Turn Our Backs

"Seriously? Just like that? She just...attacked you?!" Rainbow Dash asked, staring at the traumatized Fluttershy, who took a sip of her tea shakily.

For Fluttershy, the morning had been no better than the previous afternoon. Sure, it was sunny, the once lonely streets were now filled with the many colours and voices of the Ponies that resided in Ponyville, but she couldn't get the image of Pinkiepie...that monster out of her head. Her eyes, her teeth, her voice. It all seemed like some kind of horrific nightmare and she was waiting to wake up any second.

"...Yes" She said, refusing to look up.

"...This doesn't make sense" Twilight said, pacing back and fourth. "She attacks us on sight, she wont tell any of us what's wrong, yet she acts so...lonely...." Twilight's mind went blank. "I...I actually don't know what to do anymore"

"Well, if you ask me, she's just being stubborn!" A furious Rarity said, attracting the purple Unicorn's attention. "After all, she's been pushing you away for several weeks now and, after that little performance she pulled with Fluttershy, I don't think we're obliged to help her anymore!"

"...'We're' obliged to help her?" Rainbow Dash asked. "You haven't been doing anything"

"Oh, and I suppose you have?"

"Hey!"

"Now hang on for a second!" Twilight snapped. "Pinkie's already at our throats, we can't afford to turn on each other" Twilight said.

Rarity let out an angry 'Hmmph!'. "Then what do you suggest we do about it, hmm?"

"Well, we know one thing, sending any of you alone is a bad idea. Fluttershy was the most likely to be able to help her and that didn't work"

Twilight shook her head. All of this was giving her a headache. Pinkie, of all Ponies, depressed. Seemed impossible. Yet, here they were. She turned to Applejack, who was hiding under her hat.

"Applejack?"

The orange Pony looked up slightly, her bright green eyes almost reflecting the sun's glaze.

"You've been through depression before, right? You know how this works"

"...Yeah....so?"

"We need to know how to help Pinkie"

"Well sendin' Ponies alone ain't gonna do y'all no good. She'll feel calmer if we can prove that we all care about her"

"...Meaning?" Rainbow Dash rudely interrupted.

"She needs to see us all at once"

Twilight shook her head once again, looking straight at Applejack. "That doesn't sound like a good plan at all. She'll feel more invaded. More conflicted"

"That what'd'yah suggest we do?"

"I...I don't know, Applejack....at this point I'm pretty much open to ideas"

"Good. So we go 'round t'her house, tell her we still care 'bout her, then-"

"No"

Both Ponies' heads spun around immediately to face Rarity's furious gaze. "'Scuse you?"

"I said no"

"But...Rarity...."

"There's not a chance of me going anywhere near that...that....barbarian! Not after what she did to Fluttershy!"

Twilight's jaw dropped slightly, her face becoming painted with concern. "But...Rarity, we need you! We all do. If you could just-"

"Uh, actually Twi...heh heh, make that....you need her"

Twilight once again spun around to face the Pony who was giving up on her. "...Not you too, Dash...."

"...Yeeaaah, sorry. I kinda just....I just don't think that this 'meet her as a group' thing is going to work..."

"The element of loyalty, Dash. That's you! LOYALTY!"

"Yeah. I know. But I'm not the element of undeserved forgiveness"

"Pinkiepie needs you! All of you"

"Yeah, well, what has she done for me lately?"

Twilight didn't know how to respond, but simply shook her head in disgust. "...What about you, Fluttershy? Do you feel the same way?" She asked quietly, not looking at Fluttershy. Fluttershy didn't say anything, but simply nodded. Twilight didn't know what to say at this point. She sighed a sigh of defeat. "This is shocking. All of you. The Ponies who I thought would stand by me when I needed them...giving up on me because they're blinded by anger"

"Blinded?" Rainbow Dash said. "Look around, Twilight. Look what Pinkie has done"

Twilight looked around the town, then her eyes widened, her jaws dropped and the warm, summer breeze turned into a chilly wind as if the sun wasn't even there. The Ponies around the town were arguing. Yelling. Screaming. Some of them were even fighting. "....They miss Pinkie"

"Exactly" Rarity said. "Pinkie's incompetence has led to everyone feeling depressed. Not just her"

Twilight couldn't believe it. Pinkie wasn't just hurting herself, she was hurting Ponies around her.

