The lifeless body of the older boy fell to the ground, Foxy's hook coming free with a pop. His eyes were glazed and dull as if his soul had left his body. Fluttershy had to cover her mouth to avoid throwing up again. But that was unsuccessful. Turning around, she uncovered her mouth and began vomiting for a second time. As she finished, she leaned against a tree, now completely pale and sweaty. One could say she looked like she had caught the flu. If she got any paler, she wouldn't have any skin tone. Leaning against the tree, she started to feel better. So long as she kept her back to the gruesome scene behind her. The sound of approaching footsteps made her glance up to see her friends running towards her.

"Fluttershy!" screamed all the girls as they saw their friend leaning against a tree.

"Are you alright?" asked Sunset Shimmer as she ran up to her. "We saw the dead body back there…"

Fluttershy coughed, her throat raw from her vomiting. "Th-there's another one up ahead."

Sunset, taking Fluttershy's word, walked out of the forested area. That left the rest of the girls to help Fluttershy battle her sickness. Coming out of the clearing, she saw the sight of Foxy standing by a dead boy. Looking down, she noticed that his skin was becoming more ashen by the minute. Her eyes widened with shock. Sure, there had been dead kids in the games, but this was a whole other thing. Now there were two kids dead in the real world, two murders that took place. She took a few steps closer to the animatronic, her anger building with every beat of her heart.

"Wh-what have you done?!" shouted Sunset, yelling at the top of her lungs.

Foxy stared at the redhead, who was yelling at him. He was confused as to what she was doing there. Looking down, he realized that he had killed a kid. After that, he connected the pieces and realized the redheaded girl was after him. Not wanting to be caught, he turned away, bolting for the other side of the woods. His metal feet left impressions as he ran, a literal trail leading right to him. As he disappeared into the shade of the trees, he heard the girl behind him groan.

Sunset Shimmer wanted to chase after Foxy, but her obligation to her friends trumped her desire. Turning back, she ran back to where her friends were now helping Fluttershy to stand.

"Is she okay?" asked Sunset, noticing that Fluttershy had gotten some of her skin tone back.

"Yeah, just a little dehydrated. But Fluttershy will be fine," replied Applejack. "Where's the animatronic that just ran off?"

"In the woods surrounding the park," Sunset said in a monotone. "He didn't want to be seen with the dead kid."

Fluttershy covered her mouth as soon as Sunset mentioned the kid. Luckily, she managed to fight her gag reflex this time.

"Sorry, Shy." Sunset hadn't meant to trigger another vomiting episode.

Fluttershy looked at Sunset. "It's okay. But we should probably go after him before someone else gets killed."

That made all the girls look at Fluttershy with worried expressions. Seeing that, the animal lover tried to reassure her friends. After all, she didn't want them to worry about her. Not when there was a bigger problem at hand.

"I'm okay now. We need to make sure no one else is injured." Fluttershy covered her mouth as she let out a small cough.

"But-" started Applejack.

"I'm fine, really," insisted Fluttershy, her voice sounding strict, like a person's of high authority would.

Fluttershy stopped leaning on Applejack and walked towards Sunset. "Come on. I can help you find that fox."

Sunset Shimmer was about to object when she saw that her friend was ready to give her...the stare. The stare was something Fluttershy rarely gave any animal, let alone her friends. It was something that she used as a last resort. And this was one of those times. The redhead went quiet, realizing that the argument would've been useless. Instead, she allowed the animal lover to go first, following the trail left by Foxy. She walked beside Twilight Sparkle, happy that they were able to reconcile with what had gone on during lunch. As she grabbed Twilight's hand, she heard her thoughts for a moment.

"What is Sunset hiding? I know it's something…"

"Why is she keeping it from me? Is she...afraid of me?"

"I wish she would trust me. Why help me through my pain, but not let me do the same…"

Sunset Shimmer pulled her hand away. It was too much to hear her friend's thoughts, especially when Twilight was already figuring out that she was hiding something. Though, the event at lunch probably gave that away. Combined with what Trixie said, Sunset would be lucky if Twilight didn't just connect the two and figure it out before nightfall. She was at least hoping to tell her before that happens. Yet, Sunset wasn't too sure if that was going to be possible if she kept on acting the way she did in the cafeteria. Just then, Sunset felt Rainbow Dash speed past, messing her hair up along the way.

Rainbow Dash, being the fastest of the girls, was the furthest ahead in following in Foxy's tracks. She could still hear her friends following the same tracks behind her, which was good. Getting lost in the woods would be a bad idea, particularly so close to nighttime. Glancing back, she saw Applejack and Fluttershy still trailing just a few feet behind her. Unfortunately, as she turned to look forward, there happened to be a tree right in front of her. With her not paying attention to where she was going, she had veered off the path and now was heading straight for the tree. She attempted to stop but running at her speed, that was impossible. Seconds later, she felt her body impact into the trunk of the tree, falling to the ground soon after.

"Ow…" Rainbow Dash sat up, her head pounding now. "That...fucking hurts…"

"Dashy! Are you alright?" asked Fluttershy, pushing past the others to get to her friend.

Rainbow Dash blinked. "Ugh…I will be when I stop seeing three of you standing over me," replied Rainbow Dash, still trying to blink away the multiple Fluttershys around her.

Meanwhile, Foxy kept running, trying to keep the distance between him and the girls. Behind him, he could still hear some of the girls following him. Ahead of him was a dead-end, meaning that he was now stuck. He looked around, trying to find a temporary hiding spot. He couldn't risk being caught by the girls. He spotted a shrub hiding in some shadows, perfect for concealing himself. Darting over to it, he made himself scarce. Thankfully, the ground beneath him was as soft, so the trail stopped before it pointed to the bush. Kneeling, he closed his one eye, thankful the other had an eye patch.

Sunset, Applejack, and Twilight stopped running after Foxy, leaving behind the four other girls in favor of keeping him in their sights. Though, he was now gone. They had noticed there was a lack of mechanical footsteps. Looking down, they also saw the trail of tracks ended right where they were standing. Plus, there was a dead-end in front of them, which ruled out the animatronic being very far from them.

"Sunset, where's Foxy?" asked Twilight, turning to face the redhead. "He can't have just disappeared, can he?"

"I don't know. Maybe?" replied Sunset, looking behind her. "He is an animatronic fox. Maybe he is just as sneaky as one."

A chill ran up Twilight Sparkle's spine. A giant, red, murderous animatronic fox had somehow disappeared. And her friend didn't know where it was either. That alone made her fear grow even more. How was that possible? It couldn't be. There was no logical explanation for it to disappear. It had to be hiding nearby. But that left the question of where. Something made her turn her attention to the bushes that were around them. She walked over to one of the hedges, turning on her phone's flashlight. As she shone the flashlight beam onto the shrub, she saw something red and reflective. That made her back away, realizing her hunch was right.

"Sunset, Applejack? I think I found Foxy…" muttered Twilight as she pointed to the bush that her phone's light was still on.

