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It was a nice afternoon in Ponyville.
The sun hung high above the town, shining it’s golden rays proudly. There was a dim fog, and morning dew scurried trough the blades of grass.
With Celestia’s sunrise, the town was beginning to fill up.
Ponies were making their ways trough the streets and boulevards, hoping to strike a deal at the markets, or buy something nice for themselves at the shops.
Unfortunately, Sugarcube corner was closed; at the request of a pink earth pony.
The tempered glass windows were dark and no pastries were on display. The building had an ominous feeling.
It was like this every Sunday, and locals didn’t know what to think of it. Most of them stocked up Saturday if they wanted the cake’s signature cupcakes.
Past the confused and slightly annoyed whispers of the crowd, Pinkie was trotting down an alleyway near Ponyville square, with a usual spring in her step.
As she bounced along, various ponies greeted her while they tended to their flowers or simply enjoyed the spring breeze.
Then, Pinkie noticed a handful of ponies trough the fog. They were unmistakable; AppleJack, the cutie mark crusaders and Babs Seed.
The pink pony rushed over to greet them, receiving warm smiles in return. Her eyes seemed to be fixated on the brown visitor.
"Hey-a, Pinkie!" Applejack called out, carrying a cart full of produce.
"Hiiii Miss Pinkie!" the fillies exclaimed almost in unison.
"Hi everypony! What brings you all here?" Pinkie asked cheerfully.
"Well, Babs is visiting!" Apple Bloom informed her brightly.
"I see! Hey-a, Babs!"
"Hi, Pinkie Pie," Babs replied, her thick accent revealing itself.
"Oops!" Babs joked, and the other fillies laughed.
Every pony was having a good time.
Suddenly, the three crusaders and mare were distracted by a nearby flower stand. Because Babs was a bit slower to follow, Pinkie found the perfect moment to place a hoof on her back.
The filly let out a confused scoff and turned around. Pinkie was already guiding her towards the corner bakery, promising her some signature cupcakes.
Eager for the "special" sweets Apple Bloom kept talking about, Babs agreed. None of the other ponies looked back to see them leave, and Mr. and Mrs. Cake were out running errands:
"It all just fell into place so perfectly" The party pony insisted to herself, eyeing Babs.
Pinkie had long wondered if ponies from other towns tasted the same as those in Ponyville, or if they possessed a different kind of magic. The few pegasus from Cloudsdale hadn't tasted much different; perhaps a pony from Manehattan would offer something new and unique.
They entered the building via a dimly light small alley, that Babs never went trough, and a back-door. Soon enough, they found themselves in the kitchen.
Both of the ponies were excited. Still, the empty place carried a very eerie atmosphere.
Everything felt abandoned, unnatural in a way.
Babs choose to ignore it; she had been in some abandoned places herself.
Pinkie began skipping across the room, stopping over a marble countertop.
She reached into a cabinet and offered Babs a leftover cupcake; she was definitely running low on ingredients.
"Here. Since you’ve been such a good filly; here’s an early heart’s warming eve present!" Pinkie exclaimed, handing her hoof over to Babs.
The brown filly took it, and chewed down on the pastry. The flavours of the rainbow frosting exploded in her mouth; Babs was overcome with a sugary rush.
Her parents in ManeHattan usually bought her sweets, but she hadn’t tasted a single one this unique.
She finished the cupcake:
"It’s really good!" Babs said with a child-like enthusiasm.
Pinkie just focused her eyes on the little filly’s mouth in anticipation.
"Yea, I know it’s good.
Anyway, how are you?" Pinkie spoke, trying to steer away the conversation.
Seconds later, Babs felt a wave of nausea hit her. The filly felt fatigued, and her voice was slurred:
"Miss Pink—" she began asking, as the pink pony’s face lit up with a terrifying joy.
Before she could finish, Babs collapsed onto the wooden boarding of the floor, and her eyelids shut.
Bab’s eyes fluttered open slowly, her body jolting as consciousness returned. Her first sensation was a suffocating tightness around her limbs. She found them practically glued to a table that held them wide apart. A series of wooden racks had been bolted upright, forming the base structure.
It’s frame was skeletal and backless, meaning she could move a bit of her rump.
