Long Night at Camp Everfree

Chapters

Chapter 1: Humble Beginnings
Chapter 2: Dashing around the Camp
Chapter 3: Campfire Drama
Chapter 4: Unusual Proceedings
Chapter 5: You'll wish it were only a nightmare...
Epilogue: Life is a Party!

Chapter 1: Humble Beginnings

Wolftamer54

The gravel crunched as tires passed over it, the loose grains yielding to the tough rubber. The friction tossed up clouds of miniscule particles to dust the air behind the wheels, hovering for a few moments even after the event had passed. These particular tires belonged to a pickup truck, painted bright red and the bed was filled with various tools and equipment -- axes, shovels, shears, bags of soil, and whatever other items the truck’s owner might need. It was driven by a teen girl with blonde hair in a ponytail.

Outside of the truck itself, there was a dense layer of trees on either side of the road, casting their shadows along it in the still rising sun. The road itself was barely wide enough for two cars to pass by each other without scraping paint, so the driver was glad she was currently alone. Quite some hours had passed since she first began the journey, and further time since last seeing any building other than a barn. Now she drove along through the woods, ever nearing her destination.
This was close at hand, as a turn in the road ahead was accompanied by a simple wooden sign with carved letters painted in yellow:

CAMP EVERFREE

The driver dutifully put her blinker on and turned down the side road to the camp. Along this new path, the trees cleared up enough that fields of grass could be seen, dotted with wooden buildings and snaking dirt trails. She drove through a metal gate, wide open to travelers and further on to a small parking lot. Pulling into a space in the corner of the lot, she put the truck in park and turned off the ignition. Opening the door and climbing out, she took in the surroundings with a greater freedom than she could from within the vehicle.

Already the scene was dotted with some familiar sights, the station wagon and compact electric cars that she recognized as belonging to some of her friends. And even now, the distant chatter of voices could be heard leaking out of the building in front of the lot. An aggressive rasp, a refined and proper tone, and an energetic squeal among others. Recognizing these, the girl walked the short cobblestone path to the building’s open doorway.

Inside was a large mess hall, the long tables and benches pushed against the walls to make floor space and decked out every inch with regalia of past campers. But more importantly to the new arrival, there was a circle of people converged in the rough center of the room. An array of late-teenage girls, and a single teen boy, whose colorations and fashion choices ranged from bright pink to simple brown and green. At the moment, they were talking hurriedly amongst themselves, phrases such as “lesson plans”, “food supplies”, and others being thrown around.

The new girl knocked on the door frame lightly, politely but quickly gaining the attention of the group inside.

A bright pink girl with frizzly hair immediately turned 180 degrees and was still for a split second as she saw who had knocked. The freeze was broken as recognition split across her features and she exploded into movement and sound.
“Ohmygosh, Applejack! You’re finally here! We’ve been waiting for you so much! We missed you!” she squealed, bounding over to the cowgirl and grasping her hands excitedly.

“Heh, it’s good to see ya too, Pinkie,” Applejack said with a smile. She also looked beyond Pinkie to see the rest of her friends. Twilight, glasses perched on her nose and straight purple hair cut short. Rarity, purple hair curled up in a tight bun and with a stylish jumper. Rainbow Dash, jeans and jacket scuffed with dirt and grass stains, grinning from ear to ear. And Fluttershy, whose long pink hair was falling across her face and sundress. Each said hello in their own way, rasing hands in greeting or whispering a small “Hi”.

Beyond this familiar gather stood two more figures. Gloriosa and Timber, the sibling pair already clad in the camp outfits of t-shirts with a lakeside logo and shorts. They were still a few paces back from the group, not quite as familiar with them all.

“Hello, Applejack, we’re glad you made it. Though now that everyone is here, we should be getting to work,” Gloriosa said, turning to another door and gazing out across the campgrounds. “There’s still a lot to be done before the camp is ready for the season, and there’s only so many of us to work.”

“Exactly. We were just going over everyone’s assignments before you got here, so let’s finish up,” Timber added.

The group around Applejack broke formation and turned their attention back to the owners.

“I’m leading the arts and crafts center, including painting, sculpture, and carving,” Rarity said.

“Sports and other physical activities, to be coordinated in the main even field,” Rainbow Dash added.

“Zoology at the nature cabin,”

“Leisure time and cabin activities,”

“Biology and geology at the science lodge,” the other girls listed off one by one.

“And that just leaves me, I guess,” Applejack said, “Horticulture and botany at the greenhouses.”

“Excellent. Everyone knows their jobs, so we can get back to work. Remember, we’ll meet back here at 6 for dinner and a campfire,” Gloriosa said.

The assembly dispersed, each going off in a different direction to find their work area and prepare it.

The sun was approaching its apex when Gloriosa and Timber set off through the camp. Having spent most of the past hours filing paperwork and stocking supplies in the main lodge, it was about time to check up with the rest of the councilors. Having set aside their work for the moment, each pulled out a clipboard and began the trek. They didn’t have to go far to meet up with the first of the others, Pinkie Pie being under an awning just outside the lodge. Boxes were strewn about, each piled high with knick knacks and toys. Flags, ropes, whipped cream, confetti, and other items could be seen. The girl herself was currently rummaging through a box of compasses and maps.

“Hi, Pinkie. How’re things going for you?” Timber asked, coming to a stop just behind her.

“Well, things would be a teensey bit better if I could find all my costumes. I’m trying to set up a scavenger pirate hunt for the campers, and can’t find my hat or hook or anything!” she said, bouncing upright in a way that made her hair frizzle out even more than usual. “Fortunately, I’ve got all the supplies for the inter-cabin competition. Designing a cabin symbol, tug of war, skits, all sorts of stuff. It’ll be a lot of fun! Especially the raffle at the end where the winners get to smash us in the face with a pie!” she squealed, raising her arms in the air in excitement.

“Okay, sounds good. We’ll look around through some of the other boxes and see if your costumes got mixed up anywhere,” Gloriosa replied, making notes on her clipboard.

“Fluttershy and Twilight next,” Timber said, pointing to a wooded hill off to the left.

Gloriosa nodded in response, and they moved off together.

“Say hi to Flutters and Twiggles for me!” Pinkie called out from behind them.

The nature and science cabins were situated almost directly next to each other, nestled within a secluded part of the woods with plenty of shade. It was a short climb up to them along the rise that formed one of the camp’s borders. The pair trekked up the path no problem, their strong boots making the rock paths easier to traverse. After a short wooden bridge, the path split between the two buildings. Going left first, they walked up to the nature cabin.

Outside of the cabin itself, there were several pens and enclosures for the animals to make home. Some birds, a pair of otters, a snake under a hot lamp, and an ant colony were among the fauna that Fluttershy would teach about and care for. Fluttershy herself was nowhere to be seen though, and not wanting to startle the shy girl, Gloriosa called out sofly, “Fluttershy? We’re just here to check in on how things are going.”

“I-I’m here,” a voice responded, emanating from somewhere in front of them though the speaker still couldn’t be seen. “I saw you coming up the path, I’m just working on making sure all the animals are nice and comfortable so they don’t get upset while we talk.” At this, Fluttershy finally showed herself, her yellow head peeking out from behind the cabin wall.

“Hi,” Gloriosa said as she waved gently at the girl. “So, what have you been planning? Is there anything you still need?”

“Um, right. If you come on back here I can show you…” Fluttershy trailed off as she went back behind the cabin. Gloriosa and Timber followed, emerging to see Fluttershy gesturing to the various enclosures.

