Stone Vault

Walter awoke with a groan. His head was spinning, like he had just gotten off the tilt-a-whirl. He blinked the fog from his eyes and saw he was currently sitting in the middle of a brightly colored room. Lots of pink and yellow, with balloon’s and streamers everywhere. From the large windows he could see the sun was already going down.

“Great.” Vault thought, “An entire day wasted, at least I'll get to see what the nightlife is like in this world.” he tried to lift his arms, only to discover he was tied to his chair. “Oh for all… Pinkie!” he yelled, “What kind of welcoming is this!?”

Walter’s heart skipped, a cold chill rolling down his spine, when he heard the distinct rasp of metal on metal.

“Welcome, welcome, welcome…” Pinkie’s singing was soft, quiet, and difficult to pinpoint, like it was coming from everywhere at once. The rasp of metal continued. Like she was… dragging something? “A fine welcome to you…” she continued, her voice growing closer.

“P-Pinkie!?” Vault stuttered, “This isn't funny!” he tried to sound tough, utterly failing.

“Welcome, welcome, welcome...” her menacing sing-song continued. The sound of metal on metal growing in volume. “I say, how do you do?” Vault knew he had heard that sound before, but his mind was too busy trying to figure out how he got in this situation.

“What the fuck!?” Walter panicked internally, “She seemed so nice, they all did!” Then he had a chilling revelation. “Bologna…” he broke into a cold sweat, “That's how she knew about bologna.”

“Welcome, welcome, welcome…” a fluffy shadow appeared in the door frame. She was wearing an apron stained with dark red splotches. “I say hip, hip hooray.” That was the grinding noise, one he had heard so often in his childhood...

The sound of someone sharpening a blade.

“That's why there are no other humans!” Walter was so gripped by absolute, existential terror, he couldn't will his body to move. “Equestrian bologna is people!”

“Welcome, welcome,welcome!” Pinkie’s voice was filled with such manic jubilation, like a sadistic child who had just discovered ants with a magnifying glass. Her eyes dance with pure, psychotic joy, as she ceased her sharpening, only to raise the knife up…

“You won't take me, harpy!” Stone roared, his arms ripped apart the chair he was bound to.

“To Ponyville… uh oh.” Pinkie finished her song on a sour note. She was now face to face with an extremely upset looking human. “I told Dashie this was going too far!” Pinkie slowly took a few steps backward.

As if suddenly remembering he was super strong, Vault stood and tore his ankles free of the chair, rendering it a pile of broken wood. His fight or flight instincts had definitely kicked in, and they always chose fight.

“Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie yelled as the angry giant stared her down, “Help!” she backed up against the wall. Seconds later, the door was nearly blown off it's hinges by a polychromatic blur.

“Pinkie!? What's going…” Rainbow’s words died in her throat when she gazed on the scene. Pinkie was pushed into a corner, looking absolutely terrified, while Stone towered over her. Breathing heavily, he slowly turned his head, locking a single eye on the blue pegasus over his shoulder. Rainbow couldn't stop the shiver provoked by such a cold gaze. “Uhhh…” she scratched the back of her head. “Surprise?” she offered weakly.

Stone apparently didn't find the prank funny, because he let out a guttural roar and charged the cocky pegasus. Dash barely managed to dodge the freight train of rage, sending him sprawling into the hallway. Then through the opposite wall…

Vault managed to stop before he trampled Mr. And Mrs. Cake’s bed, but he showed no such difference to the wall between him and his target. He burst through the blue plaster wall, rushing toward the staircase his quarry was currently retreating down.

“I told you it was too much!” Pinkie yelled as she panic-pronked her way down to the first floor.

“How was I supposed to know he'd freak-out!?” Rainbow cried next to her. “Can't you take a joke!?” she yelled back toward their pursuer.

“A joke!?” he ruminated through the red static, “What kind of monsters make people into lunch meat as a joke!?” However, when he attempted to vocalize his indignation, all that came out was a furious screech.

