What Happened In September

What Happened In September

Part 2: Things Get Very Weird and Wrong

August 30th:

I trudged through the hustle and bustle of Ponyville, a good night's sleep keeping me moving along. 'Ponyville sure has grown,' I thought to myself. 'There must be a carnival in town, or maybe a convention..'

I kept my pace until I reached Sweet Apple Acres. I wanted to surprise Pinkie with an apple pie when I saw her again in a little while. I walked through the open gate and started heading for the shop next to the living quarters of the Apple family. As I walked through the night, I saw in the distance three foals playing through the window of a treehouse. Their laughter was sweet, and I smiled even though they would probably be rude if they saw me. I had that effect on ponies.

I looked away and kept moving, when I heard them all yelp in surprise. I turned my view to them again to see them rolling on the ground, moaning in slight pain. I was confused, but then the realization of why they fell came to my mind; the treehouse was no longer there. No house, and no tree.

Strange things have been happening around here, but I'm the last pony who should be investigating. I have a bad enough sign above my head that doesn't need to add "freak of nature" to its list of negatives. Ponies see me snooping around the unusual and they'll assume I was the cause.

I returned to my trot and arrived at the little shop. "WhatcanIgetforya'?" The store's clerk, ZapApple said at a high speed. She was dark orange with a country hat on backwards upon her head. Her cutie mark was of three rainbow colored apples. I've never see any apples like this, but I didn't question it.

"One apple pie please."

"Red delicious o' tasty green?"

"Red is fine."

"Mah name's not Apple Sack. And ah remember you. You're that stick in the mud Gilda."

"Excuse me?"

The salespony shook her head rapidly, then looked back to me. "Sorry, ah sometimes have mah moments. Just screwy speeches come out o' mah muzzle occasionahlly. Pardon," she told me with an sincere smile.

"It's alright, no harm done."

"Hay, do y'all need help with that?" ZapApple asked, pointing a hoof at a new bruise on my forehoof. "Ah've got some ointment y'all could borrow for ya hurts and such."

"No.. That's ok, I think I just need to get going..."

I took the pie with my mouth and started for me and Pinkie's alleyway, really questioning my sanity. When did I get hurt again? Things were certainly out of place, but is it all because I'm forgetting what's actually happening mere moments before?

When I arrived at the alley I cautiously looked around, making sure no naysayers would get the chance to naysay. Then I stepped into the dim lighting, walking further to find Pinkie.

"Hey Deathly," a sweet voice cooed from behind me.

I turned to see Pinkie Pie looking smoothly at me. I did my best to smile back, though I probably looked awkward with the pie in my muzzle. I placed it down carefully on a crate and returned the gaze.

"You didn't have to get me anything," she told me. "I'd be fine with just you. More than, even."

"So you won't accept my offer; a pie for a Pinkie Pie?"

"You had me at 'you'."

I grinned at her, then started dividing the pie and offered her the first slice. She took it and we sat there, eating pie on the crates of equipment that were never put into the abandoned bakery. A night to remind me that I'm not entirely alone in this world.

Not long after our midnight desserts, I said goodbye and headed back into the night. I was tired, and couldn't wait to get into my warm bed back at home. Almost halfway there went without a problem when- "Death and Decay!"

I looked at the grayish-brown pony with red streaks in his dark brown mane. "Mike? Why are you yelling, it's past midnight.."

He looked excited for some unknown reason. "Do you know why my mark is of a microphone, Death and Decay?"

I didn't, but before I could reply he answered, "Because I'm not afraid to speak my mind to others."

"That's fine Michael, but why did you need to-"

"We need to use our talents together," he interrupted. "Divided we are weaker, don't you see? Together we can accomplish the impossible! We must unite to finish what we started, for as one we are whole once more!"

"Have you been drinking, Michael? What are you talking about?"

He quickly grasped my shoulders. "We could purify this world of prejudice, make others stop hating us for their lack of knowledge!"

I shrugged off his hooves and looked at him with a bewildered expression. "You mean kill everypony?!"

He sighed. After looking over my shoulder Michael spoke again. "No, not kill them. Just open their minds, Death. Once we do that we can truly be accepted. Follow me and I'll show you how," Mike told me as he started walking back the way I had originally come.

I was about to follow him when I heard somepony speak from behind me.

"This world has been connected."

I turned to see a brown stallion standing there. "Who are you?"

He simply said "An old friend."

"I don't know you."

"You did, and you will. It's complicated, and in your current state you wouldn't understand. I'm sorry, by the way."

I glared at him. "What do you mean I wouldn't understand?"

He looked back at me with distant eyes. "Be careful. I wouldn't want to have to take you out of here, just as much as I don't want to keep you in."

I was about to question him again when he stomped on a peculiar device on the ground and disappeared, device and all.

At this point I was only slightly bewildered by this, so after a quick second more I turned and ran to catch up with Mike. We trotted in silence until we reached the abandoned bakery. The sign, now dangling by a lone rope, read "Pastry Palace". I noticed something different than before; a window that had once been boarded up was now broken, letting wind into the murder site.

"We can work on the machine here," Michael announced. "A machine to purify the minds of the world. With your knowledge combined with mine, we can achieve the stars."

October 30th:

I've regained a small memory,

Came to my head just like that, suddenly.

I think I've gotten a clue;

Something tells me this is worse than what I knew.

TO BE CONCLUDED...