The Hell of Alternate Universes

Tinker Gear's house, Ponyville, March 22 Wednesday, 8:43 AM

*Ring* *Ring *Ring* *Ring* *Ring* *Rin-*

Tinker Gear awoke groggily after he stopped his alarm clock. Sitting upright on his bed, he checked the time to see if he still had time to go to work, the hangover still affecting him.

Seeing that it was 8:43, his eyes opened wide. Work starts at 9:10, so he is almost late and have to almost no time to prepare. He stood up from his bed, not even caring if he did not even make the bed like he usually does, prepared some bread in the toaster, and ran to his bathroom with a towel and slammed the door.

After he grabbed the 2 pieces of toast, and shoved them it his muzzle. He started running towards work right after. The Firm is a little off ways in ponyville, a twenty minute walk to be exact, he needed to hurry.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ponyville Engineering Firm, March 22 Wednesday, 9:06 AM

I opened the door of the firm and walked in quietly. I went to the logs and quickly logged in my card. Then I hurried to my workplace and sat for a few minutes to catch my breath, enjoying the ambiance of ponies working in the office. Being a pony in the office, I am supposed to find these kinds of things boring, I just find it surprisingly calming and it makes me thing straight because of the environment.

Noticing my vest on the coat rack, I went to my mirror, held my clothes from the coat racket and wore them, also taking my pencil, eraser, my protractor and my ruler on the shelves and I sat down on my work table.

Getting things I designed from my saddlebags and started working on some designs on to modify them in what the clients has said or told me to do. A few minutes later, I heard hoofsteps coming to my workplace, looking up, I saw Blaze Draft.

"Yo Tink! I have som - whoa!" - Blaze looked my disheveled form - "What happened to you? You wrestled with a manticore or something?" He asked humorously, I looked at him with a disapproving glare. I looked behind me, I saw myself wet from the sweat and having little time to dry myself with using nothing else but my hoofkerchief.

"Oh hardy har har Blaze" I said sarcastically, then continued to concentrating on my work, getting my ruler and pencil and started doing some of the calculations needed to the machine. Blaze was still looking at me by the door. I noticed that he was carrying a basket of cupcakes on his right hoof, my stomach spoke when I saw the cupcakes.

Damn you stomach

"Somepony didn't eat today" Blaze said, I just groaned in discontent. He went closer to me after he said that and gave me a strawberry cupcake and I looked at him as he gave me something else as well. A folded paper filled with words saying "Request" in the front of it.

"Okay? What's this for" I asked Blaze, as I took the request paper. I unfolded it and quickly scanned for the contents. There indeed was letters in them. I was about to read, that's when Blaze gave me a quick summary of the letter.

"It's a request from Pinkie Pie to look at the designs and the parts of a stove. Apparently she wants to make her own personal stove and she needs to learn what the pieces are." Blaze said with some happiness on his voice. I think he was happy about me meeting this Pinkie Pie, I don't remember her that much since I don't really see her that much, and I don't really go outside when I it is the weekends. I do remember that she is quite addicted to partying and making other ponies smile, which made me think at one point that she had a thing for them.

The last party she put me in was my birthday last year may, even in events I rarely go to any of them. I don't like crowds.

"Okay, but why did you go to me? There is a lot of ponies here with the same occupation and are more experienced" I asked Blaze, this was a silly request the more I think about it. In fact why a stove? I'm not sure if that is part of my resume. Does stoves even have machines for me to Tinker about? I have little understanding on how a stove works, so why me?

"Well, she asked you personally in that letter she gave me" He answered pointing at the paper he gave me a few minutes ago. I was surprised and in a little disbelief , so to get rid of it. I read the paper myself.

Dear Ponyville Engineering Firm

Hiya! Pinkie Pie here. I have a request for you happy ponies there. I want to make my own stove here in the bakery but I don't know what to put there though. Well, that's where you guys come in. I want to know what's the funny insides and hard outsides of a stove. I'lll call it the AWESOMEGRANDELECIOUS PIE STOVE! Like the name? Well, I think so too. Anyways, I want to know what parts I need to make my awesomemest, most coolest, radicalest stove ever!I'll cook like 4000 cupcakes at once in 1472 degrees farenhoof with this stove! I'll pick my friend Tinker Gear as the pony who'll check out the stove so tell him to meet me on 3 o'clock sharp, It may seem a bit barren because the cakes are off to get some supplies that we are currently lacking, more the reason for us to be closed but that's okay, just knock and I'll answer the door for him. Thanks, you ponies are awesome!