The two ponies came screaming into the room, to the brief confusion of everypony gathered there. Confusion became panic when a furious Stone burst into the room, his head smashing through the upper door frame.

Thankfully, Pinkie hadn't invited half the town, it was mostly just her close friends. The poor Cakes however, could only look on in horror as the giant wrecked their main foyer. Rarity and Applejack quickly got the younglings out of harm's way, but Twilight was paralyzed with indecision, unable to use her magic on the human. Walter finally managed to corner Pinkie underneath a table packed high with party food. He swung his fist, smashing the table in two, and splattering himself with murdered confectionery.

A sudden unsettling calm stretched over Sugarcube Corner, as if all those present held their collective breath. Stone stared at the smashed table, breathing laboriously, before he seemed to slowly calm down. He blinked a few times in confusion, looking around as if he suddenly became aware of his surroundings.

“I just wanted to throw you a party…” Pinkie crawled out from underneath the ruined table, a gash on her forehead weeping blood at a steady pace.

“Pinkie!” Twilight cried, Rainbow Dash and her rushing to Pinkie’s aid. Vault surveyed the room, he didn't like what he saw.

Anger, he could handle. Even the fear he saw was something he could stomach. But no one here was mad at him, sure most wore expressions of fear, especially the children. No, what cut him deep was Twilight’s look of concern for him. Most of all Pinkie’s heart-broken tears tore at his soul.

“Pinkie… I,” Vault began, reaching out to her. Of course, she flinched away, as if he were about to strike her. Vault pulled his hand back, clenching it into a fist. “I...I’m sorry, I ruined everything.” he lowered his gaze in shame, only to see we was standing on a trampled banner. He shifted his foot to read the smudged text. “Welcome to Ponyville!” It said in big blue letters. “My bestest human friend, Stone Vault!” was written underneath. “I always ruin everything!” he shouted, clawing at his head.

“Stone?” Twilight squeaked out timidly. “It… It's okay, everything will be okay.” she tried to reassure the giant, unsure of what he'd do next. Walter stopped scratching at his face, a look of absolute horror and sorrow descended upon his face. Twilight took a hasty step backwards, like most of the others in the room.

“It’ll be okay Vault, everything vill be okay.” The words that haunted his nightmares played in his head, fresh as the fateful day he had heard them. The day he had ruined his life. The day he had ruined everything.

Vault screamed in terror, scrambling away from Twilight like she was some eldritch abomination. He fell down on his rear, scrambling backwards until he hit the wall. His breathing was erratic, he was shaking like he was freezing, and then he released a pathetic whine. “S-stay away.” he stammered out.

“Stone… Vault… I don't know what's going on,” Twilight pleaded with the quivering wreck of a person, “but please, let me help you.” she made the mistake of taking a step forward.

“No!” he screamed like a terrified child, before leaping to his feet and running away. He barreled through the front door like he was on fire. His newfound strength translating to a much faster running speed.

“Vault!” Twilight cried, “Rainbow! Go after him! We can't leave him like this, but don't go near him!” the princess barked out her orders.

“Uhh… On it!” Dash quickly recovered and bolted out the splintered door.

As everyone started moving about, some to assess the damage, others to plan the next move, Twilight attended to Pinkie’s head wound. “Oh Vault…” she moaned quietly, “What happened to you?”

Walter Stoneman was in a dead sprint, passing like a blur for the confused citizens of Ponyville. He had no plans to stop, not until his lungs exploded or his heart gave out. Walter was now convinced he had been killed by that truck, and that this was hell. He couldn't escape from what he'd done, and he was still being punished for it.

“Haven't I suffered enough!?” he screamed to the heavens. “Wasn't my shitty life punishment enough!?” as fatigue set in, he began to slow down. “Just… Just let me die in peace.” he begged. “I just want it to end...” he slowed to a stop. He was somewhere in the middle of the everfree. He panted for breath, surrounded on all sides by hostile jungle, hopelessly lost.

It would seem he may just get his wish.