Dreams & Nightmaresby TheUnknownPersonChaptersII: SadnessIII: HopeIV: DeterminationV: SurprisesVI: PlanningVII: The BattleVIII: FreedomIX: RelaxationX: DepressionXI: ReleaseXII: A Request...[Part I of II]XIII:... Answered[Part II of II]XIV: DecisionsXV: An OrderXVI: EndgameXVII: EpilogueI: PrologueII: SadnessAuthor's Note Ello once again. Before you read this, I have some bad news(or good news depending on who you ask) for you. I'm going to be unable to update this story from this Thursday to next Tuesday because of some things going on in my personal life that has no business being here. I'll try to squeeze another chapter before I leave, but I can't make any promises. With that said, I hope you enjoy this one. II: Sadness "Did it work?" Pinkamena slowly opened her eyes, looking downward to make sure nothing had happened to her lower extremities. Thankfully, everything was where it should have been. She raised her head, an innumerable amount of butterflies beginning to form in the pit of her stomach. With an anxious breath, she turned to look at her back. Her jaw dropped in disbelief. "It worked...?" She opened her right wing, then her left. A small smile crept onto Pinkamena's face. "It really worked!" Pinkamena called out as she turned to Pinkie and began to gallop to her. Tears of joy pooled in her eyes. "It did..." Pinkie began to pull her head back inside the cell, fearful of what Pinkamena would do to her. However, before she could, Pinkamena grabbed her head, pulling her in for a tight hug. "I can fly again!" she laughed jovially. "Uh... Pinkamena?" Pinkie question, sitting there with a confused frown. I never thought I'd see her like this... "I've got my wings back!" Pinkamena squeezed her firmly. "I'm really happy for you." Pinkie said. She was still confused, unfamiliar with what to do. "Could you let me go? I'm having a hard time breathing." "Oh, right." She quickly released her, turning away from her. "I need someone to watch me fly anyways." Pinkie's prison suddenly disappeared, causing her to fall snout first into the ground below. She groaned, lifting a hoof to rub her nose. "Coulda warned me." "Whatever, get comfortable. Oh, and just to make sure you don't go anywhere..." A ball and chain materialized around Pinkie's hoof. She tried to lift it, but the ball was too heavy. How much does this thing weigh?! "Okay... let's see if I can remember..." Pinkamena said as she tried to remember how to fly. It had been years since she had flown last; almost a decade. "I think I remember. Okay..." Pinkamena quietly said. Pinkie sat down behind her. Pinkamena extended her wings, before backing a few steps away. The excitement and tension in the air were palpable. "Here we go!" Pinkamena began to sprint towards a small hill in the grassland. She jumped once she reached the peak of the hill, gliding in the air. A smile spread across her face for a moment, before it quickly melted into a frown. She dropped to the ground and shook her head. "No. Please..." Pinkamena said, sounding almost disappointed. She took another sprint and opened her wings, causing her to rise again. Pinkamena flapped her wings before she passed through a cloud, getting pieces of the water vapor stuck in her mane. But, like last time, she dropped to the ground after a moment. She sighed sadly. "What's the matter?" Pinkie called to Pinkamena, who was only a few yards away now. "It doesn't feel the same..." Pinkamena said as she began to trot towards Pinkie, letting her head hang low, almost touching the ground. "Uh.. well... I-I am sorry." She stumbled over her words. Oh no... "I knew it was too good to be true." Pinkamena said sadly as she came within close proximity to Pinkie. The grassland began to become darker; the clear sky above filled with dark storm clouds and the green grass below became wilted. "Why does this always have to happen to me?!" Pinkamena said. Thunder rumbled in the background. "Pinkamena, calm down!" "You shut up! You have no idea what I've been through!" Pinkamena said, anger filling her voice. Pinkie swore she saw a bolt of lightning hit the tree behind them. "I saw what they did to you. You just need to accept-" "Shut up!" Pinkamena interrupted. Pinkie began to back away, fearful of what she'd do. The ball and chain kept holding her back. "How dare you tell me to accept it! As if I lost a small bit! I lost two wings! I'll be grounded for the rest of my life!" Pinkamena said as she angrily stomped towards Pinkie. Pinkie felt the ground rumble under her hooves. She tripped over the chain of the ball and chain as Pinkamena came ever closer to her. She reached down and grabbed her throat, holding her against the ground. "I have felt so much physical and emotional pain because of me losing my wings, and you have the audacity to tell me to accept it?!" Pinkamena said as she squeezed Pinkie's windpipe. Pinkie's heart raced as she began to feel her windpipe closed. "Pinkamena -ah- I'm sorry! I don't -uh- don't know what you've -ah- been through! You've -agh- been through so much pain, -ugh- I can't even imagine it!" Pinkie managed to squeeze out. PInkamena kept the tight grip on her throat. "..." "S-stop!" Pinkie said, nearly out of breath. Pinkamena slammed her head against the ground before she stood up, releasing her throat. Pinkie gasped and cough as she caught her breath. "Don't you dare tell me that again." "I-I won't..." Pinkie said as she rubbed her throat. She was surrounded by the same dark prison cell as before, in the same empty room. =================== Fluttershy sat up in her bed. Today was her last day in the hospital. The nurses and doctors had disconnected all the tubes and wires from her and they had even taken the device off of her wings. She was both excited and scared at the same time. Excited because she'd be able to see her animals again. Scared because she'd be vulnerable to Pinkie again. I should see if I can still move my wings. Fluttershy tried to open and close her wings. They were stiff and sore. "How do they feel?" "B-better. I'm probably not gonna be able to fly." She hated lying to Rarity, but she didn't want to worry her. "Wonderful." Rarity smiled. "Now, are you absolutely certain that you don't need me to stay over with you for a few days?" "No thank you." Fluttershy said as she carefully got up from the bed. "Do you need me to assist you?" Rarity asked as she trotted over to Fluttershy. "No... I-I can do it." Fluttershy said as she carefully trotted towards the door. Her hooves were slightly tense, but they didn't hurt as much as her previous attempt at trotting. "Are you sure, dear? You know I don't mind at all." Rarity said as she trotted beside Fluttershy, making sure she didn't collapse. "I'm okay, really." Fluttershy said. She didn't want to burden her friend. "Well, all right... but I'm still going to keep my eye on you." Rarity said as they trotted out into the hallway. Fluttershy's hooves became less tense as she trotted towards the front desk. I probably need to sign some papers so I can discharge. Fluttershy trotted up to the counter. "Um-- h-hello. M-may I leave now, please?" Fluttershy asked the nurse at the front desk timidly. "Okay... what's your name?" Fluttershy repeated her name to the nurse. "Okay... Fluttershy." -The nurse began to look through a small file cabinet under the desk- "Ah! Here we are. Yes, you can discharge. Hold on for a moment. I'll go get the papers and there's some medicine you'll need to take." The nurse said as she went back into the actual office that was behind the front desk. After a few minutes, she came back with the discharge paper and a pen in one hoof and a pill-bottle in the other. "Okay, sigh on the dotted line at the bottom, fill in the blanks in the paragraphs right there and there, and then bring the papers back here when you get finished. I'll give you the medicine when you come back with the papers." The nurse said as she handed Fluttershy the paper and the pen. "T-thank you..." Fluttershy said as she went over to a small waiting room. After a few minutes, she and Rarity returned with the discharge paper. "Here y-you go." Fluttershy said as she sat the paper down on the counter in front of the nurse. "Thank you." The nurse said as she looked over the paper. "That should do it. Okay, here's your medicine. You'll need to take it once a day after you have a meal. You're officially discharged. Have a great rest of the day." The nurse said as she put the discharge in a small file. Rarity magically grasped Fluttershy's medicine, holding it for her as they exited. ================== Pinkamena sat down on the wilted grass. She had been thoroughly disappointed. "I should have known..." She said as she began to pick out some of the grass. Pinkamena let out a sad sigh. She had been reminded of all those good memories, only to have her hopes of reliving them crushed. THUMP Pinkamena looked up at the prison cell. "Let me out!" Pinkie said as she tried bucking against the bars. "You aren't getting out Pinkie... I'm already angry, so please just leave me alone." THUMP "Pinkie... what did I just say?" THUMP Pinkamena let out an annoyed sigh as she got up and trotted towards the cell. "I said stop." Pinkamena said as she looked at Pinkie through the bars. "No!" Pinkie said as she bucked against the bars once more. "Pinkie... I'm trying to keep my cool. I honestly don't even want to deal with you right now, so, stop before you force my hoof." Pinkamena said. Pinkie seemed hesitant for a moment, but bucked at the bars once more. That was the last straw. "Pinkie!" Pinkamena said angrily. Pinkie stopped as Pinkamena opened up the cell. "Come here..." Pinkamena said as Pinkie exited the cell. Pinkie didn't move. Pinkamena got up and went over to Pinkie. A white straitjacket wrapped around Pinkie, restricting the movement in her fore-hooves and the ball and chain reappeared around her right hind-hoof. "What the-?" A muzzle covered her mouth, keeping her from finishing her sentence. "I think that this should be enough." Pinkamena said as she picked up Pinkie and flung her back into the cell. She trotted back to her prior spot again and sat down. "Finally... some peace and quiet." Pinkamena said. Unfortunately, that peace and quiet would be interrupted. ================ Pinkamena woke up to knocking on the guest bedroom door. "Pinkie, ya in here?" Cheese Sandwich called out from behind the door. Perfect. Now I have to deal with Pinkie two-point-o. "Yeah! I was just resting in here!" Pinkamena called out with fake enthusiasm. "Okay! Just checking! It's a bit late, by the way!" Cheese Sandwich called back. Hoofsteps could be heard heading away from the door. Pinkamena got up from the bed and stretched. She went over to the window and looked outside at Celestia's setting sun. "I'll be out in a few minutes!" Looks like I slept all day. Perfect. Another crappy addition to the pile of disappointment. Pinkamena's mane had deflated down while he had slept. She wiped her fore-hooves through her mane, making it as messy as Pinkie's usually was, before trotting out. ================= III: HopeAuthor's Note Ello once again. I'd actually like to ask you a favor. You see, I'm trying to become better at "show, don't tell" writing. I experimented with it a little bit in this chapter. I didn't use it all of the time, I just used it once. So, if I was terrible at it, it doesn't ruin the story for you. If you have any sort of tip that could help me write this better, please tell me with a comment. Also, this will probably be the last chapter I write before I leave. Hope you enjoy this chapter. III: Hope Pinkie sat in her small cell, struggling against the straitjacket. The fabric was surprisingly strong, though she expected nothing less from Pinkamena. If I could just get out of this jacket, I could find some way out! Pinkie tried to pull her hooves out of the sleeves, but it seemed the more she struggled, the tighter the jacket became. Come on! She can't keep me locked up forever! She began to struggle against the jacket with fervor, becoming more and more frustrated with every tug. Maybe I should try to get the muzzle off first. At least I'll be able to talk again. Pinkie shook her head, trying to shake off the muzzle. She felt the straps move up and down on her cheeks, rolling around the mounds of her mane. I could wiggle my way over to the bars and try to unstrap it that way. Pinkie began to try and wiggle her way towards the bars in a strange fashion. Unfortunately, moving without her fore-hooves was difficult, to say the least. She had barely moved with all the odd shifting and scraping against the ground. This is gonna take some time... ================ Pinkamena bit into the overly-sweetened muffin as she sat on the couch in Cheese Sandwich's living room. She forced down the sugary muffin, barely managing not to quiver, as Cheese sat down in front of her, biting down on his own muffin. "So... how did you sleep?" Cheese asked, covering his mouth with his left fore-hoof as to not spit food on her. At least he has some manners. "Great. I had a funny dream last ni- today." She forced a giggle. "Oooooo... what was it about?" Cheese asked. He leaned in towards her What would be Pinkie's usual response? "I dreamed that I was inside a huge cake and I had to eat my way out of it! Then, when I finally got outside, there was a huge party there with all my friends!" Pinkamena said, using as much enthusiasm as she could muster up. Yep. That sounds like something Pinkie would dream of. "Cool." "So, what's been up with you?" I'm probably going to regret asking that... "Actually, nothing. There hasn't been that many parties that I've held here besides the one the night before you came. I'd have to move into the downtown of the city, but it's way too dangerous down there." Cheese said, slightly saddened. Great. I'll be stuck with him all night. "That's awful." Pinkamena said disingenuously. "Yeah... but look on the bright side, we could always throw a party here!" Oh horseapples... this is going to be a long night. ================ Marble sat beside her mother for the longest time, just staring at her mother. She was so relieved that her mother wasn't in too much pain. "Are you okay, dear?" "Mhmm." "Good." Cloudy said. They remained quiet for a moment. "Mother, m-may I ask you a question?" "Of course, darling." "W-will everypony be all right after this?" Marble asked. Cloudy froze up. She remained quiet. Marble stared at her, confused. "Mother? Did I do something to upset you?" "I... no. It's just--" Marble waved off her mother, not allowing her to finish. She could clearly see her question was making her uncomfortable. Cloudy nodded, turning to Maud and staring at her. A few minutes of awkward, silent tension passed by. Knock Knock Knock "Hello, it's Nurse Redheart. May I come in?" "Yes. It's open." Cloudy said. Nurse Redheart entered, her light pink mane in a bun, tied behind her nurse cap. She had a blue bag hanging around her neck, bouncing with every step she took. "Sorry to interrupt. I just here to check in on you two." "I need to change out your IV bag. This may sting for a moment." Nurse Redheart said as she went over to Cloudy's IV stand and pulled off the only IV bag. She pulled the needle out of Cloudy's right fore-hoof, wrapping it around the bag and putting it in her bag. She pulled