Nothing but Darkness and Cupcakes
………It happened.
………Once again, it happened.
………Another night of no sleep.
It’s already bad that she already deals with insomnia, but with these nightmares, her nights of sleeplessness gets even worse.
Steady Beats always laid awake at night from her sleeping habits; the unicorn mare suffered mass amounts of abuse from her family, which caused her to leave her old town and into a new home where she could live without fear. She lived in Ponyville for about 6 years while working as an artist who earns her living from the commissions. Her days living in this town was more peaceful than she expected despite the bright ponies she encounters; she prefers being alone though since that meant she doesn’t have to fear being hurt again and maybe try to stay alive this time. She’s gained suicidal tendencies because of her past and has even tried killing herself many times only to fail each time.
Lately, Steady Beats’ sleep patterns have gotten worse due to some very odd nightmares, which usually wasn’t a problem since she’s always had very weird dreams and nightmares that she could make into her art, but these were…….more unusual. She couldn’t even begin to understand why they were occurring. They all shared one thing though; a bright pony in a stitched outfit chasing her with different weapons. The face was always obscured and the color was unidentifiable, but it was always the same pony.
After checking the clock and seeing that it was almost 8 in the morning, Steady decides to get up and get ready for the day. She walks to the bathroom and starts brushing her brown mane while staring at herself in the mirror; she noticed her blue fur looking paler than usual and even her dark brown eyes looking kinda dull from the exhaustion, void of life and light. She then looked down at her wrists and arms, eyeing each individual scar that was on her skin and under her fur. Nothing felt better to her than the release of numbness, even if what she felt was pain, and it was better than remember the past.
Once Steady Beats got done brushing her mane, she brushes her teeth and washes her face. For a few minutes, she stared at herself in the mirror and just thought about the nightmares; she didn’t know why, but they actually didn’t really scare her as they did make her feel numb. Why was she just feeling so numb? When will it end? And what can she do to finally have the permanent release? At least it was better than the past or things would be messier than it is now.
After leaving her bathroom and using her magic to grab her glasses, she thought deeply about what to do for today; she didn’t have any commissions to do and she didn’t really have any friends since she lived alone. She sighed and decided to go into town to do some shopping; she was running out of food and art supplies and since she still had money from her last commissions, she was able to spend a bit of bits.
After grabbing her saddlebag and her sack of bits, Steady leaves her home and walks into town, kindly saying hello to any pony who greeted her. For the next 3 hours, she walks through different stores to grab her groceries and art supplies; the owners who do know her did comment on her looking pale, but she told them how she wasn’t feeling well but needed food anyway. She starts walking to another shop when she accidentally bumps into another pony while thinking about the nightmares again; she saw that she bumped into the pink party pony Pinkie Pie.
“Oh….I’m so sorry Ms. Pinkie….Guess I wasn’t paying attention….” Steady said in a low and solemn tone, her expression not changing.
“It’s ok SB, it happens!” Pinkie said in a chipper voice but then frowned when seeing how pale the blue mare looked; Pinkie was familiar with Steady with her art and even commissioned her a few times. “Hey Steady Beats, are you ok? You look pale.” The pinkie pony asked, obviously worried.
“….I’m ok Ms. Pinkie….just feeling a bit ill….but I need to get more food….” Steady said kindly, giving a weak attempt at a smile but it only made Pinkie raise an eyebrow; she knew about her past and knows how it can mess up others, while she knows that SB was quite depressive, the air around her felt very different.
“I don’t believe you! Do you know what you need? A trip to Sugarcube Corner for some cupcakes!” Pinkie said with a hop as she starts dragging the blue mare towards the shop, ignoring her arguments.
Once Pinkie and Steady Beats reach Sugarcube Corner, the party pony sits the mare down then trots to the kitchen; Steady was always interested in Pinkie’s energy and was jealous of it since she can’t even remember the last time she even had childlike energy. While waiting on Pinkie, she uses her magic to grab one of the bottles of lemonade and starts drinking it, trying to pick up her spirits so maybe Pinkie might let her go home.
