Five Nights at Equestria Girls

Springtrap was kneeling behind a tall row of bushes, which kept him hidden. His hand was resting on a nearby tree, steadying him. It had been quite a task to find the girls. He had to trudge through several miles of thorny brush to get where they were at the police station. And that was after hours of combing the city streets trying to find them to begin with. On top of that, he had to remain hidden, which meant he had to crouch down for long periods and walk while doing so. He and his fucked up joints didn’t enjoy that, but it was well worth it. After all, they had led him to Bonnie, along with Foxy, who was now Jeremy.

“What the hell is going over there?” hissed Springtrap, trying to keep his voice low.

Just as he said that he saw Bonnie show up just as the rainbow-haired nuisance ran past her friends. Springtrap watched the events transpire, hoping that the dumb bunny that was a purple imitation of him would kill them. But instead of seeing the animatronic ripping the girls’ heads off, he saw one of the girls that were wearing a stetson cowgirl hat pull out what he figured was a lasso.

“What the fuck?! That is one prepared cowgirl, but she is no match for an animatronic.” Springtrap quietly chuckled. “This will be fun…”

Yet, there was no ripping of heads or blood-curdling screams echoing in the forest. The only sound that echoed in the woods was the loud thud of Bonnie’s body hitting the dirt. Springtrap growled, unconsciously digging his fingers into the bark of the tree. When the sound of bark creaking and cracking reached his ears, he stopped and pulled his hand away from the tree. Things were clearly not going his way, despite his attempts to. But what was helping these girls defeat his plans? It wasn’t Jeremy. He was standing there, doing nothing but staring at the scene happening in front of him.

“Damnit! How are these girls able to defeat an animatronic that had gotten created out of metal?” Springtrap leaned forward, wanting to figure out how the girls were able to restrain Bonnie.

“Dash, get over here and help me tie this blasted rabbit up!” shouted the cowgirl as he watched her push Bonnie towards an oak tree.

“Tie him up? What are you fucking idiots up to?” Springtrap growled in frustration. “These girls are really starting to become a pain in the ass. And that is saying something considering I have a metal pole up my own ass right now.”

He walked away from the bushes, heading towards a large boulder. He watched his footing, not wanting to step on a stray twig. Drawing any attention to himself was not something he planned on doing. Not when he was so close to figuring out what was happening. Just as he hid behind it, he heard the forest around him fall silent as though everything in life had suddenly stopped. Even the sounds of life had ended. No crickets were chirping, no wind rustling the leaves. Just eerie and still silence. That prompted him to peek out from behind the boulder.

“What the fuck? What the hell happened to everyone?” whispered Springtrap as he stared at the scene that was unfolding in front of him.

He watched as Sunset Shimmer kneeled in front of Bonnie. That confused him. What was she doing kneeling in front of the animatronic? He continued to watch, hoping to get some answers. As she placed her hand on his head, that only furthered his confusion. Deciding he wanted to know what was going on, he stepped closer to the girls, still staying in the shadows. Glancing over at Jeremy, he saw that he was sitting on a boulder.

“Well, that’s an odd fucking sight to see,” said Springtrap, chuckling to himself.

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

As the image became more evident, Sunset Shimmer saw Jeremy getting chased by his friend. As Jeremy rounded a corner, Fritz followed him. But as he tried to turn the edge of the table, his foot got caught on a chair leg. Seconds later, Fritz found himself on the ground with his knee throbbing. As he sat up, he saw that he hit his knee against the floor.

“Ow!” exclaimed Fritz as he rubbed his knee.

He looked up to see Jeremy approaching him, saying, “Are you okay?”

Fritz gave his friend a devilish smile. “Yeah, and you’re it now!”

As he shouted, he got up and started to run away. Distancing himself from Jeremy, he heard him groan. His knee still throbbed dully, but he ignored it. With every second that passed, it weakened, allowing him to ignore it even more. After a while of playing tag and taking turns being it, he saw that Jeremy’s cake was getting brought out. That made him stop the game and join his friend at the table. When he saw the cake, he recognized the characters on the top. Seeing Bonnie, he hoped that his piece would contain part of his body.

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

As Freddy sat down the cake, Fritz looked down at the cake. The smell of chocolate in which the cake had gotten made of wafted towards him. It was intense, making his mouth water. He was surprised to see the candles were already on the cake. Usually, his mother always put candles on in front of him, but he figured that it was just his mother’s way of doing things. He came from a lower-income family, meaning having his birthdays at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria was out of the question. So, he was excited when Jeremy had invited him to his birthday party.

Once the cake was on the table, the rest of Freddy’s friends joined him around the table. Being so close to the birthday boy, Fritz got a front-row seat as the characters surrounded him. Looking behind him, he saw that Bonnie had stood behind him. Glancing behind the animatronic rabbit, Fritz saw something...golden. Looking more closely, he saw that it was someone dressed in a Golden Freddy costume. But why? That animatronic had gotten shut down due to malfunctions in its hardware. Before he could follow that thought further, his attention had gotten drawn away as Jeremy’s mother started to light the candles on the cake. Something made him look back, but to his shock, he found that the figure was gone.

“...Happy Birthday to you!” finished Chica.

Fritz watched as Jeremy leaned forward, readying himself to blow out his candles. Just as his friend was about to blow outwards, he saw a shiny, silver hook rest on his shoulder. Glancing upwards, Fritz saw that Foxy had stepped closer to them. Being closer to the animatronic fox, he found it to be kind of creepy.

“Funny how distance changes Foxy’s creepiness factor…” thought Fritz.

“Don’t forget to make your special birthday wish, Jeremy,” said Foxy, his pirate accent clear.

He watched as Jeremy closed his eyes, making his wish as Foxy had instructed him to. Sitting back, he allowed him to blow out his candles. In one breath, Jeremy managed to blow out all his candles. Once they were all removed, the cake-cutting began. Fritz was second to receiving his piece of cake, with his friend being first as it was his birthday. An hour later, he had finished his piece of cake. Finishing off the last of his cake, Fritz threw away his plate. Again, standing near where the trash cans were, he saw the same figure that was wearing a Golden Freddy suit. But just as he was about to investigate the strange person, a voice caught his attention.

“Hey Fritz, you coming to see the show or what?” asked Jeremy as he motioned for him to follow him.

Fritz nodded. When he turned back to look at the figure, he saw that he had disappeared...again.

“What the-? Am I starting to see things?” thought Fritz. “Maybe I outta lay off the cake for a while…”

But the fact that he saw the same figure twice was confusing. What was more disconcerting was the fact that each time he looked away and then looked back, the person was gone. He wanted to ponder it more, but he decided to enjoy the show. So, rather than focusing on a mysterious person, he walked over to where Jeremy was now sitting down. It was next to Pirate Cove unsurprisingly. He knew that Foxy was Jeremy’s favorite character. Though he didn’t mind the pirate, his favorite character was Bonnie. In part, because he wanted to be a guitar player.

As the crowd of kids gathered around him and Jeremy, his excitement grew. He had seen commercials for the show that had always gotten held at the restaurant, but life circumstances kept him from seeing it. Now, here he was sitting in front of the stage with his best friend. The lights dimmed as the main characters made their way to the stage.

“Yar, har, har, har, me mates! Who’s ready for a pirate adventure with me, Foxy?” asked Foxy as he waved his hook in front of his face.

“We are!” shouted Fritz as he joined Jeremy in shouting with the chorus of kids.

Foxy lifted his hook and said, “Well, good. Welcome to the Pirate’s Cove Treasure Hunt!”

