Dark Laughter

As soon as the words left Twilight Sparkle's muzzle, the world flashed white and disappeared. Pain. All that was left was pain. Excruciating, mind-numbing pain. But not the physical kind; Pinkie was used to that by now. It was the kind of pain that left her heart aching and broken, forcing liquid out of her eyes and throbbing in her veins. Pinkie Pie couldn't see, speak, or hear. She could only feel the pain.

What the four ponies around her saw was Pinkie's body going limp, her hybrid violet eyes glazing over and streaming salty tears.

"Pinkie..." Applejack whispered. "Ah don't think she'll ever be the same again."

"None of us will." Rarity stated, inciting murmurs of agreement from everypony else.

"Hello? Earth to Pinkie Pie?" Rainbow Dash said, getting in the unmoving pony's face.

"Don't do that, Rainbow Dash," Twilight huffed, levitating her away from Pinkie's bed. "Come on, girls, Pinkie needs some space to grieve. We'd better get going." With that, the four ponies exited out the sterile white hospital room door.

Pinkie Pie lay there for the longest time, unable to move. There was nothing but her breaking heart to comfort her. She could sense her friends, her family, the doctors and nurses trying to talk to her, to elicit a response, but the other ponies were as insignificant as a buzzing fly in the distance. Fluttershy was...dead. The words just felt wrong in her brain. How could her best friend be gone? After all they'd been through together?

Pinkie could remember it clearly. They had just ran up to attack that scary manticore, but Fluttershy stopped them. She moseyed on up to the horrible beast and nuzzled it's paw, causing it to show her a huge splinter stuck in it. As soon as she pulled it out, the manticore was embracing her and licking her affectionately. Kindness was her Element, and for a darn good reason. She was so sweet to everypony.

And then, when everypony was knocked out by that dragon, it was Fluttershy who stood up for her friends, and showed that dragon who was boss! But she did it with kindness and mercy, just proving how much of an amazing pony Fluttershy was.

And when she had stage fright of singing in front of a crowd, Pinkie remembered how she managed to conquer her fears, even if it was baby-steps. Her voice was so beautiful, clear and bright like a warm summer day. And Fluttershy even forgave Pinkie after she was so mean to her that day, making her cry several times with her antics. Pinkie regretted not being able to change herself, to become a more serious pony so she would never hurt Fluttershy like that anymore.

These thoughts about Fluttershy gave a speck of warmth in Pinkie's heart, dispelling some of the pain. But the she remembered.

Fluttershy was gone forever. She wasn't coming back. Never. She was dead.

Why did she go? Pinkie thought as the pain returned. Why did she leave me out here on my own? Doesn't she know that her animals need her, that Ponyville needs her? Doesn't she know that I need her? Best friends...best friends never abandon each other! Pinkie tried to hold back the sobs. But her attempts were fruitless, and she wailed in sorrow. She could feel her mane starting to go flat and lose its bright color.

Stop it, mane! Pinkie commanded herself. No way I'm getting all serious and mopey! Fluttershy told me to be happy...that's what she wanted... Although her mane remained bright and curly, Pinkie cried once again, the restraints on her hospital bed stopping her body from convulsing in grief. She fell into a fitful, dreamless sleep.

When Pinkie Pie awoke, she could feel an odd sense of clarity in her mind. The grief of losing her best friend still sliced through her thoughts like a butcher's knife, but she didn't feel the need to cry or lie unmoving anymore. Pinkie tested once hoof, and was shocked to find out that her restraints had been taken off. That was great...but weren't the staff afraid that she was going to suck their blood and murder them? But as Pinkie slowly sat up, she gasped when she realized something.

Her throat wasn't burning anymore.

Pinkie got out of bed and wobbled around on her hooves. It had been a while since she last walked, seemingly. How long was she in that sterilized bed? She remembered Twilight explaining that she had a cure for the bat-pony urges, and that they were using it on her. What did she look like? Was she a normal earth pony again? Pinkie somehow felt upset at the thought of this. But why? Shouldn't she be happy if she wasn't a danger to everypony else? It had to be the flying. Flying was the most wonderful thing Pinkie ever experienced, and she didn't want to give it up.

She found a small mirror on the nightstand and held it up to her face. Pinkie Pie was relieved to see that she hadn't changed too much. Her ears were smaller, fur a bit brighter, and by the looks of it, her wings had shrunk a bit. But thankfully, she still was able to get into the air with ease. Pinkie flew around in tight circles, regaining the strength in her muscles.

"Ah, Pinkie Pie!" A voice said. Nurse Redheart, a white pony with a pink mane and hospital uniform trotted into the room and spotted Pinkie flying a few feet above her bed. "It's great to see you active again. We were so worried about you."

"If I got a bit for every time I heard that," Pinkie cracked under her breath.

