3rd June, 2016

With the ringing of the last bell, Rainbow Dash knew for sure that school was finally out. Out for the year. She’d done it. She’d made it through the year without too much difficulty. Somehow, she did it.

“So, got any plans for the summer break?” Watermelody asked as she stuffed her folder into her backpack. “I’ve got plenty. I can’t wait to get started!”

Rainbow looked out the window at the warm rays of sunlight shining through the trees. “Yeah. Yeah, I’ve got some plans I’ve been waiting to start on.”

The star athlete left the room, proceeding down Canterlot High’s hallways, bag over a shoulder. She watched her friends and classmates roam about, some of them even dumping their papers into the many bins scattered across the campus. Everyone was so ecstatic that school was out, and truthfully, she was too. Not having to worry about the next poetry test was great news, but more important matters stuck to her mind.

She thought back to the previous day, when she had come up with her grand plan.

“She’s gone, Rainbow. She’s gone. There’s nothing more you can do about it,” her dad had told her sternly. “It’s been about a year. If she were still alive, she’d already have been found.”

“No, I know she’s out there, dad. She is! I’m Canterlot High’s best athlete. I’ll find her. I’ll bring her home. The sewers are huge. She must’ve washed out somewhere if the storm got her.”

Her father shook his head. “Look, you do what you want, Dash, but I’m telling you, you’re wasting your time. She’s gone. The police have already searched for months. You’ve already searched for months. I know it’s hard, but that’s the truth…”

Rainbow refused to believe that. She couldn’t believe that. Scootaloo wasn’t gone, and she was going to find her. She had to.

She had hit herself yesterday for not thinking of checking the sewers earlier. It actually would make some sense that perhaps she had washed away. The rain the day she had disappeared had been heavy beyond anything she’d seen before. And even so, Scootaloo had not been fazed. Rainbow admired her friend's courage and stubbornness, but only if it had been on any other day.

“All set for the break, Dashie?” Pinkie Pie jumped up beside her as she plowed open the school’s front doors. “I know I am! I’ve got lots of plans, like baking, airsoft, baking… Did I say baking?”

Applejack pulled her down and flashed her a cautious look. “Quit your yammerin’, Pinkie. Can’t ya see? Dash ain’t got time for all that.”

“Oh. Yeah. Sorry, Dashie.” Even Pinkie knew when to stop. “So, to the sewers, huh? I have a packet of gum somewhere. You could take it with you and stick it on the walls to find your way back.”

“Thanks, Pinkie.”

The three girls walked along the school’s front lawn and past the Wondercolt statue, but something stuck on the side of its base caught Rainbow’s eye. It was a piece of paper, but it wasn’t just any regular paper.

Applejack sighed. “Someone else gone missin’, huh?”

“Poor Thunderlane…” Pinkie stared at the missing persons poster. “I do hope they find Rumble.”

“Ya don’t think he got washed down the drain too, do ya?”

“It hasn’t even rained that heavily in the last three months.”

“Well, then Ah got nothin’.”

Rainbow looked at the picture of the missing boy. It wasn’t just Scootaloo. Others had gone missing as well over the last year. Perhaps if she could find out what happened to her young friend, she could find out what happened to the others too.

“I wonder if there’s a killer on the loose.” Pinkie tapped her chin with a finger. “It would explain all the disappearances, but I really hope I’m wrong!”

“Killer? Please…” The three girls turned to see Trixie walking smugly towards them from the school building, flanked by her two sidekicks, Lavender Lace and Fuschia Blush. “No one’s that good. Not even the Great and Powerful Trixie!”

“Well, we don’t know that.” Applejack narrowed her eyes. “And don’t tell me you’ve killed before.”

“If you want a killer, you’re looking in the wrong place.” Trixie pointed a thumb back at the school. “It’s probably that Sunset Shimmer. After what she did at the Fall Formal, it’s no surprise she’d want to kill people.”

“Come on, give Sunset a break. She didn’t mean any o’ that.” All their eyes turned to her. “Uh, right, she did, but she’s sorry about it. Ah think she genuinely wants to change.”

