Hello, my little ponies! Welcome to my newest foray into 2spooky pony horror. XD

This story is a...well, I hate using the word "parody", but let's say it's 'heavily influenced' by the story of The Devil's Carnival, mainly the soundtrack. (Most of the songs make an appearance; ponified versions of them, of course.) I've done my best not to take too much from the film, but it does have its place. No spoilers for the film, so read freely, but you should go see it anyway if you haven't, because it's amazing and I love it. :D

TIMELINE WARNING:
The following fan fiction takes place prior to the events of Magical Mystery Cure and the Princess Twilight Sparkle arc.

Quick, to the disclaimer-mobile!
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, as well as all related characters and locations (c) Hasbro, the HUB Network, and Lauren Faust
The Devil's Carnival, as well as its soundtrack (c) Darren Lynn Bousman and Terrance Zdunich

These disclaimers will not be posted again, but they do apply to the entirety of the chapter.

CHAPTER ONE: Sunlight's All Around

When the sky is dark and the moon's aglow,
And the morning star, burning from afar, enters into view
All that I can say,
All that I can know,
Is that I'll be dreaming pieces of you
Cast my reverie back into the sea
Underneath my pillow, where it's meant to be
All my little troubles haven't got a prayer
Sunlight's all around you when you haven't got a care

Twilight couldn't help but hum on her trip through Ponyville's town square. It was a beautiful day in her quiet, little town - which, to the lilac unicorn, meant a perfect day to stay inside and catch up on her studies. Not that she didn't know how to enjoy a sunny, breezy day like today; it was the perfect day to trot over to Quills and Sofas to stock up on supplies for the library. (She'd have to make a run elsewhere for parchment, though - if only Davenport could stomach stocking more than quills and sofas.)

As she passed by Sugarcube Corner, though, her humming was forced to halt as a clashing song started to round the corner:

Fa-la-la, it's time our seeds are sewn!
Cross your heart and hope to fly, it's time our chaos grows!
Fa-la-la, it's time our seeds are sewn!
Stick a cupcake in your eye, it's time our chaos grows!

Something about the melody was so uncomfortably discordant, Twilight didn't notice her steps had halted as quickly as her humming. Who would be singing such a sour song on such a pristine day?

She got her answer when the songpony rounded the corner, dropping all of her supplies as the two collided. "Oh! Hi, Twilight! Hungry for some cupcakes?"

"Oh, hi, Pinkie," Twilight greeted with a sigh of relief. It's just Pinkie Pie; what am I getting so jumpy over? Making up for her mistake, Twilight levitated all of Pinkie's spilled party supplies, returning them to the bag she was carrying them in. "Sorry, I didn't see you there."

"Really? I'm kinda hard to miss, silly," Pinkie laughed. "Goin' somewhere?"

"Quills and Sofas. I need-" Before Twilight could explain her mission, Pinkie Pie burst out in a hysterical laugh. "What's so funny?"

Pinkie kicked a hoof as she struggled to stifle her laugh. "Nothing, nothing," she giggled.

The rosy mare tossed her bag onto her back, then moved to continue her own trip. "Hey, Pinkie?" Twilight asked, stopping her from leaving. "Uhm...w-where'd you hear that song you were singing?"

"The carnival," she answered quaintly.

"Carnival? What carnival?"

"THE carnival, DUH!" Pinkie laughed, as if Twilight should've known. "Oh, my gosh, Twilight, it is SO fun! You should come! We're having a party tonight! I'm making cup~cakes!" She gave her flank a little shake, bringing attention to the bag on her back. (Strangely, Twilight didn't notice any cupcake ingredients in there.)

"Sounds like fun, Pinkie," Twilight admitted. Pinkie Pie had a knack for making anything sound fun; it was the Element of Laughter at work. "Maybe if I catch up on my studies, I'll join you."

"Okey-dokey-lokey!" With her usual Pinkie bounce, the candy-maned mare trotted off towards her makeshift home in Sugarcube Corner, likely to prepare for the carnival party. "Fa-la-la, it's time our seeds are..."

Twilight shook her head. Typical Pinkie. Any carnival that taught her such a wrenching song probably wasn't as fun as she made it sound. Still, perhaps she'd humor her party-loving friend. After she finished her studies, of course, which meant she had to continue on her trip to Quills and Sofas.

She made her way inside the old writing shop, the bell making a dingy clink! as she stepped inside. All of the curtains were drawn, making the shop dark and dank. And whatever was in the room that the darkness was hiding, it made the entire shop stink. Odd; why would Davenport be avoiding the sunlight on a day like today? "Davenport? Hello? Is anyone in here?"

This is ridiculous. I can't see a thing. Deciding to deal with any of Davenport's disapproval later, Twilight mustered up some magic and pulled the curtains away from their windows. Sunlight immediately poured into the old shop, illuminating every last nook and cranny.

Including Davenport. Twilight found him on the wall, biting back a shriek of horror. Quills were dug into each of his legs, as well as his neck, pinning him in place. Blood smeared across the wall, dripping from his grisly corpse.

The only other clue was a lone message painted nearby:

Plant thy hooves, thy hooks, thy books

We've got grace for sale!