Much of Ponyville was gathered at Sugarcube Corner upon being invited there by who other than Pinkie Pie. While parties to welcome newcomers to their humble little hamlet coordinated by the pink harbinger of joy were far from unheard amongst the towns denizens, these circumstances were apparently…..special. The guest of honor was a completely unknown stranger that Pinkie just sort of…..found. Beyond that, the general populace of the soiree were in the dark of what exactly was going on. The only ones that were in the know of the special circumstances were Pinkie’s fellow Elements, who were now joining her up in her room before the party could quite begin.
“Pinkie, why didn’t you bring her to the hospital? She could be seriously hurt! I mean, she’s unconscious for Celestia’s sake!” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Well, it’s clear she’s not so hurt that she needs to be hospitalized, but still. You really shouldn’t be so quick to throw a party even if you know she’ll be ok right away, Pinkie.” Twilight said.
Laying in Pinkie’s bed was an unknown unicorn mare. She had a darkish grey coat, a black, wiry mane styled into pigtails, and wearing orange clothing that made her look something like a sheriff from a western town. Her eyes were closed from being conked out, but her Cutie Mark was…..somewhat unsettling. It was a crude, dark-red eye-like symbol that had a dark-red trail extending off of it like a comet.
“I know, silly, but when she wakes up and sees everypony welcoming her and be so happy to see her, then she’ll be happy too! And then we’ll be instant besties so that we can ask her what happened!” Pinkie said.
“Ehh…..Ah don’t reckon it’ll go quite like that, sugarcube, but that’s awful thoughtful o’ ya.” Applejack said.
“I just hope I can find an actual outfit rather than these atrocious tatters she’s wearing. And her mane! Ugh! Just what kind of fabulosity-strangling conditioner is she using!?” Rarity said.
“Where’d you find her anyway?” Fluttershy asked.
“Oh, I found her laying outside near the edge of the Everfree forest. Don’t know how she could’ve gotten there though….Hmm…….Oh well! We’ll just have to ask when she gets up and we’re instant besties, right!?” Pinkie squealed.
“Ehehe….Right…..Well, maybe we should let you deal with her. I think she might get overwhelmed if she wakes up with all of us in the room.” Twilight said.
“Yeah. We’ll go handle things downstairs.” Rainbow Dash said.
Pinkie nodded. “Ok, girls!” With that, the other mares left the stranger in Pinkie’s care.
A couple of seconds after they left, the mare began mumbling in her sleep. “ Another portal bloom? Why can’t the Varelsi get a new hobby? They should… come play board games with me at my summer home….”
The mention of board games made Pinkie perk up. While she didn’t get what the mare meant by a ‘portal bloom’ or the….Vah-rel-see….or whatever she said, Pinkie was confident that she’d be a fun new friend.
“ Aurox sucks! Team up with me! What’s Solus anyway? When was my appointment scheduled?”
‘Aurox’? Who or what was that? Or this ‘Solus’? Pinkie was becoming more excited as she knew that she would have a lot to talk about with this mystery mare.
“ What?” The mare started tossing around as her mumbling became a little more frantic. “I’m falling and flying at the same time into my tar pool! Reyna, what do you mean it’s the void? What’s even a void? Ehe…ehehehehehehe!.............” The mare was suddenly shocked awake and panting.
Pinkie could see her distress and gently put her hoof on her back. “Aww! Did you have a bad dream?” she asked.
The mystery mare’s face was still largely unseen as her eyes were closed as she panted, but it was clear that she could perceive Pinkie’s presence. “ What? Wh-Who’s there?” She slowly trudged herself out of the bed and plopped on her hooves onto the wooden floor.
“I’m Pinkie Pie! What’s your name? Are you okay?”
The mare’s panting softened as she seemed to regain her strength. “ Orendi….” Her head was still lowered.
Pinkie was taken aback by her odd name and cocked her head. “Oh-ren-dee?......Huh. Don’t think I’ve ever heard a name like that before, but that’s ok! There’s a surprise downstairs for you!~” she sang. At the mention of a surprise, Orendi suddenly opened her eyes and looked up at Pinkie……and the party pony was treated to something truly frightening. “”
“Surprise!? Surprise what!? Surprise plane!? Rocks!? Box of cool stuff!?” Orendi’s right eye was normal-looking reddish brown, almost mahogany color, but her left eye……it looked as if it had been corrupted by some kind of evil curse, and Pinkie realized that it was what her Cutie Mark was depicting! Orendi just stared at her with an ominous smile that, combined with her glowing evil eye sent all kinds of shivers down Pinkie’s spine.
“Uh-Uh-Uh-Umm……” Pinkie was at a loss as to how to handle the situation. Maybe she should’ve brought her to the hospital after all since her eye might just be infected or something. She slowly started backing away through the opened doorway as she kept her eyes on the mysterious mare. “I-I-I’m just gonna go downstairs really quick. So ju….j-just wait for me here, o-okay?” she stammered in terror.