Hearing that, Foxy opened his one eye. The flashlight Twilight had almost blinded him with was still shining directly in his face. Standing up from the bush, he ran out. In his haste to get away, he shoved Twilight Sparkle right into the shrub, not caring that he could've hurt her. He ran around the redhead, avoiding her grasp as he dodged her. Continuing to run, he discovered that only the cowgirl was chasing him, making it easier for him to lose her.

Sunset Shimmer ran over to help Twilight Sparkle out of the bush. Just as she got close to her friend, she heard the others join her. She held out a hand for Twilight to take, wanting to help her help. At the same time, she wasn't too keen on holding her hand after what happened earlier. Hearing what her friend was thinking about made her want to keep her distance. Just until everything calmed down, but right now was not the moment to do that.

Twilight Sparkle looked at Sunset's hand, meeting her cyan eyes. She hesitated for a moment, unsure if she wanted to touch her hand. After what transpired the last time, it made her want to avoid any contact, especially around the shoulder area. Reluctantly, she made her choice and grabbed Sunset's hand. She hoped that as long as she avoided touching Sunset's shoulders, she could prevent another outburst.

"Th-thanks," said Twilight as Sunset Shimmer pulled a bush bramble from her hair.

"You're, uh welcome, Sparky," replied Sunset, nervously rubbing her neck.

"Enough flirting, you two! Applejack needs us," shouted Rainbow Dash, before speeding off.

Applejack had chased Foxy to another dead end, which had a giant boulder pile from a long-ago rock slide. She had him cornered. Or at least she thought she did. Yet, she didn't account for the animatronic to be as agile as it was. She watched in complete surprise as the animatronic fox started climbing the boulder pile. As the fox climbed over a large boulder, it triggered a series of smaller rocks to fall on the cowgirl below. When the fox was about halfway up the border pile, Applejack tossed her hat to the ground, frustrated.

"Enough of the damned senseless chasin'!" shouted Applejack as she started to make her way up the boulder pile behind Foxy.

Carefully, Applejack managed to climb over several of the rocks. Working on a farm helped her be able to have considerable arm strength, which was very helpful in this situation. As she got within 10 feet of the fox, she quickened her pace. She grabbed a rock a few inches above her head. Unfortunately, it was loose. Trying to pull herself up with it, she pulled it out, causing her foot to slip from underneath her. She let herself fall from the rock pile, heading towards the ground.

Just as the cowgirl had started to fall, Rarity and the rest of the girls ran up to her. Not hesitating, Rarity made one of her crystal shields, catching Applejack seconds before she hit the ground. A sigh of relief escaped from her lips as the fashionista walked up to her friend, worry darkening her blue eyes.

"Goodness AJ! What were you thinking?! You could've been-"

"I am fine, Rare." Applejack interrupted Rarity, knowing where the conversation would lead. "Honest. I was chasin' that damn fox."

Rarity handed the cowgirl her hat back. "Still, be careful. I wouldn't be able to handle it if I lost you." Her eyes showed her concern, revealing that she cared for Applejack as more than a friend.

Applejack smiled, resting a hand on Rarity's cheek. "I'll be okay, thanks to you, Rare."

Rarity rested her hand over Applejack's. "You're welcome."

Applejack let her hand slide from Rarity's cheek, allowing it to make its way down her neck to shoulder and finally going towards her hand. When she was close, she slowly intertwined her fingers with the fashionista's, so it was not to startle her. To her enjoyment, she felt her friend eagerly intertwine her fingers as well. With their hands intertwined together, Rarity and Applejack walked over to the rest of the girls. That prompted Sunset to look around at the girls, realizing that a certain pink-haired, chipper friend was now missing...again.

"Damn it! Where'd Pinkie go this time?" asked Sunset Shimmer as she scanned the area around them.

They got their answer in a series of loud bangs. Turning their attention to the top of the boulder pile, they saw Foxy running back towards them. His red plastic exterior had gotten covered in a familiar white powder. Upon closer inspection, Sunset Shimmer realized it was sugar. Foxy got closer to the edge and wasn't stopping. He was getting ready to jump off the top of the boulder pile. All the girls scattered, not wanting to be injured. Just then, a cupcake hit a tree next to the fox. The bark had gotten speckled with bits of frosting and batter. The area of impact had become burnt, peeling off some of the bark from the tree trunk. There was another cupcake thrown towards Foxy. But he ducked, causing it to sail over him and land on the ground below. Upon contact with the grass, there was a small explosion. That sent grass and dirt flying all around, hitting the girls in the process.

"Pinkie?!" exclaimed all the girls at once.

"Oh, hey girls!" said Pinkie Pie as she tossed another cupcake at the animatronic fox.

This time, Pinkie Pie didn't miss her target. The cupcake landed squarely on Foxy's back. She smiled in glee as she knew what was going to happen next.

"Oh...n-" shouted Foxy as the explosion got set off, sending him tumbling down the boulders.

He continued downwards until he was about 10 feet away from the girls. He pushed himself off the ground, thankful that his hook didn't slip from underneath him. Once he was fully back on his feet, he darted away from the girls. Unfortunately for him and his escape plan, they had all decided to chase him. As he came to a corner, he made his choice. That choice, unfortunately, was a bad one. The path he chose led to a rickety wooden bridge.

"Up ahead!" shouted Rainbow Dash as she sped towards him.

Without hesitation, Foxy decided to cross the bridge. But being old and neglected, it was not able to sustain Foxy's weight being on it. With every step that he took, the wood boards beneath him creaked and groaned before just snapping in half. He managed to make it almost all the way when he heard the sound of the rope snapping. Looking up, he saw that the binding holding one side of the bridge was breaking apart. A few seconds later, he felt himself falling as the cord holding the bridge gave way to his weight.

Twilight, seeing the animatronic fox falling, acted quickly. Pushing past all her friends, she used her geode powers. Once there was a glowing purple aura around Foxy, she started to lift him. As she continued to lift him, she brought him closer to her and the girls. The closer she brought him, the more her hands and arms started to shake. Raising a 10-ton animatronic was a lot harder than she had expected. Just as she was about to get him to the other side, her strength faltered, causing the magic aura around Foxy to dissipate for a second.

"Twilight…" Sunset looked at her friend, seeing the beads of sweat that were forming on her forehead. "Are you okay? You're starting to sweat."

Twilight Sparkle's body was starting to shake from the exertion visibly. She was struggling to maintain her hold on Foxy. The animatronic's constant movement wasn't making it any easier for her. Luckily, Twilight managed to hold out, letting him hover above the ground for a few seconds. Seconds later, her magic and strength gave out, and he hit the ground with a loud clang.

"Twilight!" shouted all the girls as they saw their friend start to sway before she collapsed. A blur of red and yellow pushed through the girls, catching Twilight Sparkle before her head hit the ground.

Sunset Shimmer rested Twilight's head against her lap, hoping that she was alright. Looking at the girls, she said, "Go, take care of Foxy. I've got her."

