Cupcakes: Part 2

Ponyville had been plagued with disappearances as of late. At first, they weren’t very noticeable. Just someone who was there one day and gone the next. No one could be certain where they were. But the rumors said that they had taken a vacation, gone out of town to visit relatives, moved away, etc. etc. etc. After all, there were so many mundane reasons for a pony to be missing. But all this changed when the next disappearance was Rainbow Dash, Element of Loyalty. She would have never left without telling her friends. Never. For a while, they wondered if this was another one of her pranks. She was famous for those. But after a few days, everypony was worried. She would never take a prank this far.

Pinkie Pie was unusually calm about all this, and kept saying, “Don’t worry. She’ll turn up eventually.”. But that was just Pinkie. She had a hard time taking anything seriously. Still, it was a bit unnerving in the face of what could have happened. Twilight Sparkle had written to Princess Celestia, and there were guards out on search patrol. But nothing was turning up.

All of this worrying was making Applejack hungry, and she decided to stop by Sugarcube Corner for a sweet snack. According to Pinkie Pie, Mr. and Mrs. Cake had gone on an extended vacation and left Pinkie in charge of the bakery. Applejack couldn’t understand leaving your own business for so long, much less putting hyperactive Pinkie in charge of it, but she guessed the Cakes had more faith in Pinkie than she did.

Pinkie was working in the back somewhere, so Applejack placed her money on the counter and sat down with her plate of cookies. Whenever she was in Sugarcube Corner, Applejack always liked to take a deep breath and smell all the beautiful scents of baked goods. But something was off. The air smelled of baked goods, sure, but it also smelled… rancid? Definitely like something that didn’t belong in a bakery “I’ll go throw it away for Pinkie.”, she said. “She’ll thank me. Although I can’t imagine she hasn’t noticed it yet…” And with that in mind Applejack headed into the back of the bakery.

Applejack was used to bad smells. After all, she did live on a farm. But this… this was bad. Applejack was trying to deny it. Look for other explanations. But the closer she got, the more it smelled like rotting flesh. The smell was coming from a locked door at the end of the hallway. Now Applejack had to know. She had to figure out what was inside. So she went back up to the cash register, grabbed one of Pinkie’s hairpins, and jiggled it inside the lock until she heard a click. And what she saw inside astounded her. Entrails dangled from the ceiling like ribbons. Organs were blown up like balloons. Skulls decorated the room. Pony skulls. A big banner that read “LIFE IS A PARTY” hung from the back wall. And in the center of it all was Pinkie Pie hacking away at a corpse. A blue-pelted corpse with a rainbow mane.

Applejack wanted to cry. She wanted to vomit. But she just stood still as Pinkie lifted her head to look at her. “Hey!”, Pinkie said. “Why are you at my party? You weren’t invited!” Applejack bolted, with Pinkie on her heels. “You can’t tell anyone Applejack! You can’t spoil my surprise party!”

“I’ll tell who I’d like to tell!”, Applejack screamed. “This isn’t you. We have to get you help!”

Pinkie beamed. “Awww, thanks for offering to help, I really do need help baking cupcakes, you know.”

Applejack tried to slam the door on Pinkie, but Pinkie Pie threw a knife at her. Applejack screamed as it stabbed into her flank. Still, she had to keep going. But she was slower now. Pinkie Pie lunged at Applejack, and Applejack kicked her away. The two became embroiled in a hooffight that left Pinkie badly scratched and Applejack with a black eye. Pinkie roughly yanked the knife out of Applejack’s flank and tried to lift it to the pony’s throat. But Applejack used her superior apple-bucking strength to shove Pinkie away and run out the door of Sugarcube Corner. It was only then that she vomited up her lunch on the pavement.

Twilight Sparkle was roused from her reading by the sounds of desperate pounding at her door. She opened it to see a battered Applejack. “Please. Get them here. Rarity. Fluttershy. Not Pinkie. Oh God not her. Then cast a spell. Keep others out. Write to Princess Celestia. Do something. Anything.”, Applejack pleaded exhaustedly. Twilight had Spike take letters to their other friends, telling them to get here at once. Then she got Applejack some bandages and prepared her Shield spell. As soon as everyone was inside, a protective dome went down over Twilight’s house. No one was getting in or out. With them all gathered together, Applejack told her story, with Spike taking notes for the Princess. When she was finished, everyone was in shock.

“Pinkie Pie? Are you sure?”, Rarity said.

