Sugar Valley

“What do you think, Ms. Pie?

Pinkie Pie continues to stare outside of the small room, a slight smirk on her muzzle. Whimsical music can be heard coming from the attractions outside.

“I’ve seen this place before. In my dreams…”

The stallion behind the desk furrows his brow.

“...Ms. Pie?”

Pinkie closes her eyes, yet she can still see the flashing lights. It would need revisions.

“If you could just approve these documents; I’ve got the keys ready for you.”

Pinkie Pie finally turns from the window, and looks at the papers on the desk. Her eyes then focus on the key sitting behind them.

“I’ll just need a moment to look over these, Mr. Top.”

Top slides the documents across the table and in front of Pinkie, who spontaneously removes a magnifying glass from her mane to observe the documents.

“Please, take as long as you need.”

The colt turns to take one last look at his park, before immediately spinning around at the sound of a magnifying glass dropping against his desk.

“Unfortunately, sir, after close inspection of your offer, I’ve concluded I can not go through with it.”

The stallion places his hoof firmly atop the table.

“Pinkie—”

“I seem to be six hundred thousand, two hundred and eight bits short of your asking price.”

“Now Ms. Pie, you told me that—”

In a flurry of action, Pinkie scoops the keys up in her mouth, and pierces them into the neck of Top. A vivid ribbon of red shoots over Pinkie Pie’s shoulder, lacing the floor and her back with warmth. The colt’s hooves grapple helplessly at his attacker’s head, all the while blood sprays against the window with every choke his failing body is able to produce. Pinkie holds him there until his wheezing ceases, and the wild bursts of blood are reduced to a steady stream flowing down Top’s chest. This continues until Pinkie drops her hooves back to the floor, and the stallion’s body collapses into a crimson pool.

“Thank you for seeing things my way, Mr. Top.”

Pinkie Pie lifts her hoof off of the blood-soaked floor and stamps it on the documents, beneath ‘signature’. After carefully stepping over the body, she then stands motionless in front of the glass that separated her from the rest of the park. Hundreds of vivid lights of every color imaginable shine in the night before her, as the music in the distance seems to grow louder in Pinkie’s head.

“Sugar Valley. I’ll name it Sugar Valley.”

And then she leaves in a carefree trot, and Mr. Top again has the room to himself.

* * *

The fields were quiet. Two figures stand among the flowing grass, and floating flower petals. Starswirl is the first to move.

“Evening Princess. It’s strange how we keep running into each other like this.”

Twilight attempts to lift a hoof to move closer to the unicorn, but finds it impossible to do so.

“Always a pleasant coincidence; how long do you plan on staying in Ponyville?”

Starswirl the Bearded shrugs, Twilight hesitant to interpret the gesture. Surely he’d know his own schedule?

“As long as I’m needed.”

Twilight gazes down at her hooves, still frozen in place. Starswirl closes the distance the young alicorn was unable to, and lowers his voice appropriately.

“You’re closer to finding your friend.”

Twilight Sparkle lifts her head. She recalls the images Featherweight had shown her before, hairs rising on the back of her neck.

“It doesn’t feel like it. Even after Canterlot analyzes the photos, it’ll probably be days before we can clamp down on a suspect. And I doubt she was working alone…”

Starswirl gives a surprisingly serious look to Twilight.

“Do not lose faith, Princess. Many ponies look to you for leadership. Give them a leader, and they will follow you to the ends of the earth.”

The wind begins to pick up, as debris joins the petals and blades of grass swirling through the air. Twilight turns around to see a dark, vast collection of clouds approaching from the horizon, bright veins of white striking from within. Concerned, Twilight again turns towards Starswirl, who is slowly walking away from her.

“Starswirl, wait!”

The alicorn fights relentlessly for control over her hooves, but none is granted. Her heart races as she faces the maw of the storm, unable to escapes its reach. Small particles begin to pelt her skin, as she closes her eyes and braces for the end.

