Cupcakes: The Different Story

A wave of energy surged into Pinkie Pie's head, a memory that wasn't hers.

"I could make another soul, but... it wouldn't be you, Agnar..."

Pinkie stumbled backwards, her skinner clattering to the floor.

"Master..."

The tune of a song began to fill her ears, but not in the bittersweet manner of which it was intended. It sounded much more sad... Angry... Haunting...

You have not lost a thing
Whatever may come
The light of hope is always shining there in your heart

You've not lost a thing
Whatever you do
Just know that your tomorrow will be waiting for you

Never have to give up
Wherever you go
Know inside that you will never be there alone

Haven't lost anything
Whatever may come
The light of hope is always shining there in your heart...

A swarm of ghost-like creatures appeared, all different colors, and surrounded Rainbow Dash's corpse.

They brought Rainbow back to life...

And she attacked Pinkie Pie...

The two ponies wrestled on the floor for a moment or two before Rainbow Dash had pinned Pinkie to the wall by her throat with one of her wings; now alicorn-sized, decorated with all the colors of the rainbow in a beautiful in-between of neon and pastel. As Rainbow's feathers tickled and constricted Pinkie Pie's neck, another memory seized into her.

"You brought back Maria... And you made her fight me... The only way I could bring myself to fight you was to tell myself it wasn't really her, but it looked a damn lot like her..."

That's what was happening now. Was this really Rainbow Dash?... Pinkie looked into her eyes; the were almost robotic, void of any emotion other than rage, and possibly fear.

The grip of the feathers tightened. "Do you know what it's like serving under that thing?" Rainbow scowled. "It thinks it knew what it was like to be alive, but it's nothing but a buzzing... screaming well of voices! You start off as bits of its mind... swimming in circles... like fish in a bowl..." Rainbow's voice became erratic. "I will not let the Phantom... take me again..."

Pinkie bit down on Rainbow's wing, causing the grip on her neck to loosen, giving her enough room to slip under the cyan pegasus and kick her in the flank, sending a crippling burning sensation through her friend. Pinkie dove across the room and took her scalpel in her mouth to defend herself, but it was all for not. Another memory flashed in her mind; the voice of the creature Rainbow mentioned just moments before.

"Maybe you just don't know, because your mask; it looks just like your face! But doesn't that mean that what you're trying to hide is now what you are?"

Tears streamed from Pinkie's eyes, and she collapsed to the floor, sobbing. Rainbow Dash glared at the crippled pseudo-alicorn before zipping to the trapdoor that led into the basement, her burning flank and missing feathers not slowing her down in the slightest. "Welcome to reality," Rainbow bucked the trapdoor shut and left Sugarcube Corner, confident that nopony would see Pinkie Pie again. ""Princess"..."