As the show went on, he watched as each scene played out, singing along to every song that accompanied them. But as the second to last song was coming to an end, he saw the Golden Freddy costume once more. The person was standing behind the stage, the shadows keeping him hidden from almost everybody’s view. Furrowing his eyebrows, he wondered what was going on. This was Fritz's third time seeing the figure tonight.

“Hey, you’re missing the best song,” Fritz heard Jeremy say as he felt a punch on his forearm.

He looked at Jeremy, rubbing his now throbbing arm. “Okay, but you didn’t have to hit me that hard.”

Just as the last song began to play, he realized that he needed to go to the bathroom. Carefully and quietly, he got up and made his way out of the thick crowd of kids. Once he was free of the kids, he silently made his way to the boy’s bathroom. He walked past a dark hallway where the light fixtures didn’t seem to work. The wallpaper and paint seemed different from the rest of the building, older and covered in dirt. As he looked down the hallway, he saw a familiar gold color at the end of it. Seeing that, he walked back to the hall, hoping to get a better look at the mysterious person. Again, like the last two times, the Golden Freddy costume disappeared. Shrugging it off, he continued to walk to the bathroom.

After he had relieved himself, he walked out of the stall, heading towards the sink. He turned on the water, washing his hands. Just as he walked towards the paper towel holder, the figure he had seen earlier walked in, leaning against the wall.

“Hello… Fritz.” The figure slowly said as if to add creepiness to the already creepy sensation.

Fritz dropped the paper towel that was in his hand. When the person tried to step closer to him, he stepped back, keeping the distance between them. Fritz looked around the bathroom, realizing that he was alone in the vacant space. As that realization dawned on him, Fritz heard the sound of a lock clicking shut. Gulping, Fritz looked at the mysterious person to see their gloved hand on the lock.

“H-how do you kn-know my name?” asked Fritz, trying to seem braver than he was.

The figure let out a muffled chuckle, the sound echoing eerily against the bathroom walls. Slowly, they approached him, kneeling on one knee. Lifting their head, they rested their hand on Fritz’s shoulder, gripping it tightly.

“I have heard your name spoken.” replied the figure. “Is this your first time here?”

Fritz nodded, the tight grip on his shoulder making him sweat profusely. “Wh-what do you want with me?” asked Fritz, eyeing the bathroom door.

Realizing what Fritz was planning on doing, the person stepped in front of the door. “And... where do you think you are going, mister?”

“Uh, back to Jeremy’s party? My friends will be wondering why I haven’t come back,” answered Fritz, hoping that he had said the right answer.

Instead of saying something, the person just removed the head of the Golden Freddy costume. A gasp slipped from Fritz’s lips as he finally saw the figure’s face. He could see some stubble coating the person’s upper lip and jawline. Their hair was in a tangled mess like they hadn’t seen a mirror for weeks. His gaze drifted downward as he caught sight of a dark purple security suit. Looking at the shirt, he spotted a gold-colored badge that had gotten pinned to the shirt. Squinting, he attempted to read the name on the tag.

“William Aft-”

“Ah, no reading that, kid,” said William, covering the tag with his hand. “I can’t have you knowing who I am. It would ruin the fun…”

“Then what do I call you?” asked Fritz, stepping back from the strange person, his hand gripping the sink counter.

The figure seemed to sense his growing fear and said, “If you want, you may call the Purple Guy, okay?”

Fritz only managed to nod in response.

“Now that we have gotten the introductions out of the way, want to see something cool?” asked the Purple Guy.

As Fritz watched the Purple Guy place the Golden Freddy head back on, he saw him open the door. Watching the door open, he saw his chance to get away. Taking it, Fritz bolted towards the door, pushing past the Purple Guy. He managed to make his way out the door, missing the growl that echoed loudly inside the bathroom. Just as he was about to turn the corner leading back to where his friends were, a hand quickly covered his mouth.

“That… was a big mistake.” hissed the Purple Guy, a barely controlled anger in his voice.

Fritz felt his body getting pulled away from the corner as the Purple Guy walked away from the crowds. As he struggled against the tight grip holding him back, he saw his mother walk up to the hallway. Fritz could see her worried expression as she scanned the hall. Sadly, he knew that she couldn’t see him with the shadows around him. Deep down, he wanted to scream out to her. But the hand covering his mouth kept him from doing so.

“Mommy...I am here…” thought Fritz as he watched her shadow shrink as he continued to get pulled away. “Please… mommy…”

Those were his last thoughts as his mother turned around and walked away from the hallway. Still being pulled away, he started to cry. To see that his mother had missed the one chance to save him nearly destroyed him. He wanted to run into her arms again. Yet, all he could do was allow himself to be pulled away from safety.

A few minutes later, he found himself tossed against a wall that had become covered in a thick layer of mold. So thick that it made it impossible to see the design of the wallpaper beneath the greenish mold. He looked around at his new surroundings, seeing old posters littered all over the floor and coating all the walls. There was a picture of someone on the front, but he couldn’t make out any details or features. Above him were several old, flickering yellow lights that covered the hallway he had gotten dragged down. It was hard to see anything in front of him, let alone several feet away. But through the dimmed lights, he managed to make out two hallways diverging in two different directions, each heading away from him. They, too, were also lined with the same yellowed, flickering lights. Though, with each hallway, fewer lights were working than the one hall he was currently standing in. One was going towards the left, and the other was going to the right.

“Wh-where are we…?” asked Fritz, eyeing the Purple Guy.

The Purple Guy walked over to a door that a sign on it. In the yellowed light, Fritz made out the word ‘Playroom’ on it. As his gaze drifted downwards, he that the Purple Guy’s hand rested on the doorknob.

“This is where we are going. I have an extraordinary surprise for you. But…I’ll need you to wait in there for me.” said the Purple Guy.

Reluctantly, Fritz pushed his body off the mold-covered wall, some of the mold crumbling off the wall in the process. With a twist of the doorknob, the door squeaked up and let in what little light illuminated the hallway. With the bit of light he had, he saw the Golden Freddy animatronic that had gotten put out of use. Cautiously, he took a step forward, walking into the room. Once he was standing on the first step, he heard the door slam shut, followed by the sound of a lock clicking into place.

“Please let my friends be okay...” thought Fritz as he made his way deeper into the room.

“Fritz?” asked two voices coming from the darkness in the room.

“W-who’s there?” asked Fritz, his voice trembling as he wondered who was speaking to him.

“It’s us, you dummy.” said a voice he recognized as Susie’s just before he felt a slap against his arm.

Rubbing his arm, Fritz said, “Ow. That is definitely you, Susie. No one else hits me that hard.”

“And it’s me, Gabriel,” Gabriel said, joining the conversation with Susie.

“How did you guys get here?” asked Fritz, still rubbing his now stinging arm.

He heard one of his friends let out a huff. “Well, I didn’t get here by being tricked with the promise of a free pizza.”

“Hey! I was hungry.” Fritz heard Gabriel shout in his defense.

Deciding that the building tension was going to lead to an argument, Fritz stood between his two friends. Placing his hands on their shoulders, he said, “Okay, so I know Gabriel got tricked by his stomach. But how did you get tricked, Susie?”

There was silence for a moment before he heard Susie say, “I was lured in because of a...free makeup kit. One that was made especially for me.”

Fritz raised an eyebrow as he heard Susie’s excuse for being trapped. “Really, Susie? A free makeup kit?”

“What?! I like wearing makeup.” Fritz felt Susie yank her shoulder away, turning her back to him.