Orendi creased a hideous, witch-like smile that would make Chrysalis look like a fairy tale princess, causing Pinkie Pie’s nerves to just…..go insane. “Ooooookaaaaaayyyy.” She hissed. A negative vibe seemed to emanate from her as Pinkie crawled downstairs like a scared child trying to sneak away from an enraged parent.
*****
“I sure hope that mare won’t be too shocked when she suddenly wakes up to a party waiting for her. I mean….what if she’s like me?” Fluttershy said.
“Well, then Ah reckon we’ll just let her be by her lonesome with us ‘til she can settle down.” Applejack said.
“Oh, yes. Besides, Pinkie’s a friendly pony. I’m she’ll make the poor darling feel right at home.” Rarity said.
Spike, who had just arrived with some extra cupcakes that he and Twilight baked, placed them on the table beside them. “I wonder where she came from anyway? If Pinkie found her by the Everfree Forest, then maybe Zecora knows her.”
“I think Zecora would have told her about anypony else living in the forest besides her, Spike.” Twilight said.
“Well, maybe she didn’t know about her? I don’t know about you guys, but that mare felt a little…..strange for some reason. Might just be me. I mean, I’ve never seen her before, so….” Rainbow Dash said.
“Well! I hardly think a case of the heebie-jeebies warrants suspicion of somepony.” Rarity said.
“O-Oh no. I-It does!” Pinkie was suddenly beside them, shaking like a leaf with her face as pale as a sheet.
“Oh dear! Are you ok, Pinkie Pie?” Fluttershy asked.
“Yeah. Ya look like you just saw a ghost.” Spike said. “How’s that mare doing?”
“O-Oh! Her? Ehehe….Uuuhhh…..Pinkie Keen! Y-Yep! She, uh…..j-just woke up as a matter of fact!” Pinkie stammered as she tried to keep her cool.
“Well, then what’s the problem? Is she not very friendly or something?” Twilight asked.
Pinkie was completely unsure of how to answer that without causing a panic. “W-Well….”
“PINKIE PIE!!”
“EEEP!” Pinkie jumped back into her friends as she looked behind her. Orendi was directly behind her! “Orendi!” she exclaimed.
“Hi, there! I’m- WHAT IN CELESTIA’S NAME!?!?!” Twilight was about to introduce herself when she saw just what had Pinkie so spooked. Orendi’s menacing left eyes gleamed its fierce red as the other mares, even the hardy Rainbow Dash and Applejack quivered in fright at the almost demonic-looking mare.
“N-Nice eye.” Spike said.
“Um! I-I-I thought I told you to wait upstairs, s-silly!” Pinkie stammered.
“I did! But then I got bored, so I followed you down here anyway!” Orendi said. She began frantically looking around, turning and cocking her head as quickly and wildly as a bird. “So what’s the surprise? Huh? Huh!? HUH!? HUH!?!? WHAT IS EVEN GOING ON!? WHY ARE YOU ALL WALKING ON FOUR LEGS ANYWAY!? WHAT’S WITH ALL THE COLORS!? You all are really cute, by the way….” She spoke her last sentence in a suddenly normal voice.
“Whaddya mean? You’re a pony too, ya know!” Rainbow Dash said.
Mrs. Cake then walked up to them. “Is everything ok with you, miss?” she asked Orendi.
Orendi turned to her, her chaos eye radiating its dark aura with almost a hiss to it. “Hiiiiiiiii!” she hissed.
“O-O-O-OHHHHH MY WORD!!!!” Mrs. Cake exclaimed. Her infant twins, whom were playing together in their corner of the store, also saw Orendi and started bawling at the mere sight of her. Their mother went to pick them up in a heartbeat. “I-I-It’s ok, sweeties! Sh-She won’t hurt you!.....I hope….”
Her husband came running out of the kitchen when he heard the commotion. “What’s wrong, hon- OH, SWEET CELESTIA!!” he shouted.
All of the guests were just about as freaked out as anypony as they too got a full glimpse of the terrifying stranger that they had just welcomed into their town. Foals were hiding under tables as Orendi just continued to manically look around. “U-U-Umm…….” Fluttershy felt the urge to say something, and as she stammered, Orendi heard her and suddenly popped up in front of her, right in her face and just stared at her. Her glowing eye gleamed its seemingly evil light as Fluttershy just stood there paralyzed in fear.
Orendi’s breathing was accompanied by low, almost predatory gurgling as she ‘fixed’ her evil eye like a monocle, staring daggers into the shy pegasus. Her gurgling almost sounded some kind of crude chanting. Orendi suddenly stopped and looked at her hoof in confusion. “Huh?” She inspected her hoof curiously, as though she’d never seen it before……which given her behavior, probably wasn’t a wild theory.
“I-Is everything ok, darling?” Rarity nervously asked as she carefully approached her.