P.S. I baked some cupcakes for all of you with the remaining resources I have in hoof, hope you enjoy the cupcakes!

I stared in shock on how the letter was written, it was like written by somepony with sugar rush, and possibly snorted poison joke powder. I looked at Blaze with said shock. Blaze just chuckled and looked back at me. I may say that he is abit childish when he wants to.

"Don't worry Tink, it's just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie. Trust me Tink, I've ran into Pinkie in times where even I couldn't expect, but trust me when I say that she is very harmless and friendly. I know that she is a bit eccentric at times but hey, all the time better to have an energetic friend" He said with a smile of assurance formed in his muzzle. I calmed myself a bit and nodded as I started with my projects again. He in turned walked away to do his jobs as well.

Huh? She remembers me? Hmm, if she needs me then by Celestia's name I'll do it. But ...

Why do I feel strange about this meeting?

~~~~~~~~~~

Streets of Ponyville, March 22 Wednesday 2:52 PM

After taking my lunch break out the office and into the Ponyville cafe, I decided to get some books to teach my mind on the mechanics of a stove and possibly the parts of a stove. I asked permission to Blaze Draft beforehoof if I can, he accepted and I looked into the Idea to go to the library.

When I arrived there, the librarian, Twilight Sparkle I believe, was off to do some field research in the Everfree forest, so she left Spike because it was too dangerous for him, much to his dismay, that was according to her dragon assistant Spike.

Flashback, 12:54 PM

"Why would you need a book about machines that has stoves in it?" Spike said with curiosity in his voice while holding the books that I asked him to get for me to borrow. He held 2 books, "The principles of appliences" and "How to make a stove, for dummies". They could be useful.

After taking a quick lunch break that I hurriedly ate to have some time to learn and shove down my memories about the mechanical components and practical information of a stove. I went to the library to get those said information, if not enough time then I would have borrowed them for the rest of the day and take a read while I am tinkering the stove to give her some info on what they are.

I know that Pinkie Pie is not an Engineer, even more so that she wouldn't know what "Hydraulics" means. Regardless, I have to help out a pony. It is the moral thing to do, it would be rude to deny somepony.

Not counting Blaze's request to go and drink with him of course.

"Well, Pinkie Pie has requested me to tell her the "simplified version" of what a stove is made off, I'm planning to tell her what certain things is in a stove and explain it for her" I answered him, getting the books that I borrowing. I am walking to a nearby wooden desk and started flipping them open.

"But couldn't she just ask you guys to design that for her? Or better yet, just get a pony that makes stoves?" Spike asked me, as he took the log book and wrote the books being borrowed, my name and date borrowed and gave it to me to sign my signature on it.

"Well, I thought the same thing but a request is a request no matter how silly. This is why I'm paid Spike, if someone hires one of us, or all of us we do it, and do what we ask." I answered spike, after signing the log book.

Present Time

Here I am, looked down and started reading the books provided. Seeing what the insides of a stove is, it was actually simple! Just an ignition source and some gas to continuously light the fire until the gas have run out.

Well, you do learn something new everyday.

~~~~~~~~~~

Present Time, Same Place

Seeing the bakery as I stopped to look at what it is. It's like a big gingerbread house with the chocolate roof, with sprinkles and whip cream on it. Having a room above it that looks like a cupcake with candles on top of it. Even the front door looks like candy and everything else looks like it's edible.

Even though this is not the first time I saw this, it still shocked me, who would design something like this, but no use asking now because what's done is done and nopony can change it.

I walked to the front door through the pink steps, put down my tools and knocked three times on the door.

"Ms. Pinkie Pie, it's me Tinker Gear, I'm here to heed your request that you gave this morning" I said with some volume to make her hear my voice through the pink door. I waited for three seconds, until I heard a sing - song version of Coming behind the door. The door opened to reveal a pink pony with a smile plastered on her face.

"Welcome to Sugarcube Corner Tinker Gear, so glad to see you again" She greeted me and welcomed me to go inside, I walked in to see the place with literally no ponies in side the place was barren, it was so silent that he could hear a pin drop from a mile away. I looked around to see some chairs and tables decorated to look like candies. And a counter where ponies take their orders.

"Ms. Pie, if you have an extra oven, may I please dissect so that I can let you see what's the inside of a stove and for you to know what to change or put in it?" I asked her as I walked to the kitchen, it was sad that the books I borrowed had no pictures in so I head to have some kind of visual aid. She turned around to face me and smiled.

