The Former Student

The mares all woke up the next morning. The sun shone through and lit up the room, greeting the mares with a warm morning. They all looked at each other, saying their good mornings, before getting up and preparing for the day.
Twilight quickly ran a brush through her hair.
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy ruffled their feathers and stretched out their wings, giving small yawns.

Rarity removed the curlers from her hair, allowing her locks to fall into place before she reapplied her makeup for the day.
And Applejack retied her mane and tail and put her hat back on.

“Hey… where’s Pinkie?” Fluttershy asked, and the mares all stopped what they were doing, looking toward Pinkie’s bed, seeing that it was empty, and perfectly made, which wasn't normal for Pinkie, as she liked to leave her bed in a messy state.

The mares all looked at each other in confusion.
“Maybe she decided to get up early??” Rainbow Dash suggested, and the mares all went downstairs toward the main dining part of the tavern, but Pinkie wasn't there.

They were about to call out Pinkie's name when they saw the town’s residents gathered in a small crowd, talking amongst themselves. The group made their way to the crowd to see what was going on, and they saw Sunset Shimmer in the middle of it. It looked like she was announcing something.

“Fillies and gentle colts, I’d like you all to meet our newest resident!” Sunset said with the most enthusiasm she’s ever expressed since the mares arrived in the town. Sunset then stepped aside to reveal Pinkie Pie standing there.

Her mane was flat and deflated, as well as her tail. Her mane had been styled into a messy bun, with her tail being one giant plat. Pinkie Pie’s cutie mark was also gone and had been replaced by a giant equals sign. Her smile was wide, forced, and uncanny, and her natural coloring had become more grey, just like the other residents.

“PINKIE?!” Twilight yelled out in surprise, causing the other residents to jolt in surprise at the sudden yell. Sunset and Pinkie’s attention snapped to the purple alicorn.

“Oh… Hey, Twilight.” Pinkie spoke up, slowly approaching Twilight, her smile still clear as day on her face. “I know you have a lot of questions… I know I would, too. And I'll be happy to tell you everything. But shall we wait until after the entry ceremony?”
Pinkie suggests before pointing toward the bakery, with bland-looking streamers going across the front of the roof with a welcome sign hanging on the outside of the window. There was also a table with a batch of cupcakes that Sugar Belle had just finished setting up.

Sunset soon spoke up, her smile holding a hint of smugness to it. “Come now, Twilight, don't be so concerned. Pinkie had a realization during the night that she felt terrible for the state the town was in. So she decided to become a resident to help out, and Pinkie said you would understand.”

Twilight couldnt help but scowl at Sunset for what she had done to their friend, and they led Pinkie toward the tavern. But the residents blocked their path, looking rather upset, with Double Diamond speaking up.
“You can't leave yet. We still need to celebrate Pinkie’s arrival in the town.”

His tone seemed more demanding than suggesting…

As the day went on, the residents were all happily chatting, enjoying each other's company, the music, and baked…goods?
Sugar Belle didnt look the proudest of her creations, as they all came out looking the same, a grey-looking pastry or cake with an even greyer filling.
The only colour was a strange-looking decoration on top: red fondant frosting cut in a swirly shape to make a frame around the cake. The same fondant was used to make the word "welcome" across the middle.

Rarity saw Sugar Belle walk into the bakery and make her way inside, following her.

Looking around at the interior. It looked cozy and welcoming, though bland. It was empty, as the residents were all celebrating outside.
There was a glass display case that merged with the checkout counter. The cakes inside all looked the same as the ones Sugar Belle made.

They were all grey, with some slowly cracking fondant icing. It looked like all the cakes had a thick layer of dust on them.

Rarity couldnt help but grimace at the baked goods before looking at the rest of the interior. There were a few round wooden tables dotted around the room, with a run going down the middle. Each table had three chairs circling them with a plate in front of them, ready to serve food.
On the walls, there were a few framed photos. One of them is a vintage map of Equestria, as well as a portrait of Sunset Shimmer. Rarity couldnt help but chuckle, knowing Twilight would love a vintage map in her bedroom.

Rarity then saw the storage room of the bakery and saw Sugar Belle walk inside. Rarity managed to quickly catch the door before it shut, and she followed Sugar Belle inside.

Inside of the storage room was the usual ingredients you’d find in any bakery.
Bulk bags of flour, a large box of eggs, bulk bags of sugar, as well as a few miscellaneous ingredients like food colouring.
As she went further into the back of the bakery, she could hear Sugar Belle crying, and Rarity slowly followed the sound until she found him crumpled in front of a table, covered in a sheet.

“Darling? Are you alright?” Rarity spoke softly, and Sugar Belle flinched at Rarity’s voice, cutting through the silence.

“Oh.. uh... N-no.. I'm not.” Sugar Belle explained before getting up and putting her front hooves on the table.
Rarity came closer, looking curious, and Sugar Belle continued to sob.

“What’s going on? Why are you upset?” Rarity asked, her ears folding back as she put a comforting hoof on Sugar Belle’s shoulder, which she accepted with a grateful look in her eye.

“It's just.. Sunset demanded that I use this ingredient in the cakes otherwise, I’d be cast out of the village. But I don't know if I can completely use it up… It's too much to bear.”
Sugar Belle explained, and Rarity looked at the table, slowly removing the cover to reveal the corpse of the teenage Pegasus they had spotted when they first arrived.

His body had been mutilated, his wing cut off as a punishment for flying. Chunks of flesh had been ripped off of his body, possibly by Sugar Belle trying to get the extraction over with.

On the Pegasus’s neck, there was a branding burned through the fur, and onto the skin below, it read “rulebreaker.”

Sugar Belle melted to the ground, covering her face with her hooves as she went openly.
Rarity stood there, stunned, and she looked down at the baker.
“T-the cakes for the festival. That isnt icing... Is it..??”

Sugar Belle shook her head, looking back at the mutilated body of her former friend.
“We need to get back outside before Sunset realizes we’re gone…”

Rarity nodded in agreement, quickly putting the cover back on with her magic, and they made their way out of the storage room and back into the bakery.
“Quick, stand behind the counter.”
Rarity said as she made her way to the front of the glass cabinet, looking over the items.

A few moments later, Sunset Shimmer walked in, smiling proudly.
“Sugar Belle, you’ve done it again! This festival has gone off without a hitch! Oh! Hello Rarity.”
Sunset said, looking at Rarity and greeting her with a simple nod.

“Hello, Sunset, I apologize for stepping out. I just wanted to get a better look at the bakery since it wouldn't be very busy, with everyone outside and all.”
Rarity explained, giving a dismissive wave as she continued looking at the pastries, hoping to look nonchalant enough…

The party soon came to a close, and everyone was making their way home. The residents were still chatting with each other, and others were giving one more welcome to Pinkie before she made her way back to the tavern with the others. The mares still looked concerned as they led Pinkie back to the Tavern.

Before they got too far, a unicorn resident quickly stopped Rainbow Dash from leaving and asked her to follow him into the building. It was Key-Lime… He quickly closed the door behind them, making sure no one could listen in.

The rest of the mares all gathered in the main dining area, all except Pinkie, who simply went upstairs to bed, her body almost acting like clockwork, following the curfew of the town…