out another, identical bag with a clear liquid inside from the blue bag and hung it up, inserting the needle back into the same spot the previous one in. "Oh, thank you." "You're welcome." Nurse Redheart said as she walked over to Maud. Marble followed behind her, following her hooves as she pulled out a small bottle. "Don't worry. I'm only checking her sensory reactions to some tests and giving her some medicine so her wounds won't get infected. I won't hurt your sister, I promise." Nurse Redheart said. She opened the small bottle and poured some of the ivory liquid onto her fore-hooves. She proceeded to rub it into Maud's injured hooves, stomach, and chest. Marble nodded, still somewhat worried for Maud. "Can you grab that cloth sticking out of the bag for me? I'd do it myself, but I've got this stuff on my hooves." Nurse Redheart asked. Marble grabbed the cloth, giving it to her. "Thank you." Nurse Redheart wiped off her hooves. She put the cloth in her bag along with the bottle. Nurse Redheart pulled Maud's IV off of the rack, removing the needle from her left fore-hoof as she did before. She pulled out another, full one from her bag as she put the old one away and hung it up, inserting the needle back into her fore-hoof. "Maud? Can you hear me? Squeeze my hoof if you can." Nurse Redheart asked as she touched Maud's hoof with her own. Please wake up. Marble silently hoped. Nurse Redheart kept holding her hoof for a few moments before releasing it. She took out the pen-like object and opened up Maud's left eye. She tapped the bottom of the object with her hoof, causing a beam of light shot out of the end of it. She shined the light in Maud's eye. Her pupil just stared blankly at the light for a moment, before slightly moving away from the light. After a moment, she cut it off and closed Maud's eye. "Excuse me, but my I talk to you in private?" Nurse Redheart asked Cloudy as she approached her bed. "Of course. Marble, please step outside for a moment." Cloudy said. Marble nodded as she trotted out the door, shutting it behind her. Marble leaned against the door. I wonder why she'd need to shut the door... but I probably shouldn't peek in on their conversation. Marble tried to resist at first, but eventually, curiosity got the best of her and she put her ear again the door. She listened intently for the sound of anypony's voice. "-What is it that you wanted to talk about, Nurse?" "I have some good news and some bad news." Nurse Redheart said, her voice sounding somber. "Okay... is everything all right?" "The good news is that your daughter is showing some sensory reactions, which is good. That means that she'll most likely be out of here in a few weeks." "The bad news is that when her attacker cut into her hooves, she ripped through the muscle. She won't be able to trot correctly until it heals." "H... how long is it going to take?" "Honestly, I don't know. The attacker may have severed the muscle away from the nerve. If that's so, the muscle may never heal properly. But if it isn't, then it shouldn't take more than a month to two to heal fully and properly." "Oh... okay. T-thank you for bringing this to my attention." Cloudy said, her voice filled with remorse and sadness. Maud could never trot again?! Marble's heart skipped a beat. Quiet hoofsteps approached the door. She backed away from the door and waited for Nurse Redheart to come through. Nurse Redheart came out a few moments later with a saddened frown plastered across her face. "Hello. Thank you for being patient." Nurse Redheart said as she looked down at Marble, trying to smile as best she could. Marble half-smiled back as she entered the room. Cloudy sat in her bed, a frown across her already somber face. "Mother?" Marble said as she went over to the bed. "I'm fine, dear. Nothing to worry about." Cloudy forced an obviously fake smile. "I-I heard what's going on with Maud..." "You did?" Cloudy asked. Marble nodded in response. Cloudy sighed, wiping her eyes. "All we need to do it hope. Hope that it'll heal." "Mhmm" "Well, you should get back to your father before he wakes. Tell him I need to see him when he gets the chance" "Okay, mother. Goodbye." Marble said as she exited the room and started to head back to her father's room. "All we need to do is hope" Marble hoped that statement would be true in the end. ================ Five Hours Later Pinkamena tiredly sat down on the couch beside a passed out Cheese Sandwich. She had to party with him ever since she accidentally brought up the topic. That was the most annoying five hours of my life. Pinkamena stood up, trotting towards the stairs. She ripped off the goofy, white and red polka-dot party hat that Cheese had basically forced on her hours ago tearing the string that held it in place carelessly and threw it over to Cheese. Why does Pinkie love to do something so stupid? It's nothing but a bunch of jumping around and playing a bunch of dumb games for absolutely no reason. Pinkamena yawned as she looked at the clock in the middle of Cheese's living room. 2:30 AM I'm just glad he passed out now. Another hour of that and I'd have lost my mind. Pinkamena went into the guest bedroom and laid down in bed, tearing the covers from their place and pilling them atop of her, layer by layer. At least I have something to look forward to... ================ Pinkie scrapped her left-cheek against one of the bars, trying to unstrap the muzzle, even if it wasn't by a lot. She had been at it for probably hours now, and still hadn't even made a dent in it. Her cheek had become raw and red from all the friction, stinging and burning with every push or pull against it. Come on! Work! Pinkie, now frustrated, began to scrape against the bars with more force and fervor, but the stubborn strap wouldn't budge. She let out a growl of frustration before kicking the bars with her hind hooves. Maybe I should just give up... Pinkie let out a small sigh. I mean, if what she says is true, it was her body. Maybe I should just let it happen. Just let her take full control. Pinkie's hooves went limp. Perhaps there wasn't any chance of her getting away? I'll never throw another party again. Pinkie began to tear up as she thought of all of her friends. No more cupcakes. She tried to wipe away the tears on the ground. I'll never see my friends... my family... Gummy... I'll never see the Cakes again... Pinkie began rested her head on the ground for another moment. She rested there for a moment, defeated. No... Pinkie lifted up her head, sitting up, and began to scrape the buckle against the bar again. I can't just give up! I can't let her ruin my life just because her's was. I feel bad for her, but she doesn't have to take it out on me and the rest of Equestria! "Then I'll just keep you in here longer." Pinkamena approached the bars, an eager smile on her face. "You think you're escaping?" Pinkamena said as she looked down at Pinkie condescendingly. "You don't get it, do you? This is my imagination. Even if you do manage to escape somehow, I'll lock you up again more securely." I'll get outta here! I'll figure a way out! "Yeah. Just like you figured out a way to save your family and Fluttershy. Just accept it. You'll fade away just like I did." I will escape this place and take back control! "Sure you will..." Pinkamena said as she walked away from the bars. You aren't right! I will escape! ================ IV: DeterminationAuthor's Note Ok, I'm back. I apologize if this chapter isn't as well written. I'm still not back in the swing of writing everyday. I hope you enjoy it IV: Determination Pinkie rested her head against the bed for a moment. Her cheek throbbed against the hard mattress.. I'm gonna get out... I just need to figure another way. Her strands of her mane held in front of her face. She tried to shake it out, but it just caused more to fall. Is anything gonna go the way I want to today?! Not as long as I'm here. Will you leave me with my own thoughts?! You've already done enough to me! Fine. I'm just chiming in whenever I feel like it. Thank you! Pinkie took a few deep breaths and calmed herself. She began to look around her cell, trying to find anything that could cut the straight jacket or help her get the strap off. The cell was very basic; it had a row of what Pinkie guessed was metal bars blocking the entrance and exit, the walls were made up of some sort of concrete, the bed was almost fully made up of metal springs with a dirty mattress atop of the springs. The bars haven't worked, the walls wouldn't work. I could cut the strap off with one of the metal springs... Pinkie wiggled over to the bed. She used her jaw the mattress off of the bed and looked for a sharp spring that was close to her. C'mon... come... there! Pinkie spotted a spring was on the row closest to her. It had a bend in it that made the jagged tip of the spring point to the side. She leaned in towards it and began to move the right side of her head up and down beside the point, trying to cut off the muzzle. Snap Pinkie felt some of the tension on her right cheek release, however, the muzzle was still attached to her face. Suddenly, a jolt of pain. Pinkie jerked away from the bed with a masked grunt, causing her to fall back to the ground with a thud. Blood ran down the side of her face. Of course... She used her shoulder to wipe it away as she stood herself up, leaning back towards the bed. Ssssssnap Pinkie felt the pressure of the muzzle around her mouth disappear. "Yes! Ha, hear that, Pinkamena?! I got out of the muzzle!" Pinkie called out, finally victorious over the muzzle. Pinkamena wasn't in sight, nor could be heard anyplace near the cell. "Now I've just gotta work on the straitjacket..." "I could probably cut it with the same spring." Pinkie said as she examined her view of the straitjacket, trying to find the best place where to cut. "I probably need to cut at the hoof so I can rip it away with my hoof when I get enough leeway." Pinkie affirmed to herself. She leaned down and used her teeth to hold the straight jacket as she cut through the jacket. As soon as the spring pulled out of the cut, the cut began to sew itself back together. "What the...?" Pinkie said as she looked down at the jacket, thoroughly confused. "Oh... you're messing with me, aren't you Pinkamena? It isn't funny." Pinkie called out. But it is very funny to see you look around like a school-filly who has just been given a hard math test. Besides, I thought somepony like you would find anything funny. "What do you mean by, 'somepony like me'?" Oh, nothing. Just that I thought somepony as dumb as you would find anything funny. "Hey! I don't find everything funny!" Pinkie said defensively. Oh really? "Just because I can see the fun in a lot of things doesn't mean I'm dumb! " Pinkie said, assured of herself. Pinkamena laughed. I think it does... "Grrr..." Seems like you're annoyed, hm? "Just stay on track, Pinkie... you'll cut out of this jacket and get out of here. She's just trying to distract you." Pinkie reassured herself and tried to ignore Pinkamena. You have so much false hope it's sad. Pinkie ignored Pinkamena's comment once more and continued to cut down the jacket, making a small one below her left fore-hoof. Suddenly, the cement blocks around her became translucent. There was a dark pink blurry object moving behind the now-translucent walls. "I'm going to toy with you a bit more..." Pinkie sighed as Pinkamena began to circle around the cell like a predator hunting its prey, thoroughly tired with her mind games. "You think that's gonna stop me from getting out of here?" Pinkie said as she continued to try and cut the straight jacket. The moving object changed from being dark pink to being a familiar shade of buttercup yellow. "Why did you do this to me, Pinkie?" "No--" Pinkie stopped dead in her tracks. "Y-you're not her. Stay on track." Pinkie began cutting at it again, making the cut wider. "I'm so hurt... so lonely. I'll never s-see my animals again..." The voice sounded like it was on the verge of tears. "It's not real..." Pinkie tried to ignore Fluttershy's pitiful voice, but the sound of her voice in pain and sadness was almost too much for her to bear. Tears pooled in her eyes as she heard her dear friend whimper. "S-stay on track..." She told herself again, trying to focus on cutting the straitjacket. "I-I'm in so much pain..." "Stop Pinkamena!" She called out as she shut her eyes tightly, tears now streaming out of her eyes. The object continued to circle around the cell, slightly limping. "I feel so-so betrayed by you... w-why did you do this to me, Pinkie?" The voice said. Suddenly, the translucent walls became transparent for a moment; revealing Fluttershy's bloody and cut body right in front of Pinkie. Pinkie leaned back, hitting the back of her head against the wall behind her. "Stop it! It wasn't me, Fluttershy! I'm sorry!" Pinkie stood up as quickly as she could, rushing over to the wall in front of her. The second she reached it, the walls became opaque once again. "Stop this, Pinkamena! I'm tired of these games!" Pinkie called out. "I'm not gonna let her win..." Pinkie said, still determined to get out of the cell. Her eyelids hung heavily, for whatever reason. Perhaps from Pinkamena, or her own emotional exhaustion? I can't let her get to me... I won't allow her to distract me. =============== Fluttershy woke up in her newly cleaned bed, her pink mane in a pile across her face. After a moment or two of waking, she saw by the cub and Angel Bunny sitting at the end of her bed, looking at her. Apparently, they had been sitting there, worried about her. The previous night was a bit fuzzy. Mainly because of the painkillers they had given her. "Hello... I'm so glad to be back with you all." Fluttershy said as she petted the animals one-by-one. The cub accepted and returned the affection. Angel crossed his arms and pretended not to care, but he couldn't help but crack a small smile when she petting him lovingly. "Excuse me..." Fluttershy quietly said as she leaned up and scooted off the bed. Her hooves were still a bit sore, but they didn't hurt half as much as when she first arrived at the hospital. She trotted into the living room and looked at the clock hanging over her couch. 9:30 A.M "Oh my... I slept in. I've got to fix the animals from breakfast." Fluttershy said as she trotted towards the kitchen. The carrot stew and blood had been cleaned since she had last been there, more likely than not by Twilight or the other Elements. The area brought on a few bad memories, which she tried to push out of her mind. She trotted over to her refrigerator and opened it's doors. "Let's see..." Fluttershy said as she pulled out all sorts of different fruits and vegetables. She pulled out a large carrot and turned to Angel, who was now hopping, trying to grab the carrot. "Okay..."