"Well, I understand you must be very hungry. I brought you some breakfast," Nurse Redheart said, presenting a tray of delicious looking pancakes. Just the sight of the warm, golden-brown delicacies made Pinkie's heart hurt as she remembered Fluttershy making her pancakes, just a couple weeks ago...it felt like years.

Pinkie gulped. "Er, I'm sorry, Nurse...but I sort of have to drink...you know, blood."

Nurse Redheart shook her head, smiling, and that's when Pinkie understood. Her throat wasn't burning. She didn't need blood anymore. She didn't need blood anymore! She wasn't a monster anymore! She wasn't a danger to other ponies! That must've been why they took her restraints off. She was free!

Mustering a smile, Pinkie flopped back down on her bed obediently and was about to dig in, when Redheart stopped her.

"Hold on, Pinkie. You don't mind if I put the serum in the pancakes to make things go faster?" She took out a vial of florescent, purple liquid.

"Serum?" Pinkie repeated.

"Oh, your friends didn't tell you!" Nurse Redheart assumed. I bet they did...I just wasn't listening, Pinkie thought guiltily.

"You should really thank Twilight the next time you see her," the nurse explained. "She developed this magic serum to erase the bat-pony parts. It's very simple; you just consume it and all the bad stuff goes away!"

"ALL the bad stuff?" Pinkie asked suspiciously. "I thought that my recovery was gonna take time."

"Oh, that was when we were unsure about the stability of your health. We were only giving you a tiny bit of the serum each day, just to make sure it didn't react negatively with your unstable condition. But now, if you take this whole vial, you'll be all better in no time at all!"

Pinkie stared at the serum as the nurse walked over. "Um...does it taste bad?" Pinkie pressed, trying to find a reason not to turn back to normal. She liked being able to fly, and have better strength and stamina. Why did she have to give up all those benefits and be a boring old earth pony?

"It might," Nurse Redheart admitted. "I haven't tried it, of course."

Pinkie wrinkled her nose as the nurse leaned over and poured the liquid all over her pancakes. She just didn't want to change. It was that simple.

"I don't wanna take it."

Nurse Redheart sighed. "Pinkie, please, don't do this. You're a grown mare, just grin and bear it."

"No."

"Yes," the nurse said, narrowing her eyes.

"No."

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes!"

"NO!"

"YES!"

"YES!" Pinkie screamed, using the trick she always used to outsmart ponies.

"NO!" Nurse Redheart countered, unaware at what she was saying.

"YES!"

"NO!"

"Okie dokie lokie! I won't take it," Pinkie said triumphantly.

Nurse Redheart tugged at her disheveled bun, growling in frustration. "Pinkamena Diane Pie, take that serum RIGHT NOW. Or else we'll have to do this the hard way."

"What's the hard way?"

"Injecting you with drugs to make you immobile, and giving you the serum drop by drop. Just like we did before."

Pinkie's eyes widened. She didn't want to go through all the hallucinations, the hazy blackness again. She couldn't bear it.

"Now, Pinkie, are we going to do this the easy way or the hard way?"

"The hard way," Pinkie answered without thinking.

"Fine," the nurse sighed, walking over to her cart. She pulled out several syringes filled with magical drugs. She went back to Pinkie and prepared to inject her, but Pinkie opened her wings and darted to the side, dodging the needle.

"Pinkie Pie!" Nurse Redheart roared.

"Can't catch me!" Pinkie taunted, zipping around the room as the nurse chased her with the syringes. It looked like a scene from a horror movie, where the psycho pursues the victim relentlessly.

Pinkie flew outside into the hall and quickly used the nurse's cart to block the door. Nurse Redheart's shrieks of obscenities could be heard from inside. Pinkie chuckled. "You can't beat the Pink...ie Pie!"

After a while, the screams died down. Feeling just a bit sheepish, Pinkie removed the cart and opened the door a crack. Nurse Redheart was facing away, taking deep breaths to calm herself, unaware that the door was open. Pinkie grinned maliciously. This was the perfect time to do a sneak attack and bust out of this place!

Without even thinking, Pinkie shoved the door open and leaped forward, fangs bared. The nurse turned around and screamed in terror; Pinkie must have looked terrifying.

These doctors and nurses, the ponies who captured them and imprisoned them here were the reason Fluttershy died. She didn't want to live in a world where she wasn't free. She lost the will to live because of them.

And they were going to pay.

Before Pinkie Pie knew it, she was standing in front of the mangled corpse of Nurse Redheart.

        And Pinkie didn't feel guilty at all. She was beginning to feel relieved. She was going to avenge Fluttershy, and everything would be made right.

        But then again, nothing would be right, ever again now. What a funny thought. So, Pinkie Pie began to laugh. But it wasn't her usual, joyful giggle. It was dark laughter.