“This seems nothing like her.” Fluttershy nodded. “Nothing at all.”

Applejack slumped to the floor. “That’s what I thought too.”

Twilight raised her hoof. “I’m wondering if she could be mentally ill. But I don’t know what kind of illness could ever cause this. I’ll have to do some reading.” They all nodded. All of them knew about ponies who heard voices or had split personalities. But they also knew that those disorders didn’t suddenly appear out of nowhere. That those ponies were more likely to hurt themselves than hurt others. Whatever had happened, it couldn’t be this simple. But what? As the ponies sat in a silent circle, knowing there was a murderer just outdoors, all they could do was think.

Rainbow Dash opened her eyes. “Well, I guess it was just a dream. A sucky dream, but a dream just the same.” She shuddered, memories still fresh in her head. It had felt so real! “Well, I guess I’m going to have to do something to get this off my mind. Maybe time myself as I fly through Cloudsdale?” Rainbow Dash flapped her wings. Tried to, anyway. She looked and saw that where there should be wings, there instead was… nothing.

Rainbow Dash’s eyes traced her scars up and down her body, the gashes on her back, the empty patches on her flank, until she came to the I-shaped scar across her stomach. “It was real.”, Rainbow said incredulously. Then she decided to look around herself. The land was flat, with a few trees spread out here and there. The sky was painted with the colors of sunset, despite there being no way it could be evening right now. Sunset. There was probably a metaphor there, but Rainbow didn’t care much for metaphors.

While she was standing there gawking, another pony yelled to her. “Hey! Blue pony!” Rainbow Dash turned and looked. “The king wants everyone gathered for an assembly. Follow me!”. Rainbow followed, still dumbstruck by today’s occurrences. The assembly was a raised stone platform the king, or who Rainbow assumed was the king, was standing on. Ponies, many of them closer to Rainbow’s grandmother’s age than Rainbow’s age, gathered around in a semicircle. The king cleared his throat and began to speak.

“I am deeply sorry to break this news to the citizens of Ateotira.” Ateotira. That was the place from legends, where ponies went after death. This is what it looks like? The king went on. “I’m sure you will think me incompetent and an unfit king, and I would agree with you. But I don’t know what kind of a king I would be if I left you in the dark. It has come to my attention that Stormhoof, the Canterlot Killer, escaped from Ateotira Prison months ago. He was aided by several guards there who he bribed into helping him and covering up his escape.”

“We are hoping that we can catch Stormhoof before he reaches the mortal realm. So if anyone here has seen him, we are begging you to come forward. Please.”

Rainbow raised her hoof, and the king pointed to her, giving her permission to speak. “So, let’s say, hypothetically, this guy you’re talking about did hypothetically manage to enter the mortal world. What would happen, hypothetically?”

The king nodded. “Well, you just said hypothetically three times. But if he did manage to cross over, he would be a helpless shade. Unless, he found someone who he could manipulate. Who would let him into their head.”

“Then what?”

“Then, well… we would see horrors not unlike his first reign of terror 60 years ago. He would essentially be back.”

Rainbow Dash’s head swam with images of Pinkie Pie touching her with those horrible tools. Of her friend doing things that she knew from the bottom of her heart she would never do. Then, she raised her hoof again, not even waiting to be called on. “Pinkie Pie. A filly. From Ponyville. She runs a bakery. That’s who he’s controlling.”
The king got quiet. “Are you sure?”

Rainbow was insistent. “I’d bet my wings on it, if I still had them.”

It was then that the king saw her scars and realized he wasn’t talking to an Earth Pony. “Very well. This assembly is concluded. Everypony is dismissed. Except you.” He pointed to Rainbow Dash. “I’d like to see you at the castle.”

Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy were all up at the crack of dawn looking for a letter from Princess Celestia. You could see in their eyes that none had slept well. And who could blame them? One of their friends was dead, killed by the other. Eventually, the response finally came. Twilight picked it up and read it aloud.

Dear Twilight Sparkle, When I got your letter late at night yesterday, I was sure it had to be a cruel joke. I could hardly comprehend the idea of one of my subjects being capable of such a thing, especially an Element of Harmony of all ponies. It was your status as my trusted pupil that made me give this idea serious consideration. I took my guards out to Sugarcube Corner, and I found exactly what I was most terrified of finding. Pinkie Pie fled the scene and we were not able to find her. But what we were able to find was enough evidence to convict her a hundred times over. Your descriptions were scarily accurate, and I must apologize for ever doubting you. We must tell the public. They deserve to know what has happened to their loved ones. A mass vigil will be held tomorrow for the dead. As hard as it will be for you to attend, you must. You are eyewitnesses to this crime, and your testimony is needed. I am deeply sorry that this ever happened. I hope you and Equestria as a whole can find peace.