-Fluttershy grabbed one of the carrots out of the refrigerator, broke it in half, and gave one of the halves to Angel-"there you go dear." Fluttershy said. Angel quickly snatched it out of her hooves and hopped off. Fluttershy turned back to the refrigerator and began to look again. She grabbed two apples from the bottom shelf, sat one of them in front of the birds, and sat the other in front of the cub. "There you go. That should hold you over until I finish the actual breakfast." Fluttershy said as she shut the refrigerator door. She trotted over to her back door. "Okay... now, I've just got to feed the rest..." Fluttershy took a look outside of the window, the sunlight nearly blinding her at first. When her vision cleared, she saw a crowd of animals, pooled at the outskirts of the Everfree Forest. =============== Pinkie scraped the straitjacket against the broken spring, trying to brush off the horrid memories she had relived. She pushed down into the hole she had made previously beside her left fore-hoof, scratching her. She moved her hooves from side to side rapidly, trying to widen the cut, stopping after a moment to look. The cut hadn't widened at all. Pinkie groaned as she rested her hooves against the springs. Her head hung in exhaustion. "Tired, are we?" "Shut up..." Pinkie said. Her patience had run thin, especially after what she had just done. "I'll take that as a yes. Hm... didn't expect that." Pinkamena said in mocking tone. "What do you mean?" "I thought you would've worked yourself a bit harder to see your friends again. I'm actually surprised." "Wha-" Pinkie became confused for a moment. Then, she remembered what Pinkamena said. "If I can regain control of you and keep control of you for a certain amount of time, let's say a few days to a week, you'll fall into a deep sleep like I did." "N-no! I'm n-not!" Pinkie called out as she shook her head, trying wake herself up. "Oh yes, dear. I expect you won't make it another day." "I'll g-get outta here!" Pinkie said as she moved her hooves feverishly, trying to cut the jacket. "Sure you will dear. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go do my own things." Pinkamena said as she moved out of sight. Pinkie didn't bother to try to listen to Pinkamena's comment. She had to see her friends again. If not only to make sure Pinkamena didn't hurt another one of them ever again. She's lying! I will get outta here before I fade away! =============== Fluttershy wiped her brow as she put four bowls down onto the counter. They all were filled with different fruits and nuts. "Whew... now I just need to set them out for the rest of the animals." Thump Fluttershy jumped as she heard the sound. "Fluttershy..." "N-no..." Fluttershy quietly said as she began to quiver in fear. Was that... "Where are you?" Fluttershy ducked under the counter and covered her head with her hooves. "Come out, dear. I'm not going to hurt you." Fluttershy looked around for a moment but still didn't get up. "R-Rarity?" Fluttershy called out quietly. "It's me, dear. You don't need to be frightened, my darling." Fluttershy was hesitant, but she got up from under the counter and peeked over the counter and saw a white pony, her purple hair curled at the ends. "Oh, there you are dear. I was beginning to get worried." Rarity said as she looked at her cowering friend. "S-sorry..." Fluttershy said as she fully arose from under the counter, her face flushed out of embarrassment. "Oh, it's quite all right darling! I was actually coming over here to offer you something." "Okay. What?" "Would you like to come to the spa with me today? I know it isn't very ideal for your first day out of the hospital, but I figured that you've been under a lot of stress over the past few days, so I thought that it may do you some good if you and I might do that. If you don't completely comfortable going yet, it's perfectly fine." "Oh... w-well, I don't know... I need t-to take care of my animals first." "Well, it's up to you, dear. Don't come on my accord." "I-I guess I could come with you after I feed the animals." "Oh, marvelous! Let me help you with it." "No... I-I can get it." Fluttershy said as she picked up one of the bowls, holding it in her mouth by the edge. She tried to grab another with her left wing, but a painful twitch went throughout her wings, causing her to immediately fold them. "Are you sure? I don't mind at all." Rarity said. Fluttershy tried to grab the second one again, trying with her right one, but the received the same response from her wings. "O-okay... I guess y-you could help." Fluttershy said as she grabbed a second bowl and balanced it on the top her head. She began to slowly trot outside, waiting for Rarity to answer. "Okay, dear. I'll just grab these two..." Rarity said. She magically held the bowls beside her as she followed beside Fluttershy. Fluttershy felt a bit more optimistic seeing her friend. She looked over at Rarity and began to feel a bit determined as she sat one of the bowls one the grass in front of the treeline. I... I think I might be able to tell her about Pinkie after we get done with the spa... =============== V: SurprisesAuthor's Note Hello once again. I think everything's business as usual for the moment. Well, I hope you enjoy this. That is all V: Surprises Pinkamena slowly sat up in her bed, her hair deflated and tangled at her right side. She yawned as she stretched out her hooves before dragging herself out of the bed. Sunlight pierced through the window, momentarily blinding her. Once she regained her vision, she looked outside the window, seeing a mother bird preening some if her fledglings. Pinkamena stared at them, seeing the fledgling happily gliding around as soon as their mother was finished with them. Reminds me of the old days. The birds continued to fly as the mother watched from the window-sill. Pinkamena opened the window somehow managing not scare the birds off. One of the fledglings landed in front of her and looked at her curiously. "If I could trade places with you for a minute, I would do it." Pinkamena said. She knew the bird couldn't actually understand her, but it comforted her. The bird began to flap her wings in front of Pinkamena, much to her dismay. She lightly swatted at the bird, knocking it onto it's side. Ugh... Why'd I do that? Pinkamena quickly corrected her mistake, helping the bird to stand. It scurried behind it's mother. She sighed as ran her hoof through her hair. May as well go downstairs... I can't avoid Cheese Sandwich forever. =============== Pinkie looked down at the spring. Pinkamena had left her here alone, with nothing to stimulate her besides the bed spring. Her eyelids hung heavy, but she wasn't about to give up. She worked the spring feverishly, desperate to cut the jacket as soon as she could. "I gotta... gotta get outta here..." Pinkie's left fore-hoof fell for a moment, cutting herself. Even the pain barely kept her from passing out from exhaustion. "Come on... I don't have much time." Pinkie said. She looked down at the spring, filled with anger and frustration. She pulled against the spring, trying widen the hole. Unfortunately, the fabric holding the spring ripped, sending her forehooves into her snout. She fell back, landing onto some sort of fabric. After a moment, she kicked the bed springs out of frustration. At least I landed someplace comfortable. Pinkie rubbed her back into whatever she was laying on. She sat there for a moment, stalling as her heavy eyelids closed for a moment. So comfortable... Pinkie rested her head on her right cheek. The fabric was so comfortable, she almost could-- "No!" Pinkie forced her eyes open, pushing herself off the fabric, and saw that it was the mattress she had pushed off hours ago. She kicked it away as she leaned over the bed springs, working the spring again. "Snap out of it, Pinkie! You n-need to get out of here!" Come on! Just come on! I don't have enough time! Pinkie began to pull against the spring with more force. She groaned in frustration, only ripping a few stitches in the straitjacket. Wait a moment... I think I've been doing this all wrong! If I just stab into and pull it upwards, it might rip it!. Pinkie began to push down onto the spring. Soon after, she felt the pressure of the spring against her hoof. "I swear... when I get outta here, PInkamena's gonna get it." Pinkie said angrily. The very thoughts of what Pinkamena had done made her angry. Even more reason to get out of this cell. Rippp Pinkie heard the sound of the straight jacket's fabric ripping and the pain of the spring entering her hoof. "Yes..." Pinkie said quietly, seeing that her plan had worked. She began to try and pull the spring away from the small hole she had just created, but a bolt of pain caused her to jerk back to it's prior position. "Horseapples." Pinkie cursed under her breath. Looks like I'm gonna have to pull it out of the wound unless I wanna mess up my hoof. Pinkie began to slowly bring her hooves up, being careful not to injure her hoof further. She felt the rigid spring retract away from her flesh. Every movement hurt, but she didn't allow her hooves to wince or jerk away. I just need to make sure that I don't pull it out too far... Pinkie couldn't really tell where the flesh ended and where the spring would exit. She went slowly, being careful to make sure she didn't accidentally pull it out of the jacket. Suddenly, she felt the jacket shake and immediately stopped. "Is it okay to move?" Pinkie asked herself as she hesitantly moved her hooves. There was no pain. Pinkie began to move with more force, thankfully with no pain in her hoof. "Thank you, Celestia..." She said as she began to pull against the spring less hesitantly. After another moment, she heard more of the fabric rip. For the first time all day, she felt the cool outside air touch her coat. "Hopefully this is a sign that things are going to become better." =============== Marble woke up in an empty hospital bedroom. Neither Limestone nor Igneous Pie were in sight. The bed sheet was still messy and unmade. They can't have been gone that long. Father's bed is still messy. Maybe they went to see mother and Maud? Marble trotted outside and began to trot to her mother's room. She looked over her surroundings, looking at the pale-lime and and light-blue lines intersecting on the walls beside her. After a few minutes, she found her mother's hospital bedroom. But for some reason, the door was closed. Limestone was sitting on the floor beside the door with a worried look on her face. Marble trotted over to her. Marble trotted up beside her, waving as before she sat down beside her "Hey." "Where's father?" "He's in there with mother. No idea what they're talking about." "Mhmm." Marble sat quietly, waiting patiently for her father to step out. Her sister, however, was becoming inpatient. "They've been in there for an hour now... I might peek in and see what they're talking about." Limestone said, standing. She reached for the door, only for Marble to grab her right fore-hoof. "D-don't." "We can know. We're not foals anymore." Limestone said, shaking off her sister's hoof as she quietly opened the door. Marble nervously bounced her hind-hooves against the ground as Limestone peaked inside, putting her ear to the door. After a moment, she quietly shut the door. "They're talking about Pinkie." Limestone said. Marble froze up, remembering what she had saw at the farm. There's no way Pinkie did this... she wouldn't do this to us. Mom, dad, and Maud haven't done anything to her. Marble tried to think of another pony that might do this to her family. Pinkie was not a possibility. The farm's pretty isolated besides the train station to Ponyville a few yards away from the house. Mother and father don't let us go out that often unless it was with Maud. Did she make somepony angry? She put her one fore-hooves to her chin as she went deeper into the possibilities of who might do this and why. Maybe... maybe Pinkie actually did it. "Marble?" Marble shook her head as she put her hoof back down on the ground and looked over at her sister. Her face flushed as she realized she had just completely blanked out with her sister standing in front of her. "S-sorry. I--" "I don't know!" Marble jumped at the noise. Limestone looked back at the door, surprised by their mother's scream. She slowly trotted over to the door. Limestone slightly cracked the door, looking inside. "I-I'm sorry..." "It's all right darling. We've brought this upon ourselves." Igneous said somberly. What are they talking about? "Really weird..." Limestone quietly noted. "We never should have done it to her..." Cloudy said in a mournful tone. To who? Pinkie? "What's done is done. But what are we going to do now?" "What the hay're they talking about? Do you know?" Limestone whispered, looking to her sister. Marble shook her head. "We just need to wait for Maud... then we can go back to normal life." "Yes... how are you taking this?" "It's tough. I-I'm afraid she'll never wake up." Cloudy's voice was trembling out of fear and sadness. "I know it is darling, but we mustn't think like that." "I suppose you're right... may I see Limestone?" "Of course, my darling." Igneous said as hoofsteps could be heard approaching. Limestone quickly rushed beside Marble, sitting down as Igneous opened the door. "Limestone- oh. Hello Marble." Marble nodded in acknowledgement. "Would you two want to see your mother and sister?" "Yes! Uh- I mean, yes sir." "Mmhm." "Good. You two follow me." Igneous said as he trotted back into the room. I wonder if I could ask them about what they were talking about. Marble trotted in behind Igneous and Limestone. Limestone quickly rushed up to Cloudy, wrapping her in a hug. "How are you, mother?" Limestone asked as she released her mother. "I'm fine. How are you, dear?" "I'm all right. Just a little worried about you two." Marble trailed away from their conversation as she looked up at her father, and saw a worried expression on his face. "What's wrong, father?" Marble asked. He didn't answer. "Father?" She asked once more, and got the same reply of silence. What is he... Marble realized something. He was staring at Maud. "O-oh, sorry." She quietly said. Not another word slipped through her lips as she allowed Limestone and Cloudy's conversation fill the room. =============== Pinkie continued to try and cut the jacket, making more progress with each pull and push. She felt optimistic for the first time in weeks. "Thank you, Celestia." Pinkie said, thankful that things were finally going her way for once. Creakkk Pinkie didn't feel the spring pushing against the jacket anymore. She glanced down, looking for what had happened "What?" Pinkie said as confusingly looked down at the spring. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she her eyes met with the spring. It was bent downwards, in between other springs. There was no way for her to cut with it. "No!" Pinkie said as she moved over to the spring and tried to straighten it out with the hole in her jacket. "Nonononononono!" She exclaimed in disbelief. I can't have gotten this far for nothing! "M-maybe I could use my teeth?! Yeah! T-that should work!" Pinkie said as she reached down and grabbed the spring with her teeth, ignoring the other springs pressing against her face uncomfortably. She had to get out. Crrrac-brrriinngg The spring broke off in her mouth. "No!" She said as she spit out the piece. "There's gotta be something else I can cut out of her with!" Pinkie said as she looked over the rest of the bed-springs. Some of them were sharp, but they were too far away from Pinkie. "No..." Pinkie's head hung against the spring. She was too exhausted to hold it up. =============== Marble and Igneous sat outside, giving Cloudy and Limestone some time to talk. They sat in silent tension as they watched many patience and doctors passed by them, not saying a single word to them. "How do you feel, my filly?" Igneous asked her, trying to break the uncomfortable silence. "A-all right, father." "Good." Igneous said. The uncomfortable silence returned after the words left his mouth. This is my chance to ask him... "Father, what happened to Pinkie?" Marble asked. Igneous' eyes widened for a moment, but he recomposed after a moment. "Nothing, dear." Igneous said. The emotions in his voice was hard to decipher. Marble was having a hard time trying to figure out if he was angry or not. "W-we heard what y-you were saying." Marble said. Igneous looked down at her. "You were listening to us?" Igneous asked. Marble nervously nodded. "Dear... I can't tell you. Your mother or I will tell you when you're older." "Why?" "I just can't." Igneous said harshly. Marble, surprised by the sudden outburst from her father, moved a few inches away from Igneous and looked down at the ground. After a moment, Igneous sighed. "I'm sorry. We're just under a lot of stress right now... but I still cannot tell you." "Okay" What did they do to her that was so bad that they couldn't tell Limestone or me? Marble pondered. =============== Pinkie laid down on the cold, hard floor, heartbroken. She had lost all hope. There'd be no way to get out of the straitjacket without something sharp, and the only thing close enough to her was the spring she had just broken. "I'm never gonna see my friends again... my family..." A tear rolled down Pinkie's right cheek. She kicked the bed springs out of anger "Why does she have to ruin my life?!" Pinkie said angrily. Pinkie looked over to the mattress, which still tempted her. "I might as well. Not like I'm gonna get outta here." Pinkie said as she moved over and put her head on the mattress. The unfamiliar situation actually reminded her of sleeping in her bed at Sugarcube Corner(the jacket being her blanket and the mattress being her pillow). It was surprisingly comfortable. She rubbed her snout into the fabric, almost giggling as it tickled her snout. She rested her head against the side of the mattress. Pinkie released a breath as she pulled her hind-hooves onto the bed. "I just wish I could have gotten this jacket off..." Pinkie quietly said as she slowly closed her eyes close. Poof Pinkie's eyes jolted open as she heard the noise. She wiped her eyes away with her left fore-hoof. "What was tha-?" Pinkie looked down at the hoof she had just used to wipe her eyes. She trailed down the hoof and saw that there was no longer a straight jacket enveloping her. "Yes! I'm out! But how?!" =============== VI: PlanningPinkie still in a state of disbelief. She was so confused. That was certainly a nice wake-up call "How?!" Pinkie ran her hooves over her ribs, making sure she wasn't fooling herself. Can I control the dream too? "Uh... I wish I had a cupcake." Pinkie asked as she hesitantly held out her hooves. Poof A cupcake appeared above her and it fell into her hooves. Pinkie began to smile as she licked a bit of the frosting off the top of it. "Could this prison disappear?" Pinkie asked again. The prison around her disappeared and she was greeted with a grassland. Pinkie giggled. "Yes!" Pinkie cried out as she jumped out of joy. She laughed as she ran around the grassland, seeing that there was no prisons or Pinkamena in site. After a moment, Pinkie sat down on the grass. Since I'm out of that cell, I can start to plan what I can do to take control now. "But Pinkamena is too much for me right now. I need to figure out a way to beat her..." Pinkie said as, putting her right fore-hoof to her chin as she tried to think of a plan. A piece of paper on a clipboard and a pencil appeared in front of her and landed on the ground in front of her. "She hates partying... but I doubt that it'll stop her long enough for me to regain control." Pinkie said as she shot down the idea. "Maybe I could trap her like she did to me..." Pinkie said as she wrote the idea down on the paper. "No. She has control over the dream as well. She'd just get herself out." Pinkie said as she crossed out the idea. "What about her wings... that's certainly a sensitive spot for her." Pinkie asked herself as she wrote the idea down on the paper. "It's a good idea, but it's a low blow." Pinkie said. She went to cross it out, but stopped once the tip hit the paper. "Why should I care? She's done nothing but been mean to me ever since she came back." Pinkie told herself, trying to reassure herself that it'd be a good idea. However, she still was doubtful of doing it. "I-I could do that one, but let's just think of another one. Just in case..." Pinkie said. She listed the idea under the "Last Resort" on the other side of the paper. "Maybe I could make a clone and put it in the prison for my replacement. So she thinks that it's just me and I could hide somewhere else or make myself invisible." Pinkie said, writing down the idea. She nodded and put a small check mark beside the idea. "Yeah... I could even make the clone asleep so she won't be expecting me." Pinkie said. She put a small note on the idea saying to make sure the clone is asleep. ============ Fluttershy and Rarity walked outside of the spa. "Thank you again!" Rarity called out to Lotus Blossom and Aloe as they exited. "Y-yeah..." Fluttershy said, but not as loudly as Rarity. "So dear, did you enjoy the spa?" Rarity asked, now focusing her attention on Fluttershy. "Yes. I feel better now. T-thank you." Fluttershy said. She wasn't completely truthful. I'm still nervous. "Oh, you're welcome dear. Would you like to join me back at the Carousel Boutique for a cup of tea?" "Uh... sure." Fluttershy said as they approached the seamstress' shop. "Oh, marvelous." Rarity said as she and Fluttershy approached the entrance. Rarity opened the door and motioned for Fluttershy to enter. "Oh... t-thank you." Fluttershy said as she entered. Rarity followed behind, shutting the door behind herself. "Any specific kind of tea you'd like darling?" "Chamomile please." "All right, dear. I'll be out a few moments." Rarity said, entering her kitchen. After a few moments, she returned from the kitchen, magically holding the two cups of tea and a small pot in the air beside her. "Okay, darling. Here it is." The cups of tea sat beside other, and the pot of tea went to the middle of the table. Rarity sat down beside Fluttershy, smiling at her as she sat and lifted her cup to her mouth, taking a sip. "Thank you." Fluttershy said as she picked up the cup in front of her and took a small sip from it, tasting the warm, relaxing tea. For a few minutes, they just sat beside each other, sipping tea from their cups. Come on... I need to do this. There's no backing out of it. I have to do this. Fluttershy took in and let out a deep sigh, trying to relax before speaking again. "Uh... Rarity, c-can I tell you something?" Fluttershy asked anxiously. "Of course, dear." Rarity said, smiling at her. Fluttershy took in another deep sigh. She was still very nervous. "I-I think I'm ready to t-tell you who h-hurt me." Fluttershy said. Rarity's eyes slightly widened and she sat the cup on the coffee table. "Okay, dear. I'm here for you." "Okay." Fluttershy said as tears stung her eyes, recalling the memory of that night. "I-it w-was..." Fluttershy took another sip of the tea, which seemed to have no effect on her nerves at the moment. "It's all right dear." Rarity said as she got up and put a hoof on Fluttershy's right shoulder, giving her a comforting smile. "Go at your own pace, darling." "It w-was Pin-" Fluttershy could barely speak. She knew Pinkie'd be in trouble, but she had to do it. Come on... you have to do this. For your sake and everypony else's "It was P-Pinkie!" Fluttershy quickly muttered before covering her mouth, tears rolling down her face. The color drained from Rarity's face. "W-who?" "Pinkie..." Fluttershy said, uncovering her mouth as she allowed her head to hang. "Oh my... dear Celestia." Rarity collapsed onto the couch, sitting beside Fluttershy. She picked up her cup and drank the remaining contents of the cup in one big gulp, some of the tea dripping onto her face. "H-have you told anypony this beside's me?" "N-no." Fluttershy said as she momentarily glanced up. "Do you want to tell anypony besides me?" "I-I'd like to tell the rest of the Elements, but I-I don't know if I'll be able to." Fluttershy said as her face returned to its prior spot. "I could tell them. I'll go fetch Twilight and the others right now i-if you'd like me to do so." "I-I don't know... I guess so." "Okay dear, I'll be back in a moment." Rarity said. She trotted into the kitchen, wiped the tea off of her face with a paper towel, and hastily went outside. Fluttershy let out a sigh as the front door shut. I did it... now for the rest of them. ============ Pinkamena walked outside and sat down. Thankfully, Cheese Sandwich wasn't home. Maybe that's why things were so peaceful. "Pinkie's been quiet... she usually would've said something by now." Pinkamena quietly said to herself as she felt the hot, humid Las Pegasus touch her coat. "Maybe she's finally gone." Pinkamena said with a small smirk. Pinkie? There was no answer. Pinkamena manically giggled as she heard no response from Pinkie. "It seems like I've finally won. Oh well. I'm actually going to miss toying with her." ============ Fluttershy patiently waited for Rarity to return. She has had some time to calm down since she had told Rarity. It felt like a weight had been lifted up from her shoulders. I should set up some tea for them. Fluttershy picked up the teapot and filled Rarity's and her own cup. She set the pot down and went into the kitchen. After a moment, she returned with three cups. She sat them down on the coffee table, in a row at the opposite side of the table, and filled them individually and sat back down on the couch in front of her own cup. "I don't intend to be rude, but you all must hurry! This is very important!" "Okay! We're coming!" "Why did ya drag us here? What's goin' on?" "I'll explain in a moment! But right now, we must get inside. "Okay, Rarity! What is wr-" Twilight, Rarity, and Applejack enter the Carousel Boutique "-uh... hello Fluttershy. What's the matter?" Twilight said, changing her tone of voice from confused to concerned. "Sorry, Fluttershy. I couldn't find Rainbow Dash." "I-it's all right. Thank you." "Um... what wrong? Did somethin' happen?" "Okay, Fluttershy. Tell them when you're ready. We'll be here for you." Rarity said as she trotted over to the couch and sat down beside Fluttershy. "I want to tell you both who h-hurt me." ============ "And... there. I think I've got my plan." Pinkie looked over the clipboard of different ideas. Most of them were crossed out, but after hours of brainstorming, she finally figured out the fill plan. "Okay... let me go over this..." Pinkie said to herself as she began to read over the list. ♦Plan to Take Back Control♦ Make a clone √ (Note to self: Make sure that clone is sleeping and has a straight jacket on by the time Pinkamena comes back) ~~Throw a party to annoy her~~ Make a lot of small yet powerful party cannons √ (Another Note to Self: Make lots of confetti.) Hide somewhere when Pinkamena returns(or make myself invisible. Either one will do) √ ~~Trap her in something(possibly a giant cake so it'll take her longer)~~ Recreate the cell and put the sleeping clone inside √ ♦Last Resort(s)♦ Talk about Pinkamena's wings ~ Take her through the memories of her dream ~ "I think that this is good. I'm still a bit iffy about the last resorts though." Pinkie said to herself as she let out a little yawn. "Might as well start... Pinkamena will probably be back here soon." Pinkie said as she began to create the things on her list. ============ A Few Moments Later "What?!" Twilight called out as the news of who had hurt Fluttershy hit her eardrums. Applejack reminded silent and looked disappointed, staring away from Fluttershy. "I-it was her." Fluttershy said as a few tears escaped her eyes. "I- what- why?!" Twilight stumbled over her words before letting out a sigh. "I-I don't understand..." "Did Pinkie say anything to ya that might tell us why?" Applejack asked, her voice very serious. She turned back to her "No..." "Ugh... so that's why she left." "W-why would she do this?" Fluttershy said as a few more tears left her eyes. Rarity rubbed her shoulder in an effort to comfort her. "I honestly couldn't tell ya, sugarcube. She can't stay out of Ponyville forever. We can find out why that way." "But nopony is to hurt her. We need to find out what the hay is going on. There's no way Pinkie'd do this of her own will. "Ya. Pinkie's not the type'a pony ta do that too... anypony, really." Rarity sipped from her cup. "Perhaps we could find her?" "We could... but where the hay would we start? Isn't like she'd go back to her family's farm after what happened." "B-but what if she comes back on her own? W-what could she do to us?!" "Don't worry dear. We'll be fine." Rarity said, trying to reassure her friend. "Sugarcube, we're gonna be here for ya." Applejack said. Twilight nodded in agreement. "Thank you. A-all of you. Now I just need to tell Rainbow Dash..." "Uh, sugarcube? I don't think that she's gonna take it very well." "I know..." Fluttershy quietly said, silently dreading telling her. ============ Pinkie wiped soda off of her mouth and looked at her work. She had successfully created three party cannons, six barrels of loadable confetti for the cannons, a cell that was almost identical to the one she was previously trapped in, a sleeping clone with a straight jacket in said cell, and a small cupcake(for her own personal needs). "Whew... now everything's ready. I just need to make myself invisible when she returns and then that'll be everything off my checklist." Pinkie said as she picked up the cupcake and licked a bit of icing off of the top of it. ============ "I had so much fun at that party! You should've been there! Even DJ PON-3 was there!" Cheese Sandwich said as he ate an apple. "Cool..." Pinkamena said, trying to mask the reluctance in her voice. I knew the peace and quiet couldn't last forever... oh well. Maybe he'll be my next target. Pinkamena trotted into the kitchen and grabbed a small apple from a small basket in Cheese's kitchen. She took a small bite out of it and looked up at the clock. 