Twilight gasps, lurching from her bed. It takes her a moment, but she begins to recognize the room as her own. The little light seeping in through the window outlines the small sleeping dragon across the room from her, a sight that immediately calms Twilight. She lays back down in the bed, pulling the blankets over her with a telekinetic grasp.

It would be quite some time before she would again fall asleep; time Twilight uses to hold desperately onto the fading words of Starswirl.

* * *

Cross was a simple stallion. He found comfort in simplicity. Simple was easy to build, easy to explain, and when it broke, simple was almost always easy to repair.

“Mayor are you telling me that I can’t grow corn in the new fields because we’d then have too much food?”

Cross slides his hoof off of the desk, feeling trapped by the question.

“Snow Lily, you know I have nothing but respect for you and your husband. But I simply can’t allow our storages to become unbalanced. We know precisely how much we’ll need for winter.”

Vivid blue eyes closely watch the ponies discuss.

“Fine. But when famine breaks out, I’ll remind you of this conversation.”

Snow begins towards the door with her nose held high, not even noticing the pink pony standing in the shadows. An earth pony with a light yellow coat nudges at Pinkie Pie, spurring her to approach the two ponies behind the mayor’s desk. Her mane is wildly unkempt, and hastily applied streaks of cyan populate the pink mess.

“Good morning, Mayor. I’ve come to your humble town with a proposition.”

Pinkie Pie offers the ponies a practiced bow, tightening the chain between her hoofcuffs.

“You’ve come to my ‘humble town’ in chains; and rightfully so. No one can just—walk into Hollow Shades.”

Pinkie raises her snout from the floor, lifting her hoof as far as the chains would allow her to.

“Not even an Element of Harmony?”

Cross glances over to his assistant, who is watching the pink pony closely.

“Yes, that’s where I know you; you’re Pinkie Pie. You and your friends defeated the Queen of Changelings!”

“Uh—I also single-hoofedly saved all of Ponyville from a swarm of Parasprites. No one seems to remember that.”

The mayor’s next question isn’t easy to choose.

“Why did you come here?”

The mare’s signature smile makes its way around her muzzle.

“I’ve recently aquired a theme park from my good friend ‘Mr. Top’. I believe I have what it takes to nurture it into something truly spectacular—but I’ll need extra hooves.”

Cross raises a brow.

“And you’ve come to our town to recruit them?”

“I can sweeten the deal. Tonight I invite the entire town of Hollow Shades to the grand re-opening of the park for a magnificent show! Admittance is completely free!”

An awfully ambitious plan, the mayor thinks to himself.

“You have the finances for this?”

Her smile grows.

“Defeating that Queen of Changelings wasn’t exactly community service.”

The four ponies remain silent for a moment, and the soft chirps and barks of the outside world finally make themselves known.

“Please give us a moment to discuss this matter in private, Pinkie Pie.”

In response Pinkie tests the strength of the cuffs, waving an arm before the mayor.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

Cross motions the guard with a hoof.

“Yes I apologize about that; Officer? Could you…?”

The yellow colt nods his head, and begins to unlock the cuffs restraining Pinkie’s forehooves. The mayor steps back to speak with his consultant.

“I don’t like this, Victor. Element of Harmony or not, she looks… off.”

The mayor’s assistant watches Pinkie Pie while speaking with a hushed voice.

“She’s not lying about the money. I know Top personally; that old man loved his park way too much to haggle the price.”

“I’m not concerned about the money, I’m concerned about her.”

The guard finally removes the hoofcuffs entirely, prompting Pinkie Pie to rub the exposed tender flesh. The mayor’s eyes catch Pinkie’s, and she waves playfully in his direction.

“Mayor, our relationship with the outside world is… shaky, at best. We play along, endure her show, and maybe she puts in a good word with the other Elements...”

Cross doesn’t like what he’s hearing.

“...maybe even a good word with the Sisters?”

