The Town That Feared Nightfall

Chapters

Chapter 1 - The Town With No Cutie Marks
Chapter 2 - A Call From Her Past
Chapter 3 - The Nurse In Purple
Chapter 5 - The Red Hood
Chapter 6 - The Grave Digger
Chapter 4 - It All Comes Back Around

Chapter 1 - The Town With No Cutie Marks

Think of a small pond where the water was so still that it gave the viewer a sense of ease and calmness. Then imagine that someone had tossed a rock into the pond, thus disturbing the surface of the water. That was the effect that echoed around the lone mare. Her name was Rosey, the name passed down for generations. She wore nothing else but a simple school uniform that, as she descended a spiraling staircase, felt very damp and cold.

The staircase seemed to be endless in it’s descent. There was something dark hidden here, Rosey could just feel it. But there was nothing to see in this black void besides the occasional drip of a rain drop. Rosey could hear the rain echoing back to her along with her hoof steps. She would’ve tried calling out but she couldn’t find her voice to do so. What was this place and why did it feel so cold? Everything seemed dark, almost like she was blindfolded.

But then, as if a light switch was flipped, Rosey saw something down below. She stopped at its sight. Half of her expected it was nothing more but an illusion brought on by that one rain drop that had struck her eye. But it remained there, shining in the darkness like a beacon of hope that she had previous lost.

“Get to the door, hurry” chimed a low voice. Rosey galloped down as fast as her legs would allow her. She must’ve galloped down at least forty two steps before she suddenly came to a screeching stop.

Rosey stared down into the blackness that awaited for her to step off. Was there an invisible floor there or did the staircase just drop off into a never ending pit? She took her next step carefully, making sure there was solid ground before she hopped off. The red door that loomed over her seemed to had just appeared there out of thin air. It’s size intimidated her.

“Open it” chimed the low voice, disturbing the ripples. Rosey had just started reaching for the doorknob when she momentary looked down. Her hooves were soaked in something that wasn’t water. It was something thicker and had a bit more of an ooze to it. Rosey’s head snapped back at the door, her eyes became the size of peanuts. The doorknob had turned on its own accord. There was a loud squeak as the door opened, shortly followed by a high pitched whine. Rosey jolted backwards only to be grabbed from behind. There was a loud thud as her head bounced off of the door, having been forcefully pushed against the red door.

Rosey fell to her knees, “No!” she had cried launching herself forward. There was the sound of wood cracking and creaking. A gust of wind hit her face shortly before a searing pain had surged through her whole body.

“Hey, are you alright?” spoke a deep voice.

Rosey hadn’t moved her legs but just an inch before flinching just barely enough to keep herself still. She opened her eyes to a blurry landscape. She took a great sniff before sneezing something fierce. That didn’t help her sore joints. The scent of freshly cut grass met her nose with fond memories of her days back at home. The type of memories that used to make her smile, but not now. Instead she gagged on the mouthful of dirt that she had somehow managed to swallow.

“That was quite a fall” Rosey heard the same voice again.

Rosey, after unclogging her mouth to allow herself to breath, stared upward. It took a moment for her vision to become stable. The sunlight seemed to be burning, tearing her eyes up and it was quite painful to see. But Rosey kept rubbing her eyes and, in time, she was able to see through the burning sensation. A tree loomed over her, its shadow wrapped over her as if it was a pleasant blanket. Rosey heard the voice once more, turning to peer behind her as she saw the carriage that she had been traveling in for the last few hours.

The voice she had heard belonged to the carriage’s owner. A stallion whose fur was a tangeloish grey, his silver mane swaying in the breeze. He was in the midst of unhooking his harness when he came around the carriage to help the red mare that had fallen. “I’m fine, but thank you anyways” was Rosey’s reply.

The stallion, who shrugged at her words, generously gave her his scarf before turning and jumping onto the back of his carriage. Rosey took a moment to use the scarf to wipe her eyes more thoroughly. She could feel the worn fabric through her eyelids but it did the job just fine. Now that she could see she looked around to see just where in Equestria she was, laying the stallion’s scarf on the carriage’s side when she was finished with it. They were in a dense forest where the trees rose high and blocked most of the sun’s warm light. She stared off ahead and along the dirt road she had been traveling and her eyes were met with a wondrous sight.

Towering walls made from silver stone that, while ancient and cracked, had a polish that gave the illusion of it having been recently crafted. The stones varied from size and shape but most were either cut to be square or rectangle. Rosey loved the craftsmanship and how it looked like the stones were fashioned in a way to where each stone were part of a larger picture. Well picture wouldn’t be the best word, just imagine a hieroglyph and the various symbols and carvings that told a story.

The long hours that it would take to study and translate made Rosey feel like a foal again. She loved things like this but there was just one problem with the walls. Something that, when she realized it, had turned her over excited joy into a need that only a pony with a phobia would had understood. The stones used to form the walls were crooked, uneven in such a manner that Rosey had revolted almost immediately.

“Here’s your bag, miss” came the stallion’s voice. It took a moment or two before Rosey reacted to him.

“Thank you” Rosey kindly replied, “And sorry about the logs”. Rosey turned and stared at the stone walls, it took every ounce of her will power to approach the entrance that led inside. It was something of a medieval door that was raised off of the ground. Rosey stared through the wide opening and into the settlement itself. She felt a sense of uneasiness, the silent breeze did little to help her build up the courage to move.

But she forced her concerns away as she step forward. Once Rosey was inside the gates she took a moment to look around herself. Then she dropped into an huge sigh of relief. Having felt a huge weight lifted she said “Oh sweet Luna I thought I’d never get here..”

After Rosey had gathered her bearings she trotted forward but had soon stopped. She turned back at the stallion. He seemed to be handling his cargo pretty well on his own. As she turned back around she saw the crank that controlled the gate. It was tied down in a fashion that struck her as odd. It reminded her how she wrapped presents with colorful bows. In fact the rope itself seemed to be soft fabric. Rosey shook her head as she straightened herself. She moved forward, turning her head at all the different sights that were around her.

The most intriguing sight was a rather small statue that she, at first anyways, had approached unintentionally. Once Rosey had seen the sculpture she wanted a closer look. She came to a small iron fence that surrounded the statue’s base. Rosey stared up at the statue, she noted that it resembled the stone walls in its silver polish. Wings outstretched with a proud posture its eyes gazed out watchfully, its tail wrapped around the pillar it sat on with a firm but also relaxed grip. It was indeed a sight to behold but what was it? Rosey had assumed it was a griffin but its muzzle outstretched into something more fitting that of a dragon, or perhaps a crocodile. She wondered if it was an extinct species or some sort of a mythical creature that only existed in folklore?

Suddenly Rosey heard a familiar voice and her attention was drawn over towards her left. Standing just outside a door was another mare who looked to be around the same age as she was. She had on a red collar that wouldn’t had been out of place for a fancy business dress. Her fur was a shade of dark brown, her blue eyes seemed almost like water through the frames of her glasses.

“Butter Joy!” Rosey said with a smile as the two mares trotted to and embraced the other with a hug.

“I was wondering where you were” spoke the dark mare who, after they had ended their hug, stared at the former. Butter Joy adjusted her glasses and looked over her friend’s red fur and the attire that covered most of her body. “That school uniform fits you, Rosey” Butter Joy had said. “A white shirt, a bright blue skirt and matching collar with a bow tie. They remind me of crushed ice cream, actually”.

“I like the colors myself” spoke Rosey, a grin barely visible on her face. “It’s really good to see you again, though!”

“I know!” Butter Joy replied. “But what took you so long?” she quickly added, replacing her grin with a look of concern as she stared out towards the town’s entrance. “Your carriage was suppose to arrive a hour ago. And, by the looks of it, it’s a bit wrecked”.

“Well..” Rosey coughed as she started to speak. She had a crude, very awkward face as she said “There was a mishap where the carriage kinda, almost...got involved with a hit and run?”

“A what?” Butter Joy gasped as she looked at her friend’s uncomfortable expression. “Was anypony hurt?”

“Not really” Rosey replied quickly, waving her front hoof like she was shrugging something unimportant off. “Although the carriage did go off road momentary. The only real damage was a wheel snapping off”.

“Good thing you were the only passenger” Butter Joy sighed, feeling relieved at what she had heard.

“Well, not if you count the logs as passengers” Rosey laughed unenthusiastically. “It was so cramped they might as well had been other ponies”. It wasn’t everyday that Rosey laughed, either real or forced, but she always made an effort for Butter Joy who had always brought the best out of her. Something that the red mare had missed greatly.

“Well” Butter Joy started to speak, her gaze fixed on the stallion who had just then rolled his carriage through the front entrance. “Burnt Oak is the only outsider that regularly travels here. We don’t cut down our trees, due to them protecting us, so his shipment of wood is really an important factor to---”

“You’re just lazy” interrupted Rosey. Butter Joy broke her gaze away, staring over at her red friend who went on further to say “You don’t want to cut down the forest animals’ homes so you pay another pony to do it for you”. Rosey then made a face, the type of face you flirt with. “Or maybe you just like seeing him?”

To anypony else the type of grin that Rosey had would been quite forward, almost offensive, but to Butter Joy it was merely a friendly jest that she just couldn’t resist in returning. “As if he’s my type” spoke the latter, a snort tucked away underneath her laughter. “I would rather date your brother”.

Rosey planted a hoof on her friend’s shoulder, saying “You never even met my brother!”

“I saw pictures” Butter Joy shied away as she replied. “Wasn’t he suppose to come with?” she then asked, turning back over to see Burnt Oak and his carriage.

Rosey shrugged even though she knew Butter Joy wasn’t paying attention. “He decided to just stay behind” was her answer to her friend’s question. “I would say you know him but being that you don’t---”

“Who did the carriage almost hit?” Butter Joy interrupted, having just seen what she assumed was the carriage’s damaged wheel.

“I have no idea” was Rosey’s reply. “I was half asleep at the time and I dozed back off pretty quickly” Butter Joy turned to face her friend. Rosey shifted her eyes around a bit. She didn’t lie but she felt that the red hood that she had overheard Burnt Oak talking about wasn’t worth the trouble. What would she even say, that Red Riding Hood nearly got ran over? “It was a very long trip..” Rosey finally blurted out.

“Do you want to check in at the inn and get some rest?” Butter Joy said in response.

Rosey took a moment to think on her answer, she looked at the surrounding buildings as her thoughts went back and forth. Most of them resembled structures dating back to the fourteenth century. “I much rather have something to drink first” Rosey had answered. She would love to explore the place and to discover any secrets that the town might be holding. However she felt that her body needed a recharge, her belly growling didn’t really help either.

“The heat getting to you, I take it?” returned Butter Joy who, before getting an answer, had already trotted back to the building that she had came from. Rosey followed closely behind her, staring up at something that hung over the door. “Yes, this is my pub that I wrote to you about”.

“You do know I can see the sign, right?” responded Rosey, her gaze fixated on the golden letters that were itched across the sign. She commented on it further, asking “I take it that the leaping mare is suppose to be you?”

“As if!” Buttery Joy blurted out in laughter. She raised a hoof to her chest, exhaling softly as she lowered it.

Butter Joy motioned for Rosey to enter first. She felt like she had been blind folded by how dark it was inside her friend’s pub. She moved slowly and carefully, using her sense of hearing and touch to guide herself along the wall when she felt something. It was a switch that she had unintentionally flipped, her eyes unshielded as the light momentary blurred her vision.

“WELCOME TO RISKY TOWN!” boomed many different voices that had erupted immediately once the lights were on.

Rosey had jumped in a way that she had pressed herself up against the wall in a curved shape. Unable to catch her breath the red mare stuttered inaudibility. Huddled before her were ponies who all had a genuine smile to their faces. Above the group, as well as various tables and lambs, were brightly colorful balloons. The words congratulations written over them in a sloppy, almost childlike fashion. Rosey felt somewhat more at ease as she took in this sight, but her heart was still in her throat and it was beating something awful.

“Hope we didn’t scare you too badly” came Butter Joy’s voice. Rosey, still stuttering as she spoke, was answered by Butter Joy who then said “It’s a surprise party! Both for finally visiting me here, and for your collage enrollment!”

