Where do Baked Goods Come From?
Cupcakes (The One Where Everypony Dies)
It had been a week after the mysterious disappearance of Rainbow Dash. Scootaloo, being Rainbow’s best friend (she hoped) is on a quest to find out what happened to her. Sadly, almost all evidence was gone.
Aside from a note on Rainbow’s calendar that said “Meeting with Pinkie Pie” on it, there wasn’t any evidence in Rainbow’s house. So, Scootaloo decided to interrogate Pinkie.
“Hi Scootaloo! What’s up?” asked Pinkie, being her normal, bubbly self. Scootaloo ignored her and went inside Sugarcube Corner, looking for evidence. Pinkie smiled and bounced along to the Carousel Boutique, with Scootaloo suspiciously watching. She decided to ignore it, Pinkie was probably just visiting Rarity.
“So, let me see… no evidence on the top floor…” Scootaloo muttered to herself, as she looked everywhere on the top floor of Sugarcube Corner. She went to the main floor, and proceeded to look for evidence. There was none. Except…
“What’s this?” Scootaloo stared at the cyan feather that was next to the basement door. Scootaloo’s wings flew up, and she started smiling. Finally! Her first evidence that showed where Rainbow Dash was! She must be in the basement! Scootaloo thought. So, Scootaloo opened the door and walked down the steps.
Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie had come back from the Carousel Boutique with a squirming bundle under her arm. Punching the bundle to make it stop, Pinkie opened the door. The place was a mess. Chairs overturned, tables upside-down, and baked goods with bites in them… and the basement door was open. Pinkie gasped. “Oh no… nopony can discover it!” Smiling evilly, Pinkie’s mane went flat, and, grabbing the bundle, she ran down the steps to discover the intruder.
I’m close… very close… Scootaloo couldn’t see that, but she could defiently feel it in her gut that she was close. Why is it so dark? Feeling the walls, she finally found a light switch. She pulled it and screamed at what she saw.
The walls were decorated in standard Pinkie Pie style, but in a grotesque, twisted way. Streamers made of intestines, blood spattered the walls, and right next to a dress made out of several cutie marks, Rainbow Dash stood. Scootaloo gasped. “Rainbow Dash! Thank goodness you’re here! I was so worried…” Then Scootaloo looked up. Her friend was not there… it was just her skin. Stained with blood, her cutie mark gone… Scootaloo screamed.
“Oh, I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” A voice sounded from the darkness. Standing under a banner with the words “Life is a party” painted on with pony blood, was Pinkie Pie. Or so Scootaloo thought. The pony looked like Pinkie, and had Pinkie’s cutie mark, but her mane was flat. Pinkie’s was poofy, plus she was bubbly and funny. This pony was, well… evil and mean! “This isn’t for fun, Scootaloo… or should I say the next addition to the menu!” The Pinkie lookalike laughed. “I let you come in to look for Rainbow Dash… I didn’t think you’d actually find her. That’s too bad, but look on the bright side: Apple Bloom gets to try two different fillies tomorrow!”
“Try?” Scootaloo stared at the Pinkie lookalike, confused. “Two?”
“Oh, you didn’t know? Rainbow Dash is dead because her number came up. Everypony in Equestria has a number, including you! But your number hasn’t come up yet. Shame, because if you hadn’t come in here snooping you would still be able to live for a while.” The Pinkie lookalike shook her head. “Nice going, Scootaloo.”
“Miss Pinkie! What are ya doing with mah friend?” A familiar voice cut through. Apple Bloom, looking extremely cross, was standing behind the Pinkie lookalike.
“Apple Bloom! Run! Pinkie’s gonna kill me cause I saw Rainbow Dash dead… you gotta get outta here! Save yourself!” Scootaloo yelled.
“Huh?” Apple Bloom cocked her head. “Oh, Ah know. You remember Silver Spoon, right? She was in here yesterday. She was the reason Ah got this!” With those words, Apple Bloom turned to the side to show Scootaloo her flank. Apple Bloom’s flank now had a picture of a cupcake with a knife through it on it.
