The Rocking Horses of Ponyvilleby scribblestarChaptersThe New PoniesMissing: have you seen this pony?Interview with a Crack-head PegasusThe Gray MareThe PartyFolly of the FilliesThe Investigation of Melancholy MarionetteIn Which Mel Pretends Twilight is an OrangePeeled ApplesThe reverie of Ketamina Crack-Baby BlancIn Which Mel Makes A MistakeThe New PoniesIt was a new day and Twilight was busy talking to her best friend Pinkie Pie about new cupcake recipes. "so Twilight, what do you think abouuuutt... pineapple cupcakes!?" Pinkie shouted, revealing said cupcakes. "They're- certainly something Pinkie." Twilight sighed, peering out the window and seeing a pink pegasus pony bounding up the steps to Sugarcube Corner. She burst into the bakery, her curly mane a bird's nest around her head as she rushed to the counter. "Hi!! I'm new here and I just moved from Las Pegasus because my best friend is moving here and I want to get her the best treats you have!! please?" The Pegasus rambled on, the words spewing from her mouth like water from a hose. "Sure!! what's your name, new friend?" Pinkie pie inquired, pulling out a notepad and taking a pen into her mouth. "Oh, sorry for not introducing myself. My name is Crack Baby, but you can call me Ketamina if you want to." Twilight's tea suddenly spewed from her mouth, having overheard the conversation. "Crack- Baby?" Pinkie echoed, confused. Ketamina nodded. "mhm, soooo, what kind of treats do you have? I need them tomorrow." she said impatiently. Pinkie Pie looked around at the delectable treats before turning back to Ketamina. "well, what does your friend like?" Ketamina thought for a moment before pointing at a chocolate cake. "can you make something like that with raspberries instead of strawberries?" Pinkie looked at the cake and then back at Ketamina before smiling. "of course I can!! well, I need to know who I'm delivering to; what is your friend's name?" Missing: have you seen this pony?The news of the rich fillies going missing spread like wildfire, rumors of kidnap and terrible accidents were the talk of the town. Over a week, more ponies went missing: derpy hooves, bonbon, Carrot Top, Applebloom, and even Pinkie Pie were nowhere to be found. Twilight's head was in a whirl, she was worried about her best friend and the other ponies. The pineapple cupcakes that Pinkie had baked three days ago were still on top of a stack of books in Twilight's castle, moldy and attracting fruit flies. "This doesn't make any sense, where could they have gone...?" while Twilight was busy investigating the disappearances, Starlight Glimmer and Spike were in charge of the School of Friendship. Twilight noticed one thing about the disappearances: it was mostly earth ponies that were missing, save for Derpy of course. Applejack and the Crusaders were distraught at the disappearance of Applebloom. Whenever Twilight went to talk to Applejack, she never seemed to have time to talk and was always flank-deep into her chores. The Crusaders on the other hand were always busy looking for their missing piece, calling her name and searching high and low for her. There were posters all over town, pleading the whereabouts of the ponies emblazoned upon their flimsy surfaces. Twilight questioned nearly everyone in Ponyville, nearly. Whenever she tried to question Melancholy, the store was always closed. She tried to speak to Ketamina but she never answered the door and when Ketamina did leave her home she was always heavily drunk or high. "Don't worry Twilight darling, we'll find those missing ponies soon..." Rarity reassured Twilight after her long day. they sipped tea together before Rarity applied a green, gooey mask to Twilight's face after tying her mane into a quick bun. "it's hard not to Rarity, even Pinkie is missing, and it's hard to miss her anywhere..." Rarity sighed and put her mane up and applied the mask. "do you remember that new pony? she seemed a bit odd, didn't she?" Twilight raised an eyebrow "Which one? The Pegasus or the unicorn?" "the unicorn, didn't she act strangely at Pinkie's party? like- didn't she throw away perfectly good cupcakes?" Twilight nodded, deep in thought. Mel was the only pony she hadn't talked to yet, besides Ketamina. "I have an idea. What if we stage a checkup for Ketamina and interview her then? She's the only pony that knows anything about Mel. I want to save Mel the talk, she doesn't seem very social." Interview with a Crack-head PegasusThe next day Twilight spoke to Nurse Redheart at midnight, who promptly went to Ketamina's house and woke her up before she could intoxicate herself. Twilight and Rarity accompanied the nurse pony, who was taking all the alcohol and drugs out of the mare's home. "so, Ketamina, we wanted to talk about your friend who just moved here. As you know, a lot of ponies have gone missing and there aren't any leads. The only ponies I haven't been able to speak to yet are you and your friend." Twilight told Ketamina. "yeah yeah, she told me. She says the ponies that threw the party were nosy and annoying. She only came to Ponyville for the bits." Ketamina said irritably. Rarity raised an eyebrow at this statement. Twilight pressed on. "so, how did you meet Mel? how long have you known each other?" Ketamina grabbed a bottle of Fillyalyte (pony version of Pedialyte) and chugged it before continuing. "Yeah, we've been friends since we were fillies. It helped me find my cutie mark. Well, I accidentally got into my mother's stash of nose candy and I was tripping balls, and while I was tripping I saw Mel, she was just standing there. Anyway, when the nose candy finally wore off she wasn't there anymore so I asked my unicorn auntie Three Leaf to help me. Auntie Leaf brought Mel to life for me and we had a blast. She always stood up against my brothers Cherry Roulette and Whiskey Twist. Before Mel came around Whiskey always tried to catch me alone so he could molest me, but when Mel showed up she was always with me. Cherry Roulette always tried to steal my things so he could sell them, but Mel helped me." Twilight's eyes were popping with shock and Rarity, who had been applying false eyelashes, had one of them dangling haphazardly from her eyelid. "What?! So you're telling me Mel isn't a real pony, she was just an imaginary friend that came to life!?" Ketamina rolled her eyes. "can you like- go now? It's midnight, and I'm tired." Twilight thought for a moment before responding to the Pegasus. "Fine, but you have to promise me that first thing tomorrow you'll go down to the Rehab center and get some help." "fine..." The Gray Marethe desserts had been made and a party had been planned, and Pinkie and her other friends were decorating a vacant building where Ketamina's friend would be residing. there were blue and yellow streamers adorning the walls along with the dusty cobwebs. "I wonder what your friend is going to do for work here, it looks spooky..." Fluttershy said, wiping a dusty window with her hoof. Applejack gave Ketamina a confused look. "so uh, sugarcube, what did you say your friend's name was again?" Ketamina looked out the window eagerly, not seeming to hear Applejack. Twilight saw a lone unicorn in the distance, her coat dark as steel and her mane blue as the ocean. she was pulling a cart behind her and had a look of deep concentration etched upon her face. "oh my goodness!! It's her!! Mel is