Everypony in Ponyville knew Pinkie Pie throws the best parties in all of Equestria. Since she knew everypony in town, she was able to bring ponies together for the simplest of reasons. Often, these parties were held on an absolute whim for mundane reasons. However, the parties themselves would be far from mundane. They often stretched long into the night and half of Ponyville would show up at her front door.
That night, however, she would throw a party like none other. The Cakes, the couple who owned Sugarcube Corner, had left town for a week on urgent business. Pinkie Pie had invited all of Ponyville to her “Spring Has Sprung” party, and Pinkie Pie was going to make sure it was one of the best parties of her life.
Pinkie Pie did get a little worried about some ponies who had to cancel due to a terrible flu that’s been going around, but she shrugged it off. She felt bad for the poor sick ponies, but the party would still be a success if all the other ponies showed up. As it was, Pinkie had a lot of preparing to do.
The energetic pink party pony bounced around the room with her trusty feather duster in her mouth. She was tidying up the nooks and crannies of Sugarcube Corner. She had already arranged the furniture, vacuumed the building in its entirety, hung a new banner that read “Spring Has Sprung,” baked a mountain of various sweets in advanced, had another batch of cupcakes in the oven, bought a brand new radio just for the party, covered the ceiling with brightly-colored balloons, and even set up the punch bowl. And she still had so much to do!
Dusting off one of the windowsills, she took a glance outside. The sky was a perfect blue and there were only a few fluffy white clouds in the sky. Pinkie couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day for her party. She hopped away and put the feather duster on a counter.
Pinkie Pie heard a ding nearby and she gasped. “They’re finally done!” she exclaimed, dashing off toward the kitchen. She hurriedly nosed the oven door open. The sweet scent of fresh baked goods flooded the room and made Pinkie salivate. She hurriedly pulled out the tray of golden brown cupcakes using a hot-pad, turned off the oven, and laid them on top of the oven. It wouldn’t be long before they cooled off and she could frost them. She eagerly licked her lips just thinking about it.
Just then, Pinkie heard bells ring as the front door swung open. She poked her head out of the kitchen and looked towards the front door. Standing in the doorway was a single filly with a distinctive curly orange mane and a pale yellow coat.
“Carrot Top!” Pinkie exclaimed as she stepped out of the kitchen and began hopping her way over to the front counter. She gave her guest a great big smile, “I’m glad you’re here, but the party doesn’t start for a couple of hours, silly filly! You’re way too early! Nopony else is here but me and, really, what kinda boring ol’ party would that be?”
The filly in the doorway didn’t seem to hear Pinkie Pie and took a few steps inside. Her attention seemed to be fully focused on Pinkie. As she got closer, Pinkie Pie gasped a little bit. She giggled, “Heehee, those sure are some spooky contacts you have in, Carrot Top! They make your eyes look all white like an egg or something. It’s kinda weird. Why do you have those silly things in? I mean, it’s not a costume party.”
As the orange-maned filly took another step closer, Pinkie Pie noticed some other things peculiar about the pony. She was ignoring everything Pinkie was saying, her mane and tail seemed a bit disheveled, and she had a large bandage wrapped around her front right leg. She didn’t know Carrot Top too well, but she was acting very strangely. Pinkie Pie’s knee began to pinch, a sign that something scary was about to happen.
“Are you okay, Carrot Top? What happened? You have that bandage around your leg and I’m all li-”
Pinkie Pie was cut short by a low moaning noise that drifted out of Carrot Top’s lips and hung in the air. It sounded empty, tired, weak, and, most of all, hungry. Pinkie’s knee pinched harder, but she still tried to ignore it.
“Oh! You must be hungry! You could smell the cupcakes from outside, huh? Well, don’t worry! I’ve got plenty of sugar-coated goodness to fill that belly of yo-”
Pinkie Pie was cut short once again. Carrot Top’s lips curled into a snarl and she let loose an ungodly, voracious bellow. Its pure guttural tone and rabid nature made Pinkie Pie’s hair stand on end and her knee scream in pain. Pinkie cringed as the monstrosity in Carrot Top’s skin glared at her with her bloodshot milky white eyes.
Carrot Top sprinted at Pinkie Pie at full speed without warning, attempting to scramble over the front counter. Her teeth snapped mere inches away from Pinkie Pie’s face and she uttered more guttural, violent snarls. Pinkie Pie yelped in surprise and dashed back into the kitchen. Carrot Top, finally managing to get over the counter, was in close pursuit.
Pinkie Pie tried to slam the door shut, but her hellish pursuer managed to stick both a front hoof and her snout into the door. Pinkie gasped and quickly pushed against the door, trying to close it on the terror. It pushed back with brutish force and managed to work in the rest of its face. It swiveled its ghastly eyes around to meet Pinkie’s terrified countenance in a mortifying glare.
Pinkie Pie felt her heart thunder in her chest and her knee felt as if a vice had been tightened around it. She quickly stammered out, “N-No! Leave me alone! Th-This isn’t happening, this can’t be happening, i-it’s all just a really really bad dream! Yeah, that’s right! Y-you’re not real and all I gotta do is g-giggle at the ghostly!” She let out a quick series of frantic giggles.
The monster tried to reach its hoof towards Pinkie Pie, but Pinkie pushed harder against the door with a short scream. She let out another burst of laughter, before watching as the monster continued struggling, twisting and wrenching its leg back and forth. There was a sickening crack and a tearing sound. Pinkie Pie gasped in horror and leaped away from the door. The monster completely ignored its fresh wound and pressed open the door. It advanced towards Pinkie with a limp.
The realization swept over Pinkie like a tidal wave. She started to break out in a cold sweat and her knee wailed in agony. She started to yell, “L-Laughter isn’t working! I-It’s not working! It’s not working!” She sped to the corner of the room.
The world began to spin. Pinkie heard something pop above her and her mane fell in front of her face, straight as could be. Her mind raced, Laughter didn’t work. But it always works! Did Granny Pie lie? She’d never lie to me! It’s getting closer! Laughter didn’t work! What do I do? I have to do something. Is this really happening? Is this the end? Who will throw the parties when I’m gone? Laughter didn’t work! It’s getting even closer! I have to do something! What do I do?! It’s right there in front of me! DO SOMETHING! LAUGHTER DIDN’T WORK.