“Mr. and Mrs. Clamcracker are ready to teach the campers,” she said as she indicated the otter pair. “They’ll be part of the course on local wildlife and ecosystem. They’ll give the campers a demonstration of how they hunt and their social structure.”

Over by a large wire mesh cage filled with birds, she continued. “There are avians of all types, songbirds, woodpeckers, raptors, and more. Some of the older campers will even get the chance to feed them. Oh, that reminds me, I do still need some more birdseed. I could only find a small bag at the store on my way over.”

“Okay, we’ll get you some more on one of our supply runs,” Timber agreed, marking down a note on his clipboard.

Now Fluttershy sat at a picnic table in the middle of the area. She pulled out some papers encased in plastic and regarded them. “The final course will be about some of the less easily encountered wildlife. We’ll have to use written information for bears, cougars, etc. I don’t want to scare any of the kids with anything too big.”

“Um, speaking of, is that snake safe?” Timber asked, pointing to the reptile still lounging under its heat lamp.

“Oh, Mr. Smiles? He’s perfectly tame. He mostly just likes to snooze, and only eats small bugs and rodents. He’ll pose no harm to the campers. It’ll actually be more of a challenge to get them to treat him well,” Fluttershy admitted. She looked a tad saddened by this prospect, clearly caring for her scaly friend.

“Okay then, it seems like you’ve got everything under control. We’ll just go check on Twilight and then see you later,” Gloriosa said, patting Fluttershy gently on the shoulder as a goodbye. She and Timber started walking away, across the short path to Twilight’s nature cabin. Fluttershy waved her goodbye from behind.

Unlike with their previous encounter, it was immediately obvious where this councilor was located. As they approached the door, a variety of sounds could be heard emanating from inside. The clatter of footsteps, whispered instructions, and the hiss of fire.

Not wanting to disturb Twilight too badly, Gloriosa knocked on the door gently to get the councilor’s attention.
“Just a minute!” a voice shouted from inside, sounding rushed and pressure.

The pair outside dutifully waited, and it was fortunately a mere minute before Twilight came to the door. She now had a lab coat on over her councilor uniform, rubber gloves on her hands, her hair was tucked up in a bun, and her glasses were slightly fogged up. She opened the door and began to explain. “Sorry for the wait, just had to turn off the hotplate and put away some ingredients.”

“It’s no problem,” Gloriosa said reassuringly as they entered the cabin behind Twilight. In contrast to the humble wooden construction, the interior of the cabin was decked out in gleaming white surfaces, sterile and smooth for conducting experiments easily. Along the counter tops were beakers and vials filled with liquids of various colors, dishes of sediment and plant life under a window, and the aforementioned hotplate. As Twilight moved around, she grabbed a few different containers and put them away into a mini fridge tucked underneath the counter.

“I know why you’re here, and to answer your questions, yes, everything is going perfectly well,” Twilight said as she worked, not even pausing to turn back to look at the others. “I’ve already begun prep work for the various lessons, so all the ingredients and experiments will be ready by the time the campers arrive. Any variables that might cause more issues are more likely to come from the campers themselves. The younger ones especially may grow impatient, and find distaste in the slower nature of scientific work. I’d expect them not following the given directions to cause me more problems than any lack of materials.” At this, she finally turned around to face Gloriosa and Timber, smiling nonchalantly.

“If there is any trouble with a particular camper, I will let you know. But that will be an issue for when they actually arrive, and at the moment I don’t think I particularly need anything from you both. Still, thank you for checking in. I look forward to the campfire tonight,” she finished, waving goodbye even though they hadn’t moved at all yet.

“Um, okay, well thanks. It looks like you have everything under control,” Gloriosa said abruptly, realizing that she was finally allowed to talk again.

“We look forward to tonight as well,” Timber added, and they both bustled back out the door, mere seconds after they had arrived.

Both councilors in the immediate area having been met already, the pair started off back down the trail to the main campsite. As they moved, a slight rustling could be heard from the path off to their left. Timber stopped for a second to peer into the foliage, wondering what had caused it.

“Don’t worry, its probably just some squirrel. There’s nothing around here that Fluttershy doesn’t know about, and even less that she couldn’t get along with,” Gloriosa called back.

Shrugging, Timber turned back to the path and followed her.

Neither happened to notice the pair of eyes peering at them from behind a tree, or the long slender fingers that grasped around the trunk.

Chapter 2: Dashing around the Camp

Along the sunbaked dirt paths, snaking like veins across the green grass fields of the camp, Timber and Gloriosa continued looking for the other counselors.

Up ahead, one of the largest fields was dotted with various objects that were clearly not a part of the environment. Cones, nets, balls, and other devices were scattered around. There was a wooden pen in the shape of a hexagon for playing gaga ball, a sand pit for volleyball, and a rectangle blocked out in cones for soccer. Everything in the main sports field was neatly set up, the equipment stowed and prepared, yet there was no one around. Whoever had done the work had clearly moved off before the inspection.

Fortunately, the errant counselor’s whereabouts were given away rather quickly. The large, empty and flat spaces of the main camp let sound travel far, and so Timber and Gloriosa could hear the distant crack of splashing water.

The waterfront was just a short ways past the sports field, and they were able to jog over in a few seconds. On the approach, they could see the telltale outline of a girl on the dock, diving into the lake to create the splashes that they had heard and then pulling herself back out. Closer inspection identified her as Rainbow Dash, her multi-colored hair slicked back and darkened by the water. She was now clad in her characteristic skin-tight bathing suit with pink bottoms and a black top with a splash of color across the chest. As she shook her head and water splattered off onto the dock, she managed to notice the pair running to meet her.

As Gloriosa and Timber plodded down the wooden planks of the dock, Dash pulled on her hair to wring it out. “Hey guys, whatcha doing out here? Wanna jump in for a bit?” Dash asked.

“We’re fine. But what are you doing out here? You were supposed to work on the sports field and be ready for inspection,” Gloriosa said.

“Oh that? I finished that ages ago. Got it done in about 10 minutes flat, and didn’t see why I should sit around. Came out here to cool off,” Dash said. She walked past the other two and back towards a bench on the beach. Grabbing a towel from the seat, she rubbed the fluffy item all over herself to dry off.

“Okay then. Was there anything you found an issue with? Anything to report?” Gloriosa asked, Timber and her following behind Dash.

“Nah, like I said, I got that all locked down just fine,” Dash said, a self-satisfied smirk on her face.

“Okay. So I guess we’ll just see you at the campfire later,” Gloriosa said, hoping to retain some relevance to the arrogant girl.

“Oh yeah, I’m looking forward to it. I’ve got some thing I’m especially looking forward too.”

“Well, that’s good to know I suppose,” Gloriosa said, bit off put by Dash’s dismissive attitude.

Dash finished drying herself off with the towel and grabbed her clothes off the bench. “See you guys later!”

Though still a bit annoyed, neither Gloriosa or Timber could find a reason to argue. Turning away from the beach, they plodded down the dirt path.

Gloriosa and Timber drew near to a cabin this time, though now situated within a clearing rather than in the woods. The carved and yellow painted letters on the cabin’s sign spelled out “Art”, but that was the only real indication of the building’s purpose from the outside.

As they had done with Twilight, Gloriosa and Timber approached the door and knocked gently.

“Mhmmm, just a minute, please!” a singsong voice leaked from inside. “I’m quite busy at the moment!”

The pair looked at each other, and Timber shrugged. He also angled himself to try and look through the small window in the door, and see what the cabin’s occupant was doing that was so important.