“Hollow Shades was built to be independant from the ‘outside world’. We don’t need favors.”

Victor steps closer to his friend, lowering his voice even further.

“I mention this because the alternative—to deny her—might not sit well with Canterlot. Do you recall the Wonderbolt incident last year, when we had to beg to keep the outer woods?”

The Mayor cringes, remembering the details vividly.

“What do we have to lose?”

Cross considers the question; the town could use a break. As the two turn towards the lively pony, Pinkie looks back, eager for an answer.

“Pinkie Pie, you understand that we can make no promises about having spare workers for your carnival?”

“Ab-so-lutely!”

The citizens of Hollow Shades share one last glance, before the mayor steps forward and attempts to match Pinkie’s optimism.

“Then I suppose you will have your ‘Grand Re-opening’.”

* * *

Twilight finds Rainbow Dash drifting along the skies, lethargically pushing storm clouds away. Before the princess can approach, a pegasus with a curly blue mane steps between the two.

“Princess Twilight! I’m so glad you’re here.”

Twilight grudgingly plants her hooves back on the earth, and speaks with the mare.

“Hello, Lightning. Is she okay?”

White Lightning follows Twilight’s hoof to find the culprit, her head hanging low.

“I don’t know; she’s been like this all day, and we’re behind on the storm schedule...”

The pegasus receives a nod from her princess.

“I’ll try to talk to her. In the meantime you can help with the town square, if you’d like.”

“Of course, Princess.”

Twilight Sparkle waits until the pony was out of sight, then flies up to the dark cloud her friend held on to.

“Rainbow Dash?”

The cyan pegasus pulls her head from the cloud pillow, and attempts to hide the pain in her eyes.

“Hey, Twilight…”

The alicorn flies closer to Dash, offering a sympathetic expression.

“I’m pretty new to this whole weather thing, but I can try to help out if you like.”

“No, you don’t have to do that. I’m sorry, I guess I fell a little bit behind.”

Rainbow Dash immediately begins kicking at the surrounding storm clouds, dissolving them back into their primal elements.

“Is it Pinkie Pie?”

Dash stops, facing away from Twilight. The answer comes not from Rainbow’s lips, but the stillness of the air.

“You’re worried.”

The pegasus finally looks over her shoulder to face Twilight, her eyes growing pink.

“I’m mad…”

Twilight Sparkle abstains from commenting, instead allowing Dash to explain.

“She’s our friend; she had faith in us…”

The two share a moment of silence as Rainbow strains for her next words.

“...she had faith in me.”

“Dash, this isn’t anyone’s fault. No one could have seen this coming.”

Rainbow Dash turns away from Twilight, not quite satisfied with her coddling.

“I could have been there…”

Distraught, the princess approaches Dash from behind and lays a hoof on her back. Twilight can feel the mare tense up.

“They have to know who she is. When they feel comfortable with their terms, they’ll offer us a deal. And no amount of money will stand between us and Pinkie Pie.”

Rainbow’s eyes again meet Twilight’s, a glimmer of hope present.

“You really believe that?”

Twilight thinks hard. The truth was, she didn’t know these ponies; she wasn’t even sure that they’d be interested in something as mundane as bits. If Pinkie was alive, she was likely facing a fate far worse than death.

“I do.”

* * *

Cross is taken aback by the size of the Big Top. It was impressive from the outside, but its magnitude shines ever more brightly from within. Many rows of seats bordered the tent, cascading towards the center. Ponies rush pass the mayor, eager to find a seat close to the show. Cross stays back, weary of his surroundings.

“Welcome everypony! Please, have a seat; the show will be starting soon!”

Pinkie Pie stands in the center of the stadium, atop a large crate of supplies. Her wild mane had taken every opportunity it had to protrude from underneath her top hat.

“Nothing can prepare you for the marvel and magnificence of the mag-marvelous Sugar Valley!”

A gentle hoof prod draws Cross’s attention to his assistant.

“We’d better grab seats, Mayor.”

