The Night Guardby darlinglightfootChaptersNight OneNight TwoNight ThreeNight Four (Part One)Night Four (Part Two)Night Five (Part One)Night Five (Part Two)BAD ENDINGGood EndingNeutral EndingThe Worst EndingNight OneSunset scoured the internet’s endless job postings. High School, she was able to support herself, but college was a whole other beast. In Equestria, she hadn’t ever wanted for anything, but here she had to work for everything. It wasn’t all bad, but between the cost of college and her living expenses… she was sinking. Scrolling, she saw a job posting that she couldn’t believe. It almost looked like a scam. “Thirty dollars per hour, Nights… Full-Time, down-time… paid breaks?” Sunset scoffed. “Thirty is insane…it’s gotta have some insane qualifications-“ she hemmed and hawed. Leaning back in her computer chair as she contemplated. “Aw damn, it’s just an application, they probably won’t even call me.” Hours past, Sunset was sat on the sofa of her studio apartment. Shoveling spoons full of instant ramen noodles into her mouth when the phone rang. “Hello?” She said, mouth full as she struggled to swallow the lump of food in time to answer. “I recieved your application for the Night Guard position, I was wondering if you were interested in coming to the warehouse tonight to scope things out?” She turned to the digital clock on the television table. It said 6pm, and it was still light out. “Sure, can you just send me the address? Is this a formal interview?” The voice on the phone chuckled a bit, “hardly, come as you are. The place can be rather unnerving, so I’d rather you scope the place before making any offers.” Sunset grumbled into the phone. What a strange request, but thirty an hour was something she could hardly afford to pass on. “Sure, yeah, I understand.” Though she did not understand, “I’ll head over, Ms…” “Oh you can call me, Lyra.” Upon her arrival, Sunset was greeted by a familiar face. She closed the car door, walking up to what seemed to be an abandoned building. “Oh Ms. Lyra, hello.” “You went to Canterlot High School, did you not?” Lyra asked, she held out her hand for Sunset to shake. “I did, and I was just thinking how familiar you looked… are you still with that girl- man, I’m terrible with names.” Sunset rambled. Lyra nodded, “Bon-Bon, and no, not really… not after I came into this business.” Sunset rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. “I’m so sorry-“ “You couldn’t have known, let’s go in.” Lyra said with a smile. The inside of the building hardly matched the outside. Sure, the place looked old, but there was very little wear or tear. It wasn’t until Lyra waltzed over to the stage in the center of the old pizzeria that she came to understand. “These are the ponies you’ll be in charge of guarding.” She said as she pushed a button to the right of the stage. As the mechanical curtain creaked open, a strange distorted sound came from the antiquated speakers. It was music, or at least it used to be. The now open curtain revealed three animatronic ponies. The center, a purple unicorn… with only one wing, it was evident that she’d once had two, but what remained were broken hinges and loose wires. She looked so familiar, but if it were true, she was sure Lyra would’ve noted the resemblance as well. To her left stood a pink pony with a mess of faux hair bunched into knots. The joints in her legs clearly worn. The plating cracked leaving her metallic endoskeleton visible. And to the right was a blue pony, though it was hardly recognizable. The face plate of the animatronic was removed. The nothingness startled her. Staring into the black openness of the head, wires and lights flicked about. How awful a sight it was… she hardly took the time to notice the rainbow strips sewn into the head and flank. She wondered what the chances were, that these pony replicas so closely resembled those of her friends in Equestria. “You know-“ “I do realize,” Lyra said, she laughed. “I thought you might recognize them… but they were here before I arrived… I purchased this building in the hopes of reviving the pizzeria. I didn’t know what I would discover. And I certainly didn’t expect this” She cleared her throat, “but that is why I thought you would be a perfect fit… these animatronics remind you of your friends, you will be protective over them.” Sunset looked around the room, admiring the aesthetic of the 80’s-esque diner. The only perturbing aspect being the animatronics… so perhaps… it wasn’t all bad. She turned until her attention was drawn to another stage, no lights surrounded it, and where the button to activate it once was, was an open circular hole in the wall. “What is that.” Lyra turned and her smile dropped slightly. “That is the second stage, but the animatronic has only a torso and a face. It’s quite unsettling and well…” her voice trailed off “I have already hired some engineers to begin repairs. Starting on the second stage. They should arrive for work in the morning, in fact.” Sunset peered on. “It doesn’t seem so bad.” Lyra’s smile returned. “Fantastic, so you can start tomorrow if that is well with you. Working hours will be 8pm to 6am.” She coughed “with an hour lunch. Perhaps, during your down time you can work on your school work… you are in college, aren’t you?” Sunset laughed nonchalantly. “Yeah, that sounds awesome, and yeah. I am.” “So this will work out for both of us. Just remember, like I said, it can be rather unnerving sometimes… quirky even, but I’m sure you’ll be fine.” That night, Sunset recalled the visual similarities between the pony animatronics and her friends. How could any one know what they had looked like through the mirror? It was impossible, but so incredibly unlikely that it would be a coincidence. She raked her memory… Twilight, Pinkie, and Rainbow… but the other three weren’t anywhere to be found in the pizzeria, right? It was probably just a marketing matter. Girls like pink, purple, and rainbows… but the pony types matched them explicitly… Sunset tossed and turned. Where had this pizzeria even come from, it was evidently abandoned for the bulk of 30 or more years… since the 1980s. Who could’ve had the foresight to know these ponies… Sunset wasn’t even quite sure how their timelines intersected… how many moons were there in Equestria while a year had passed here… Her mind was reeling, until she heard laughing. She sprung out of bed. Grabbing the baseball bad she kept beside her bed, she made her way around the small studio. But the laughter could not be located… nor did it repeat itself. She reluctantly made her way back to bed. “I’m just stressing myself out. I gotta get to bed.” Night TwoSunset finished her classes for the day and headed over to her new place of employment. It was a good distance to drive, but the pay was going to make up for that and then some. She peered into her backseat, ensuring that her uniform wasn’t forgotten. And sure enough, there it sat. Why Lyra had given her such a hideous outfit to wear, she could not understand. Once she arrived, she pulled the button-up top on over her undershirt, then the trousers under the skirt she was wearing. Slipping off the skirt so that she was just wearing the slacks, she was fully dressed in her ensemble. She fiddled with her keys for a moment before she heard the same laugh from the night before. She looked around the parking lot. Nothing. It was barren. Not a soul to be seen. The sun had begun setting and it was nearly dark. The best thing to do now was to get inside and get to work. Once inside, sunset flipped the switches up. The building lit up and it was almost glamorous in an old, sort of, broken way. The way glass can sometimes look like gemstone if cut just the right way… cheap, corny, but still fantastical. “Hello friends!” She shouted into the nothingness. “I’m Sunset Shimmer, please hesitate to tell me if you are actually sentient and want to kill me.” She laughed crazily as she made her way back to the office. Punching the clock, and sitting down. “Day One. Sparkle’s Pizza.” She looked up at the cameras, “if this is how the whole night is gonna be then-“ the laugh came again. This time, it was not far from her. In fact, it sounded as if it weren’t almost directly behind her. Sat in her swiveling chair, she spun quickly. Brandishing her complimentary baton. Still, nothing. “Get it together Sunset, you’re gonna get checked into the looney bin if you keep this up.” She opened her notebook and began to play a bit of music on her phone. She penned down today’s homework assignment within the hour. Boredom began to get the best of her, flipping through the manuals on the desk, looking into empty drawers. As the phone rang it came a startling shock. “Sparkle’s Pizza, we are currently clo-“ “Sunset, it’s me, Lyra!” She said, and one could hear her smile through the receiver. “Oh- hey Lyra, how’s it going?” Lyra chuckled “I just called to see how you’re getting on, on your first day. Those pesky animatronics aren’t giving you any trouble are they?” The pair shared a laugh. “Not even a peep out of them.” “I meant to ask you, can you oil them? Don’t worry about that one on the second stage, but I don’t want the semi-functional ones to lock up on me.” Lyra laughed as she made the request. “There should be a couple bottles of oil in the storage room, and some droppers in the office there.” Sunset waved her hand, as if Lyra could see her. “No problem. I’ve got this all under control.” Out in the storage room, which was more like a warehouse of parts, a cold chill filled the air. There were ordinary goods you’d find in any warehouse; like oil and tools. But there were far more interesting and disturbing things out there. Animatronic limbs, both human and pony. Bags of yarn and acrylic hair. And the most interesting of all was a white marionette style doll. It hung on a hook, limp limbs hanging. A long, perfectly kept purple tufts of hair on its head. Sunset approached it slowly, as she got closer she began to recognize its familiarity as well. Suddenly the laughter began again, but it wasn’t as if she was hearing it… more like the memory of what it had sounded like before… but louder and repeated. She stepped back away from it. And as she moved, the laughter subsided. Despite the purple streaks down the cheeks, Sunset recognized the face of the marionette… “Rarity?” She quickly rushed to get two bottles of oil so that she would not have to come back out here for some time. She rushed to the door and locked it as she left. A chill racing up her spine. “It’s cool, it’s fine.” Sunset insisted, convincing all who were there. Which was… only her. The hallway was dark, as she raced back to the office. Opening the door, and closing it behind her. She released an exaggerated breath. Lifting the heavy oil jugs onto the desk and sighing. “What is wrong with me?” She turned toward the mirror beside the locker in the office. It was fogged, inexplicably, but she ran her hand over the moistened glass. Her reflection was as it always was, save for some sweat covering her brow. She wiped her face too, running the dew of the glass over her. It was cooling, but also disgusting. Aggressively wiping her hands off on her pants and then scrubbing her face with her bare hands. In having covered her face, the darkness led her to grow paranoid. The sudden creaking of the door causing her to jump. “I’ve gotta get in there and oil the animatronics.” She whispered, as if someone else would hear. In the showroom, Sunsent took stock of the place. Not literally, but rather… fearfully. Oil can in hand she slammed the stage button. The lights danced and distorted music began to play. It wasn’t as bad the second time. She stepped onto the stage, inspecting the animatronics more closely. Pouring the oil into the obvious joints. Going from right to left. Rainbow, Twilight, then Pinkie… she shook her head. These were just generic pony figures no need to give them names. Let alone the names of her friends. But, in a way, it made them less creepy. Rainbow’s robotic joints seemed grateful for the oiling. Sunset tried her best to not stare into the vastness of the faceless mare, but she could not help. It was frightful, “I don’t know if you need oil on your… face.” She said, speaking directly to the inanimate object. “I’ll just give you a little on the hinges, I won’t get it on the electrical.” She was caring, gentle, and steady-handed. Pushing back the ropes of hair to access the top join of Rainbow’s head. As she pressed on it the robotic head tilted toward her until she was staring its empty sockets in the eyes. She let out an involuntary scream, but still carefully pulled the oil away. “Gosh.” She laughed, shaking herself off. “You really scared me.” The head then, without her support, fell back to its forward-facing position. Almost as if it heard her. Moving on, Twilight was a much less oil-thirsty robot. It seemed she was newer, like some time after her introduction they had redone her. Her metal plating still had a bit of shine to it, and the mane sewn in was hardly patched or knotted. Sunset studied the figure. Her attention returning to the damaged wing. The damage did not seem naturally occurring, it was purposefully and maliciously removed. “I’m sorry, what have they done to you?” Sunset gently poured bits of oil on the wings’ hinges. The remaining wing crept down as the oil lubed the hinge. Finally, to her left sat the messy Pinkie Pie. Her shine had long gone, as if people had been touching the metal she was made from for generations. Her exposed knee joints were the first to receive their oil, and they creaked as well. Sunset was unfazed by this time. Upon closer inspection, Pinkie’s hooves had motors and small wheels in them. Below her was a stationary pole that had a padlock attaching her to the stage. This pink pony animatronic once roamed the pizzeria. “You all have so much to say, don’t you? If only I could hear your stories.” Sunset signed, finally coming down from her irrational fear. She sat at the end of the stage, allowing her feet to dangle. “How many people have you sang for? I bet it was a lot. And Pinkie Pie, I’m sure you were a blast at birthday parties…” she sighed. “Look at that, it’s almost time to go. Same time tomorrow?” The ponies were still as sunset hopped off their stage. She pressed the switch and the curtain began to close. Night ThreeThe following day was Sunset’s day-off from classes. Which meant she had plenty of time to rest between shifts at the pizzeria. “The job isn’t so bad.” She said into the phone. “A little creepy, I guess, but not bad.” “I’m glad you’re happy, Sunset. I could never work in such a place… it would give me the heebie-jeebies.” Fluttershy replied. “I was wondering, well If you’re not too busy, if you wanted to grab lunch today?” Sunset smiled from ear to ear. “Of course, meet at the food court?” “Oh, that’s just wonderful. Yes, I will meet you there.” Sunset entered the mall and made her way up the escalator. At the table she saw her regular group of friends, sat, but waving her down as she approached. “Hey guys, long time no see.” “Course’ it’s been a quick minute, you’ve always got class or work.” Rainbow Dash replied, with a snarky yet playful tone. Sunset rolled her eyes, “yeah and you went right into the air force without a second thought, so it’s not like you’ve been so available.” Rainbow laughed it off. Pinkie Pie chimed in “working in the bakery with the Cake family has been great… how’s everybody else doing as of late-“ “Going to school for Fashion Merchandising is quite the exasperating task, but a 4.0 average does not earn itself.” Rarity replied, bragging as she so often did. Twilight began to ramble “Since I did dual enrollment, I’m already a Junior in credits, which I know most of you are just Freshmen, but it’s all very time-consuming… someone else talk please” “Well, working on the farm, but I’ve always been up to that… Fluttershy?” Apple Jack added. Fluttershy moped slightly “well between my classes at Canterlot Community College I volunteer at the animal shelter… when I’m not doing that I’m mostly waiting for you all to come back.” Everyone awed at this. Sunset gnawed at her food as attention turned towards her. She looked up, swallowing the lump of food. “Oh- I um, I started a new job last night. Gonna be working nights at the old Sparkle’s Pizzeria.” The six girls stared with their mouths agape. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Rainbow Dash insisted. “Darling, isn’t the old run-down building a bit… dangerous? Especially for a young lady… at night?” Rarity continued. Twilight added her two-cents. “I’m not familiar with a Sparkle’s Pizzeria, but it cannot be that bad. It’s a place for kids, right?” Fluttershy began to speak, but was quickly interrupted. “Yeah it was the very best birthday place… I had my birthday there when I was about four… good times…” “Until-“ Rainbow interrupted her interruption. “They closed the place down for money laundering and illegal experimentation.” Everyone turned to look at Rainbow, “What? I know stuff.” She said, pushing herself back in her seat. Sunset chuckled a bit. “I don’t know much about that…” her voice trailed off. She debated over whether or not she should bring up the animatronics resemblance to their pony counterparts. Given their attitude toward the place, she decided against it. “It’s just a dusty old building with a couple animatronics. I haven’t seen anything even remotely… experimental.” Rainbow shrugged and the others murmured amongst themselves. “Well, we all just worry about your safety, Sunset…” Fluttershy finally said. Sunset waved them off. “If anything bizarre happens, trust me you guys are the first people I will call.” “After the police, of course.” Twilight insisted. “Right, after the police…” she laughed at the absurdity. Her shift was long, hours passing as she fiddled through the book she had brought with her. There wasn’t much to do or to see. Lyra was right about the job having down time. As she flipped through the pages, she wondered if there was anything else she could do to pass the time. All of her friends had gone to bed, so texting was out of the question. There was hardly anything entertaining on her phone… her book was beginning to bore her to shreds. What more was there to do? Sunset stood in the middle of the pizzeria show room, oil can in hand. She had just oiled the main animatronics last night, but it wouldn’t hurt to take a look at them again. With a push of a button, the curtain opened. The familiar lights and sounds filled the tableless room. Revealing the three animatronics, now in different positions. Sunset saw startled, these things could hardly do their programmed motions, let alone get into such unnatural poses. Rainbow was up on her hind legs like a person. Supported by some metal rod, loosely placed into her holster. Twilight was seated, in a position that hardly looked possible given the location of her joints and hinges, but what was Sunset some sort of robotics engineer? She was unaware of the finer workings of such things. Pinkie was almost the strangest of all, completely sprawled out onto the stage. It was that point that Sunset realized she was not attached to the stationary pole that held her before. “You guys look rough, what happened to you?” Sunset said, she was unnerved, but not enough so to back away. Gently, Sunset pushed the heavy metal frame of the Rainbow pony down until it was standing on four hooves. Then, lifting the flank on Twilight into the upright position. She reviewed Pinkie at length, but the supporting column had been removed from her holster. “Sorry, Pinkie. I’ll have to ask if they can replace your support.” Looking into the pink pony’s eyes she saw blue lights slowly lift to a glow. She jumped back, slightly, but just as they had grown, they subsided. “Man…” she sighed, shaking off the cold sweat she began to feel on the back of her neck. “You guys really know how to freak somebody out, don’t ya’”. She scanned the room until her eyes fell on the unlit stage. Lyra had said the animatronic was receiving maintenance yesterday. Therefore, she should be fine to oil that one… right? Sunset hopped off the stage and made her way over. The curtain on this very small stage was not powered by a pulley system, it was a simple piece of light fabric. “Lyra said not to worry about you, but I’m honestly kind of a worrier, and-“ as she pulled the fabric back she was stopped mid-sentence. Before her was a hanging mess of wires. Truly, a torso and a head, as Lyra had described. Only, the head was horribly disjoined as the neck was a several foot-long strings of mental joints and wires. The torso was orange in color, covered with gashes and holes. Sunset stepped back, dropping the curtain back into place. “I’m not afraid of you.” Sunset said, to the new animatronic. However, the words were more of an attempt to comfort herself. She opened the curtain once more and bravely pointed the oil can in the disfigured mare’s direction. Without warning, Sunset pulled her hand back out. A striking pain sent up her arm as she did. She must’ve nicked her hand on some of the wires because when she looked down at the source of the pain, she was discomforted by the sight of a sizable cut. “Ow…” she mumbled, dropping the can to the floor in front of the second stage. As it hit the ground, it spilled its contents. Sunset was in no condition to be cleaning. As she turned around, heading back toward the office, she heard a thundering crash within the stage. Whatever had been elevating the amalgamated pony animatronic, had broken. Reluctantly, she turned back to the stage. Where, to her horror the face of robot stared back at her. It was so similar to Apple Jack, it almost didn’t terrify her… save for the black empty eyes. Last time she had checked, Apple Jack definitely had eyes. Sunset wasted no time booking it back to the office. She threw open the first aid kit on the wall. Unfortunately for her, it seemed this place had quite a lot of accidents. Given that the first aid kit has seemingly been ransacked. Lifting her uniform shirt, she tore off a strip of fabric from her undershirt. And wrapped it around her cut. It was not an open wound, she would be fine for the drive home. Turning to the clock, she punched it. 5 minutes early, but a workplace injury justified her leaving early. Night Four (Part One)While sitting through her morning lecture, Sunset felt her phone rumbling repeatedly. At first, she was determined to ignore the ringing, but it was unceasing. Peering down, she realized it was Lyra… who was technically her boss now… so she politely excused herself and snuck out the back door. “Hey, Lyra. I was just in class… what’s up?” She asked casually, but there was an undertone of annoyance. Lyra huffed into the phone. “Well, thank goodness you answered. I saw that the Stage Two animatronic had fallen and I was worried that you were injured.” Sunset laughed awkwardly, “oh, no just a minor cut on my hand.” Lyra’s shock could be heard through the receiver. “Oh Sunset, I am so sorry. That animatronic is dangerous, the maintenance workers were having trouble repairing it without replacing a ton of parts because the wires are just so sharp and all over it.” She sighed, and her undertone was that of annoyance as well. Presumably because she had warned Sunset prior. “Hey, why don’t I come in at the start of your shift tonight? Okay? See you then!” The click of the abrupt end of the call shook Sunset in confusion. It wasn’t that she minded her coming into her shift, she just wasn’t sure how that would improve the situation. Making her way from her car to the door, she was greeted by Lyra. “Good evening, Sunset.” She said, holding the door open for her. As they walked through the pizzeria, Lyra took stock of the place. “Looks like you’ve been cleaning up in here.“ she laughed. “You know, I bought this place because of the ponies. I remember in high school, all of the insane magic you all did… I wondered if I could recreate that magic for other people… metaphorically of course.” Sunset chuckled awkwardly. “I was wondering why the animatronics looked so… familiar.” “It’s partially a coincidence.” Lyra replied. “The plates are easy to replace, it’s the endos that are difficult. When they sold the building, the animatronics came with it. But, like I said, getting the parts to repair them isn’t easy.. when I saw them, the ponies, I knew I needed to buy this place.” Sunset felt a little bit of warmth in her heart. That Lyra would dedicate her business to her and her friends. “That’s really sweet, actually” Lyra opened the office door and allowed Sunset to pass her. Once inside she spoke. “You and I have a lot in common, you know.” Sunset punched into work. “Yeah?” She said, only half interested in the follow-up. Lyra hummed, noticing her disinterest. “Yeah.” She replied simply. “Well, I’ll just cut to the chase, there’s something I want to show you before I go. Come with me.” The pair of girls walked down the hall and out to the warehouse. Sunset shuttered at the memory of the Rarity marionette. “A lot of interesting things out here.” She said, as she pulled the door open. Lyra nodded enthusiastically, it was immediately evident what she had wanted to show her. A new animatronic. Brand new, in fact. The yellow mane and bicolored mane were startling to Sunset. “Um, Lyra… is that supposed to be… me?” Lyra clapped her hands, quite satisfied with her work. “Don’t you love it? Fluttershy is a bit of a work in progress. There were only four ponies… well three ponies and a giraffe- which will be a pony soon.” She laughed an awkward and slightly maniacal laugh. “I couldn’t leave you out, I had this special ordered.” Sunset slowly backed up until her back was against the door. The only positive being that this animatronic wasn’t horribly disfigured with a terrible paint job and poorly rerooted hair. “It’s really… nice?” Sunset said finally. This time, Lyra took no notice of her hesitation. Racing over to the wall where the marionette hung. “And I found this old doll, it already had purple hair so I thought it could be Rarity.” As Lyra lifted the doll, the untraceable laughter began. This time louder, with a deeper tone. It seemed to drag on. “You’ll get used to that.” Lyra said. Sunset stammered, at a loss for words. If Lyra could hear the laughing too it wasn’t all in her head. “I’d better get in to work, make sure the place isn’t burning to the ground.” She said, half joking, half wishing a fire would burn this place down. Lyra pulled out an old-looking molded bell. It had a handle and could’ve been mistaken for a cowbell of some sort. “Do you recognize this?” Lyra asked. Sunset shook her head honestly, she hardly looked at the thing to keep herself from having to stare into her own teal eyes. Well, the eyes of her robotic, pony-self. “Can’t say I do.” Lyra laughed. “Oh I’m sure you do, but I’ll let you get to work.” She said finally, picking the bell back up as she left. Back in the office, Sunset tried to claw through everything she had just seen. At first, she had thought it was a sweet gesture. That her friends had left such an impact on Lyra, she wanted to share the ‘Magic of Friendship’ with the world. But, in staring into the cold eyes of a metal pony made in her likeness, Sunset wasn’t so sure. Sunset watched the screens in front of her, watching Lyra wave the bell around in the stage room. She covered her eyes with her hands out of second-hand humiliation. Genuinely beginning to second-guess the other woman’s sanity. She looked away, unable to stand the insanity any longer. “What a psycho.” Sunset mumbled under her breath. She pulled herself up and out of the chair. Trying to distract her mind, she made her way over to the lockers. She pulled them open, one by one. All of them empty, except one. The door chimes rang, signifying Lyra’s exit. Sunset began to thank Celestia she had gone. Returning her attention to the locker, she lifted the small figure of Fluttershy. Evidently handmade, but to scale, a replica of the pony version of her. Strange, how Lyra would be able to estimate something so closely. As she assessed the figure, she heard a strained wobbling and creaking sound. It almost sounded like a shopping cart. A shopping cart with a broken wheel, perhaps, the sound of small wheels wiggling on their spokes. The noise slowly grew closer and closer. Sunset turned toward the door, ensuring that it was closed. It was unsettling, this new sound. Almost, but not quite comparable to the laughter. Contrary to the laughter, however, this sound was tangible. It didn’t sound made up, it sounded very much real. But what could be making that sound? What had wheels? And who was pushing it around? Night Four (Part Two)As the wheels pulled to a stop, Sunset cautiously peered out the small pane of glass beside the door. Unsure of what to expect, but certainly expecting to see something. However, she was subverted. “It’s nothing.” She mumbled quietly to herself. She twisted the lock on the door knob, ensuring it was securely fastened. Sighing a breath of relief, Sunset returned to the desk. The monitors all showed normalcy, save for the primary stage. Lyra must’ve opened the stage curtain. She was so unusual, but Sunset knew the curtain needed closed. The lights and music couldn’t play all night long. Agitated now, she stormed over to the locked door. Throwing it open, she unleashed a guttural scream. Before her, stood eye-to-eye, was the Pink animatronic. Of course, the one with wheels. Sunset stumbled backwards into the office, “how did you get down off the stage?” The glowing blue eyes burned right into her. The animatronic tilted its head like a confused puppy, looking for guidance. “Happy Birthday!” It said cheerfully. The voice box sounded so crisp, new even. A direct juxtaposition to the outward appearance of the robot itself. “You don’t belong out here, Pinkie.” Sunset replied. Slowly approaching the animatronic with one hand held out between them. Feeling the cold metal of the faceplate as she made contact. “Happy Birthday!” Sunset gently led