Fritz sighed. “Yeah, okay, whatever you say, Susie.” As he looked around, he noticed that someone was missing from amongst them. “Wait, where’s Jeremy?”

Just as he uttered those words, the door leading to the room opened again. Blinking, he held up his hand to block his eyes from the sudden burst of light that came in. He could see the Purple Guy with another kid by his side. Looking closer, he recognized the kid as his friend, Jeremy. He had the same height and the same wavy hair that Jeremy had. As he continued watching, he saw his friend hesitate before walking into the room. A few seconds later, the door had slammed shut behind Jeremy and was once again locked.

“Hey! What are you doing?” He heard Jeremy scream at the now-closed door.

Fritz turned his attention back to the Golden Freddy animatronic, something pulling at him to do so. It was now that he had begun to notice the putrid smell of decaying flesh that was emanating from it. As he, Susie, and Gabriel started to stare at it, he began to wonder why it smelled so awful. It wasn’t overwhelming, not yet anyway. But a sickening feeling told him that if the animatronic were disturbed, it would make the smell increase in its intensity. He continued watching with wide eyes as Jeremy approached the old animatronic. His mind screamed at his friend to not touch the animatronic, to not disturb it. Yet, he watched as he tapped the plastic on it, making the animatronic sit forward as it opened up.

As the Golden Freddy moved and opened up, the scent of decaying flesh wafted towards him. Fritz covered his nose and mouth with his shirt in an attempt to keep the smell from burning his throat. But it didn’t do much to keep the scent from making its way down his throat. His throat burned with each breath he inhaled into his lungs. The smell started to affect his stomach, making him grow nauseous. Glancing at the animatronic, he saw there was a body inside, the reason for the stench. Looking at the corpse, he recognized it barely as a girl that had attended his school before she went missing.

From where he was standing, he couldn’t see much of her body. But what he saw made him wish he hadn’t looked. He saw the barely visible forms of thousands of white maggots squirming around in and on what had gotten left of the corpse. But what was worse than the smell which filled the room was the sound. The sizzling-like sound of the larvae as they moved around echoed in the room. Amidst the room, he heard the sound of one of his friend’s vomiting. Listening to that only made his own urge to vomit grow stronger. It was almost near impossible to resist.

“Jeremy!” Fritz heard Susie scream after a few seconds. “What are you doing here?”

“I was looking for you,” responded Jeremy, making Fritz look at him.

In the dark, he could somewhat make out the two shadows of Jeremy and Susie as they hugged each other. “Why did you guys get trapped in here?” He heard Jeremy ask after breaking off the hug.

Walking towards the wall to lean against it, Fritz heard Susie explain how they all had gotten trapped in the room. Bracing himself against the wall, he clutched his stomach as he struggled to keep the cake and pizza down. But the overwhelming scent of old flesh rotting away was making it hard to fight back. And the sight of a dead body didn’t help matters either.

“Why did you have to touch that, Jer? Why…” thought Fritz as he felt a bit of his bile, making its way up to his throat, burning it in the process.

A few hours later, he heard the sound of the door opening, making him open his eyes. Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the yellowish light behind him, was the Purple Guy. The light stung his eyes, making him squint. Yet, the darkness seemed to enhance his hearing. With every step that the figure took down the stairs, there was an accompanying creak.

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

Fritz and his friends huddled close together as he watched the Purple Guy approach them. As he watched him move toward Jeremy, he saw his friend trying to get away. But Fritz could see it was in vain. As he saw the Purple Guy grab Jeremy’s arm, he felt him getting pulled away seconds later. He pulled his knees up to his chest as he watched his friend helplessly be dragged up the stairs and out of the room. Seeing his friend getting dragged away, Fritz had a sinking feeling that washed over him. A suspicion that told him that he had just witnessed his friend’s last moment.

An hour had passed, and the room was growing colder with each minute. Fritz and his friends had broken the group huddle a half-hour after Jeremy had left. It wasn’t like their cluster was going to do any good to bring back Jeremy. After they had broken off, he had chosen to huddle in a corner as far from the dead body as it could be. He didn’t care where his friends had gone into the room. The only thing that was on his mind was the thought that he was next to die.

He got his answer an hour later when the door opened again. When he saw the light filter into the room, he looked up from his huddled position. The sound of creaking footsteps made him shake every time he heard them. As he listened to the Purple Guy walk up to him, he closed his eyes, knowing what was to come. Feeling the person’s hand grab his arm and pull him up off the floor, he trembled even more. Yet, Fritz started to walk as the Purple Guy left the room, his arm still in his tight grip. Behind him, he heard the door close.

“Goodbye, Susie. Gabriel…” thought Fritz, stealing one last glance behind him, looking at the door.

He felt the Purple Guy let go of his arm and say, “Come on, you little fucker. Walk.”

Walking weakly, Fritz found that he was getting dragged to a brightly lit room. As he had gotten tossed into the room, he squinted as the light hit his eyes. Inside, Fritz saw the whole place had gotten plastered with plastic. Every step he took made the plastic crinkle underneath his feet. Fritz accidentally bumped into one of the tables, sending a row of chainsaws which varied in size, toppling over like dominos. Spinning around, he saw that Purple Guy was walking past a bloodied ax and sledgehammer, which sat on a separate table from the rest of the non-bloodied tools.

“Wh-where’s Jeremy?” Fritz asked, his voice squeaking as he spoke.

The Purple Guy let out a chuckle as Fritz saw him remove the costume’s head. “He’s dead. Mashed into Foxy.” Fritz watched as he ran his finger across the blade of the ax, coating the tip of the costume’s glove with his friend’s blood. “Oh, that was fun to watch as the wires and beams ripped him to pieces…”

He gulped when he saw the figure eyeing a machete that was sitting on a table next to him. As he saw him pick it up, he saw a sinister smile appear on his face. It was so evil, like a demented clown that was enjoying the torture he was imposing. The dark glimmer in his eyes only outmatched the evil from his smile. It was like Fritz was staring the devil right in the eye.

“Oh, kid…” Fritz could hear the enjoyment in the Purple Guy’s voice. “I have something so awesome planned just for you…”

As Fritz saw the blade of machete glinting in the light, he stepped back. But he tripped over his own feet, causing him to lean against a table full of axes. Unfortunately, as Fritz pushed against the plastic table, Fritz triggered a trap that the Purple Guy had set up. Just as he heard a click sound from behind him, Fritz felt the blade of an ax swing into his abdomen. With the blade slicing deep into his skin, cutting some of his intestinal tract in the process, Fritz felt a warm liquid pour down his shirt. A scream escaped past his lips as he felt a wave of pain wash over him.

He looked down, seeing the edge of the ax buried deep into him. Gingerly, he lifted a hand to the ax, pulling it out from his skin. Once the blade was free, some of his intestinal tract fell out of the wound, dangling in front of him. His arm was shaking as he held onto the ax, watching the blood now pour freely from his open wound. It looked like a river of red as it streamed down his shirt and pants. The ax slipped from his hand, hitting the floor with a clang. Glancing up, he saw the person giving him a pleased grin.

“Oh, I am so happy that it worked.” Fritz was disturbed as he heard the glee in the Purple Guy’s voice. “That was a motherfucker to set up.”

Fritz coughed, spitting out his own blood in the process. He could taste the iron of his blood as it coated his mouth. The pain of the cut in his abdomen made him grow weak as his legs struggled to keep him standing. He reached a hand down to his injury, coating it in the red liquid, which had started to pour at a quicker pace. He tried to ignore the feeling of his warm intestines as they rested in his hands, but he couldn’t ignore the feel of them throbbing with every beat of his heart. His vision started to become a bit hazy as he stood there, still leaning against the table.