After 10 minutes, Pinkie Pie bounces up to Steady Beats and sets down a cupcake, the frosting matching the color of her blue fur and topped with a bright red cherry; Pinkie knew how she enjoyed anything cherry flavored, so the cupcake should entice the blue mare, which it did. Steady Beats sighed and used her magic to take the cupcake and inspect it before finally taking a small bite, tasting the vanilla cake infused with a cherry filling while the frosting tasted of cherry as well. The mare nodded slowly and kept eating; the cupcake tasted amazing, but she just could not give more than a nod because of feeling so numb.
“Do you like it SB? I bet you do!” Pinkie said with a jump, waiting for a smile to appear on the mare’s face.
“It’s amazing as always Ms. Pinkie….” Steady Beats said as she finished the cupcake, making the pinkie pony frown from her not smiling or even giving any emotion; this made Pinkie pout and sit on the chair.
“I usually would get mad for anyone not smiling at my baking, but since you say you’re not feeling good, I’ll let this slide!” Pinkie Pie said as she rested her chin on her hooves, watching Steady Beats nod then taking a drink of her lemonade.
“Thank you for the dessert Ms. Pinkie……and I’m sorry I can’t express my gratitude more.” The blue mare said kindly, but noticed that Pinkie looked at her like she was waiting for something to happen; Steady looked on her body and checked her face to make sure there wasn’t anything on her, but there was nothing. “Is something wrong Ms. Pinkie?”
“Nope! Just waiting!” Pinkie said as she kept her gaze locked on Steady Beats.
“…….What are you waiting for?” Steady Beats asked as used her magic to put the bottle into the garbage, but misses; she thought it was because of her being so tired, but for some reason, she started feeling more tired than usual.
“Nap time!” Pinkie said with a wide grin as Steady started to sway, falling out of her chair and falling asleep on the floor.
Nothing but Darkness and Cupcakes
Steady Beats slowly opens her eyes and sees herself on a concrete floor. She remembered falling asleep at Sugarcube Corner after Pinkie Pie gave her a cupcake, but the floors look different than the ones at the shop. She sat up and looked at her surroundings, seeing that the room looks different as well as being very dark; her eyes was use to dark lighting due to her always trying to hide from her abusive family in hard to reach places, so she knew if she saw any pony in the room or not and luckily she was alone.
After a few minutes, she stands onto her hooves and uses her magic to illuminate the area, seeing what room she was in. The room had different party decorations, but they looked different than normal decorations. She slowly walked closer to a table when her eyes go wide at the sight; 4 different objects looked like skulls, but they looked too real.
After a minute, Steady Beats decides to brighten up her magic to get a better look at the decorations, seeing that they were all actually of different pony parts; organs to look like balloons, party hats made of pony skin, streamers made of intestines, and even a banner that hung was made of skin and had the words “Life is a Party” in blood. She stood and basked in the horror, but weirdly didn’t react like how she thought she would; instead, she kept thinking how it all looked familiar somehow, like how she seemed to see it somewhere.
Suddenly, Steady Beats hears the sound of hooves coming towards the room; instead of being afraid, she decides to calmly sit on the chair beside the horrifying table. Once the lights come one, blinding the mare temporarily, she sees a figure at the door that she definitely now recognize; it was the bright colored mare in the stitched dress, but the mare was in the form of the pink party pony. Along with the stitched dress that showed different cutiemarks, she also saw different colored wings attached to the back as well as a necklace of unicorn horns.
This weirdly didn’t make the blue pony afraid, but somehow…….very excited.
“You’re finally awake SB? You’ve been asleep for 5 days and I never thought you’d wake up!” Pinkie said as she looked in surprise, almost shocked that the unicorn mare was sitting like nothing is wrong.
“5 days huh…….I can’t remember the last time when I actually got some sleep…….Guess whatever was in that cupcake helped me out,” Steady Beats said in her tired tone; she still feels so numb, but it was like a little of herself came back.
“I really wanted to have fun with you SB, but when I went to get you ready, somehow a force field appeared over your whole body like it knew somepony was near.” The party pony said with a pout, looking very disappointed and almost angry at the mare she was staring at; this didn’t even phase Steady Beats as she nodded slowly.