Inside he could see Rarity, her back to the door and shifted around ever so slightly in place. Every so often her arms would dart out to the side to grab something off the table in front of her or somewhere else in the cabin. But mostly they were kept in front of her as she feverishly worked on, whatever it was. Though rapid, her movements were clearly calculated and precise, the picture of an artist absorbed in their craft and absolute in their determination.

Despite Rarity’s words, it was in fact several minutes before her work inside came to an end. At long last, her observers saw her hands come to her side and rest. Turning around from her mystery project, she approached the door, noticing the all too obvious audience that she had received.

“Now, there’s no need for that darlings. I told you I would open the door for you eventually. I am a woman of my word, am I not?” she asked rhetorically, pulling open the wooden door with a creak of springs.

“Rarity, that was ten minutes,” Gloriosa pointed out, indicated her watch to the fashionista.

“Oh. Dear. I must have lost track of time. Such mundane things tend to slip my mind when concentrated,” Rarity responded, slightly befuddled.

“What were you working on, anyway?” Timber asked, sliding around Rarity to look at her workbench.

Atop the table stood a clay figurine, about half a foot in height, still being molded and sculpted. Arranged around the board that the figure sat on was a collection of tools, including knives, loops, sponges, and other things. More interesting, however, was the statue itself. Although small, the key details could still be made out. A worn hockey mask, set aside of a feminine face. A stained machete held casually in one hand, an axe in the other and rested across a shoulder. Clothes torn and tattered to reveal a firm musculature, bleeding wounds, and appealing curves.

“Why is Jason a girl now?” Timber asked in confusion. The edifices of the horror icon were clear, but the female body was causing significant cognitive dissonance to the character’s original appearance.

“For one thing, in the original movie, the killer was not him but his mother, but mostly it’s because I can. Already you’re demonstrating the difference in psychological reactions to a known character in a decisively different appearance. The danger of a serial killer, offset with the sexual appeal of an attractive woman. Besides, it’s just a fun artistic exercise,” Rarity explained nonchalantly, smiling with satisfaction at Timber’s surprise and confusion.

“I take it you’ve finished preparing for the campers then?” Gloriosa asked from off to the side, also bemused by her brother’s reaction.

“Oh yes. The supplies for each course are sorted, agendas planned out, and all I need now are some pupils to teach them too,” Rarity affirmed.

“Good, good,” Timber said, finally turning to face Rarity. “So that means Applejack is the only one left to check in on,” he said to his sister.

“Yep. Alright, let’s go give her a visit,” Gloriosa said.

The pair took their leave of Rarity, waving goodbye to the girl as the went out the door and she turned back to her sculpture.

The sun was already beginning to set by the time Gloriosa and Timber were approaching their final destination. It’s orange glow was becoming more muted by the minute, bathing the environment in a warm yet soothing light as compared to the stark illumination from earlier in the day. The camp greenhouses still shone in the light, their reflective surfaces making them the brightest objects in the area.

The councilor running them however, was actually outside at the moment. Applejack was bent over in a garden just aside of the greenhouses, gouging into the dark soil with a hoe. Sweat glistened on her face and her characteristic wide-brimmed hat kept the sun out of her eyes. As she reached the end of the row she was working on, she straightened up for a moment and called out towards the greenhouses.

“Hey Rainbow, did ya find the seeds yet?”

“I’m working on it! All these bags look the same!” Dash called back from somewhere inside the glass building.

“Remember, it’s on the bottom shelf and has blue text.” At that moment, she also noticed the two who had been approaching. “Oh hey there, glad to see you finally got around to me in the inspection.”

“Nice to see you too Applejack. I see Rainbow Dash has joined you,” Gloriosa said.

“Hell yeah, I wasn’t going to just sit around and wait for another hour before the fire. I figured I’d come and help,” Rainbow Dash said from behind them, emerging from the greenhouse door carrying a large bag over her shoulders. She brought it over to Applejack and set it down next to her. “There, I think I got the right one.”

“You did fine, Dashie. And now we can get to plantin’ em,” Applejack said. She took out a pocket knife and carefully cut open the top of the bag.

“Okay,” Dash said, quickly reaching in and grabbing fistfulls of large black seeds. She immediately set to putting them in the ground, though without much care or effort. Mostly just dropping them in casually as she went down the row of soil Applejack had tilled.

With her helper once again occupied, Applejack was free to turn her attention back to the inspection. “Things are going mostly okay in terms of the pace of progress. The greenhouses and gardens are up in working order and most of the plants are healthy and ready for the campers. The only real problem is with supplies. C’mon, I’ll show you,” she said, gesturing for Gloriosa and Timber to follow her.

They went inside of the greenhouse, with its stifling heat from the sun throughout the day, and rows and rows of blossoming and growing plants. Towards the back of the building were several silver wire racks stacked with every item the building needed.

“We’re low on both fertilizer and some of the plant seeds I was hoping to use. The closest store that might have any more is miles away, and ordering them for delivery would probably take several days for them to arrive,” Applejack explained, pointing out all the empty spots on the shelves.

“Actually, we were planning a supply run out of camp tomorrow anyway. Some of the mess hall supplies were low, too, so we can grab everything we need at once,” Timber said.

“That’d be great. I know it’ll be a lot better to have different things to grow and teach the kids about,” Applejack replied.

Gloriosa finished writing down another not on her clipboard before looking up.
“Well, that covers all of the inspections. Since it’s getting close to dark anyway, why don’t we all go to the campfire together?”

They didn’t notice the metallic twinkle from the undergrowth.

Chapter 3: Campfire Drama

By the time that the sun had fully set, darkness settling in over the campgrounds, all the counselors had congregated together at the campfire pit. The orange flames crackled and flowed over the rough split logs as they consumed them. The flickering light played over all the teens sitting in a circle around it, causing alternating patterns of light and dark. Their face might be illuminated for a second, only to disappear in shadow again right after.

At the moment, the counselors were all chatting comfortably and preparing smores. Pinkie Pie was custodian over a jumbo sized bag of marshmallows, ensuring that each of her friends would only take one until everyone had one. Lounging back in their foldable camp chairs, they all relished the moment to relax after a long day of work.

“It’s great to be back here, isn’t it?” Pinkie Pie said, returning to her chair once she was satisfied that the marshmallows had been distributed. She stuck her own onto a metal stick and swung is over the fire.

“Yeah, it’s nice to see the old camp again. Feels like ages since we’ve been here,” Applejack chimed in. “I can still remember the first time I came to camp, and accidentally impressed everyone because I knew more about plants than any of the counselors did,” she said with a chuckle.

“Yeah I bet that went over real well. But at least we know these campers will be getting the best counselor possible,” Gloriosa said.

“Aw shucks, thanks,” Applejack said, blushing at the compliment and trying to hide under her hat.

Rainbow Dash playfully punched Applejack in the arm and said, “These kids won’t know the awesomeness that’s gonna hit them with us on the job! It’s gonna be their best summer yet!”

“The enthusiasm is appreciated, but let’s save it for when the campers actually arrive. It’ll take all of our energy just to keep up,” Timber said.

“Yeah, slow your roll. Being awesome at sports and being awesome with kids aren’t the same thing,” Gloriosa said.

Dash reluctantly sat back down, folding her arms though her face was still set it a smirk. “Fine, but I still think it’s gonna be awesome.” She leaned forward, eyes roaming across all her friends. “I’ve already been having a ton of ideas around the camp today. Lots of memories flooding in.”