"She stays up, wailing in her room, while we suffer because of her" Rarity continued.

"No, no...that's not fair! You can't blame Pinkie for this! She's not responsible for everyone who lives here!"

"That may be true, but who else is to blame? Her aggression and anger is terrifying everyone!" Rainbow Dash added, stepping down from the chair to stand next to Rarity. "Even Fluttershy is scared of her! Aren't you?!"

The words hit Twilight like a slap to the face. Like a bucket of cold, icy water. Like a shot from a rifle. She was scared of Pinkie. No, not scared, she was terrified.

"I know Pinkie's in a dark place, but we can help her! You can't just turn your backs on her now!"

"What else are we supposed to do? ...We give up, Twilight. You should too" Rarity said

Twilight began panicking. There had to be something she could do to change their minds. "Pinkie wouldn't have wanted this if she were still happy! If this were Sweetie Belle you were talking about, would you help?"

"Sweetie Belle wouldn't ever attack somepony for no reason"

"Pinkie would want us to help...she would stand by us...she would never turn her back from someone who needed her....she would tell us to keep going-"

"-It would be something like that..."

All five heads spun around to see the pink mare standing behind Twilight. Her eyes narrowed. Her hoof bandaged. Her hair lifeless and limp. Seeing her out of the house was both terrifying and reassuring.

"Y-you...you're out" Twilight stuttered.

"I didn't notice" Pinkie said. "This shithole looks no different from my room"

"What did you do to your hoof?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Like you give a fuck" Pinkie replied. "I heard what you were saying"

"Good. I'm glad you did" Rarity said. "Now maybe you understand the flaw of your actions and maybe...now you'll......be more.........careful?"

Rarity opened her eyes to find Pinkie's face before her own. Her eyes narrowed like scissors and her teeth barely showing.

"...You should really learn to take your own advice before someone takes it the wrong way" She said.

"Now, Pinkie, there's no need for violence here"

"Why not?"

"It's uncouth"

"Does it actually look like I fucking care? Uncouth my shit-stained rump...I'd take pleasure in beating your ass. Fuck you and your 'uncouth'..."

Twilight's eyes widened. "Pinkie...calm down"

Pinkie's eyes didn't stray from Rarity's own, but she slowly backed off, allowing Rarity to stand up straight. She made a quick glance at Fluttershy, who immediately hid behind her cup, which didn't prove to be a good hiding place.

"All that bullshit about me causing the townsfolk to be sad. You actually believe that?"

Nobody answered.

"You think I'm responsible for everypony? That I'm only here to make them happy?"

Once again, nobody responded, but a few guilty looks were exchanged.

"These townsfolk. They're not mine to look after. They can deal with their own shit" She said.

"But, Pinkie...who else is gonna do it?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I don't give a fuck. Just not me. I come here every morning and do a little dance for these fucks...I make sure they're happy and kind to each other....and the second I'm fucking gone they decide that they want to be dickheads again"

"Pinkie, we-"

"NO!" Pinkie yelled, causing several heads to spin their way.

"I've spent all my life entertaining the residents of Ponyville and making sure there's a smile plastered across their faces and, in all the time I've been here I've only learned one thing..."

The many heads facing her way were distorted in shape when ears perked up all around her.

"...The residents of Ponyville don't care...."

Once again, the words hit Twilight hard, as if she was getting a beating. Pinkie exchanged looks between her friends, then turned and walked straight back to Sugarcube Corner, not caring how many eyes were on her as she did so. She slammed the door as hard as possible, causing it to echo down the street.

Twilight turned her attention back to the table. Rarity and Rainbow Dash had already taken off down the street and Applejack was sat staring blankly at her glass of cider. She let out sigh, sitting back down at the table across from Applejack and staring at the menu.

"...What're y'all gonna do now?"

"...There's nothing I can do....not anymore..."