Amidst the confusion, Foxy saw an opportunity and took off. His heavy feet pounded the earth as he ran away from the girls. That was his downfall. His heavy footsteps made him a noisy fugitive, catching the attention of both Rainbow Dash and Applejack.

"Dash, go get the ropes from the gym!" shouted Applejack as she ran after Foxy.

"But what about your lasso, AJ?" asked Rainbow Dash, pointing to the cowgirl's boots. "Don't you always keep it with you?"

Applejack sighed. "I forgot to bring it. Now, go get the ropes!"

Rainbow Dash nodded. In a flash of rainbow colors, she disappeared. With her super speed, it took her less than a minute to arrive back at the gym. When she got there, she saw that the Wondercolt soccer team was practicing, without her. She ducked behind a tree, avoiding Spitfire's gaze as she ran past the rainbow-haired athlete.

"Oh man, I forgot that soccer practice was today," muttered Rainbow Dash as she made her way towards the gym.

Ignoring the team, she ran into the gym, running over to the storage area. She flung the doors open to see the ropes laying right in front of her. Grabbing them, she ran back out, past the soccer team. She figured she could catch the next practice. Using her speed again, she flashed back over to where the girls were. As she saw the clearing they were in, she slowed down, not wanting to run into another tree. She set the ropes down, taking note that between talking with Rarity, Sunset Shimmer was constantly glancing between Twilight Sparkle and the rest of the girls. Her arms were wrapped protectively around Twilight's upper body as well.

"So, if we set the trap, we should be able to catch him, assuming his weight doesn't just break the ropes," said Sunset, answering Rarity's earlier question.

"Ah, okay. So, why the tripwire trap? Why not another type of trap?" asked Rarity.

"Because-"

"Sunset, Rarity. What are you two up to?" asked Rainbow Dash, approaching her two friends.

Sunset Shimmer jumped at the sound of the athlete's voice. Something that didn't go unnoticed by the fashionista. The redhead felt a hand rest on her knee, prompting her to look away from Twilight. When she did, she saw that Rarity's eyes were boring down at her.

"Relax, Sunset. It was just Rainbow Dash." Rarity turned towards Rainbow Dash and continued. "Sunset and I were just discussing what kind of trap we should set up for our runaway fox."

"Ah. And what's with Sunset's death grip on Twilight then?" asked Rainbow Dash, pointing to Sunset's arm, which had instinctively wrapped itself tighter around Twilight's body.

"None of your concern, Dash." Sunset Shimmer didn't bother trying to hide her annoyance at her friend's snooping. "So, fuck off…"

Rainbow Dash looked at Rarity, seeing her shock at Sunset's behavior. This behavior was unusual for the redhead. Though, the girls knew she was prone to her having times when her temper got the better of her. And unluckily for Rainbow Dash, she stumbled into one of those times. Knowing it was best not to agitate her friend, she backed away.

"Hehe, sorry I asked…" was all she said as before speeding over to where Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were trying to make the trap.

Rarity turned her attention to Sunset Shimmer. "You know, you didn't have to be so harsh to her. She was just asking a question."

"I know," said Sunset, taking a deep breath. "I just get protective of…"

"I know, dear. Just watch who you snap at." Rarity got up, dusting off her skirt. "I am going to help the others make the trap while you make sure Twilight is okay."

"Okay." Sunset looked back down at Twilight Sparkle, hoping that Rarity was right.

*** *** *** ***

Meanwhile, Applejack had chased Foxy into a winding part of the forest. With the trails twisting and turning every few feet, the cowgirl had to stay vigilante on her feet. Several times she almost dropped because the path bent to the right instead of left. But when she passed a sign for Camp Everfree, she stopped.

"What in tarnation? How the hell did we get this far from town?" mumbled Applejack, confused.

Foxy, who had hidden behind some trees, saw the cowgirl standing still with her back turned to him. Seizing the opportunity, he ran past her, shoving her to the ground. He darted back the way they came, confused by the familiar surroundings. As he was running, he noticed that his movements were slowing down. Looking down, he discovered that his joints were seizing up a bit as the reddish rust between them was getting rubbed away. Deciding to keep the distance between himself and Applejack, he continued running. He ran past the girls, not seeing the tripwire that was in front of him. As he approached it, his foot got caught, which sent him tumbling to the ground. Seconds later, a makeshift net wrapped itself around him, keeping him from being able to get back up to his feet.

"Yes! It worked!" shouted Rainbow Dash, punching the air. "We finally caught you, you no-good, murdering fox."

Sunset Shimmer chuckled at what Rainbow Dash said, but there was also a pang of regret. Yes, they had caught the crazy fox. But at the cost of two children's lives. That was what weighed heavily on the redhead's consciousness. Two children were dead, something that the local police weren't likely to overlook. Which only added to her worries. Though, they weren't exactly inclined to think a robotic fox from an indie horror game killed the kids either. As she sat there, her hand caressing Twilight's arm, she got lost in her thoughts.

"Sunset…" Twilight's weak voice brought Sunset back from her thoughts.

"Hey, Sparky." Sunset kept her voice low, giving her friend a half-hearted smile, still caressing her arm.

Twilight Sparkle shifted position, allowing her to see Sunset Shimmer right side up rather than upside down. There were goosebumps up and down her arms from Sunset's touch. Not wanting her friend to let go, she grabbed her hand, squeezing it. Even with her fainting spell, she was awake and aware enough to see that something was upsetting her friend.

"Sunset, what's wrong?" Twilight Sparkle adjusted her glasses, keeping them from falling off. "You seem-"

"Distant? Furious? Lost…?" asked Sunset, cutting off her friend. "Because I am Twi. Foxy...killed two children. Two...kids, Twilight."

Twilight Sparkle gave the redhead a sympathetic smile that reached her eyes. She knew what was going through her friend's head. She knew that deep down, Sunset blamed herself for what happened. Even if it was out of her control and wasn't her fault, that was typical for her. In the time she had known Sunset Shimmer, she had realized that whenever equestrian magic went haywire, her friend was always the first to blame herself.

"Sunset, we'll do everything we can to prevent it from happening again." She touched Sunset's shoulder, thankful that she didn't pull away. "From what it appears, Foxy didn't mean to kill the kids."

After that, Twilight Sparkle wasn't entirely sure of what to say. What Sunset Shimmer had said earlier was true. She couldn't deny that or sugar coat it, and there was no way to. There was no way to bring the kids back. That was something not even equestrian magic could accomplish. Though she wished it was. Looking down, she squeezed Sunset's shoulder for a moment. For a split second, she could've sworn she felt something...bumpy beneath her friend's shirt.

"But that can't be… Sunset hasn't been through a transformation like I have…" thought Twilight, her eyebrows furrowing in the process.