The silence after the reading was thicker than fog. Eventually Rarity muttered, “I guess we’re going. I’ll find something for us to wear.” Usually she would be excited to show off her fashions at an event the princess herself would be attending. But not like this. Never like this.

Twilight stopped her. “We shouldn’t leave my spell. Not even to get the outfits we need. Like Princess Celestia said, we’re eyewitnesses. That makes us targets. I’m sure I have something appropriate from my grandpa’s funeral. I’ll show you.” Twilight led them upstairs. After half-heartedly picking out some drab black clothes, they decided to play a few games. But no one’s mind could stay on the game.

Fluttershy was the first one to burst into tears, and with that the games were put away. Twilight returned to the bookshelf that she had been obsessively searching all night. She was desperately hoping that the shelf held some kind of secret capable of proving Pinkie’s innocence. Twilight genuinely believed that Pinkie Pie would have never acted the way she did. Would she have? Did Twilight not really know her friends? The evidence was stacked up against Pinkie, and the punishment for her actions would be the death penalty. Twilight read all day, tossing aside book after book. Eventually, she came across something that intrigued her: Possession By Malicious Spirits. Twilight read for the rest of the day, poring through the pages of her last hope of saving Pinkie.

Twilight Sparkle shared her new theory with her friends, and they all agreed it sounded plausible. Now they had to figure out how to save Pinkie Pie. But how? The book didn’t go into a whole lot of detail about how to end a possession. It seemed that the ponies would have to figure it out themselves. They were in the same situation they were in before. Pinkie was still evil. They were still in danger. The group tossed around several theories about how possession worked, until Applejack pointed out that their time would be better spent working on their speeches for tomorrow. The ponies wrote and crossed things out, every one of them feeling stuck.

Rainbow Dash stood in the king’s throne room, impatiently tapping her hooves. Finally, the king walked in to talk to her. “So, you believe that Stormhoof has possessed none other than Pinkie Pie of Ponyville?”

Rainbow nodded emphatically.

“So. Tell me about her.”

“Me and Pinkie… we’re friends. We go way back. I visit her shop, she watches me race, we both go play pranks on random ponies… it’s great. She trusts me and I trust her… I mean, I thought I did.” Rainbow felt like crying.

The king looked concerned. Rainbow Dash could tell he wanted to ask what happened, but was afraid of how Rainbow would react. She took a deep breath and decided to tell him anyway. “She was the one who killed me. You don’t want the details. My best friend never, ever could have done something like that. As soon as I heard about the possibility of possession, everything clicked.”

The king thought for a moment. Then he turned to Rainbow. “I’d like to make you an offer. You clearly know Pinkie Pie better than anyone else. So how would you like the idea of becoming a soul catcher?” He handed her a scythe hanging on the wall. Rainbow turned it over and over in her hooves. “This is what we use to capture rogue souls. I will send you out to the mortal realm. You will separate Stormhoof’s soul from Pinkie’s. And you will catch that soul and bring it back to me, to be imprisoned once more. So that no more ponies have to die.”

Rainbow Dash didn’t have to think twice. No more ponies should ever go through what she went through. Together with the chance to save Pinkie Pie? Yes please! “I’m in.”, Rainbow said. She gripped the scythe with a smile. The king smiled. He opened a swirling grey portal, and Rainbow Dash stepped through. Her hooves hit the grass of Ponyville on the other side.

Twilight Sparkle paced back and forth. It was the day of the vigil, the day she would be expected to explain Pinkie Pie’s actions. She had a speech prepared, but was it going to be good enough? Fluttershy placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “It’ll be okay.”

Twilight looked at her. “Are you sure? Well, I guess it’s too late to change anything now.” The two of them watched as Princess Celestia took the stage.

Princess Celestia was tapping her hooves. She was convinced that this was all somehow her fault. It had happened in her nation, under her rule, after all. But she had to begin. “We are gathered here today to honor the lives of 11 ponies. Ponies that lost their lives far too soon. The exact details of their deaths will be kept confidential due to the disturbing nature of the events that transpired. But what I am willing to disclose will shock you all. I disclose this to aid in keeping my citizens safe. There is nothing I value more. The murderer my guards are searching for as we speak is none other than the Element of Laughter Pinkie Pie.”