Rosey remained silent for the first couple moments after her friend had finished her sentence. Not because she was mumbling, nor because she was frightened as after hearing her friend’s voice she had calmed down considerably, but because she wasn’t sure what to say. Why would Butter Joy throw her a surprise party, something that she had never done before? Further more why turn out the lights? Just to scare her half to death?

The group before Rosey were talking all at once and she could only make out a word or two before they were drowned out by the amplified volume that their voices created. She wasn’t sure if the wall was bouncing the sound back or if the ponies were really just that loud. It was beginning to give her a headache but then came a soft and gentle voice that had caught her attention. When she had heard the voice she was in the midst of letting go of the wall and wasn’t expecting him to be right beside her.

“May I take your bag, Ms.Rosey?” the kind pony asked, bowing a little as he spoke to the red mare that had jumped at his voice.

“Um...sure, I guess?” was Rosey’s reply. The pony took her bag gladly, carrying it to a counter where various paper bags and sweets were laid.

Rosey was unsure what to do or what to even say but luckily Butter Joy had taken the initiative. She dragged her friend by the leg and began introducing her to the group. “This is Milkshake and Poppy, their last names are Dancer” she spoke pointing towards the two closest mares.

The former mare nodded with a wide grin that showed off her teeth while the latter waved and barely made eye contact. Both of the mares shared the same teal green fur and dark blue mane. While Milkshake’s mane was messy Poppy’s was straight and clean. Poppy also lacked the darker streaks that ran down her sister’s mane.

“And that is Crystal Pop” Butter Joy spoke, now pointing towards a purple mare to the far right and closest to the counter. She then gave a groan induced sigh, saying “Who shouldn’t be drinking by the way”.

In the midst of gulping down her drink Crystal Pop turned to Butter Joy, which resulted in cider running down her chin. “You set out the drinks for this party, you can’t blame me for taking one” was the purple mare’s reply. “OK maybe it was two, fine three...no honestly, it was only three so will you stop with that stare?”

Rosey glimpsed Butter Joy shaking her head with the faintest of smiles just before pointing over towards other ponies. All of whom Rosey waved and nodded to but paid no real attention. She was able to take in their names quite easily and when her friend came to finishing off their introductions she had them all noted in her mind. The last pony that was introduced was another red mare.

Rosey only had to take one glance at her brown friend before concluding that the two were sisters. But then again many ponies share similar mane styles and they weren’t exactly unique in their facial features. But as she stared at this other red mare the appearance of Butter Joy was all to event. But perhaps if she too wore glasses then another pony might conclude the same possibility.

This other red mare was Sky Pop, a name that Rosey recognized from her friend’s letters. “Welcome to Risky Town” was Sky Pop’s reply after having been pointed out. “In case you weren’t yet told I am the owner of this building” she spoke before glancing at the brown mare beside Rosey. “Yes Butter Joy that makes me your boss. Don’t think I’ll let you ignore those papers I gave you. I expect them back before three, as scheduled”.

Butter Joy spoke in a fast manner “I’ll get to them later, I promise”. Sky Pop attempted to comment further on those papers but she fell on deaf ears as Butter Joy turned to her red friend. Rosey had such a smirk on her face that she looked rather laughable. “Sky Pop’s the town’s mayor, if you haven’t already guessed by her tone” Butter Joy whispered as the two trotted off.

Rosey didn’t really say much after the introductions were over. However as they took to their seats Rosey happened a glance towards a group that were already seated at a table. A group of ponies that Butter Joy hadn’t made any mention to and it wasn’t until being asked that she had answered Rosey with “Their from out of town”.

“And you don’t know their names, why, exactly?” Rosey wanted to ask her friend but had trailed off as she took a second, more closer look at the group. She uttered a small scream. The seat she had leapt from tipped over with a loud thud. Butter Joy thought she had fell and jumped to catch her, only to feel the cold floor with an even louder thud.

Without any hesitation Rosey galloped towards the group’s table and began fangirling over the pink mare that, at seeing her, gave a grin that was larger than her own face. The mare was Pinkie Pie, one of six mares that were famous far and wide for saving Equestria multiple times. “Oh my gosh!” squeaked Rosey. “I can’t believe I’m actually meeting you!” the red mare was trying to bounce up and down but her hooves remained planted on the spot.

“I take it you’re a fan?” spoke a pony that sat next to Pinkie Pie. If Rosey had been paying attention to him she would had recognized him as the stallion from earlier that had generously took her bag. But she wasn’t paying him attention, or to anypony else for that matter. She was all too focused on his pink partner that sat right in front of her.

Words couldn’t express how Rosey felt. She was just so thrilled and excited that her attempts of saying words all failed to leave her lips. She had never met Pinkie Pie in person before and now that she was actually within breathing distance her mind became cluttered. It wasn’t until Butter Joy had joined her that she was able to talk, although a bit heatedly as she said to her brown friend “Why didn’t you tell me she was here!?”

Butter Joy gave no answer. Instead she spoke to Pinkie Pie, saying as she failed in her attempt to remove her red friend “I had no idea she’d react this way”.

“It’s quite alright” spoke another pony seated at the table. “I’m Axl, and you already met my twin other there” the pony named Axl pointed at the stallion seated beside Pinkie Pie.

“Hi” were the words of another stallion. His eyes poked out from underneath his mane, their yellowish hue seemed almost ghostly. A large tooth clamped against his lip as if holding it in place. He glanced at Axl’s twin, who had introduced himself as Speedy, before retreating back behind his mane.

Speedy was a light shade of blue that resembled the sky in how bright it looked. His mane was similar to his fur and had a large, single white streak in it. Axl, who sat on Silver’s left, shared most of his features but with slight alterations. The most noticeable difference was that his fur more closely resembled a grey teal and, while Speedy’s mane was messy and uneven, Axl’s was clean and curved around his eye looking like it had been recently groomed.

Rosey nodded her head to the two brothers when she took notice of the third stallion. How did she not see him sitting there? He stood out quite well with his grey fur, looking almost monochrome compared to the other three. But this wasn’t the only reason he stood out to her. It puzzled Rosey even further as to how she missed him when she saw his ears. They resembled those of a bat. Rosey saw the fangs which stuck out from his upper jaw. His wings were black, pointed in their ends and they looked more fleshy than feathered. This stallion was in fact a bat pony, a race that in recent years had gotten a rather bad reputation.

“Don’t worry about Silver” spoke Speedy, having caught Rosey’s face as she looked his friend over. “He might look scary but he’s safe”.

“I’ve never seen a bat pony before..” Rosey whispered aloud. Feeling very intrigued she said “Remind me to ask you some questions later”. Rosey smiled at Silver as she gave his body one more glance before turning back to Pinkie Pie who, during the red mare’s short distraction, had stuffed a large slice of cake into her mouth. “Well that solves it” the red mare grinned proudly. “Who else but Pinkie Pie could gulf down that large of a slice?”

“That’s not even her record” returned Speedy. Smiling at each other he slid Pinkie Pie a much smaller piece of cake that she happily ate.

Many thoughts flooded Rosey’s mind as she tried to think of something to ask the pink mare. For example she wanted to ask what was she in town for, as well as her favorite flavor of pies and how in the world was she able to swallow that plate just now. Speedy spoke suddenly, making Rosey lose her train of thought as she just then had noticed something odd about the two brothers.

For as long as Rosey knew Butter Joy she had never really questioned her friend’s lack of a Cutie Mark. It was just something that she had grown used to and eventuality had stopped noticing it. A Cutie Mark is an image of one’s talent when they come to understand what it talent was. It can be of any picture, of any object that relates to the pony in question. Cutie Marks were so important to ponykind that it became accustomed, almost like it was necessary in order for one to understand their role in life.

Rosey took a glance around at the other ponies in the pub before turning back at the table before her. Only Pinkie Pie and Silver had visible Cutie Marks, however the theory she had just thought would soon be debunked as she heard Speedy’s voice.

“We’re waiting for our friends to show up” were Speedy’s word. Pinkie Pie had said something too but it went unheard as Speedy then said “Ms.Pinkie’s sister, Ms.Maud, as well as a couple others, are suppose to meet us here in a few days”.

“So, I take it you’re not from this town then?” Rosey asked the blue Earth pony. She looked a bit dishearten but had almost immediately returned to her previous fan girly state. However just as she opened her mouth she heard Speedy’s brother.

“They stayed behind in Canterlot” Axl sounded voice bored and uninterested when he said this. “I can’t stand crowded streets like that. So, I’m thankful that this place isn’t as packed as the walls made it seem to be”.

“Canterlot huh?” replied Rosey. She became interested as she leaned against their table, looking rather seductive as she asked the pink mare “I bet you were accepting yet another reward for bravery and likability?”

“If by likability you mean so lovable they should make plushies of her” laughed Speedy, his hoof on Pinkie Pie’s shoulder.

“I’d rather have a plushie of you” responded Pinkie Pie. She leaned closer to the blue Earth pony, whispering loud enough to be heard saying “That way if you happen to go missing I’d still have you safe and sound in my hooves”.

“Will you ever let that go?” Speedy laughed, sighing as he slid himself in his seat.

“Shouldn’t had been caught, then” came Silver’s voice. Rosey noted that he sounded very laid back, almost relaxed. “Just be glad you didn’t make a Pinkie Promise”.

“I was helping Ms.Fluttershy!” Speedy replied, quickly adding to his defense “Something Ms.Pinkie actually gave me permission to do!”

“Just keep using that excuse” Pinkie Pie grinned as she spoke. It almost sounded like she was teasing the blue Earth pony but Rosey couldn’t be sure if that was her intention.

Speedy gave yet another sigh and Butter Joy took this moment to drag Rosey away from their table. Despite the red mare trying her hardest to stay in that one spot she was ultimately dragged away across the pub. “You can talk with Pinkie all you want tomorrow” Butter Joy whispered to her friend. “Come on, it’s been two years and you don’t want to catch up at all?”

“Sounds to me like you’re jealous” came a calm and rather collected voice.

Butter Joy sighed heavily as the two mares were approached, the brown mare’s eyes rolled as she turned to face them. This mare’s fur was a deep blue, her wings outstretched to offer something of a hand shake. “Fritter Belle” spoke Butter Joy, shaking Fritter’s left wing. “And I’m not jealous” she said shortly before adding under her breath “I just want time to catch up, is all..”

“Charmed to make your acquaintance, Ms.Rosey” Fritter Belle spoke warmly as the red mare shook her other wing. “As to what you’re thinking, no. I’m not this town’s only Pegasus” the winged mare spoke, her voice nearly as kind as Speedy’s. “Although at the current moment me, Scootaloo and Jolly Taffy are the only ones in town”.

“In town?” replied Rosey. She tilted her head, asking Fritter Belle “You mean this isn’t the whole town?”

“Of course not” Butter Joy was the first to answer her. “I probably should’ve told you, but as I can’t get a moment alone..” Butter Joy sighed, groaning as she stared off.

Rosey hadn’t noticed it before but Butter Joy seemed to be getting more frustrated by the minute. It was unlike her to the point that Rosey had a rather silly idea. She thought of a Changeling who had failed to learn the personalty of the pony they replaced, and thus was so overwhelmed that it did every little thing wrong that it thought would be the right course of action. She laughed at the mere picture she had conjured up. Butter Joy had just took her glasses off, cleaning them with her collar, this was enough to prove her idea wrong and confirm that she was not a fake.

“Everypony else that lives here is away on a getaway” came Fritter Belle’s voice. Rosey turned her attention around and had just barely caught a glimpse of a smile, almost like the winged mare was enjoying Butter Joy’s growing annoyance. She then shifted her eyes back on Rosey, saying “The trip is actually an annual Holiday for us”.

“I don’t think she needs to hear all that” spoke Butter Joy. She attempted to trot pass her dark friend, only to be stopped by Rosey who asked what she was talking about. With a mind that felt so locked and blank it irritated her eyes Butter Joy sat down in the nearest seat. As she slumped her head down onto the table there was a loud noise followed by a voice. “Dang it Crystal Pop...” she said with a mumbled groan, “Those glasses were old..”

Fritter Belle had the faintest of grins painted on her face when she answered Rosey. She told the red mare “Think of it like Stallion and Mare Day. But the entire town, young and old, goes on a week long vacation”.

“A vacation?” Rosey replied back. She became more curious, asking just what exactly was this Holiday about.