the mobile Pinkie animatronic back into the stage room. To her dismay, finding that the others had resumed their bizarre positions from the night prior. “You guys are killing me with this.” Sunset said, half joking. “I assume Lyra turned you guys on. We shouldn’t be wasting electricity when no one is around to enjoy your performances.” Twilight sat, Rainbow standing on her hind legs. She looked from the pony on wheels, to the stage. “There’s no way I’m lifting you up, no offense, but you look like you weigh a ton.” She laughed as a thud covered the stage. Rainbow had fallen onto her front hooves. The pegasus twitched as she moved. Despite her missing face, Sunset had grown quite fond of her. Almost in a rehabilitation sense. She felt a sort of… calling… to protect and repair them. “Whoa there, careful with yourself.” Sunset lunged towards the power switch. As her arm shot out, she screamed in searing pain. Turning her attentions toward the source of her pain, she took note of the wires wrapping around her arm. They weren’t, aggressive… just assertive. It was clear that this animatronic did not want the power shut down. Sunset slowly dropped her arm as she spun to face the wire-armed beast. While she saw eye-to-eye with the ponies on all fours, this one towered over her. She slowly looked up until she was staring into the empty sockets of the face plate. Apple Jack stood on a mess of metal rods, wires, and brackets. The ability of the animatronic to even move in its condition was unbelievable. Sunset stared, begging her body to run, as the long neck curved downward to meet her gaze. Only, Apple Jack could not see. How she knew to grab her, was a mystery. Evidently not the only mystery in this place. “I see you’ve decided to join us.” Sunset said finally, regaining her composure. She had deciding running would just aggravate them. Instead, she would stay and play their game. “If you guys want to waste all your electricity on late-night performances, hey, be my guest.” She said, it was almost convincing how nonchalant she was. Slowly the wires unwrapped themselves from her arm, setting her free. “Pinkie Pie here is running on battery, so when she loses charge that’s gonna be on all your hooves.” The four animatronics gave her their undivided attention. “Happy Birthday!” Pinkie Pie repeated. It was as if her voice module was broken and that was all she was able to say. “Can any of the rest of you speak? Or do you just lip sync.” Sunset laughed at the absurdity of the question. Twilight sat, stoically. Her answer was that she could not. Rainbow, too, could not. Apple Jack opened her mouth, revealing flat round teeth. Some were broken and jagged into sharp little points. The sound she made could not be quite described as ‘speaking’. More of an ear-piercing screech. Sunset covered her ears, hobbling back until she crashed into the stage. “How… unique…” The animatronics began to exchange glances. And in a sudden brash movement, the stoic Twilight kicked out a hoof. The brunt of the kick hit Sunset squarely between the shoulders, causing her to fall forwards. Swiftly the mobile Pinkie Pie grabbed the hem of her uniform pants and began dragging her across the multi-colored carpet. Throwing her wheels into reverse, then spinning she jerked the helpless Sunset’s figure in a circular motion. Sunset flailed, but as she had noticed, Pinkie Pie was quite heavy. It was difficult to struggle against something of that size. “Stop! Hey! I thought we were friends!” Sunset shouted, her hands dragging across the tiled hallway as she tried to grab something, anything, that would give her leverage. The dragging finally ceased once they had entered the warehouse once more. Pinkie left her, and though Sunset tried her best to book it to the door, the pink pony was far swifter and stronger. She slowly turned back, to face… herself. This animatronic did not move or light up. It wasn’t functional. She sighed, trying the door, but as she had expected… it was locked. “I guess, I just have to wait here until the morning crew finds me.” She said. “It’s just me, me, and Rarity.” Then the laughter began again. “Oh give it rest, unless you’re going to get me out of here, I don’t want to hear it.” Sunset shouted. Raising her voice for the first time since she’d started there. “You guys all wanna rough me up and creep me out, why don’t you just get a life.” It was then, that the back door of the warehouse slowly cracked open. “You’re welcome.” The wispy voice said, it had such a tone of sarcasm. Sunset turned to the marionette on counter top. In sheer disbelief. She grabbed it and looked it over. “Thank you.” She said as she gently placed the marionette so that it was sitting up. Resting its back against another can of oil. She brushed the hair out of its face before she bolted for the door. Night Five (Part One)Sunset booked into to her car, not stopping to look back. Once inside, she peeled out of the parking lot. Speeding as she went, but the streets were so quiet. The sun barely dared show its face on the horizon. The sky was just waking up. Sunset ran up the stairs to her apartment, latching the door securely, and propping a chair up against it. She’d like to believe nothing was chasing her, but after being rag-dolled by a life-size pony animatronic and subsequently being saved by a presumably haunted marionette, she could not be sure. She rolled up her pants leg to assess the damage, it was a bit scratched, but it mostly seemed like rug burn. The rest of her body too, had a stripe of red scratches from being dragged. Her largest injury was, again, her arm, where the animatronic has wrapped its wires around her wrist. Divots in her skin outlines the shape of the wires, but they were not deep enough to break. Throwing her body down on the bed, she breathed a sigh of disbelief. She couldn’t rationalize continuing to work at the pizzeria. Whatever was going on there, she needed to stay far away from it. As the sun made its way to the mid-point of the sky, Sunset finally awoke again. It was time. It was a simple text. “Hey Lyra, I’m going to have to resign.” But, the reply was almost instantaneous. “Oh no! Is there anything we can do to convince you to stay?” Sunset skimmed the text. Pooling at the word ‘we’, only she knew Lyra didn’t mean it royally. She meant ‘we’ as in the grand plural. She, and the animatronics. “No, sorry. I’ve made my decision.” “Well, come down at about six, I will cut you a check for the four days you’ve worked.” Sunset stared at the request. The check would be for upwards of $900. The trip would only be 30 minutes, at most. She needed to rationalize returning. She needed the money. “Right, okay.” Sunset parked her car, her phone screen glowed with the time: 5:50. No problem, early is better. Her phone buzzed, rumbling in her hand. The call was from Lyra. “Hey, Lyra. I just got here… want to meet me outside?” Lyra chuckled nonchalantly. “Come on in, I’m in the office.” “I’d really rather not.” Sunset said hesitantly. “Don’t be silly, I’ve been cleaning up today. The pink pony animatronic somehow got down off the stage. Just come in and I’ll cut you the check.” Sunset signed, relenting. “Okay, coming.” Rushing through the stage room, she refused to make eye contact. Her footsteps were soft, perhaps, she thought, the animatronics wouldn’t notice her. Once she had reach the office, she took note of Lyra at the desk. She didn’t turn her attention toward her right away. Instead, staring intently at the monitors. “It’s really a shame, we just can’t keep a night guard. I’ve only owned this place a little after graduation…” she turned to face the other girl now. “You’re the first one to quit, though, so I appreciate you for being forthcoming. Better than job abandonment, I’d say.” Sunset hummed a tune of disinterest. “Yeah, it’s just that I got another job lined up and they asked me to start right away.” Sunset lied. Lyra could tell. “And their pay exceeds ours?” She asked, seeming genuinely interested in the answer. Sunset grumbled, more so at the idea of being jobless. “Just closer to my place, save me on travel.” Lyra nodded, though they both knew her true reason for leaving. “Well, I guess that’s for the best.” She stood from her seat, “let me get that check for you.” Sunset eased up a bit, stepping into the office. Lyra walked over to the book shelf and rifled through her things. Inside was a small check book. Behind her, the door eased itself shut. As Lyra searched for her pen, a strange metallic banging came from above them. “New Air Conditioning, just had it installed.” Lyra excused. “The ducting makes noise I guess. When we have the place up and running the music will cover the sound.” Sunset peaked up at the vent above her. Scraps of fabric hanging between the blades. “Looks like somethings blocking the vent here.” She said casually. Lyra looked up, and back at Sunset. “Ah- here’s that pen.” Sunset returned her attention to Lyra. As she clicked the end of the pen, the vent cover peeled open. A rag doll fell from the now open spot on the ceiling. It hit Sunset on the head like it was made of brick. She stumbled to the ground, grabbing at the top of her head. Making sure it hadn’t, in fact, busted her head open. The pain in her head swelled, but there was no abrasion. “Ow, what the heck.” She fell to her knees, holding her head with one hand. Using the other to grab the flimsy, yet heavy doll. It had a small mesh panel on its face. It wasn’t immediately obvious what it was supposed to be. A purple body with no face. Green flaps of fabric hastily sewn in with the wrong color thread. It dawned on her, that this was some janky version of Spike. Lyra approached her, looking down on her from where she stood. “Man, I’d really hoped that would knock you out.” She said before swiftly kneeing her squarely in the forehead. Sunset reached for her face, feeling for damage, but before she could recieved confirmation, she had begun to lose consciousness. “Why?” Lyra only looked over her as she shut her eyes. Night Five (Part Two)Sunset’s eyes opened as she winced with pain. A headache barging to the forefront of her mind before she had a moment to comprehend her circumstances. “What happened?” She asked, as her vision cleared. Lyra stood before her, in the warehouse once again. To Sunset, it appeared to be the stereotypical horror movie sight. Lyra stood at a table, which Sunset expected to be covered with torture devices. However, when she looked down, she only saw that old, crusty bell. “You’re very resilient, I imagine that your magic is only activated by your consciousness.” Sunset narrowed her eyes, that string of words making absolutely no sense to her. “What do you mean?” Lyra laughed a bit, it was uncomfortable, the laugh was not evil, more genuine. As if Sunset had just told a hilarious joke. “I was trying to tell you yesterday. You and I are quite similar.” The pause was ominous. “Anomalies, I would say.” Sunset finally began to regain a bit of her conscious mind. Wiggling her arms she came to understand that she was strained to a chair. “What do you mean?” “Have you ever tried looking for the human Sunset Shimmer? By all accounts, she should have gone to Canterlot High, or at least a school near-by.” Sunset shook her head, still groggy and pain-stricken. “It hadn’t come up.” “Well I have.” Lyra insisted. “Only to find absolutely no record of her, the way you could’ve pulled an identity out of nowhere… it should baffle me.” Her voice trailed off. “There is no Lyra Heartstrings in Equestria.” Sunset tried to comprehend what she was saying. “Of course there is, and I’m sure somewhere out there-“ “There isn’t.” Lyra interrupted. “There was once a filly who looked quite similar to me, but she was not Lyra. I am the only one, I have traversed both this world and the next. Back and forth, to study the magic… and until you came here, I didn’t know it was possible to bring magic home.” Sunset grumbled. “So let me get this straight. You were born human, and you went into the pony world… and became a pony… and have been living a double life?” Lyra snapped her fingers “exactly!” Sunset raised one eyebrow, skeptically. “Lyra… I don’t know what you’re going on about… but I think you’d ought to let me go.” Lyra scoffed. “You don’t believe me.” She rolled her eyes picking up the old bell off the table. “Well, I have this.” Exhibiting the item to her captive. Sunset finally opened her eyes wide enough to look at the bell, but no matter how hard she thought, that bell meant nothing to her. “Congratulations?” Lyra slammed the bell down on the table. “I thought you went to Celestia’s school! Should you not be able to recognize Grogar’s bell when it is presented to you?” A wave of realization washed over Sunset. “Grogar?” She chuckled as it seemed so absurd. “I had always just believed him to be a fable… Celestia was always talking about such ridiculous nonsense…” Lyra was growing agitated and aggressive. “It is not nonsense!” She shouted. “I have used this bell to rip the magic from enough ponies to fill this restaurant with animatronics and I’d do it for a whole chain if I could.” Sunset wriggled in her seat. “Ponies die without their magic!” She shouted. “In just a few days, without any magic…” she looked forlorn “Lyra please tell me this isn’t true.” Lyra’s face fell, “no they don’t… they don’t.” She put the bell down again. “When I took their magic, they were fine, weakened, but fine.” Sunset stared in horror. “You’re ripping their souls from their bodies…” Lyra was silent for a moment. It seemed, she hadn’t realized the severity of her actions… “my friends…” Sunset pulled at her restraints. “It’s not too late to fix this, Lyra. The animatronics don’t need souls to power them…” “You don’t understand.” She grumbled. “It’s the magic that sets them apart. It’s the only way to make this place successful…” she sighed. “With the power of the magic… rather the souls, these animatronics will be able to do things other places’s couldn’t even dream of.” “There has to be another way…” Sunset replied. “There has to.” Author's Note Next Chapter (8): BAD ENDING Chapter 9: GOOD ENDING Chapter 10: NEUTRAL ENDING Chapter 11: WORST ENDING BAD ENDINGAuthor's Note BAD ENDING Chapter 9: GOOD ENDING Chapter 10: NEUTRAL ENDING Chapter 11: WORST ENDING BAD ENDING BAD Ending: Lyra turned her head to face Sunset head on. “It’s too late now, my pony friends have given their lives for this… I cannot stop now.” Sunset wiggled, leaning forward until she could balance on her feet. Lyra watched her struggle. “I made this animatronic just for you.” She said gesturing over to the Sunset Shimmer animatronic. “It would be a shame to have to kill another pony.” She hummed. “But you? Truly, there was no record of any such person. ‘Sunset Shimmer’.” Sunset’s eyes widened. If ponies could not live without their magic, it stood to reason that Sunset could not either. Only, she wasn’t a pony, at least not right now. “Lyra, you can’t be serious. This type of magic is corrupting you, it’s only downhill from here… it’s not too