“When I start having nightmares or worries about my safety in my sleep because of my abusive past…..I subconsciously make a barrier that no one could penetrate it and I could attempt to rest easy……..But sadly, it never does help with my sleep, but it does help get my magic stronger.” Steady Beats said as she stood up, making the pink pony look angrier.
“Well it not only ruined my preparation, but you also had me wait 5 days for your stupid butt to wake up!” Pinkie said as she stomped her way inside and walked to a large box, digging around for something; Steady got curious and used her magic to lift the party pony to her, only to see that she’s now holding a butcher knife.
“You look just like a pony I saw in my nightmares that’s been keeping me up for months…….So either you have somehow jumped into my head and decided to do this to scare me……or I’ve seen you like this before and I just forgot.” Steady Beats said, her tone or expression not changing while Pinkie struggled to get free, not close enough for her to slash the blue mare.
“Put me down! You’re ruining everything! I need to make cupcakes!” The party pony screamed as she kept moving around but then freezes at the sight of Steady, whose expression was unchanging still but her eye started twitching.
“Why would you need a butcher knife to make cupcakes Pinkie? And why would I need to be knocked out to do so?” Steady Beats asked in a deep voice, making Pinkie shutter; Pinkie thought to herself how even in her years of doing this, she’s never met anypony who seems so cold and unmoving.
“W-well SB, I-I need a special ingredient and you have it! S-So I need to get it so I can make cupcakes!” Pinkie said in a shaky voice, now stopped all movement, and looked at the mare in her dead eyes.
“………you’re gonna make me into cupcakes Ms. Pinkie?” Steady Beats asked, realizing the reality of what the pink mare’s intentions were but she still wasn’t afraid in the slightest.
“M-maybe…..” Pinkie asked as she still stared, now sweating and really hoping to be let go.
“I see……..it’s just like in my nightmares too…….but…….why am I not afraid? And why am I not running away when I could tie you up?” The mare said to herself as she stared at Pinkie, deep in thought.
“W-well, m-maybe if you put me down, I-I can help you figure that out!” Pinkie said with a kind smile, dropping the knife; Steady looked at her unblinking while still thinking.
“Why should I let you down? You could be lying and try to attack me…..” The blue mare said with her head slightly tilted, still holding Pinkie up with her magic.
“I promise that I won’t attack you Steady Beats! I’ll even Pinkie Pie promise you” Pinkie said frantically as she did the motions for the promise, praying to Celestia that it’ll make her be put down.
Steady Beats took a minute to contemplate whether to let Pinkie Pie down or not when finally she nods and lets the pink pony down, her magic slowly letting up and making Pinkie smile wider.
*Wack*
A sudden jolt threw the pink pony to the wall, knocking the wind out of her and breaking two of the wings on her dress.
*Wack* *Crunch*
A second jolt sent her to the other side, hitting the wall and breaking her nose. Pinkie screamed in pain as she didn’t have enough time to protect her face as the jolt came unexpectedly. After a few seconds, she’s jolted back in front of the blue mare, whose expression was the same but her eyes were filled with malice.
“Did you really think I was going to fucking let you go free? You didn’t think I was going to fucking believe that bullshit and let you possibly take a chance at attacking me? Think again Pinkie Pie……..you’re lucky I didn’t try to fucking break your legs to the point of no return……” Steady Beats said in a low growl, making Pinkie whimper in fear while her nose poured blood.
“B-but I-I Pinkie Pie promised you SB! And I don’t break a promise!” Pinkie said as tears start pouring down her face, trying to stop her nose bleed but also in pain from her nose being broken.
“And I know that’s a load of horseshit…….I bet you said that to so many ponies before you kill them……” The mare said as she stared into Pinkies’ eyes; the pink pony hung her head in disappointment as she was caught in a lie.
Steady Beats stood and thought of what to do with Pinkie pie since letting her go would be suicide. She then saw an upright table with cuffs attached and decided to take advantage of it, pinning the pink pony to the table and locking her into place. Pinkie then starts struggling and trying to find a way to escape.