8:30 P.M Hopefully I could probably get away with going to bed now. Even if I don't actually go to sleep, it'll be better than hanging out with Cheese. "Hey Cheese, I'm gonna go ahead and go to bed. I don't know about you, but I'm tired!" PInkamena said, trying to sound like Pinkie. She began to trot towards the staircase. "I'm probably not far behind ya. Well, goodnight." Cheese said as she trotted up the stairs. "Goodnight, Cheese." Pinkamena said as she reached the top of the staircase and entered the guest bedroom. She shut the door behind her and fell into the bed. I can't wait to see Pinkie for myself. ============ VII: The BattleAuthor's Note Hello. I've worked day and night to get this out. Hope you enjoy it. VII: The Battle Pinkamena entered the dream-state. She glanced over at the cell, seeing a pink hoof sticking out of the door, motionless. "Pinkie! I'm back." Pinkamena called out as she trotted towards the cell. She pushed Pinkie's left hind-hoof inside before she opened the cell door. Pinkie's tangled mane covered the majority of her face, only leaving her snout and her closed right eye visible. Her left fore-hoof slightly poked out of the hole in her straitjacket, but the hole was too small for it to fit through. The had been unstrapped at one side of her face, resting beside her. Her hind-hooves were propped up against the bed spring "Pinkie?" Pinkamena said as she stepped into the cell and kicked the pony in the ribs. Pinkie didn't respond or even flinch. She kicked her again, this time in the head, and much harder. "I knew you couldn't last too much longer. Surprised you got out of that muzzle at all." Pinkamena said with a large smirk. "Or so you thought" Slam Pinkamena, upon hearing the familiar voice and the slam, looked back. Pinkie had locked her inside the cell. "Pinkie, how did you get out?!" Pinkamena said as she rushed towards the bars. She pulled against the bars, but they wouldn't budge. "Well, if you what you say is true, it may be your body, but it's my mind as well!" "You have no idea what you're doing to yourself!" "It'd be better than being trapped in a cell with you!" "That's it!" Pinkamena said. The bars blasted off of there hinges. Pinkie ducked to the ground, narrowly missing the bars. Pinkamena stood in front of Pinkie, a knife now held in between her teeth. "If you won't fade, then I'll force you to!" Pinkamena said as she spat out the knife before picking it up with her right fore-hoof. She approached Pinkie. "You're not gonna make me do anything..." Pinkie said with confidence. "And how exactly are you gonna stop me?" Pinkamena questioned as she grew ever closer to Pinkie. "Like this." Pinkie said as she stomped on the ground. However, nothing seemed to happen. "Ooooh... I'm so scared." Pinkamena said in a mocking tone. "You should be." Pinkie said as she looked at Pinkamena with a confident grin. Suddenly, something wrapped around Pinkamena. "What?!" Pinkamena said as she felt some sort of strap wrap around her neck, making it difficult to breathe. "We're taking back control!" Pinkamena caught a small glimpse of a messy pink mane, identical to Pinkie's. "You forgot about my clone in the cell..." "You -ah-" Pinkamena stopped, unable to speak. She flipped the knife to where the tip was pointing towards the Pinkie clone and stabbed into it. "Ah!" Pinkamena felt the strap slightly loosen, allowing her to get a breath of air. She grabbed the strap and lifted it off of her head, letting it fall away from her body. Pinkamena turned around and looked at the Pinkie clone, her knife sticking out from her stomach. She grabbed the knife and began to drag it up her body, making sure that it dragged against her bones and organs. "A-ah!" The clone called out as the knife passed through her flesh. Pinkamena continued to push the knife into her body, making sure it was very painful. She kept doing this until the clone's eyes closed. "This is what's gonna happen to you, Pinkie!" Pinkamena said as she turned around and was met with... surprisingly nothing. Pinkie wasn't in her line of vision. "Pinkie! Where are you?! I'm ending this right now!" Pinkamena said as she began to look around, searching for the pink party pony. A few moments went by with no sign of Pinkie. Boooom-whoooooooo Pinkamena felt something hit her in the ribs with much force. She was immediately knocked into the air because of the immense force. Confetti sprayed in her face and mane, momentarily blinding her. "Ahg!" Pinkamena called out as she felt the pain coming from her side. She landed with a thud against the ground. Her ribs and right side burned painfully. "Ow..." Pinkamena quietly said as she slowly picked her head up and tried to look at what caused such an intense force. Her vision was blurry at first from the confetti, but once she focused she saw Pinkie standing behind a party cannon. The barrel of the party cannon was smoking. "Pinkie... I'm going to- ah!" Pinkamena said as she tried to stand up, but collapsed back onto the ground due to the pain in her ribs. "Hey, Pinkamena! That was for Fluttershy!" Pinkie called out as she was reloading the party cannon with one of the barrels. Pinkamena hit her hooves against the ground and braved through the pain. She stumbled as she trotted towards Pinkie. "I'm going to kill you... then it'll be Cheese," Pinkamena said as she trotted towards Pinkie "Sure you will." Pinkie said as she started to fire the party cannon again. The cannon fired, but no confetti came out. "Huh?" Pinkie said as she looked at the cannon, confused. She looked at the top of the cannon, seeing that it was blocked by some sort of metal lid. "Oh no!" Pinkie said. The party cannon suddenly exploding, blasting Pinkie back by a few feet. Shrapnel cut into her right fore-hoof, sending a jolt of pain up her hoof. "You'd better start running. I'm not leaving here until you're gone." Pinkamena said as she trotted towards Pinkie, who was still lying on the ground. Pinkie shook her head before stumbling up and rushing away. Pinkamena sighed. She had at least a moment recover. "My ribs..." Pinkamena groaned as she rubbed her side, trying to numb the pain. ===================== Pinkie hid in a small trench that she had just made on the ground. She sat down and let herself recover for the moment. "Dang it... I wasn't expecting that." Pinkie said as she let her head rest against the dirt. She made a small bottle of water appear in front of her and poured it over her right fore-hoof, washing out the piece of metal that had lodged in her hoof in the explosion. "I can't let her get the upper-hoof." Pinkie said as she dragged herself out of the trench and trotted towards the next party cannon she had set up. ===================== Pinkamena transformed her small knife into a large machete. She as prepared for whatever Pinkie could throw at her. "She thinks she's gotten me beat..." Pinkamena said to herself. "I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve. Somethings that will push this in my favor." She said to herself as she began to run her hoof up and down the blade of her machete. "Now, let's find her." Pinkamena said as she began to trot, looking for Pinkie. "Come out, Pinkie..." "Okay. Since you won't come to me, then I'll come to you." Boooom-whoooo Pinkamena recognized the sound immediately and she ducked down. The ball of confetti narrowly missed her. She looked over to where it was fired and saw Pinkie. "You shouldn't have done that, Pinkie!" Pinkamena called out as she rushed towards Pinkie. "Shoot!" Pinkie said to herself as she hastily tried to reload the cannon. Before she got the chance to, Pinkamena jumped over the cannon and stabbed Pinkie in the shoulder. "Ah!" Pinkie said as she felt the pain on her shoulder. She pushed Pinkamena and the machete off of her and rushed away. Pinkamena picked up the machete and hastily followed behind. "You aren't escaping!" Pinkamena called out as she chased behind. Pinkie galloped away from Pinkamena, trying to escape her. Pinkamena followed behind her closely. "I've gotta use one of the last resorts..." Pinkie changed the surroundings in front of her, from a wide, flat grassland to a small, cramped barn containing her parents, sister, and a pegasus foal named Pinkamena. "Hey, Pinkamena! You think you can stop me?!" Pinkie taunted, hoping to further the chase long enough. They were only a few feet away from the entrance to the farm. She hid behind the wagon in the corner as Pinkamena entered. "Oh, I certainly-" Pinkamena said as she entered the barn. Pinkie sneaked outside as Pinkamena realized the situation she was in. "No..." Pinkamena said as she immediately recognized the area. Tears stung her eyes. "Mom! Please help! I'll never talk back to you again! I'll be the nice, obedient little filly! Just don't take my wings!" The blinded, small filly pleaded with her parents. Igneous held the knife against her wings. "No! No, no, no!" She called out as tears rolled down her cheeks. Pinkamena looked back at where she came from, but the barn doors had disappeared. "No! I need to get out of her, now!" Pinkamena began to desperately look for an exit. There were no barn doors or windows for her to exit. "Mom! Dad! Someone get me outta here!" "Pinkie! You'd better let me outta here!" Pinkamena called out as she banged against the wall. "Wait! I can just dream this away! Y-yeah!" Pinkamena said as she tried to focus on something else besides those horrid memories. Her thoughts were racing, and her heart pounded. "I-I can't focus!" "Dad! Please don't do it! I'll do anything... I'll... I'll..." Pinky pleaded with her parents. "Come on! Think of something else Pinkamena! Think of something to get me outta here!" She said, panicking. Tears fell from her eyes as she felt an emotion that she wished to have never feel again. Helplessness. "I can't do it! I'm so sorry Pinky!" Igneous said as he dropped the cleaver and hugged the foal. "Don't you dare say that you bucking liar! You were going to do it to me and you know it!!" Pinkamena said as she turned to her father. She knew that he couldn't hear her, but it distracted her from her current situation. "Please forgive us Pinky! We're so sorry" Cloudy said as she rushed over to the filly and wrapped her in a hug. "You should've done something! You should've stopped Maud before she laid a hoof on me! You just stood there, either sobbing or just standing there helping them!" Pinkamena said angrily to her mother. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The filly screamed as Maud cut off her wings. Pinkamena covered her ears. However, the words could still be heard. She began to pound against the walls of the barn, hoping to break through. ===================== "Let me out! I can't take this anymore!" Pinkie sat against the wall outside of the barn, listening to Pinkamena's pleas. She tried to block out the screams, overwhelmed by guilt. "I didn't wanna do this, Pinkamena... but you forced my hoof."+ "Pinkie, you'd better let me outta here right now! I-I'll hurt you when I get out of here!" Pinkie couldn't stand the fact that she was doing something like this to somepony. "Why do I feel so bad? She's done all these things to my friends... my family... me, but I still feel guilty..." Crack Pinkie jumped at the sound, standing up and trotting away from the wall. She looked at the origin of the sound and saw what looked like a bloody blade sticking out of the wooden board she was sitting beside. It pulled back and stabbed back into the wall under the original stab. A pink hoof went through the wood and pulled it's self back into the barn. "Oh no..." Pinkie said as she looked at the scene. The hoof began to pull the boards in, almost like it was trying to make an exit. Pinkie rushed up to the wall and pushed against the wall, trying to keep her inside. "Pinkie... please." Pinkie stopped pushing as she heard Pinkamena's whimper. She backed away from the board, allowing Pinkamena to break the board and grab the board beside her. "What happened?! Why can't I feel my left wing!?" Pinkie looked up and saw Pinkamena's face. Her face was stained with tears. She was covering her right ear with her free fore-hoof. "Please... p-please make it stop." Pinkamena said, her voice filled with sadness. Pinkie hesitated for a moment, but after hearing her whimpering, she couldn't bear to hear her in such distress anymore. She pulled the boards out from beside her, breaking them away to create a path for her. Pinkamena rushed out, dropping the machete and collapsing to the knees. "W... why?" She glanced up to Pinkie, eyes full of tears. "You left me no ch-choice. I'm sorry." She stared at the ground, trembling slightly. "I... I can feel them moving." "What?" "My wings." She said woefully. "Uh... I..." Pinkie stumbled over her words. Pinkamena turned to Pinkie and wiped her eyes "Go." Pinkamena simply said. "W... what?" "I'm gonna give you a minute or two to run. So, go." Pinkamena said. Pinkie seemed suspicious at first, but she rushed over to her party cannon and took it with her as she ran. After Pinkie was far away, Pinkamena sighed and buried her hooves in her face and let the tears flow down her face. "I was so scared... so helpless," Pinkamena said as she recalled the event that had just happened a few minutes ago. "I-I felt like that scared little filly again..." Tears rolled down her cheeks. "Why do I have to be tormented by those memories?! I just wish I could forget all of it!" Pinkamena exclaimed. She slammed her hooves against the ground in anger. Pinkamena let out a few deep breaths before speaking again. "Calm down, Pinkamena...she's just trying to get into your head... I need to focus on killing her." Pinkamena said. She took in a few more deep breaths before getting up and creating a small knife and began to follow her hoof-steps. ===================== Pinkie held the small party cannon under her shoulder as she ran towards the trench. "Ah..." Pinkie groaned as she felt the pain come from her shoulder. She wanted to grab it to try and at least alleviate some of her pain but was unable to because she was running. Pinkie ran into her trench, sat the party cannon down, and grabbed her shoulder. "Buck!" Pinkie said as she felt the intense pain from the stab wound. An ice-pack appeared in front of her, which she immediately put on his shoulder. She moaned in relief as she felt the pain slightly numb. "That's much better." Pinkie said as a small, goofy smile spread across her face. She looked over at her party cannon. "Okay... one of the party cannons has been destroyed, one is all right, but I don't think I'll be able to get to it with Pinkamena looking for me, so I guess that this one'll have to do." Pinkie said. She leaned over and looked in the loading spot; she still had a ball of confetti inside. "That'll be good if Pinkamena finds me." Pinkie said as she went back to her prior spot. She didn't really have much to do in the small trench. "I could probably heal my shoulder." Pinkie said. She lifted up the ice-pack. The pain was, but there still was a large wound on her shoulder. "Oh well..." Pinkie said as she disposed of the ice-pack. "I knew it'd stir up her emotions, but I didn't mean for her to have a breakdown." Pinkie said as guilt filled her voice. "I mean, she is keeping me away from my friends... she's hurt my family... why do I still care about her?" "Maybe what she said was true... maybe I am just an imaginary friend who took over..." Pinkie quietly said. She thought about the possibility for a few minutes. "I don't know!" Pinkie said, admitting defeat. "Pinkie... come out?" Pinkie shut her mouth tightly. She grabbed the party cannon and put it at the trench entrance as an extra precaution. "Hm. A trench." Hoof-steps could be heard approaching the trench. There was something dragging on the ground. Pinkie had her hoof on the firing button, ready to fire. Her nerves were on edge as it was, and the waiting for Pinkamena to enter wasn't helping. Crack Pinkie pressed the button, causing the confetti to shoot out the end of the barrel of the cannon. "That was a mistake, Pinkie..." Pinkie watched as Pinkamena entered the small trench, her machete in her hoof. She began to crawl back until her back hit the edge of the trench. Pinkamena put her machete to Pinkie's chest with some pressure. "You