Beware of the rickety snickety claws.
Beware of the laugh from the child that it draws.
Beware of the friend that waits at the end.
Beware of the tiger who just wants to rend.
-Old Ponyville children's rhyming game
The filly stumbled off the edge of the sidewalk as she walked down the road in an awkward zigzagging travel, getting odd looks from the many ponies walking the streets, enjoying the early fall weather. Regaining her balance quickly. The strange filly continued on her journey. Wearing an outfit that hasn't been in fashion for over a hundred years in Equestria.
Looking less of a pony and more like something that should be placed behind a glass cage for preservation, or at least a shelf among others that looked like her. She wore a bright red bowknot ball dress with many laces and frills covering more laces and frills already attached. On her head the young filly wore a red bonnet with a white lining on the inside. Her mane, well washed and well combed hung around her head in loose curls. with plastic flowers inserted into it.
The other ponies looked at her strangely as she walked by. Wondering who she was? Where was she going? And why was she dressed that way? If she was aware she paid the attention no mind continuing to walk her funny walk.
"Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little Lamb. Mary had a little lamb its fleece was white as snow." The strange filly softly sang. "Mary had a little lamb its fleece was white as snow." The filly darted her head around. Twisting it in all directions as if trying to get all of Equestria into her vision she continues to sing in that strange monotone voice of hers. "Everywhere that Mary went, Mary went, Mary went. Everywhere that Mary went the lamb was sure to go." As she turned a corner, winding up in a small freight company loading their goods to sell in Ponyville.
"It followed her to school one day, school one day, school one day. It followed her to school one day which was against the rules." the strange filly continued to sing, catching the attention of the three workers loading up the wagon.
"Hey Greeves take a look at her." said one of the ponies motion to the others next to him. "I think she got lost on her way to the Grand Galloping Gala."
"Shoot! Lost in time as well. That was three months ago." said Greeves. "She must have gotten really lost."
"Are you looking for someone Miss?" said the third pony. Jumping off the wagon. "My name is Coal, this here is Greeves and the one with the jokes his name is Dodger. Is their anything we can do to help you?"
The strange pony stopped their for a few moments, silently staring at the three of them. Continuously darting her head back while looking. Making Coal think of birds, how they would twist their heads around to look at you. It also reminded him of this beautiful plant he came across one on his journey. It was a beautiful small blue rose he once found growing on the side of the road. He thought it was so pretty he decided to pluck it and give it to his wife. who spent so much time in the garden she had at their house.
But as he went to pluck it. The plant stuck at him, delivering a nasty bite on his hoof. The bite was so bad it actually drew blood. That was when he was told of the mimic plant. A very rare species of predator in Equestria. Usually able to take the form of something beautiful to attract prey.
"Is their anything you need Miss? Do you need directions?" asked Coal.
"The toy store with that getup." snickered Dodger.
The strange filly twisted her head at them a few more times before she started to sing again. "It made the children laugh and play, laugh and play, laugh and play, it made the children laugh and play to see a lamb at school." she continued on with that song of hers, singing it with that flat voice.
"Ma'am." said Greeves. getting down from the wagon to approach her. "Is their anything you need?" he continued on as he got in front of the strange filly. " I'm sorry but unless your looking for something you shouldn't be h...." he stopped abruptly as she put her hoof up n his chest. The pony named Dodger stood their silently standing their in front of the strange pony, back towards his friends.
"Greeves?" said Coal nervously approaching the two of them with a feeling of dread creeping over him. "What does she need?"
"And so the teacher turned it out, turned it out, turned it out, and so the teacher turned it out, but still it lingered near." the filly continued to sing.
He saw Greeves starting to shake more and more, as the filly continued to have her hoof on his chest. Greeves opened up his mouth as if trying to say something. Coals watched in horror seeing blood starting to gush out, he realized the strange filly, wearing the strange cloths wasn't resting her hoof on Greeves chest but she had literally punched a hole through it.
"And waited patiently about, patiently about, patiently about, and waited patiently about till Mary did appear." the filly continued on. Removing her hoof from Greeves's chest.
Greeves collapsed to the floor. The blood from his opening the filly made poured out over him, forming a puddle where his body lay convulsing on the ground.
"Celestia!" shouted Dodger running over to help his friend, after seeing him collapse. "What happened?" The pony meant to push the strange girl away from the body, and help his friend. but found it was like moving a mountain as he felt the young one hard as a rock.
The filly wrapped her hooves around his neck and lifted the frightened pony off the ground. Still moving her head around, as if trying to see what was happening. Still continuing to sing her song as well. "Why does the lamb love Mary so? Love Mary so? Love Mary so? Why does the lamb love Mary so? The eager children cry."
Coal could hear his friend struggle to breath, with the strange young pony wearing the strange cloths choke the life out of his friend. Focusing on saving his friend, he grabbed the nearest thing that was close to his hooves. A hammer he was using for some maintenance on the wagon they were loading.