Thinking she just felt nothing, she let her hand fall from Sunset's shoulder, slowly making its way down her arm. It was odd that she felt something familiar to her scars on Sunset Shimmer. But even weirder was the fact that the redhead would keep it from her. Assuming it was true anyway. But, that was another mystery for another day. Standing up, she walked away from Sunset, leaving her alone with her thoughts. She had done all she could for her, and there wasn't much else she could do. And after what happened during lunch, she was hesitant to do more.

Just then, Applejack returned. She walked into the clearing where the rest of the girls were, seeing that Foxy was tied up. Sighing, she saw that she was about to be greeted by a certain purple-haired fashionista. She braced herself for what was to come.

"Applejack!" Rarity shouted as she ran towards her friend. Without even waiting for a response, she gave her a quick hug, which resulted in the cowgirl groaning for a second before she met her eyes. "I was worried sick about you. What on earth took you so long?"

Applejack blushed and pulled her hat down, hiding the sheepish grin that was spreading across her face. She always felt flustered when she felt Rarity's touch against her skin. It was like electricity running through her veins every time — a feeling she loved. And by the looks of it, a feeling that her crush also liked. Then again, maybe the growing redness in Rarity's cheeks could've been from all the running they had done in the last hour. Taking a deep breath, the cowgirl managed to regain her composure and placed her hat back on her head.

"I was chasin' that damned fox all the way to Camp Everfree," replied Applejack, giving the red fox an annoyed glare.

Rarity looked directly into Applejack's green eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, Rare, I am fine." Applejack could tell that her friend was worried and rested a hand on her shoulder. "I am a tough cowgirl, after all."

That made Rarity laugh, despite her attempt to keep a serious face. "Alright, if you say so. But promise me you'll take it easy."

"I will," said Applejack, giving Rarity her distinctive stop-worrying-so-much smile.

Seeing her friend join the others underneath a tree, the cowgirl approached Foxy. Her mind was reeling over the chase. Something seemed off about it. The animatronic didn't act normal. Instead of attacking them, it hid from them. Like it was aware of why it was getting chased. Even stranger was how it chose to avoid them like it was aware of what they were doing. Remembering what Twilight Sparkle had said a few days ago, that didn't make sense for an animatronic. If the animatronic was scared or panicked on the other hand, then it's erratic behavior would make sense. Deciding to test a theory, she turned to Sunset.

"Hey Sunset, do you think your powers would work on this here robot?" asked Applejack.

Hearing her friend call her name, Sunset looked up. As she met the cowgirl's green eyes, she could've sworn she saw a flash of concern in them. But as quickly as it came, it disappeared. She shook her head, thinking she had just imagined it.

"I-I don't know, AJ. I haven't tried to use my powers on anything that wasn't...human," replied Sunset as her gaze drifted to the fox. "Why do you ask?"

"I don't know…" Applejack knelt next to the fox, resting her hand on the cold, smooth metal. "I just have a feeling this here robot isn't just a robot. I think there is something more to it, something...alive."

"Alive? What exactly do you mean by that?" asked Sunset, getting up from the ground.

"Like there is more than just a robot here. Like maybe there is a...spirit attached to it," answered Applejack.

The cowgirl knew she was starting to sound like a crazy person with the whole possession thing. Though, compared to what they had been through, that was relatively normal. Plus, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was right about that. There was a human likeness to the animatronic's eyes that she had noticed.

Applejack's theory appealed to Sunset. "You may have something there, AJ. In the game, supposedly five kids were killed and stuffed into these animatronics."

"Oh, that is awful," said Fluttershy, covering her mouth again.

"Yeah. Sorry for mentioning that. I know you're still recovering." added Sunset Shimmer when she realized that Fluttershy was struggling not to vomit again.

"So, do you think there is a kid's soul trapped inside there?" asked Applejack, looking up at Sunset as she approached her.

"Maybe. It's worth a chance, especially if we can get some answers for what they are all running around town," said Sunset, slowly approaching Foxy.

Soon as she was within five feet of the fox, she heard a creaking noise. Looking down, she saw that Foxy had managed to slice through the ropes, freeing his hook. Stepping back, she closed her eyes as she prepared herself to feel his hook in her. To feel it slicing her open, making blood pour down from wherever her injury was going to be. To have blood staining her clothes. Surprisingly though, that didn't happen. She opened her eyes to see Foxy's hook was getting held in an aura of purple magic. Turning around, she found that it was Twilight who was holding off the fox. Not that she expected it to be anyone else.

"Thanks, Sparky." thought Sunset, flashing Twilight a quick smile, which she accompanied with a wink.

Twilight Sparkle hid her face from Sunset Shimmer, not wanting her blushing cheeks to show. Thankfully, the shadows and the setting sun provided enough darkness that it didn't. She continued to hold Foxy's hook as the redhead made her way to the other side, where she was safer. In the back of her mind, something nagged at her, reminding her that Sunset Shimmer still wasn't being completely honest. But she shoved it aside, knowing that right now was not the time to be thinking about that. She cleared her head and focused on keeping Foxy from injuring her friend.

Stepping next to Foxy, Sunset Shimmer rested her hand against the back of his body. "Okay, let's see if there is a kid trapped inside."

Taking a deep breath, she let the memories come to her. Her eyes flashed white as she started to see images. Images of what appeared to be a party. Not just any party either. A birthday party.

*** *** *** ***

A boy, who looked to be about 7 or 8, was running around some tables in what appeared to be a pizzeria. Along with him, there were two other boys and a girl running around. From the looks of it, it seemed they were enjoying a game of tag. Just as one of the boys ran around the one corner of a nearby table, they tripped and fell.

"Ow," groaned the boy as he rubbed his knee.

The other boy who was getting chased came back for his friend. "Are you okay?"

The boy who tripped looked up and gave his friend a devilish grin before saying, "Yeah, and you're it now!"

After that, he got up and started to run away as the boy who was tagged sighed. He rolled his eyes before giving in and chasing his friend. The game continued in this way, with each kid getting a chance to be it. Eventually, the game ended when Freddy brought out a birthday cake. The cake was themed to match the restaurant. It had all the main animatronic characters on it with the words 'Happy Birthday' written in yellow icing. All the kids sat down at one table with the lucky birthday boy.

"Happy Birthday, Jeremy!" said Freddy in his usual cheerful robotic voice.

Freddy set the cake down on the table, with the candles having already gotten placed on the cake. Once the cake was on the table, Freddy became surrounded by Chica, Bonnie, and Foxy. They all stood around Jeremy, preparing to sing the birthday song. They started to sing as Jeremy's mother began to light each candle.

"...Happy Birthday to you!" finished Chica.

Once the song finally finished, Jeremy leaned in to blow out his candles. But he felt a hook touch his shoulder. Looking up, he saw Foxy looking back down at him.

"Don't forget to make your special birthday wish, Jeremy," said Foxy, his pirate accent clear.

Jeremy nodded, making his wish. "I wish my family and I can come back for my ninth birthday."