Fritter Belle’s mane had slid to where it was over her eye, Rosey thought that it made her look a bit sinister with that smile. Fritter Belle went on to explain that the Holiday was formed over four generations ago. Working months on end building a brand new settlement led to many stressful nights, something Rosey could always relate to. The town’s ancestors were master stone builders and from the passed down stories it was evident that they loved building the town. But after about the first year came to its close they realized that they needed a break from their work.

Their break became common, taking it once a year to just relax and ease their weary bones. Rosey wondered if anypony had actually broken a bone or two, considering that Fritter Belle had just told her that it took at most five years before the settlement was completed.

Rosey found herself astonished at this tale despite feeling inclined to believe it. “I mean I heard that it took over twenty years to build the pyramids, but just..” the red mare had mumbled, then a thought came to her. She could picture the pages of a book she had read perfectly in her mind. A book that gave in depth details on various myths and legends regarding a group of master stone carvers. She wondered if perhaps there could be any relation between it and this town.

“We’re very proud about this place” Fritter Belle’s voice grasped Rosey’s attention as she spoke. “Though if you ask me, the walls were probably what took the extra years”.

“That and we keep adding onto the town” Butter Joy could be heard rambling, although not to the two mares.

Wanting to know more about their history Rosey went to ask Fritter Belle a question about their ancestors and who they were. She wondered why, out of the entirety of Equestria, they had chosen to build so far away from other settlements. Was it because the forest was grand and full of life? Or could it be that they just wanted to be left alone? Rosey wouldn’t get her answer, however, as she heard Butter Joy’s voice once again.

“No, my talent isn’t cooking” Rosey could hear the boredom in her friend’s voice.

Rosey turned her attention to her brown friend. Butter Joy remained in the same pose but her head was raised, staring at three fillies that were now huddled around her. Their eyes sparkled with glee. One of them had noticed Rosey staring and, in a rushed fashion that had knocked over her seat, offered her hoof to the red mare.

“Hey Rosey!” spoke the orange filly, her wings fluttering in a fast mannerism. “Do you have a Cutie Mark, by any chance?”

Surprised of the question Rosey glanced over at Butter Joy. The way she had shrugged made it seemed like she had said the words “I have no idea” and she looked rather calm.

“Yes, I have a Cutie Mark” Rosey had answered the orange filly.

The red could had lifted her skirt to reveal the Cutie Mark on her flank but she felt somewhat uncomfortable about that. She didn’t even accept the orange filly’s jester. She actually felt like trotting away from them but she didn’t. The way this filly’s eyes shimmered made Rosey feel something, rather strange. Something familiar that she could just barely remember but couldn’t manage it.

Rosey gave the bow around her neck a tug, “I see you three have Cutie Marks as well” she commented after seeing the fillies’ identical Cutie Marks. They resembled a shield, each barring an unique image in the center. “Wait a second” Rosey suddenly spoke, having just realized that these fillies were sitting by themselves. Minus

“Their with us” came Speedy’s voice. The red mare turned to the blue Earth pony, saw him waving and just nodded her head back at him. “Fair warning. They’ll talk your ears off about Cutie Marks”.

“Cutie Marks, huh?” responded a dangerously curious Rosey. She would soon come to regret asking them “You three like Cutie Marks, I take it?”

The three fillies erupted in a loud and collective “YES!” which had caught the attention of the pub’s occupants.

“See our capes?” spoke another of the fillies, green sparkles fell from the tip of her horn as she said “It's our official symbol of the Cutie Mark Crusaders!”

“Cutie Mark...Crusaders?” Rosey replied, a hoof to her chin. She examined their capes closely. They were made of a light brown fabric that bared a blue and yellow symbol on the back. It was lazily stitched in but somehow it fit them. The capes’ underside were entirely golden, shimmering with each movement that the fillies made.

Rosey suddenly heard laughter. It was Speedy telling her “Don’t say I didn’t warn you” which she found rather odd. Talking to these foals couldn’t possibly be that bad.

“It’s our club!” spoke the third filly, her orange eyes wide enough for Rosey to see her own reflection.

“Where our mission is to help ponies with their Cutie Marks!” the unicorn filly happily declared as more sparkles fell from her horn.

“Sounds like a fun talent to have” Rosey replied, genuinely smiling to the fillies. She found them to be quite adorable, and judging by their beaming faces and their jittery mannerisms they seemed to have such energy that she had only seen one other time. A small filly that was so full of....something, that was difficult to remember right then so she had to brush it off. “Well then” she began giggling as she spoke, “What do you think of this town?”

The three fillies stared at one another before they crawled atop the table, huddling together in something of a victory leap as they proudly declared “To help the town get their Cutie Marks!“ The pub fell silent safe for the clop of the fillies’ hooves as they fell back to the table.

“Wha-how in Equestria would you do that?” Rosey had responded to them. She hadn’t expect them to do that, jumping midair like they were about to fly. She had almost expected there to be a light shining behind them and felt a little bit silly at that thought.

The three fillies went on about their talent. They explained how their goal is to help ponies to understand their Cutie Marks better and how they help foals to gain their own Cutie Mark. It was like their profession and Rosey could see how important it was to them, as well as their joy from doing it. There was something about their faces...but what was it? The way they smiled? Their large, colorful eyes? Perhaps it was their innocence that sparked some sort of old memory. Something happy from her own childhood, something joyful that she had long since forgotten about.

“Can y’all imagine how big our names will be if we help this here town get their Cutie Marks?” the Earth filly asked her two fellow Crusaders. “Mah hooves are just shaking at the thought!” the Earth filly roared loudly, her tail wagging like an dog’s had caught Rosey’s attention. Why was that so...

“Yeah, mine too!” replied the orange filly, her wings fluttering so fast that Rosey could only see the blurred outline of them.

“Maybe we’ll become famous like our big sisters!” replied the Unicorn filly. Her grin was so wide that Rosey wondered how her cheeks were even able to hold it. “Oh! Can you just imagine if the Cutie Map started calling us?”

“Now that would be awesome!” returned the orange filly. Her grin was so wide that Rosey was certain that it must had broken even Pinkie Pie’s record.

The three fillies went on about how grand their names will become and how thrilled they were to be in, as the Earth filly had said, a diamond mine for them. Rosey had attempted multiple times to get a word in, to talk to the foals but she was drowned out too quickly and couldn’t even get half of a sentence in. Finally Butter Joy had stood up. She took Rosey by the hoof and, along with Fritter Belle, trotted away to a vacant table that sat against the furthermost wall.

“I could not even hear myself think” spoke Butter Joy. After getting herself situated she lowered her head, her front hooves rubbing against her temples. “They just kept asking me question after question, after question..”

“I found them rather likable” replied Fritter Belle, her grin ever so evident on her face.

“Of course you would” returned Butter Joy. She then took a bottle of cider that laid across the table, glaring at her side before tossing it. What she then mumbled couldn’t had been heard as right then Rosey had asked her who those foals were. “I seriously have no idea” was Butter Joy’s reply. She nabbed Rosey’s cup away, chugging it down without any care. “I only know their names. You see the orange one? That’s Scootaloo. Sitting across from her is Applebloom and the other, the one with the glowing horn, is Sweetie Belle”.

“I’ve only ever met one other pony like her” Fritter Belle replied. She too had a cup of cider but she wasn’t drinking it. Instead she ran the tip of her hoof across the cup’s rim. “It’s rare, you know. A horn glowing whenever their happy” she explained, humming. “I find it rather interesting”.

“Interesting..” Rosey whispered silently. She hadn’t really noticed it but now that she looked at the filly it was quite obvious.

Sweetie Belle’s horn was glowing without the accompanied aura that initiated magic being used. She remembered back from her teen years about a interesting book, one that dwelt into the subject behind horns changing color depending on the Unicorn’s emotions. It was a rare occurrence. So rare in fact that most believed it to be just be a myth or urban legend, actually it was very similar to how bat ponies used to be seen up until a few years ago.

Rosey turned her attention over towards Silver, the bat pony that sat with Pinkie Pie and the two brothers. She was curious about him. She wanted to ask questions and study him privately to learn all that she could about him. Of course after she had spent time with....

“Hang on” Rosey then spoke in a whisper. “Where did Pinkie go?”

Rosey turned herself around to ask the other two if they had seen Pinkie Pie move. It was then that she received such an startling sense of surprise that she fell backwards, tipping over not only her seat but the table opposite theirs. How did Pinkie Pie get in that seat without being noticed? It gave Rosey an unsettling, almost eerie feel.

Fritter Belle helped Rosey to stand, saying “Sweetie, you’re mumbling” as she straightened the bow of her collar.

“I hadn’t seen a pony jump like that since I first met Speedy” Pinkie Pie said with a giggle, her lips soaked with foam. Rosey gave a few more mumbled replies before Pinkie Pie had took her by the hoof and preceded to drag her towards the center of the pub. “This is your party” Pinkie Pie spoke, pulling a cloth from her mane. She then blindfolded and spun Rosey around. “I want us to begin with my favorite game. Pin the tail on the pony!”

Chapter 2 - A Call From Her Past

Rosey wasn’t one for parties but even she had to admit that she was having a lot of fun. Although she wasn’t fond of being spun around until she had almost puked on the pink mare. Out of the games that they played there were only four that Rosey liked and still thought about even after the party was over. She found that she rather liked the game Dance Til You’re Dizzy which wasn’t even dance related. Crystal Pop however thought that it was and Rosey shared a good laugh with Fritter Belle.

Butter Joy, however, didn’t find it funny after the purple mare had crashed and fell through a window. Luckily Crystal Pop wasn’t hurt but cider was ineffectually banned after that stunt was over. “Just be glad she wasn’t holding one of her inventions” spoke one of the mares who wore a purple sweater, her name being Bubble Rain.

“Oh if I catch her doing that” Butter Joy had replied, “She’d be a pretty sad mare come the next day”.

The time now was a quarter to eight and Rosey was beginning to grow tired. Wanting to get her room booked she was just about to excuse herself when Speedy suddenly challenged her. Rosey never heard of the game Pirate Dices but Speedy was so polite in asking her that she couldn’t say no.

Rosey sat down at the table directly across from Speedy. The blue Earth pony described the game, “You just shake the dices inside the cup, place said cup down on the table and then you just take a small peek underneath. The goal is to guess how many dices are showing the same number” Speedy then gave a small grin. “You also need to figure out whether or not if the other player is lying. That is key. The game won’t end any other way”.

Rosey gave Speedy a nod, her eyes scanning the dice carefully as he spoke. It sounded simple in context but once they had begun playing Rosey found that the game was something she was actually pretty good at, math. Both ponies had a total of six dices with the usual six sided numbering. Rosey found that once she had added math equations, and a little bit of logic, she could easily narrow down the possibilities of each numbers that the dices had landed on. She could almost see the numbers appearing right before her eyes as she theorized the numbers.

The ponies had played three times, each turn taking about a minute or two before passing. When they had started the fourth, and hopefully last round, Rosey had said “No, I’ve never played Poker nor will I ever”.

Rosey partly told him the truth. While she had never touched Poker her brother, Pendleton, had. He played it many times before with their grandfather. He was really good at winning his bags full of candy each year. Rosey could actually see a bit of her brother in Speedy. It had something to do with his eyes. The way they seemed to look through the cups and when he looked at her they seemed to pierce right through the thick walls of her mind.

“Would you kindly accept placing up a bet?” Speedy spoke suddenly, Rosey stared at him wondering if he was joking. He wasn’t. “Just for fun, nothing you wouldn’t normally do”.

Rosey was uncertain at his offer but she agreed anyways. “Not like you’d dare me to jump through a window” she said with a shrug.

“A pony’s safety always comes first” was Speedy’s reply. “So, you’re interested?” he spoke, his hoof tapping the bottom half of his cup.

“Hm...well, let me think-alright you’re on” Rosey spoke with haste, her mind quickly thought of what she would like from the blue Earh pony.

“My most embarrassing memory..?” Speedy had replied to Rosey. His eyes shifted to his side where Pinkie Pie stood over his shoulder. The expression they shared went unseen thanks to the sudden distraction of a drunken Crystal Pop. “I’ll accept that” Speedy spoke, offering his hoof he then said “But from you? I think a favor would work nicely”.