“Psssh, as if. Just she wait. The Great and Powerful Trixie will get back at her. If she’s responsible, Trixie will make her talk. Come, girls, let us be off! We’ll need a few things first.”

Trixie and her sidekicks walked past Rainbow and the girls, heading down the street to who knows where.

It wasn’t important to Rainbow at the moment. She had a mission to the sewers to get to. She was going to do it. If she could find proof, any proof that Scootaloo was out there, that would at least help rest her mind. Her friend had been out there that day all alone because of her. She had to see this through. She hadn’t spent most of the whole school year searching for her for no reason.

She was going to search the sewers, but first, she needed more gear.

Flash Sentry left school that day, not knowing just what to feel. For one, he was leaving his friends and school behind, but at the same time, the accusations he’d been getting would also cease.

“You were dating here for so long,” he repeated to himself. “And you didn’t think to warn us she was a demon? You would date this thing? You would date this demon?” Flash sighed to himself. “Come on, give me a break, how was I to know? I’m not on her side!”

Heading for the carpark with his things, he spotted someone on her way off as well.

It was Rarity, and she seemed to be deep in thought, not even noticing him when he walked along beside her.

“Hey, Rarity, what’s up.” As he had guessed, she jumped up as soon as he opened his mouth.

“My goodness, that was quite the fright, Flash. You can’t just go sneaking up on people like that.” She fanned her face.

“Yeah, sorry. Just wondering what’s up, and I was hoping I could ask you something too.” The boy rubbed the back of his head.

“My apologies, I just had my mind buried somewhere in my head. I was planning on a new line of dresses. Hard work not just for the hands, you know. And please, go ahead and ask.”

Well, uh… I was wondering what you think of me. I mean, you know, with all the word going around about Sunset and I. Surely someone such as yourself has heard.”

“Ah, the allegations that you’re in cahoots with her, eh?” Rarity leaned against the wall and brushed her hair aside. “Yes, I’ve heard plenty, dear. But I know, you weren’t taking part in any of her… for a lack of better word, madness.”

“Yeah, that was Snips and Snails,” Flash chuckled. “Makes me wonder why they’re not getting flamed on like Sunset.”

“You two broke up, didn’t you? Why? Was it because you found out what she truly was?”

“Definitely. I couldn’t stand the bullying.” Flash sighed. “Now, I just kinda feel sorry for her. She’s being pushed away by everyone. I do hope she’s really a changed person, but… You know, it was hard to tell back then.”

“What, really?”

“Well… Yeah. I was in love.”

“Uh huh.” Rarity smiled and looked at her phone. “Well, it’s time I head over to my store to put my thoughts to paper. Stay okay, won’t you, darling? And have a good summer break. You’re no monster for deciding to date her, okay? And people change. I’ve decided to give Sunset a second chance. Others should too.”

Flash Sentry watched her leave, then headed over to his car and threw his things in the back. “Summer break, huh?”

Flash hadn’t bothered to think about what he was going to do during the break besides playing his guitar. He also thought of Sunset. She really did seem like she was a changed girl. He couldn’t help but feel sorry for her now, with everyone against her.

What had he even liked about her when they were dating? Was it just her looks? It couldn’t have been her personality, could it? Her fiery hair, her blue eyes, her slender body… Was that all it was to it?

Perhaps he could find some time to talk with her this break as well, get to know her again.

Well, the real her. Maybe.

Dense Bush had stuffed his entire backpack into one of the dumpsters outside Canterlot High School, before leaving for home. School wasn’t one of his favourite activities, nor was studying, so when he realized he no longer needed any of those textbooks or notes for the rest of the year, he wasted no time in teaching them a lesson.

“Ha, teaching a lesson… I get it…” he snickered to himself.

It wasn’t much, but at least it gave him the satisfaction of getting back against the idea of learning.

Bush couldn’t stand having to learn so much for no reason. It wasn’t like he was going to be a mathematician when he grew up, so he didn’t see why he even have to learn math in school.