Rainbow Dash was standing behind a bush, earnestly watching the proceedings. “I will now call the Element of Magic Twilight Sparkle to the stage to speak on this tragedy.”, Princess Celestia said.

Twilight took the stage. She pulled out her notes and began reading. “The past few days of this investigation have been difficult for all of us. My wish is for the living to find peace in the wake-“

Suddenly there was a crash. Twilight turned around to find Pinkie Pie on stage, brandishing a sharp knife. “You know, there’s a reason that surprise parties are called surprise parties. You’re not supposed to ruin the surprise.”

Pinkie then looked directly at Twilight. “You can’t tell people about my parties! It’s not fair! So I guess this will be the last thing you tell anyone.” Pinkie lunged at Twilight with the knife. Twilight didn’t have Applejack’s reflexes and strength from working on the farm all day. She tried to kick Pinkie away, but the knife went into her side. Pinkie pulled it out, this time going for the throat. Twilight’s friends watched in terror and rushed to help, but they knew they couldn’t reach the stage fast enough. Rainbow Dash bolted from her hiding spot and went to go stop Pinkie. She knocked the knife aside and shoved Pinkie Pie down. Everyone was staring at this new pony who had come to help, this new pony who looked so, so familiar.

Pinkie Pie, or rather Stormhoof, understood first. “So, you’re back, eh? Didn’t get enough of me the first time? Don’t worry. I won’t go easy on you again.”

Rainbow narrowed her eyes. “It’s called loyalty. I don’t expect you to understand.” There was a collective gasp from the others as they understood just who they were looking at. Rainbow Dash drew her scythe and charged Pinkie Pie. Pinkie laughed. Rainbow sliced forwards and felt her scythe catch on a soul. Two souls. Pinkie Pie and Stormhoof were entangled. She could do it. Slice forwards. But doing so would kill Pinkie. Her friend. Rainbow Dash dropped the scythe with a clatter.

Pinkie’s expression was pure mirth. “As I thought. You’re weak. Too weak to do what is required of you. Made weak by ‘the power of friendship’. Some power.” Then she struck out at Rainbow with the knife, cutting a deep gash in her side. Rainbow was stunned. She had thought she couldn’t feel pain if she was already dead. But she supposed she could. Twilight started preparing a spell, her horn glowing. But Pinkie struck out with her hooves, knocking Twilight out. Rarity stepped forward. “That’s it.”, she said. Then, using her horn, she called up dozens of sharp gemstones from the Earth. The points flew at Pinkie, and Pinkie ran, the gemstones giving chase.

Applejack turned to Rarity. “How the hay did you do that?”

Rarity looked stunned. “Honestly, I have no idea.”

Applejack shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. We need to evacuate the area. Get everyone to safety.” The ponies got to work getting everyone home, many of whom had been too shocked to do anything but watch. Then they turned their attention to Twilight Sparkle. Rainbow Dash and Applejack picked her up.

“Follow me to my house.”, said Fluttershy. “I have first aid supplies. They’re mostly for animals, but I’m sure they’ll work for ponies too.” The group followed, Rarity keeping a lookout. Pinkie Pie was still out there.

Once the group had gotten to Fluttershy’s cottage, they double locked the door. Fluttershy got out her medical supplies and they got to work reviving Twilight Sparkle. Fluttershy woke her up with smelling salts, and performed a quick concussion screening. She gave Twilight a blanket to prevent shock and told her not to try to move. Then they had to discuss how to fix the greater problem: Pinkie.

Rarity looked at Rainbow Dash. “So, are you really, you know?” Rainbow nodded. She explained what she had learned about possession, and how she had been sent to retrieve Stormhoof’s soul. Then she explained, with a sad expression, the two souls’ entanglement.

Twilight sat up. “My book!”, she gasped.
Fluttershy forced her back down. “Shh, shh, dear. You need rest.”

Twilight protested. “But no. I have a book on possession. Maybe we can learn how to disentangle souls! We can’t wait!”

Fluttershy was firm. “We have to wait. I have to help you get better.” The five hung around playing cards. Applejack made soup, which helped ease people’s anxiety a bit. Once Twilight was feeling better, they set out for Twilight’s house. They needed that book!