“Oh, want to share your past experiences with the camp Dashie?” Pinkie said, momentarily looking up from her marshmallow to smile at her friend.

Rainbow smiled, and shook her head. For a moment, her face was cast into darkness, hiding her features and only allowing her voice to characterize her. “Nah, I was thinking more of the movies it reminds me of. The classic slasher gore fests where everything quaint and innocent turns into a nightmare.” Her tone grew more excited even as the others drew back slightly at her words. “Drowning at the dock, sliced up in the kitchen, pinned up at the archery range, every little activity for the campers becomes a way that the counselors bite it!”

Fluttershy let out a meep, burying her face in her long pink hair.

Rainbow seemed momentarily oblivious as she continued “Some of the best gore was in those films. The arrow through the neck with blood splurting out in a fountain, axe buried in a face and bonesaw to the neck and head-”

“Eek!” Fluttershy let out, unable to take it anymore. She darted up from her chair, the sudden movement in stark contrast to her previous stillness. Face still hidden, she turned and ran off from the fire.

“Fluttershy!” Twilight called, reaching out after her. Receiving no answer, she turned and glared at Rainbow.

The girl blushed and shrank down sheepishly as the rest of her friends gave her death stares, her previous bravado forgotten. The atmosphere around the fire was one of palpable tension as they all turned to a common enemy. Though the relative quiet was soon broken.

“Now look what you’ve done! You’ve ruined the entire evening for the poor dear!” Rarity chastised.

“It’s not my fault that girls’ so skittish, I mean, this is a big girls’ campfire, there’s gotta be scary stories!”

“Rainbow Dash… Just go after her,” Twilight said.

Rainbow Dash squirmed momentarily, her hands grasping at the arms of her chair and awkwardly shifting her weight around it. The fire illuminated her once again, and the guilt on her face was apparent. She tensed for a few seconds, before going limp and sighing heavily.

“I’m sorry. You’re right, I’ll go talk to her,” she said, and stood up from her chair. With that, she walked out of the circle in silence, ignoring the looks she was still getting from the others. She knew that the awkward tension would remain as long as she did, and was quick to extricate herself. As soon as she cleared the last log bench, she took off at a light jog in the direction Fluttershy had fled. Soon the darkness swallowed her as well.

“Ouch! Dumbass!” Rainbow Dash swore as she stubbed her toe on yet another step.

In her haste, she had made the mistake of forgetting a flashlight. Now she was forced to strain her eyes against the darkness as she tried to find her way through the campground.

Fortunately, she did have a good idea where Fluttershy had gone. Whenever she was upset, she would often seek solace with her animal friends. The woodland creatures would never make her uncomfortable or anxious, and were soothing to care for. Though of course, this meant that Rainbow was now having to climb up the trail through the woods late at night without any means of illumination.

Her latest bit of pain was the third since she’d started up the steps.

“You should’ve kept your stupid mouth shut, and you wouldn’t be here. It’s also you own fault you forgot to bring something to see with. Dumbshit.” She huffed and continued on, ignoring her steadily rising anger at herself in favor of finding Fluttershy. She had finally reached the top of the incline, and was glad to have her feet back on level ground.

Among the ghostly trees, the larger shapes of the science and nature cabins could be made out. There was a faint light leaking out from behind the latter, painting Rainbow’s destination clear. However, as she approached the cabin, she paused. Shutting her eyes, she took a deep breath in.

“This isn’t about you. This is about Fluttershy. Being pissed isn’t going to help anything.”

She kept her eyes shut for a few moments longer, allowing herself to breath slowly and rhythmically until some of the tension had left her system. Her heart was still beating a bit faster than normal though as she rounded the corner to look for her friend.

Fluttershy was sitting at the bench, a small lantern in front of her giving off the light that leaked around the cabin, and a chubby guinea pig was cradled in her lap. She was gently stroking the rodent, and crooning to it in soft tones. She looked up from her animal friend however when she heard Dash round the corner. Her eyes were a bit red, but no tears had yet appeared in them. Upon seeing who had come to see her, she bit her lip and drew in a breath. She looked at Dash very intently, but said nothing.

“Hi,” Dash began somewhat lamely.

“Hi, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy said.

Rainbow wrung her hands nervously, before hesitantly sticking one out and pointing to the spot beside Fluttershy. “Can we talk?”

“Okay.”

Rainbow dropped her hands and sighed. “Right, right. That’s why I’m here.” She tore her eyes from the ground and looked directly at Fluttershy. Magenta found teal, one set filled with guilt the other with reserved judgement.

“I’m sorry. I went too far, and should have been paying attention to how you were feeling. I should always be aware of how others are reacting to my actions, especially my friends. I’m sorry that I made you feel uncomfortable.” Rainbow gave a guilty smile, dearly hoping her friend might forgive her.

Fluttershy’s face remained passive for almost a full minute, eyes lidded in contemplation and one hand calmly stroking the guinea pig’s back. Finally, the motion came to a stop and she spoke once again.

“It’s okay, Rainbow Dash. Come.” Fluttershy gestured to the spot besides her.

Rainbow quickly took her up on the offer, darting over and brushing pine needles off the seat.

“I don’t want to stop you from talking about the things you love, but do keep in mind I’m very sensitive,” Fluttershy said, “Can you tone down the extremeness a teensy little bit?”

“You can count on it,” Rainbow Dash assured her. “I’ll be like an after dark special, keep my naughty bits away from those who don’t want to hear them.”

Fluttershy let out a giggle at her friends joke, nor was she the only one. Both girls quickly turned to look behind them at the sound of laughter quietly emanating from the woods.

From behind a tree and beneath a bush peeked a pair of heads, blonde and pink.

“Howdy there. Just came to make sure Rainbow followed through on her word,” Applejack said, waving gently.

“Yeah, we just wanted to make sure you both worked things out okay,” Pinkie agreed, her poofy hair covered in leaves and twigs from her hiding spot.

Rainbow grinned sarcastically and crossed her arms, “Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“Yeah yeah, we’re sorry, too, y’know. And the important thing is you worked it out on your own, without knowing we were here,” Applejack said as she began to make her way out from the foliage. “And besides, there’s still other reasons we followed you two.” At this, she smiled wickedly, and grasped Rainbow’s hand, entwining their fingers together.

Rainbow recognized that look in AJ’s eyes, and grinned in kind. No words were needed as the pair dashed away, only belatedly waving back at their other friends.

Pinkie and Fluttershy were left behind, staring intently at the couple as they disappeared into the darkness once again, Fluttershy’s cheeks glowing red from embarrassment.

Seeing this, Pinkie sought to reassure her meek friend. “Let them have their fun! Everyone’s allowed to! And there’s plenty of other ways we can enjoy ourselves.” She settled down next to Fluttershy, wrapping an arm around the girl’s shoulder.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash and Applejack had reached the councilor’s cabins. Rainbow yanked open the door to their shared cabin, and hurriedly shut it as soon as her partner was through.

“Now I can give you a reward for bein’ a good girl and apologizing to Fluttershy,” Applejack said, standing right next to Rainbow’s bunk.

Rainbow plopped down on her bunk, eyes roaming over the farm girl as she replied. “Oh yeah. There’s still one more horror trope I’m dying to play out.”

Chapter 4: Unusual Proceedings

Applejack climbed on top of Rainbow, their hips grinding in the middle. The farm girl began to strip, fervently unbuttoning her shirt. As every bit of tension was released, a bit more of her skin became exposed to the air and Rainbow’s hungry gaze.