In one breath, Jeremy managed to blow out his candles. Unaware of the presence of someone who was wearing a used Golden Freddy suit that was watching him. Once his candles were blown out, the cake-cutting started. He was the first to receive his piece, followed by his friends. With the cake cut and served, everyone started to eat. An hour later, Jeremy was the first to finish his piece of cake. After all, he wanted to catch Foxy's Annual Pirate Show. But he needed his mom's permission before he could go.

"Mom, can I please go..?" asked Jeremy, gazing up at his mom with pleading eyes.

Jeremy's mom sighed heavily. Looking at her son, she could see his excitement at getting to see his favorite characters perform. Deciding that because it was his birthday, she couldn't say no. She kissed him on the forehead, smiling.

"Okay, you can go see the show. But come back right after," said Jeremy's mother.

"Okay, mom. I will, thank you," replied Jeremy before he ran off towards the stage.

Just as he was about to approach the main stage, he turned around and motioned for his friend to come as he said, "Hey Fritz, you coming to see the show or what?"

Seeing his friend nod in response, Jeremy ran over to where his other friend was. The seat was right in front of where Foxy did his part of the show, Pirate's Cove. The rest of the gang did their roles on the main stage. Out of the four main characters, Foxy was Jeremy's favorite, mostly because he was a pirate with a cool accent.

"Yar, har, har, har, me mates! Who's ready for a pirate adventure with me, Foxy?" asked Foxy.

"We are!" shouted Jeremy, joining the chorus of kids that had yelled out.

Foxy lifted his hook and said, "Well, good. Welcome to Pirate's Cove Treasure Hunt!"

Foxy and his animatronic friends sang a few songs, most of which the kids sang along with. After that, they did their usual sketches, where they went to find buried treasure, which always got hidden in Foxy's Pirate Cove. And with every scene or song that ended, they were met with a course of claps. After about two hours, the show ended as always. Several kids, including Jeremy, wanted it to continue. But a worker with a red and blue Freddy Fazbear Pizzeria shirt came onto the stage a few minutes after the curtain call.

"I know you all want to find the treasure. But Captain Foxy and his mates need to check their maps to make sure that they find the treasure." said the worker, donning a pirate-like accent.

All the kids sighed, some even starting to cry as they heard the news. One by one, each kid went back to their parents, which then comforted their crying child. Jeremy fought his way out from the mass of children rushing to their parents to find his mom waiting for him. He ran up to her, hugging her.

"Come on, honey. We're going home now. Your daddy is coming home today as well," said Jeremy's mother as knelt in front of him.

Jeremy nodded, happy to hear that his father would be returning home. Yet, something had more of his attention right now. He looked around, realizing that his friends were nowhere in plain sight. That confused him. Where could they have gone? He tried to see if they were with their parents. But all he saw were their parents huddled together. It seemed that they were worried too.

"Mom, I am going to say goodbye to my friends," said Jeremy, walking away from his mom.

"Okay, but come back when you finish!" his mother called after him.

Taking a right turn, he started down a long corridor. The corridor led to where the girls' and boys' bathrooms were. Making his way further down the dark hallway, he felt goosebumps appear on his arms. He rubbed them, hoping to alleviate the goosebumps. As he got closer to the bathrooms, he thought someone was spying on him. Turning around, he expected Fritz to be standing behind him. But he didn't see anything but darkness. Shrugging off the feeling, he walked into the boys' bathroom.

"Fritz? Gabriel? Are you guys in here?" asked Jeremy as he checked the stalls one by one.

Once Jeremy's voice stopped echoing against the bathroom's wall, there was silence. It was clear that he was in the bathroom alone. Sighing, he decided that his search of the boys' bathroom was useless and walked out. As he walked out, he saw the girls' bathroom next door. A debate was beginning in his head. Part of him wanted to go into the girls' bathroom, to see if his friend Susie was in there. But another part reminded him that it was wrong to go into the girls' bathroom. Deciding that finding his friend was more important, he pushed the door open.

"Hello, Jeremy. Are you the lucky birthday boy?" asked someone who was in a Golden Freddy costume.

Jeremy stopped opening the door to the bathroom, turning to see who spoke to him. He saw the figure approaching him, wearing the Golden Freddy costume. Furrowing his brow, he said, "Yeah, I am. Who are you?"

The guy laughed as he rested a hand on Jeremy's shoulder. "I am a friend. And I see you are trying to find yours."

"I am. Do you know where my friends are?" asked Jeremy, yanking his shoulder free of the figure's grasp.

The figure nodded. "Yeah, I do. Follow me, Jeremy."

Jeremy did just that. He followed the guy down a series of long corridors and darkened doorways. He noticed that as they kept walking, the wallpaper and ceilings became more and more decrepit. There were mold and feces everywhere. It seemed that this part of the building was forgotten and left to rot away. After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at a mysterious door. On the front was a faded sign which said 'Playroom.' Above him was a yellowed, flickering light that didn't do much to illuminate the hallway they were standing in.

"A-are my friends in th-there?" asked Jeremy, pointing to the door as his voice gave away his increasing fear.

As he saw the boy's fear, the figure knelt and removed the Golden Freddy head. "Yes. Your friends Gabriel, Fritz, and Susie are all in there. They're all waiting...for you."

Jeremy gulped. Something deep down told him this was wrong. That whatever was behind the door was going to kill him. Slowly, he reached out his hand, grabbing the rust-covered doorknob. With a loud, drawn-out squeak, the door swung open. With precaution, he took a step forward, walking into the barely lit room. A few seconds later, as he walked down the steps, he heard the door slam shut behind him. He spun around in a blind panic and pounded against the door. As he tried to find the door handle, he realized that on the other side of the door, there wasn't one. He was locked in.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" asked Jeremy, beginning to panic even more.

There was no answer. The figure had walked away, leaving Jeremy trapped in the room with his friends. He decided that banging on the door was doing nothing useful and began to walk further into the room. Once he was at the bottom step, he saw his friends. But they were all huddled in one corner, their gaze locked on something. Curious as to what they were staring at, Jeremy glanced in the same direction, taking note of a faint, foul-smelling scent.

An old, outdated, Golden Freddy animatronic suit sat in the corner. The aged yellow plastic molding which covered the metal endoskeleton had worn away in several areas. He could see some dried blood on what remained of the plastic. And from what he could see through the holes of the plastic covering, there seemed to be something flesh-like within the animatronic endoskeleton. Shifting his gaze to the head of the suit, he noticed some greenish-yellow mucus-like liquid leaking out of its eye sockets. Stepping closer to the animatronic, he noticed that the foul smell grew stronger. It smelled like decaying flesh, something he recognized thanks to his parents having hunting trips every so often. He covered his nose and mouth with his shirt as he reached out a hand and tapped the animatronic. The single tap was enough to cause the suit to shift, unlocking the spring locks inside.