Rosey froze her upper limb in mid air as she heard Speedy. “A favor?” she asked redrawing her hoof before he could shake it. “Nothing dirty I hope?”

“Why do they always jump to that?” Speedy sighed, he also seemed to groan at what he had heard from behind.

Rosey stayed her hoof for a moment, thinking hard on her decision. “You did say nothing we wouldn’t normally do” she spoke, shaking his hoof at last. She then took one last peek underneath her cup and at her dices. “I’ll say...” Rosey began speaking, thinking carefully before she said “Six sets of fours”.

Speedy nodded to the red mare as he looked at his dices once more. As she watched him Rosey could see the gears moving in his head, he almost seemed to be calculating. He gave Rosey a smile, the type of smile that seemed heartfelt and genuine.

“I bet, there are eight sets of threes” spoke Speedy.

Rosey inched her hoof higher, twitching as she kept herself still. Speedy did the same, wanting to wait for her to reveal her set first. Together they lifted their cups and there was a collective gasp. Rosey, who had instinctively closed her eyes firmly shut, peered down at her dices. She was wrong. Only three dices had landed on fours. There was clapping and congratulating to be heard but Rosey ignored them. She stared at Speedy who was giving a warm smile not to the applause, but to her.

“Good game, Ms.Rosey” Speedy kindly spoke.

“You didn’t just con me, did you?” Rosey asked as the two shook hooves once more.

Speedy told her that he had not, saying “That’s just the beauty of this game. Even when at the very end, you can still come out on top better than what you just were”.

Those words stuck in Rosey’s ears even as Sky Pop signed her name into the inn’s record books some minutes later. “Your parents had already paid in advance” Sky Pop had told Rosey as she wrote her name. “All you need to do is pick which room and I’ll be up later to pin your name to the door”.

Rosey signed the entry form, stamped her hoof to it and with her bag in tow had trotted off. She made her way through the waiting room, only glancing at the pub’s door as she passed it and into the next room. Her eyes would’ve widen if she wasn’t so drained and tired. She had entered a large room, a grand and recently polished table rested atop a lust and fluffy carpet that resembled the grass outside.

Over against the wall was a fire place, unlit and beckoning to be used. There were also shelves stacked to the brim with books. Rosey ignored them all as she headed straight for the staircase, only to be stopped by a voice. It was Butter Joy. Rosey turned back in just enough time to see the pub before the door had fully closed behind her friend. She still thought that she was conned but that small glimpse she had just caught made her really wonder where the parents of those filles’ were.

“Want me to accompany you upstairs?” Butter Joy asked. Rosey stared at her wondering if she would ever get any work done tonight.

“I wouldn’t mind it” the red mare had returned. “But frankly? I want nothing more right now than getting into a warm bed”.

“Then I know just the bed!” Butter Joy replied.

Rosey must’ve been more tired than she thought, normally she would had poked fun at such a sentence. Together the two of them trotted upstairs to the second floor. There Rosey paid attention the rooms as she passed them. Each of the three rooms were small, suited for two or three ponies at most. The back walls had two large cabinets and a single window in the middle. Placed toward the walls on her left were beds covered with blankets that ranged from three separate color schemes, but they all shared the same patterns.

The rooms were decorated in their own tile sets that stood out against the wooden floors and gave each room their own sense of uniqueness. As she passed the rooms Rosey saw parchments that hung just beside the rooms’ doors and she saw the names of Pinkie Pie, Speedy, Silver Shadow, Axl and the three CMCs written on them.

“I’ll be sleeping on the next floor, then” Rosey mumbled to herself as she approached the second flight of stairs.

“First comes first serve” spoke Butter Joy, “As Applebloom said” she added quickly.

The three rooms on the next floor were almost identical to the ones on the second floor, save for their unique set of carpeting. Rosey saw that the first room, which barred a single scratch on the door, was vacant so instantly she decided to take it. Trotting inside she tossed her bag atop the rounded table, nearly knocking off the room’s phone laid but luckily Butter Joy had managed to save it just in time.

It was an old styled phone that was limited to cords. Butter Joy said that it resembled a banana resting atop a candle fit for the snowy Holidays. She almost hated letting it back down, finding the design rather alluring. Rosey didn’t bother removing her clothes as she hopped into bed. She could had fallen asleep right then but Butter Joy started to talk. Rosey listened although she didn’t pay her any attention. That was until Crystal Pop was mentioned.

“Can you show me that key again?” Rosey asked, having been unable to get a good look at it before.

The key hung around Butter Joy’s neck, concealed only by her collar. It was a rounded key that looked like it belonged to a treasure chest lost to the deepest of depths. Why Butter Joy had it the red mare couldn’t really remember, but thankfully Butter Joy had said “That mare loses everything. You know, last Tuesday she actually spoke of nothing else but that unbreakable lockpick”.

“Which she then lost?” Rosey returned. She remembered Crystal Pop approaching them and rambling on about something that was lost to her at this moment. She had seemed rather nervous, almost fearful. Butter Joy always that affect on others when they were foals.

“I best get back downstairs before she breaks anything else” Butter Joy spoke. If Rosey could read minds she would had heard what her friend was thinking. Though if she had she wouldn’t dare to sleep under the safe roof that Crystal Pop was under.

Butter Joy left Rosey with the wish of having good dreams. Throwing the covers over herself the red mare rolled about until she found the perfect laying position. Then she looked up and stared out of the window. As the last few hours ran through her mind she imagined them being reflected off of the window. Rosey’s trip here was long and utterly boring, seeing Butter Joy again would had made the trip more than just worth it but seeing Butter Joy’s friends gave the trip its own sense of fulfillment.

Before now Rosey had only heard of those mares through letters or the occasional reunions with Butter Joy. She was disappointed that most of the town, if not a majority of it, were away for a Holiday getaway. She wondered why Butter Joy was among the few that had stayed behind, hoping that her friend didn’t miss out just because of her. As the will to remain awake became weakened the red mare gave a mighty yawn before flipping over onto her side. Breathing slowly and silently the red mare finally passed out and entered the Dream Realm where she can at last relax and be at ease.

There was the sound of the ocean that was ever so gentle and calm. It gave the red mare a peaceful feeling to just be able to feel the salty breeze that she greatly missed. The memories of her days as a foal could be perfectly seen in the water. It was like looking through glass that had became clouded with somepony’s breath. School wasn’t the only thing that Rosey could say she was better at than Butter Joy. The memory of their first swim showed itself underneath the waves. Their fond laughter could never had been more fulfilling.

But then there was something else buried silently under the waves. It started out as a low hum, barely audible but then it started to grow. The louder this sound grew the more disturbed the water became until it was so loud that the ocean was rippling violently against the landscape. The red mare failed in her attempt to flee as a huge chunk of land broke away and fell into the waters below.

Rosey panicked, wanting to swim to safety but her body wouldn’t move. It was like her hooves had melted, becoming nothing more than glue. That loud, overly annoyingly hum made her head hurt. She wanted to scream her frustration out if her lungs would just permit it. Then, as fast as it had came, the hum stopped only to be replaced by another sound. The water began vibrating and she heard something from behind her. She trembled, turning around to see what was rising from the water. What she saw didn’t make any since.

Rosey stared at the large golden object that hovered over her. The sun’s rays bounced off of it and onto her like a spotlight from an old and long forgotten lighthouse. Just what was a phone doing underneath the water and why was it so gigantic? Suddenly the red mare fell to her knees, hooves clinched tightly over her ears.

“SHUT UP!” Rosey screamed as she lunged forward and fell with a loud thud. Startled by her sudden fall she twitched, almost flailing her legs when she heard the sound once more. “W-Wha..” she mumbled breathlessly. “Phone’s ringing..and I thought it was more annoying in the dream..”

Untangling herself from the bedsheets Rosey stumbled her way out of the room and approached a clock that hung out in the hallway. The time was three AM. Giving a loud yawn Rosey returned to her room but had stopped just inside the doorway. Who could possibly be calling her this late? She thought about ignoring it but she would never fall back asleep unless that annoying ringing ceased.

Rosey approached the phone lifting it to her ear, yawning as she asked “H-Hello?”

“Hello” she heard a gruffy voice speaking. “I’m calling from the Malkovich Collage. I’m sorry to call you so late Ms.Rosey, but some fool managed to mix up and even lose various records and such”.

“How in Equestria can somepony...did you say they lost records?” Rosey asked back, uncertain if she had heard her right.

“It sounds extremely stupid, I know” answered the gruffy voice. “To ensure we have the right records, and the right Ms.Rosey here, I would like to ask you a few questions and you answer them. It’s that simple. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Not at all” Rosey replied, yawning greatly as she then said “I wouldn’t want some record mishap to hurt my chances into the collage. So go ahead and shoot”.

“Wonderful” returned the gruffy voice. Even though she could hardly keep her eyes open Rosey couldn’t help but notice the tone of the voice. If she was up this late trying to correct somepony else’s mistake she would had probably sounded gloomy as well. The voice spoke, asking her ”You were awarded for something at a very young age. What was the reward and what was your age?”

“Oh that’s easy” Rosey had replied, yawning as she answered “Me and my brother got the award together at age ten. We were given an golden rocket at a Science Fair.” she paused for only a moment, leaning against the rounded table. “Yes, I think that’s right..or was it a golden pineapple..No, no it was a rocket”.

“Thank you for the answer, and a little funny you mentioned age ten” returned the gruffy voice. “When you were about ten you had met a famous singer who later took a picture with you. Now, which genre of music is this singer known for? No names, just tell me the genre”.

Holding a hoof to her chin Rosey thought about the different singers she had met over the years. The only problem was that she couldn’t remember meeting one when she was ten. Although she did recall a foal she knew from camp that later became a world renown singer. “Um..I’m guessing it’s pop? Pop star I mean” Rosey quickly corrected herself. “I remember my brother used to call it Synth-pop” she said with a giggle.

“You’re actually correct” returned the gruffy voice. Rosey gave a small grin as she made herself comfortable. The voice spoke again, saying “One year ago you were at, I believe it’s called a convention, and you were talking to friends about the previous villains that the Princess Of Friendship had defeated along side her friends. What was the name of the villain you personally favored?”

“Oh that’s easy, pancake..” Rosey spoke, liking how the table felt nice and cool against her fur. “That would be sugarom---er I mean Sombra” she quickly corrected herself. “I think I met a relative of his? Oh maybe that was a cosplayer, no it was me...I mean---”

“This next one may sound a to bit specific, and invasive so I apologize if it is” spoke the gruffy voice. “About three years ago you were attending a very important and crowded event. I don’t really remember what it was, but a lot of important mares was there. As well as happy families. The special celebration was cut short, however. Can you tell me what happened?”

“Oh, that’s easy, bee honey flavored pie..” Rosey mumbled, thinking about breakfast and how tasty honey would actually be on pie. But then she heard the question repeated. “O-Oh..” she spoke, blushing a little bit at her food related sentence. “Let me see..three years ago was it? Ah I remember. It was....”

Rosey trailed off. Holding onto her head her face became twisted, her eyes tightly closed and she could hear something. A voice in the very back of her mind, screaming and crying. She began whimpering and the sound of her own voice had pulled her back to reality.

“I’m afraid I have no idea what you’re talking about” Rosey spoke after silence had fallen over their conversion. “I was at no event three years ago. Unless you count visiting my uncle”. She pitched the spot just between her eyes. She could feel each and every breath that left her body, seeing it fade in the sudden coldness of her room.

As Rosey heard nothing but silence through the phone she had motioned to hang up when she heard the voice again, saying “Thank you for your time. This should help us put everything straight once more”.

Slowly nodding Rosey tapped her hoof on the table, twitching her body just a tad as if dancing to music. She did this to keep herself awake and away from anymore food puns. She wanted to return to bed and fall asleep but she had to be sure there was nothing else needed of her.

“However” she heard the voice speaking. “During the last question, your voice sounded a little weird”.

“N-No it didn’t” Rosey hastily replied. “I’m just tired. That’s all”.

“Are you sure you answered it correctly?” asked the gruffy voice. Rosey could feel her skin becoming colder as she curled the phone’s cord around her hoof. “I have to assure you, answering falsely will have consequences down the road. Do you want to answer it again?”

“Of course not!” Rosey immediately grabbed her mouth, surprised at her own outburst. “No, I think it’ll be fine” she spoke much more calmly. “If its not, just call me again tomorrow. As I said, I’m very tired”.