"Well, we do have some broken stoves at the back, if you want I could always get them for yo -" Pinkie said, before I cut her off.

"Don't worry pinkie, I don't want to hassle you even more. I'll get them, besides its me that needs it." I said, before going to the back of the store and searched. Sure enough there was a rusty stove at the back, I took it and stared pushing it in the inside.

~~~~~~~~~~

After carrying that confound stove, I told Pinkie to wait for a bit because I have to remove the parts inside the stove to show to here and tell her what they do. I took my tools and and started to finish this early, I sat down on my haunches and begin to work my way through. Getting my screwdriver and pulling down all the screws.

While I was busy opening the stove, I thought that I was the only one in the room. Sweat was dripping down my forehead and I was almost done cracking the stove open. I removed my screwdriver and went for my tool box to get my wrench. I got to a gear and twisted it in the back of the stove. One gear down, two gear down, thre -

*SPROING!*

I felt something blunt hit the back of my head hard. I flew to the right and fell to the ground on my stomach and started to feel dizzy. The last thing I saw before blacking out was Pinkie's Smile and her hooves.

Then Everything was Black.

~~~~~~~~~~

??? ????? ????????

"Ugghhh" I groaned, still affected by some heavy vertigo by the eruption of pain that happened before I blacked out. I Struggled to open my eyes, but did so anyways. I regained my senses and I tried to take in my surroundings despite the pain in my aching head.

I looked around to see that I am bound into a platform vertical in direction, four leather straps connected to the platform bounded my hooves from moving. I was dizzy to notice this so I thought this was a dream, a delusion of sorts, but the ache at the back of my head returned and hurts twice right now.

Then the realization smacked me in the face. I started to panic, trying to find my way out of here. I was surrounded in pure darkness, seeing nothing but the concrete floor. Seeing nothing in front of me, I started to struggle, but it was futile because of the straps holding me down. I started flapping my wings in cold sweat, but to no avail. These damn straps where too tight on my hooves.

Seeing no other options, I shouted for help. I shouted and shouted in a sporadic manner, hoping, praying that somepony, anypony will hear me! My cries of help and desperation. My voice was getting weaker though, as I was getting tired and my throat began to sore.

"Oh! I see you're awake!" An excited high pitch voice was heard out in the black abyss. I realized that it has the same voice as the one he was helping today.

"Pinkie Pie, Oh thank Celestia you're here! Please you have got to help me, some madpony hit me on the head hard while you where gone and they put me he - " I said with all the voice inside me had, before I was interrupted by Pinkie Pie. She began to reveal herself from the darkness by turning on a lamp just above me. She was also carrying a medical cart as well with a white cloth covering the top of it.

"Aw, but what's the point if I'd let you go? You're awake right? Good, now we can get started" Pinkie said with a smile on her face. Placing the cart just beside me. Because of the white cloth covering the cart, my curiosity was beckoned but the cart looked like a surgical one, making me scared.

"Started? Started on what? Pinkie where am I and who put me here!" I questioned Pinkie with a weak, wheezing voice. My throat was burning from all the shouting I just did and it was getting dry, how did no pony hear me!?

"Well, you are under SugarCube Corner right now, I put you there because I need you and we'll get started with the fun!" She chirped then giggled in excitement, she whizzed around me looking at my cutie mark, then she was happy about what she saw. "Wow! I've never had a cutie mark with gears before! This has to be the first gear based cutie mark collection! I wonder what I'll do with the cutie marks I've collected" She mused, as she looked at my cute mark and she was putting her hooves on her chin, thinking about something with it. Then she giggled as she thought of something funny.

"Well, you can say that my head gears are grinding!" She giggled at her own joke, I found my voice and looked at her. Although raspy, I can still talk.

"Pinkie, what are you going to do to me?" I questioned her with fear in my voice. She again looked at me with a smile on her face. What was up with this crazy mare, I thought she was the bestest friend of all of ponyville?

"Well, I ran out of special ingredient for my cupcakes and I need you to get more of them" Pinkie explained, If she want's my help in getting her ingredients, then why did she tie me up in this thing?

She's more backwards than my social life.

"What's the secret ingredient then? I thought you said that the cakes are buying the supplies needed for the bakery Is it only logical for them to buy everything a cupcake needs?" I asked confused with a scratchy voice, apprehension is dripping through those word. Pinkie Pie laughed at this.

"You silly foal, the Cakes are not buying the secret ingredient because this is my personal ingredient" - She playfully chided in response - "But can you guess my secret ingredient?" She challenged.