here!! everypony hide!" Ketamina shouted excitedly as everyone hid in their respective positions. when Mel arrived and magically unlocked the door, she was greeted with a loud shout of "WELCOME TO PONYVILLE NEW FRIEND!!" from Pinkie and the others. the mare looked around, seeming mildly alarmed before her eyes landed on Ketamina. "oh hello Keta, I didn't know you would be here to meet me. It's nice to see you anywhere other than your apartment." Mel said dryly (twilight was reminded of Maud, Pinkie's sister.) Ketamina hugged Mel tightly and held up a tray of brownies, which Pinkie had reluctantly made. "I got your favorite! I went to Tree Hugger and she's got the good stuff!" Mel's eyebrows raised slightly at the mention of spiked brownies. "I don't like these, you like these. I ate them so you wouldn't get stoned by yourself. I guess I'll have some if you're having some." Ketamina's face lit up, seeming to remember the detail about her friend. "oh riiiiiiighttt, I forgot. sorry, you don't have to eat them." Twilight and her friends approached Mel, who looked at Ketamina in confusion. "Who are these ponies, Keta?" Twilight smiled warmly at Mel, who recoiled slightly. "My name is Twilight Sparkle, and these are my friends: Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash. It's nice to meet you." Mel looked reproachfully at Twilight. "right..." The PartyThe party was as cheerful as it could be when Mel was around, she always looked upset in some way, even though Twilight couldn't pin down exactly how she was feeling. Pinkie was trying to be chatty with Mel, but it wasn't working. "-and then Gummy ate something I'm not sure of and now he's sick! I took him to the vet and she didn't know what was wrong! like, how do you not know!?" Mel's eyes seemed to light up at the information of the sick alligator. "I think I may have something to help your gator." Mel rummaged through one of her bags and handed Pinkie a green bottle with a thick black liquid inside. "ooooh!! thank you!! I'll give it to him as soon as I get home!" Pinkie exclaimed happily. Rainbow Dash approached Mel with a quizzical expression. "so uh, what do you plan on doing here anyways?" Mel didn't answer, she simply took a cupcake, wiped the frosting off- much to the dismay of Pinkie Pie, and took a bite of the cupcake. her eye twitched before she spat the chewed hunk of cupcake into its discarded lining. "blegh, too sweet..." Mel muttered, throwing the cupcake away. Twilight watched Mel as she went to unpack a coffee machine, complete with white mugs. "u-uhm, would you like us to help you unpack?" Fluttershy asked timidly. Mel shook her head, continuing to set up her shop. Twilight turned to Pinkie, whispering quietly. "I don't think that she wants to have the party anymore, maybe we should leave..." Fluttershy and Applejack began to clean up the treats and brightly colored streamers before everyone except for Ketamina and Mel left the shop. Folly of the FilliesThe next day wasn't as happy as before, Gummy the Aligator's condition only worsened and Pinkie had no clue what to do. When anypony looked at her, her mane was deflated and she was sticking her hoof in front of Gummy's face, trying to encourage him to teeth on her. Fluttershy was busy trying to figure out the cause of Gummy's illness with no luck. The new shop finally had its sign erected, which read: "MELANCHOLY MARIONETTE'S TAXIDERMY AND FUNERAL SERVICES". It was a black and white sign with big loopy letters, much like a barbershop. Melancholy was never seen coming out of the shop, but if anypony walked by and peered through the dusty windows, they could see her working at her desk. The only pony that ever went in there was Ketamina, who always looked a bit concerned when she came out. Two fillies walked past the shop now, eating ice cream. "Ew! What the heck is that place!?" Diamond Tiara blurted, disgusted by the look of the shop. "Yeah, if that ugly mare in there ever got up she should think to clean the windows. look at all these pretty buildings compared to this place!!" Silver Spoon responded. Suddenly the door opened with an ominous jingle from the bell hanging above it "Can I help you fillies...??" Melancholy said quietly, looking down at them with an unreadable expression. "yeah, clean your dumb windows!! they're disgusting!!" Diamond shouted at Mel. "Temper little filly. Don't you know it's rude to talk to your elders like that? wouldn't your dear mummy be disappointed in you?" Diamond gasped in indignation; Her mother, spoiled rich, had been missing for several months now and there were no leads on her disappearance. "Ugh! EXCUSE ME!? HOW DARE YOU SPEAK ABOUT MY MOTHER LIKE THAT!!" Diamond screeched at Mel, Silver Spoon hiding behind her timidly. "I never meant it like that dear, why don't you come inside? I have an apology gift for you." Diamond still looked furious but Silver Spoon spoke up. "we should go, maybe she isn't so bad?" Diamond nodded reluctantly before stepping inside the shop. When they stepped inside, they noticed how dark it was, and how there was still a tray of cupcakes on the table from yesterday's party. "are those the apology gift?" Silver Spoon questioned the mare in front of her. "No, come with me." the fillies continued to follow Mel into the back room, where an awful smell had been wafting from. It was a small room with a table and several large things covered with tarps in the back. "What is that?" questioned Diamond suspiciously as Mel went over to the object in the middle. The tarp slid off the object and both fillies screamed in terror. Neither of them made it home. The Investigation of Melancholy MarionetteThe next morning, Twilight was informed by Rainbow Dash that Fluttershy was nowhere to be found. Well, this was the straw that broke the camel's back. "Okay, that's it! Get the others. We're going to that taxidermy shop!!" She gathered Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash and trotted down to the lonely shop. "I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!!" Twilight shouted, pounding on the door with her hooves. The door opened, and Ketamina was there, looking confused. "Twinkle? And friends? what are you doing here?" Twilight and her friends barged past her and into the shop. "where the hell is your friend?!" Twilight blurted at Keta, who lifted a shaky hoof to the back room. Applejack looked furious. "If I find out that hussy put her hooves on my sister, I'm gonna buck her to death..." Rarity knocked daintily on the door of the back room, being greeted by the messy-maned gray mare. "do you have an appointment?" she said dully. Twilight pushed past Rarity. "Where are all the missing ponies!? Where are Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy!?" Mel's eyebrows raise slightly. "missing ponies? I've been working so hard I haven't been able to leave my shop." Twilight narrowed her eyes at the mare. "I'm investigating your shop, right now." Twilight noticed a staircase that was behind the front desk and decided to save it for last. She didn't want to believe this mare did anything to her friends or the other ponies of Ponyville. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were busy trying to question Mel while Rarity and Twilight searched the shop. "maybe today isn't a good day, M-Mel isn't feeling good today...." Ketamina murmured, getting an unreadable look from Mel and locking the door with a sigh. Applejack shut the door so she could shout at Mel without bothering anypony else. "WHERE'S MY FUCKING SISTER!?" Applejack roared at her, Rainbow Dash narrowing her rose eyes at her. Mel coughed and put a medical mask over her muzzle. "I'm sorry, I'm not feeling well today..." The earth pony and the pegasus began to feel odd; they felt dizzy and light-headed. Rainbow Dash noticed that Mel was pressing a button under her desk and a light fog was coming from the vents. "hey!! What the hell are you doing!?" she shouted. Rainbow Dash tried to lunge for Mel but her movements were sluggish and fatigued. Applejack tried next, but soon the ponies that weren't wearing masks were unconscious on the floor. While Twilight and Rarity were searching upstairs, Twilight searched the rooms on the right and Rarity on the left. Twilight was searching in some boxes, looking through pictures. She saw many of them were of Melancholy and Ketamina. The more Twilight looked through the photos, the more she started to doubt her suspicion of Mel, that was until the sound of Rarity's shriek of horror pierced the stale air of the shop. Twilight ran towards the sound and found Rarity sobbing and covering her eyes on the floor. "what's the matter...??" and then Twilight saw it. the room was dark and smelled of death. in a large box in the back of the room were several forms of skinless ponies, shivering and rasping in pure agony. some the size of full-grown mares, some only fillies. their eyes were red and clouded over from a lack of eyelids to blink. they were inside a large cardboard box, their red viscera soaking through the bottom of the box and making it soggy. "oh dear sweet Celestia...." Twilight said in barely a whisper. "we need to get out of here, get the princesses involved..." but before Twilight could turn back around, she found herself and Rarity being magically thrown into the opposite room and locked inside. "Let us out!!" Twilight pounded on the door along with Rarity before a foggy substance seeped from the vents. soon, Rarity and Twilight were unconscious on the floor. In Which Mel Pretends Twilight is an OrangeWhen Twilight woke up, she found her hooves tied together and that her other friends had suffered the same fate. She looked around and saw that Rainbow Dash and Applejack had been chained rather than tied. "w-what the hell...?" she muttered. Suddenly, the door to the room she was in opened slowly, and Ketamina walked in. "K-Ketamina!! Go get help!! Your friend is insane!!" Ketamina looked down sadly. "I'm sorry, I promised Mel I wouldn't..." Twilight's eyes widened in horror. "w-what?! You're part of this too!?" another realization hit Twilight like a freight train. "you! you knew where the missing ponies were, and you never told anyone!!!" Ketamina looked down guiltily. "I'm sorry, Twinkle, it's just- she's my only friend, and I never want to lose her. If I told on her, we wouldn't be friends, and I would be lonely..." Ketamina whined softly. "that's no excuse! Ponies are getting mutilated, and you're just standing by and letting it happen!" Twilight shouted at her, the others beginning to stir. "what's going on...?" Rarity muttered, attempting to sit up. Twilight attempted to use her magic but found it unresponsive. When she looked over at Rarity, she discovered that some kind of magic-restricting device had been tightly secured around her horn. Twilight only assumed she had the same done to her. Rainbow Dash began to wake up, along with Applejack. "what the- Jesus!! why do my wings hurt so much!?" Rainbow Dash mumbled groggily. Twilight was horrified to find that Dash's wings had been cruelly twisted like a macabre candy cane. "R-Rainbow!! are you alright!?" twilight said worriedly. "whatever you do, please, for the love of Celestia, don't look at your wings..." Applejack's voice echoed throughout the room. "what the hay is going on? that bitch, Mel! I'll get us out of here, y'all!!" Applejack thrashed wildly, only managing to bruise herself further as the chains bit into her hide. "Applejack, stop! You'll only hurt yourself!" Twilight told Applejack. Applejack was about to protest when the door swung open, revealing the sadistic gray mare herself. "hello. I see you're awake. now we can get started." she left the room again and returned with a wooden dummy with the likeness of a pony. "let us go, you evil witch!!" Rarity shouted at Mel. Mel walked up to Rarity and got in her face. "sure, once I'm done. I make pretty rocking horses out of ponies who annoy me, especially the pink one." Mel smiled as if she just told a very amusing joke. She suddenly pulled out a scalpel and approached Twilight. "I'm going to start with you. Now, don't move, or I'll kill you. it's not a threat; it's a warning." Twilight tried to pull away, but Mel held her head firmly in place. She circled Twilight so that she was behind her and began making an incision around Twilight's neck, carefully cutting the skin away from the muscle. after there was a thin, crimson line around Twilight's neck, Mel began cutting along her scalp until she was at Twilight's restricted horn. "nearly done, Twinkle." Mel said in a sing-song voice. "leave her alone!!" Rarity screamed, horrified. Mel continued, paying Rarity no heed. She cut past the horn and cut down the middle of Twilight's forehead. She then began cutting the tissue under her hide and began to slowly but surely remove the skin from Twilight's head. Peeled ApplesTwilight sobbed in pain and horror as the hide on her face had been peeled away from her skull and applied to the blank rocking horse. "you're a monster!!" she screamed at Mel, who was turning to Applejack. "Hello, Applesack. It's your turn, but I don't know which parts to use," she said thoughtfully as if contemplating the best way to carve a turkey. "Where's my Applebloom!?" Applejack shouted angrily. Mel seemed to think for a moment. "just a moment. Keta! Make sure these don't get away!" she said, leaving the room. Ketamina had tears in her eyes, seeming torn between continuing to help Mel and freeing the others. They heard the sound of hoarse screaming before Mel returned, dragging a bloody burlap sack. She dumped the sack's contents in front of Applejack, who gasped and then screamed in horror: it was the skinless form of a filly, Applebloom. "APPLEBLOOM!!!" Applejack shouted, trying to inch closer to the sticky, red thing that was her sister. "A-Applejack... k-kill me...." the thing said hoarsely, weakly reaching a hoof out to her sister. Applejack's eyes were swimming with tears at the sight of her skinless sister. "Applebloom..." Mel magically unchained Applejack and transfigured them into a pipe wrench. "you heard her, didn't you?" Mel said menacingly, pushing the pipe wrench towards her. "y-you can't be serious..." Applejack said, mortified. "u-uhm, M-Mel, that's actually kind of fucked up, aren't you taking it too far...?" Ketamina whispered to her friend. Mel held Ketamina's face gently. "don't worry, Keta. I know what I'm doing." Ketamina's eyes filled with tears as she watched Mel drop the pipe wrench into Applejack's hooves. "do it." Mel demanded softly. "A-Applejack, I-I think it the best thing to do... Applebloom is in pain, and it's better to put her out of her misery..." Rainbow Dash said shakily. Applejack looked down at her skinless sister, who was