shouldn't have shown me those memories, Pinkie." Pinkamena said as she put more pressure on her chest. Pinkie had become petrified from fear. "You made me remember how helpless I felt... how afraid," Pinkamena said as her voice trembled. She wiped the tears away from her eyes. "The pain in my wings... they hurt so much." Pinkamena said as more tears stung her eyes. The pressure against Pinkie's chest lightened slightly. Pinkie finally worked up the courage to speak. "P-Pinkamena... I-I know you're angry... but p-please... you don't have to t-take it out on everyone else." "Well, then what am I supposed to do, huh?! How am I supposed to forget that those animals cut off my wings?!" Pinkamena said as she glared angrily at Pinkie with teary-eyes. "I need to distract myself from the memories... I can't go back to that place-- I can't!" Pinkamena quietly said as she looked down at the ground. The blade slowly fell from Pinkie's chest to her stomach. "I-I could distract you! You said that I used to distract you when you were younger like you said!" "It doesn't work anymore. I need something more." Pinkamena said. She shakily lifted her blade back up to her chest and began to push it into her. "Pinkamena, this isn't you! What happened to that innocent, fun-loving filly I saw in those flashbacks?!" Pinkie asked. "That filly died when her wings were taken away." Pinkamena said. Pinkie felt the pressure on her chest increase once more. She grabbed the blade and tried the push it away. "Get away!" Pinkie said as she pushed the machete out of Pinkamena's hoof, causing it to land at the far-side of the trench. Pinkamena rushed for the machete as Pinkie went for her party cannon. She grabbed the party cannon and grabbed one of the barrels of confetti. Pinkamena rushed towards her with the blade. Pinkie tried to load the party barrel, but the shakiness in her hooves was making it difficult. "Come on!" "Stop that!" Pinkamena said as she came closer to Pinkie. Pinkie finally loaded the confetti into party cannon and fired, hitting Pinkamena directly in the chest. Pinkamena landed with a thud. Pinkie coughed as the smoke cleared from the cannon. "Pinkamena?" Pinkie asked as she got up. She trotted over to Pinkamena, who seemed unconscious. Pinkie let out a sigh of relief as she dragged herself out of the trench. Sni-sni Pinkie looked back at trench(which was the origin of the sound). She saw Pinkamena in a fetal position, tears leaking from her eyes. "Just forget her... take control." Pinkie said to herself as she yearned herself to trot away, but she just... couldn't go. She sighed and went back down to the trench. "W-what do you want? You've won. Take back control..." Pinkamena said as Pinkie entered. "Honestly? I don't know." Pinkie said as she picked up the machete and threw away from Pinkamena. She sat down beside Pinkamena. "Will you just go away-ah!" Pinkamena said. She clenched her chest. "Not yet..." "Why did you come back? Y-you hate me... I've hurt-hurt you for so long." "I don't like to see ponies cry... even you. And I don't hate you." Pinkie said. Pinkamena turned away from Pinkie. "Go. Away. Now." Pinkamena said bitterly, making sure to keep her face out of Pinkie's sight. "No. I know that you aren't completely an evil pony." "You sure about that?" "One-hundred and fifty percent sure. You've just been hurt so much that the fun-living filly I first saw is being covered up by all that pain." "I said go away!" Pinkamena said as she got up and moved away from Pinkie. She put up a wall in a trench separating her from Pinkie. Pinkie sighed. "I'll be back in a day." Pinkie said as she went out of the trench and began to take control. ===================== Pinkie woke up in Cheese Sandwich's guest bedroom. She jolted up in the bed. "Am I in control?" Pinkie asked herself. She pinched herself and felt a dull pain. She smiled. "Yes..." Pinkie said, welcoming the pain. She had gained control. ===================== VIII: FreedomAuthor's Note Getting this one out a bit late. I wanted to get it out on the 20th, but oh well... I hope you enjoy this one regardless. VIII: Freedom Pinkie took in a deep breath of the air in the room, welcoming the scent of the fresh, humid Las Pegasus air and the chirping of the birds outside. She got out of bed and excitedly trotted downstairs, hoping to meet Cheese or somepony-- anypony to celebrate with. Thankfully, Cheese was sitting down on the couch, drinking some sort of red liquid in the glass. His accordion was sat beside him. "Oh, hello Pinkie. Good morning!" Cheese said. Pinkie rushed over to him and hugged him tightly. After days of only seeing Pinkamena, Cheese was a fresh breath of air for her. She stiffened, a bit surprised by the sudden outburst of energy from the pony who'd been seemingly drained for the past couple days. "Uh... Pinkie? Are you feeling all right?" "Oh Cheese... I'm so happy that I'm here. Thank you for letting me stay here." Pinkie said as she let go of him. "Ok... great." Cheese said as he sipped from his glass, still a bit confused. Pinkie sat down beside him. "What's up?" Pinkie asked as she lightly bounced up and down on the couch. "I'm kinda sad right now. A stallion and I were planning a party, but he just canceled it out of the blue. Nothing is more disappointing than a ruined party." "Sorry. I know how that's like, trust me." Pinkie said. Cheese smiled at her act of sympathy. "Oh-- it'll be fine. In the meantime, I could tell you about that party I went to last night again." "Sure!" Pinkie said as she sat down beside him, almost bouncing in her seat. ================= Marble's hooves bounced in anxiety. Even though the whole day had gone by painfully slowly and was fairly uneventful, she still couldn't help but be worried. Igneous was sitting beside her. He seemed disheveled. His mane, usually straight down his neck, stuck out to the sides and he had black bags under his eyes, showing his exhaustion. "Hello, father." Marble straightened her pose in her chair and combed down the back of her head, some of her mane standing up. "Huh... oh, hello dear." Igneous wiped her eyes and yawned quietly. "I-is everything all right?" "Yes. Your mother and Maud are fine, and your sister is asleep. The nurse said she'd bring some food soon for breakfast." "Okay" "I'll have to go back to the farm soon. Your mother needs her glasses and Maud needs a frock for when she wakes up. I needed to get some bits anyway." "Okay. D-do you need some sleep? I can watch them if you want to get some s-sleep." Igneous didn't reply, simply staring at Maud. "Father?" "Huh-- no. I'll be fine dear. Thank you." Marble nodded. He turned back to Maud, staring at her. Beep Beep Beep Father must be worried about them. He hasn't slept since we got here. "Father?" Marble asked again. She was beginning to get a bit worried. Her father wasn't the type of pony to ignore somepony, let alone his own daughter. He's acting so strangely... almost like he's guilty about this or something. Igneous still stared blankly at Maud. "Father?" Marble asked, the usual timid pony raising her voice. "What, dear?" Igneous asked impatiently. "A-are you all right?" "Yes. I'm fine." "Are you worried a-about mother and Maud?" Marble questioned. Igneous sighed, wiping over his eyes and brushing over his mane. "Yes." Igneous lowered his head slightly, but he still kept his eyes on Maud. "I am too." "I should have done something..." Igneous said quietly. "W-what, father?" Marble asked. Igneous shook his head. "Nothing," Igneous said as if he were trying to evade her question. "Nothing at all. Marble glanced away from him for a moment. Her face flushed. Why can't I just keep my mouth shut? He clearly isn't comfortable. Be quiet-- "Thank you for your concern, dear. But I don't want to talk." Igneous said as he glanced at the door, then back to Maud. "O-okay, father." ================= "Aw... I wish I would've been there. DJ Pon-3, streamers-- sound so fun!" Pinkie said as she heard of the amazing party Cheese went to last night. She barely was able to contain her excitement. "Yeah... you really should've been there. You seemed a bit down yesterday." Pinkamena was in control then, so that makes sense. Thank Celestia that she didn't hurt anypony while I was trapped in there. "Well... I kinda missed my friends. Don't get me wrong; I've enjoyed being here with you, but I just miss my friends back in Ponyville." Pinkie said, somewhat truthful. "I can understand that. Sometimes, I miss my parents from Manehattan. We don't get to talk that much anymore." Cheese said as he looked down somberly. "Yeah..." Pinkie said. The room was with an uneasy, almost awkward tension in the room. "But look on the bright side!" Cheese thoroughly broke the silence. "We've got each other for company! There're plenty more parties to go to! And we could pass the time with my accordion!" Cheese said excitedly, picking up his accordion and beginning to play. "Yeah!" Pinkie said, Cheese's excitement filling her. "C'mon, let's go to the park or someplace. That'll help us. And my accordion's still allowed in there." "All right. So long as we have some fun, lead the way!" ================= Marble bounced her hind-hooves against the ground nervously. Her mother and sister were still asleep, and Igneous Rock was still watching over them, guarding over them like his life depended on it. Beep Beep Beep Marble looked over to Maud. Her worries began to become more predominant in her mind. "F-father, is Maud go-going to be all right?" Marble asked, looking for some form of reassurance. "I hope so, dear." Beep Beep Beep Marble looked up at Maud's heart monitor, the origin of the sound. The bad feeling in her stomach traveled up into her heart. After a moment, the beeping returned to normal. ================= Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich trotted down the sidewalks of Las Pegasus. She was excited to be free once again and actually do something to relax her for a change. The sun was overhead as Cheese and she searched around for something to do. "Let's see... I think the park's down there." Cheese pointed in between two buildings, a wide gravel path towards a fenced area. "All right. Let's go." "Hopefully they've cleaned up everything. It usually get's trashed overnight from ponies partying." "What all is down there?" Pinkie asked. Cheese put his left fore-hoof up to his chin. "Well, it's been a while since I've been there, but I'm pretty sure they have a path that leads through the park, a swing or two for the foals, and a lake." "Sounds fun." "I'm so glad we're getting out. Get's my mind off of Pinka--" Pinkie covered her mouth, stopping behind him. Cheese turned back, staring at her. His ears had fallen to his head, and he seemed confused. "Who's that? I've never heard of her or him before." "Nopony. Just somepony who was mean to me in Ponyville before I left." "Oh... sorry." Cheese turned away as they continued on the gravel path. Perfect... I had to bring up Pinkamena. "W... what did she do to you? Is she the reason why you left Ponyville?" Cheese asked. Pinkie stopped, the question putting a damper on the already weakened conversation. She remained silent, uncomfortable with the topic. "Never mind. Sorry." "No... it's all right. I-I'll tell you about it..." "Her name was Pinka- Diane. She first came into town when I working at Sugarcube Corner. We actually were friends at first. She was really mean to other ponies, but I'd usually distract her by telling lots of jokes. I even threw her a party one time." Pinkie said. Cheese listened intently. "... but then she began to pick on Fluttershy-- one of my best friends. I tried to stop her at first, but it didn't work most of the time. Then, I finally confronted her about it. Pinkamena turned on me and began to bully and pick on me along with Fluttershy and a lot of other ponies." "I-I felt trapped-- I was trapped. Whenever I'd go out, she'd always be there to hurt me and Fluttershy. Then one day I saw her hitting and beating up Fluttershy. I rushed up to her and tried to pull her off, but she just pushed me away and began to punch her more and more. She beat me up, but it was worth it to try and help Flutters. Even with my help, Fluttershy had to go to the hospital. I managed to push her off of me and she looked at me and said, 'You did this to her'..." Pinkie said, trying to keep her emotions under control. "... she tried to convince me that she made me angry enough to make her do this." "You couldn't have caused her to do that!" "Yeah... I know. But somehow, she actually convinced me at one point. I actually went to the hospital and tried to apologize." Pinkie said, putting one of her hooves to cover her quivering lips. "She had me trapped in Ponyville, feeling guilty. But after many days and weeks of abuse, I finally worked up the courage to stand up to her. One day, I finally stood up to her. She tried to beat me up, but I sort of, kinda-- in a way, shot her with my party cannon." Pinkie said. Cheese looked a bit shocked for a moment. He burst into a fit of laughter. "Nice!" Cheese managed to say after a minute-long laughter. Pinkie smiled. "Yeah. I ran away from Ponyville and I didn't stop until I reached a rest area outside of Ponyville. That's when I called you and asked you for a place to stay. Thanks for that, by the way." "You're welcome. I just wish you would've told me sooner... and I'm sorry that all that stuff happened to you." "Sorry... and thanks." "No problem. Now, let try and relax." "Yeah... let's go find somewhere." Cheese said as he and Pinkie began to walk down the street again. ================= Marble Pie paced back and forward, unable to shake the bad feeling. She felt like something terrible was going to happen. "Marble, are you all right?" Limestone Pie asked as she stood and trotted over to her worried sister. "I'm nervous." "Oh... I am too." Limestone said. Cloudy Quartz looked over to Marble, causing her face to flush immediately "I-I feel like something bad is about to happen." "It's all right, dear. We're going to be fine." Cloudy said comfortingly. Beep Beep Beep Marble looked over at the heart monitor, the beeping making her nervous. Beep Beep Beep Marble became more and more nervous. Beep Beep Beep Marble stared at the monitor for a moment more, before sighing in relief. She giggled as she bent down. Thank Celestia... Cloudy groaned, causing Marble to turn back to her "Mother?" "My hoof just started burning." Cloudy grabbed her left hind-hoof. "Do I need to get the nurse?" Igneous said, standing. "J-- just grab Nurse Redheart. Just in case." Cloudy said. Igneous nodded and stood up, trotting out into the hallway. Thankfully, Nurse Redheart was passing by. Igneous trotted out and stopped her. "What's the matter?" Nurse Redheart asked. Igneous lead her into the room. "Sorry to interrupt. My hoof is burning." "All right. Let me take a look." Nurse Redheart trotted up to her, inspecting her hoof. Her hoof was noticeably darker. Nurse Redheart's eyes widened. "Sir, you need to take your daughters out of the room. They don't need to see this." Nurse Redheart said. Igneous nodded, signaling for them to come. Marble stared at her mother. W-what? "Hey, wait. What's wrong with her?" "We missed something. Now please leave. For your mother's sake and your own." Marble nodded and trotted out