late to stop.” Lyra shook her head. “It is too late. I cannot return to Equestria knowing the crimes I have committed. This is my life, this place has to be a success. I have no other options.” Sunset used all her strength to stand. Swinging the wooden chair attached to her behind she made contact with Lyra’s midsection. The wooden chair fractured as it connected. Sunset was no longer burdened by her restraints, so, she took off running. Lyra stumbled to the floor under the impact of the chair. “Damnit.” She huffed. Brushing herself off and checking for any damage. When sunset took the corner toward the exit, she realized her mistake. The very familiar faces blocked her path… well three faces, and the lack of a face. Sunset paused. “I know you guys are scared… and hurt… but I am not your enemy…” The wires from the Apple Jack animatronic wrapped around her body until she could no longer move. Holding her completely still. It was clear, that even in death, or… rebirth? Lyra’s friends were loyal to her. “What will making me like you do for you!?” Sunset screamed. The pizzeria echoed with the sounds of her screams. Lyra finally emerged, holding the bell. “No more stories, Sunset Shimmer. You caught me monologuing and thought you were so clever. You aren’t so clever or strong without your friends… perhaps if you had just stayed in Equestria, that was your mistake.” She harshly threw the bell, and it rang as it flew through the air. It smacked against the restraining cables and wires. The pressure of pulling through her skin began. Something like her essence being removed. Pain poured through her until she could no longer feel. The extraction had ended, the wires loosened, and she fell to her hands and knees. An overwhelming sadness enveloped her. It should only be a matter of days before she’d cease to exist. Days had gone by, Sunset barricaded herself in the apartment. Terrified to see her friends, for fear that she may die at any moment. It had always been said that magic was a pony’s life-force. The fire-of-the soul. Without hers, it seemed only a short while til she grew weak and weary. But as the days turned into a week, Sunset grew unsure. She didn’t feel weak, she didn’t even feel tired. Just alone with her thoughts. She was fine… Only, a pony cannot live without her magic, so it seemed she could never be a pony again. And without her magic, she would just be an ordinary person. Isolated from what her friends had obtained in the magic of friendship. And perhaps they didn’t need her if that were the case… Quite debilitating, and with no where to turn. Maybe it was preferable that she just return to Equestria. Than to watch her friends continue living lives so much more bonded with each other than with her. It was an empty feeling nonetheless. The lack of magic. The sadness and isolation was inescapable. So she would return to Equestria without her magic… Good EndingAuthor's Note GOOD ENDING Chapter 8: BAD ENDING Chapter 10: NEUTRAL ENDING Chapter 11: WORST ENDING Good Ending Good Ending: Lyra looked up at Sunset. “I didn’t know it would kill them…” she sighed “but what can I do? You cannot bring back the dead.” Sunset hung her head. “It might not be too late, if we can return the magic… we can save your friends.” Lyra’s eyes welled with tears. “I just wanted to have magic… I didn’t know…” Sunset pulled against her arm restraints. Scared, but also saddened at Lyra’s condition. “We have to hurry, the sooner we get back to Equestria… the better our chances are of saving your friends.” Lyra gulped. “We? Our? You would help me after all I’ve done to you? After I tried to steal your magic… I could’ve killed you.” Sunset held up her hand, but she couldn’t lift her arm. “Hey, some people did the same for me once, I believe in second chances.” Lyra quickly untied her and hastily grabbed the bell off the table. “Let’s get out of here.” Once in the stage room they found the animatronics awaiting them. Gently Sunset placed her hand on the muzzle of Pinkie Pie, and then moved over to Twilight. “It’s going to be alright… both you ponies and you animatronics… we’re going to fix you all up.” Lyra waved the bell collecting the fragmented magic from the animatronic vessels. The clamoring of metal hitting the ground echoed through the old building. “We’ve got to hurry.” As they pulled up to the high school, the sun had already set. They looked like a couple delinquents sprinting across the field. They also, must have looked like a couple of head cases, as the dove into what otherwise seemed to be a completely solid statue. As they passed into Equestria Sunset grabbed the bell with her mouth, and slammed in onto the ground. As it chimed the sound rang out, causing their ears to ring. Bursts of light shooting into all directions as the magic found its way back to its rightful owners. “We should check on them…” Lyra said. Sunset held her hoof out to stop her. “I don’t think they’re going to forgive you as easily as I have… I’ll have friend of mine check in on yours, alright?” Weeks had passed, and the pizzeria was looking not too shabby. Pinkie Pie stood next to her pony-animatronic self. The new coat of paint and new curly re-tufted hair looking new and sparkly. “This place isn’t so bad.” Sunset and Apple Jack exchanged glances, covered in grease and evidently having been working on the animatronics for ages. Rainbow Dash tightened the bolt on her own robot. “This face-plate just loves loosen itself.” “Should’ve seen it before we got the replacement.” Sunset replied, Rainbow shuttering at the idea. Apple Jack stood next to her namesake as well, “and yall should feel lucky, mine was damn near impossible and mighty’ discomfortin’” They all shared a laugh. Twilight joined them, peering at the purple alicorn animatronic. Sunset joined her. “This one is for the other Twilight, isn’t it”. Sunset put her arm around her friend. “It’s for both you, but the crown, that’s definitely for her.” She laughed, and as Twilight pushed up her glasses, she joined her in laughter. Lyra stood at the steps “this place is looking much better… I owe it to all of you.” Fluttershy hummed a bit, standing to the right of Lyra. “Um… I don’t mean to be a bother… but do I have an animatronic?” Lyra laughed. “I actually have a mascot costume I might be able to make look like you?” She said, Fluttershy smiled smally, “I don’t mind.” “And me, Darling?” Rarity asked. “Oh!” Lyra shouted, turning behind the counter and pulling out the old marionette. She handed it to Rarity. “Here you go!” Rarity’s face twisted in disgust, but she attempted to offer a polite smile. Until the laughter started. The far-off very haunted sounding laughter. Almost in unison Sunset and Lyra said “you’ll get used to that.” Then everybody began to laugh, drowning out the haunted doll. Neutral EndingAuthor's Note Chapter 8: BAD ENDING Chapter 9: GOOD ENDING NEUTRAL ENDING Chapter 11: WORST ENDING Neutral Ending Neutral Ending Sunset wriggled in the chair. “Sunset?” The familiar voice called from inside the building. Banging and the sounds of girls screaming echoed into the warehouse. “Your friends? You have got to be kidding me.” Lyra untied Sunset, forcibly holding her with Grogar’s bell against her back. “Perfect, now you will convince them to give up their magic too, otherwise I’ll rip the magic from your body right in front of them.” Sunset nodded, reluctantly. Entering the stage room they found her six friends entirely entangled in wires and being tormented by the living animatronics. “Listen Sunset, I told you this place was a freak show.” Rainbow bragged as Sunset came into view. “You don’t like my little place?” Lyra said, emerging from behind Sunset. “Not at all.” Pinkie Pie added bluntly. “Is this supposed to be me, because… that’s just weird.” The others began examining the animatronics attributes. Noting their similarities, despite their horrific condition, the attempts to make them look like them… were evident. “This place is creepy.” Twilight stated plainly. “Cause’ the wire trap didn’t already’ tell ya’ that.” Apple Jack replied sarcastically. “Well you’re all just in time!” Lyra shouted excitedly. Sunset hummed. “Lyra, you really don’t want to do this.” “Do what?” Rainbow Dash asked. Lyra pressed the bell into Sunset’s spine, causing her to leap forward. “You really don’t.” Sunset said, turning her head over to face Lyra. She looked over at the animatronics. “They don’t deserve this, and neither do my friends.” All eyes and lack of eyes were on her now. “A real friend wouldn’t do what you’ve done… and a real friend wouldn’t let you do it again!” Sunset shouted. “What are you talking about, Sunset. You’re not making any sense?” Rarity insisted. “This booby trap was quite the elaborate show, but we have not been hurt.” The girls murmured in agreement. “Lyra plans to harvest the magic from all of us using an Equestrian magical relic.” Sunset said finally. “Always with the magic relics!” Twilight shouted in exasperation. “It’s almost as if these people never learn.” As the girls struggled against the wire traps they were wrapped in, a blast of multicolored magic began to form. Lyra held up the bell, anticipating that she would capture all of the magic, but she had not accounted for the four additional points of power. The animatronic’s souls pitched in, adding not only the magic of friendship, but wrath and betrayal. Loyalty to their saviors. As the bell began to suction the magic, Lyra lost her balance from the power of the blast, sending the bell clamoring to the floor. As blasts of light shot out of it from every angle. The wires released as the magic from the animatronics returned to their cross-dimensional owners. The seven girls approached Lyra, usually fairly forgiving, but hardly so this time. Sunset thought for a moment “I guess the best thing to do is to prevent you from ever returning to Equestria… from ever doing something like this again.” Twilight sighed. “You don’t mean…” “I think it’s best.” Apple Jack added. “What she gets, I think.” Rainbow said. Pinkie lifted the bell and passed it over to Sunset. She gently used the bell to remove what little magic the human Lyra had obtained from her time in Equestria. Lyra shook her hands, feeling rather indifferent. “You think that will stop me from returning to Equestria?” She laughed. “I went there with no magic from the start.” Sunset nodded slowly. “No, but I have a sneaking suspicion that this might. The aura of the seven began to glow. Blasting Lyra directly. Upon contact the magical blast sent a chill over Lyra’s body, and suddenly she began to not be able to move. It wasn’t until she was completely encased in stone that she knew exactly what had happened. The seven girls pushed the statue into the warehouse. “That’s how we do it in Equestria.” Sunset said as they made their departure. The Worst EndingAuthor's Note WORST ENDING Chapter 8: BAD ENDING Chapter 9: GOOD Ending Chapter 10: NEUTRAL ENDING Chapter 11: WORST ENDING The Worst Ending As Lyra spiraled through a sea of emotions, their little conversation was cut short. The sound of pounding on the back door overtook them. “Who did you call?” Lyra shouted. “Your little friends??” She reached for the bell hastily knocking it onto the floor. Slipping to the floor she grabbed it. In one swift motion she threw it with all her might, pelting Sunset directly on the forehead, knocking Her unconscious as the magic drained from her body. It slowly trickled to a stop as she lost consciousness. It seemed, Lyra was only able to extract a portion of her magic, as it was not active while she was unconscious. She hastily hurried over to the door, throwing it open. She rushed into the stage room to find six girls completely halted by a mess of wires and loyal animatronics keeping them at bay. “Hey Lyra- I’m not sure what’s going on, but we came to see Sunset…” Twilight began. It seemed, without Sunset, Twilight would be the pseudo leader. Lyra ran swiftly, slamming the bell into Twilights stomach. She screamed in agony as the bell absorbed the magic within her, it was half what Sunset had, but far more than the ponies she’d taken from in Equestria. The other girls screamed and shouted, surprised at the rash and aggravated actions of someone they thought a friend. Twilight hung weakly from the wires that held her, unable to move. The next was Rarity, who Lyra was privy to the knowledge of her being a unicorn in Equestria. As she slammed the bell into her leg the magic bolted from her body like an electric shock. Lyra wasted no time, pelting each of the others one after the other until all six girls were magic-less. She stood holding the bell, full of magic as it shook. Her capacity for holding the magic was lacking. As the bell shook a ball of magic began to form. Everyone looked on, terrified at the uncontrollable magic. As the ball began to grow, Lyra attempted to capture it. “It’s mine, it’s all mine!” She screamed as she held the bell, swinging it maniacally. She turned the bell, intending to blast the pizzeria, to use the magic to enhance the place. The six on-lookers watched in dismay as Lyra tried and failed to contain and control the magic. They too, having no control over it. Her hands began to burn, her attempts to use the magic on the pizzeria proved fruitless. The power swelling into her body until it poofed into nonexistent. The blast of the magic overtaking the building. And in an instant, all that was, was no longer. The pizzeria had gone and all inside it, gone with it. All that remained was a concrete foundation, and a large pile of ash… and Sunset Shimmer. The magic within her saving her life. “Miss, Miss. what happened? What are you doing out here all alone?” An unfamiliar man, in a police uniform asked. She was covered in ash and soot, unaware of what had transpired. “I-I’m not sure…” Sunset looked around, and down at the black pile of nothingness. “Where’s the pizzeria.” The officer scratched the back of his head. “Man… Sparkle’s? Not sure, I’m pretty sure they tore it down months ago after the owner went missing.” Sunset looked around at the vast emptiness, overgrown grass, and crackled parking lot. It was just how it was, except without the pizzeria. “Months ago?” She asked. “You hit your head, miss?” Sunset rubbed her head. “I guess I must’ve” she said. But it was so real. She turned in her seat, upsetting the dust. The purple gleamed through. She reached into the mess and pulled out the old marionette. “Let’s get you home.” As Sunset lay in bed, she looked over at the marionette on the shelf. It didn’t laugh. It didn’t even make a sound. There was a knock at the door, and it startled her. She leapt up, if she had been gone for months, how had her rent been kept up? And why hadn’t her friends called for her. Upon reaching the door, she peered through the peephole. No one, but she opened it anyway. On the welcome-mat sat a stack of papers. Upon further inspection… they were articles… missing person’s articles… eight of them. And plastered on the first page was a photo of herself. “They’re all… gone?”