rasping helplessly. "S-Sugarcube, I- I'm sorry...." Applejack lifted her sister onto her chest so Applebloom could lean against her. Applejack then took the pipe wrench and set it over Applebloom's throat. "I love you, Applebloom..." With a violent jerk of the pipe wrench, Applejack snapped Applebloom's neck with a dull pop! before bursting into tears, the lifeless, skinless Applebloom sliding to the floor. Applejack was suddenly chained up again, and Mel held up a scalpel. "you did it wrong, you stupid country bumpkin..." she muttered. "what do you mean I did it wrong, you evil bitch!?" Applejack screamed furiously. "you were supposed to hit her over the head until her head looked like a punch bowl," Mel said quietly. Mel magically lifted Applejack into the air so her rump was in the air before taking a scalpel to both her flanks. "you should be grateful you didn't end up like your sister," Mel said as she cut two lines down Applejack's hind legs, cut the hide from them both, and applied them to the wooden dummy. "nice and pretty," Mel said maliciously. Mel turned to Rainbow Dash. "your turn, Skittles." The reverie of Ketamina Crack-Baby BlancWhile Mel was having fun with the others, Ketamina was lost in thought. "Oooh, did you finally get your cutie mark!? Cocaine? And a rolled-up dollar!? how much of a failure do you have to be to have that as your cutie mark!?" Sugar Plum shouted at Keta. Sugar Plum was one of Ketamina's bullies and was as pleasant as spoiled milk. "yeah, does your mommy not love you enough to not care what you're destined to do for the rest of your pathetic life?" Sugar Plum's best friend Sea Wing said, tauntingly. The memories changed like scenes in a movie. Ketamina was hiding, leaning against her bedroom door. A set of heavy hooves pounded on the other side of the door. "let me in Crack Baby, I just wanna play house..." Whiskey Twist slurred loudly. Tears streamed down Ketamina's face as she held the door. She felt the door beginning to give so she hid under her bed. "Mummy, save me..." Ketamina whimpered softly as her drunken older brother came into the room. "Ketaminaaaaa...." Whiskey called out, his hoofsteps echoing throughout the empty and dirty room. "come on out, I'll give you some cupcakes..." Again. "Don't bother me now Ketamina, mummy is busy..." Sugar Cakes slurred at her daughter as she lay in her bed, surrounded by pill bottles. "but mummy, Whiskey tried to hurt me again..." Ketamina whined, digging into the disgusting carpet with her hoof. Sugar Cakes sat up and got in her daughter's face. "I DON'T GIVE A FUCK! YOU SHOULDN'T LET HIM ON IF YOU DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN!! THIS IS WHY YOUR DAD LEFT YOU DISGUSTING SLUT!! TAKE SOME OF THIS AND GET OUT OF MY FACE!!" Sugar Cakes screamed, throwing a bag of cocaine at her daughter and slamming the door in her face. Ketamina found herself lining up the cocaine and rolling up a dollar before she was interrupted by her older brother, Cherry Roulette. "Can I borrow that dollar, Keta?" he asked, his tie loose and unflattering. "no, go away." ketamina said grumpily, using the dollar to inhale the cocaine with ease. She sneezed and went cross-eyed for a moment before her world went funny. She saw silly shapes in everything she looked at, and she saw her. The gray filly had deep blue hair done in two plaits that hung about her neck. She looked dead at Keta, her eyes piercing right through her... And again. "please please please bring her to life!! I want her to be my best friend!! please??" Ketamina begged her Aunt, Three Leaf. Three Leaf sighed, annoyed at her niece. "fine. imagine your friend as best as you can, and I can try to manifest her into the physical world." Three Leaf said dryly, preparing her magic. Ketamina thought with all her might of the gray mare, squeezing her eyes shut tight. she felt a tap on her shoulder and when she opened her eyes, she was there. In Which Mel Makes A MistakeMel observed the blue pegasus, holding up her scalpel. "hmm, I suppose I could use your front legs. And I could use your feathers, too." she held up a pair of pliers and began to pluck each feather from Rainbow Dash's mangled wings one by one, painstakingly slow. After a while, the feathers got larger and more difficult to remove, which Mel had to yank away, tearing skin away along with the feather. Ketamina and the others could only watch in horror. "you won't be much of a good flier anymore. I've heard you're quite good, well, not anymore. it's such a shame that someone who proved a myth real would meet her downfall this way." Mel sneered at Rainbow Dash, who was holding back tears. "I- I am a good flier!!" Rainbow Dash shouted angrily. Mel only smiled and continued her work before finishing off the last feather. Mel began to sew the feathers onto the dummy, degrading Rainbow Dash as she did so. "I'm sure the Wonderbolts will be very disappointed in you, Skittles. Oh wait, I have something to show you." Mel left the room for a while and returned with something, or someone, that made all their jaws drop: Fluttershy. She still had her skin, and she was thrashing helplessly in her bindings, whimpering and crying behind her gag. "I had to put the nasty sock in her mouth because she wouldn't stop yelling. Because you nosy-bodies came snooping in my shop, I couldn't have any fun." Mel said condescendingly. "it's her turn after I get the hide from your legs." Mel began to remove the skin from Rainbow Dash's legs, having tossed Fluttershy to the ground like a sack of potatoes. "GOD IT HURTS!! PLEASE!! STOP!!! I'LL DO ANYTHING!!" Rainbow Dash shrieked in agony. When Mel was done, she added the hide to the rocking horse before turning to Fluttershy. "Your turn, Butterflies," Mel said in barely a whisper, approaching her with the scalpel. Hmm, neck, ears, wings. Okay. Let's get started." Fluttershy began to squirm frantically as Mel changed her tool to a hacksaw. "why do they call it a hacksaw? Oh wait, you can't talk, never mind." Mel grabbed one of Fluttershy's wings and began sawing at it very slowly, Fluttershy's screams being muffled by the gag. Once the wing was off and thrown to the side, Mel began on the other. Fluttershy suddenly spat out the sock and began to scream and beg. "stop it!! Please!! why are you doing this to us!?!?" Fluttershy screamed at Mel, who viciously ripped off the wing and tossed it away. "because it's fun, and I like it. I don't understand how you ponies can't handle it. " Mel said simply, grabbing the scalpel again and lifting it to Fluttershy's neck. "don't move if you want to live," she warned before making her incision just below Fluttershy's jaw. Mel was nearly done making the complete circle around the yellow pony's neck when she made a reflexive jerking motion from the pain, causing Mel to cut deeper than she meant to and accidentally severing her jugular vein. "GOD DAMN IT!!" Mel cursed angrily. Fluttershy brought her bound hooves up to her throat as her crimson viscera stained her pale yellow hide, her eyes wide with terror and pain. "you stupid bitch, I told you not to move!!! whatever, I still want your hide!" Mel shouted in Fluttershy's face before continuing to remove the hide from around Fluttershy's neck, all while she was writhing and choking in agony. after a while, Fluttershy went still, and the skin from Fluttershy's neck and ears was removed.