I couldn't think straight because of the pain in my head throbbing by the second and intercepts my line of thinking. Giving up on making a conclusion, I turn my gaze to Pinkie.

"What?" I didn't even try to guess, I was too terrified on what the answer will be. She looked at me and inhaled.

"You" She responded with a smile on her face, I could feel my pupils expand to the size of saucers and my breath momentarily stopping after what she said.

"Wait, you have got to be kidding me. This is a joke right?" I asked as I started to panic again. I was begging to her that it was a joke. This has to be a Joke!

"Oh you silly filly, I've not even pranked somepony today, and if I did then I'd pranked you with Rainbow Dash just this morning" Pinkie replied with a giggle. She went to the wall near the door and then she turned on the lights of the entire place.

And it projected a horrifying scene.

Dried entrails hanging on the walls to look like it was streamers, a wooden table with four pony heads on top it, an unfinished chair that is made out of bones, the bloodstains that are still barely visible and a wall of cloth with the words "Life is a Party" in red paint, or is it blood?

I felt some bile form in my mouth and it threaten to get out of my mouth before swallowing it back down.

"I know that it's yet done, but I tried my best to decorate this room with the materials I have" She giggled at herself "You like it?" She asked. I was struggling to find my breath, This is not happening, this is not happening I have to be losing my Goddess - damn mind.

"Pinkie, this isn't fucking funny!" I screamed, practically stabbing my throat right after saying that as I coughed and wheezed, choking out some of the vomit from my mouth. Pinkie Pie winced after she heard me swear. I am a nice pony, I can control my language, but it can only go for so long. Right now, I was petrified to the bone and had no idea what to do. This must be the first time that Pinkie Pie heard one of her victims curse in front of her or when she's around

"Mr. Tinker Gear, swearing in this happy day with you is a bad thing, with that you will have to face funishment" She said, after pulling the cloth off the cart she dragged here since she started.

Various sharp blades which you can usually find in hospitals, surgical knives, surgical scissors, some saws, a Medical bag, a face mask and gloves. Applying the gloves, she playfully blew at one like a balloon, until it popped. She giggled to herself and grabbed a new one seemingly out of nowhere.

Applying them as well as the mask, she grabbed one of the scalpels on the cart. Then she faced me to see a terrified, sweaty, hyperventilating pony bound on a vertical platform.

This is not happening, This is not happening. I must be dreaming, no I have to be fucking dreaming! There is no way that Pinkie Pie is a serial killer! Yes, this must be a delusion, a false mindscape that I conjured up in my mind. Yeah, this should be the answer. I thought that denying everything I see, felt and heard would make all of this disappear.

While I was thinking in panic, I noticed that Pinkie Pie was closing in on me with the scalpel in her mouth, she had a sadistic smile on her face, which made me even more uncomfortable. She then walked on the right side of flank and started to measure where to cut my cutie mark. I then panicked and started to hyperventilate.

"Okay, this shouldn't take long!" Pinkie sadistically told herself as she aimed the blade around the cutie mark. I felt the cold blade on my fur piercing it ever so slowly, taking its sweet time. Until she jerked forward.

"Pinkie! Wa -" I Shouted in pure pain, my saliva going off my mouth as I continued to scream in pain. I am trying to end it by sporadically moving, but the straps keeping me still, a few more minutes of Pinkie making an incision around my cutie mark, hearing the gush of fur being torn by the blade until it stopped.

It gave me a breather for a few minutes and I could hear the scalpel removed from my fur. I breathed heavily and the pain was burning. I was now tearing up in my eyes as the pain was near unbearable.

Then Pinkie ripped my cutie mark off my coat.

"That fucking burns like Tartarus!" I screamed in pain again as Pinkie Pie ripped the fur out of the muscle. I looked down and I saw blood flowing down my right leg, feeling queasy I regurgitated my lunch on the floor. I felt weaker by the second that I'm starting to feel unconscious. I know, I am a weak pony, I've never been used to take this much pain before. Also, I know that I'm not losing that much blood but I'm starting too feel sleepy. Tears falling to the floor.

I felt Pinkie cringe again for hearing me swear. She placed the cutie mark on the cart and she faced me and looked at me with an angry look.

"Look, you really have to tone it down with the language, I'm around here" She said, or at least what I think she said, I was starting to lose sight and getting droopier by the second. Everything was a blur and I can hear muffled noises.

She noticed the cutie mark on the table and looked at me again, she then smiled and decided to show my cutie mark and shoved it on my face.