Orendi lunged at Rarity at rapidly slathered her tongue across the posh fashionista’s face while cackling for a few seconds. “WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!! I HAVE NO IDEA!!!” she exclaimed.
“UGH!! ELCH!!!! MY MAKEUP!!!!!” Rarity began hurriedly wiping Orendi’s saliva off of her face. “YOU VULGAR CRETIN!! WHERE DO YOU GET OFF DOING THAT!?!?”
Orendi then noticed a mirror on the wall on the other side of a table lined with party snacks, and she just leapt over the table towards it, knocking over some dishes without so much as a care in the world. “Hey! I just set those up!” Lyra said.
Orendi just ignored and inspected her appearance as frantically as before, and for some reason, she seemed confused. “Huh, that’s weird. I don’t remember mutating like this!” she said. “ Pause the party! Party pause! I only have two arms! THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!!” She stood up on her hind legs and raised her arms up. “Nrrrrghhhh!”
Twilight and all of them weren’t sure how to take those words. ‘Mutated’? Only having two arms? “Orendi….What are you-”
“SHUT UP! I KNOW HOW TO DO IT!!” Orendi interjected. She continued to struggle for…..whatever reason, but then the ponies noticed that her underarms were starting to bulge a little. “COME ON, CHROMOSOMES!! DON’T FAIL ME NOW!!!” The ponies became a little more freaked out when the bulges started growing…..and growing…..and growing………until they finally burst………and Orendi suddenly had a second pair of arms! She wiped her brow. “Phew! Way better, am I right?” she said calmly.
“AIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!” Everypony shrieked in terror at Orendi’s nightmare-worthy transformation. Pinkie couldn’t believe that she let this monster into not only her hometown, but what was essentially her home to boot!
“HEHEHEHE!!! ARE THOSE BEST SCREAMS YOU CAN MUSTER!?!? LET ME HELP YOU WITH THAT!!!!” Orendi raised up her quartet of arms, and the ponies could see that she had more of those evil eyes on the soles of those hooves! “CHAOS MAGIC!!” Her hoof eyes shined fiercely as Orendi began jumping and running around like a madpony on crack that was on more crack while firing bolts of what could only be described as dark fire in all directions, blasting and burning everypony and everything they hit. All the while, Orendi was just cackling and having a grand old time while everypony ran for dear life, screaming their lungs out.
“TWILIGHT, DO SOMETHING!!” Spike exclaimed.
“R-RIGHT!” Twilight shined her horn and charged at Orendi. “THAT’S ENOUGH OUT OF YOU, YOU WITCH!!”
Orendi glared over at her and hissed with mocking joy before charging the princess of friendship. She leapt towards her, and before Twilight could execute her spell, Orendi threw her arms out in front of her. “NULLIFY!!!” A sudden wall of chaotic energy that crudely resembled a sun burst in between them, propelling Orendi backwards and blinding Twilight somehow.
“AAAHHH! Ugh!! Oooohhh….” Twilight felt dazed as she nearly fell to her knees.
Orendi landed on top of the counter, smashing it and spilling the contents of the display case all over the lobby floor. “I’LL BAKE YOU SOME SCREECHING PAIN!!” She waved two of her hands in such a way that it looked she was brewing something, namely a congregation of the chaos magic she was firing and cast it on the ground. “Shadow, Shadow, SHADOW, FIRE, FIRE, FIRE, FIRE!!!!!!” The ground where the magic was cast suddenly erupted into a column of black fire that singed everything around and within its range. “PARTY!! PARTY!! PARTY!! PARTY!!”
Orendi began randomly smashing and blasting everything and anything that caught her eye, even ponies. She’d randomly cast her shadow fire pillars in various spots as well as her bolts, throw things, and slam objects and ponies into one another or into walls. All anypony could do was run.
One stallion tripped and fell flat on the floor right in front of the rampaging mare. He looked up in terror as she grabbed him by the mane. “N-No! NO, PLEASE!!”
“YES!! YES, PLEASE!!!” Orendi hurled him into the kitchen, which was already smoldering from the vast amount of black fire she had scorched it with, and a ton of loose debris came crashing down onto him. “Next! Next!!! NEXT!!!!- NEXT!!!!-NEXT!!!!-NEXT!!!!-NEXT!!!!-NEXT!!!!”
“EVERYPONY, JUST RUUUUUUN!!!!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. Those who managed to get out of Sugarcube Corner couldn’t quite breathe yet, because Orendi just crashed her way outside through the front window.
“NOW IS THE TIME TO SCREAM!!!!” Orendi began rapidly gesturing her hooves in a creepy, synchronized fashion as power noticeably began charging around her. “HOHOHOHOHOHOHO!! THIS IS GONNA SUCK!!!!”
“ORENDI, STOP!!!!!” Pinkie shouted as she tried to tackle the psychic psycho…….but it was too late.
“CHAOS MAGIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
With one last whirl of her hooves, Orendi sent out her built-up eruption of power……and all they last saw was gigantic blast of chaotic energy…..