The New PoniesIt was a new day and Twilight was busy talking to her best friend Pinkie Pie about new cupcake recipes. "so Twilight, what do you think abouuuutt... pineapple cupcakes!?" Pinkie shouted, revealing said cupcakes. "They're- certainly something Pinkie." Twilight sighed, peering out the window and seeing a pink pegasus pony bounding up the steps to Sugarcube Corner. She burst into the bakery, her curly mane a bird's nest around her head as she rushed to the counter. "Hi!! I'm new here and I just moved from Las Pegasus because my best friend is moving here and I want to get her the best treats you have!! please?" The Pegasus rambled on, the words spewing from her mouth like water from a hose. "Sure!! what's your name, new friend?" Pinkie pie inquired, pulling out a notepad and taking a pen into her mouth. "Oh, sorry for not introducing myself. My name is Crack Baby, but you can call me Ketamina if you want to." Twilight's tea suddenly spewed from her mouth, having overheard the conversation. "Crack- Baby?" Pinkie echoed, confused. Ketamina nodded. "mhm, soooo, what kind of treats do you have? I need them tomorrow." she said impatiently. Pinkie Pie looked around at the delectable treats before turning back to Ketamina. "well, what does your friend like?" Ketamina thought for a moment before pointing at a chocolate cake. "can you make something like that with raspberries instead of strawberries?" Pinkie looked at the cake and then back at Ketamina before smiling. "of course I can!! well, I need to know who I'm delivering to; what is your friend's name?"
Missing: have you seen this pony?The news of the rich fillies going missing spread like wildfire, rumors of kidnap and terrible accidents were the talk of the town. Over a week, more ponies went missing: derpy hooves, bonbon, Carrot Top, Applebloom, and even Pinkie Pie were nowhere to be found. Twilight's head was in a whirl, she was worried about her best friend and the other ponies. The pineapple cupcakes that Pinkie had baked three days ago were still on top of a stack of books in Twilight's castle, moldy and attracting fruit flies. "This doesn't make any sense, where could they have gone...?" while Twilight was busy investigating the disappearances, Starlight Glimmer and Spike were in charge of the School of Friendship. Twilight noticed one thing about the disappearances: it was mostly earth ponies that were missing, save for Derpy of course. Applejack and the Crusaders were distraught at the disappearance of Applebloom. Whenever Twilight went to talk to Applejack, she never seemed to have time to talk and was always flank-deep into her chores. The Crusaders on the other hand were always busy looking for their missing piece, calling her name and searching high and low for her. There were posters all over town, pleading the whereabouts of the ponies emblazoned upon their flimsy surfaces. Twilight questioned nearly everyone in Ponyville, nearly. Whenever she tried to question Melancholy, the store was always closed. She tried to speak to Ketamina but she never answered the door and when Ketamina did leave her home she was always heavily drunk or high. "Don't worry Twilight darling, we'll find those missing ponies soon..." Rarity reassured Twilight after her long day. they sipped tea together before Rarity applied a green, gooey mask to Twilight's face after tying her mane into a quick bun. "it's hard not to Rarity, even Pinkie is missing, and it's hard to miss her anywhere..." Rarity sighed and put her mane up and applied the mask. "do you remember that new pony? she seemed a bit odd, didn't she?" Twilight raised an eyebrow "Which one? The Pegasus or the unicorn?" "the unicorn, didn't she act strangely at Pinkie's party? like- didn't she throw away perfectly good cupcakes?" Twilight nodded, deep in thought. Mel was the only pony she hadn't talked to yet, besides Ketamina. "I have an idea. What if we stage a checkup for Ketamina and interview her then? She's the only pony that knows anything about Mel. I want to save Mel the talk, she doesn't seem very social."
Interview with a Crack-head PegasusThe next day Twilight spoke to Nurse Redheart at midnight, who promptly went to Ketamina's house and woke her up before she could intoxicate herself. Twilight and Rarity accompanied the nurse pony, who was taking all the alcohol and drugs out of the mare's home. "so, Ketamina, we wanted to talk about your friend who just moved here. As you know, a lot of ponies have gone missing and there aren't any leads. The only ponies I haven't been able to speak to yet are you and your friend." Twilight told Ketamina. "yeah yeah, she told me. She says the ponies that threw the party were nosy and annoying. She only came to Ponyville for the bits." Ketamina said irritably. Rarity raised an eyebrow at this statement. Twilight pressed on. "so, how did you meet Mel? how long have you known each other?" Ketamina grabbed a bottle of Fillyalyte (pony version of Pedialyte) and chugged it before continuing. "Yeah, we've been friends since we were fillies. It helped me find my cutie mark. Well, I accidentally got into my mother's stash of nose candy and I was tripping balls, and while I was tripping I saw Mel, she was just standing there. Anyway, when the nose candy finally wore off she wasn't there anymore so I asked my unicorn auntie Three Leaf to help me. Auntie Leaf brought Mel to life for me and we had a blast. She always stood up against my brothers Cherry Roulette and Whiskey Twist. Before Mel came around Whiskey always tried to catch me alone so he could molest me, but when Mel showed up she was always with me. Cherry Roulette always tried to steal my things so he could sell them, but Mel helped me." Twilight's eyes were popping with shock and Rarity, who had been applying false eyelashes, had one of them dangling haphazardly from her eyelid. "What?! So you're telling me Mel isn't a real pony, she was just an imaginary friend that came to life!?" Ketamina rolled her eyes. "can you like- go now? It's midnight, and I'm tired." Twilight thought for a moment before responding to the Pegasus. "Fine, but you have to promise me that first thing tomorrow you'll go down to the Rehab center and get some help." "fine..."