Night OneSunset scoured the internet’s endless job postings. High School, she was able to support herself, but college was a whole other beast. In Equestria, she hadn’t ever wanted for anything, but here she had to work for everything. It wasn’t all bad, but between the cost of college and her living expenses… she was sinking. Scrolling, she saw a job posting that she couldn’t believe. It almost looked like a scam. “Thirty dollars per hour, Nights… Full-Time, down-time… paid breaks?” Sunset scoffed. “Thirty is insane…it’s gotta have some insane qualifications-“ she hemmed and hawed. Leaning back in her computer chair as she contemplated. “Aw damn, it’s just an application, they probably won’t even call me.” Hours past, Sunset was sat on the sofa of her studio apartment. Shoveling spoons full of instant ramen noodles into her mouth when the phone rang. “Hello?” She said, mouth full as she struggled to swallow the lump of food in time to answer. “I recieved your application for the Night Guard position, I was wondering if you were interested in coming to the warehouse tonight to scope things out?” She turned to the digital clock on the television table. It said 6pm, and it was still light out. “Sure, can you just send me the address? Is this a formal interview?” The voice on the phone chuckled a bit, “hardly, come as you are. The place can be rather unnerving, so I’d rather you scope the place before making any offers.” Sunset grumbled into the phone. What a strange request, but thirty an hour was something she could hardly afford to pass on. “Sure, yeah, I understand.” Though she did not understand, “I’ll head over, Ms…” “Oh you can call me, Lyra.” Upon her arrival, Sunset was greeted by a familiar face. She closed the car door, walking up to what seemed to be an abandoned building. “Oh Ms. Lyra, hello.” “You went to Canterlot High School, did you not?” Lyra asked, she held out her hand for Sunset to shake. “I did, and I was just thinking how familiar you looked… are you still with that girl- man, I’m terrible with names.” Sunset rambled. Lyra nodded, “Bon-Bon, and no, not really… not after I came into this business.” Sunset rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. “I’m so sorry-“ “You couldn’t have known, let’s go in.” Lyra said with a smile. The inside of the building hardly matched the outside. Sure, the place looked old, but there was very little wear or tear. It wasn’t until Lyra waltzed over to the stage in the center of the old pizzeria that she came to understand. “These are the ponies you’ll be in charge of guarding.” She said as she pushed a button to the right of the stage. As the mechanical curtain creaked open, a strange distorted sound came from the antiquated speakers. It was music, or at least it used to be. The now open curtain revealed three animatronic ponies. The center, a purple unicorn… with only one wing, it was evident that she’d once had two, but what remained were broken hinges and loose wires. She looked so familiar, but if it were true, she was sure Lyra would’ve noted the resemblance as well. To her left stood a pink pony with a mess of faux hair bunched into knots. The joints in her legs clearly worn. The plating cracked leaving her metallic endoskeleton visible. And to the right was a blue pony, though it was hardly recognizable. The face plate of the animatronic was removed. The nothingness startled her. Staring into the black openness of the head, wires and lights flicked about. How awful a sight it was… she hardly took the time to notice the rainbow strips sewn into the head and flank. She wondered what the chances were, that these pony replicas so closely resembled those of her friends in Equestria. “You know-“ “I do realize,” Lyra said, she laughed. “I thought you might recognize them… but they were here before I arrived… I purchased this building in the hopes of reviving the pizzeria. I didn’t know what I would discover. And I certainly didn’t expect this” She cleared her throat, “but that is why I thought you would be a perfect fit… these animatronics remind you of your friends, you will be protective over them.” Sunset looked around the room, admiring the aesthetic of the 80’s-esque diner. The only perturbing aspect being the animatronics… so perhaps… it wasn’t all bad. She turned until her attention was drawn to another stage, no lights surrounded it, and where the button to activate it once was, was an open circular hole in the wall. “What is that.” Lyra turned and her smile dropped slightly. “That is the second stage, but the animatronic has only a torso and a face. It’s quite unsettling and well…” her voice trailed off “I have already hired some engineers to begin repairs. Starting on the second stage. They should arrive for work in the morning, in fact.” Sunset peered on. “It doesn’t seem so bad.” Lyra’s smile returned. “Fantastic, so you can start tomorrow if that is well with you. Working hours will be 8pm to 6am.” She coughed “with an hour lunch. Perhaps, during your down time you can work on your school work… you are in college, aren’t you?” Sunset laughed nonchalantly. “Yeah, that sounds awesome, and yeah. I am.” “So this will work out for both of us. Just remember, like I said, it can be rather unnerving sometimes… quirky even, but I’m sure you’ll be fine.” That night, Sunset recalled the visual similarities between the pony animatronics and her friends. How could any one know what they had looked like through the mirror? It was impossible, but so incredibly unlikely that it would be a coincidence. She raked her memory… Twilight, Pinkie, and Rainbow… but the other three weren’t anywhere to be found in the pizzeria, right? It was probably just a marketing matter. Girls like pink, purple, and rainbows… but the pony types matched them explicitly… Sunset tossed and turned. Where had this pizzeria even come from, it was evidently abandoned for the bulk of 30 or more years… since the 1980s. Who could’ve had the foresight to know these ponies… Sunset wasn’t even quite sure how their timelines intersected… how many moons were there in Equestria while a year had passed here… Her mind was reeling, until she heard laughing. She sprung out of bed. Grabbing the baseball bad she kept beside her bed, she made her way around the small studio. But the laughter could not be located… nor did it repeat itself. She reluctantly made her way back to bed. “I’m just stressing myself out. I gotta get to bed.”
Night TwoSunset finished her classes for the day and headed over to her new place of employment. It was a good distance to drive, but the pay was going to make up for that and then some. She peered into her backseat, ensuring that her uniform wasn’t forgotten. And sure enough, there it sat. Why Lyra had given her such a hideous outfit to wear, she could not understand. Once she arrived, she pulled the button-up top on over her undershirt, then the trousers under the skirt she was wearing. Slipping off the skirt so that she was just wearing the slacks, she was fully dressed in her ensemble. She fiddled with her keys for a moment before she heard the same laugh from the night before. She looked around the parking lot. Nothing. It was barren. Not a soul to be seen. The sun had begun setting and it was nearly dark. The best thing to do now was to get inside and get to work. Once inside, sunset flipped the switches up. The building lit up and it was almost glamorous in an old, sort of, broken way. The way glass can sometimes look like gemstone if cut just the right way… cheap, corny, but still fantastical. “Hello friends!” She shouted into the nothingness. “I’m Sunset Shimmer, please hesitate to tell me if you are actually sentient and want to kill me.” She laughed crazily as she made her way back to the office. Punching the clock, and sitting down. “Day One. Sparkle’s Pizza.” She looked up at the cameras, “if this is how the whole night is gonna be then-“ the laugh came again. This time, it was not far from her. In fact, it sounded as if it weren’t almost directly behind her. Sat in her swiveling chair, she spun quickly. Brandishing her complimentary baton. Still, nothing. “Get it together Sunset, you’re gonna get checked into the looney bin if you keep this up.” She opened her notebook and began to play a bit of music on her phone. She penned down today’s homework assignment within the hour. Boredom began to get the best of her, flipping through the manuals on the desk, looking into empty drawers. As the phone rang it came a startling shock. “Sparkle’s Pizza, we are currently clo-“ “Sunset, it’s me, Lyra!” She said, and one could hear her smile through the receiver. “Oh- hey Lyra, how’s it going?” Lyra chuckled “I just called to see how you’re getting on, on your first day. Those pesky animatronics aren’t giving you any trouble are they?” The pair shared a laugh. “Not even a peep out of them.” “I meant to ask you, can you oil them? Don’t worry about that one on the second stage, but I don’t want the semi-functional ones to lock up on me.” Lyra laughed as she made the request. “There should be a couple bottles of oil in the storage room, and some droppers in the office there.” Sunset waved her hand, as if Lyra could see her. “No problem. I’ve got this all under control.” Out in the storage room, which was more like a warehouse of parts, a cold chill filled the air. There were ordinary goods you’d find in any warehouse; like oil and tools. But there were far more interesting and disturbing things out there. Animatronic limbs, both human and pony. Bags of yarn and acrylic hair. And the most interesting of all was a white marionette style doll. It hung on a hook, limp limbs hanging. A long, perfectly kept purple tufts of hair on its head. Sunset approached it slowly, as she got closer she began to recognize its familiarity as well. Suddenly the laughter began again, but it wasn’t as if she was hearing it… more like the memory of what it had sounded like before… but louder and repeated. She stepped back away from it. And as she moved, the laughter subsided. Despite the purple streaks down the cheeks, Sunset recognized the face of the marionette… “Rarity?” She quickly rushed to get two bottles of oil so that she would not have to come back out here for some time. She rushed to the door and locked it as she left. A chill racing up her spine. “It’s cool, it’s fine.” Sunset insisted, convincing all who were there. Which was… only her. The hallway was dark, as she raced back to the office. Opening the door, and closing it behind her. She released an exaggerated breath. Lifting the heavy oil jugs onto the desk and sighing. “What is wrong with me?” She turned toward the mirror beside the locker in the office. It was fogged, inexplicably, but she ran her hand over the moistened glass. Her reflection was as it always was, save for some sweat covering her brow. She wiped her face too, running the dew of the glass over her. It was cooling, but also disgusting. Aggressively wiping her hands off on her pants and then scrubbing her face with her bare hands. In having covered her face, the darkness led her to grow paranoid. The sudden creaking of the door causing her to jump. “I’ve gotta get in there and oil the animatronics.” She whispered, as if someone else would hear. In the showroom, Sunsent took stock of the place. Not literally, but rather… fearfully. Oil can in hand she slammed the stage button. The lights danced and distorted music began to play. It wasn’t as bad the second time. She stepped onto the stage, inspecting the animatronics more closely. Pouring the oil into the obvious joints. Going from right to left. Rainbow, Twilight, then Pinkie… she shook her head. These were just generic pony figures no need to give them names. Let alone the names of her friends. But, in a way, it made them less creepy. Rainbow’s robotic joints seemed grateful for the oiling. Sunset tried her best to not stare into the vastness of the faceless mare, but she could not help. It was frightful, “I don’t know if you need oil on your… face.” She said, speaking directly to the inanimate object. “I’ll just give you a little on the hinges, I won’t get it on the electrical.” She was caring, gentle, and steady-handed. Pushing back the ropes of hair to access the top join of Rainbow’s head. As she pressed on it the robotic head tilted toward her until she was staring its empty sockets in the eyes. She let out an involuntary scream, but still carefully pulled the oil away. “Gosh.” She laughed, shaking herself off. “You really scared me.” The head then, without her support, fell back to its forward-facing position. Almost as if it heard her. Moving on, Twilight was a much less oil-thirsty robot. It seemed she was newer, like some time after her introduction they had redone her. Her metal plating still had a bit of shine to it, and the mane sewn in was hardly patched or knotted. Sunset studied the figure. Her attention returning to the damaged wing. The damage did not seem naturally occurring, it was purposefully and maliciously removed. “I’m sorry, what have they done to you?” Sunset gently poured bits of oil on the wings’ hinges. The remaining wing crept down as the oil lubed the hinge. Finally, to her left sat the messy Pinkie Pie. Her shine had long gone, as if people had been touching the metal she was made from for generations. Her exposed knee joints were the first to receive their oil, and they creaked as well. Sunset was unfazed by this time. Upon closer inspection, Pinkie’s hooves had motors and small wheels in them. Below her was a stationary pole that had a padlock attaching her to the stage. This pink pony animatronic once roamed the pizzeria. “You all have so much to say, don’t you? If only I could hear your stories.” Sunset signed, finally coming down from her irrational fear. She sat at the end of the stage, allowing her feet to dangle. “How many people have you sang for? I bet it was a lot. And Pinkie Pie, I’m sure you were a blast at birthday parties…” she sighed. “Look at that, it’s almost time to go. Same time tomorrow?” The ponies were still as sunset hopped off their stage. She pressed the switch and the curtain began to close.
