>The Party is still in full swing by the time you return.
>Music was playing.
>Ponies were dancing.
>And mirth was had by all.
>All...except for you.
>Something was bothering you.
>Normally, you weren't the type to go to events like this.
>Not on Rann.
>Not on Oa.
>Nothing against parties themselves, but you really weren't used to treatment like this.
>The thought made you feel a bit guilty.
>Pinkie Pie went through all this trouble, and she didn't even know who you were.
>And that was it.
>That's what was bothering you.
>What she did, outlandish as is was, was regarded as perfectly normal here.
>You weren't sure there was a species in the universe who'd do the same for anyone else.
>What is it with this place?
>Why is it so bright?
>So kind.
>So...harmonious?
>Did these ponies even realize what they had achieved?
>You knew from both personal experience that the cosmos was a large, dark, and foreboding place.
>("A place meant to be lit by the justice of the Green Lanterns!"  The training propaganda still lingers in your ears.)
>It was filled with horrors beyond what these ponies could probably imagine.
>Space Pirates.
>The Reach.
>The Sinestro Corps, founded by one of the Green Lantern's greatest foes.
>The Red Lantern Corps, born from the ashes of the magic-wielding demons of the Empire of Tears.
>The Fourth World.
>You shudder at the last one.
>Stories of the New Gods were used to entice, inspire, and frighten children back on Rann.
>Your training brought on the revelation that yes...in fact, they were all real.
>All of them.
>Highfather.
>Orion.
>Granny Goodness.
>Darkseid.
>The one that gave you nightmares as a child.
>You push the thought out of your mind and focus on Equestria again.
>This bright, warm place was insulated from the cold terror of the cosmos beyond.
>And despite that...it also cut off from a inter-galactic civilzation that would welcome them with open arms.
>The Universe could use the bright harmony of this place.
>And Equestria could work wonders with what the universe could bring to them.
>So many possibilities.
>So much Pinkie Pie staring you in the face while hanging off the cieling.
>BY THE SOURCE!
PINKIE!
>You fall over.
>She laughs.
>"Silly willy!  What are you doing being a wallflower!  It's YOUR PARTY!  You should be having fun!"
>She leaps off the ceiling and down to the dance floor.
>How did she sneak up on you like that?!
>You should've of noticed the approach of a pink party pony.
>You look over the scene of the party once more.
>Oh well, as the earthlings say, when in Rome....whatever that was...
>It's time to party.
 
SEVERAL HOURS LATER
 
>You are not Anon Ymous of the Green Lanterns.
>You can't be him.
>Mostly cause you're not green.
>You name is also not Anon.
>And...you're a pony.
>In fact, you're Pinkie Pie!
>Party Pony and Baker extraordinaire!
>And after wrapping up another successful soiree, you return to your home and workplace, Sugar Cube Corner!
>You really hope the Cakes aren't too mad at you.
>You WERE gone for two whole days.
>But they'd understand, you'd had to greet someone new in the way that only Pinkie Pie can!
>You open the back door and are greeted by a strange sight.
>The Cakes are baking cupcakes.
>At 3:00am.
>This in itself is not strange.
>When there are big orders to fill and popular items on the menu, it was not uncommon to work through the night.
>But something about this just seemed...off...
Uh...hey Mr. and Mrs. Cake....
>"Pinkie!  Where have you been?!" says Mrs. Cake.
Well I...
>Mr. Cake Interrupts, "Whateverit'snotimportantwe'llsortitoutlater, we need your help!  The 'Gotta Love 'em' cupcakes are selling like hotcakes!  We're barely able to keep up with the demand!"
..."Gotta Love 'em?"
>Mr. Cake continues, "Oh!  I forgot, you weren't here for it!  We got a new recipe and a new ingredient from Cup's distant third cousin twice removed a couple of days ago!  It seemed kinda strange at first...I mean we barely hear from her...or ever her from her...in fact, this may be the first time we heard of her....but anyway, she also sent some of the special sugar crystals needed for the recipe and we decided to give 'em a shot!  Best decision we ever made!  These things are irresistible!  We're making a killing!"
...sugar crystals?
>"Yeah," says Mrs. Cake, "The bag's over there."
>She points to a large sack of pink, glowing crystals in the corner of the kitchen.
>You have a sixth sense about these things, and this makes that feeling you were having earlier go from "off" to "weird".
>And when you're Pinkie Pie and you're judging what's "weird", that's saying something.
>"They don't taste that good on their own, but when you mix it into the frosting?  The flavor is incredible!"
>Mrs. Cake grabs one of the completed cupcakes, it's pink frosting shares the luminesence of the crystals.
>"Here Pinkie, try one and see for yourself!"
>You sniff the cupcake.
>It smells like the sweetest most delicious thing you could ever hope to taste.
>It also causes your hoof to burn, your mane to itch, your eyes to water, and your tail to twitch.
>Things just went from "weird" to "bad".
Mrs. Cake...I don't think I should...
 
MEANWHILE, IN THE CAVERNS DEEP BENEATH PONYVILLE
 
>"My Queen!  We've been exposed!  Someone has discovered the truth!"
Blast!  Options?
>"She is in direct proximity to two units, there is a saturation device in the immediate vicinity."
Excellent, we can maintain our cover and bring a new member into the fold, BRING THE UNITS ONLINE!
>At once, my Queen!
 
BACK AT SUGAR CUBE CORNER
 
>"Why not Pink-"
>She stops.
>So does Mr. Cake.
>They just stand there, frozen.
>And then their eyes glow pink.
>And their faces become menacing.
>You have to get out of here...NOW!
>You need to find Twilight, tell her that something is very wrong!
>You try to run, but with an impossible speed Mr. Cake blocks the exit.
>Mrs. Cake grabs you from behind and holds you down.
>Mr. Cake stands over you, holding the glowing pastry.
>You can't escape.
>You can't move.
>You too scream, but the cupcake is shoved into your mouth.
>There is nothing you can do.
>Nothing...but submit...
>...too love.
 
MEANWHILE, AT TWILIGHT'S LIBRARY
 
>You are once again Anon Ymous of Rann.
>And you are resting peacefully after a night of partying hard.
>Your eyes are closed as you lie back on the couch.
>You're to exhausted for nightmares tonight, instead you distract yourself with thoughts on tomorrow's meeting with the
 
Princess.
>You've heard many things about this "Princess Celestia".
>If even half of them were true, you were going to encounter a being with power comparable to the Guardians themselves.
>The thought of this intrigued you.
>Not as much as the odd, wet sensation that you now felt on your right hand.
>CLICK-WHRRRRRRRRRR...
>You open your eyes to find yourself staring down the barrel of a Mark VI Thanagarian De-Atomizer.
>It's being held in the hooves the mint green unicorn from earlier.
>The one with a harp on her flank.
>You would be oddly fascinated by this if you were attempting to desperately will a shield into existence between you and the gun.
>Nothing happens.
>You look at your ring hand
>It's covered in yellow paint.
>"Calm yourself," she says.
>Oddly enough...you do.
>"It's on the stun setting."
>She fires the gun into you.
>You convulse as the neural subjugation waves do their thing and shut off your higher brain functions, one by one.
>Before you pass out, the Unicorn looks you directly in the eye.
>"Don't get comfortable, green chucklefuck, there's a reason why the Main Man himself put that bounty on the head of Lyra Heartstrings, the WarWorld Terror...on MY head..."
>You are unable to respond, you're ability to speak is gone.
>Lyra smiles as the darkness encompasses you.
>"...and you're about to find out why."