The rainbow haired girl stared at her girlfriend as though she was trying to memorize every inch of her body. Every freckle, scar, muscle, and curve. She loved them all.

Once the last button was undone, Applejack cast her shirt aside, a simple white bra the only strip of clothing left on her torso.

Not wanting to waste any time, they leaned in for a kiss, hungrily tasting each other. Eyes closed, they explored each other through feel. Their tongues roamed over each other, a competition that they relished. Their strong arms encircled each other, grasping at shoulders and hips. Their eyes were still closed as they separated, needing to draw in breath and remove more clothing.

As the weight on the bed shifted, Rainbow Dash was still grinning contently. But even as she was anticipating the return of her girlfriend’s warm embrace, she heard a horrible gurgle and felt a warm and sticky splatter across her face. Her eyes snapped open, and her jaw dropped.

Still teetering upright, Applejack’s throat was slit in a bright red slash, blood splurting out of the wound and onto everything beneath it. The crimson liquid followed the curves of her breasts and soaked the cups of her bra, a spattering of dots appearing across Rainbow.

Rainbow didn’t even have time to scream as a blade came up and found her throat as well. There was only the lightning quick sensation of tearing as the blade slit her throat, and the rush of blood exiting her body. It didn’t even hurt, and in just a few seconds Rainbow felt nothing.

Applejack’s corpse finally fell over, blood splurting out from the impact point between the bodies. Both gazed lifelessly into oblivion, one pair of hands still entangled in death and their blood pooling onto the floor.

“Mmmm!” Twilight hummed as she crunched down on the gooey smore, crumbs trickling onto her front. She chewed the sugary concoction for a few moments before swallowing. “That hit the spot. Too bad the others never came back for their smores.”

Across the fire, Rarity daintily patted her mouth with a napkin to clear it of chocolate smears. “Oh I’m sure they’ve found plenty of other ways to entertain themselves, especially Rainbow Dash and Applejack.”

Twilight laughed, “I swear those two look screw every chance they get; I just hope they don’t get caught by any of the campers.”

Rarity scoffed, “How can you even think of such a vulgar thing! It would be terrible for children to walk in on a couple’s private time!” Her face blushed red in offense and embarrassment.

“Hey, I wouldn’t be surprised,” Gloriosa cut in. “A lot of kids have seen more shit than you give them credit for. And the threat of getting caught would hardly deter Rainbow, you know she loves an audience.”

Rarity puffed up and refused to answer, causing Gloriosa to shrug. “I’ll check in with them later. Make sure they’re being careful. But we should probably let them be for the night.”

“That’s a good point, it is getting awfully late,” Twilight said, carefully raising herself out of her chair. She let out a yawn, dutifully raising a hand to her mouth to try and stifle it. “We should head to bed so we’re rested up for tomorrow. Still got a lot to do.”

“Alright then, see you both tomorrow,” Timber said, also standing up.

“Goodnight,” Rarity said, giving a dainty wave with just her fingers on one hand. She and Twilight peeled off back to the counselor cabins.

Timber and Gloriosa waved goodbye as well, and went off in the opposite direction towards the camp owners building.

This was a two-story building not far from the entrance of the campground, as close to luxury as the area could offer. The pair entered through the doorway on the ground floor, flicking on a lightswitch to illuminate the room full of desks and file cabinets. They went straight past these however, aiming for the staircase to the next floor. Quickly trotting up, they entered into the residential part of the building. Fitted with actual beds and a personal bathroom, it was a far cry from the cabins the rest of the camp used. More well suited to the longer stay times of its users.

Timber raised his arms over his head in a stretch, working out the stresses from his muscles. “Imma probably hit the showers real quick, you should probably join me to save water,” he offered, only half-jokingly.

Gloriosa rolled her eyes and responded “Ha ha, you pervert, just get finished in there so I can turn the lights out. I don’t want to be kept awake by your wonderful concerts.”

Timber laughed as he disappeared through the door to the bathroom, holding a hand out in front of him as though he was holding a mic. He narrowly avoided the sock thrown at him by Gloriosa and quickly shut the door to prevent any further projectile attacks.

Shaking her head, Gloriosa sat down on her bed. She peeled off her shoes and socks, and started pulling open the drawers of the dresser besides her to retrieve her pajamas.

In just a moment, she sat back up to take off her shirt, and a ring of metal was lowered around her head. Her eyes widened and she didn’t even have time to make a sound before the wire was stretched taut, constricting around her neck. The sharp metal cut into her skin, tearing open her capillaries at the same time as it cut off her airways. Her hands came up to desperately claw at the instrument for a few seconds, to no avail. The pressure was increased dramatically, and she could do nothing but let out a gurgle as oblivion enveloped her. The struggling stopped, and the hands fell down. The pressure on the garrote was released, its blood stained loop pulled free of the corpse and allowing it to fall to the floor.

In the next room, the shower ran without trouble and Timber sang away merrily under his breath, blissfully unaware of what had transpired. He didn’t even hear the door creak when a shadowy figure appeared outside the curtain. Smirking, he joshed “Came around to sharing did you?”

His only answer was a sudden snapping as the shower curtain was torn down, the figure lunging at him. Pinned to the wall, Timber had the breath knocked out of him and looked up dazed as he saw the shining blade of an axe brought down on his eyes.

There was a resounding crunch as the metal head buried itself to the hilt in the boy’s skull, splitting the bone in half and causing a massive gush of blood to explode out. The precious liquid mixed in with the shower water and swirled down the drain, rinsing itself away. The axe was drawn out with a small effort, still leaving a crater within the head of Timber’s corpse.

Twilight and Rarity entered into another clearing, this one with a series of cabins set in a semicircle. Each cabin set aside for a pair of counselors, with a communal washroom capping off the end. Pinkie and Fluttershy’s cabin was on the left, Rarity and Twilight’s on the right, and Applejack and Rainbow’s sandwiched in the middle. Not wanting to disturb their friends however, the newcomers gave the middle cabin a wide berth as they moved towards their own temporary residence.

Twilight opened the door, holding it so that Rarity could sneak through behind her.

The fashionista quickly made her way inside, not wanting to give any bugs the chance to follow her in. She also flicked on a lamp in the center of the cabin to give them some more illumination.

After Twilight shut the door, each girl made their way over to their bunk.

Twilight quickly snuggled into her covers, pulling out a weighty tome from underneath her pillow and began to read.

Rarity grabbed a bag from next to her bed, and stood up to leave almost as quickly as she had come inside. At the door, she turned to talk to her friend.

“I’ll just be a moment, I must brush my teeth and other such maintenance before bed.”

“Mhmm. Sounds good,” Twilight replied in a flat voice, not taking her eyes off her book.

Realizing that Twilight was already zoning out, Rarity supposed that was the best she was going to get and shrugged. She snaked out of the door in one fluid motion, less than a second to open and close it. Bristling slightly at the chill of the air, she trotted off across the grass to the latrines with a lamp in hand.

The squat, open-air building was a short ways from the cabins, but thankfully far enough that the smell didn’t quite reach. Already, Rarity’s nose curled in disgust at the stench of the cess pits lurking beneath the cement.

“Now there’s something I definitely didn’t miss about camping,” she thought, thoroughly missing her own immaculately clean bathroom back home. Still, it was what she had to work with. And she wouldn’t let something as trivial as a bit of smell stand between her and good hygiene. So she made her way to the sinks, setting the lamp on a bar of wood above them. She opened her bag and pulled out a dark purple toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste. Setting the bag next to the lamp, she unscrewed the cap of the toothpaste and squirted a glob out onto the bristles.