As the group approached Twilight’s house, they saw Pinkie Pie step out from the shadows. “Hello! I knew you’d be back! I’m throwing a party! And do you know what every party needs? Sparklers!” Pinkie pulled out two unlit sparklers and started waving them around. “Now if I only had somewhere to light them…”

It was then that the group noticed the circle of kerosene around Twilight’s house. “No!”, everyone screamed. Pinkie threw the match, and the house went up in flames. She lit the sparklers and ran off dancing with them in her hooves.

Twilight ran in, screaming, “Spike!!” As a dragon, he was immune to fire, but with the building collapsing around him, he was still in danger. Spike flew to her, and the two hugged. Twilight scanned her shelf, seeing what she could potentially salvage. But the burning wood started to break, and Twilight ran to avoid being crushed by her huge bookshelves. Tears stung her eyes for the books she was losing, books she considered almost family. She knew she could replace her collection. But it just wouldn’t be the same. As she rejoined her friends, they hugged her, understanding what she was losing. Where would they get the book now?

After some thinking, they realized where they would have to go. “Zecora”, Applejack said. “She should be able to help us.” The group headed off to the Everfree Forest, constantly checking to make sure they weren’t being followed by Pinkie. The Everfree Forest usually felt creepy. But once they stepped in and were hidden by the brush, they felt notably safer. Ironic, really. But this showed the threat that Pinkie Pie had become. The group made their way through the forest, eventually reaching Zecora’s hut. Twilight knocked, and Zecora let them in with a smile.

“Welcome, ponies, from wherever you roam. What brings you here, to my home?”, Zecora said in her soft accent. The others were used to her rhyming by now, and most of them found it amusing. The ponies looked at each other, wondering how they would ever explain what happened. But Zecora had noticed anyway. “Your group of friends appears to be shrinking. What has happened to dear pony Pinkie?”, she asked.

Rainbow decided she could explain. “She’s been possessed. By a serial killer from years ago. The soul is controlling her and making her kill ponies. We have to figure out how to untangle their souls before even more horrible things happen.”

For a while, Zecora just stood there, not saying anything. Then she went to scan her bookshelf and pulled out an old book in her native tongue. “To untangle a soul from a power so dark, you must alight that soul’s own spark.”

Rarity raised her hoof. “What does that mean? I don’t get it.”

Zecora tried to explain further. “A soul is lit by what brings it joy. This will power the soul and allow evil to be destroyed.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “So you’re saying we should throw Pinkie Pie a party?”

Zecora nodded. Then she shooed them out of the house with, “Go, go, pony folk. Do exactly as I spoke!”

Once the ponies were out of the forest, they gathered together to make a plan. "A party? Really? That's our plan?", Rarity said, her nervousness clear in her eyes. Everyone nodded. They knew trying this would be dangerous, but they had to free Pinkie's soul.

Twilight looked up and asked, "How will we find PInkie Pie, anyway?"

Applejack said, "No need. She'll come to us. She's too obsessed not to." They all knew that Pinkie had become obsessed with them after they shared her secret and "ruined her surprise parties". This was at least a change for them to use that obsession to their advantage.

"Come to Sweet Apple Acres. We still have some old party supplies after Big Mac's birthday party last month.", Applejack said and gestured to all of them with her hoof. They followed, anxiously glancing around for signs that Pinkie had found them. When they got to the farm, Granny Smith, Big Macintosh, and Apple Bloom greeted them with hugs.

"Oh my gosh, we're so glad you're safe. That crazy Pinkie tried to come by while you were gone. We drove her off with shovels as weapons. But we were so worried about you, Applejack, our family. And all your friends that are like family to us.", Big Mac said.

Rainbow Dash raised a hoof. "This might sound odd, but where can we find some streamers and balloons?"

The group of friends took their balloons, streamers, banners, and apple sweets down to the town square. As they were setting up, Pinkie Pie emerged from the shadows, holding a knife dripping with blood. They all shuddered, wondered who had been hurt, maybe even killed. How many more people would have to die before they managed to stop this killer? "A party? For me?", drawled Pinkie. "Oh, you're just too kind! Almost too kind to kill. Wait, I take that back." Then she lunged at them with the knife. They all dodged. Twilight ran, and Pinkie gave chase. They were circling the square, surrounded by streamers fluttering in the wind.