The mayor lingers, looking up to find patches of the tent torn through. Not the first indicator of neglect, Cross notes.

“Mayor we should really get moving.”

The stallion finally looks around him, discovering the two ponies were now alone on the ground level.

“Very well, you lead.”

The pair sit in the midsection of the stadium, just off to the side of a set of stairs leading up towards the highest seats. There’s commotion all around, laced with tones of excitement and curiosity. For a few, however, Pinkie’s presentation so far had only been met with skepticism. This includes Cross, who watches as Pinkie circled around the tent, closing the tall metal gates that bordered the stadium. Cross was just close enough to see the sign posted on the bars, bearing a comic depiction of a frowning filly reaching through the bars and getting her hoof mauled off by a tiger.

“Thank you soooo much for coming everypony! I’d like you to be the first to bear witness to the birth of something special!”

The lights around the stadium dim, plunging the crowd into darkness. Only Pinkie remains visible, a spotlight shining brightly onto her coat.

“Please; enjoy!”

The stadium erupts into thunderous stomping as Pinkie leaps from the container, the wooden walls falling with her descent. A dazzling display of lights and magic burst from within, many swirling colors gracing the ponies’ eyes. It was spectacular; even Cross finds it difficult to look away. His fixation is momentarily broken by the pony next to him.

“Makes you wonder what she needs us for, huh?”

Cross locates the pink mare, standing in the shadows. With every flash of light, her face becomes briefly visible, bearing a smile that seemed to grow between each burst.

The show goes on for more than thirty minutes, box after box being uncovered by Pinkie Pie. Boxes filled with magic, bizarre contraptions, and elaborate festivities. Confetti and ash blankets the ground, and the one surprise that had not yet been revealed. Curiously, this object is much smaller than the others, a sheet hanging loosely over it.

“Thank you all for being such wonderful guests tonight…”

Cross’s eyes wander once again to the metal bars separating Pinkie and the crowd. The night was full of surprises, but the absence of one element was the most perplexing. The mayor leans in towards his assistant.

“Did you see any caged animals outside?”

“No… why do you ask?”

Pinkie steps closer to the covered object.

“I hate to spoil the fun, but there is still a teeny matter of business to discuss.”

The exhilaration of the crowd begins to dissolve into confusion. As Cross scans every inch of the tent, he finds himself to be more encumbered by fear than anything else.

“I simply can’t run an entire carnival alone; especially if this carnival is to match my… vision.”

A pink hoof rests gently on the covered item.

The mayor’s sweep finally brings his muzzle to the floor, where he peers through the vents under their seats.

“Mayor, what are you doing?”

It was dark behind the metal, but the lingering lights from Pinkie’s show expose the contents beneath the stadium. Pipes, beams, wires—and all of it had been clearly tampered with. Cross turns from his discovery just in time to see Pinkie Pie’s final reveal.

“Nevertheless, this show deserves a finale!”

Pinkie tears off the sheet, revealing a valve attached to a rusty pipe.

The mayor’s stomach drops. He becomes paralyzed, unable to look away from the red valve.

“Mayor; what is it? What’s wrong?”

Pinkie Pie looks over the crowd, eventually meeting the mayor’s petrified gaze. Her bright blue eyes shine brightly beneath her hat, and above her toothy smile.

“I posses the loyalty of two hundred ponies…”

The mayor’s mouth begins to twitch as he struggles to finish his words.

“...and I led them straight into their demise.”

Pinkie grips the metal tightly, twisting it with all of her strength.

Panic spreads like wildfire, as thick clouds of gas begin to leak from underneath the hooves of Hollow Shades. Cross shuts his eyes tightly, the cries of his ponies piercing like two hundred knives.

To Pinkie Pie, the screams were a symphony. Her own personal choir. She closes her eyes and tilts her head back, listening to every angelic voice the ponies offered her. She could see it now; this was her future. This, was Sugar Valley.

If only her friends were here.