A quick turn of the sink’s knob caused water to jet out, uncontrolled and freezing just as expected.

Rarity momentarily recoiled from the cold contact, taking a reflexive step backwards from the sink. Her unexpected flight caused her to bump into something, too close and small to be the wall. Confusion had barely settled in when a strong hand was clasped over Rarity’s mouth, stifling the startled scream that came after. Her eyes were unrestrained though, and had a perfect view as another hand came up grasping one of Rarity’s own pottery knives. The cold, unyielding metal glinted slightly in the flickering light from the lamp before it was driven home. The blade sunk right into Rarity’s eye, puncturing the fragile organ like tissue paper and causing pain to lance throughout her skull.

With some effort it was yanked free and this time plunged deep into her lower back, causing her spine to explode with pain as she realized something very important had just been struck!

Her death was not instantaneous, though, and she still struggled and squirmed against her attacker. Even as blood gushed from one eye, she could see the fountain of red with the other. The loss eventually took its toll however, and her thrashing grew weaker, her head grew fainter, and all semblance of thought just faded away. If she knew she was dying, she also knew that the pain faded as she lost the ability to process anything. It seemed as though she may have simply fallen asleep as her body slumped in the killer’s arms limp and lifeless.

Meanwhile, Twilight was still reading peacefully in her bunk. Though sleep pricked at the edges of her thoughts, she was set on finishing the chapter. Her eyes remained focused on the black text, so clearly contrasting with the yellowing pages. Line after line, running through the story at a rapid pace.

Without warning, the lamp illuminating the cabin was turned off.

“Rarity!” Twilight gave a startled cry as she was plunged into darkness. Reluctantly setting down her book, she scrabbled around the side of her bed until she felt her flashlight. Flicking it on, she turned the beam towards the extinguished lamp.

“What’s wrong with you now?” she asked the object rhetorically. To her surprise however, the reason for its lack of light was quite apparent. The knob had simply been turned to the “off” position. “What the-?” she began to say when a strong blow landed against the back of her head. Stars exploded into her eyes, her vision blacked out, and she tumbled forward off her bunk and onto the floor. Disoriented, momentarily blinded, and woozy, she couldn’t bring her bearings about in time to defend herself.

There was a shattering of glass, and Twilight dimly registered a sprinkle of debris falling on her. This was followed shortly by searing, white hot pain in her gut. The stab turned into a slice, the razor sharp edge of the glass shard opening her midriff into a bright red smile. Blood gushed out of the gaping wound, and even a few entrails began to spill out, caught on the weapon’s journey. The wound sapped Twilight’s strength even further, though she was not dead yet. All she could do though was raise her hands in a feeble gesture of self defense.

An attempt to talk merely devolved into gurgles and gasps. Though the girl’s life was already rapidly fading away, the killer delivered a final blow anyway. A fist slammed downwards, punching Twilight in the face and smashing her glasses into pieces. The force of the blow even stabbed some of the fragments into her eyes, causing blood to seep out of them as well. Twilight led out a final shudder, her body convulsing in its final moments of existence, before she lay still. In death, her head cocked to the left slightly, no longer drawn to the sound of her murderer and instead falling to the forces of gravity like meat.

Still completely unaware of the slaughter going on around them, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy continued blissfully on, the only two counselors left alive in the camp. In fact, the mood had become downright festive.

“Dance little piggy, dance!” Pinkie Pie squealed, the fat guinea pig held in both hands as she rotated in place.

Fluttershy was still sitting on the log off to the side, a small songbird perched on her fingers and both of them swaying along as they watched Pinkie’s antics.

“Be careful with her now, Pinkie, don’t want to scare the poor thing,” Fluttershy said.

“I know, I’m being careful. This little piggy has nothing to fear while Pinkie Pie is here!” the pink girl responded, holding the rodent close to her chest.

“Okay. I think that it’s time for some new friends to come out though. Squiggles has been playing for a while,” Fluttershy said moving the bird to her shoulder and getting up off the log and went over to Pinkie. Holding out her hand, she waited patiently for Pinkie to stop dancing and deposit the guinea pig into Fluttershy’s arms. Once the transfer was complete, Fluttershy calming walked over the pens to replace the critters. The bird in a large wire mesh cage surrounding a tree, and the guinea pig to a small wooden hutch filled with hay.

Pinkie watched from the sidelines, glad that her friend had cheered up from her anxiety earlier.

“I think it’s Mr. Fluffles turn to say hi,” Fluttershy said, moving the roof to a glass house with a heat lamp atop. She reached in to pet and grab the small snake hiding among the rocks. As her hand grew near to the snake however, it struck out. Not having expected the strike, Fluttershy did not remove her hand in time and the tiny fangs found their marks on her bare flesh. She gave a yelp of pain and retreated, at first more alarmed for the snake’s distress than her wound.

“Are you okay,” Pinkie asked, having rapidly closed the distance and peering at Fluttershy’s bleeding hand.

“I’m fine,” Fluttershy began. “Something must have spooked the poor thing, he’s usually so gentle but-” her words slurred mid-sentence as her mind went fuzzy for a moment. From the punctures on her hand, a steady creep of pain and disorientation was growing throughout her body. Far worse than the blood loss, the wound was swelling, and the skin began to turn a disgusting green. “I-I don’t k-know, he’s n-not… p-poison, p...p…” Fluttershy collapsed, unable to function.

Pinkie Pie stared down at her friend in shock, no idea what was happening and unsure how to help. Her hair had deflated like a balloon, fallen limp and lifeless against her head. She looked from the rapidly worsening bite on Fluttershy’s hand, to the small glass box where the offender was still housed.

What she did not expect to see, however, was a fully grown woman looking down at her with evil in her eyes. Green, poisonous eyes. Long, flowing turquoise hair, pitch-black skin, fangs bared in a grin, and for the briefest moments, a forked tongue as it darted out to lick its lips in satisfaction.

“Annoying little bitch, couldn’t have died without saying a word. Oh well, only one left anyway,” the woman said, and drew a knife out of a sheath on her belt. She stalked towards Pinkie, no longer caring about subtlety or stealth.

Faster than thought, Pinkie struck out against the killer. Though small, a fist moving at reality-warping speeds is still quite an impact. And when Pinkie’s punch landed against the killer’s face, the killer briefly stumbled backwards in surprise. Just as quickly, Pinkie launched herself away, bolting through the woods, wanting nothing more than to get away from what she had just witnessed.

Touching a hand to the area where the blow landed, she was infuriated to find that it stung with pain. Snarling, she bared her fangs at the form of the retreating girl, her pink hair fading into the darkness and trees. Her attention was momentarily drawn away by a gurgle however, and she looked down to see Fluttershy still clinging to life.

“Oh do shut up,” the killer said, and brought her knife down in a quick slash across Fluttershy’s throat. Blood splurted out, and her struggling quickly came to an end. With only one final girl left alive, the killer set off into the night, her mind set on finishing off what she started. Soon too the night swallowed her. Now there was naught left in the small bit of light by the cabin except Fluttershy’s swollen body covered in blood, and her animal friends who were now left without a caretaker.

Chapter 5: You'll wish it were only a nightmare...

Pinkie ran. Tears streaming down her face, branches whipping by and snagging on her clothes, eyes almost completely unable to see in the darkness. Her rapidly running feet caught on something, and she spilled to the ground. Still frantic, she tried to crawl along, scrabbling for anything that could get her back upright. Desperately grabbing at the trunk of a tree, she hoisted herself up and began running again.