Bab’s vision was still weak, barely seeing in front of her, but managed to make out that her legs were secured by the tightest set of straps.
Larger ones sat empty further up the table.
Still heavy with sleep and confusion, she called out into the darkness surrounding her, "Hello?"
Her voice cracked slightly.
The sound of shuffling came from the corner as Pinkie Pie’s figure made the scene.
"Hi, Babs, I see you’re awake. Great! We can get started!" Pinkie responded, her tone cheerful, but orderly.
"Miss Pinkie?"
"Yep?"
"What’s goin’ on?" the filly asked in more confusion, now struggling slightly.
"I’m baking cupcakes! That’s what’s happening, and I'm baking them with you," Pinkie announced. She began to hop across the room, her hooves clicking against the stone floor.
She spoke up again:
"See, the special ingredient..." Pinkie paused, winking broadly, "...is you! That’s what makes my cupcakes so wonder-riffic!"
"Every time I have to make more cupcakes, I go into town and spot the pony who’s number i’ve drawn. Then, I go collect them and bring them here. Then we play for a bit.
Pretty nifty, right?"
Babs tried to speak, but the words died in her throat. Panic set in, and she began to thrash against her restraints harder, wasting energy against the leather braces holding her firmly.
"Still, you were my only shot at getting a pony from ManeHattan in here so I had to break to rules a bit, but maybe it’s worth it, and I hope you don’t mind."
Then, Pinkie flipped a switch.
The lights came on abruptly, and both ponies had a few seconds to pause.
A terrified scream escaped Babs, and her ears flopped.
She whimpered frantically, observing the room around her.
Everything was a sick imitation of a party favour:
The cobble walls were lined with skulls of small and large sizes, displayed as if they were trophies.
A large metal door was to the right, making harsh contrast with the ceiling.
Dried entrails, nailed against the top, hung loosely.
On the ground were many tables looking as if they were made from pony hide, and every space between them was occupied by large tubs filled with flesh and bones from past ponies.
The smell was unbearable.
Inflated organs were bouncing around, trying to set a joyful atmosphere.
A massive patchwork banner made of dried skin hung from the rafters, the words “Life is a Party” scrawled across it in a deep, red crimson.
In the right corner stood the remains of Rainbow Dash. She was propped up on a wooden plank by a metal support, her body marked by stitches where her wings and face had been reattached. Her dull, pale rose eyes stared vacantly into the room.
Pinkie Pie stood before her, wearing a dress quilted from dozens of mismatched patches of hide, cutie marks attached onto the raw skin.
Eight pairs of pegasus wings were sewn into the garment, the feathers rustling with every movement.
As she skipped, her unicorn necklace clacked loudly. Every severed horn was trying to tell a story.
Pinkie began pushing a metal trolley toward the table, the wheels screeching against the floor.
Babs wimpered to herself.
The filly was scared now; this wasn’t funny.
She began hyperventilating, her breathing intensifying.
"I had to convince your family that I last saw you heading toward the forest," Pinkie said conversationally. "Stupid ponies. They always blame the Everfree for anything." she finalised.
"Pinkie, let me go, this isn't right!" Babs pleaded, stammering "Please... I won't tell! I promise I won't tell!"
"Yeah, lots of ponies say that," Pinkie replied, her voice showing no hesitation.
"But I invited you over for cupcakes, didn't I?
I didn't think you’d be complaining this much." she huffed.
Tears began to fall down the filly’s checks, her mane stained with them.
She stared at the pony she once thought was a humble, cheerful baker, now doing this.
"Pinkie please…" Bab’s lowered tone spoke up.
"I’ll do anything, come on!" she said, trashing at her braces.
"Babs…” she leaned in, "Sometimes, you don’t always get what you want, when you want. We have to accept that."
Then, Pinkie took off a piece of cloth off of the trolley.
Sharp surgical tools, including gardening and timbering ones were sorted by size and ready. On the right, was a ominous leather bag.
Bab’s eyes darted frantically between Pinkie and her tools.
The party pony began approaching, scalpel at the cleft of the hoof.
'No! Pleas-e Pinkie' the filly shuttered, her final plea. She clenched her teeth and braced.