“Pinkie Pie!”, Rainbow shouted, desperately trying to talk some sense into her. “We made this for you! You! We need you to wake up. Please!” But there was no reaction from the cold eyes of the pony trying to stab them.

They needed a plan, and fast. This wasn’t working. It wasn’t helping Pinkie’s soul separate. Was there no hope? Would Pinkie have to die for them to save Equestria from the serial killer Stormhoof? They were terrified.

Then Twilight remembered. Pinkie had taught them a song for if they were frightened. How did it go again? “When I was a little filly and the sun was going down… the darkness and the shadows, they would always make me frown…” The others joined in. “I'd hide under my pillow, from what I thought I saw. But Granny Pie said that wasn't the way to deal with fears at all.” A scream of rage came from Pinkie Pie as she realized what they were doing. The song continued. “She said, ‘Pinkie, you gotta stand up tall. Learn to face your fears. You'll see that they can't hurt you. Just laugh to make them disappear.’ Ha! Ha! Ha!”

Their opponent struck out with the knife, aiming for Twilight Sparkle. Twilight saw the point glistening as it headed towards her. But suddenly, the knife was stabbed hilt-deep into the hard earth. The ponies saw shock in Pinkie’s eyes. Not shock that she had failed, but shock that she had succeeded. As quickly as it came, the expression faded and was replaced by a scowl. "You'll pay for this, you know! You all will!" She attempted to pull the knife out of the ground but it was lodged in too deeply. As she tugged, another strange look came over her, and she started singing. “So, giggle at the ghostly, guffaw at the grossly, crack up at the creepy, whoop it up with the weepy, chortle at the kooky, snortle at the spooky, and tell that big dumb scary face to take a hike and leave you alone and if he thinks he can scare you then he's got another thing coming and the very idea of such a thing just makes you wanna... hahahaha... heh...

Pinkie Pie’s, the real Pinkie Pie, eyes were narrowed. Then she screamed, “Get out! GET OUT!!! I’M NOT AFRAID OF YOU ANYMORE!!” There was a shimmering around Pinkie’s head, and you could see the face of Stormhoof, the famous serial killer, in what was almost a puff of fog. Rainbow Dash slashed with her scythe, and the being who had been terrorizing Equestria was now was safely secured where he could harm no one.

Pinkie sank to the ground, crying. “I’m a horrible pony….”, they heard her wail to herself. Everypony looked at each other. What could you say to comfort someone who had just been through that. Eventually, Rainbow Dash sat down beside Pinkie. Pinkie Pie was her friend, and she would give support however she could.

“You’re not a horrible pony, you know.”, Rainbow Dash tried, knowing Pinkie wouldn’t believe it.

“No… you don’t know… just what he made me do… Caramel Drop, Cloudy Skies, oh… oh gosh, you!” She hugged Rainbow, as if hugging would undo everything that happened. “And I saw it all… trapped in my head… he said I had a weak mind. That the only reason he could do what he did was because I was weak.”

Rainbow shook her head. “You’re not weak. If you were, you couldn’t have fought him off just now.”

Pinkie started crying again. “But that was after… so many horrible things… so many ponies dead.”

Rainbow Dash brought Pinkie Pie in for a hug. “Don’t worry. Don’t worry about it right now.

Pinkie faced Rainbow Dash. “Stay with us. Please. You don’t have to go back there, do you? Please. Let me undo just one of the things I did."

But Rainbow shook her head. “Stormhoof’s soul is now trapped. But he has to be brought back to Ateotira and face charges for what he did. This is my job, and I can’t shirk it. Anyway, the dead shouldn’t interact like this with the living. I’ll see you again someday. But until then, do some really great pranks for me." Rainbow Dash grabbed her scythe and slowly vanished into another world. The rest of the ponies were staring at the place she had been. Fluttershy started crying.

Twilight looked at everyone. “Come on. Princess Celestia needs to know what happened.”

Princess Celestia heard the story of what had truly happened, and cleared the charges against Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie opened a new bakery. She would never again be able to go near Sugarcube Corner without remembering what happened, what she had done. With no one else willing to buy the empty building, it was turned into a memorial for those lost in what would come to be known as the Ponyville Cupcake Killings. Twilight received funding from Princess Celestia to rebuild her house. Her extensive library was destroyed, but she saw this as an excuse to buy more books. When Pinkie was working behind the case of desserts, she would often see rainbows reflected in the glass. Every one she took as a sign that wherever Rainbow Dash was, she was doing alright too.