More so than any physical harm she experienced, Pinkie was trapped in her mind. The image of Fluttershy rapidly dying played over and over again in her mind, one of her best friends gone forever. And worse still, their attacker’s words pinged around like torture.

“Only one left.”

Was it really true? Was she the only one left alive? She had already witnessed the casual murder of just one of her friends, it was entirely possible that the others had suffered similar fates.

“No.” She suddenly stopped, and stared intensely into the night. A stupid maneuver, laughable even, but perhaps the most mindful thing she had done since Fluttershy’s death. “I won’t accept they’re dead until there’s no other possibility. I can’t give up on them.”

Her breathing slowed, and a new emotion began to take up place besides her fear and sadness. Determination.

When Pinkie began to move again, it was with a deliberate purpose. She would make her way back to camp, find out if any of the others were still alive, and they would all kill that bitch.

How long Pinkie ran she did not know, only that when she finally did emerge from the woods again, she found herself near the councilors’ cabins. Despite a pounding sense of dread, she knew she needed to check them. Steeling her resolve, she moved into the site and began to search it.

She started at the bathrooms, the most outlying structure in the area. At first there didn’t seem to be anything out of place, especially given the shrouding darkness. But at closer examination, she found a few tiny pinpricks of blood on the concrete floor by the sinks. Easily unnoticeable, almost enough to pass off as being from a bloody nose or other mishap. But to Pinkie, the tiny droplets of liquid only made the tightness in her chest to worsen, her sniffles to redouble, and her gut to feel like a bottomless pit. Wiping her nose with a sleeve briefly, she turned towards the cabins, ever more worried about what she might find.

Nearest to the bathrooms, Pinkie found her and Fluttershy’s cabin. As she wrenched the door open, the fear in her chest bubbled up and caused her to become lightheaded for a moment before she was even able to take in what she was seeing. Or more accurately, what she didn’t see. Nothing was really out of place, both of their areas still exactly how they had left them that morning. Though Pinkie still felt a pang in her chest as her eyes roamed over Fluttershy’s side of the cabin, reminding her of her now dead friend.

As she sniffed, memories of Fluttershy pinging around her head, she raised up a hand to brush her hair out of her eye. The usually riotous and gravity defying mess had become as straight as a ruler and fallen flat against her head, including covering her right eye. As she moved it out of the way, she didn’t even notice how the tint of her skin had started to lose some of its luster, graying out just slightly enough to be passed off in the darkness. Turning her back to the empty cabin, she shut the door behind her and continued on.

Next up in the line was Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s cabin. Given their disappearance together earlier, Pinkie hoped that there would be at least some clue that they had been there. She pulled the door open, and saw what was inside. Applejack’s and Rainbow’s blood soaked bodies, lying atop each other on Rainbow’s bunk. Their eyes glazed over in death, staring blankly into space. Where before Pinkie felt herself go dizzy with anticipation and fear and block out the world, the immediate horrible truth of the sight kept her firmly locked in reality. She locked up and couldn’t process anything other than what was in front of her.

How long Pinkie stayed like that she did not know, but it was a light breeze playing at her back that reminded her just how open and vulnerable she was, and how stupid it was to be standing completely still. Even as her gut wrenched and convulsed, and she felt like throwing up, she found herself closing the door as quietly as she could.

Her arms clenched tightly around her torso, both to keep out the chill of the night and to keep herself somewhat together, Pinkie crept towards the last cabin in the row. Spirits lower than ever, she paused heavily as her hand reached for the handle. She really didn’t want to know what was inside. The scene next door made her feel that it was very unlikely anyone would somehow still be alive and hiding out. Yet beneath the fear, there was the burning desire to know. To make absolute certain of her friends’ fates to quench the uncertainty once and for all.

“Curiosity killed the cat, isn’t that the old saying?” Pinkie thought, and the phrase brought some new questions to mind. “Who the fuck is this mean bitch anyway? Where did she come from to kill us like this?” Her hand actually fell from the door for a moment as she pondered the sheer ridiculousness of the situation that she found herself in. “It’s like one of Rainbow Dash’s old movies!” she let out an almost maniacal giggle at the cruel coincidence of her situation.

Somehow even more unbalanced, and with the gray shading having prominently taken over, Pinkie wrenched open the door to the cabin. She didn’t seem at all surprised to see Twilight’s body lying on the floor with bloody eyes and a disemboweled stomach.

“Welp, I guess I really am the last survivor. Seems like we’re playing things by the book.” Slamming the door shut again, Pinkamena ran off into the dark again, a plan forming in her head. “It doesn’t matter who she is or why she’s doing this, but I pinkie-promise that the mean lady who killed my friends dies here tonight.”

Pinkamena crashed through the door to the mess hall, the sound absorbed by the emptiness of the night. Even in the darkness, she knew the building well enough from baking treats over the years and made her way into the kitchen to find what she needed.

First, a selection of knives were magnetized to the wall above the sink. She grabbed a large chef’s knife that she gripped tightly in hand, and also a smaller pearling knife which she tucked into the back of her skirt. Second, the walk-in closet stocked with pots, pans, and dried goods. She hefted the biggest bags of flour, yeast, and other powdery ingredients she could find and brought them out to the main kitchen. Slicing open the tops of the bags, careful to keep as much of the powder in as possible, she lined them up along the counter. With her preparations done, Pinkamena glanced around. There was no telling quite where the shapeshifter might come from, every window and floor crack being just as dangerous as the door.
“Still, one is never exactly ‘ready’ to face a murderous shapeshifter,” Pinkamena thought to herself cynically, gripping the knife ever tighter.

Tracking the last girl through the woods had proven more frustrating than expected. Though her hyperactiveness and general ability to disregard the rules of reality had given Chrysalis pause when observing the teens, she had pushed those concerns aside. Better to deal with the others first, and leave the most likely to escape until last. She now almost regretted that decision as the pink girl traveled far faster through a dense forest in the middle of the night than should have been possible. The eye where Pinkie had struck still smarted as well.

Nonetheless, the advantages of a Changeling physiology were quite obvious and leveled the playing field at least somewhat. Chrysalis had soon transformed into a sleek gray wolf, far more fleet-footed through the woods and with a perfect sense of smell for tracking. Pinkie Pie’s distinctive scent of baked goods, cotton candy, and explosives made her easy to follow.

First, Chrysalis was led to the cabins where the results of her earlier handiwork were on display. Even if she felt a small twinge of pride at her successful kills, now was no time to lord over her victim’s corpses. After that, the scent became a bit more mixed. Out of the woods and into the campgrounds, Chrysalis transformed back into her default self. The trail she had sniffed out was still fresh in her memory though, and she set off for the mess hall.

Pinkamena was crouched hidden among the shelves in the kitchen, far enough away from the windows that even the moonlight stopped revealing her. The once friendly and appetizing boxes of culinary confections were merely dim, hard to make out shapes in the darkness. Perfect to hide amongst.

How long she waited she did not now, in fact she did not know how long it had been since the whole ordeal had begun at all. Since Fluttershy’s death, everything had just been a haze of survival and desperation to her. Details like time no longer seemed to matter. Just a slow, steady breath. In, and out. Keeping her pulse steady, and grip on the knife handle sharp. Just because she had been alone for a while, did not mean she was safe. It was no situation to start breeding complacency. And yet, the night seemed undisturbed. The frogs croaked, crickets chirped, and the omnipresent moon hung over. The forces of nature did not care for the plight of humanity that night.

