MLP: Midnight Threat. Part 2

"I already told ya! It couldn't have been her!"

Applejack and Rainbow Dash argued outside of Sugarcube Corner. Rainbow Dash explained that the café had just been robbed, although nothing was discovered to be missing or misplaced. "Who else could it have been? She's already snuck in there before; who's to say she couldn't do it again!" Rainbow Dash accused.

While the prosecution and the defendant bickered behind closed doors, the accused remained inside the house. Pinkie Pie was still nauseous from an unknown sickness the welled within her stomach, but had recovered over the time that had passed.

Considering the pain that this mysterious sickness had conjured, it was miraculous that she had neither vomited nor collapsed. "Twilight has just proven that it wasn't her! Why are ya going off yar head about it?" Applejack shouted.

"UGH… JUST STOP IT!" came a voice from inside, clearly belonging to the subject matter herself. Sure enough, the bedroom window opened as she hung her head out, continuing "I hate hearing you all fight over things like this. It's just gonna cause problems for everypony".

Rainbow Dash was the first to lower her defenses, groaning in resignation and replying "Sorry, Pinkie Pie. I… I just don't want anything bad to happen. That's all". "Well we know for sure it wasn't m… Pinkamena, okay?" Pinkie Pie confirmed, to which her two consultants thankfully agreed.

Pinkie Pie sighed and remained silent for a moment, before she suddenly had an idea and smiled. "Say! Why don't we go there and get something for breakfast?!" she asked, "We can get something to eat, and we can also find out what happened there".

Rainbow Dash considered this and replied "Well, they were still open to the public when I found out, so that's a good idea". Pinkie Pie made her way downstairs and joined her friends outside her front door, and the trio made their way through town.

Later, while at the café, Pinkie Pie had almost completely recovered from her nausea, and had begun acting in her traditional fashion. "Uh, it's so good to eat properly again, isn't it?" Pinkie Pie boasted, patting her stomach as she slouched comfortably in her seat. "Heh… some things never change, do they?" Applejack sighed as she shook her head with poorly hidden glee.

Pinkie Pie continued to slouch lazily and she contently browsed the delectable merchandise in the glass casing beneath the counter, one of which caught her attention instantly. On the third row at the left end was a collection of cupcakes, each its own color and flavor. Pinkie Pie's eyes widened as she stared, mesmerized by the pastries.

Unbeknownst to her, the corners of her mouth had begun twitching frantically, forming into a devious smile. A strange craving for these petite pastries had soon urged her to devour every last one of them. All she could think about now was chowing down on them. The sweetness they must contain! She desperately wanted them! She must have them, and she must have them all now!

"Hey Pinkie Pie, what are you doing!?" asked a concerned Rainbow Dash. "Mom's cupcakes were so good…" Pinkie Pie smirked greedily as she continued to stare at the glass-confined treats. "Hey, Pinkie Pie!" Applejack exclaimed, snapping Pinkie Pie from her hypnotized state and returning her to reality.

"Huh, what was that?" Pinkie Pie half-wittedly asked. Rainbow Dash slapped her forehead and sighed "Are you really still hungry after all you just ate?! This place will go out of business at this rate".

Pinkie Pie tilted her head confusedly and replied "Huh? No, I was just thinking about something. Why?" Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked at eachother with concern in their eyes, before Applejack replied "Well, um… you're drooling". "What! Blegh!" Pinkie Pie quickly and nervously wiped the saliva from her cheek and replied "Ugh! Why was I doing that!?"

As the night progressed from the café to the streets, Pinkie continued to ponder her bizarre actions; but this time, she already knew the cause of it. She glumly trudged behind her friends as they intended to part ways, not paying attention to where she's heading and accidentally slipping on the pavement.

"Whoa, uh…" she yelped before regaining her posture, but not without also gaining her companions' attention. "Huh? Oh… Well, see ya later Pinkie Pie" Applejack cried out, while Rainbow Dash simply nodded. "Uh… Oh! See you tomorrow!" Pinkie Pie called out, before the group parted ways.