of the door, while Limestone had to be lead out by Igneous. He shut the door behind them, and leaned against it from the other side, inside the room. "What's wrong? We can't just leave her in there!" "Sh-she'll be fine--" A painful howl echoed from inside the room, startling both Marble and Limestone. "What's going on in there?" Limestone asked, knocking on the door. Another groan came from the room as something splattered against the ground. Another painful howl. Tears pooled in Marble's eyes. "Mother?" Limestone called into the room, knocking a little louder. "No, no, no..." Marble repeated, her heart skipping a beat. She slid down the wall, sitting beside Limestone. A painful yell echoed in their ears. Something metal fell to the ground, making a clank against the ground. Tears rolled down Marble's cheeks. "What the hay is--" The door opened, and Nurse Redheart stepped out, her fore-hooves splattered with blood. "She's all right now. There was a piece of metal in her leg. Sorry about the confusion." Nurse Redheart said. Limestone and Marble quickly entered the room, looking for their mother. She was laying in bed, her left fore-hoof now colored. Her coat around her left fore-hoof was dampened, freshly cleaned. There were blotches of blood on the ground beside her bed. She smiled, albeit a bit disingenuous. It was clearly forced. "Hello. Don't be worried, my darlings. Just a little scare is all." Marble immediately rushed up to her, hugging her. Limestone stepped away, staying beside her father. "It's all right dear. Everything's fine. We're all going to be fine." ================= Pinkamena sat in the small trench. She hadn't tried to regain control, she hadn't retorted at Pinkie, hay, she hadn't even spoken since Pinkie had beaten her. Her chest throbbed, both in pain and sadness. "Maybe she's right," Pinkamena questioned. She held her chest. "It wouldn't be easy..." "I've been in so much pain because of the memory of my wings... so much anger..." "I'm so confused... why can't I just forget it all... I'd prefer if I faded away. So many bad memories have been brought up." ================= IX: RelaxationAuthor's Note Ello. I hope you enjoy this chapter. That is all IX: Relaxation Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich trotted down the street. The sun was beginning to dip below the surface and they were still looking for somewhere to go. They trotted down the gravel road together, the unprecedented silence ruling over the roadway. Nopony else was inside the park nor on the path beside a few elderly pony feeding the birds. Of course I had to bring Pinkamena up... I couldn't have kept my big mouth shut about her. "This is where it ends." Cheese said, stopping in front of a large, metal fence. "All right. We can just sit somewhere in the park or just walk around." "Let's go someplace else. The park's kinda boring when it's deserted." "Yeah. Okay. Lead the way." "Of course." Cheese trotted back down the park. Pinkie followed behind. ================== Fluttershy chopped up some apples that she was preparing to give to the animals. Yesterday was certainly an emotional day for her and the rest of the Elements of Harmony. Well, most of the Elements of Harmony. I still need to tell Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy noted as she finished chopping the first apple and went to the second. How'll she react? She didn't do so well when that griffin-- Gilda insulted Pinkie, and that was small compared to... this. What'll she do? Fluttershy knew Rainbow Dash too well to assume that she wouldn't be angry. She's going to be angry... Something tugged at her left hind-hoof, applying some pressure. Not enough to hurt, but just enough to get her attention. Fluttershy glanced back, seeing the baby cub pulling at her, trying to get her attention. "Oh... what's the matter? Are you hungry?" Fluttershy said. The cub shook her head. "Do you want to play?" Fluttershy asked. The cub shook her head again in the same motion. "Do you need to... um... use the bathroom?" Fluttershy asked. The cub shook her head in the same motion once more. "Well, why don't you show me what you want?" Fluttershy said. The cub walked towards the door outside and motioned Fluttershy to follow. She obliged, allowing the cub led her to a big tree and pointed up to a small birds' nest with its nose. Fluttershy looked up at the nest and saw a mother feeding its hatchlings. "Oh... you miss your mama?" Fluttershy asked. The cub nodded vigorously. "Well... let me get you and the rest of the animals some dinner and then we'll look after if it isn't too dark, okay?" Fluttershy said. The cub had a sad look on her face, but she nodded. "Okay. Now you just wait while I make dinner and soon enough, we'll go looking." Fluttershy said lovingly as she rubbed the top of the cubs head. The cub and she went back inside and she went back to preparing dinner for the animals and herself. ================== "This is relaxing." "I guess. Better than sitting at your house." "Do you not like it? We can go someplace else if you're not." "No, no-- this is good." "All right. I was just checking." Pinkie trotted beside Cheese down the street, looking around the blank, residential building of Las Pegasus. She held a sigh, somewhat disappointed so far. "Would you like to get something to eat? It's getting a bit late." Pinkie's body slightly stiffened. "Uh.... sure Cheese. Just lead the way." "Gotcha." Her body stiffened again. You aren't getting back control Pinkamena. Please... I don't want to hurt anypony... look-- I need to do something Pinkie. Just let me take control for just an hour and I promise you'll never have to worry about me again. Why should I trust you or what you say? You've hurt me, my friends, and my family. You shouldn't, but please, just let me take control. I need to do something before I fade. Please Pinkie, please... You're not getting control, Pinkamena. Not now, probably not ever. "Hey, Pinkie." Cheese called out, trying to get her attention. "Huh? Oh-- sorry. Got caught up in my thoughts." "It's all right. Just wanted to let you know that we're here." "Okay." The stiffness slowly left Pinkie's body. "What is the restaurant?" "'The Golden Grin' or something like that. Never been here to eat before." "Sounds interesting. Let's check it out!" ================== Fluttershy put the small bowl of chopped apples outside for the birds. She had already put different meals out for the rest of the animals. "Now I just need something for myself..." Fluttershy said as she reentered her kitchen and began to think of something quick to make. "I'll just grab a few apples." Fluttershy said as she opened her refrigerator and took out two of the remaining apples she had. She took a small bite out of the side of it and went into the living room, where Angel Bunny and the cub was eating. Fluttershy took another bite out of the apple. She looked at Angel and the cub. They were both nibbling at blueberries and chopped up apples. Angel tried to push the cub out of the way of the bowl, but she was too heavy for him. "Angel, don't be mean. You should share." Fluttershy said as she took another small bite of the apple. Angel looked over at her, rolled his eyes, and stopped pushing the cub. He went over to the opposite side of and began to eat from that side. "Thank you." Fluttershy said. She finished her first apple and went to her second. However, there was still something bothering her. How was she going tell Rainbow Dash about Pinkie? How am I even going to sentence it? I could barely tell Rarity let alone the other girls. Fluttershy's hind-hooves bounced as she ate the apple, trying to alleviate her nervousness. She continued to nibble at the apple. How do you even go about telling somepony something like that? Fluttershy finished the apple. The cub rushed over and began to tug on one her bouncing hind-hooves, causing it to momentarily stop. "Okay. Hold on please." Fluttershy said as stood up and went into the kitchen. She wiped her mouth before looking out of the window. The sun had already set, but there was still some light. Fluttershy reentered the living room and went over to the cub. "We can go looking for your mama now when you're ready." Fluttershy said. The cub immediately rushed over to her and tried to tug her towards the door outside with her teeth. "Hold on, little on... we're going to look for her right now. Show me where you last saw her." Fluttershy said. The cub let her hoof go and hastily walked towards the door and outside. Fluttershy followed behind. ================== Pinkie and Cheese sat at their table, sipping from their individual cups. Cheese got punch while Pinkie got a soda. They had already ordered their meals and were sat at the table, awaiting their food. "Thanks again Cheese. I think I needed this." "No problem Pinkie. What are friends for, right?" "Thanks for everything. The walk, showing me around, the room at your house." "No problem. You feeling better since you got here?" "Oh, yeah. I needed to get away from Ponyville for a while, with the whole Pinkamena thing, you know?" Cheese nodded. "It can't have easy." "Eh, so long as I have Gummy to remember." She giggled. Cheese grinned and began to giggle along with her. "Oh, shoot. I wish I'd have remembered to bring my accordion. Would've played it some while we walked." "Oh well. It'll be fine. Besides, we can just talk" "Mhmm." ================== Fluttershy followed the cub far down the road, looking at the tree line while they traveled. The cub kept hastily running until they got to a small yet steep embankment. She stopped and pointed at it with her paw. "That's where you last saw your mother?" Fluttershy asked. The cub nodded. "Okay. You wait here and I'll try to find her." Fluttershy said as she looked down the embankment. She tried to open up her wings so she could glide down, but she got a bolt of pain shoot through her wings. "Ah!" Fluttershy said as she immediately pulled her wings into their prior spots. I need to go back to the hospital for the physical therapy. "Looks like I'll need to trot down." Fluttershy said as she began to step down the embankment. It was steep, but Fluttershy managed. Once she reached the embankment, she looked around the heavily wooded area. "Oh no..." Fluttershy said as she saw a few vultures circle overhead. She saw a few of them fly down and land nearby. That isn't good... Caw Caw Fluttershy began to where she presumed the vultures landed. Once she reached the area, she saw three vultures picking at a big, black object. Fluttershy feared what she would see when she would get close. "Stop." Fluttershy said to the vultures. They looked back at her. Caw! Fluttershy stared at them, using her disciplinary stare. They immediately stopped and flew away. "Thank you." Fluttershy said. She slowly trotted towards the object, deciphering it to be a bear that looked similar to the cub. The bear had been rotting for days, some of its organs were hanging out of wounds in its stomach that had been picked at by the vultures. "Oh my..." Fluttershy said, shocked by the sight. A lump formed in her throat from her gag reflex. She looked away from the bear, unable to look at it anymore. "D... did Pinkie do that?" Fluttershy asked herself. She began to trot back up the embankment in silence. Once she reached the top of the embankment and went back on the road, the cub's ears perked up in happiness and it rushed over to her. She looked down at the cub. "I-I'm sorry." Fluttershy said sadly. The cub looked up at her, confused. "Your mother's..." Fluttershy trailed off. The cub's ears fell back to its head. "... she's gone. I-I'm sorry." Fluttershy said. The cub shook her head side-to-side, frightened, and tried to rush to the embankment. "No! Y-you, you don't want to see her." Fluttershy said as she grabbed the cub and wrapped it in a hug. The cub continued to struggle against Fluttershy for a moment before dissolving into the hug and began to cry. "I know... let it out." Fluttershy said as she continued to hug the cub tenderly. ================ "Thanks again!" Cheese called out as he and Pinkie exited The Golden Grin. The sun had long since set, casting them in the darkness. He released a deep breath. "I think I ate too much." Pinkie said, rubbing her stomach. "Yeah. It was good though." "Mmm-hm!" "Well, we should start to get home. That was fun." "Yeah. Thanks for inviting me. It was well worth the time." "No problem Pinkie." After a long walk, Pinkie and Cheese came to the house. They trotted up to the front door, and Cheese opened it, allowing her to go in first. Pinkie smiled and nodded, stepping inside. "Whew. That was fun. Thanks for spending the night with me, Pinkie." "You kidding? That was your idea. I just went along with it. Thank you." "Oh, well you're welcome, I guess." Cheese yawned. "I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted. I'm gonna go hit the hay. Goodnight." Cheese said, trotting up the staircase. "Goodnight." Pinkie said, following behind him. She entered the guest bedroom and collapsed onto the bed, awaiting sleep. It's been fun... but now I need to deal with Pinkamena... ================== X: DepressionPinkie entered the dream-state and looked over the remainder of the battlefield. There was confetti covering the grounds, metal shrapnel from the first party cannon was at the front of the trench, blood was splattered at the second party cannon and in front of the trench, dirt walls were still placed, covering one half of the trench, and there was a bloody machete at the entrance of the trench, the blade stuck to the ground. "Pinkamena?" Pinkie approached the dirt wall at the front of the trench. No answer. "Please, Pinkamena. I just want to talk." Pinkie said as she knocked on the wall. Only an echo from the knocking. "Listen, Pinkamena. You know that I needed to do what I did!" Silence. Pinkie knocked again, this time with more force. The wall was solid, there was no way she was gonna get in without Pinkamena opening it for her. "I just wanna talk Pinkamena. You don't have to hide." Pinkie said as she used all her might to push against the wall, trying to push it over. "I can until I fade. Why do you even care?" "I want to help you." "You want to or you need to?" "Will you just let me in?" Pinkie evaded the question. "Will you answer my question? Did you want to talk to me or did you need to?" "I need to, okay? I can't just leave you alone to cry." Pinkie said genuinely. She expected to get an answer of silence, but she actually received a short giggle. "You've been here almost twelve years and you're still doing this..." Pinkamena said, her voice filled with what sounded like nostalgia. "Doing what?" "Comforting me." Pinkamena stepped towards the wall, leaning against it. "That's just a normal reaction. That doesn't mean that I'm an imaginary friend." Pinkie said, trying to convince herself of that. "Oh really? Would you willingly help someone who hurt you, your family, and your friends? And now, you aren't an imaginary friend. Not anymore. Now you're an alternate persona at this point..." Pinkamena said. She didn't sound angry or sarcastic, but... Pinkie could tell she was honest. "No..." "Exactly." "Can you just let me in?" "You honestly want to be in the same room with a terrible pony like me? The pony who could trap you in here