"Hey look Tinker, You're cutie mark! I know that it isn't really perfectly cut, but hey. Practice makes perfect am I right" She turned around to face me but she saw my face beginning to fall and eyes beginning to close, she looked even more irate and came to me. "Really? Unconscious already? You have to be the weakest pony I ever harvested on, and you're a stallion! You know, you should have more respect and stay awake for me to enjoy this more! It's so boring to harvest a pony who is unconscious you know!" She exclaimed. She then raised her right hoof, about to slap me to keep me awake.

"Fuck you" I told her in a tiredly manner then I heard a loud slap reverb around the room

Then everything turned black.

~~~~~~~~~~

????? ??? ?????? ??

*Ring* *Ring *Ring* *Ring* *Ring* *Ring* *Ring* ...

Consciousness stirred as Tinker Gear was awoken although groggily. I heard the sound of very loud and irritating ringing so I sat upright on my bed, I opened my eyes to see my bedroom.

I looked to my left, my alarm clock, it pointed 8:43. Tinker's eyes widened and my mouth is agape as I realized that I wasn't in the place Pinkie put me in.

I raised his hoof to stop the annoying sound of the alarm clock, but I did it in a suspicious manner. After hitting it, the alarm clock also stopped. My mouth still agape, I was still in a sense of shock. More so that I didn't even care that I was going to be late for work.

What is happening to me! I was just recently tortured by Pinkie Pie I looked at my left flank, it was untouched, unscratched and unharmed. Then I am back here waking up this morning! It's like I jumped back in time! I looked at myself even more, but I smelled like sweat and grime. I needed a shower.

"Well, no use in thinking about it now, I have to go to work" I said in a hushed voice, diminishing all thoughts about the subject. I then grabbed a towel from my drawer that has the alarm clock on it and went in for a bath.

The hot shower calmed me down a bit.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ponyville Engineering Firm, March 22 Wednesday, 9:14

I walked in the building, logged my card in, then continued in my workplace to see Blaze already waiting for me there beside my desk with the look that I would only guess that is disappointment. I just sighed and walked in, passing by the mirror to see my tired face.

"You're late 4 minutes Tink, care to explain why?" He questioned while I was placing my saddlebags on its designated place in the room. I turned to face him with the same tired look on my face, looking for a reasonable excuse. Remembering a certain thing we did before going here.

"Hangover got me Blaze, I woke up a little late than usual" I answered Blaze referring that we were in a bar last night. I went back to the mirror to put on my work clothes.

"I never thought of you to be a lightweight Tink" Blaze smirked, I gave him a disappointed glare. How dare you.

"Oh, hardy har har Blaze, just because I drank three cups last night already means I'm drunk" I replied sarcastically. Sensing a bit of deja vu after saying that. He really is childish huh?

"You drank two cups" He corrected, which made me stop for a 6 seconds.

Damn it

"Oh, shut up Blaze" I snorted, then he laughed a little at my comeback. I turned around to walk to my table.

"By the way, did you eat breakfast today?" - I shook my head, didn't even notice that - "Well, today's your lucky day because guess what I have?"

"What?" Stopped and asked him.

He turned around and grabbed a basket of cupcakes with a letter in it. My eyes expanded in horror because it gave me some horrible memories about a certain Pink Pony. I stepped back in fear, sweat dripping on my forehead and my breathing is ragged.

"Is there something wrong Tinker?" Blaze asked, his smile faded and it molded into worry. I gulped and controlled myself.

"Yeah, everything is okay Blaze. Just not up for them" I replied calmly, walked past by him and sat down to finish my projects.

"Well, suit yourself, oh yeah. I have to give you this." He said and hoofed me a sheet of paper. I already knew what the contents are and quickly skimmed past it just to see if something changed. Seeing nothing, I looked up to Blaze.

"I'll do it Blaze, well, I'll be working now" I said, putting the letter beside me and started working on my projects. He nodded in understanding and walked away, leaving me to work and to my own thoughts.

I have a few expectations on what will happen here. Should I really go there? Knowing well what will happen if I will be there. I have to, otherwise Blaze will be disappointed in me for that. I really can't tell him that Pinkie Pie is a serial killer, he might question my sanity.

The only thing that matters is that I maybe know what will happen and who killed those four missing ponies, I may happen to be the Pinkie's next target.

I know that I am basing all this through a nightmare, but it wqs sl sureal. I must see this for myself, and if it is real.

This should stop, no one deserves to die, not this way. But who, who can stop her?

Stopping my pencil for a few moments to answer the question I posed to my self.

I have to stop her.