Later, within Pinkie Pie's home, the excitable extrovert slept soundly in her bed. She had succumbed to a relatively peaceful slumber for three hours prior to the present, and the time was currently 10:30 pm.

For the first time in multiple weeks, neither a horrific nightmare nor an interruption from a friend had come to disturb her sleep, leaving her to finally sleep peacefully without fault. However, as the clock chimed 11:00, Pinkie's Pies eyes shot open instantly as she slowly arose from her bed, a wry grin planted across her cheeks.

Meanwhile, in a house that lay not too far away, an unconscious Twilight had finally begun to awaken from her impairing injury, struggling to regain her senses. She leant against the wall and battled to gain balance on her knees, but to no avail, as a numbness had engulfed her limbs that resulted in Twilight collapsing against the tile floor.

The back of her neck strained from its previous trauma, pulsing and throbbing painfully against this action. Twilight found herself powerless, and was prepared to surrender to unconsciousness once again.

"AAAHHHH! TWILIGHT! WHAT HAPPENED?!"

Twilight was suddenly lifted off of the ground by an unknown figure, and paid no attention to the voice that spoke, as she was too preoccupied with a futile ploy to regain control of her nerves system.

"Are you okay!? Speak to me!" screamed the unknown savior, who then carried her into the lounge room and laid her on the sofa. "I… can't feel… anything" Twilight continued with miraculous consistency in her speech, despite her physical status.

"Quick! We need to get to the hospital!" called a voice from what Twilight presumed was the doorway. "No… find…Pinkame…" Twilight wheezed lifelessly before succumbing finally to her inevitable fate. "NO! THAT CAN'T BE! TWILIGHT WAKE UP!" Rainbow Dash shrieked at the top of her lungs.

Unfortunately, Twilight lay as stiff as a post, without sign of movement nor sound. "Arrgh! How did she do it!? How did she escape!?" Rainbow Dash screamed hysterically. "Who cares?! We should be worryin' about where she is now!" Applejack replied, whilst staring through the wide open window for a clear vision of Pinkamena's escape strategy.

"Okay! You take Twilight to the hospital! I'll go find Pinkie Pie!" Rainbow Dash commanded, before soaring off without a second thought. Before Applejack had the chance to object "But you're faster! You take Twilight", the blue pegasus had already disappeared into the night sky.

After a short and swift flight across Ponyville, Rainbow Dash landed outside Sugarcube Corner. She examined the front door and approached it, before pausing as she reached for the doorknob. She rested against the wood, unable to formulate a plan of how to manage this potentially dangerous situation.

She hadn't thought on what she'd do beyond finding the violent personality, but felt she had no option but to improvise as she went along. With her mind made up, she carefully turned the doorknob and pushed the door open, before cautiously stepping inside the dark hall.

Rainbow Dash crept slowly through the main room of Pinkie Pie's home, her eyes darting left and right for any sign of an inhabitant. She then stopped in the middle and considered which room to check first, were Pinkamena in the building at all.

"Is anybody here?!" she called out into the room, as prepared as she ever could be to confront Pinkamena. Unfortunately, despite her expectations, there was no response of any kind. As she struggled to decide whether to be disappointed or delighted by this conclusion, Rainbow Dash turned to the front door and prepared to take her leave.

"Well, well… It's you again".

From out of the darkness of the night, staggering ungraciously through the front door, shone a pair of intensely gaped eyes and a large toothy smile. Rainbow Dash was paralysed to the spot from the mere sight, the eyes glaring daggers towards her as they grew closer towards her.

Finally, a soft feminine voice stated "I should have known that one of you would come to find me here". The light reflected against the surface of the arrival's skin, exposing her in all her glory.