As the spring locks shifted inside, they forced the suit forward, exposing the back. With the posterior now exposed, Jeremy could see inside it. He gasped when he saw what was trapped inside. It was the body of a girl who had been seen around his school occasionally. Her body had gotten severely mutilated due to the mechanical parts and wires digging into her now greyish, rotting, gooey mush of a corpse. There were also white maggots and flies crawling all around and in her body. It was like a horror movie come to life. He could see that her head had gotten forcibly bashed into the head of the animatronic suit. Still keeping his mouth covered, he backed away, trying to keep the contents of his stomach down.

"Jeremy!" exclaimed Susie, her voice breaking the silence. "What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you guys," replied Jeremy, giving Susie a quick hug. He could smell that she had vomited recently. "Why did you guys get trapped in here?"

Jeremy heard Susie sigh. "We got trapped because of the same guy that brought you here."

As Jeremy heard Susie mention the guy who brought them all there, he remembered something. The guy was wearing something purple, something that looked like a security officer suit. Of course, he was wearing the Golden Freddy costume over it, and the lighting in the hall did nothing to make it visible. That meant he couldn't be sure, but it did seem to be a purple security shirt from what he did see. His thoughts were interrupted as he heard Susie begin to explain how each of his friends got trapped.

A few hours later, the door opened again. Standing in the doorway was the guy the kids now dubbed 'The Purple Guy.' Mostly because of the security suit he was wearing. The light was blinding after hours of sitting in near pitch-black darkness. But that didn't affect their hearing. With every step the guy took, they could hear the steps creak.

"Hello, you sniveling hellish brats. Who is ready...to die?" asked the Purple Guy.

Jeremy and his friends huddled even closer together, finding some comfort in being close to one another. As the Purple Guy got closer to them, they tried to pull themselves into an even tighter huddle. Jeremy, who was the tiniest of the four, attempted to make himself even smaller as the figure got closer. But that was in vain. The Purple Guy was stronger and faster than he was. Feeling a sturdy hand grip his arm tightly, he knew that he was in trouble. Jeremy tried to wriggle his arm free, but it was useless. All he could do was let himself get helplessly dragged away from his friends, knowing he was likely never to see them or his family again.

The Purple Guy pushed Jeremy into a smaller, brightly lit room. The walls, ceiling, and even the floor were covered in plastic like someone was preparing for a gruesome murder. In the area, there were tables with tools spread out on them. The instruments ranged from axes to guns. It seemed every weapon that had the potential to mutilate the human body was there. As Jeremy walked past a circular saw, a shudder ran down his spine. Seeing a room that was full of weapons, he realized what was going to happen. He turned to the Purple Guy.

"Please, mister, don't kill me. My mom will worry about me if I don't come home," begged Jeremy as tears welled up in the corner of his eyes.

The Purple Guy chuckled as he grabbed an ax off the nearby table. "Kid, I am going to kill you. I am going to because...I can. And, as you scream, I will enjoy… every… last… second."

Those words. Those hurtful words that had gotten said to cut away at Jeremy's defenses were enough. The flood of tears that Jeremy was struggling to hold back, finally fell. Standing there crying, he watched as the ax got swung at him. The blade sliced deep into the skin, cutting into the muscle, almost to the bone. His blood poured down his arm from the injury, his pain worsening as he reached a tentative hand towards the cut. Before he had time to see the wound, he felt the ax cut into his abdomen next. The blade cut right below his ribs, barely missing the bone. He screamed with everything he had as he felt the pain of both injuries increase substantially. More blood poured from his body as the ax had gotten yanked free from his stomach, sending him to the ground in the process. A few minutes later, a pool of blood surrounded him, soaking his shirt, pants, coated his hair and skin. Using what strength he had, he looked up at the Purple Guy. Jeremy saw him removing the Golden Freddy costume, setting it aside. With his vision fading quickly, he let out one last sob before collapsing due to blood loss and exhaustion.

The Purple Guy set the ax down and picked up Jeremy's limp body, ignoring the blood which was now smeared all over the plastic covering the floor. He grabbed the sledgehammer off the table next to where the ax was sitting. A gut feeling told him he was going to need it later. Not caring that his shirt had become covered in the boy's blood, the Purple Guy continued to walk down to the main stage. He approached Pirate's Cove, where Foxy stayed when the show ended. He tossed Jeremy's body to the side, walking up to the animatronic. Having prior knowledge of how the animatronics worked, allowed him to be able to open the plastic covering and get to the endoskeleton beneath.

Once he was inside, he pushed aside the mechanical gears and wires, which controlled the animatronic's movements. It was tricky to shove the gears and beams aside, especially as the suit wasn't a spring lock one like Golden Freddy was. But having to get cleaned out every so often meant the beams and wires had to get set aside, which made it easier to clean. And to stuff an 8-year old's body into them as well. Making sure that all gears and wires had gotten aside, he grabbed Jeremy's body and picked him up from the floor, which had become covered in blood. Carefully, he shoved his body into the body of the animatronic. He wrestled with the body for a moment until he finally managed to get all the boy's limbs into the cavity. Stepping back, he admired his handy work.

Everything was in place. Well, everything except Jeremy's head, which was resting against the beams and gears inside Foxy's head. The Purple Guy grabbed the sledgehammer, not happy that Jeremy's head wasn't inside of the animatronic. Raising the hammer above his head, he swung at the boy's head. The hammer hit Jeremy's skull, caving in a section of it. The impact also caused his head to get forced against the beams and gears. After getting forced against the cold metal, Jeremy's skull began to bleed from the front and the back where the sledgehammer contacted with it.

Amazingly, Jeremy was still conscious. Just barely, though, due to the severe injuries he had sustained. Slowly, Jeremy opened his eyes, finding that he was sore and surrounded by darkness. Through the small slits of the eye sockets, Jeremy could see the darkened main stage and party area where he had his party. But it was impossible to keep his vision from blurring as Jeremy lost more blood. He could feel his shirt and pants sticking to him, wet and warm because of his blood. Struggling, Jeremy tried to move his hand, but he found that he couldn't. Something was keeping it pinned down.

Before he could lift his head, he heard someone move behind him, removing something like an airlock. Seconds later, he felt several beams, gears, and wires dig into his body. More blood ran down his already stained clothes and skin. As the rods pushed deeper into his skin, eventually breaking some bones as they fought to get their original positions, he screamed. Or at least he tried. When he opened his mouth, it allowed the one beam that had been pushing at his lips to slip in. He gagged as the metal pushed itself to the back of his throat, ripping out the backside of it, severing his spine. The pain was unbearable, but by now, Jeremy was barely even aware as his eyelids started to droop. He felt the metal gears pushing and tearing away at his shirt and skin, mangling his body further. A few gears shoved themselves into the wounds caused by the Purple Guy's ax, increasing the boy's pain. A few agonizingly painful moments and one last shaky, ragged breath later, he felt his body go limp, his vision going dark for the final time as his heart stopped.