Rosey heard a faint chuckle from the phone before the voice spoke again, saying ”Very well. Just don’t blame me when karma comes looking for you” then Rosey heard the sound of beeping and static. The caller had hung up.

Rosey sat the phone back atop the rounded table, staring blankly at it as she heard it click. “Come looking for me?” she repeated the last words of that gruffly voice inside her mind. “Those were very specific questions, I hardly believe they were important to my collage..”

Rosey thought to herself for a few moments. Slowly she began yawning again and she decided to worry about it tomorrow. For the now she was tired and desperately wanted sleep. However she hadn’t laid down for more than a couple seconds when there was a loud, hi pitched noise that had startled her.

Now fully awake Rosey galloped out of her room and down the flight of stairs until reaching the second floor. There she saw the other occupants standing in the hallway. “You guys heard that scream too?” she asked, slowly trotting pass them.

Speedy, who had the three foals huddled around him, replied “I think it came from outside”.

“Do you have any idea who it was?” Rosey asked, passing Silver who had shook his head. “Well, we can’t just do nothing” she had spoken as she reached the first flight of stairs. She stood there staring at the first step.

“Are you going to move or are you just going to play statue all night?” she heard Pinkie Pie’s voice.

Eyelids tightly closed Rosey shook the uncertainly out of her as she took that first step. As she descended she could hear the echo that was Axl’s voice, “I’d go with her, but..” his voice faded as she reached the bottom.

The reading room was barely lit with only the dim light from the fireplace guiding her around the large table and into the waiting room. Rosey, once outside, had no idea which direction to go. She trotted about to see if anything was amiss but saw nothing out of place, other than the creepy feel of the town that was. She was starting to wish that she had took the time to explore when she had the chance too earlier. She might as well had been a needle in a pile of leaves trying to figure out which way was up or down.

Then as she was passing a building she heard something. It was faint but was loud enough to be heard by the frantic moving red mare. Rosey stared up at the towering building. It seemed dark in the moonlight but had many windows, most of which were nothing but shattered glass. She heard the movement again, quickly followed by whispering. She would had risked entering the building, despite knowing how stupid she’d had to be to do so alone, but then she heard louder voices.

The commotion she was hearing came from the East. She took about a second’s worth of a glance back at the large building before she galloped towards the new sounds. It didn’t take long for Rosey to find the owners’ of the voices. Standing together and holding lanterns were at most six ponies. Rosey had only seen the first three when she started to approach them. That’s when she saw the other three huddled together outside a building, it resembled a red P in it’s shape.

Rosey’s eyes centered on Poppy Dancer who was crying excessively into her sister’s forelegs. Rosey’s heart sunk as she knew something was wrong. A couple of the mares had seen her approach with one of them stepping away from the group to stop her.

“Don’t get any closer..” spoke Sky Pop, her glasses stained with tears that were still dripping down her cheeks.

“What happened?” Rosey responded loud enough to be heard by the rest of the group. “Who screamed? Is somepony hurt?”

“Silence yourself, please” returned Sky Pop who had clumped Rosey’s muzzle shut. Rosey could see the pain in Sky Pop’s eyes as she briefly turned her head to check on the grieving mare. Poppy Dancer tried to speak but only made jumbled whines that barely counted as audible. Then Sky Pop said something that had made Rosey’s eyes swell and her heart even more heavy. “Fritter had just died”.

Author's Note

Keep in mind these chapters are drafts. There will be typos and flaws here and there, so expect updates every so often as I further the story along. As of this moment I'm up to chapter 10 so also expect an few more chapters here and there.

Chapter 3 - The Nurse In Purple

Rosey had not slept since returning to her room at the inn. Instead she sat by her bedroom window, watching as the raising sun banished the darkness that was the night. Usually at this moment there would be birds humming and the crow loudly welcoming the warmth. But there was none of that. Only the chilly air that set a shiver up her nose.

There was the sudden chime from the hallway clock, meaning that it was now 12 PM. Rosey had grown tired of sitting there all alone and just wanted to leave but she knew that she couldn’t. It would paint a bad picture of her, not to mention make her feel like she’s abandoning the town right after losing one of their own. She had to stay, as originally intended, and then she thought about Butter Joy.

Maybe the both of them could take their mind off of last night’s tragedy? It was worth a try, she thought. Rosey headed downstairs after she had built up the strength to move. As she descended downward she saw that the second floor was empty. It didn’t surprise her. She was the first one to leave the group at the earliest window. Now on the bottom floor Rosey made a bee line for the door that led to Butter Joy’s pub.

However as she crossed the first doorway and the waiting room was in view there was a voice that had made her stop. It was Speedy who had called out to her. Rosey gave him a small motion of her head as a way of saying hello. She didn’t feel like talking to anybody other than Butter Joy but the blue stallion had insisted for her to come over. She reluctantly did so, being unable to say no out of guilt.

“Hello, there” Rosey spoke as she approached the blue stallion who sat at a tiny table. Pinkie Pie, Silver and Axl sat with him.

“How are you feeling, Ms.Rosey?” asked Speedy. He had offered Rosey his seat since the table only had four of them and the red mare didn’t do much to hide her baggy eyes or tilted posture that made her seem anything but awake. She kindly declined, preferring to remain standing.

“Just fine, I suppose” was Rosey’s reply when asked how she was doing. “I’m not sure how to feel..on one hoof I barely knew Fritter Belle but on the other...I feel just terrible. Like, a big empty...something, right here in the chest”.

“That’s called a broken heart” spoke Pinkie Pie. Her frown stood out like a pony who had threw off their dress after wearing it for two straight weeks. It felt strange to see anything but a grin on Pinkie Pie. It was just so out of place that it like it should had broken some sort of natural order. Something that stood against logic and would only bring about chaos. But this is Pinkie Pie and Rosey knew better than to apply logic to her.

“But why would I feel that way?” Rosey spoke after carefully thinking on what the pink mare had told her. She went on to say in a pleading sort of way “I hardly knew her. Yeah we played games and chatted but I barely knew her. So why do I feel so empty?”

“That’s something only you can answer” replied Speedy, his hoof gripped Pinkie Pie’s. “Maybe it’s because deep down inside you just care a lot”. Rosey gave the blue Earth pony her attention, staring at him like she had heard something completely different. “Even if you had never spoken a word with somepony, a lost is an lost. You either care or you don’t. There’s no in between”.

“I...have no idea where you’re getting at” returned Rosey. “You can’t just grieve over somepony you know nothing about. It just doesn’t...shouldn’t, be that simple”.

“Well, you still feel the grief. Don’t you?” she had heard Axl’s voice.

Rosey didn’t say anything to him. She just merely nodded her head. It was right then as she was glancing in his direction that she had spotted the three fillies. The Cutie Mark Crusaders as she remembered them. They were seated at similar table that rested closer to the rightmost wall. They seemed to be holding last night as one would expect them to be.

“We’re concerned about them too” came Speedy’s voice. “This isn’t necessarily their first time experiencing death, but...well..”

“They should be with family” replied Rosey. Words couldn’t express how seeing those three fillies felt. They needed to be comforted, told that it would be alright and not sit by themselves feeling who knows what.

“You’re right” spoke Speedy. “Somepony should be acting as the parent figure”.

“What?” asked Pinkie Pie, reacting as if she had just heard that cupcakes were banned worldwide.

Rosey had turned just in time to see the blue Earth pony smiling, saying “You know what I mean”.

“I don’t follow” was the pink mare’s reply.

The two ponies would soon start a conversion that Rosey didn’t pay much attention to. They mainly talked back and forth on which one of them was a better guardian. Their argument ranged from diapers being changed to babysitting and even how much time they had spent with three certain foals. Rosey had no idea who the Cakes were nor did she knew who Flurry Heart was. In truth she didn’t really care enough to listen.

Rosey had turned her attention back over at the three fillies when she noticed Silver. He almost didn’t seem to be in the same room, looking like he was nothing more than a statue with some sort of express that the red mare couldn’t make out. “Hey Silver” Rosey spoke as she moved closer to him, “Are you feeling alright?”

“Don’t let me concern you” replied Silver, his eyes unmoving from the table. “I’m just thinking about stuff”.

“Stuff?” Rosey had repeated. She motioned towards him, about to stroke his mane away from his eyes but had caught herself. Thankfully he hadn’t seen her move, but whether the other three had seen her or not she couldn’t be sure.

“Well” Silver spoke after a moment’s pause. He looked uncomfortable. “It just seems like my bad luck is---”

“I’m gonna stop you right there” Speedy interrupted him. The medium grey stallion, finally moving his eyes, looked over at his friend with an expression similar to that of having no real emotion or reaction. It was just plain and empty, with maybe a little bit of concern buried underneath the surface. “You aren’t bad luck” Speedy spoke, resting his right hoof atop Silver’s left. “Never were and never will be”.

Silver didn’t anything, at least not at first. He just stared down at his friend’s thoughtful gesture. Then he smiled, saying “...Thanks, Speedy”.

“Just don’t worry about it. What happened to Ms.Fritter” Speedy was saying before he paused, his eyes glancing his right only briefly. “It had nothing to do with you” he started his sentence back up, he had a warm and heartfelt smile before he said the words “It likely would’ve happened even if we weren’t here”.

“Yeah, don’t go blaming yourself” spoke Rosey, placing her own hoof atop Silver’s shoulder. “No need to beat yourself up over something you couldn’t had changed. No matter how much you want too”.

“Suppose you’re right” sighed Silver. “I’ll stop thinking about it then”.

The rest of the conversion would remain a mystery to Rosey as she had excused herself around three minutes later. “She’s not in the pub right at this moment” came Sky Pop’s voice. She was seated behind the inn’s front counter, scribbling away on a piece of paper.

“Where is she, then?” Rosey asked, assuming Sky Pop had meant Butter Joy.

“She’s with Bubblegum Precious” was Sky Pop’s reply. It was then that Rosey noticed a rather short stack of papers resting beside the mare who seemed to be deeply focused on whatever she was writing about. “My guess their at the old Church” she said before whispering to herself “I really need to talk with her about slacking off...”

“Did you say Church?” Rosey asked, a little bit intrigued she approached the counter. It seemed to be carved from rosewood. It’s length would probably match up with that of two ponies standing side by side.

Sky Pop’s eyes stared at Rosey from above her glasses. She sighed pointing at a window that hung just above a small bed to her left. Rosey was certain of where she was pointing. She couldn’t see any other building in that direction that would be considered worthy of being a Church, and it was even more evident once she had stepped outside to get a better look. It loomed over her like a predator that was waiting patiently for its’ moment to strike.

Rosey walked across the freshly cut lawn and up to the wooden door painted in dull blue. She didn’t knock as she entered. Inside she could almost feel a rush of cool air. The inner walls rose high and were so wide it gave the single room a feeling similar to that of entering a darken cave that was suddenly lit up for no reason other than the sun’s warmth striking it. The state of the single room was anything but pleasant.

The entire structure, both the floor and walls, were cracked. They were also covered in holes and cobwebs mixed with dust. The many stain glass windows were either cracked or completely shattered, only a small handful were still intact. Rosey spotted a grand piano atop an extremely short set of stairs. It’s golden frame was crumbling with age. Between the stairs that rose about four or five steps and a row of few rounded seats were two mares. The first was Butter Joy who sat atop a crate that was placed separate from the others that all rested against the ledge that rose along with the steps.

The other, who was hammering away on a cracked beam that among five others held the ceiling up, was Bubblegum Precious. She was the first of the two to notice Rosey’s presence, saying as she turned to face the red mare “I’d watch my step if I were you”.

“I can see that” returned Rosey whose body twitched. She wanted to pick up a tool and spend the next few hours straighten the place out. “It looks like this place could fall at any moment” she spoke, wondering just how in Equestria were these two mares able to breath in here. She thought how lucky it was that she had gotten over her asthma a few years back otherwise she would had died upon opening the front door.

“Oh I didn’t mean this floor” replied Bubblegum Precious. “If you’re not careful the floor could give way, causing you to fall into the basement that’s been sealed for decades”. Rosey froze in place, her hooves trembling as she jumped to her side and crawled atop the nearest seat that she could reach. “I’m kidding!” Rosey heard Bubblegum Precious laughing. “This place has no basement”.