Pinkie trotted to Bab’s side, eyes on the flank witch had the cutie mark etched onto it.
The scalpel pierced the brown skin, digging into the filly’s flesh.
Babs screamed desperately and writhed at the table, the metal holding her. It was to no use; as Pinkie giggled: "Soundproof"
She drove the tool around and completed the circular cut around Bab’s cutie mark;
a pair of scissors.
Blood began oozing from the incision down to her leg, as Babs gritted her teeth and screamed.
Next, Pinkie grabbed a curved skinning knife from the tray, and placed it under the hide.
Once in motion, it tore freely trough the muscles and tissues holding the skin in it’s place.
Pinkie grasped the patch of flesh hanging off the side loosely, and with some difficulty, ripped it off the muscle.
Blood vessels burst on Bab’s flesh, squirting out onto the operating table and floor.
Babs gasped for a short while and screamed in pain, chocking on blood.
The pink pony picked her flesh up, waving it in the air jokingly as her captive emptied her bladder.
"Ewww" Pinkie cringed as she watched the filly.
Babs lowered her head, whimpering as the air hit her exposed patch of skin; Bab’s flank was on fire.
Pinkie moved to her captives left side, taking slight aim by positioning the metal tool.
More screams escaped the filly’s mouth, as her own skin was peeled off.
"Now" Pinkie began informing, "We can do whatever we want!"
Babs stopped herself from vomiting, and kept sobbing.
She wanted to plead again, but couldn’t find her words.
Babs was now slowly fading. Blood was oozing from the open wounds fast.
Then, Pinkie appeared holding a batch of pointy and barbed leafs in her hoof. The pink pony’s skin was protected by some fabric.
Babs didn’t even want to look. She was too exhausted from screaming.
The sharpest pain Babs felt in her life appeared on her exposed flesh.
Pinkie was pressing down loads of nettle leafs onto Bab’s side.
The filly let out more screams, and couldn’t catch her breath.
She lost her grip on the sliver of consciousness Because of shock and some blood loss,
she left Pinkie alone temporarily.
Babs woke up urgently.
She felt a surge of energy course her body, alongside the lingering pain.
She was now angled at a horizontal position. Using some of the energy, Babs glanced over her chest.
She saw the party pony removing a large syringe from her torso.
"Something to keep you awake." Pinkie stated ,"Not that you care anyway, Babs Seed. Why are ponies so sleepy?” she said, a hint of resentment in her tone.
"Are my parties THAT boring?!" She shot daggers into the green eyes of the filly.
"Please! Plea—se, Pinkie" she cried out.
Pinkie rolled her eyes.
"Nope. Not happening" Pinkie said, like a mare scolding her foals.
"Not after you were inconsiderate like that" she added, turning the check. She felt as if she had gained an upper hand on her already helpless captive.
Finally, it seemed that Bab’s had fully given up hope and her will to fight. She shrieked and whimpered from moment to moment due to trauma. It was so much pain to endure, for any pony.
Pinkie seemed to remember something, and dived into an metal box, her eyes glowing with inspiration.
"I know what’ll cheer you up!" she said, like planning a birthday.
Pinkie appeared holding up a pony skull in her right hoof by the hollow base witch used to connect to a spine.
It had been painted yellow around the empty eye sockets, and blue around the mouth. The rest of the cranium was in a lime green colour.
In her other hoof, Pinkie was holding a patch of severed and tanned skin holding a cutie mark, representing an apple pie.
"This here Apple Pie from PonyVille. Say howdy!" Pinkie said in a mocking country accent.
Seeing Babs continue to cry, she then placed the skull on the trolley from where she had gotten the scalpel.
Pinkie felt overwhelmed as she took a step back herself.
She examined both Babs and her tools.
"This is risky. But the only way you win in life is if you’re adventurous.
Am I right?"
Babs didn’t answer, her eyes stinging with tears.
"Fine! Be like that" she scoffed disappointedly.
The pink pony trotted to the cart, and removed two pieces of fabric from the levelled shelfs.
The first one revealed a can without it’s lid. Inside it were burning hot coals, and some five nails on top. Next to it sat a pair of mallets.