Rushing over to help he swung his hammer at the filly. Telling himself later her just wanted to save his two friends from their attacker as he would wake up screaming in his bead covered in sweat reliving that moment over and over again. The hammer connected with the strange young filly's head. Reminding him of fine china, her head shattered, making a sound like a dropped bottle when it hits the floor, sending shards of her everywhere across the space.
In shock and unable to move. Coal watched the body stand their for a few moments, releasing his friend Dodger from her embraced. It hobbled for a bit before collapsing to the floor. He felt vomit rising from the back of his throat. Feeling at any moment he was going to be sick as he saw sawdust pour out of the opening where the filly's head once was.
"We need a doctor." said Dodger gasping as he laid on the ground. finding his voice, as he could breath again. "Greeves is hurt really bad."
"Yes a doctor." Coal said in shock, as his body started to shake all over from what he done. Unable to contain it any more. Coal went to the corner and threw up onto the ground. Unable to close it off from his mind. He could still hear the strange young filly singing into the wind.
"Hush little baby, don't say a word, mama's gonna buy you a Mockingbird. If that Mockingbird don't sing, mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring." the pony sang with a honeyed voice.
Sunlight fell into the room through windows that were covered with generations of dust and grime warping the overall mood of the room. Leaving a feeling of sadness and depression. Two ponies stood off to the corner of it. As one pony heavily robed wearing a ceramic doll like mask that covered her face. The mask made her look like an expensive porcelain doll. Reminding the other one of the dolls she kept on her shelf above her bed.
The masked and robed pony stood next to another much younger pony. brushing her mane with an ivory brush. Next to them both was an antique table where kits of makeup and books were piled all around. Beside them stood a rack of vintage dresses waiting to be worn.
"Ninety-eight, ninety-nine, one hundred." said the pony wearing a mask. "You have such a beautiful mane. If my daughter were here she would have been so jealous of you. Violet."
"My-my name is Daisy." the filly said trying not to cry. "Daisy Bell." The young filly gave off a scent of lavender and vanilla from the milk bath the other pony have given her.
"Daisy is such a common name. It's not even that pretty of a flower. Violet suits you much better." she said starting to wrap curlers into her mane. "Your such a pretty filly. Did you know that?"
"R-Really?" she said as tears started to pour down her face.
"Now, now. You promised you would be a brave girl for me." the masked pony with the honeyed voice said. Getting a cloth and gently wiping off the drops off of Violet's face. "No tears, They will make your eyes puffy, and we can't have that can we."
The hooded pony finished with the curlers, as she got up she went over to the dresses. Singing as she went. "If that diamond ring turns to glass, mama's gonna buy you a looking glass." While she went from dress to dress looking for the right one, the young filly tried to shift her weight to make herself more comfortable but found it hard to do as the chains and weights held her tightly. Along with the face brace that made it impossible for her to turn and look.
"Pink I think is your color." said the masked pony. selecting a Lucille walking suit. I think it would go perfect with these lace gloves, and this divine Parasol. What are your thoughts Violet?" she asked. Holding them up for the filly to see.
The young filly couldn't take it anymore as the fear and panic in her finally welled out. "Please! Please, please." Daisy sobbed. "I just want to go home and see my dad and mommy. Please lady..."
"Call me Porcelin sweetheart."
"Please I just wanna go home."
Porcelin stared silently at the young filly for a few moments. Making Daisy feel that she was looking through her. Without making a sound. She walked over to the table. Over to one of the many makeup kits that were scattered all over. The robed and masked pony, picked up some eyeliner and began to apply it on Daisy. "Sweetheart this is your home now." she said. Touching up her face as she started to sing again. "And if that looking glass gets broke, mama's gonna buy you a Billy goat."
*****
The sunlight of a late afternoon filtered through the opened windows of her castle library making everything feel melancholy. Scattered all around the room, various books were absently placed and piled up. Forming a circle of knowledge. In the middle of all of this lay Twilight Sparkle. Head resting on a desk, fast asleep. She began to frown as the noise of the outside world began to invade the world of her dreams.
clopclopclopclopclopclopclopclop....
The sound grew louder, echoing in the library. Twilight groaned in her sleep as she shifted position. Her breath became laborious as she started to cry. She turned her head over again as if trying to avoid the noise coming from outside.
ClopClopClopClopClopClopClopClop....
"No." she muttered in her sleep twisting her head around, while she started breathing faster. "Please stop."
CLOPCLOPCLOPCLOPCLOPCLOPCLOPCLOPCLOPCLOP...
"I don't want to die."
BOOM! BOOM! went the thumping of her door to her castle jolting her awake. "I think I shall call you Rose. That is such a beautiful name, don't you agree?" said a voice in her dream.
Twilight found herself sad and afraid as the real world once again invaded her life. She didn't understand why she was having such a bad dream, or even what it was about. Except for those words already fading away to the back of her mind. "I think I shall call you Rose." She wondered why it scared her so much.
BOOM!went the door again, making her brush it off it as just a nightmare. "I really shouldn't stay up so late." she said to herself as she got up and started walking over to the entrance. "It's giving me such bad dreams.