Night ThreeThe following day was Sunset’s day-off from classes. Which meant she had plenty of time to rest between shifts at the pizzeria. “The job isn’t so bad.” She said into the phone. “A little creepy, I guess, but not bad.” “I’m glad you’re happy, Sunset. I could never work in such a place… it would give me the heebie-jeebies.” Fluttershy replied. “I was wondering, well If you’re not too busy, if you wanted to grab lunch today?” Sunset smiled from ear to ear. “Of course, meet at the food court?” “Oh, that’s just wonderful. Yes, I will meet you there.” Sunset entered the mall and made her way up the escalator. At the table she saw her regular group of friends, sat, but waving her down as she approached. “Hey guys, long time no see.” “Course’ it’s been a quick minute, you’ve always got class or work.” Rainbow Dash replied, with a snarky yet playful tone. Sunset rolled her eyes, “yeah and you went right into the air force without a second thought, so it’s not like you’ve been so available.” Rainbow laughed it off. Pinkie Pie chimed in “working in the bakery with the Cake family has been great… how’s everybody else doing as of late-“ “Going to school for Fashion Merchandising is quite the exasperating task, but a 4.0 average does not earn itself.” Rarity replied, bragging as she so often did. Twilight began to ramble “Since I did dual enrollment, I’m already a Junior in credits, which I know most of you are just Freshmen, but it’s all very time-consuming… someone else talk please” “Well, working on the farm, but I’ve always been up to that… Fluttershy?” Apple Jack added. Fluttershy moped slightly “well between my classes at Canterlot Community College I volunteer at the animal shelter… when I’m not doing that I’m mostly waiting for you all to come back.” Everyone awed at this. Sunset gnawed at her food as attention turned towards her. She looked up, swallowing the lump of food. “Oh- I um, I started a new job last night. Gonna be working nights at the old Sparkle’s Pizzeria.” The six girls stared with their mouths agape. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Rainbow Dash insisted. “Darling, isn’t the old run-down building a bit… dangerous? Especially for a young lady… at night?” Rarity continued. Twilight added her two-cents. “I’m not familiar with a Sparkle’s Pizzeria, but it cannot be that bad. It’s a place for kids, right?” Fluttershy began to speak, but was quickly interrupted. “Yeah it was the very best birthday place… I had my birthday there when I was about four… good times…” “Until-“ Rainbow interrupted her interruption. “They closed the place down for money laundering and illegal experimentation.” Everyone turned to look at Rainbow, “What? I know stuff.” She said, pushing herself back in her seat. Sunset chuckled a bit. “I don’t know much about that…” her voice trailed off. She debated over whether or not she should bring up the animatronics resemblance to their pony counterparts. Given their attitude toward the place, she decided against it. “It’s just a dusty old building with a couple animatronics. I haven’t seen anything even remotely… experimental.” Rainbow shrugged and the others murmured amongst themselves. “Well, we all just worry about your safety, Sunset…” Fluttershy finally said. Sunset waved them off. “If anything bizarre happens, trust me you guys are the first people I will call.” “After the police, of course.” Twilight insisted. “Right, after the police…” she laughed at the absurdity. Her shift was long, hours passing as she fiddled through the book she had brought with her. There wasn’t much to do or to see. Lyra was right about the job having down time. As she flipped through the pages, she wondered if there was anything else she could do to pass the time. All of her friends had gone to bed, so texting was out of the question. There was hardly anything entertaining on her phone… her book was beginning to bore her to shreds. What more was there to do? Sunset stood in the middle of the pizzeria show room, oil can in hand. She had just oiled the main animatronics last night, but it wouldn’t hurt to take a look at them again. With a push of a button, the curtain opened. The familiar lights and sounds filled the tableless room. Revealing the three animatronics, now in different positions. Sunset saw startled, these things could hardly do their programmed motions, let alone get into such unnatural poses. Rainbow was up on her hind legs like a person. Supported by some metal rod, loosely placed into her holster. Twilight was seated, in a position that hardly looked possible given the location of her joints and hinges, but what was Sunset some sort of robotics engineer? She was unaware of the finer workings of such things. Pinkie was almost the strangest of all, completely sprawled out onto the stage. It was that point that Sunset realized she was not attached to the stationary pole that held her before. “You guys look rough, what happened to you?” Sunset said, she was unnerved, but not enough so to back away. Gently, Sunset pushed the heavy metal frame of the Rainbow pony down until it was standing on four hooves. Then, lifting the flank on Twilight into the upright position. She reviewed Pinkie at length, but the supporting column had been removed from her holster. “Sorry, Pinkie. I’ll have to ask if they can replace your support.” Looking into the pink pony’s eyes she saw blue lights slowly lift to a glow. She jumped back, slightly, but just as they had grown, they subsided. “Man…” she sighed, shaking off the cold sweat she began to feel on the back of her neck. “You guys really know how to freak somebody out, don’t ya’”. She scanned the room until her eyes fell on the unlit stage. Lyra had said the animatronic was receiving maintenance yesterday. Therefore, she should be fine to oil that one… right? Sunset hopped off the stage and made her way over. The curtain on this very small stage was not powered by a pulley system, it was a simple piece of light fabric. “Lyra said not to worry about you, but I’m honestly kind of a worrier, and-“ as she pulled the fabric back she was stopped mid-sentence. Before her was a hanging mess of wires. Truly, a torso and a head, as Lyra had described. Only, the head was horribly disjoined as the neck was a several foot-long strings of mental joints and wires. The torso was orange in color, covered with gashes and holes. Sunset stepped back, dropping the curtain back into place. “I’m not afraid of you.” Sunset said, to the new animatronic. However, the words were more of an attempt to comfort herself. She opened the curtain once more and bravely pointed the oil can in the disfigured mare’s direction. Without warning, Sunset pulled her hand back out. A striking pain sent up her arm as she did. She must’ve nicked her hand on some of the wires because when she looked down at the source of the pain, she was discomforted by the sight of a sizable cut. “Ow…” she mumbled, dropping the can to the floor in front of the second stage. As it hit the ground, it spilled its contents. Sunset was in no condition to be cleaning. As she turned around, heading back toward the office, she heard a thundering crash within the stage. Whatever had been elevating the amalgamated pony animatronic, had broken. Reluctantly, she turned back to the stage. Where, to her horror the face of robot stared back at her. It was so similar to Apple Jack, it almost didn’t terrify her… save for the black empty eyes. Last time she had checked, Apple Jack definitely had eyes. Sunset wasted no time booking it back to the office. She threw open the first aid kit on the wall. Unfortunately for her, it seemed this place had quite a lot of accidents. Given that the first aid kit has seemingly been ransacked. Lifting her uniform shirt, she tore off a strip of fabric from her undershirt. And wrapped it around her cut. It was not an open wound, she would be fine for the drive home. Turning to the clock, she punched it. 5 minutes early, but a workplace injury justified her leaving early.
Night Four (Part One)While sitting through her morning lecture, Sunset felt her phone rumbling repeatedly. At first, she was determined to ignore the ringing, but it was unceasing. Peering down, she realized it was Lyra… who was technically her boss now… so she politely excused herself and snuck out the back door. “Hey, Lyra. I was just in class… what’s up?” She asked casually, but there was an undertone of annoyance. Lyra huffed into the phone. “Well, thank goodness you answered. I saw that the Stage Two animatronic had fallen and I was worried that you were injured.” Sunset laughed awkwardly, “oh, no just a minor cut on my hand.” Lyra’s shock could be heard through the receiver. “Oh Sunset, I am so sorry. That animatronic is dangerous, the maintenance workers were having trouble repairing it without replacing a ton of parts because the wires are just so sharp and all over it.” She sighed, and her undertone was that of annoyance as well. Presumably because she had warned Sunset prior. “Hey, why don’t I come in at the start of your shift tonight? Okay? See you then!” The click of the abrupt end of the call shook Sunset in confusion. It wasn’t that she minded her coming into her shift, she just wasn’t sure how that would improve the situation. Making her way from her car to the door, she was greeted by Lyra. “Good evening, Sunset.” She said, holding the door open for her. As they walked through the pizzeria, Lyra took stock of the place. “Looks like you’ve been cleaning up in here.“ she laughed. “You know, I bought this place because of the ponies. I remember in high school, all of the insane magic you all did… I wondered if I could recreate that magic for other people… metaphorically of course.” Sunset chuckled awkwardly. “I was wondering why the animatronics looked so… familiar.” “It’s partially a coincidence.” Lyra replied. “The plates are easy to replace, it’s the endos that are difficult. When they sold the building, the animatronics came with it. But, like I said, getting the parts to repair them isn’t easy.. when I saw them, the ponies, I knew I needed to buy this place.” Sunset felt a little bit of warmth in her heart. That Lyra would dedicate her business to her and her friends. “That’s really sweet, actually” Lyra opened the office door and allowed Sunset to pass her. Once inside she spoke. “You and I have a lot in common, you know.” Sunset punched into work. “Yeah?” She said, only half interested in the follow-up. Lyra hummed, noticing her disinterest. “Yeah.” She replied simply. “Well, I’ll just cut to the chase, there’s something I want to show you before I go. Come with me.” The pair of girls walked down the hall and out to the warehouse. Sunset shuttered at the memory of the Rarity marionette. “A lot of interesting things out here.” She said, as she pulled the door open. Lyra nodded enthusiastically, it was immediately evident what she had wanted to show her. A new animatronic. Brand new, in fact. The yellow mane and bicolored mane were startling to Sunset. “Um, Lyra… is that supposed to be… me?” Lyra clapped her hands, quite satisfied with her work. “Don’t you love it? Fluttershy is a bit of a work in progress. There were only four ponies… well three ponies and a giraffe- which will be a pony soon.” She laughed an awkward and slightly maniacal laugh. “I couldn’t leave you out, I had this special ordered.” Sunset slowly backed up until her back was against the door. The only positive being that this animatronic wasn’t horribly disfigured with a terrible paint job and poorly rerooted hair. “It’s really… nice?” Sunset said finally. This time, Lyra took no notice of her hesitation. Racing over to the wall where the marionette hung. “And I found this old doll, it already had purple hair so I thought it could be Rarity.” As Lyra lifted the doll, the untraceable laughter began. This time louder, with a deeper tone. It seemed to drag on. “You’ll get used to that.” Lyra said. Sunset stammered, at a loss for words. If Lyra could hear the laughing too it wasn’t all in her head. “I’d better get in to work, make sure the place isn’t burning to the ground.” She said, half joking, half wishing a fire would burn this place down. Lyra pulled out an old-looking molded bell. It had a handle and could’ve been mistaken for a cowbell of some sort. “Do you recognize this?” Lyra asked. Sunset shook her head honestly, she hardly looked at the thing to keep herself from having to stare into her own teal eyes. Well, the eyes of her robotic, pony-self. “Can’t say I do.” Lyra laughed. “Oh I’m sure you do, but I’ll let you get to work.” She said finally, picking the bell back up as she left. Back in the office, Sunset tried to claw through everything she had just seen. At first, she had thought it was a sweet gesture. That her friends had left such an impact on Lyra, she wanted to share the ‘Magic of Friendship’ with the world. But, in staring into the cold eyes of a metal pony made in her likeness, Sunset wasn’t so sure. Sunset watched the screens in front of her, watching Lyra wave the bell around in the stage room. She covered her eyes with her hands out of second-hand humiliation. Genuinely beginning to second-guess the other woman’s sanity. She looked away, unable to stand the insanity any longer. “What a psycho.” Sunset mumbled under her breath. She pulled herself up and out of the chair. Trying to distract her mind, she made her way over to the lockers. She pulled them open, one by one. All of them empty, except one. The door chimes rang, signifying Lyra’s exit. Sunset began to thank Celestia she had gone. Returning her attention to the locker, she lifted the small figure of Fluttershy. Evidently handmade, but to scale, a replica of the pony version of her. Strange, how Lyra would be able to estimate something so closely. As she assessed the figure, she heard a strained wobbling and creaking sound. It almost sounded like a shopping cart. A shopping cart with a broken wheel, perhaps, the sound of small wheels wiggling on their spokes. The noise slowly grew closer and closer. Sunset turned toward the door, ensuring that it was closed. It was unsettling, this new sound. Almost, but not quite comparable to the laughter. Contrary to the laughter, however, this sound was tangible. It didn’t sound made up, it sounded very much real. But what could be making that sound? What had wheels? And who was pushing it around?