“That-wasn’t-fun-oh shut up Butter Joy!” Rosey growled. Hopping down her friend’s laughter only increased as she stumbled flat onto her belly. “Did you place that hole there?” she asked in a stern manner, yanking her hoof free of a hole that she had failed to see.

“Seems pretty funny to me” spoke Butter Joy, her hoof failing to hold her mouth shut. “Anyways” she said after a moment of controlled breathing. “What are you doing here?” she asked Rosey, her voice cheery and welcoming.

“I wanted to talk” Rosey answered, she almost choked on the dust that she had shook off of herself. “I couldn’t stand being by myself a moment longer. So, here I am”.

Butter Joy exchanged a look with Bubblegum Precious. Her happy demeanor faded as soon as it had appeared, now replaced with a look more fitting to last night’s event. “I bet Sky Pop told you where I was” Butter Joy had said, grinding the ends of her hooves together in a circular fashion. “Was she doing paperwork?”

“I think she was” replied Rosey, her eyes gazing down before quickly returning to her friend with an uncertain quirk to them. “She was writing something and didn’t even raise her head to me”.

“She must still be mad..” Butter Joy sighed, leaning backwards and stretching out her limbs. “I told her I’d finish them, but she just took them without any---”

“Well maybe if you hadn’t spent so much time playing around, you might had finished on time” interrupted the purple mare whose coat shined as a gemstone. Bubblegum Precious was in fact a Crystal Pony whose physical bodies resembled that of a diamond. It gave the race a rather ghostly appearance.

“What about you? Don’t forget you do have a deadline to meet!” Butter Joy replied to her crystal friend . She then shook her head uttering a single sigh before turning her attention back to her red friend. “I’m sorry, Rosey” Butter Joy whimpered, straightening her glasses that had slid to her nose.

“What are you sorry for?” returned the red mare. “Oh, you mean--you don’t have to apologize for that” she had added, having seen the sadden look in her friend’s eyes.

“I’m just sorry it had to happen on your very first visit, is all” Butter Joy said in a huff. “I still can’t believe it..” she spoke, momentary removing her glasses to clean them with the dress collar that she wore around her neck.

Rosey approached her friend, placing a hoof on her knee. Butter Joy sniffed, Rosey could hear her heart beating as they hugged. It was a little faint, beating slowly. “I didn’t know her that long” Rosey had spoken up, holding her eyes shut as a single tear fell. “But I feel like she was a wonderful mare, burnt out far too soon..” she whispered, a faint scream echoing deep inside her thoughts.

“She was the brightest light I’ve ever known” Rosey’s eyes had shot open as she heard Butter Joy’s soft voice. It was beginning to crack but she had still managed to sound very gentle. “You know” Butter Joy started to speak, her voice rose in pitch for only a moment. “We, just for fun, kept calling her Honesty”.

“Honesty?” Rosey replied as she looked at her friend’s face.

Butter Joy took a loud sniff, wiping her nose with the bow tie in her collar. She then said, with a little difficultly at first, “Yes. We actually told her on many occasions that she should’ve been the Element Of Honesty”.

After having just asked “She was that honest?” Rosey reached inside the pocket in her school uniform. She took out a small tissue, giving it to her friend who looked like she could do with a mountain of them.

“You had to know her to know just how honest she was” spoke Bubblegum Precious. She waited until Butter Joy had finished blowing her nose before continuing her sentence. “I remember one time Fritter Belle was so bad at lying that she apologized for even attempting to mislead me. And that was just for my birthday!”

Butter Joy gave a short laugh, saying “Do you remember when she was accused of stealing those one of a kind collector cards, and not wanting to lie she went an entire day without uttering a single word until Milkshake had confessed?”
“I sure do” returned the crystallized mare, the smile on her face short lived. “Things will just never be the same..” Bubblegum Precious suddenly emitted a small whine. She held her muzzle, tears were in her eyes as she went back to hammering. She gave a few hard hits when the hammer snapped in half, causing her to utter a curse as she tossed the worthless handle aside. “I’ll never finish at this rate..” she growled at herself.

“You do know you can take the day off?” Rosey told the crystal mare who, at hearing her had snapped her head in her direction, looked like she was about to slap Rosey something fierce.

“And lose my bet with Butter Joy?” replied Bubblegum Precious, her foreleg held over a gasping mouth. “Never!” she said with a loud roar.

“Um..did you just say bet?” returned Rosey, looking over at her dark friend who held the tissue close to her nose.

Butter Joy blew her nose once more before saying “I told her that I believed it was impossible for her to fix this place by herself”.

“I totally can, by the way” responded the crystallized mare with a large and proud grin on her face.

“We’ll see in four days if you truly can” spoke Butter Joy, her voice seemed to had returned back to normal.

Rosey took a moment to look around the large, single room. She had to agree with Butter Joy. This place was just too badly decayed, looking like it was abandoned centuries ago. “I’m a few centuries old” Bubblegum Precious replied to the red mare who had forgotten to use her inside voice. “Do I look like I’m so worn that ponies rather give up and forget about me?”

“Oh, right..” replied Rosey, her curiosity setting in as she paced. “The Crystal Empire was stuck outside time for a thousand years..I couldn’t imagine how it must’ve felt when the curse broke”.

“Losing all that time was tough” replied Bubblegum Precious. She stared down at her tools as she went on to say “A lot of us decided to just forget and more on. While others set out to give back the history we had lost”.

“School, you mean?” Rosey asked in her reply.

Bubblegum Precious gave a slight turn of her head, barely making eye contact for even a second before returning to her tools. “You’re heading to collage, is that right?” she finally spoke, tossing the tool kit aside.

“Yes” Rosey answered with a nod. “And I’m more than proud of it” she added with a smile. Then she frowned. “Some schools prefer to be more fun than educational these days, and most foals never even graduate”.

“I’ve seen the school in Ponyville once” spoke Butter Joy. “I saw the whole class skip school just because a filly got a Cutie Mark, which later turned out to be a fake” she then shrugged, giving a loud sigh.

“Why do we even keep schools open if you can just skip class whenever you please like that?” Rosey replied, almost in an angry growl. “I never left my seat at school. Unless I was sick I’m studying as hard as I can. I actually had to ask the teacher to take tests, which of course made my fellow classmates boo and hiss at me..”

“Fritter Belle attended collage, once” spoke Butter Joy. Rosey had started a joyful sentence but Butter Joy had interrupted her, saying “But she dropped out after three days”.

Silence fell as Rosey gave her friend a blank and emotionless stare. “Well that’s disappointing” she spoke with a heavy sigh, her face askewed for only a split second before she had said “But learning is my choice”.

“Such as my choice to leave the Empire for a new life” spoke Bubblegum Precious. She went back to her tools. “Me and Bubble Rain just couldn’t---”

“Bubble Rain?” Rosey had unintentionally interrupted the crystal mare. “You mean she was in the Empire too?”

“Yes” returned Bubblegum Precious, her voice clearly startled as a spider had found its’ way onto her knee. Bubblegum Precious understandably swung across it across the room. “Bubble Rain and I were roommates, for an while” she spoke after a great exhale of relive. “We actually intended to leave sooner but..well that curse kinda made it hard” Bubblegum Precious had forced a laugh, prompting the red mare to ponder something that had just entered her mind.

“Where is Bubble Rain now?” Rosey was unsure why she had asked this. It wasn’t because she wanted to get a second source to probe the Crystal Empire for studies. No, it was because of something else. Something that just wouldn’t stop nagging at her.

The other two mares shared an glance at the other before Bubblegum Precious had answered “She’s preparing Fritter Belle for burial”.

“O-Oh..?” Rosey had whimpered. She hadn’t expected that answer and she suddenly felt a bit out of place. “Why would she be doing that?” she asked, stuttering as she said “I thought you said she was the town’s nurse, Butter Joy?”

The brown mare nodded her head, saying “Whose better to prepare an body?”

Rosey didn’t say much else after that reply. She just wasn’t sure what to say in return but she had the overwhelming feeling that she should be talking. Although not to them, but to Bubble Rain. This wasn’t uncommon. To feel the urge to do something so greatly that everything else about her just stopped working. Since she was a foal Rosey always had a strange feeling, something almost like an inner voice that sounded like her own voice talking back to her.

Of course as she grew older she contributed that voice to the words you would normally think of when talking inside your own head. But the feeling she couldn’t explain away. The best answer that she could theorize as being likely true was that the feeling was similar to the sense Pinkie Pie was best known for. Pinkie Sense the pink mare would call it and, after reading an article about the lives of Pinkie Pie and her friends Rosey saw many similarities. She would have to ask Pinkie Pie personally when she had the moment to do so. But right now she wanted to talk to Bubble Rain.

Finding her wasn’t hard to do as Bubblegum Precious had told her exactly where to go. “Look for the building with a blue roof and two doors on one side” she told Rosey before the red mare had left them to.

Rosey had trotted for only a few minutes before she had found the right building. It was located closely to the South Eastern corner, the large stone wall casting a foreboding shadow over it. The windy air sent shivers down the red mare’s spine as she approached the southern side of the building where two doors were hidden from the road. She knocked on the first door but received no answer. She then saw a plate that was nailed to the door, she had no idea how she overlooked it as it pretty much covered the spot she had knocked on.

Curved across the plate were the words “The hospital's guest room is unavailable, Bubble Rain gives her apologizes”.

“Hospital?” Rosey had said under her breath. “This building is barely high enough to have half of a second floor..how is this a..” Rosey trailed off, pitching the place between her eyes in a heated sigh. Now wasn’t the time to be picky.

Rosey moved over to the second door that was over to her right. Gently leaning herself against the door she exhaled heavily as it gave way. As she took that first step inside her face was slapped with an icy chill similar to that of having ice cubes running down her neck and spine. Why, when it was already chilly outside, would anypony have the inside of their home so cold it might as well had been iced over? Rosey had to rub her hooves against her shoulders just to stay partly warm. She hated seeing her breath in the air as it felt like the life was leaving her body right before her eyes.

As the red mare trotted forward she came to a waiting room that was so small she actually felt cramped even though by looking around there was enough room for at least six to seven ponies to fit in it. There was just something about the size of this room, something about the freezing temperature that made her feel unconformable. She scanned the room and found it to be quite bare. On a short rectangular table laid magazines that were just begging to be organized. But Rosey held herself firm.

The ordinary walls were just plain wood that looked faded about a couple decades, but maybe that look was intentional. She couldn’t be sure. The floors bared a blue checker pattern and hanging from the ceiling was a single slow moving fan. Rosey spotted a door over towards the back and wondered if Bubble Rain was through there. She saw no other door besides the one leading back outside.

“If this is a hospital, then I’m an incredibly rich and famous country singer from Fillydelphia” Rosey laughed as she moved towards the back door. “As if I could sing”.

The door was green in its’ polish and felt light to the touch. Rosey shoved it open and saw a short, narrow hallway. At the very end she could see a flickering light coming from a doorless room. She stood there watching the light, progressing many different scenarios of what might happen. She wasn’t afraid, just uncertain of how Bubble Rain would act. Her friends seemed to really insist on not sneaking up or startling her. Rosey pushed herself forward, sliding her hooves up and down her forelegs for warmth.
The hall seemed to shrink as she approached the end where, out of instinct, she had jumped the last few inches and into the room with the flickering light. The floor was slippery. The air felt hollow and smelt of a scent that Rosey rather not linger on. The room was small, only slightly wider than the waiting room. The walls were metallic. The ceiling rose high and over against the back wall, just inches away from ten short lockers that laid across the wall, was a sink fitted with a mirror that caught the red mare’s reflection.

Over on the opposite side were cleaning supplies and four sets of filing cabinets, it was then that Rosey saw her. There was two medical tables against the right wall on Rosey’s left. Above the two tables were hanging lights, one of which being the source of the flickering light. Both lights were centered over a pony who laid across one of the tables. Fritter Belle looked so peaceful, almost like she was having a pleasant dream that she would never awake from.

Standing beside the table and scribbling away inside what seemed to be a journal was Bubble Rain. “Rosey, wasn’t it?” she spoke suddenly.

The red mare felt an eerie chill. How did she know she was there? Bubble Rain hadn’t turned her head, nor did Rosey make a sound that gave away her presence. “Um, y-yes” the red mare answered, nodding her head.