“Well, thanks a bunch Fritz. Now I know that trap works.” Fritz watched as the Purple Guy picked up the ax, sniffing the blood as he did so. “Tell you what, seeing as you helped me with the trap, I will make sure your body goes into Bonnie. That way, you get to hang out with him every day. Sound fun, you little fucker?”

Fritz managed to cough out a weak, ‘No…” before he collapsed to the floor.

With his fading vision, Fritz watched as the Purple Guy stood over his collapsed body. His eyes widened as he saw the machete swing downward, aiming for his arm. As the blade sliced through his skin and muscle, hitting the bone, Fritz felt a blood-curdling scream erupt from his throat. He felt the machete being pulled from his arm, getting ready for another blow. With the second blow, he felt his bone shatter and break, causing the blade to slice through the rest of his arm.

Fritz went into shock soon after that blow. Combined with the large amount of blood he had lost, Fritz had gone unconscious. But Fritz was unconscious for just a few seconds as he died soon after. Now a ghost, Fritz stood over his body watching the Purple Guy as he hacked off his other arm. Fritz looked away as he heard a second sickening crack of his bone. When he opened his eyes, Fritz saw the pool of blood around his body had grown in size.

“Whew, that was harder than I expected.” Fritz watched as the figure checked his pulse. “Oh fuck, he died on me. Well, I am still shoving his body into the blasted bunny.”

Following the Purple Guy, Fritz saw him carrying his corpse over his shoulder. The sight was disturbing enough to see, but to see his body without any arms was worse. He watched as the back of Bonnie was opened and prepped for his body. While he waited, he glanced over at Foxy. As he looked, he saw fresh blood pouring out from the seams of the animatronic. Gasping, he covered his mouth in disgust. ‘

“I was right…” thought Fritz as he returned his attention to his own body.

Fritz felt his spirit being pulled towards Bonnie as his body was getting placed inside of the animatronic. As he became trapped inside, his soul rested in his body. Just as Fritz had settled into his body somewhat, he saw his arms carelessly shoved into the bottom of Bonnie, the jagged-edged gears ripping them apart in the process. Being pushed against the apparatus, Fritz watched as his arms became shredded to a pulp that looked oddly similar to hamburger meat. There were bits of muscle, tissue, and bone that had shattered and ripped apart, making what blood remained in his arms spill out. That elicited a squishing-like sound, similar to if someone squished slime in their hands. If Fritz were still alive, he would’ve vomited right then. After that, he heard the gears and metal bars creak as they began to move back into their original positions.

“Oh no…” He muttered as he realized what was coming.

Oddly, Fritz thought he could feel the pain of his ribs being cracked and crushed while three metal bars shoved themselves into the sides of his chest. With a loud crunch, he felt the bars rip past his skin and muscle, making more blood pour out from his body. Looking down, Fritz saw some of the bars had become coated in bits of torn flesh and tissue which had gotten pushed from his body. Before he could register the damage that had gotten caused to his chest, he heard his spine break in half, like a thin twig when someone stepped on it.

Seconds after that, he heard a click, click, click sound as Bonnie’s face started to return to its original position. He looked up just in time to see his skull getting caved in. More blood poured out of the new wounds that were getting formed. With every tooth that fell down Bonnie’s body, he heard a clinking sound accompanying it. His attention had gotten taken away as he saw his skin getting pulled apart, exposing the muscle beneath it. Blood trickled down as the metal bars dug themselves deeper into his body. For a moment, he thought he could feel them as they ripped through his muscles. But the feeling was gone as quickly as it came.

Looking down, he saw several gears push themselves into his legs, ripping his skin apart as a sharper would to pencils. As pieces of his skin fell off, he saw what was left of his blood leak out of his body through the new injuries. With the gears pushing their way deeper into his soft tissue and muscle, they became lubricated with his blood, like it was oil. As he watched his body being ripped and stabbed, he had a singular thought running through his head.

“I miss you, mommy. I love you…”

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

Sunset Shimmer let her hand slide down the front of Bonnie’s face, a distant look in her eyes. As she stood up from her kneeling position, she noticed that her legs shook beneath her. It felt like they had turned to jello as she struggled to make her way back towards Jeremy. Her mind was still replaying the graphic images of Fritz dying as she continued walking. Like Jeremy’s before him, they haunted Sunset Shimmer. Even the sounds of bones cracking and blood dripping onto the plastic echoed in her ears. Unfortunately, with her being distracted, she tripped over her own feet.

“Ow…” mumbled Sunset Shimmer as the fall finally brought her back to reality.

As she looked down at her own hands, she noticed that her skin was pale and clammy. Closing her eyes, she still could see the images of Fritz’s memories playing. But she shook her head, clearing them away as she didn’t want to deal with them anymore. Just as she had managed to shove the images aside, she heard someone running behind her.

“Sunset! Are you okay?” asked Twilight Sparkle as she raced over to Sunset’s side.

Yet, in Twilight’s hurry to be at the redhead’s side, her hand accidentally brushed against Sunset’s scars. Unfortunately, she didn’t realize that until Sunset Shimmer had jumped and pulled away from her. Looking down at her own hand, she sighed. Somehow, even when she tried to be careful, she still messed up. Despite her attempts to not let it get to her, she always felt hurt by the redhead jumping back from her.

“I did it again…” thought Twilight Sparkle as she stood up.

Deciding that she needed to give Sunset Shimmer her space, she walked away, gripping her arm. That allowed Applejack and Rarity to approach her. She watched them as she tried to ignore her building guilt. Seeing Sunset react the same way she had at lunch made Twilight harden her resolve to figure out what her friend was hiding from her.

“Sunset, dear, do you want to talk to us about it?” asked Rarity as she and Applejack kneeled in front of Sunset.

“I would really rather not,” replied Sunset Shimmer as she looked at Rarity. “I don’t want to relive that again…”

Applejack sighed as she held out a hand for Sunset. “I’m sorry you had to go through that again.”

“But there were two other kids with them,” Sunset said as she grabbed Applejack’s hand. “Their names were Susie and Gabriel. And that means that they are in the other animatronics. Just as trapped as Fritz and Jeremy were before we found them.”

Jeremy, who had made his way over to Bonnie after Sunset Shimmer had tripped, stood next to his friend. As Applejack’s lasso snapped, freeing his friend, he stood back. He hoped that having Sunset see his memories had brought back Fritz. The thought of being alone in a strange world knowing that his friends no longer recognized him, hurt. With a hopeful glint in his eyes, he tried to see if Fritz was there.

“Fritz…? Do you know me?” asked Jeremy, sounding hopeful.

The rabbit animatronic looked directly at Jeremy. “J-J-Jeremy?” Fritz asked, revealing that Sunset’s plan had worked.

“Yes, it’s me, Jeremy, Fritz,” said Jeremy, relief, and happiness in his voice.

Just as Jeremy was about to run up to his friend, he saw Twilight Sparkle had walked away from Sunset Shimmer. That drew his attention to the redhead. What had happened between her and her friend? Were they all alright? Glancing at Twilight, it didn’t seem that everything was okay. But he decided it was best not to poke around in something that was not his business. Instead, he walked up to the redhead, wanting to thank her for bringing his friend back.

“Sunset…” Sunset Shimmer turned around to face Jeremy as he walked up to her. “Thank you for bringing Fritz back.”