*** *** *** ***

Her hand slid down off Foxy's back as Sunset Shimmer stepped back. The redhead's eyes were flickering back and forth as she was struggling to process what she had just witnessed. The images, though now fading, were still very vivid in her mind. She kept replaying the ax cutting Jeremy's skin open, the blood oozing and pouring from the wound. With every drop of blood hitting the plastic, the sound echoed in her ears. Then the image changed, shifting to when Jeremy opened Golden Freddy, discovering the corpse. The image became distorted, lines of red, blue, and green surrounded the objects making it appear as though she saw it through an altered lens. Yet, she could hear the sound of the maggots eating away at the mush and rot of what was left. The noise was louder than the blood dripping onto the plastic. With every wriggle, the sound of the maggots digging into the moist flesh made her want to gag.

Sunset Shimmer took one step back too many, causing her to trip over a rock. She fell, her rear impacting with the ground. Surprisingly, she didn't register her fall. Or that all her friends were surrounding her, worried about her. Instead, all she noticed was that she felt cold and hot, evidenced by the shivering even though her skin was soaked with sweat, making her shirt cling to her body. She had become focused on the images and memories that she had just seen. So focused that she didn't even notice her breathing was heavy, almost to the point where she was hyperventilating.

"Sugarcube...are you okay?" asked Applejack, resting her hand on Sunset's shoulder.

"So violent...bloody...murder...can't be real…it was just suppose to be a game..." was all that the redhead could mutter at the moment.

Rainbow Dash looked at Applejack. "Um, is she broken?"

"So violent...bloody...murder...can't be real…it was just suppose to be a game..." repeated Sunset Shimmer, seemingly unaware of what she was saying.

"Yep, she is broken." Rainbow Dash sighed. "So, what are we going to do if we can't snap her out of this?"

"I don't know, Dash," replied Applejack, glancing back up at her friend. "I don't know."

Twilight Sparkle sat next to Sunset, hoping that her presence would help to calm her friend. Looking, she noticed that her friend's pupils had become constricted. It seemed that Sunset Shimmer still wasn't present like her mind was still making her see the memories. But she also noticed that tears were streaming down her cheeks. She was crying, which meant that whatever she saw must've affected her big time. Twilight Sparkle raised her arm, getting ready to rest it on her friend's back. Just as she was about to, she hesitated, thinking better of it. With her friend already panicked enough, she didn't want to worsen it by making the wrong choice. And deep down, she didn't want her to run off because she had touched her. The pain of the cafeteria incident was still there, making her feel like a monster. So, she settled for resting it on her knee.

"Sunset?" Twilight kept her voice low and calm as she met Sunset's distant gaze. "Can you hear my voice?"

Sunset Shimmer nodded, her eyes dilating as she started to come back to awareness. She looked at Twilight, thankful that she was there. Looking down for a moment, she saw that her shirt had gotten covered in teardrop splatters. It finally dawned on her that her eyes and cheeks were both wet with tears. Reaching out a shaky hand, she rested it over Twilight's soft one.

Barely managing to speak, she said in a weak voice, "Y-yes, Twi."

Twilight Sparkle smiled, grateful that her friend was back. "Are you okay?"

Sunset Shimmer bit her lip, still trying to process what she had just seen. "No, not really. But I will be Sparky."

It was Fluttershy's turn to speak. "So, what did you see exactly?"

That question made Sunset Shimmer grow uneasy. It was because of the images that she felt uncomfortable. A part of her wanted to keep her friends from knowing the gruesome information she did. It was bad enough that it was her burden. To burden her friends with it seemed wrong in more than one way. Yet, she also knew deep down that she owed it to them, considering she had worried them. She didn't want to answer it, but reluctantly, she did anyway.

"I saw an 8-year-old boy brutally getting murdered by someone who was wearing a Golden Freddy costume. And he wasn't alone either. He had friends with him– three others. And a dead body in the room with him." replied Sunset, her voice sounding very monotone as she recalled the events. It was clear that she was trying to detach herself from the images. Though, the occasional crack gave away the fact she was stifling her building sobs.

Everyone went quiet after Sunset Shimmer finished speaking. There were some exchanges of worried or shocked expressions before all eyes fell back on the redhead. The information was shocking, and that was barely saying anything. And none of them expected to hear that. Then again, they didn't know what to expect either. Rarity grabbed Applejack's hand, squeezing it tightly as she covered her mouth. Her gag reflex threatened to kick in, but she managed to keep it under control. She felt the cowgirl squeeze her hand back, being mindful of her strength. Having a geode that magically enhanced one's strength wasn't an easy thing to have, as Rarity had seen on numerous occasions.

Twilight, meanwhile, tightened her grip on Sunset's knee. It was all she felt she could do. After the incident at lunch, she now felt there were limits to what was acceptable. Like Sunset had drawn up lines in the sand, making sure that she wouldn't come close to whatever secret she was guarding. Though she had forgiven her for what happened during lunch, it still bothered her, not knowing what caused the sudden burst of anger. But she knew it wasn't going to help if she berated her friend after she had just seen something horrible. As she sat there with Sunset, she heard the sound of what she thought was soft sobbing.

"It's still painful, isn't it?" asked Twilight, glancing at the animatronic fox who was still trapped by the ropes.

"Y-yeah," said Sunset, sniffling as she wiped off a few tears. "It is still hard to see the images…"

"I can imagine. Though, you do seem to be doing better." Twilight pointed out as she kept her gaze locked on Foxy. "So, I guess it's getting easier."

"It is." Sunset Shimmer stood up, still holding Twilight's hand as she pulled her to her feet as well. "But I think it is time we see if we have brought Jeremy back."

"Jeremy?" asked Pinkie Pie, finally breaking her silence. "Who's that?"

"Jeremy is the 8-year-old kid trapped inside that animatronic," replied Sunset, glancing back at Foxy. "I think his soul is trapped inside, just lying dormant."

Gathering what she could manage, Sunset forced the images aside. They were particularly gruesome, yes. And most likely, she was going to need therapy or a lot of journaling to deal with the fall out of what she saw. But right now, she had to concentrate on seeing if Jeremy was still trapped inside. If the memories were any help, then she was right about his soul getting stuck. On the off chance that the memories meant nothing except torture for the rest of her life, Sunset Shimmer was wrong and would've seen horrible stuff for no reason. Cautiously, almost as if she was scared of Foxy, she approached him.

"J-Jeremy? Is that y-your name?" asked Sunset.

The girls all looked at one another then back at Sunset and Foxy, wondering what was going to happen next. Whenever Sunset did something, it was because she had a theory. And she was usually right, most of the time.

Blinking, the animatronic fox looked around at his surroundings. He saw a red and yellow-haired girl kneeling in front of him, her friends standing behind her. Looking down, he saw that his one arm and hook were lying in front of him. Examining his body further, he saw that there were large, heavy ropes tied around his body. Still bound by the thick gym ropes, he struggled against them, trying in vain to free himself. After a few minutes, he stopped, seeing that his bindings weren't going to break. Something, maybe a gut instinct, told him he had to locate Fritz, that he had to get away from these girls. That he had to save his friend, and hopefully, after he found him, they could get away from the strange girls in front of him. He tried once more to break free, but it wasn't successful.