“What are you doing here?” asked Bubble Rain who kept her eyes solely on her journal.

“W-Well..” Rosey started to speak but had fallen silent soon after saying the first word. Should she be honest and tell the truth, that an overwhelming feeling led her to this room? Or should she lie, making something up and see where the conversion went? Her moment of silence was short lived as the bright green mare that was Bubble Rain ceased her writing, having turned her head at the silent mare. “I was hoping if you could...”

“You can talk” spoke Bubble Rain, her voice a bit muffled. “No need to be afraid”.

Rosey again nodded and found enough strength to move forward. She had to navigate around a few laundry hampers that laid about the room in a rather frantic manner. As she closed the rather short distance she noticed, much to her distress, medical tools. They laid about the second and vacant iron bed, they were recently used judging by the blood. Rosey stared at the lifeless lump that was Fritter Belle. She could see stitching across her lower half that ran up to her neck. Had she just walked into an autopsy?

As Rosey gazed at the winged mare she felt empty. It was almost like she wasn’t even alive herself but was instead merely a hollow shell that could crumble at any second. She would had cried if she had anymore tears to shed, but she had already used them all up previously and couldn’t muster to cry anymore. Fritter Belle laying there had made Rosey feel regret and scared. She wanted to just up and leave but something was telling her to stay. What had she hoped to accomplish by coming here? What exactly did she wanted to know? She figured that she would just have to ask, after all she had no other reason to be here at all.

“How did she die?” Rosey had finally spoke. “Was it a heart attack? That’s what I was told but for some reason, I just don’t believe it”.

“Well...” began Bubble Rain who then turned to Fritter Belle’s body. Was she debating something? She seemed to be tilting her head, almost like she was shaking something off as she scratched the back of her neck. “That’s kinda a bizarre thing to ask”.

“I totally agree with you” returned Rosey. “I’m not even sure why myself”.

“Yet you came all the way here to ask it” spoke Bubble Rain, her eyes centered on Fritter Belle’s body. “Seems suspicious, does it not?”

Bubble Rain’s words seemed to had made Rosey uncomfortable. “Suspicious?” she had asked herself silently. “Suspicious of what?”

“Well, why would you want answers?” Bubble Rain had spoken, startling the red mare. “In all intents and purposes there was nothing out of place. Nor was there any hard evidence of foul play. So, it’s suspicious because there’s no real reason for you to be here, in my morgue, asking me your question”.

“H-How did you hear that?” Rosey asked, a bit little unsettled now.

“I have a good sense of hearing” Bubble Rain answered quickly, shrugging as she turned around to face the red mare.

Rosey’s eyes instinctively glanced at the top of the green mare’s head. She was wearing a hat that matched her purple, crystallized sweater. Both of which looked ready for a harsh winter. Rosey would had assumed she wore them due to the freezing temperature in this room but she had wore them yesterday when it was quite warm.

“You heard me through that snow bogon?” Rosey asked, her eyes moving downward towards the other mare’s flank.

Bubblegum Precious had told Rosey that Bubble Rain was with her in the Crystal Empire when it was cursed to be outside of time itself for a thousand years. The Crystal Ponies were recognizable for their body resembling gemstones but they had one other feature that made them stick out. They were incapable of gaining a Cutie Mark. Bubble Rain had no Cutie Mark yet she wasn’t a Crystal Pony either. Could she had been originally from this town? Fritter Belle had told her the town’s history but she never said when the town was actually built.

“Hm, your eyes look, sadden” came Bubble Rain’s voice. “I had hoped they would be”.

“You--what?” Rosey asked, her eyes making contact with Bubble Rain’s red pupils.

“You aren’t from this town, so maybe I can actually trust you” Bubble Rain spoke, her eyes dead centered on Rosey’s during those brief seconds that they were locked. “But only if you promise not to tell anypony else. Do you promise?”

“Wait a second” Rosey responded hesitantly. “Why---”

“Do you promise or don’t you?” Bubble Rain had interrupted. Her large, rounded eyes resembling those of a hawk who had spotted a worthy meal.

“Her stare is burning right into my skull” Rosey thought to herself. Holding her hoof to her lips she bit down as she paced a few steps, thinking heavily on her reply. “I---will” was the reply she thought up. “I won’t tell anypony, is what I meant”.

Bubble Rain sighed in relief. “Thank you” she spoke straightening up her sweater. “I had to ask because---because, in this town making a promise has the same weight as wedding vows. With bad consequences”.

“Well, what’s so important for me to promise that I wouldn’t tell?” Rosey asked. Her eyes followed Bubble Rain’s back to the iron beds. She held a hoof up to her muzzle at what she had just imagined.

“I’ve examined the body for any sort of trauma” Bubble Rain said softly, almost silently as she flipped through her journal. “Bruises, cuts, stuff like that. I didn’t find any. So, and pray to Celestia that I’m a nurse or I would be killed for it, I cut her open”.

“Sweet Luna...” Rosey gasped. “Was that even necessarily?” she asked, feeling rather fearful for her own safety right then.

“Yes. It was necessarily” replied the green mare, her pink mane momentary hiding her face from Rosey as she turned back around. “I found bits of an apple and bread inside her stomach. Now, without the rest of the food I can’t be certain, but” Bubble Rain paused, turning to stare at Rosey before she had finished her sentence. “....I believe that Fritter Belle was poisoned”.

Chapter 5 - The Red Hood

The door squeaked as it opened. Rosey peaked inside, half expecting there to be some sort of monster on the other side waiting for her. She took a deep inhale, glancing behind her one last time before she barged in. She slammed the door with such force that she had flinched from the sound. She then took a moment to gather her bearings as the weight of what she was doing fully hit her.

She’s inside Fritter Belle’s house. Trespassing, possibly to steal something to prove a ridiculous and far fetched theory that she didn’t even fully understand. But she didn’t have time to change her mind, now that she’s here she might as well get to looking. Fritter Belle’s home was rather small, at least to Rosey’s perspective. The walls were made from stone. The grey paint faded and a second coat was obviously visible underneath. She saw only two rooms on either side on the opposite end with a large table seated against the left entrance way.

As Rosey trotted towards the easternmost room she wondered something, just what was she looking for exactly? Bubble Rain had said she found bits of an apple and bread inside Fritter Belle’s belly so was she looking for half eaten food? Some sort of spices that could be lethal if one wasn’t careful? She glared inside the room she had approached and saw a blue carpet that had very much resembled water. There were two very small dressers against the wall and two beds with pink covers laid against the opposite side.

Rosey turned away and approached the other room and was presently surprised to see that it was the kitchen. She began searching it immediately, almost instinctively as she tore open the cabinets and dug through various crates of corn and beans. She noticed plates on the floor that were shattered. She grasped what seemed to the remains of a bottle of hot sauce.

“This is odd” Rosey spoke to herself, examining a drawing made with crayon. “It almost looks like a dragon..”

She knelled down on the floor sliding the broken shards off of one another when suddenly a thought had crossed her mind. She peered over at the oven, one shard of a plate sticking out from underneath it. She lowered her head so that it was on the floor and thus allowed her to see underneath the oven. She saw something. Rosey stretched her hoof, fumbling about until she had grabbed the thing she had seen.

She pulled it free from under the oven and, after blowing the dirt and dust bunnies off, stared at what laid in her hoof. “What in Lun-I reached under a dirty oven for candy wrappers?" Rosey groaned. She started to roll up the useless trash she had found when she noticed some writing on it. She unrolled the paper wrapping and straighten it the best that she could along the oven’s surface. Then she read the words aloud, “Minty's Fire And Ice bubblegum, Minty..? Where have I heard that name before?”

Rosey pondered for only a brief moment before she stuck the paper wrapping inside her pocket. “Who knows, it does say try at your own risk” she mumbled to herself, straining a bit as she stood up. “Stupid limbs cramping up..”

Rosey kept searching through the kitchen until she was certain that there was nothing else there. The only food she could find were corn, beans, loaf of bread which she dismissed by its’ unopened plastic bag, and a large quantity of milk. Rosey wandered back into the main room, her eyes glancing only briefly at the table that was pretty barren safe for a single cup of water. Was this the entire house? Rosey had expected it to be a single floor as the red roof lacked any windows, but there should be more than just these three rooms.

Rosey had decided to head back to tell Bubble Rain that the only thing she found were useless candy wrappers. But as she turned to take one last look she saw something that had caught her eye. Between the two walls and down a rather short and unnecessary hallway was a single window. The sun was casting a faint ray of light through its’ red curtains, there laid a trap door.

Rosey trotted over to it, almost zombie-like in her slow approach. She stared at it for only a moment before she gripped the handle, swung it open and gazed down inside. Rosey entered what she assumed was the basement, the flight of stairs only having about five or six steps to descend. It was dark with only a single light that barely illuminated enough for her to see her footing. Fumbling along the wall Rosey came to a door and, to her relief, a light switch just beside it.

She flipped it, covering her eyes until they had adjusted to the bright and newly welcomed light. Rosey saw that she was in a narrow hallway that was just large enough for maybe two ponies to walk side by side in. The walls were made from bricks that ranged from deep red and light grey. This set Rosey’s systems into overload as it was so ugly to her that she went in searched for a pickaxe, wanting to tear down the walls and rebuild it in a much neater and cleaner fashion.

But her search of a pickaxe was quickly discarded as she entered the closest room. It was shaped like a right side up rectangle with an even narrower hallway that, from Rosey’s imagination, made it look like a Popsicle that was wider than it was tall. Inside the room was a square table, scrolls and books laid scattered and forgotten across its’ surface.

Rosey approached the table out of curiosity and felt one of the books. The red leather felt worn, the golden letters that etched across the surface shimmered in the light. “Where To And Back Again” Rosey had read silently. As she flipped through the book she was careful not to rip the pages as they felt very light to the touch. She became so intrigued by the story within the pages that she was sad to see it was left unfinished. An ink pot and quill laid untouched just to her left along with rolled up sheets of parchment that were discarded on the floor.

Rosey slide to where she was hovering over the scrolls like a researcher would over his own work. She began digging through them and soon she became aware that these weren’t just ordinary scrolls of parchment, they were diary pages. “Oh boy...” Rosey spoke, biting the very tip of her hoof nervously. “I can’t just go reading private scrolls..my mom would kill me!”

Rosey had stood up but as she motioned forward she had bitten her lip. What if there was something important in those scrolls? Something that could lead towards the proof that Bubble Rain wanted? Rosey shook her head, telling herself no. But what if there was something important? What if Fritter Belle’s ghost came back to haunt her? “Why? Why did you read my private journal? I didn’t mean to! I just thought...Oh you thought? Well, I suppose I can forgive that...If I wasn’t dead! I’m sorry..please forgi..”

Rosey slapped herself. “Don’t go talking to yourself like that” she sternly told herself. She raised a hoof to her chest, slowly lowering it in a wavy fashion as she exhaled. She stared back at the scrolls. The image of Fritter Belle’s lifeless body came to focus. “Please forgive me..” she said in a muffled whine as she sat back on the floor. She struggled to read as she began from going through the scrolls.

Diary, Page 2011, YR 2019

Well, Nightmare Night is just less than a month away! I really can't wait to see my dad again, I wonder if he’ll like my plans for NMN? I helped Sky Pop pay for the camping trip this year. She really should take a week off herself. All she does is work and talk to the occasional customer. The phones seems like a waste of bits and time to me, it’s not like we can call anypony outside of town so why did we even bother?

Diary, Page 2024, YR 2019

Left town today to visit a friend over in Ponyville, as usual she gave me strawberries and I had to duck them. I don’t mind strawberries, but the tiny seeds in them...ugh! On the way home I saw somepony following me. I had assumed it was Strawberry Sunrise but..I’ve heard tales of a monster that lived in the trees, but I swear that it was just a normal pony that I saw. I didn't see them for any longer than a few moments, I really only caught a glimpse of a red hood. I think I had too much to drink, I'm sure that was it.

P.S, remember to give Poppy Dancer her present later on tonight.

Diary, Page 2043, YR 2019

Well, the town's yearly "father and child" Holiday officially started today. If I was just a bit younger my dad and I would go, but even if I was he isn't even here to take me. I really can't wait for him to get home. We have tourists in town, what an odd rarity at this time of year! I'm so thrilled because, and I swear I'm not lying, but one of the Elements Of Harmony is with them! My personal fave, I might add. I just have to ask her for dinner! That is, if I can get work done fast enough. Sky Pop would be lost without me.