Sunset’s gaze slowly drifted to Fritz, who was now using the tree to help him stand up. Doing so, she saw him give her a small wave. That small gesture seemed to make the images and sounds in her head ease up. Somehow, that made the memories not seem as violent and disturbing. But it did nothing to lessen the sadness as she realized that he was a sweet kid who ended being brutally murdered by a madman — a crazy man.

“Yeah, thank you. Though, I am sorry you had to see....my memories…” said Fritz, knowing that she had also seen his horrific death. “I know that can’t have been easy for you.”

“No, it wasn’t.” Sunset Shimmer managed to give him a weak smile. “But welcome back, Fritz.”

Sunset Shimmer shifted her focus from Fritz to Twilight Sparkle as she saw her sitting on a nearby boulder. Using what strength she could muster, she made her way over to her. She knew that her knee-jerk reaction of pulling away when Twilight had touched her scars had hurt her. She hadn’t meant for that to happen. It was just an involuntary reaction to being touched there. Yet, some part of her wanted to fight that instinct. To allow Twilight to feel the rough scars, letting her gentle touch wash away the shame she felt every time she saw them glaring back at her in the mirror.

“Hey, Sparky,” said Sunset, sitting on the boulder next to Twilight.

Twilight Sparkle felt Sunset Shimmer grab her hand as she sat down. She wanted to hold it back, badly. Though, she fought the urge and yanked her hand away. Even then, it hurt to have to do that to Sunset, especially when she felt her reach out again towards her. But Twilight's resolve to make Sunset admit the truth was stronger than her heart’s feelings for the beautiful redhead.

“Don’t, Sunset. I don’t want to touch you. I guess…” Twilight bit her lip before she continued. “You lied to me at the gym. I really thought you had gotten over whatever made you react so badly at lunch.”

“Twilight...I-”

“No, Sunset! I don’t want to hear it. I touch you, and you flinch like I am hurting you. Like I am some sort of monster for wanting to help you. I am done feeling like you trust me when you clearly don’t.” Twilight Sparkle shouted at Sunset, her eyes narrowing as she glared at her.

“I-I’m sorry, Twi.” Sunset Shimmer struggled to speak as she felt a wave of tears ready to unleash themselves. “I-I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“Yeah, well, try telling me the truth, then apologize,” said Twilight Sparkle as she got up from the boulder and turned back to the redhead. “I want to be alone for now…”

All Sunset Shimmer could do was sit on the boulder as she watched her friend walk away from her. She had tried not to flinch as she heard Twilight mention the word ‘monster.’ To know that she had made her feel like that, it dug into her skin. The last thing she wanted to do was make her feel like she was a monster. In truth, Twilight’s made her feel like the monster because she had hidden her past from her. A small part of her wanted to go after her to apologize for her reaction. But something told her it was best to leave her alone and not make the situation worse.

“I can’t believe I fucked up...again…” thought Sunset.

“Big time.” said her inner voice, rubbing the fact she had made another mistake in her face.

Sighing, Sunset Shimmer made her way over to where the rest of the girls were, saying, “What do we do now?”

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

Springtrap watched as Sunset Shimmer walked back to her friends. He had been quietly following the events unfolding in front of him. It had been strange to see a girl kneeling with her hand on Bonnie’s head. To add more to that, he had noticed that her eyes had gone white like she had gotten possessed. That made him wonder what she was doing. But he got his answer when he realized that Jeremy was talking to Fritz.

“It’s like that stupid redheaded bitch is bringing the children back. They go from rampaging killer animatronics to their usual selves before I had killed them…” Springtrap said under his breath as he turned his back to the girls.

He started to walk back to the abandoned electrical building. With the new information about what the girls were up to, he had to make a scheme to stop them. If they succeeded in bringing all the children back, that would spell his doom. Not to mention unraveling all the plans he had made to rid himself of the children. They had started to become a severe nuisance to him.

“Of course, those bitchy ass high school girls have powers of some kind.” hissed Springtrap as he kicked a rock, sending it flying into a nearby tree.

Springtrap continued walking away, leaving the path and the girls behind him. Besides, he had plans to make. And a puppet to use to his advantage.

He chuckled to himself. “I will make those girls see that they chose the wrong fucking children to help…”

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

Meanwhile, back on the trail, Applejack was trying to help her friends. She could see that the night and day’s events had taken their toll. Rainbow Dash was leaning against a tree, almost falling asleep, while Pinkie Pie had taken it upon herself to bombard Fritz with all sorts of wacky questions. The poor kid looked like he was facing a hyperactive dog and wasn’t sure what to do. Sunset, meanwhile, was still standing against a tree, her arms across her chest. She hadn’t spoken much since Twilight Sparkle had yelled at her. Rarity was busy making sure there were no branches or leaves in her hair, which made Applejack chuckle. Even at the most inopportune times, she could still be worried about looking her best. The only one who seemed not to be bothered by the events was Fluttershy, who was busy having a conversation with a local raccoon family. The cowgirl sighed and removed her hat, wiping off the beads of sweat that had formed on her forehead.

“How ‘bout we head back to my place? I think we all need some rest after today’s events,” said Applejack as she looked at her friends’ weary expressions.

The cowgirl turned to her party friend, saying, “Pinkie Pie, can you go find Twilight and let her know that we’re leavin’?”

“Okie dokie,” said Pinkie Pie as she turned her attention from bombarding Fritz with questions to finding Twilight.

While Pinkie Pie walked up to where Twilight Sparkle was currently sitting, Fluttershy said goodbye to the raccoon family. As she watched her new furry friends dash off back to their home, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She jumped a little as she let out a small eek of surprise, turning to see that it was Applejack who was standing next to her. Placing a hand over her heart, she took a sigh of relief.

“Oh, it’s just you, AJ,” said Fluttershy, trying to calm her racing heart.

“Sorry for spookin’ you, Shy.” Applejack pulled her hand off her shoulder. “I just wanted to ask you if you know what was going on with Sunset.”

Fluttershy looked at Sunset Shimmer, noticing that their friend seemed rather closed off. “I think she is upset about what happened with Twilight.”

Just as Applejack went to say something, she saw Pinkie Pie walk by with Twilight Sparkle in pursuit. Looking at Sunset, she noticed that she had shrunk away as Twilight got closer to her. Even Twilight seemed to shrink away as well. It was clear to her that what happened earlier had caused some problems. And she was sure of why Sunset Shimmer had upset Twilight. But just as she was about to talk some sense into the redhead, she felt a hand grab her arm.

“Um, I think it's best if we leave her alone for now,” said Fluttershy, knowing what Applejack was up to. “She seems like she just wants some space.”

“Okay, I will give her space,” said Applejack as Fluttershy finally let go of her wrist. “I just hope she stops insisting on hiding her past from Twilight.”

As Twilight Sparkle watched the rest of the girls gather around in a big group, she stayed on the far side of the group. Seeing Sunset, knowing that there was something she didn’t know about her, was beginning to annoy her. Sure, she did respect that it was her past, her choice to tell her. That had gotten harder every time she watched her friend flinch because of something she didn’t know anything about.

“Why can’t you tell me, Sunset? Is it because you don’t trust me? Or...is it because you see me as…” For a moment, Twilight Sparkle didn’t want to let the name cross her mind, but it did anyway. “Midnight Sparkle?”

She refused to acknowledge Sunset’s presence, in hopes of easing the pain she was feeling. But that didn't do much to reduce it, much to her dismay. She had hoped that she could ignore the hurt, but it was like an annoying little voice in the back of her head. It was reminding her that she had gotten pushed aside...again. She wrapped her arms around herself, a growing feeling of nausea threatening to overwhelm her. Glancing at Sunset, she felt her nausea get worse as she felt another pang of sadness.