"Jeremy?" Sunset Shimmer asked, repeating herself in a more firm voice. "Is that you?"

Jeremy blinked again; his attention brought back to the girl in front of him. How did she know his name? He didn't remember telling her, or even meeting her until now. That made him pull his hook closer to him, preparing for an attack. Being in an unknown world, he wasn't too sure of who he could trust.

"Yes, my name is Jeremy," replied Jeremy, shocked by the sound of his robotic voice. "Who are you?"

"What the...that is so weird…" muttered Rainbow Dash, not wanting ruin...whatever was happening between Jeremy and Sunset.

The girls were all shocked by the response. The entire time they had seen the animatronics, they hadn't once heard them speak. Now that they did, it was strange. All of them, Sunset Shimmer included, expected the voice to sound like theirs – human. Though, the fact that Jeremy was speaking through an animatronic voice box would explain the sound of it. Standing around Sunset, they all waited to see what was going to happen next.

Sunset Shimmer could feel her heart race in her chest. She clenched her fists, trying to control her breathing. Glancing back, she saw Twilight Sparkle had stepped back and sat on a nearby boulder. Her shoulders were slumped forward, her arms resting on her knees as she looked down. To anyone else, it would've seemed that Twilight wasn't feeling good like maybe she was sick. But to Sunset, it was not that simple. She knew why her friend had chosen to keep her distance, just like she had decided to rest her hand on her knee instead of her back. Her friend was sitting there on the boulder, her mind reeling about what secrets she was hiding. And that was all because she made the wrong choice in lying to her.

"You're damn right about that!" said Sunset's inner conscience, making its presence known. "Your lies are what put you in this position."

"I see that." thought Sunset, not in the mood to talk to her conscience.

"Are you going to tell her the truth? Admit your secret about...Demon Shimmer?" asked her conscience.

"Right now, no," replied Sunset, looking down as she sighed. "After this, yes."

"Hmph. You better." That was the last she heard her conscience say before it went silent.

As Sunset Shimmer looked up, glancing over at Twilight Sparkle, she met her gaze. In the beautiful violet eyes of her friend, she could see that she was troubled – troubled by her odd behavior and how she had acted during lunch. Combined with her knowledge of Twilight's thoughts from earlier, it didn't take much to figure out what Twilight was thinking about. She flashed her friend a small smile that seemed to say, "I'm sorry I hurt you." But she was met with her friend looking away.

"Guess I really fucked up today…" thought Sunset as she returned her attention to the animatronic fox in front of her.

"Jeremy, I am Sunset Shimmer," Sunset spoke in a soft tone, keeping in mind that this was a kid she was talking to, not a murderous animatronic that had killed two children. "And these are all my friends."

One by one, each of the girls stepped closer to Jeremy. Applejack nodded, tilting her hat down as well. Rarity cleared her throat, ignoring the blood dripping off his hook and said a proper 'hello.' Rainbow Dash did her usual 'Sup, the name's Dash, Rainbow Dash' thing. Pinkie Pie apologized for throwing cupcakes at him, which Jeremy said he didn't mind. After all, he wasn't in a human body anymore. The only two who hadn't greeted Jeremy were Fluttershy and Twilight.

"Fluttershy, you going to say hi to Jeremy?" asked Rarity.

Fluttershy shook her head no. She was still too terrified of him and what he did. The very fact he had become trapped in a very tall, powerful, animatronic body that came with a sharp hook was enough to make her not want to approach him. In her mind, she kept replaying the image of his metal hook slamming into the boy's spine. It was a gruesome scene, one that would haunt her forever. And the reason she feared Jeremy now. However, that didn't seem to stop Sunset from walking up to her.

"It's okay, Shy. Jeremy's not going to hurt you," said Sunset, keeping her calm tone.

"I-I don't want to approach him. Please, Sunset." Fluttershy tried not to give in to her fear.

Seeing that her friend was scared, Sunset Shimmer stopped. "Okay, I understand. You can say hi to him whenever you want."

Deciding it was best not to force Fluttershy to try and approach Jeremy when she was terrified, she turned her attention to Twilight Sparkle. Though she was a bit worried that her friend wouldn't want to see her, Sunset Shimmer pushed that aside. Especially considering that she was likely the reason she hadn't joined the rest of the girls in greeting Jeremy. Walking up to her friend, she held out her hand.

"Want to say hi to Jeremy?" asked Sunset.

"No." Twilight's voice was quiet, and void of any emotion like it usually was when she was busy thinking. "I don't want to say hi to him right now, Sunset."

Sunset Shimmer sighed. "Okay, that's fine, Twi."

The redhead made her way back towards Jeremy, upset by the way Twilight Sparkle had acted towards her. She knew that she had made a mistake in treating her the way she did, but this was different. It was like Twilight was actively trying to figure out that she had become a she-demon at one point. The worst part was that if she kept it up, she would have it figured out quickly. With what Trixie said, her reaction to her touch, and whatever the girls may have said to her, there was more than enough to make it an easy puzzle to solve. As she stood next to Jeremy, she tried to ignore that fact.

"Wh-where are my friends?" asked Jeremy, his voice showing his worry.

"We don't know. We have only seen you so far since yesterday," answered Sunset, looking at him.

"Oh…" Jeremy tried to get out of the ropes once more. But they didn't budge, like before. Giving up, he turned to Sunset. "Um, can you let me out of these, please?"

That question made Sunset Shimmer take a step back, unsure of what she should do. She looked at her friends, wondering what they thought. Some of the girls exchanged worried glances, clearly sharing her worries that Jeremy was only acting friendly so he could get freed. But when they looked at the cowgirl, their expressions changed from fear to apprehension. With an apparent decision made, Applejack walked up to her, resting a hand on her shoulder. It seemed she had helped the girls make a choice.

"Untie him, Sunset," said Applejack, glancing at Jeremy.

Sunset Shimmer nodded, walking over to the right side of Jeremy. Bending down, she undid one knot right below his shoulder. As the knot had gotten, the rest of the ropes fell, landing on the ground next to him. Just like that, he had become free from the trap. She stood back as he got back to his feet. Surprisingly, he appeared to be a lot taller the closer she was to him. From a distance, he didn't seem quite as tall. That didn't change the fact that she was going to be unable to forget what she saw in his memories. Though, seeing as though were his memories and he was okay – well, as okay as he could be for an 8-year-old who had gotten savagely murdered – she figured that perhaps she could get through it as well.

"Thank you, Sunset Shimmer," replied Jeremy, being mindful of his hook.

Sunset Shimmer smiled at him. "Just call me Sunset, Jeremy."

"Okay, Sunset. Can you help me find the rest of my friends?" asked Jeremy.

Sunset nodded. "But, you have to promise my friends and me that you won't hurt us or anyone else. Can you do that?"

"Yeah," said Jeremy. "But, uh, what do you mean by anyone else? Did I… hurt someone already?"

Author's Note

I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. Please, let me know what you think. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it.