Night Four (Part Two)As the wheels pulled to a stop, Sunset cautiously peered out the small pane of glass beside the door. Unsure of what to expect, but certainly expecting to see something. However, she was subverted. “It’s nothing.” She mumbled quietly to herself. She twisted the lock on the door knob, ensuring it was securely fastened. Sighing a breath of relief, Sunset returned to the desk. The monitors all showed normalcy, save for the primary stage. Lyra must’ve opened the stage curtain. She was so unusual, but Sunset knew the curtain needed closed. The lights and music couldn’t play all night long. Agitated now, she stormed over to the locked door. Throwing it open, she unleashed a guttural scream. Before her, stood eye-to-eye, was the Pink animatronic. Of course, the one with wheels. Sunset stumbled backwards into the office, “how did you get down off the stage?” The glowing blue eyes burned right into her. The animatronic tilted its head like a confused puppy, looking for guidance. “Happy Birthday!” It said cheerfully. The voice box sounded so crisp, new even. A direct juxtaposition to the outward appearance of the robot itself. “You don’t belong out here, Pinkie.” Sunset replied. Slowly approaching the animatronic with one hand held out between them. Feeling the cold metal of the faceplate as she made contact. “Happy Birthday!” Sunset gently led the mobile Pinkie animatronic back into the stage room. To her dismay, finding that the others had resumed their bizarre positions from the night prior. “You guys are killing me with this.” Sunset said, half joking. “I assume Lyra turned you guys on. We shouldn’t be wasting electricity when no one is around to enjoy your performances.” Twilight sat, Rainbow standing on her hind legs. She looked from the pony on wheels, to the stage. “There’s no way I’m lifting you up, no offense, but you look like you weigh a ton.” She laughed as a thud covered the stage. Rainbow had fallen onto her front hooves. The pegasus twitched as she moved. Despite her missing face, Sunset had grown quite fond of her. Almost in a rehabilitation sense. She felt a sort of… calling… to protect and repair them. “Whoa there, careful with yourself.” Sunset lunged towards the power switch. As her arm shot out, she screamed in searing pain. Turning her attentions toward the source of her pain, she took note of the wires wrapping around her arm. They weren’t, aggressive… just assertive. It was clear that this animatronic did not want the power shut down. Sunset slowly dropped her arm as she spun to face the wire-armed beast. While she saw eye-to-eye with the ponies on all fours, this one towered over her. She slowly looked up until she was staring into the empty sockets of the face plate. Apple Jack stood on a mess of metal rods, wires, and brackets. The ability of the animatronic to even move in its condition was unbelievable. Sunset stared, begging her body to run, as the long neck curved downward to meet her gaze. Only, Apple Jack could not see. How she knew to grab her, was a mystery. Evidently not the only mystery in this place. “I see you’ve decided to join us.” Sunset said finally, regaining her composure. She had deciding running would just aggravate them. Instead, she would stay and play their game. “If you guys want to waste all your electricity on late-night performances, hey, be my guest.” She said, it was almost convincing how nonchalant she was. Slowly the wires unwrapped themselves from her arm, setting her free. “Pinkie Pie here is running on battery, so when she loses charge that’s gonna be on all your hooves.” The four animatronics gave her their undivided attention. “Happy Birthday!” Pinkie Pie repeated. It was as if her voice module was broken and that was all she was able to say. “Can any of the rest of you speak? Or do you just lip sync.” Sunset laughed at the absurdity of the question. Twilight sat, stoically. Her answer was that she could not. Rainbow, too, could not. Apple Jack opened her mouth, revealing flat round teeth. Some were broken and jagged into sharp little points. The sound she made could not be quite described as ‘speaking’. More of an ear-piercing screech. Sunset covered her ears, hobbling back until she crashed into the stage. “How… unique…” The animatronics began to exchange glances. And in a sudden brash movement, the stoic Twilight kicked out a hoof. The brunt of the kick hit Sunset squarely between the shoulders, causing her to fall forwards. Swiftly the mobile Pinkie Pie grabbed the hem of her uniform pants and began dragging her across the multi-colored carpet. Throwing her wheels into reverse, then spinning she jerked the helpless Sunset’s figure in a circular motion. Sunset flailed, but as she had noticed, Pinkie Pie was quite heavy. It was difficult to struggle against something of that size. “Stop! Hey! I thought we were friends!” Sunset shouted, her hands dragging across the tiled hallway as she tried to grab something, anything, that would give her leverage. The dragging finally ceased once they had entered the warehouse once more. Pinkie left her, and though Sunset tried her best to book it to the door, the pink pony was far swifter and stronger. She slowly turned back, to face… herself. This animatronic did not move or light up. It wasn’t functional. She sighed, trying the door, but as she had expected… it was locked. “I guess, I just have to wait here until the morning crew finds me.” She said. “It’s just me, me, and Rarity.” Then the laughter began again. “Oh give it rest, unless you’re going to get me out of here, I don’t want to hear it.” Sunset shouted. Raising her voice for the first time since she’d started there. “You guys all wanna rough me up and creep me out, why don’t you just get a life.” It was then, that the back door of the warehouse slowly cracked open. “You’re welcome.” The wispy voice said, it had such a tone of sarcasm. Sunset turned to the marionette on counter top. In sheer disbelief. She grabbed it and looked it over. “Thank you.” She said as she gently placed the marionette so that it was sitting up. Resting its back against another can of oil. She brushed the hair out of its face before she bolted for the door.
Night Five (Part One)Sunset booked into to her car, not stopping to look back. Once inside, she peeled out of the parking lot. Speeding as she went, but the streets were so quiet. The sun barely dared show its face on the horizon. The sky was just waking up. Sunset ran up the stairs to her apartment, latching the door securely, and propping a chair up against it. She’d like to believe nothing was chasing her, but after being rag-dolled by a life-size pony animatronic and subsequently being saved by a presumably haunted marionette, she could not be sure. She rolled up her pants leg to assess the damage, it was a bit scratched, but it mostly seemed like rug burn. The rest of her body too, had a stripe of red scratches from being dragged. Her largest injury was, again, her arm, where the animatronic has wrapped its wires around her wrist. Divots in her skin outlines the shape of the wires, but they were not deep enough to break. Throwing her body down on the bed, she breathed a sigh of disbelief. She couldn’t rationalize continuing to work at the pizzeria. Whatever was going on there, she needed to stay far away from it. As the sun made its way to the mid-point of the sky, Sunset finally awoke again. It was time. It was a simple text. “Hey Lyra, I’m going to have to resign.” But, the reply was almost instantaneous. “Oh no! Is there anything we can do to convince you to stay?” Sunset skimmed the text. Pooling at the word ‘we’, only she knew Lyra didn’t mean it royally. She meant ‘we’ as in the grand plural. She, and the animatronics. “No, sorry. I’ve made my decision.” “Well, come down at about six, I will cut you a check for the four days you’ve worked.” Sunset stared at the request. The check would be for upwards of $900. The trip would only be 30 minutes, at most. She needed to rationalize returning. She needed the money. “Right, okay.” Sunset parked her car, her phone screen glowed with the time: 5:50. No problem, early is better. Her phone buzzed, rumbling in her hand. The call was from Lyra. “Hey, Lyra. I just got here… want to meet me outside?” Lyra chuckled nonchalantly. “Come on in, I’m in the office.” “I’d really rather not.” Sunset said hesitantly. “Don’t be silly, I’ve been cleaning up today. The pink pony animatronic somehow got down off the stage. Just come in and I’ll cut you the check.” Sunset signed, relenting. “Okay, coming.” Rushing through the stage room, she refused to make eye contact. Her footsteps were soft, perhaps, she thought, the animatronics wouldn’t notice her. Once she had reach the office, she took note of Lyra at the desk. She didn’t turn her attention toward her right away. Instead, staring intently at the monitors. “It’s really a shame, we just can’t keep a night guard. I’ve only owned this place a little after graduation…” she turned to face the other girl now. “You’re the first one to quit, though, so I appreciate you for being forthcoming. Better than job abandonment, I’d say.” Sunset hummed a tune of disinterest. “Yeah, it’s just that I got another job lined up and they asked me to start right away.” Sunset lied. Lyra could tell. “And their pay exceeds ours?” She asked, seeming genuinely interested in the answer. Sunset grumbled, more so at the idea of being jobless. “Just closer to my place, save me on travel.” Lyra nodded, though they both knew her true reason for leaving. “Well, I guess that’s for the best.” She stood from her seat, “let me get that check for you.” Sunset eased up a bit, stepping into the office. Lyra walked over to the book shelf and rifled through her things. Inside was a small check book. Behind her, the door eased itself shut. As Lyra searched for her pen, a strange metallic banging came from above them. “New Air Conditioning, just had it installed.” Lyra excused. “The ducting makes noise I guess. When we have the place up and running the music will cover the sound.” Sunset peaked up at the vent above her. Scraps of fabric hanging between the blades. “Looks like somethings blocking the vent here.” She said casually. Lyra looked up, and back at Sunset. “Ah- here’s that pen.” Sunset returned her attention to Lyra. As she clicked the end of the pen, the vent cover peeled open. A rag doll fell from the now open spot on the ceiling. It hit Sunset on the head like it was made of brick. She stumbled to the ground, grabbing at the top of her head. Making sure it hadn’t, in fact, busted her head open. The pain in her head swelled, but there was no abrasion. “Ow, what the heck.” She fell to her knees, holding her head with one hand. Using the other to grab the flimsy, yet heavy doll. It had a small mesh panel on its face. It wasn’t immediately obvious what it was supposed to be. A purple body with no face. Green flaps of fabric hastily sewn in with the wrong color thread. It dawned on her, that this was some janky version of Spike. Lyra approached her, looking down on her from where she stood. “Man, I’d really hoped that would knock you out.” She said before swiftly kneeing her squarely in the forehead. Sunset reached for her face, feeling for damage, but before she could recieved confirmation, she had begun to lose consciousness. “Why?” Lyra only looked over her as she shut her eyes.
Night Five (Part Two)Sunset’s eyes opened as she winced with pain. A headache barging to the forefront of her mind before she had a moment to comprehend her circumstances. “What happened?” She asked, as her vision cleared. Lyra stood before her, in the warehouse once again. To Sunset, it appeared to be the stereotypical horror movie sight. Lyra stood at a table, which Sunset expected to be covered with torture devices. However, when she looked down, she only saw that old, crusty bell. “You’re very resilient, I imagine that your magic is only activated by your consciousness.” Sunset narrowed her eyes, that string of words making absolutely no sense to her. “What do you mean?” Lyra laughed a bit, it was uncomfortable, the laugh was not evil, more genuine. As if Sunset had just told a hilarious joke. “I was trying to tell you yesterday. You and I are quite similar.” The pause was ominous. “Anomalies, I would say.” Sunset finally began to regain a bit of her conscious mind. Wiggling her arms she came to understand that she was strained to a chair. “What do you mean?” “Have you ever tried looking for the human Sunset Shimmer? By all accounts, she should have gone to Canterlot High, or at least a school near-by.” Sunset shook her head, still groggy and pain-stricken. “It hadn’t come up.” “Well I have.” Lyra insisted. “Only to find absolutely no record of her, the way you could’ve pulled an identity out of nowhere… it should baffle me.” Her voice trailed off. “There is no Lyra Heartstrings in Equestria.” Sunset tried to comprehend what she was saying. “Of course there is, and I’m sure somewhere out there-“ “There isn’t.” Lyra interrupted. “There was once a filly who looked quite similar to me, but she was not Lyra. I am the only one, I have traversed both this world and the next. Back and forth, to study the magic… and until you came here, I didn’t know it was possible to bring magic home.” Sunset grumbled. “So let me get this straight. You were born human, and you went into the pony world… and became a pony… and have been living a double life?” Lyra snapped her fingers “exactly!” Sunset raised one eyebrow, skeptically. “Lyra… I don’t know what you’re going on about… but I think you’d ought to let me go.” Lyra scoffed. “You don’t believe me.” She rolled her eyes picking up the old bell off the table. “Well, I have this.” Exhibiting the item to her captive. Sunset finally opened her eyes wide enough to look at the bell, but no matter how hard she thought, that bell meant nothing to her. “Congratulations?” Lyra slammed the bell down on the table. “I thought you went to Celestia’s school! Should you not be able to recognize Grogar’s bell when it is presented to you?” A wave of realization washed over Sunset. “Grogar?” She chuckled as it seemed so absurd. “I had always just believed him to be a fable… Celestia was always talking about such ridiculous nonsense…” Lyra was growing agitated and aggressive. “It is not nonsense!” She shouted. “I have used this bell to rip the magic from enough ponies to fill this restaurant with animatronics and I’d do it for a whole chain if I could.” Sunset wriggled in her seat. “Ponies die without their magic!” She shouted. “In just a few days, without any magic…” she looked forlorn “Lyra please tell me this isn’t true.” Lyra’s face fell, “no they don’t… they don’t.” She put the bell down again. “When I took their magic, they were fine, weakened, but fine.” Sunset stared in horror. “You’re ripping their souls from their bodies…” Lyra was silent for a moment. It seemed, she hadn’t realized the severity of her actions… “my friends…” Sunset pulled at her restraints. “It’s not too late to fix this, Lyra. The animatronics don’t need souls to power them…” “You don’t understand.” She grumbled. “It’s the magic that sets them apart. It’s the only way to make this place successful…” she sighed. “With the power of the magic… rather the souls, these animatronics will be able to do things other places’s couldn’t even dream of.” “There has to be another way…” Sunset replied. “There has to.” Author's Note Next Chapter (8): BAD ENDING Chapter 9: GOOD ENDING Chapter 10: NEUTRAL ENDING Chapter 11: WORST ENDING