Rarity, who was walking in front of Jeremy and Fritz, looked between Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer. She could see the tension that had grown between them. She pursed her lips as she glanced over at Applejack, who shared the same worried expression. Whatever the reason was for Sunset to keep her past a secret from Twilight, it couldn’t have been more important than their friendship. Not when she knew exactly how the redhead felt.

“Come on, girls. My farm ain’t too from here,” said Applejack, trying to lighten the tension.

An hour later, Jeremy and Fritz approached Sunset Shimmer. They had waited until they felt it was okay to talk to her. After all, they had witnessed the argument that happened earlier. It had taken a while, but eventually, she had started to talk to Pinkie Pie about what desserts they could add to the menu at Sugarcube Corner. Once she had finished talking, Jeremy began to speak to her.

“Hey Sunset, I was wondering what happened between you and Twilight,” said Jeremy, trying to be respectful of Sunset’s privacy.

Sunset Shimmer bit her lip, looking down. “We just had a disagreement.”

“It seemed like it was more than that,” interjected Fritz. “It seemed like she was hurt.”

“She was,” said Sunset, turning to meet Fritz’s gaze. “She was hurt because of what I did.”

Sunset looked at Twilight Sparkle, who was having a conversation with Fluttershy. She watched as Twilight adjusted her glasses, making the corner of her mouth turn upward. It was one of the cute things she had noticed that her friend did. It was also her favorite thing, aside from the way Twilight always got flustered whenever she would show up.

“What exactly did you do if I can ask?” Jeremy glanced from Sunset Shimmer to Twilight.

“I flinched when she touched…” Sunset stopped as she felt her throat grow dry. “My scars…” She whispered the last part, too afraid of Twilight overhearing it.

“What scars?” asked Fritz, looking from Jeremy to Sunset.

Sunset Shimmer took a deep breath. The conversation was starting to become too much for her. Without answering Fritz’s question, she walked away. She felt terrible for doing that, but she couldn’t tell the kids about her past. Not until she knew Twilight Sparkle wasn’t going to overhear it. Besides telling them without letting Twilight know seemed wrong. The last thing she wanted to do was betray Twilight’s trust even more than she already had. Closing her eyes, she pushed her guilt aside, just wanting to focus on getting back to Applejack’s farm.

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

Eventually, the girls and the kids arrived at Applejack’s farm. By now, the sun had long since given way to nighttime. The sky was now a rich black, making the stars look like diamonds glittering in the sea of blackness. With it being so vast, it was almost overwhelming. Jeremy, knowing where the barn was, led Fritz to it after they had said their goodbyes to the girls. They had a lot of catching up to do with their memories having gotten suppressed for so long. That left the girls to their own devices.

Rainbow Dash took the living room couch, immediately passing out as soon as her head hit the pillow. Rarity went upstairs to take a shower while Applejack and Pinkie Pie went to the kitchen to whip up something to eat. Sunset Shimmer joined her friends in the kitchen, wanting to give Twilight Sparkle her space. Even though they hadn’t made eye contact during their trek back to the farm, it was abundantly clear that Twilight was still avoiding her. Meanwhile, Fluttershy busied herself with playing with Applejack’s dog, Winona.

As Twilight Sparkle was about to get settled in the living room, she heard Sunset Shimmer laugh at something that Pinkie Pie had said. That made her heart race, which only reminded her that she was still hurting over what Sunset had done earlier. The redhead’s laughter was one of Twilight’s favorite things, something that brought her joy when she was feeling scared or worried. But now it just served as a reminder that she was unsure as to how she was supposed to feel about the redhead. With her emotions building, almost becoming too much for her, she got up and walked back out to the porch.

Once outside, Twilight Sparkle leaned against the porch’s wooden railing with her elbows, resting her hands on her biceps. She gazed up at the sky, enjoying the show of twinkling stars above her. The temperature was beginning to drop as a light breeze blew by, making her shiver and rub her arms in an attempt to keep herself warm. Seconds later, she felt something soft and warm brush against her shoulders, making her jump slightly.

“Sorry, sugacube. Didn’t mean to spook you,” said Applejack as she leaned against the railing, joining Twilight.

Twilight Sparkle gripped the edges of the blanket, pulling it tighter against her body. “Thanks, AJ.”

“Are you okay?” Applejack asked quietly, no pressure or demand in her voice. “You seemed quiet on the walk back.”

Twilight Sparkle looked down. “No, not really.”

Applejack nodded, turning her head towards Twilight Sparkle but remained quiet. She could see the struggle in Twilight’s violet eyes. It bothered her that she couldn’t do much. And that the one person who could, refused to, giving excuses as to why she couldn’t let Twilight in. Being someone who valued honesty when it came to friends, it bothered her.

“I am not sure of what to make of it,” said Twilight after a few moments had passed.

“Sunset’s behavior?” asked Applejack.

“Yeah. It’s like I am dealing with someone who is like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. One minute she looks at me like I am her whole world. The next minute she acts like I’m not touching her, but rather that Midnight Sparkle is.” Twilight Sparkle said as she crossed her arms, tucking the blanket with them as she tried to contain the hurt in her voice. “And before you say it, I know that Sunset was a different person before I met her. And that she is ashamed of that.”

“That is true.” Applejack stated. “She still hates herself for what happened and what she did.”

“I got that. But I have done some things I am not very proud of either. Like what happened at the Friendship Games. Yet, she helped me see past that.” Twilight Sparkle furrowed her eyebrows, her sadness, and anger at Sunset Shimmer building as she spoke. Looking down, she let out a shaky breath before continuing. “It’s confusing to me. How can she help me but not take her own advice?”

Applejack could see tears forming in Twilight’s eyes as she spoke. “I know, sugarcube.”

“It’s so unfair that I am the one who seems to be the one who is taking the blunt for Sunset’s past when I’m the only one who doesn’t even know what happened. And hard as I try, it’s near impossible for me to sit by and have her not tell me when I keep getting hurt for something I know nothing about.” Twilight Sparkle took off her glasses, drying her cheeks with the sleeve of her shirt.

Applejack gently pulled Twilight into a hug. “I’m sorry you are in this position, Twi.”

Twilight rested her cheek against the cowgirl’s shoulder. “I don’t know what to do now…”

“What’s your heart tellin’ you?” asked Applejack, a caring look in her eyes.

Twilight Sparkle sighed and said, “I don’t know what it's telling me.”

“Want to try and translate?” asked Applejack as she broke off the hug, letting Twilight put her glasses back on.

Twilight Sparkle looked up at the night sky, staring at nothing in particular. She tried to listen to what her heart was telling her. But it was hard to say with her emotions tearing her in two different ways. Sighing, she decided to give it her best to try and translate it.

“I don’t want to hurt Sunset.” Twilight started. “But to avoid doing that, I need to know what I can and can’t do. Which means I have to rely on her telling me her limits. But if she can’t do that, then maybe I should consider keeping to myself. I don’t want to continue to be hurt.”

Applejack turned around, leaning her back against the railing. “I don’t blame you for not wanting to be hurt.”

Twilight’s eyebrows gathered as she pushed her hurt aside. “If that means cutting off contact with her, then that is what I will do. Even if it will kill me to do that to her…”

“Don’t you think it’s a bit drastic to be resorting to cutting all contact with her?” asked Applejack, noticing that Sunset Shimmer was giving her a worried look. “Don’t you think you could at least ask her to tell you what happened?”