The creaking of a door finally brought an end to the illusion of peace, and heralded the arrival of Chrysalis. Although Pinkamena could not see the killer, as she had entered into the main mess area, she could hear her. The wisp of the wind as it entered through the frame, the springs pulling the door back as Chrysalis released it. The steady footsteps as Chrysalis prowled through the building, stalking her prey.

“I know you’re here,” her venomous voice teased. “I can feel it. The love you have for your friends, and how much it hurts now that they’re gone,” she put a mock pout at the end of the sentence.

From her hiding spot, Pinkamena bristled at the callous nature of the killer. Then she tensed up, as she realized Chrysalis was coming inside the kitchen.

“You long for it to go away, to see them again,” she continued, now in Pinkamena’s view. The killer had her bowie knife in hand, the serrated edge glinted in the moonlight, and her head was moving from side to side with her green eyes scanning her surroundings. “Come out and I can make you feel all better. I’ll help you join them!” she snapped, her fangs now coming into view as well.

With a yell, Pinkamena rushed from hiding. Her blood was at a boil, the memory of her dead friends at the forefront of her mind, and hatred for the killer who had the audacity to mock her about it consuming her. “Die!”

She stabbed straight at Chrysalis, only for Chrysalis to grab her wrist and twist it brutally. The tendons and bones in her wrist cracked, sending pain wracking through her nervous system. Despite her vigor, Pinkamena was forced to drop the knife. A smug smile on her face, Chrysalis went in for a stab of her own. Pinkamena moved to rapidly however, a quickly smashed her knee into Chrysalis’s crotch. The cheap shot was still a weak spot, and forced the killer to clutch her hands to the pain wracked area. Pressing home the advantage, Pinkamena rapidly raked her fingernails across Chrysalis’s face, drawing blood and screwing with her vision.

“You murdered them, I’ll murder you!”

Surprised at having lost the advantage to a random girl, and now slightly desperate, Chrysalis turned into a fly to escape the onslaught.

Pinkamena’s hands clawed at nothing for a few seconds longer before her head whipped around rapidly and she realized her predicament. She quickly scrambled over to the bags she had set up on the counter and tipped them over and threw them into the air, doing her best to waft as many of the particles into the air as possible. Even as the sudden influx made her cough, she knew it would be far worse for Chrysalis disguised as any tiny creature. Sure enough, there was a flash of green flame directly behind her as the killer returned to her standard form.

Without missing a beat, Pinkamena slammed her backwards into the shelves, causing the contents to rain down on both of them. Hoping that the blow and the powder would keep her adversary stunned for the moment, she quickly snatched up the knife she had dropped earlier, and wheeled back around. As soon as she could, she started stabbing every part of Chrysalis that she could reach. The eye, the chest, the leg, the abdomen, even unintentionally straight through the palm of the hand as it was raised in a defensive gesture. Every time, blood gushed out of the wound and Chrysalis convulsed in pain. Every time, Pinkamena felt a thrill of vindication as her lust for vengeance was satisfied just a bit more.

All of a sudden, a huge paw struck out and slammed into Pinkamena. She was thrown across the room, and hit the counter hard enough to stun her. Even as she tried to blink away the stars, she could see the massive shape that had formed across the room in order to toss her around like this. Chrysalis had transformed into a bear. Though Pinkamena still took a modicum of pleasure in seeing that it retained her injuries, and continued to stumble. In fact, Chrysalis seemed to be having a hard time maintaining the transformation as she soon turned back to her standard humanoid form. One hand was pressed to her gut, trying to staunch the blood flow, while the other was held out in front in case she fell.

Slowly, determinedly, bleeding all the way, Chrysalis made her way next to Pinkamena. At the final step, she did collapse, unable to hold her own weight any longer. Still, she brought her poison green eyes to look into Pinkamena’s blue ones.

“I killed your friends for fun. Just because they were there. Your pathetic friendship means nothing. And now, I’m going to kill you too.” She moved Pinkamena down to have a good shot a her neck and leaned forward, bearing her fangs, but stopped when she heard Pinkamena begin to laugh. “What? What’s so funny?” She asked, completely perplexed.

The laughing Pinkamena rolled over, looking up. “It’s just, you can hate friendship all you want, kill my friends even, but part of me still feels bad for you. You don’t even seem to have any friends. And killing my friends definitely isn’t going to get you any. Your whole thought process is kind of ironic when you think about it.”

Chrysalis just continued to stare at the strange girl, who was laughing mere moments from death.

“You did still kill my friends though,” and at that Pinkamena whipped out the knife she had hidden in her skirt earlier and plunged it straight into Chrysalis’s forehead, the solid steel construction burying itself deep into her skull.

Chrysalis’s eyes rolled over into the back of her head, and her body went limp. Hide holed in a half-dozen places, she collapsed to the floor, blood still oozing out into a puddle.

Pinkamena’s laugh slowed to a chuckle, and she began to pick herself up off the floor. Her outfit was covered in blood, much of it thick and congealed. She found she didn’t care much though, seeing it as a reminder of her recent battle. The pain in her head was passing as well too. Still, for her last few taunts to Chrysalis, that gaping hole from the loss of her friends was hard to ignore.

“Unless…” she thought, and a new idea began to enter her mind.

Epilogue: Life is a Party!

The sun had finally risen over Camp Everfree, revealing a much different sight than the previous morning.

“Good morning, girls! I hope you all slept well! I had a bit of a rough time with a troublemaker, but I hopefully we didn’t disturb you too much!” Pinkamena said, bouncing up and around the campfire. Her flat hair bounced along with her, and she still had a wide grin plastered on her face, but it was notably more forced than the grins she had previously worn, and her eyes were wider and more unfocused.

“Oh, it’s okay, Pinkie. We know you had to take care of business,” Pinkamena grumbled in a rough imitation of Twilight’s voice, elbowing her friend’s corpse.

Over the night, she had retrieved all of her friend’s bodies and now had them arranged around the campfire. Although the bleeding had mostly stopped, their fatal wounds were still blatantly obvious. Especially Twilight, Timber, and Fluttershy. Their bodies were stiff and starting to discolor.

“Yeah, we’re glad you’re always looking out for us. We appreciate it more than you know,” “Rarity” said, having her arms flailed around from behind by Pinkamena.

“Aww, that means a lot, thank you,” Pinkamena gushed, just the tiniest hint of a blush managing to break out on her gray cheeks. Her respite was paused however as Applejack and Rainbow Dash fell backwards on the other side of the campfire. With a noise of exasperation, Pinkamena went to help her friends.

“Come on girls, I know you’re into each other, but you don’t need to be holding hands constantly,” she huffed, shoving them back onto the log bench. She tried to separate their intertwined fingers, but they had grown too stiff, and she didn’t want to break them off. Giving up, she walked away again. “Alright, alright. Just don’t let me catch you doing anything inappropriate.”

As Pinkamena went back to her seat, her stomach grumbled. Placing a hand to it, she realized that she hadn’t eaten anything since dinner the previous night. She was absolutely starving. She quickly made her way into the mess, but stopped at the door and called back to her friends.

“Don’t worry about breakfast. It’s on me! You all deserve something special for being my friends. After all, life is a party!”

The End

Author's Note

And that's my slasher EG story! I've had this one in my mind for a while, and am glad to finally get it out. To anyone who reads it, thank you. Comment if you like, just be sure to be respectful.