Diary, Page 2045, YR 2019

Pinkie Pie is just as fun to hang with as I imagined she would be! Although her friend seemed just a bit nosy, I caught him reading the book I’ve been writing. Which stallion was Speedy and Axl again? I can’t remember right now, let’s just say Pinkie really loves her cider. And apples. That cute little filly was just precious, and generous! She gave me a basket of applies! I’ve been wanting to bake an apple pie all month, maybe I should invite Rosey for supper tomorrow?

Rosey held a hoof to her lips as she read the last entry. It brought a tear to her eye. “Maybe I should had stayed at the party longer?” Rosey asked herself, feeling somewhat guilty and at fault for not getting to know the winged mare more. “Wait a moment here..” Rosey suddenly went back to a previous entry, examining one of the paragraphs more closely. “A red hood..?”

Rosey was surprised at this detail, so surprised in fact that she felt a bit eerie. She felt terrified at best. Rosey began searching through the scrolls dated further back, sliding them away and off of the table until she had came to the conclusion that this was the sole mention of a red hood. She was disappointed. Rosey took a sigh as she remembered why she was there. As she stood up Rosey noticed the amount of scrolls she had discarded. She couldn’t just leave them, that would be disrespectful.

As she started to pick up her mess and carefully laid the scrolls back on the table she noticed something quite odd. On the back of a scroll was another one, it was seemingly glued in a very organize fashion and she could tell at first glance that it was not written by Fritter Belle. Firstly the handwriting was different, secondly it was written in what appeared to be blue ink. Rosey read it, saying out loud:

Three years it has been since that fateful day

Most dare not to think of such dismay

But I remember a question so tragic

For whatever happened to the friendship we called magic?

Rosey stared at the scroll, her eyes scanning the words and their possible meaning. “Who wrote this..?” she whispered loudly. “Three years ago..” she had added under her breath. She rubbed the tip of her nose as it felt an little itchy, as she did so she had sneezed and the scrolls that she had just picked up scattered once more. “Ugh..” she grunted loudly. “You know what? Forget this”.

Rosey stood up with such force that her flank had hit the table, knocking it over along with all of it’s contents. She would had yelled a foul curse if she wasn’t trespassing in a dead mare’s home. Instead she held her mouth tightly shut by her hoof, staring over her new mess briefly before she had bolted out of the room and slammed the door shut behind her.

“That---did not happen” she told herself. “Nope, did not happen..and even if it had I wasn’t here”. Rosey stepped away from the door staring in both directions. She saw that there was one more room, just a few steps down the hallway. “I swear if there’s a mummy in there..oh, great, now I’m scaring myself..” Rosey said in a grunt.

Rosey dreaded carefully up to the second and final door, nudging it open as she silently slide herself through like a snake. She assumed she was in a dressing room, judging by the amount of dressers and cabinets. She shrugged, saying “Might as well” as she began searching them. She saw another door almost instantly in the back but she ignored it. These dressers were large enough to hide a single pony in them and, after having thought that, had to open every single one of them.

The dressers all held the same amount of clothes that were of various sizes, shapes and colors. Rosey could just about assume that Fritter Belle owned a boutique by the large quantity of fabric. She turned to the tinier cabinets that were settled closer to the door that she had entered from. She thought that a small foal could had been stuffed into one of them and, like previous, had to check them all just to be sure. They mostly held pillow cases and gems, some of which were blue and pointed with some baring a jagged green stripe across their surface.

“Fritter Belle must’ve been rich” Rosey had thought. As she looked over the gems she couldn’t help but wonder their purpose. Fritter Belle likely didn’t have a dragon nor were these gems stitched into anything else in the wardrobes. So where they just collectables? Did Fritter Belle collect all of this stuff? “Hm..most of these things were stacked neatly, even folded” Rosey began talking to herself. “But in a couple, their thrown about messily. Almost...almost like somepony was rushing through them?”

Rosey went through several ideas and just ended up confusing herself with a headache. Then she turned back at that last door. She approached it, using her left leg to gently shove it open. She stepped through, thinking “OK, whoever build this place had a real heart for hallways..it’s kinda depressing, come to think of it” but she was cut off short as she entered the final room in the basement.

She was standing in a large square of a room, well more like half of a square but she didn’t care as the walls were evenly cut and aligned. To her it was perfect, or at least better than the precious rooms. Centered against the back wall was a bed with brightly colored sheets that bared a floral pattern in the form of silhouettes. To the right hand side of the bed and to Rosey’s left was a nightstand. Over to the left hand side of the bed was a mirror.

As soon as she had seen the mirror Rosey approached it. Her eyes locked with those of her reflection that stared back at her with baggy eyes and a weaken expression. She held her chest and breathed slowly, but not calmly. She gripped the table that the mirror sat on and felt her limbs twitch which had made her grip tighten even more. She made mumbled noises like she was trying to speak. She shouldn’t be here, it just wasn’t her place yet it had made sense at the time. What would one of Fritter Belle’s friends do in her spot? Would they be too heartbroken, distraught to even do the task she was given? Would they refuse the ridiculous idea of murder? Outcast Bubble Rain for the mere suggestion or, and this was a little bit more towards Rosey’s own state of being, panic?

“I...need to leave” Rosey told herself, her reflection on the verge of weeping. “I...I just have to”.

Rosey had just spun around, her gaze breaking free of her reflection’s when she suddenly noticed a basket that laid beside the bed. She slid over to it, her hoof instinctively reached out and took one of the red circular fruit. It was half eaten, covered in sticky toffee and was quite cold to the touch. Rosey seemed to be entrance by the apple. She sighed, deeply relieved at her find.

“Surly this will answer Bubble Rain’s question” Rosey spoke aloud as she stood up.

Rosey stared at the apple, then at the basket it and before staring back at the apple in her hoof. Something wasn’t right here. She could just feel that something was out of place in this picture. Then it hit her just as she glanced back at the mirror. That face her reflection gave her said it all. Judging by the single bite mark in the apple she could assume that this was what had poisoned Fritter Belle. But if that was the case, if this was indeed a murder weapon, as it would be called, why was it placed back in the basket?

Chapter 6 - The Grave Digger

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 4 - It All Comes Back Around

Suddenly all the fear and unsettled feelings that Rosey had felt intensified. Bubble Rain’s words echoed inside her like a bell chiming far off into the distance. Poisoned? Murdered? Rosey could never had imagined that those words would be possible answers to her suspension. Reacting as if she had took a blow to her chest Rosey took a step back. She couldn’t believe this nor did she want to even consider it. But the look in Bubble Rain’s eyes told her that she was not lying. There was just no way to fake the grief in her eyes unless she was a cold hearted predator.

“H-How can you be sure?” Rosey asked, her voice stuttering as she took another step back.

“I have a very keen nose, sweetie,” returned Bubble Rain. She had expected the red mare’s reaction, it was exactly the one she hoped for.

“You have an sweater over your nose!” Rosey said in a loud outburst.

“Yes, but I can still smell” Bubble Rain responded, her voice sounded like she had took an insult. “I’ve also worked with poison before, believe it or not. But I need the food itself to prove my theory” Bubble Rain turned back to the iron bed where Fritter Belle laid. Then she said, quite calmly, “Rosey. I want to ask a favor from you”.

“What is is it?” Rosey asked. The room felt like it should had iced over by how much she was shivering now. What was the purpose of keeping this room so cold? Did Bubble Rain just prefer the cold? Could she have that rare disease where you’re allergic to the sun? If so could it explain why she wears that sweater at all times?

Bubble Rain spoke, saying “I need you to go to Fritter Belle’s house”.

Rosey had expected that answer and the green mare saw her uncertainty. “I couldn’t possibly...” Rosey mumbled, her senses became jumbled and she was unsure how to progress what she had just heard. “What would the others say if they catch me?”

“Don’t tell them anything” replied Bubble Rain. She knew that her request was one that should never befall a stranger but she needed to see how the red mare receive take it. Trusting a stranger to investigate a crime scene, she wasn’t stupid. Bubble Rain knew that the red mare before her is a prime suspect. But the grieve in her eyes was enough to risk giving her the task. “I don’t want them to feel worse than they already are” Bubble Rain took a step forward as she spoke, “Not until I can prove my theory. Rosey. You are the only pony that---”

“What about Speedy?” Rosey had interrupted loudly, she almost screamed it. “Or Axl? Silver? Pinkie Pie! Why me?” Bubble Rain had motioned to answer but just then Rosey gave a mighty “No!” as she bolted backwards. She stumbled, crashing down with a loud metal thud. She had, in her sudden gallop, rammed head first into an iron laundry hamper that had rolled back and toppled over.

The next few seconds were filled with the type of pain that rivaled that of a toothache. Bubble Rain had helped Rosey stand, guiding her towards a tiny brown desk that the red mare was propped on.

“Keep that cotton swab pressed on the wound” Bubble Rain had told her, having just applied alcohol. “Your mane should hide the bandages. You’re lucky that hamper was padded”.

“I’m sorry..” Rosey sighed, flinching as she pressed down as instructed. “It’s just...”

“I know” Bubble Rain interrupted, sharing the sigh with her red patient. “It was too big to ask. But when I saw your eyes I could tell, I knew you weren’t lying”. Bubble Rain took the left over bandages and swabs, stuffing them back into a black saddlebag that she had pulled from the brown desk.

“Is that why you wanted me to promise not to tell anypony else?” Rosey asked, watching as the green mare stood up from the floor.

Bubble Rain remained silent. She stared off across the room before she moved back towards to the iron bed where Fritter Belle laid. Bubble Rain placed a hoof over her deceased friend’s head, stroking the mane behind her ears. Then she finally spoke, saying “Fritter Belle spoke fondly of you. Like you were an old friend”.

Rosey glanced over at the green mare. She saw part of Fritter Belle’s face. She looked peaceful, almost enjoying the friendly mane stroke. But she was dead. She couldn’t be enjoying it yet there was a smile on her face. Rosey found it unbearable to look, it made her feel more terrible yet she looked anyways.

“I know what you’re doing..” spoke Rosey. She glanced away with her eyes shut, her grip on the bandage tightened which felt like a hard pitch. Her limbs twitched as she bit down on her bottom lip. Then, with a mighty sigh that would had been otherwise unnecessary, she reluctantly said “I’ll do it..” Bubble Rain had turned around in a quick motion, she was surprised at the sudden change of heart. “But” Rosey had said, interrupting the green mare. “If I get caught, I’m going to buck you so hard”.

“And I very much will accept that!” replied Bubble Rain who then took a drawn out sigh. “I know this isn’t something that I should ask of you, but if my suspicion is correct..”

“If it’s not, I’m going to buck you anyways” Rosey replied, almost growling.

Bubble Rain nodded, bowing to the red mare who had jumped down to her four hooves. “If anypony were to catch you” Bubble Rain spoke, helping Rosey who had slipped on the floor upon landing. “Just tell them that I asked you to fetch something of Fritter Belle’s to dress her in”.

Rosey thought on her available options but found that her mind was very blank. She was being asked to go into the home of a pony that might had been murdered. What if she was caught? Was if she gets framed? What if she’s next or what if Bubble Rain’s theory was wrong? Rosey was greatly found of mysteries but should she actually do this?

The red mare gave a quick nod, shoving the green mare as she took a couple steps forward. Then she stopped. Staring at the empty door frame she pondered before she turned at Fritter Belle’s lifeless body. “...You really think she was...murdered?” Rosey asked, her heart very heavy at that moment.

Bubble Rain shared the same watery eyes as she placed a hoof atop of Rosey’s shoulder. “We won’t know for certain until we look at that option” she spoke, moving her hoof to hold up the red mare’s chin. “Pray to the princesses that I’m wrong, but if I’m not...”

“Luna I hope you’re wrong, too” Rosey replied, exhaling. She broke away and began trotting for the doorless hallway. “So, where’s her house, then?” Rosey knew that was a pointless question so why did she even ask it? She didn’t even wait for an answer, only having heard half of Bubble Rain’s reply as she trotted through the hallway and made her way around the waiting room and back outside.