The Gray Marethe desserts had been made and a party had been planned, and Pinkie and her other friends were decorating a vacant building where Ketamina's friend would be residing. there were blue and yellow streamers adorning the walls along with the dusty cobwebs. "I wonder what your friend is going to do for work here, it looks spooky..." Fluttershy said, wiping a dusty window with her hoof. Applejack gave Ketamina a confused look. "so uh, sugarcube, what did you say your friend's name was again?" Ketamina looked out the window eagerly, not seeming to hear Applejack. Twilight saw a lone unicorn in the distance, her coat dark as steel and her mane blue as the ocean. she was pulling a cart behind her and had a look of deep concentration etched upon her face. "oh my goodness!! It's her!! Mel is here!! everypony hide!" Ketamina shouted excitedly as everyone hid in their respective positions. when Mel arrived and magically unlocked the door, she was greeted with a loud shout of "WELCOME TO PONYVILLE NEW FRIEND!!" from Pinkie and the others. the mare looked around, seeming mildly alarmed before her eyes landed on Ketamina. "oh hello Keta, I didn't know you would be here to meet me. It's nice to see you anywhere other than your apartment." Mel said dryly (twilight was reminded of Maud, Pinkie's sister.) Ketamina hugged Mel tightly and held up a tray of brownies, which Pinkie had reluctantly made. "I got your favorite! I went to Tree Hugger and she's got the good stuff!" Mel's eyebrows raised slightly at the mention of spiked brownies. "I don't like these, you like these. I ate them so you wouldn't get stoned by yourself. I guess I'll have some if you're having some." Ketamina's face lit up, seeming to remember the detail about her friend. "oh riiiiiiighttt, I forgot. sorry, you don't have to eat them." Twilight and her friends approached Mel, who looked at Ketamina in confusion. "Who are these ponies, Keta?" Twilight smiled warmly at Mel, who recoiled slightly. "My name is Twilight Sparkle, and these are my friends: Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash. It's nice to meet you." Mel looked reproachfully at Twilight. "right..."
The PartyThe party was as cheerful as it could be when Mel was around, she always looked upset in some way, even though Twilight couldn't pin down exactly how she was feeling. Pinkie was trying to be chatty with Mel, but it wasn't working. "-and then Gummy ate something I'm not sure of and now he's sick! I took him to the vet and she didn't know what was wrong! like, how do you not know!?" Mel's eyes seemed to light up at the information of the sick alligator. "I think I may have something to help your gator." Mel rummaged through one of her bags and handed Pinkie a green bottle with a thick black liquid inside. "ooooh!! thank you!! I'll give it to him as soon as I get home!" Pinkie exclaimed happily. Rainbow Dash approached Mel with a quizzical expression. "so uh, what do you plan on doing here anyways?" Mel didn't answer, she simply took a cupcake, wiped the frosting off- much to the dismay of Pinkie Pie, and took a bite of the cupcake. her eye twitched before she spat the chewed hunk of cupcake into its discarded lining. "blegh, too sweet..." Mel muttered, throwing the cupcake away. Twilight watched Mel as she went to unpack a coffee machine, complete with white mugs. "u-uhm, would you like us to help you unpack?" Fluttershy asked timidly. Mel shook her head, continuing to set up her shop. Twilight turned to Pinkie, whispering quietly. "I don't think that she wants to have the party anymore, maybe we should leave..." Fluttershy and Applejack began to clean up the treats and brightly colored streamers before everyone except for Ketamina and Mel left the shop.
Folly of the FilliesThe next day wasn't as happy as before, Gummy the Aligator's condition only worsened and Pinkie had no clue what to do. When anypony looked at her, her mane was deflated and she was sticking her hoof in front of Gummy's face, trying to encourage him to teeth on her. Fluttershy was busy trying to figure out the cause of Gummy's illness with no luck. The new shop finally had its sign erected, which read: "MELANCHOLY MARIONETTE'S TAXIDERMY AND FUNERAL SERVICES". It was a black and white sign with big loopy letters, much like a barbershop. Melancholy was never seen coming out of the shop, but if anypony walked by and peered through the dusty windows, they could see her working at her desk. The only pony that ever went in there was Ketamina, who always looked a bit concerned when she came out. Two fillies walked past the shop now, eating ice cream. "Ew! What the heck is that place!?" Diamond Tiara blurted, disgusted by the look of the shop. "Yeah, if that ugly mare in there ever got up she should think to clean the windows. look at all these pretty buildings compared to this place!!" Silver Spoon responded. Suddenly the door opened with an ominous jingle from the bell hanging above it "Can I help you fillies...??" Melancholy said quietly, looking down at them with an unreadable expression. "yeah, clean your dumb windows!! they're disgusting!!" Diamond shouted at Mel. "Temper little filly. Don't you know it's rude to talk to your elders like that? wouldn't your dear mummy be disappointed in you?" Diamond gasped in indignation; Her mother, spoiled rich, had been missing for several months now and there were no leads on her disappearance. "Ugh! EXCUSE ME!? HOW DARE YOU SPEAK ABOUT MY MOTHER LIKE THAT!!" Diamond screeched at Mel, Silver Spoon hiding behind her timidly. "I never meant it like that dear, why don't you come inside? I have an apology gift for you." Diamond still looked furious but Silver Spoon spoke up. "we should go, maybe she isn't so bad?" Diamond nodded reluctantly before stepping inside the shop. When they stepped inside, they noticed how dark it was, and how there was still a tray of cupcakes on the table from yesterday's party. "are those the apology gift?" Silver Spoon questioned the mare in front of her. "No, come with me." the fillies continued to follow Mel into the back room, where an awful smell had been wafting from. It was a small room with a table and several large things covered with tarps in the back. "What is that?" questioned Diamond suspiciously as Mel went over to the object in the middle. The tarp slid off the object and both fillies screamed in terror. Neither of them made it home.
The Investigation of Melancholy MarionetteThe next morning, Twilight was informed by Rainbow Dash that Fluttershy was nowhere to be found. Well, this was the straw that broke the camel's back. "Okay, that's it! Get the others. We're going to that taxidermy shop!!" She gathered Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash and trotted down to the lonely shop. "I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!!" Twilight shouted, pounding on the door with her hooves. The door opened, and Ketamina was there, looking confused. "Twinkle? And friends? what are you doing here?" Twilight and her friends barged past her and into the shop. "where the hell is your friend?!" Twilight blurted at Keta, who lifted a shaky hoof to the back room. Applejack looked furious. "If I find out that hussy put her hooves on my sister, I'm gonna buck her to death..." Rarity knocked daintily on the door of the back room, being greeted by the messy-maned gray mare. "do you have an appointment?" she said dully. Twilight pushed past Rarity. "Where are all the missing ponies!? Where are Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy!?" Mel's eyebrows raise slightly. "missing ponies? I've been working so hard I haven't been able to leave my shop." Twilight narrowed her eyes at the mare. "I'm investigating your shop, right now." Twilight noticed a staircase that was behind the front desk and decided to save it for last. She didn't want to believe this mare did anything to her friends or the other ponies of Ponyville. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were busy trying to question Mel while Rarity and Twilight searched the shop. "maybe today isn't a good day, M-Mel isn't feeling good today...." Ketamina murmured, getting an unreadable look from Mel and locking the door with a sigh. Applejack shut the door so she could shout at Mel without bothering anypony else. "WHERE'S MY FUCKING SISTER!?" Applejack roared at her, Rainbow Dash narrowing her rose eyes at her. Mel coughed and put a medical mask over her muzzle. "I'm sorry, I'm not feeling well today..." The earth pony and the pegasus began to feel odd; they felt dizzy and light-headed. Rainbow Dash noticed that Mel was pressing a button under her desk and a light fog was coming from the vents. "hey!! What the hell are you doing!?" she shouted. Rainbow Dash tried to lunge for Mel but her movements were sluggish and fatigued. Applejack tried next, but soon the ponies that weren't wearing masks were unconscious on the floor. While Twilight and Rarity were searching upstairs, Twilight searched the rooms on the right and Rarity on the left. Twilight was searching in some boxes, looking through pictures. She saw many of them were of Melancholy and Ketamina. The more Twilight looked through the photos, the more she started to doubt her suspicion of Mel, that was until the sound of Rarity's shriek of horror pierced the stale air of the shop. Twilight ran towards the sound and found Rarity sobbing and covering her eyes on the floor. "what's the matter...??" and then Twilight saw it. the room was dark and smelled of death. in a large box in the back of the room were several forms of skinless ponies, shivering and rasping in pure agony. some the size of full-grown mares, some only fillies. their eyes were red and clouded over from a lack of eyelids to blink. they were inside a large cardboard box, their red viscera soaking through the bottom of the box and making it soggy. "oh dear sweet Celestia...." Twilight said in barely a whisper. "we need to get out of here, get the princesses involved..." but before Twilight could turn back around, she found herself and Rarity being magically thrown into the opposite room and locked inside. "Let us out!!" Twilight pounded on the door along with Rarity before a foggy substance seeped from the vents. soon, Rarity and Twilight were unconscious on the floor.