BAD ENDINGAuthor's Note BAD ENDING Chapter 9: GOOD ENDING Chapter 10: NEUTRAL ENDING Chapter 11: WORST ENDING BAD ENDING BAD Ending: Lyra turned her head to face Sunset head on. “It’s too late now, my pony friends have given their lives for this… I cannot stop now.” Sunset wiggled, leaning forward until she could balance on her feet. Lyra watched her struggle. “I made this animatronic just for you.” She said gesturing over to the Sunset Shimmer animatronic. “It would be a shame to have to kill another pony.” She hummed. “But you? Truly, there was no record of any such person. ‘Sunset Shimmer’.” Sunset’s eyes widened. If ponies could not live without their magic, it stood to reason that Sunset could not either. Only, she wasn’t a pony, at least not right now. “Lyra, you can’t be serious. This type of magic is corrupting you, it’s only downhill from here… it’s not too late to stop.” Lyra shook her head. “It is too late. I cannot return to Equestria knowing the crimes I have committed. This is my life, this place has to be a success. I have no other options.” Sunset used all her strength to stand. Swinging the wooden chair attached to her behind she made contact with Lyra’s midsection. The wooden chair fractured as it connected. Sunset was no longer burdened by her restraints, so, she took off running. Lyra stumbled to the floor under the impact of the chair. “Damnit.” She huffed. Brushing herself off and checking for any damage. When sunset took the corner toward the exit, she realized her mistake. The very familiar faces blocked her path… well three faces, and the lack of a face. Sunset paused. “I know you guys are scared… and hurt… but I am not your enemy…” The wires from the Apple Jack animatronic wrapped around her body until she could no longer move. Holding her completely still. It was clear, that even in death, or… rebirth? Lyra’s friends were loyal to her. “What will making me like you do for you!?” Sunset screamed. The pizzeria echoed with the sounds of her screams. Lyra finally emerged, holding the bell. “No more stories, Sunset Shimmer. You caught me monologuing and thought you were so clever. You aren’t so clever or strong without your friends… perhaps if you had just stayed in Equestria, that was your mistake.” She harshly threw the bell, and it rang as it flew through the air. It smacked against the restraining cables and wires. The pressure of pulling through her skin began. Something like her essence being removed. Pain poured through her until she could no longer feel. The extraction had ended, the wires loosened, and she fell to her hands and knees. An overwhelming sadness enveloped her. It should only be a matter of days before she’d cease to exist. Days had gone by, Sunset barricaded herself in the apartment. Terrified to see her friends, for fear that she may die at any moment. It had always been said that magic was a pony’s life-force. The fire-of-the soul. Without hers, it seemed only a short while til she grew weak and weary. But as the days turned into a week, Sunset grew unsure. She didn’t feel weak, she didn’t even feel tired. Just alone with her thoughts. She was fine… Only, a pony cannot live without her magic, so it seemed she could never be a pony again. And without her magic, she would just be an ordinary person. Isolated from what her friends had obtained in the magic of friendship. And perhaps they didn’t need her if that were the case… Quite debilitating, and with no where to turn. Maybe it was preferable that she just return to Equestria. Than to watch her friends continue living lives so much more bonded with each other than with her. It was an empty feeling nonetheless. The lack of magic. The sadness and isolation was inescapable. So she would return to Equestria without her magic…
Good EndingAuthor's Note GOOD ENDING Chapter 8: BAD ENDING Chapter 10: NEUTRAL ENDING Chapter 11: WORST ENDING Good Ending Good Ending: Lyra looked up at Sunset. “I didn’t know it would kill them…” she sighed “but what can I do? You cannot bring back the dead.” Sunset hung her head. “It might not be too late, if we can return the magic… we can save your friends.” Lyra’s eyes welled with tears. “I just wanted to have magic… I didn’t know…” Sunset pulled against her arm restraints. Scared, but also saddened at Lyra’s condition. “We have to hurry, the sooner we get back to Equestria… the better our chances are of saving your friends.” Lyra gulped. “We? Our? You would help me after all I’ve done to you? After I tried to steal your magic… I could’ve killed you.” Sunset held up her hand, but she couldn’t lift her arm. “Hey, some people did the same for me once, I believe in second chances.” Lyra quickly untied her and hastily grabbed the bell off the table. “Let’s get out of here.” Once in the stage room they found the animatronics awaiting them. Gently Sunset placed her hand on the muzzle of Pinkie Pie, and then moved over to Twilight. “It’s going to be alright… both you ponies and you animatronics… we’re going to fix you all up.” Lyra waved the bell collecting the fragmented magic from the animatronic vessels. The clamoring of metal hitting the ground echoed through the old building. “We’ve got to hurry.” As they pulled up to the high school, the sun had already set. They looked like a couple delinquents sprinting across the field. They also, must have looked like a couple of head cases, as the dove into what otherwise seemed to be a completely solid statue. As they passed into Equestria Sunset grabbed the bell with her mouth, and slammed in onto the ground. As it chimed the sound rang out, causing their ears to ring. Bursts of light shooting into all directions as the magic found its way back to its rightful owners. “We should check on them…” Lyra said. Sunset held her hoof out to stop her. “I don’t think they’re going to forgive you as easily as I have… I’ll have friend of mine check in on yours, alright?” Weeks had passed, and the pizzeria was looking not too shabby. Pinkie Pie stood next to her pony-animatronic self. The new coat of paint and new curly re-tufted hair looking new and sparkly. “This place isn’t so bad.” Sunset and Apple Jack exchanged glances, covered in grease and evidently having been working on the animatronics for ages. Rainbow Dash tightened the bolt on her own robot. “This face-plate just loves loosen itself.” “Should’ve seen it before we got the replacement.” Sunset replied, Rainbow shuttering at the idea. Apple Jack stood next to her namesake as well, “and yall should feel lucky, mine was damn near impossible and mighty’ discomfortin’” They all shared a laugh. Twilight joined them, peering at the purple alicorn animatronic. Sunset joined her. “This one is for the other Twilight, isn’t it”. Sunset put her arm around her friend. “It’s for both you, but the crown, that’s definitely for her.” She laughed, and as Twilight pushed up her glasses, she joined her in laughter. Lyra stood at the steps “this place is looking much better… I owe it to all of you.” Fluttershy hummed a bit, standing to the right of Lyra. “Um… I don’t mean to be a bother… but do I have an animatronic?” Lyra laughed. “I actually have a mascot costume I might be able to make look like you?” She said, Fluttershy smiled smally, “I don’t mind.” “And me, Darling?” Rarity asked. “Oh!” Lyra shouted, turning behind the counter and pulling out the old marionette. She handed it to Rarity. “Here you go!” Rarity’s face twisted in disgust, but she attempted to offer a polite smile. Until the laughter started. The far-off very haunted sounding laughter. Almost in unison Sunset and Lyra said “you’ll get used to that.” Then everybody began to laugh, drowning out the haunted doll.
Neutral EndingAuthor's Note Chapter 8: BAD ENDING Chapter 9: GOOD ENDING NEUTRAL ENDING Chapter 11: WORST ENDING Neutral Ending Neutral Ending Sunset wriggled in the chair. “Sunset?” The familiar voice called from inside the building. Banging and the sounds of girls screaming echoed into the warehouse. “Your friends? You have got to be kidding me.” Lyra untied Sunset, forcibly holding her with Grogar’s bell against her back. “Perfect, now you will convince them to give up their magic too, otherwise I’ll rip the magic from your body right in front of them.” Sunset nodded, reluctantly. Entering the stage room they found her six friends entirely entangled in wires and being tormented by the living animatronics. “Listen Sunset, I told you this place was a freak show.” Rainbow bragged as Sunset came into view. “You don’t like my little place?” Lyra said, emerging from behind Sunset. “Not at all.” Pinkie Pie added bluntly. “Is this supposed to be me, because… that’s just weird.” The others began examining the animatronics attributes. Noting their similarities, despite their horrific condition, the attempts to make them look like them… were evident. “This place is creepy.” Twilight stated plainly. “Cause’ the wire trap didn’t already’ tell ya’ that.” Apple Jack replied sarcastically. “Well you’re all just in time!” Lyra shouted excitedly. Sunset hummed. “Lyra, you really don’t want to do this.” “Do what?” Rainbow Dash asked. Lyra pressed the bell into Sunset’s spine, causing her to leap forward. “You really don’t.” Sunset said, turning her head over to face Lyra. She looked over at the animatronics. “They don’t deserve this, and neither do my friends.” All eyes and lack of eyes were on her now. “A real friend wouldn’t do what you’ve done… and a real friend wouldn’t let you do it again!” Sunset shouted. “What are you talking about, Sunset. You’re not making any sense?” Rarity insisted. “This booby trap was quite the elaborate show, but we have not been hurt.” The girls murmured in agreement. “Lyra plans to harvest the magic from all of us using an Equestrian magical relic.” Sunset said finally. “Always with the magic relics!” Twilight shouted in exasperation. “It’s almost as if these people never learn.” As the girls struggled against the wire traps they were wrapped in, a blast of multicolored magic began to form. Lyra held up the bell, anticipating that she would capture all of the magic, but she had not accounted for the four additional points of power. The animatronic’s souls pitched in, adding not only the magic of friendship, but wrath and betrayal. Loyalty to their saviors. As the bell began to suction the magic, Lyra lost her balance from the power of the blast, sending the bell clamoring to the floor. As blasts of light shot out of it from every angle. The wires released as the magic from the animatronics returned to their cross-dimensional owners. The seven girls approached Lyra, usually fairly forgiving, but hardly so this time. Sunset thought for a moment “I guess the best thing to do is to prevent you from ever returning to Equestria… from ever doing something like this again.” Twilight sighed. “You don’t mean…” “I think it’s best.” Apple Jack added. “What she gets, I think.” Rainbow said. Pinkie lifted the bell and passed it over to Sunset. She gently used the bell to remove what little magic the human Lyra had obtained from her time in Equestria. Lyra shook her hands, feeling rather indifferent. “You think that will stop me from returning to Equestria?” She laughed. “I went there with no magic from the start.” Sunset nodded slowly. “No, but I have a sneaking suspicion that this might. The aura of the seven began to glow. Blasting Lyra directly. Upon contact the magical blast sent a chill over Lyra’s body, and suddenly she began to not be able to move. It wasn’t until she was completely encased in stone that she knew exactly what had happened. The seven girls pushed the statue into the warehouse. “That’s how we do it in Equestria.” Sunset said as they made their departure.
The Worst EndingAuthor's Note WORST ENDING Chapter 8: BAD ENDING Chapter 9: GOOD Ending Chapter 10: NEUTRAL ENDING Chapter 11: WORST ENDING The Worst Ending As Lyra spiraled through a sea of emotions, their little conversation was cut short. The sound of pounding on the back door overtook them. “Who did you call?” Lyra shouted. “Your little friends??” She reached for the bell hastily knocking it onto the floor. Slipping to the floor she grabbed it. In one swift motion she threw it with all her might, pelting Sunset directly on the forehead, knocking Her unconscious as the magic drained from her body. It slowly trickled to a stop as she lost consciousness. It seemed, Lyra was only able to extract a portion of her magic, as it was not active while she was unconscious. She hastily hurried over to the door, throwing it open. She rushed into the stage room to find six girls completely halted by a mess of wires and loyal animatronics keeping them at bay. “Hey Lyra- I’m not sure what’s going on, but we came to see Sunset…” Twilight began. It seemed, without Sunset, Twilight would be the pseudo leader. Lyra ran swiftly, slamming the bell into Twilights stomach. She screamed in agony as the bell absorbed the magic within her, it was half what Sunset had, but far more than the ponies she’d taken from in Equestria. The other girls screamed and shouted, surprised at the rash and aggravated actions of someone they thought a friend. Twilight hung weakly from the wires that held her, unable to move. The next was Rarity, who Lyra was privy to the knowledge of her being a unicorn in Equestria. As she slammed the bell into her leg the magic bolted from her body like an electric shock. Lyra wasted no time, pelting each of the others one after the other until all six girls were magic-less. She stood holding the bell, full of magic as it shook. Her capacity for holding the magic was lacking. As the bell shook a ball of magic began to form. Everyone looked on, terrified at the uncontrollable magic. As the ball began to grow, Lyra attempted to capture it. “It’s mine, it’s all mine!” She screamed as she held the bell, swinging it maniacally. She turned the bell, intending to blast the pizzeria, to use the magic to enhance the place. The six on-lookers watched in dismay as Lyra tried and failed to contain and control the magic. They too, having no control over it. Her hands began to burn, her attempts to use the magic on the pizzeria proved fruitless. The power swelling into her body until it poofed into nonexistent. The blast of the magic overtaking the building. And in an instant, all that was, was no longer. The pizzeria had gone and all inside it, gone with it. All that remained was a concrete foundation, and a large pile of ash… and Sunset Shimmer. The magic within her saving her life. “Miss, Miss. what happened? What are you doing out here all alone?” An unfamiliar man, in a police uniform asked. She was covered in ash and soot, unaware of what had transpired. “I-I’m not sure…” Sunset looked around, and down at the black pile of nothingness. “Where’s the pizzeria.” The officer scratched the back of his head. “Man… Sparkle’s? Not sure, I’m pretty sure they tore it down months ago after the owner went missing.” Sunset looked around at the vast emptiness, overgrown grass, and crackled parking lot. It was just how it was, except without the pizzeria. “Months ago?” She asked. “You hit your head, miss?” Sunset rubbed her head. “I guess I must’ve” she said. But it was so real. She turned in her seat, upsetting the dust. The purple gleamed through. She reached into the mess and pulled out the old marionette. “Let’s get you home.” As Sunset lay in bed, she looked over at the marionette on the shelf. It didn’t laugh. It didn’t even make a sound. There was a knock at the door, and it startled her. She leapt up, if she had been gone for months, how had her rent been kept up? And why hadn’t her friends called for her. Upon reaching the door, she peered through the peephole. No one, but she opened it anyway. On the welcome-mat sat a stack of papers. Upon further inspection… they were articles… missing person’s articles… eight of them. And plastered on the first page was a photo of herself. “They’re all… gone?”