Deciding he wanted to give himself a treat for finishing yet another year of school, the green haired boy made his way towards Sugarcube Corner. Images of chocolate ice cream began to flood his mind as he walked along the streets.

Mmm mmm! That sounds good.

His little brother liked ice cream too. Perhaps he’d buy some for him too on his way home. Thicket Bush really loved his junk food.

“Dense.”

Bush turned about, hearing his name being called, but there was no one there. He shrugged and was about to flag it off as his imagination, when he realized how weird it was.

There was no one else on the street.

Canterlot’s streets always had people about in the daytime, but somehow, he was all alone. Even the road was devoid of cars.

“Hiya, Dense,” the voice came again from behind him this time. “Would you like some ice cream?”

Flipping himself around, Dense Bush came face to face with an elderly woman with low squarish spectacles. She had a book in one hand and a ruler in the other.

“C-Can I help you?”

“If you want ice cream, you’re going to have to learn up this entire book first.” She shoved it in his face.

Suddenly, jagged teeth emerged from the pages and clawed into Bush’s face. The boy screamed and pulled against it, eventually throwing it across the pavement when he broke free. Blood dripped down his face from various cuts, with one even showing the inside of his mouth through his right cheek.

“We’re not done yet,” the woman cackled as her mouth began to widen, revealing rows of sharp teeth, matching the book’s. “There is still much learning to be done.”

Dense Bush yelped and turned around to run. However, it felt as if he were trying to run through a pool of honey; his legs seemed to move in slow motion and the demon teacher seemed to advance closer and closer without effort.

“Get away from me, you crab teacher!” Bush shouted, picking up a piece of gravel off the floor and throwing it, missing by a mile in his panic. “Away! Away!”

“Come on, little boy,” the demonic teacher cackled. “Don’t you wanna learn some more? I think we’ll start with anatomy, beginning with a live dissection of your body!”

“Nooooo!” Dense Bush tripped and fell onto the road, banging his chin. He rolled over and crawled backwards, fear overtaking his rational thinking.

The teacher’s book righted itself on the floor and flew back into her hand, its mouth of razor sharp teeth ready to tear into his flesh again.

“Leave me alone!” Bush scrambled to his hands and feet and ran.

The woman just stood there laughing, but set her book after him, which bounced and hopped its way towards him.

“Help! Somebody! Help!” he cried out, but as he dashed down the street, he still didn’t see anyone else.

Once again, he tripped and fell on his face, scraping his forehead against the cement and hurting his nose. Blood began to pour from his nostrils, but he knew he couldn’t stop.

Unfortunately, as he stood, the book had caught up and dug its teeth deep into his left calf. Bush screeched out in pain and tried to pull the book free again. He stopped beside a fire hydrant and smashed the book against it, but still failed to dislodge it.

Opening its mouth again, the book bit down hard and as it jumped off the boy’s leg, it took a chunk of fabric and flesh with it, leaving a sizeable hole in Dense Bush’s leg.

“Aaa-Aaaaaaaah!” Bush yelled and collapsed beside the fire hydrant, unable to stand against the raging pain in his calf.

“There’s a good boy ready to learn.” The woman now stood over him, the vicious book in her hand. “See how that book bounced? When I’m done with my lesson, you’ll be bouncing too.”

“No, no, please! No! All I wanted was ice cream!”

“Tasty fear…” Saliva dribbled down the teacher’s chin, but it wasn’t the teacher anymore. Instead, now a clown stood in her place. He was dressed in a silvery suit with red buttons, still holding on to the killer book. “You like ice cream, Bush? You like it? Well, I have plenty down where I’m from. Yes, lots of screams…”

Holding the book open, the clown latched it shut over Bush’s face, pressing hard. The boy screamed for only a few more seconds before his head was crushed between the pages and the book’s sharp teeth, with brain and bits of his skull seeping out from under it.

Giggling to himself, the clown dragged the now unmoving body to one of the sewer drains and slipped inside with anybody none the wiser.

Author's Note

Still a little building up and some introductions and such, but I hope y'all enjoy it!

Have a little creepy clown, y'all!