Pinkie Pie's hair was hanging downwards over her shoulders, the left of her fringe covering the left half of her face. Her skin was somewhat paler than it's more natural, healthy glow. But her face was the most diverting aspect of her features. Her eyes were wide open and her pupils had shrunken to disturbing measures. Her grin covered a majority of her cheeks, showing a large, white smile.

"I hope you're not thinking of running away, because it's far too late for that now" Pinkamena stated as Rainbow Dash stood her ground, no longer as intimidated by the psychopath's presence, "But then again, given our history, running away wouldn't do you much good".

Pinkamena began to circle around the pegasus, though Rainbow Dash would follow her every movement and maintain direct eye contact. "Does Pinkie Pie know that you've been doing this?" Rainbow Dash inquired skeptically, actually taking Pinkamena off guard as she replied "No… But that means you can't poison her against me".

"Poison her?!" Rainbow Dash suddenly shouted, "Are you really so twisted into thinking that me and everypony else in Equestria is out to get her?!" Pinkamena sneered and rebutted "You've yet to prove me wrong! You and that unicorn have already been exposed for who you really are!"

The deluded pony quaked with rage as she continued "All this torment that you've all put her through! To think of where she would be without me! I can never imagine her being left alone to suffer at your hooves!" Rainbow Dash remained defiant, but found an inkling of truth in her consultant's words.

Pinkamena's actions up until this moment had been justified by their actions, and Pinkamena had every reason to believe they were responsible for her misery. "She needs me to help her… and that's exactly what I've done" Pinkamena concluded, "After all, our childhood on the rock farm has taught us to enjoy even the simplest of pleasures".

Rainbow Dash's guilt for her involvement in Pinkie Pie's dilemma had begun to resurface, and she sat on the floor with her head hung in despair. Pinkamena stood above her and stated "No matter what you and your cohorts plan next, you're never gonna hurt my cherub while I'm here" as she turned away from the pegasus.

"The only thing she needs saving from is you".

Pinkamena stopped in her tracks for a moment to consider her comment, before eventually continuing towards the nearby dining table. She reached for a candlestick that rested in the center of the table held it I her hoof, before swiping it back and forth like a blunt weapon.

Rainbow Dash stood up on all four hooves and watched Pinkamena curiously from behind, unable to see this act from the intense darkness that surrounded the pony. Pinkamena sensed Rainbow Dash approaching her without the need to face her, before suddenly spinning around and taking the pegasus by surprise.

'WHACK!'

"Grrgh… ugh…wh… wh…where..."

Minutes soon became hours until Rainbow Dash had finally recovered from her temporarily comatose state. Rainbow Dash attempted to the best of her ability to move, though such a feat was hindered by a foreign force of restriction.

Rainbow Dash lifted her head weakly and opened her eyes, finding herself inside of a small room consisting of a bed, a desk and a few bookshelves. She then stared down to find her current position, which was concluded to be a large cushion, while remaining immobile from the ensnaring rope. Her vision scanned throughout the surrounding environment, even though it remained unfamiliar as of yet.

"Oh hey! You're awake!" a distant voice had begun ringing in her ears, which soon grew accustom to the surrounding noise; or lack thereof. "Hehehehe! Wait there, and I'll see you in a second!" the singsong voice called from a distant room. Rainbow Dash was forced to wait for another five minutes before hearing a loud, crackling sound from a room downstairs, to which the pegasus realized where she was.

This was still Sugarcube Corner, but she now resided in Pinkie Pie's bedroom and Pinkamena was currently in the kitchen. "No wait! Here I am!" Pinkamena suddenly burst through the bedroom door with a loud 'Slam!' and startled the life out of her captive.

"Ack! Pinkamena! What's going on?! What are you up to now?!" Rainbow demanded an explanation. Pinkamena giggled to herself and replied "I need you for something I'm making. I'll explain everything", before suddenly stepping into the darkness of the room and shutting the door behind her.

"Remember that favour I asked of you a while back?" Pinkamena inquired, "You're finally going to be of use to both me and my cherub for something… special". An icy cold chill engulfed Rainbow Dash's body from these words, resuming a fearful role as a witness to oncoming diabolical actions.