“You got your cutie mark! Nice job!” Scootaloo was genuinely happy for her friend. That’s when Pinkie took the bundle she had and tied the thing inside to the blood-stained rack.
“Sweetie Belle?” Both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were shocked.
“Well, Ah guess Ah have a double prize today!” Apple Bloom laughed. Turning to a cart, she lifted up a knife.
“Wait. What’s going on?” a now-awake Sweetie Belle asked, scared.
“Don’t ya know?” Apple Bloom asked. “Ah’m going to kill y’all!”
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo stared at her. Then Scootaloo started laughing.
“Oh, Apple Bloom. Why didn’t you ever tell us you were so funny? I mean, you’re not a killer. Plus, even if you were, you wouldn’t kill us, we’re your best friends!” Scootaloo slapped Apple Bloom’s shoulder. Apple Bloom smiled at her friends.
“I know you’re mah friends. That's why Ah'm glad ya'll are here, just like Pinkie was when Rainbow came here." She turned toward a cart in the corner with knives on it. "Ah’m sorry Ah have to do this, but Sweetie’s number came up and-” Apple Bloom was cut off as Scootaloo whinnied in annoyance.
“What the hay does ‘your number came up’ mean? I’ve heard it from Pinkie, and now from you!” Scootaloo glared at her friend.
“Oh, that won’t take too much time to explain. See that gumball machine?” Apple Bloom pointed at a small gumball machine in the corner, next to a bookcase. “In the machine are tiny gumball-sized balls.”
“So, it doesn’t hold gumballs?” Sweetie Belle said. “That’s too bad. I want a gumball.”
“Sorry, Sweetie. It would’ve been your last meal anyway.” Apple Bloom replied. “On each ball, there is a number. After a pony dies, Pinkie or I roll a new number. After Applejack, number 63, there was Sweetie Belle, number 27. Yer number’s 45.” Apple Bloom turned back to the tied-up Sweetie Belle. “And once you die, Ah’ll roll somepony new! And then they’ll have the honor of becoming one of Pinkie’s excellent cupcakes! Of course, fillies don’t really have much meat on them, so maybe Pinkie’ll make a new selection of cupcakes: Mixed flavor!”
“Ooh, I’d try that!” Scootaloo’s wings flapped excitedly. “It sounds soooooo delicious. What’s the first flavor?”
“You and Sweetie Belle!” Apple Bloom smiled creepily. Before Scootaloo could comprehend what her friend had told her, something clanged in the back of her head. Scootaloo’s eyes rolled back in her head.
“Apple… Bloom…” Scootaloo said, almost mumbling. Then she fainted. Apple Bloom looked up at Pinkie, who was behind Scootaloo with a frying pan.
“Ah could’ve done it mahself, ya know!” Apple Bloom looked cross.
“I know, but it was too much to resist! She could’ve escaped!” Pinkie stared at the knocked-out Scootaloo. “Nopony’s ever escaped from me before, and I do not want anypony to be the first, especially not one of your friends!”
“It’s fine, Miss Pinkie. Ah’ve got this now.” Apple Bloom walked over to a terrified Sweetie Belle, and pushed a lever next to the rack. Another rack rose from the floor. Bringing Scootaloo over to it, she unhooked the leather straps. After she got all four straps undone, she placed Scootaloo’s body inside. Strapping the leather straps over Scootaloo’s hooves, she finished her task at last. “Now Ah can start the job on Sweetie, at least.”
Sweetie Belle whimpered. “Apple Bloom, don’t do this! Please, no… I’m your friend!” The white unicorn filly started to cry.
“Sorry, Sweetie. Ah truly am, But Ah don’t make the rules around here, Pinkie does. And if a number comes up, that’s the next cupcake!” Apple Bloom put on a pink apron with a tiara on it. Sweetie Belle whimpered, knowing what pony the apron was made from. Apple Bloom noticed Sweetie’s gaze.
“Yup, mah first pony was Diamond Tiara, all right. Ugh, she was mouthy. She kept callin’ me a blank flank, makes sense that her friend’s death caused me to get my cutie mark.” Apple Bloom took a knife and placed it on Sweetie Belle’s horn. “But that’s enough about me, let’s get on with the job.”