The second one revealed a large generator, a few wraps of copper wires connected to it, that led towards the second switch on the wall.
The spare wires came with the terminals.
Babs was too young to connect the two, but her eyes still welled up with tears:
"Pinkie let me go…you psychopath!!" Babs mustered the energy to yell out in rage at the pink pony, stopping to catch her breath.
"That’s not very nice.” Pinkie said sarcastically, whilst grabbing the can by it’s handle. She dragged the metallic tool towards the operating table. Pinkie set it on her own work table, and took a mallet, alongside two nails with her.
The pink pony positioned the large burning nail around Bab’s hoof, taking aim.
Pinkie swung at the nail she held, tearing it trough the filly’s limb effortlessly.
Babs screamed, her voice notably weaker and more distorted.
Pinkie hammered the imbedded nail, reaching all the way trough Bab’s limb and hitting blood-speckled wood, before moving onto the right hind leg.
Babs wailed as her skin burned from the inside. It was far too much pain.
Snapping and squelching sounds came Bab’s right hoof, as it too was punctured, blood spraying around in all directions.
Next, Pinkie pushed the trolley closer to the tormented filly. She began tying the spare copper wires around the nails all the way to the generator. Then, she flipped the switch.
Bab’s body took on a rigid position, as the electricity shot trough her.
A smell appeared that would hardly leave the room; burnt hair, and cooked skin.
Her muscles contracted violently, and her chest pulsated as her heart endured the shocks.
Almost instantly, her eyelids began dropping, and excess saliva foamed out of her mouth.
It was an extremely disturbing sight.
Her skin tore from the outside, and she was nearing death.
Pinkie just watched in awe, as Bab’s nervous system flashed out from second to second. It was a light show in her own cellar.
After what seemed like forever, but was only a minute, Pinkie shut off the power.
On the table, in the centre of the room stood Babs, her head limp. She then vomited onto her own head and neck, making Pinkie stop her charge for a while.
The party pony quickly injected adrenaline into Bab’s system. Blood circulated faster, and her heart began pumping again after the short pause. She forcefully woke up.
"Babs?" Pinkie asked.
The filly’s brain was too damaged.
Babs was slipping in and out of awareness, stuck in a translucent and conscious state. She couldn’t hear words anymore.
Realising this, Pinkie decided to skip right to the harvest.
She grabbed the scalpel and rotated a wheel on the rack. Bab’s table was lowered down, allowing Pinkie to reach;
She made two horizontal incisions, one at the top of the chest, and one around the pelvic area.
Next, she made the midline vertical cut, running long across the sternum and abdomen. It connected the first two, making a shape that resembled a "I".
It took some effort, but Pinkie reflected the flaps of skin back, down both of Bab’s sides.
The filly’s rib cage, collarbones, and abdominal wall flapped open, revealing moist and gooey organs inside.
Then, using her memorised routine, Pinkie dived into the newly-formed cavity filled with viscera and life essence. First, the intestines were sliced off by the surgical scissors. Their blood squirted out, splashing everywhere onto the body. By the time Pinkie began her work on the liver, Bab’s eyelids closed.
Those moments to Babs was like being underwater. Then, she slipped.
She was dead.
For some reason, Pinkie felt exhausted, like she had to take another griffon by herself.
She decided that skinning and de-boning Bab’s body was a task for tomorrow, focusing on the first phase of the harvest. It had been a tiring day, and this play date was the cherry on top.
Right now, Pinkie needed some shut eye.
And with that, the pink pony started finishing her work. She began heading out; of course, not before putting the organs in the freezer, and cleaning the scalpel, knife, and other utensils.
She couldn’t help her appetite, and took a small sample from Bab’s open chest.
"I knew this wouldn’t be a bad idea. I should get more ponies from ManeHattan. I am to good at this; it was always meant to be me!" she thought to herself, nearly speaking out loud to the stuffed corpse of Rainbow Dash and the lifeless mass of pony on the table, Bab’s body laying limp.
Pinkie felt a wave of ease as she chewed away at Bab’s flesh. It was truly delicious.
Next on the menu from Sugarcube corner were apple cinnamon cupcakes, with an exciting twist.