“Maybe. But if that falls through, I am left with being hurt because I can’t be near Sunset and not feel like we should have trust between us. Because, if all that she has said is true, then she should be able to talk to me. I want to be there for her, to help her as she helped me. I want to do that because…” Opening her eyes, Twilight Sparkle had gotten forced to face her real feelings, the ones she had tried to ignore because she didn’t want to be hurt anymore.

“Because you love her,” stated Applejack, matter-of-factly.

Looking at Applejack, hurt in her eyes, Twilight said softly, “I do love her.”

Applejack squeezed Twilight’s arm gently. “Well, I am glad you figured that out. But what are going to do with that?”

“I don’t know,” muttered Twilight, bringing her hands to her hair. “How is it that I love her when she seems to want to keep me on the outside? When she seems like it hurts to have me love her…?”

Sensing that Twilight Sparkle wanted to be alone, Applejack walked back into the living, closing the front door. Just as she walked into the kitchen, she saw Sunset Shimmer sitting at the counter, staring at her phone. Walking up to her, she sat in the chair next to her.

“Stop hurtin’ her,” said Applejack as she slapped Sunset’s forearm.

Sunset Shimmer looked up from her phone, rubbing her arm. “Ow! What was that for, AJ? And what do you mean stop hurting her?”

Applejack glared at Sunset, a serious expression on her face. “Stop lyin’ to Twilight. You’re hurtin’ her.”

Sunset Shimmer had never seen her friend look this serious. Sure, she had seen Applejack be serious before, but this was different. It was like she was angry at her. Which, given that she valued honesty, she didn’t find that surprising. But what she did find astonishing was that her friend was so forward about her anger.

Turning off her phone, Sunset Shimmer said, “AJ-”

Applejack walked away, not letting Sunset Shimmer finish. As she watched the cowgirl walk upstairs, she heard the front door open. Turning her attention to the door, she saw Twilight Sparkle walk in, gripping the blanket. For a minute, she caught her eye. Visible tears were running down her cheeks, falling from her tear-filled eyes. She could see that she was bothered by the argument from earlier. Before she had a chance to say something, she saw Twilight turn around, heading towards the back room where Rarity was now seated.

“Twilight…” Sunset sighed, her gaze drifting to her phone. “I am sorry.”

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

The next morning, Sunset Shimmer had become fed up with her class. Her mind wanted to focus on Twilight, not learn about the history of the 1600s. Sitting in her chair, she tried to focus on the assignment. But the teacher’s voice sounded like it was far away as her thoughts started to pull her away.

“Why did I have to flinch away from Twilight? Why couldn’t I just let her touch my scars…” She thought as she tapped the eraser of her pencil on the paper.

Sleeping was an impossible task for her the night before. The image of Twilight’s teary-eyed gaze bored itself into her mind. Hard as she tried, she couldn’t erase it. When she did finally get some sleep, she dreamt of Twilight. The troubling part of her dream was the fact that she had to watch her friend walk away from her, saying that it was over. That repeated over and over throughout the night. When she woke up, it was a relief to no longer have to relive the nightmare.

“Open up to her. Move on from the past. How can you console her but not be able to let her do the same?” asked her inner voice.

“I don’t know…” was all Sunset could manage to say.

“You have to tell her eventually. What’s the worst that could happen?” Her inner voice said.

“I could lose her.” Sunset gulped.

“You’ll lose her if you don’t tell her. She’ll hate you for lying to her, for dragging the girls into the lie with you.” Her inner voice now started to seem threatening to her.

“But if I tell her, she may never look at me the same way. She might see me as the monster I once was, rather than her friend.” Sunset Shimmer looked down at her paper, trying to hold back the pain as she struggled not to see Twilight’s scared expression.

Just as Sunset Shimmer had started to spiral into a dark depression, she heard the lunch bell rang. Without a second thought about Twilight, she gathered her stuff, shoving it into her bag. As she got through the crowd of students that was rushing to the cafeteria, she saw her friends sitting at their usual table. Walking up to them, she sat down on the furthest end from Twilight Sparkle.

“Hey Sunset, you look terrible,” said Pinkie Pie, stating the obvious.

‘Thanks, Pinkie.” Sunset Shimmer answered in a flat tone, staring down at the table.

“Did you not sleep well, darling?” Rarity asked, resting a hand on Sunset’s shoulder.

Sunset Shimmer looked up, meeting Rarity’s concerned gaze. She gave her a small smile, thankful that her friend cared for her. But in the corner of her eye, she saw Twilight Sparkle look away, focusing on her tray of food.

“I didn’t sleep. At all. My thoughts wanted to torture me last night…” replied Sunset, folding her arms as she rested them on the table, missing the brief puzzled look Twilight gave her.

The redhead fell asleep a few minutes after that, her exhaustion overpowering her. As she slept, her mind replayed the events of the Fall Formal, but there was something different. Instead of the girls, there was just Twilight. Except, it wasn’t the princess, it was human Twilight that stood in front of her.

“Twilight? What are you doing here?” asked Sunset, her voice echoing in her dream.

But instead of getting an answer, she watched as Twilight Sparkle backed away from her. That made her look down at her own hands, seeing the all too familiar claws of Demon Shimmer. When she saw that, the rest of her started to change to match, slowly, she felt her body heat up and shift, becoming more demonic by the second. Her skin became blood red, matching her wings as they pushed themselves from her shoulder blades. Same as when she had put the crown on, her hair had become like fire with flames flickering off of her. Minutes later, her transformation back into Demon Shimmer was finished.

“Twilight…” began Sunset. “I wanted to tell you.”

“Then why didn’t you, Demon Shimmer?” asked Twilight, a malicious tone in her voice. “Were you just a coward, ashamed of your past?”

Sunset Shimmer gasped, shocked at the change in her friend. It was so unusual for Twilight to act so...mean. Yet, she was standing in front of her, calling her a coward. And it hurt. Sunset felt her wings wrap around herself as she looked away from Twilight.

“I…” Sunset wasn’t sure she should say.

“Oh, cut the crap, Demon Shimmer. I know you lied to me,” said Twilight, her voice changing as she spoke. “I know you lied to me to protect your precious secret.”

Sunset Shimmer looked up to see Twilight’s usual appearance changing, morphing back into Midnight Sparkle. She staggered back as her horn and wings appeared, fear taking its hold on her. But the changes didn’t stop there as her skin started to darken, returning to its previous state at the Friendship Games. That only made her back away more, worried about what was going to happen.

“Tw-Twilight? What’s happening?” asked Sunset, her voice cracking as she felt her back hit the Wondercolt statue.

“I am becoming what you are – a monster,” said Twilight, letting out a sinister chuckle.

Just as Sunset Shimmer was about to respond, she heard another voice calling her name. It was faint, but there. For a moment, she thought it was Twilight, but it didn’t sound like her. Taking her attention off Twilight Sparkle and her transformation, she focused her attention on the mysterious voice. She whirled around, wondering where it was coming from. It called her name again, this time sounding less distant than the first. In an attempt to figure out what it was saying, she listened carefully to what it was saying.

“Where are you going, Demon Shimmer?” shouted Twilight Sparkle as her voice grew more and more distant. “I was just starting to have fun torturing you…”

Sunset Shimmer ignored her, wanting to find where the mysterious voice was coming from. And to be truthful, she didn’t want to talk to Twilight or Midnight Sparkle, whoever she was now. Not if meant she was going to be tormented and taunted by her. Shaking her head, she focused back on the voice and tried to find it.

“Sunset? Sunset, wake up. Sunset!” The voice grew louder as it called her name.

