A love story that exists

"I'm hooooooommmmee!" Pinkie sing-songed as she twirled through the front doors of Sugarcube Corner. Behind her was a cart of caramel apples.

The Candy Mare couldn't help but lick her lips at the familiar sight. "Wowza."

"Yep! Made by the generous Apple family - well, Rarity is supposed to be the generous one, oh well, I guess the Elements are interchangable now - delicious and caramelized and I must have had about five before I got here." She giggled. "Oops. But hey, there's enough for you! And the trick-or-treaters!"

Trick-or-treaters.

The word flew into the back of Candy's brain and nestled there. Simmering. When there's treat, there's always trick. She'd learned that before she should have.

But, hey. More food, more energy! I mean, the apples from last night were tasty anyway....

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They set aside ten for themselves, which still left about sixty left over. It would take much resolve to resist them, but it happened. Noon came and went. Parents usually came out with their young around 7 in the evening, and Pinkie anxiously awaited the night.

There were less than two hours to kill. The Candy Mare laughed to herself. Yeah, maybe. The killing part. Did it worry her that now her thoughts were choppy and kept bombarding her with tricks and treats? Yes and no. It always surged around this time of year. It did stay present year-round, but boy, did Nightmare Night suck.

Pinkie did give her the opportunity to hand out the caramel apples and pieces of chocolate that accompanied them. Could she? Would she? Should she? No, maybe, and no. It was harmless pretending her body was a costume. It did do harm to attempt to eat someone, but end up being too weak to do so, and getting caught.

And imprisoned.

She shuddered. The chill down her spine nearly wiped her half-smirk out. Tricks. Always tricks.

The grandfather clock in the guest room chimed. Candy sat straight up from where she had been slouched against the headboard of the bed. One hour left. She looked outside, taking note that the sun was nowhere near setting just yet. What happened to Equestria? It struck her that she didn't exactly know. She got so little of a taste of the outside world, despite last night.

(The hunt produced no ponies. It did bear, however, an entire apple orchard.)

I have to do this. Pinkie Pie kill. No. What? Kill Pinkie....

She tried to shake her head out of it, but her thoughts kept going. No, wait...sentences. TRICKS. No plan. Would she. Help?

The Candy Mare sighed. "No."

Her legs protested as she slunk out of bed and downstairs. Knives. She'd start with Pinkie Pie, and then she would most likely get strong enough to eat some more ponies. But Pinkie couldn't fight back, or else, in the case the Candy Mare wasn't able to kill her, she'd call for help.

Knives.

As she neared the bottom of the stairs and came around to the counter, she kept her eyes downcast. Then looked up, and stopped in her tracks.

Ponies. Everywhere.

Her mouth watered.

She wasn't that weak, was she? It would take just a little fog. A few tricks. Treats.

She saw herself in the middle of the square, lashing out at every single pony in sight. They would become hers. They would feel her pain. They would become her army of sorts. They would storm the Everfree, if Luna was still there, and all would be well.

Then she saw herself in the middle of the square again, but not a pony was in sight. It was daylight. Vultures feasted on her candied corpse.

She had her share of caramel apples. They wouldn't work. Something sweet never worked, never, she would never work, never, NEVER. She was just too unnatural for this world. This place was supposed to be hers. Another universe, through that fissure in Limbo, oh that damned hell, that Limbo -

She turned towards the kitchen. Knives.