In Which Mel Pretends Twilight is an OrangeWhen Twilight woke up, she found her hooves tied together and that her other friends had suffered the same fate. She looked around and saw that Rainbow Dash and Applejack had been chained rather than tied. "w-what the hell...?" she muttered. Suddenly, the door to the room she was in opened slowly, and Ketamina walked in. "K-Ketamina!! Go get help!! Your friend is insane!!" Ketamina looked down sadly. "I'm sorry, I promised Mel I wouldn't..." Twilight's eyes widened in horror. "w-what?! You're part of this too!?" another realization hit Twilight like a freight train. "you! you knew where the missing ponies were, and you never told anyone!!!" Ketamina looked down guiltily. "I'm sorry, Twinkle, it's just- she's my only friend, and I never want to lose her. If I told on her, we wouldn't be friends, and I would be lonely..." Ketamina whined softly. "that's no excuse! Ponies are getting mutilated, and you're just standing by and letting it happen!" Twilight shouted at her, the others beginning to stir. "what's going on...?" Rarity muttered, attempting to sit up. Twilight attempted to use her magic but found it unresponsive. When she looked over at Rarity, she discovered that some kind of magic-restricting device had been tightly secured around her horn. Twilight only assumed she had the same done to her. Rainbow Dash began to wake up, along with Applejack. "what the- Jesus!! why do my wings hurt so much!?" Rainbow Dash mumbled groggily. Twilight was horrified to find that Dash's wings had been cruelly twisted like a macabre candy cane. "R-Rainbow!! are you alright!?" twilight said worriedly. "whatever you do, please, for the love of Celestia, don't look at your wings..." Applejack's voice echoed throughout the room. "what the hay is going on? that bitch, Mel! I'll get us out of here, y'all!!" Applejack thrashed wildly, only managing to bruise herself further as the chains bit into her hide. "Applejack, stop! You'll only hurt yourself!" Twilight told Applejack. Applejack was about to protest when the door swung open, revealing the sadistic gray mare herself. "hello. I see you're awake. now we can get started." she left the room again and returned with a wooden dummy with the likeness of a pony. "let us go, you evil witch!!" Rarity shouted at Mel. Mel walked up to Rarity and got in her face. "sure, once I'm done. I make pretty rocking horses out of ponies who annoy me, especially the pink one." Mel smiled as if she just told a very amusing joke. She suddenly pulled out a scalpel and approached Twilight. "I'm going to start with you. Now, don't move, or I'll kill you. it's not a threat; it's a warning." Twilight tried to pull away, but Mel held her head firmly in place. She circled Twilight so that she was behind her and began making an incision around Twilight's neck, carefully cutting the skin away from the muscle. after there was a thin, crimson line around Twilight's neck, Mel began cutting along her scalp until she was at Twilight's restricted horn. "nearly done, Twinkle." Mel said in a sing-song voice. "leave her alone!!" Rarity screamed, horrified. Mel continued, paying Rarity no heed. She cut past the horn and cut down the middle of Twilight's forehead. She then began cutting the tissue under her hide and began to slowly but surely remove the skin from Twilight's head.
Peeled ApplesTwilight sobbed in pain and horror as the hide on her face had been peeled away from her skull and applied to the blank rocking horse. "you're a monster!!" she screamed at Mel, who was turning to Applejack. "Hello, Applesack. It's your turn, but I don't know which parts to use," she said thoughtfully as if contemplating the best way to carve a turkey. "Where's my Applebloom!?" Applejack shouted angrily. Mel seemed to think for a moment. "just a moment. Keta! Make sure these don't get away!" she said, leaving the room. Ketamina had tears in her eyes, seeming torn between continuing to help Mel and freeing the others. They heard the sound of hoarse screaming before Mel returned, dragging a bloody burlap sack. She dumped the sack's contents in front of Applejack, who gasped and then screamed in horror: it was the skinless form of a filly, Applebloom. "APPLEBLOOM!!!" Applejack shouted, trying to inch closer to the sticky, red thing that was her sister. "A-Applejack... k-kill me...." the thing said hoarsely, weakly reaching a hoof out to her sister. Applejack's eyes were swimming with tears at the sight of her skinless sister. "Applebloom..." Mel magically unchained Applejack and transfigured them into a pipe wrench. "you heard her, didn't you?" Mel said menacingly, pushing the pipe wrench towards her. "y-you can't be serious..." Applejack said, mortified. "u-uhm, M-Mel, that's actually kind of fucked up, aren't you taking it too far...?" Ketamina whispered to her friend. Mel held Ketamina's face gently. "don't worry, Keta. I know what I'm doing." Ketamina's eyes filled with tears as she watched Mel drop the pipe wrench into Applejack's hooves. "do it." Mel demanded softly. "A-Applejack, I-I think it the best thing to do... Applebloom is in pain, and it's better to put her out of her misery..." Rainbow Dash said shakily. Applejack looked down at her skinless sister, who was rasping helplessly. "S-Sugarcube, I- I'm sorry...." Applejack lifted her sister onto her chest so Applebloom could lean against her. Applejack then took the pipe wrench and set it over Applebloom's throat. "I love you, Applebloom..." With a violent jerk of the pipe wrench, Applejack snapped Applebloom's neck with a dull pop! before bursting into tears, the lifeless, skinless Applebloom sliding to the floor. Applejack was suddenly chained up again, and Mel held up a scalpel. "you did it wrong, you stupid country bumpkin..." she muttered. "what do you mean I did it wrong, you evil bitch!?" Applejack screamed furiously. "you were supposed to hit her over the head until her head looked like a punch bowl," Mel said quietly. Mel magically lifted Applejack into the air so her rump was in the air before taking a scalpel to both her flanks. "you should be grateful you didn't end up like your sister," Mel said as she cut two lines down Applejack's hind legs, cut the hide from them both, and applied them to the wooden dummy. "nice and pretty," Mel said maliciously. Mel turned to Rainbow Dash. "your turn, Skittles."