"You see… I'm making a special recipe!" Pinkamena began, having suddenly appeared beside Rainbow Dash and catching her by surprise. "It's an old… Hmhmhmph… 'Family Recipe' for…" Pinkamena began, leaning her head beside Rainbow's left ear, "Cupcakes".

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow in confusion, pondering why Pinkamena, one of the most spiteful and ruthless entities she had ever encountered, would be bothered with a hobby such as this. "You see, Pinkie Pie and I came up with this recipe when she was a filly".

Pinkamena then hugged herself in satisfaction before sighing "Ahhh… I can still remember how delicious they tasted" before licking her lips greedily.

Rainbow Dash simply stared in confusion and yelled "Cupcakes? Is that what this is all about? Then what do you need me for?!" Pinkamena stopped dead in her tracks, before turning to face her prisoner with an insane grin. "Well… the thing about these cupcakes is that-".

'Ding! Ding! Ding!'

"WHAT! IT CAN'T BE!" Pinkamena screeched in shock, before rushing towards the clock to see the time. "6:00! Oh no! She's gonna… gonna… urk…" she screamed before cringing in discomfort. Suddenly, she shook her head violently, shouting "I took too long! She's coming back! No! …ARRGH!"

Pinkamena began thrashing about furiously, her skin beginning to expel multiple beads of sweat as her muscles began losing their former energy.

Rainbow Dash remained unable to either assist or escape and was forced to watch in awe as her best friend became overwhelmed by her own torment. Clumsily, Pinkamena eventually collapsed without any restraint, remaining motionless against the floor without displaying any signs of movement.

With the potential danger temporarily subsided, Rainbow Dash returned to struggling against her bindings, desperate to find a chance to release herself from her entrapment. Thankfully, and somewhat miraculously, the bonds in her legs had begun to loosen, but not enough the remove them. "HELP! SOMPONY HELP!" she called out for any form of salvation to arrive, "PLEASE! IF ANYPONY CAN HEAR ME! GET ME OUTTA HERE!"

There was nothing but silence to respond, and Rainbow Dash finally gave up on any hopes of rescue as she lay miserably in her wretched predicament. Her best friend had once again collapsed from stress, but her actions for the past three days seem to have put every theory Twilight had written to shame.

Pinkamena had found a way to take control of Pinkie Pie during the night, while Pinkie Pie was thought by everypony, including herself, to be asleep. Was Pinkamena actively finding new ways to take control while Pinkie Pie remained oblivious?

"Hello? Is anypony home?"

Rainbow Dash's heart nearly leapt from her chest as she gasped in surprise. "HELLO?! HELP US!" she called out with delight. Soon, the house echoed with loud hoofsteps, soon to be followed by a loud rattling of a doorknob and a loud 'Slam!' of a door. Rainbow Dash turned to the door, to find Applejack and Twilight rushing to their aid.

While Applejack tended to the stricken Pinkie Pie, Twilight ran to Rainbow Dash to untie her bonds. "I'm so glad to see you two!" Rainbow Dash cried out, "She tied me up and dragged me here from the Town Hall". Twilight then explained "I woke up in the hospital as soon as we got there, so we came to find you" whilst untying her friends bindings.

By the time Rainbow Dash was freed from her constrictions, Applejack had already laid their comatose companion in her bed to recuperate from her taxing experience. Applejack sniffed distraughtly "Poor Pinkie Pie. She should never have gone through this…" before stepping away from the bed.

"Did she- erm… Pinkamena say anything?" Twilight asked curiously, to which Rainbow Dash answered "Yeah, actually… It was the strangest thing. She was talking about baking cupcakes and making a 'Family Recipe'". "What? Now that's pretty weird" Twilight replied in confusion, and all eyes turned to gaze upon the still sleeping Pinkie Pie.

"Why would she need you to make this "Family Recipe' of hers?"

The End?