes her way back to the flailing griffon on the ground, screams begin to sound from within the burning tent.

“I really do have to thank you guys—”

Pinkie stops just out of Crow’s reach, watching her crawl away from the spreading flames.

“If it weren’t for your little rescue party, I’d be dead in some cave somewhere, never to be heard of again.”

Crow pulls herself as quickly as she can, grunting from the stress on her lacerated arms.

“But thanks to you, things will be much more interesting!”

Pinkie smiles as only she could, waving a hoof in the air.

“Toodaloo!”

The pony leaves the scene in an upbeat trot, heading towards the distant carnival. Crow feels the heat intensify, falling onto her back just in time to watch the flames crawl up her legs. She begins to writhe uncontrollably, howling in pain as the fire consumes her entirely.

Her screams echo through the night, with only the stars to listen.