She followed the voice, darkness slowly starting to appear as she got closer. The closer she got, the darker the world around her became. By now, she could barely see Twilight Sparkle or the Wondercolt statue behind her as she made her way towards the front door. When the voice called her name again, she recognized the voice as belonging to Fluttershy. A few seconds later, as she opened the doors leading into CHS, the darkness completely swallowed her.

“Sunset?” asked the voice again.

Sunset Shimmer opened her eyes, seeing Fluttershy shaking her by the shoulder. Looking around, she noticed that everyone was starting to leave the cafeteria. She sat up, stretching out her stiffened back and neck.

“The bell rang, didn’t it?” Sunset Shimmer asked as she grabbed her messenger bag.

Fluttershy nodded. “We have to get to class now.”

With a groan, Sunset got up from the table. One by one, the girls left the cafeteria. The last one to go was Twilight. As Twilight Sparkle walked past Sunset Shimmer, she grabbed her hand. Upon contact, the redhead felt her heart race as electricity pulsed through her veins. Hard as she tried, she couldn’t control the adrenaline that overtook her body.

“I can’t lose her!” screamed Sunset Shimmer in her mind, trying to keep her desperation to herself.

Looking up, Sunset Shimmer saw Twilight’s gaze go from exasperation to confusion. But the confusion gave way to serenity as she saw her blush. That blush was soon followed by a light squeeze against her hand. Feeling that, Sunset Shimmer felt her own chest heave at the gesture, barely managing to smile at Twilight back as she felt her own emotions grow uncontrollably. Yet, amid her emotional high, she felt her hand slip from hers as she started to walk away.

“Well, that was brief but sweet…” Sunset’s conscience said as the ringing of the bell drowned it out.

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

After school had ended, the girls had met at Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie Pie had insisted they meet there so they could try her new vanilla creme cupcakes with fudge frosting. She had made them a week prior while trying to find a new way to combine the flavors of fudge and vanilla. As the girls took their seats at the counter, they waited for Rainbow Dash to show up. She had soccer practice she needed to go, but Rainbow Dash said she’d meet them at Sugarcube Corner.

“Where did Pinkie go?” asked Rarity as she set her bag on the counter.

“She went to the back to get her ‘Chocolate-Vanilla Swirl’ cupcakes,” replied Sunset as she glanced down at the counter.

Just as Sunset Shimmer said that there was a familiar sound of the bell ringing above the door as it opened, the girls all turned around to see their rainbow-haired friend walking into the cafe.

“Yes! No more school for the weekend!” shouted Rainbow Dash, throwing her hands into the air.

“While we may be out of school, we still gotta hunt down the rest of the blasted animatronics before they cause any more harm,” said Applejack, reminding the excited athlete of what they had to do during the week as she sat down.

“Oh...yeah, that.” Rainbow Dash sighed. “Man, so much for getting my book signed by A.K. Yearling.”

“Where do we start?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

Sunset Shimmer rested her finger on her chin, thinking about their next move. When Pinkie Pie brought her new cupcake creations, she grabbed her own, taking a bite of it. She recalled the footprints she had seen at the police station, the ones which led them directly to Fritz. If going to the police station had helped them find Fritz, she wondered if returning would reveal any new clues. After all, they had found Jeremy’s friend around there.

“Girls, I think we should go back to the police station,” said Sunset.

“Do you think that would work? Just because we found Jeremy’s friend nearby, doesn’t mean the rest of his friends would be around there,” said Twilight, setting her own cupcake down.

“I don’t know, Twilight. But it’s worth a shot,” replied Sunset before taking another bite of her cupcake.

Pinkie Pie beamed at her friends, barely able to contain her excitement as she awaited her friends’ responses to her new creation. It had taken her weeks to get each flavor to taste right. The next task was to get both the chocolate and vanilla to mingle together. She had failed numerous times, having either the chocolate or vanilla overpower the other. But this time, she was convinced that she had finally gotten it right.

“So, what do you girls think?” asked Pinkie Pie, nearly trembling from her excitement.

“Mhm, these are good, Pinkie,” said Applejack as she swallowed the last of her cupcake. “Probably one of your best creations.”

“Yeah, they are excellent,” added Sunset, taking another bite of hers. “Still not better than my favorite; triple cocoa swirl cupcakes.”

Pinkie Pie widely smiled as she heard her friends’ approval. “Sweet! I am glad you girls like it.”

“Um, girls?” Twilight Sparkle interjected, pointing to the slowly setting sun. “I think we should get going before we have to walk home in the dark. Again…”

Sunset Shimmer got up and threw her cupcake wrapper away. Walking back, she said, ‘Twilight’s right. We should go before nightfall.”

The girls all finished their cupcakes, throwing away their wrappers as they exited the sweet shop. As they walked away from the shop, their shadow from the previous night returned. Unbeknownst to them, their shadow had plans for their demise, plans they could help make happen…

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

Once they returned to the police station, they crouched behind some bushes, keeping themselves hidden. Outside, like the night before, there were bunches of officers sitting around in the grass or on the benches around the police station. They also found the same footprints from the night before. But there didn’t seem to be any new ones joining the group. Though, it was hard to tell in the sea of officers walking in front of the prints and forest. Sunset sighed and walked back to the safety of the next street.

“There are no new footprints. Guess you were right, Twilight.” Sunset Shimmer said as she leaned her back against a tree. “They didn’t show up.”

Twilight Sparkle rested a hand on the redhead’s shoulder. “Just because we didn’t find them here, doesn’t mean they aren’t nearby.”

While Twilight Sparkle was talking to Sunset, Rainbow Dash looked around the street they were standing on. She could see groups of people walking in and out of the nearby shops and restaurants. With that many people walking around, it seemed impossible to be able to spot a big yellow animatronic chicken. As she scanned the street, she came across a new KFC restaurant which had opened two weeks ago. There weren’t a lot of people around it, making it easier to spot something unusual if she saw it.

“Maybe we should’ve brought Jeremy and Fritz with us.” Sunset Shimmer sighed and crossed her arms. “Then, we wouldn’t be running around aimlessly trying to find a big yellow chicken.”

“And risk them getting seen? Sunset, you made the right choice in keeping them at the barn,” said Twilight, resting her hands on Sunset’s.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash kept her eye on the KFC restaurant, her gut instinct telling her that something was there. A few seconds later, her gut instinct had gotten proved right when she spotted something big and yellow. Narrowing her eyes, she leaned forward, wanting to get a better view of what the object was. In doing so, she realized who or rather what it was.

“Guys, I think I found Chica,” said Rainbow Dash in a hushed shout.

Sunset Shimmer and the rest of the girls all crowded around Rainbow Dash. There was an 8-foot tall, yellow animatronic chicken standing in front of the building. Unaware that it had gotten spotted, it circled the front of the restaurant. They watched as it stopped in front of a poster with a bucket full of chicken. Rainbow Dash struggled to contain her laughter as she saw the sight in front of her.

“Guess that chicken has found out what happens to its cousin,” whispered Rainbow Dash in between stifling her building laughter.

Punching Rainbow Dash’s arm, Sunset Shimmer glared at her. “Shush it unless you want it to hear us and run off.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes but kept quiet. Staying out of sight, the girls all made their way towards the animatronic. Thankfully, there was no one else around as they got within 5 feet of it. As it turned around, they quickly dove behind some nearby bushes, trying to remain as quiet as they could. Sunset peered up, making sure that the animatronic was facing the poster before motioning for her friends to get up.

“Is that why that stupid rainbow-haired human called me a ‘KFC wannabe’? Because I am a...chicken?” asked Chica, talking to herself, unaware that she was about to be attacked.