Apple Bloom started sawing through Sweetie’s horn bone. “Usually Pinkie starts with the cutie mark, but you’re already a blank flank. No use cutting skin that could be used later.” she said. She kept sawing, but nothing really happened. Glaring at the young filly, she whinnied in annoyance.
“Guess you’re just too tough, Sweetie. Maybe I should let you go.”
Sweetie Belle’s face lit up. Then, with one blow from Apple Bloom, Sweetie’s horn fell on the ground.
“Ya were protectin’ it with magic. I had to get ya to stop usin’ yer magic, so that the knife could go through.” Apple Bloom picked up the severed horn. “Now yer an Earth pony just like me!” Sweetie Belle stuttered, shocked that her friend was so ruthless.
Meanwhile, Scootaloo was beginning to wake up. Hearing voices, she shook her head. “I’m not crazy. This all must be a dream. I’m going to wake up, and be in my bed, and Apple Bloom and Pinkie Pie are not killers.” She opened her eyes and saw Sweetie Belle still tied up on the rack. Apple Bloom was holding something white and pointy, and Scootaloo screamed upon realizing that it was Sweetie Belle’s horn.
“So ya are awake!” Apple Bloom said, turning toward Scootaloo. “Ah’m so happy!” She took Sweetie’s horn and placed it on Scootaloo’s head. “Princess Scootaloo. Sounds good, huh?”
Scootaloo sighed. Apple Bloom, noticing that her friend was sad, frowned. “Well, if ya aren’t enjoyin’ the party, ya could just tell me. Then Ah wouldn’t have to do this.” Apple Bloom stuck a nail into Scootaloo’s left hoof. Scootaloo writhed with pain. Sticking nails into Scootaloo’s other three hooves, Apple Bloom laughed insanely while tying chicken wire around each nail, connecting them. Then Pinkie handed her a battery.
Scootaloo’s eyes went wide.
“Ah hope that you’ll find this experience very shocking!” Apple Bloom said, smiling. Then she stuck the battery’s clips onto the nails, and turned the battery on.
Scootaloo screamed as her body was rocked with electricity and pain. She was barely hanging on.
Sweetie Belle screamed.
“Oh, Ah almost forgot about Sweetie Belle!” Apple Bloom said. She walked over to Sweetie’s rack and took out a knife. Placing it on Sweetie Belle’s chest, she confronted the scared little filly.
“Don’t worry. It will only hurt for a little bit.” Apple Bloom said, then cut a AB into Sweetie’s skin. “Ah have my mark on you!”
Forcing open the AB, Apple Bloom pulled out Sweetie Belle’s organs one by one. “Well howdy everypony! Ah’m Apple Bloom, and today we’re gonna see what’s really inside a pony’s body.” She pulled out Sweetie’s intestines. “These are the intestines.” Then Apple Bloom pulled out Sweetie Belle’s rib cage. “This’ll look nice in mah room.”
Sweetie Belle started to cry.
“It’s okay, Sweetie Belle. Just remember this: Ah’m your friend, Sweetie. These ain’t mah rules. Ah wish ya could’ve survived longer, but yer number came up. Ah bet that ya would’ve become an excellent singin’ star like Rara.” And with that, Apple Bloom reached into the trembling filly’s chest, and pulled out her lungs. “Ah’m really, truly sorry.” And those were the last words Sweetie Belle ever heard.
Scootaloo had been watching in fear. As Apple Bloom came over to her, she shivered.
"Please, Apple Bloom... don't... please..." Scootaloo was trying to breathe, but struggled. The electric shock had taken more out of her then when she had crashed into things on her scooter, which was often. Apple Bloom smiled.
"Scootaloo, Scootaloo, Scootaloo. Ya think Ah'll let ya go now?" Apple Bloom took the knife. "Ah'm not usually the stabbin' type, but we're runnin' out of time." And Apple Bloom stabbed the knife into Scootaloo's chest.
"Ah'm so sorry..."
And Scootaloo was no more.