A Sprinkle of Surprise

   It didn't sound like a happy laughter. It sounded...some-what evil. Who could possibly be down here laughing like a maniac? Twilight thought. Twilight suddenly saw a flash of light that wasn't coming from her horn. It came from down a long, narrow cave passageway. So Twilight began to follow it. With every step she took, the laughter got louder. She began to become enthusiastic with her find and picked up the pace. Twilight was beginning to trot faster and faster until she was in full gallop.

   The now speaking voice was getting louder and louder. But Twilight couldn't quite understand what it was saying. She was also beginning to feel the presence of stress and struggle; as well as hearing grunts. The light got brighter as Twilight slowed her pace and was now slowly and silently creeping towards the now completely englowing light. There was a wall of stone, stalagmites and stalactites deviding Twilight and a seemingly large room. She peeked her head around the corner and saw something incredibly unexpected. She saw the alicorn, Sprinkles, who was tied up in a chair with an anti-magic bag on her horn, probably to keep her from using her horn to escape. Twilight also saw a gray female pegasis wearing a black cape. She turned her head just enough for Twilight to see that this strange pegasis didn't have pupils. She had sparkling firey pink, orange, and red mixed eyes. They were beautiful, but also almost hypnotizing...

   Twilight tried to fight the urge to keep staring at the eyes, but it was incredibly hard. Finally, she blinked and snapped out of it. The purple unicorn noticed the pegasis' mane cut.  It was the same color as her eyes, but up in a pony-tail and had bangs. This pony was beautiful, but in a dark and scary way.

   "So, Sprinkles. Why don't you start by telling me why you were in such a rush to leave Trottingham... Hmm?" the pegasis finally spoke in a slippery voice. "I was trying to meet a friend!" Sprinkles said, struggling to break the leather straps. "Why? So you could be beat me in another competition? I COULD HAVE HAD THAT CUPCAKE CUTIE-MARK!" she said angrily. "But instead, I have THIS!" she quickly whipped up her cape to reveal a black and white swirl, as it to say her talent was hypnotizing. "Now I can't have a real conversation with any-pony without then falling into a deep trance. I just wish I could have been a baker..." she said, her voice beginning to crack.

   "Mindy, I told you it wasn't your fault. I was meant to be the baker. You were meant to be the hypnotist. But it isn't a bad thing! You could get a ton of bits by holding hypnotist shows and things. You just have to learn to controll it." Sprinkles said in a reassuring voice. But Mindy's eyes just grew hotter. "But that spot with Pinkie Pie was MINE!!" Mindy exploded. "Was it, Mindy? Was it? Don't hold onto the past. Instead, look to the future. You could be a successful hypnotist." the creamy alicorn said, smiling gently. The fire in Mindy's eyes died down. "Do you really think so?" the gray pegasis asked softly. Twilight was starting to smile without even realizing it. This would make a great letter to the Princess.

   "Ofcourse I do. You just have to learn to controll it." Sprinkles said. "By the way, could you take this bag off my horn?" she asked. The pegasis was hesitant, but removed the bag from the alicorn's horn. Mindy slowly walked to one corner of the room with her head low to the ground with tears in her eyes that extinguished the fire in her eyes, revealing two beautiful orange-pink eyes WITH pupils.

   She sat down and sobbed silently a bit. Then, when she calmed herself, she was silent. Until, "Go ahead." Mindy whispered. "Escape. Un-do the latches on the straps and flash out. Tell everypony that I'm terrible and ruin the reputation I don't even have yet. Go ahead. I deserve it. I'm a terrible pony." Mindy sobbed. Twilight wanted to burst in and hug her, but that would set fire to the pegasis' eyes once more. Sprinkles undid the latches, but instead if flashing out, she walked over to the crying pony. "Your not a terrible pony. You just haven't had anypony to be there for you in the past. But now you do." Sprinkles said, her arm around Mindy's shoulder, with a levitating cloth surrounded by blue magic, wiping Mindy's tears.

   "I'm not?" Mindy asked, beginning to smile through the tears. "No. And I would be more than happy to be your friend." Sprinkles said. "Now. Let's get out of here and get you that new awesome reputation!" she said enthusiastically.

   "But what about my eyes?" Mindy asked, her smile fading away. "Hmmm..." Sprinkles said. "AHA!" the alicorn magically conjured up a pair of pink sunglasses. They began to float over to Mindy and set themselves gently on her face. Mindy smiled and thanked her new friend. Everything was turning out okay.