“You know……I respected you in some way Pinkie……I always wanted your happiness and energy since I haven’t had that in who knows how long……” Steady said in her unchanging voice as she slowly paced in front of Pinkie, who was still struggling.
“What are you going to do to me?” Pinkie shouted in fear, not even making the blue mare flinch.
“Good question…..maybe I could hurt you as you did to all your victims……maybe I could leave you here to be found and may be arrested for what you’ve done……” Steady Beats said as she kept pacing, thinking deeply about what to do.
“Let me go SB…..if you let me go…..I’ll go straight to the police and tell them what I’ve done.” Pinkie said through pain-filled sobs.
“……………….nice try Pinkie,” Steady said as she used magic to pick up the dropped knife, studying it carefully and looking at the blood that was caked onto it; Pinkie sobbed more as she genuinely thought she was going to die.
After a few minutes of staring at both the pink mare and the knife, Steady Beats walks closer to the table and runs a hoof along Pinkie’s left flank, stroking her yellow and blue balloon cutiemark; this made Pinkie whimpers and get very afraid of what might happen. A scream then erupts from the pink mare as the blue mare uses the knife to cut around the cutiemark, cutting deeper than what Pinkie would do to her victims. Once the mark was removed along with a large chunk of meat from her flank, she goes and does the other side without mercy.
After she was done, Steady set the knife and chunks of meat onto the table then looks at the crying party pony. She then looks at Pinkie’s bleeding flanks and stared at the blood that flows down her legs; there was a growing urge to do more with the pink pony, not only to see more blood, but to see more of her suffering.
“Does it hurt Pinkie? Do you now know how your victims feel?” Steady Beats asked with a little bit more life in her voice, which actually surprised herself as well as Pinkie, but it disappeared as soon as it came.
“It burns!!! Make it stop!!!” Pinkie screamed as she squirmed in pain, the cuts burning from the air hitting the wounds, only to be met with the blank stare of the blue mare.
“I bet it does…….” Steady Beats think deeply while staring at the blood. “Why do you make ponies into cupcakes Pinkie? Is it because of taste? Is it to rid of the body so there isn’t any searching?” Steady asked sadly.
“B-both……I d-did it to make the blood and m-meat into cupcakes cause it tasted good, but I-I didn’t realize till later it w-worked as ridding the body…..” Pinkie said in a shaky voice, still crying from the pain; the blue mare nods slowly and sighs deeply.
After a minute of taking in everything, Steady walks to the trunk and looks through the contents.
“You know…….I could use this opportunity to ruin your life and break you where you could never bake or even throw parties ever again……..Tell me why I shouldn’t……” The mare said lowly as she looked back at Pinkie, who now looks panicked and struggling badly to escape.
“Please don’t! I love parties and baking! I don’t want to lose that Steady Beats! I just want to make every pony happy!” The party pony shouted as she kept struggling.
“Then why do you kill the ponies you want to be happy?” Steady said as she stood by the trunk still, not accepting the answer given.
“I-it’s an addiction……..I’m addicted to the cupcakes I make made from ponies…….I just need it and I can’t stop……” Pinkie said as she stopped her struggling and hung her head in shame; Steady nods and sighs in frustration.
“You technically can Pinkie……even if you have to go to jail or face punishment, you could at least try to stop…..and I don’t want any of this addiction is a disease bullshit……that’s just udder garbage to lessen the truth that addiction is chosen…..I won’t say anything about addicted at birth cause I’ll never fully understand that……but you chose to keep this addiction and because of that, ponies are dead…..” Steady said with deep malice in her voice, now showing anger and frightening the pink party pony.
“I……I…..” Pinkie tried to muster a response but ends up looking to the ground since she knows that Steady was right and she did choose to do what she did.
Steady then moves from the trunk and sits down on the chair, deep in thought about something she was considering ever since learning of Pinkie’s identity. After a long while of thinking, while the party pony was whimpering from her legs going numb, Steady stood and walked in front of the upright table.
“I’ve decided on what I’ll do…….I’ll let you go on two conditions…..” The mare said as Pinkie’s eyes go wide.
“W-what conditions?” Pinkie asked, not wanting to ruin her chances.