The reverie of Ketamina Crack-Baby BlancWhile Mel was having fun with the others, Ketamina was lost in thought. "Oooh, did you finally get your cutie mark!? Cocaine? And a rolled-up dollar!? how much of a failure do you have to be to have that as your cutie mark!?" Sugar Plum shouted at Keta. Sugar Plum was one of Ketamina's bullies and was as pleasant as spoiled milk. "yeah, does your mommy not love you enough to not care what you're destined to do for the rest of your pathetic life?" Sugar Plum's best friend Sea Wing said, tauntingly. The memories changed like scenes in a movie. Ketamina was hiding, leaning against her bedroom door. A set of heavy hooves pounded on the other side of the door. "let me in Crack Baby, I just wanna play house..." Whiskey Twist slurred loudly. Tears streamed down Ketamina's face as she held the door. She felt the door beginning to give so she hid under her bed. "Mummy, save me..." Ketamina whimpered softly as her drunken older brother came into the room. "Ketaminaaaaa...." Whiskey called out, his hoofsteps echoing throughout the empty and dirty room. "come on out, I'll give you some cupcakes..." Again. "Don't bother me now Ketamina, mummy is busy..." Sugar Cakes slurred at her daughter as she lay in her bed, surrounded by pill bottles. "but mummy, Whiskey tried to hurt me again..." Ketamina whined, digging into the disgusting carpet with her hoof. Sugar Cakes sat up and got in her daughter's face. "I DON'T GIVE A FUCK! YOU SHOULDN'T LET HIM ON IF YOU DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN!! THIS IS WHY YOUR DAD LEFT YOU DISGUSTING SLUT!! TAKE SOME OF THIS AND GET OUT OF MY FACE!!" Sugar Cakes screamed, throwing a bag of cocaine at her daughter and slamming the door in her face. Ketamina found herself lining up the cocaine and rolling up a dollar before she was interrupted by her older brother, Cherry Roulette. "Can I borrow that dollar, Keta?" he asked, his tie loose and unflattering. "no, go away." ketamina said grumpily, using the dollar to inhale the cocaine with ease. She sneezed and went cross-eyed for a moment before her world went funny. She saw silly shapes in everything she looked at, and she saw her. The gray filly had deep blue hair done in two plaits that hung about her neck. She looked dead at Keta, her eyes piercing right through her... And again. "please please please bring her to life!! I want her to be my best friend!! please??" Ketamina begged her Aunt, Three Leaf. Three Leaf sighed, annoyed at her niece. "fine. imagine your friend as best as you can, and I can try to manifest her into the physical world." Three Leaf said dryly, preparing her magic. Ketamina thought with all her might of the gray mare, squeezing her eyes shut tight. she felt a tap on her shoulder and when she opened her eyes, she was there.
In Which Mel Makes A MistakeMel observed the blue pegasus, holding up her scalpel. "hmm, I suppose I could use your front legs. And I could use your feathers, too." she held up a pair of pliers and began to pluck each feather from Rainbow Dash's mangled wings one by one, painstakingly slow. After a while, the feathers got larger and more difficult to remove, which Mel had to yank away, tearing skin away along with the feather. Ketamina and the others could only watch in horror. "you won't be much of a good flier anymore. I've heard you're quite good, well, not anymore. it's such a shame that someone who proved a myth real would meet her downfall this way." Mel sneered at Rainbow Dash, who was holding back tears. "I- I am a good flier!!" Rainbow Dash shouted angrily. Mel only smiled and continued her work before finishing off the last feather. Mel began to sew the feathers onto the dummy, degrading Rainbow Dash as she did so. "I'm sure the Wonderbolts will be very disappointed in you, Skittles. Oh wait, I have something to show you." Mel left the room for a while and returned with something, or someone, that made all their jaws drop: Fluttershy. She still had her skin, and she was thrashing helplessly in her bindings, whimpering and crying behind her gag. "I had to put the nasty sock in her mouth because she wouldn't stop yelling. Because you nosy-bodies came snooping in my shop, I couldn't have any fun." Mel said condescendingly. "it's her turn after I get the hide from your legs." Mel began to remove the skin from Rainbow Dash's legs, having tossed Fluttershy to the ground like a sack of potatoes. "GOD IT HURTS!! PLEASE!! STOP!!! I'LL DO ANYTHING!!" Rainbow Dash shrieked in agony. When Mel was done, she added the hide to the rocking horse before turning to Fluttershy. "Your turn, Butterflies," Mel said in barely a whisper, approaching her with the scalpel. Hmm, neck, ears, wings. Okay. Let's get started." Fluttershy began to squirm frantically as Mel changed her tool to a hacksaw. "why do they call it a hacksaw? Oh wait, you can't talk, never mind." Mel grabbed one of Fluttershy's wings and began sawing at it very slowly, Fluttershy's screams being muffled by the gag. Once the wing was off and thrown to the side, Mel began on the other. Fluttershy suddenly spat out the sock and began to scream and beg. "stop it!! Please!! why are you doing this to us!?!?" Fluttershy screamed at Mel, who viciously ripped off the wing and tossed it away. "because it's fun, and I like it. I don't understand how you ponies can't handle it. " Mel said simply, grabbing the scalpel again and lifting it to Fluttershy's neck. "don't move if you want to live," she warned before making her incision just below Fluttershy's jaw. Mel was nearly done making the complete circle around the yellow pony's neck when she made a reflexive jerking motion from the pain, causing Mel to cut deeper than she meant to and accidentally severing her jugular vein. "GOD DAMN IT!!" Mel cursed angrily. Fluttershy brought her bound hooves up to her throat as her crimson viscera stained her pale yellow hide, her eyes wide with terror and pain. "you stupid bitch, I told you not to move!!! whatever, I still want your hide!" Mel shouted in Fluttershy's face before continuing to remove the hide from around Fluttershy's neck, all while she was writhing and choking in agony. after a while, Fluttershy went still, and the skin from Fluttershy's neck and ears was removed.