and take back control?" "Yeah. And even if you managed to trap me, I'd just escape again." "Alright..." Pinkamena said. The dirt wall slowly dropped down to the ground, revealing Pinkamena sitting in the corner of the makeshift room. Her hooves and stomach were covered in bandages. Tears stained her cheeks. Pinkie was taken aback by the sight. She didn't realize that she hadn't caused this much damage to her. Pinkie immediately noticed that Pinkamena was noticeably shorter than their last encounter. Her mane only went to her chin, her tail was short, and her hooves weren't muscular as they were previously. She was a head shorter than Pinkie. "What?" Pinkamena asked. Even her voice sounded a bit higher, a bit like a little filly's. "Nothing. Just... you look different." "They're from our fight." "But--" "I'll explain later." Pinkie stood at the entrance. Silent tension overtook the room. "You just going to stand there?" Pinkie trotted up beside her and sat down. "I'm trying to think about something to talk about." "Hm." Pinkamena acknowledging Pinkie's response. "So... how do you feel?" Pinkie said as she cautiously sat down beside Pinkamena. "How do you think I feel?" "Angry. Sad. Hurt. I could go on..." "I'm not really angry... confused would be a better choice." Pinkamena said, correcting Pinkie. "Why?" Pinkie asked. Pinkamena stopped talking. She just sat there, staring at the ground. "Pinkamena, why?" Pinkie asked once more in a more serious tone. "Why did they take them?" A small pair of wings appeared on her back, folded. "I... I'm not sure." "Yeah, I haven't figured that out either," Pinkamena said. "They took away the one thing I loved because of a few chores." Pinkie remained silent. "They were supposed to be the ponies who were supposed to protect me-- the ones who I'm supposed to feel safe with, but instead--" Pinkamena turned away, tears stinging her eyes. "Uh... I-I get it." "I don't think you do." Pinkamena said, somehow able to decipher what Pinkie felt. "Listen, Pinkie." Pinkamena said as she turned back towards Pinkie and looked into her eyes. "Yes?" "I need to you to go to that magic friend of your's- Twilight Sparkle, and I need you to ask her to get rid of me." "What?!" Pinkie said, a bit shocked. "You heard me..." Pinkamena said, turning away. "But- I can't-" "Listen, I know I have been the worst thing in your life for the last few weeks, but please, just do this for me." "But you can't just do this! You can't just give up!" "If you don't do it then I'll do it myself!" Pinkamena said. Silence ruled over the small room afterward. =============== Marble looked over the hospital room. Her sister and mother had fallen asleep long ago, her father had kept his eyes on Maud and Cloudy and had somehow managed to stay awake with her(despite being awake for at least twenty-four hours), and Maud hadn't had any problems since her heart problem. Nightfall had come and things had slowed down in the hospital. "Father?" Marble asked quietly, trying not to wake her family. "Yes, dear?" "I-it's safe here. You d-don't have to stay up." Marble asked her father. "Yes... but I can't help it. I have to know they're okay." "Mhmm. I understand." "You don't dear... trust me, you don't." Igneous said as he wiped his eyes and rested his head on his hooves. Marble looked around the hospital room once more, but this time, she began to focus on Maud. The blanket covering her began to slightly move at her fore-hooves before returning to its prior spot, surprising Marble. Is she awake!? "F-father... did you see that?" "What, dear?" "I-I think I saw one of Maud's fore-hooves move." "You did?!" Igneous asked, a bit louder than he wanted to. He covered his mouth as he saw Cloudy move as if she was about to awaken. "Marble, are you playing a joke on me?" Igneous said, whispering as he removed his hooves away from his mouth. Marble shook her head. Igneous looked to Maud, scanning for any movement. "Marble dear, I need you to keep your eyes on Maud. If you see anything, and I mean anything that suggests she is awake, you come to me or your mother immediately. Even if we are asleep, you wake us up." Igneous said, his voice taking a serious tone. "Mmhm." Marble nodded. "Good. Thank you, dear." Igneous said as he leaned back and continued to look over at Cloudy. Hopefully she'll wake up soon... that was a good sign that she will. =============== Pinkie sat beside Pinkamena, a bit worried. Not only for Pinkamena, for also herself. "I won't be responsible for a pony's death..." "Then I'll do it myself. You let me have control in the morning and I'll do it myself. You won't even have to watch." "Why can't you just move on?" Pinkie asked. Pinkamena looked over at her with a hateful look. "I can't okay? I will never forgive them for it." Pinkamena said before she turned away, somehow managing not to bludgeon Pinkie with the nearest object. "I don't think you've even tried. And I'm not asking you to forgive them, I'm just asking you to try." "Maybe that's a good thing..." "How so?" Pinkamena became silent. "Pinkamena, you just need to tell me what you're feeling. You can't just sulk around. I'm sorry, but there's no way you're gonna get rid out of this rut without talking about it." Pinkie tenderly put a hoof on her shoulder. "You've gotta get rid of all those emotions. It can't be healthy." "You want to know what I'm feeling? Really?" "Yes, truthfully." "I'm feeling like telling you to get out." Pinkamena said as she got up and went outside of trench, leaving Pinkie alone in the trench. Pinkie sighed. "She can't keep it bottled up forever." =============== Fluttershy trotted into her cottage, the cub laying on her back asleep. After she told the cub of her mother's fate, she hugged her tenderly for the longest time. She eventually fell asleep in her hooves and Fluttershy had to put her on her back while she traveled back to her cottage. Angel hopped up to her as she entered, his face revealing a bit of jealousy. He crossed his arms and bounced his left foot on the ground. "I'll explain it to you in a moment, Angel. I've got to put this poor, little one to bed." Fluttershy said as she trotted over to the small pillow in the corner of the living room and she had set up for the cub earlier in the day. She carefully picked up the cub and put it on the pillow, making sure not to wake her up. Thankfully, she didn't. Fluttershy quietly tip-hoofed away from the cub and went back over to Angel, who still had his arms crossed and a jealous look on his face. "Angel, please don't be angry with her. She just found out that her mother is d-dead." Fluttershy said seriously. Angel immediately stopped in the middle of his whole act; even his foot had stopped in the middle of a bounce. One of his eyes widened, but the other remained a normal size. "Angel? A-are you alright?" Fluttershy asked. Angel bunny sat his foot down, uncrossed his arms, and went over beside the cub. "Angel, please don't...?" Fluttershy trailed off as she saw Angel bunny curl up beside the cub and close his eyes as if he was going to fall asleep beside her. A small smile crept across Fluttershy's face. "Aw... Angel." Fluttershy quietly said as she saw the cute display of comfort. A slight blush crept across Angel's face, but he still remained in place. "Well, goodnight you two." Fluttershy said as she walked over to the front door, shut it, and locked it. She went into the kitchen and repeated the process for the back door before going to her bedroom and laying down. =============== Marble looked over at her eldest sister, scanning for any movement. She had been at it for at least a half-an-hour and hadn't seen any more movement. Maybe I was just seeing things... I'm exhausted. Marble wiped her eyes as she looked over at her sister. Her eyelids were heavy. Maybe I could get a few minutes of sleep. Marble looked over at her father, who had finally managed to fall asleep. Surely a couple of minutes of shut-eye wouldn't hurt, could it? Marble let her eyelids fall and her vision darkened. She felt her self slowly drift to sleep. "Uhhhh..." =============== Pinkie trotted up behind Pinkamena, who was now at the opposite side of the trench and sat down beside her. Pinkamena still kept her eyes away from Pinkie. "I guess I was right..." "About what?" "You refuse to let anyone in." Pinkie said. Pinkamena let out a low growl. "And you won't let out any sadness or hurt." "Where did releasing my emotions get me last time? Huh?" "..." "I let mother, father, and Maud know exactly what I was feeling that night when my wings were cut off. And where did that get me? Nowhere. My wings were still cut off, so don't come to me with that stuff." "I'm just trying to help..." "Well you can't help me unless you get my wings back, and that isn't very likely, is it?" "..." "Exactly." Pinkamena said as she got up and trotted away from Pinkie. Once Pinkamena was out of earshot, Pinkie sighed. "I know she's hurt, but she doesn't need to keep pushing everyone away. She just needs to let me in and I can help her..." =============== XI: ReleasePinkie looked over at Pinkamena, who had been scraping her right fore-hoof against the ground so much that their was a small depression in the dirt. "You can't hide yourself forever." "Are you sure about that? I've hid this long, I can do it until I can fade away or get control. Either way, I won't remember how it felt." "Could you at least just open up to me? You know that you can trust me." Pinkie put her right fore-hoof up to Pinkamena's right shoulder, rubbing it. Pinkamena glanced back with a blank, emotionless glare, before turning back to the ground. "I know that you're smart enough not to blab about it to your friends. Do I trust you? Not really." "What do you think I'll do to you? It's not like I'm somepony who'll hurt you." "You're going to use it against me. Like you did when we were fighting." "I did what I did, only because I had to. I'm sorry, but I had to do it to get control back." "No-- you don't realize how much it kills me. I-I can't stand the helplessness, the fear of-of knowing what happened." "I know. It's-- "You don't know. Sitting, paralyzed in fear, having my wings sawed off one-by-one, and having those- those things who call themselves ponies staring at me, pretending to be remorseful for removing my ability to do what I love--" Pinkamena's voice trembled, distressed and angry by the memories. "Please Pinkie, j-just leave me... let me lament in peace until I fade away." "I just want to help." Pinkie said, reaching for her right shoulder again. Pinkamena this time looked back to her, a angry glare on her face. "Just leave me alone!" Pinkamena scraped up some of the dirt in her left fore-hoof and threw it at Pinkie's eyes. "Ah!" Pinkie called out as her vision immediately became clouded. She heard hoof-steps that sounded like they were going away from her. Pinkie tried to rub the dirt out, but it was easier said than done. Pinkie created a small bottle of water, but she couldn't find it due to her vision. She couldn't see it, blinded by the dirt. "Come on..." Pinkie groaned as she felt around for the bottle. After a moment, she finally found the bottle, nearly knocking over the bottle. She unscrewed the top and poured the bottle over her face, trying to wash the dirt out of her eyes. Thankfully, her vision returned after a moment. "Grrr..." Pinkie growled under her breath. Her patience was beginning to wear thin. She got up and exited the trench, looking for Pinkamena. "Pinkamena! Come out!" Pinkie called out. There was nopony in sight. Anger began to take over as she angrily stomped around, looking for Pinkamena. "I'm just trying to help!" Pinkie exclaimed, continuing to look around with still no sign of Pinkamena. She trotted over to the barn and looked around. "Come on, Pinkamena! Please! I just want to help" Pinkie yelled, turning the corner to the right side of the barn. Snnn- crack-crack Pinkie looked back at where she thought the sound originated, and saw that a small fire had started on the barn. "What?" Pinkie said as she fire quickly travel up the wooden structure. She looked around, looking for Pinkamena. "She has to be near by... I know she started it." Pinkie said to herself she continued to scan the area. Finally, she saw a small head stick out of the trench, scan the area, then dip back down into the trench. "Aha..." Pinkie quietly said as she trotted over to the trench and cautiously entered. She saw Pinkamena, who was now sitting in the corner of the room, facing her. She was now as small as a filly, her small mane barely passing her chin. Tears stained her cheeks as she leaned against the wall, her hooves covered in soot. "I'm gonna guess that you were the one who set the barn on fire?" Pinkie said, slightly confused by the change, but she didn't question it. "Y... yes." Pinkamena said sadly. She pulled her hind-hooves up to her chest, wrapping her fore-hooves around her hind-hooves. "Hm. Can't really blame you." Pinkie said. They both sat in silence for a moment. "Will you just let me help you?" "Why should you? I'm a terrible pony. I've lost my wings, and there's no way to get them back. You can't help me, I've ruined it." Pinkamena said as a few tears leaked from her eyes. Pinkie sighed. "Please Pinkamena. I have friends who can help." "I have. I've thought about doing this over and over again, and I want this to happen. I-I can't-- I won't sit here for another day, feeling like a helpless filly." "You need help. I'm sorry, but I won't sit by and watch you end it when you still have a chance of getting help." "There is no chance, okay?!" Pinkamena exclaimed, standing up as tears quickly rolled down her cheeks. "Who'd want to help me?! Who?!" she jumped to her hooves, tears freely flowing. "Pinkamena, the pony who's done the most evil, vile thing imaginable! Me, the murderer! Me, the irresponsible little filly! Me, the worthless, wingless Pegasus!" her words were full of pain and heartbreak. Pinkie could only sit and watch. "Why would anyone help me?! The... the flightless Pegasus..." Pinkamena's hooves trembled and gave out, collapsing to her knees. "N-Nopony would want somepony so useless... I don't deserve anypony's attention..." Pinkamena reaffirmed, more for herself than Pinkie. The wings on her back slowly began to fizzle away, each feather tearing away piece by piece until they were gone. Pinkie couldn't bear it any longer. She swiftly grabbed Pinkamena, wrapping her in a hug. "No, d-don't touch me!" "It's all right, just let it out! You're so close!" Pinkamena weakly pushed against her hooves. "I c-can't... I won't." Pinkamena said as she looked away from Pinkie. "Why?" "It's too painful..." "The only way you're gonna get rid of the pain is to face it head on. I'm here for you." Pinkie tightened her hug as gave her a warm smile. Pinkamena glanced back at Pinkie for a moment before looking away again and sighing. "Okay... j-just-- let me go." ================== Fluttershy woke up from a(thankfully) blissful sleep. She rubbed her eyes before scooting out of bed and going into the living room. She looked over to the corner of the room, where Angel and the cub were asleep on top of the pillow. He was in the same spot, except he had turned towards the cub overnight. That was so nice of him... trying to comfort her. Fluttershy looked over the cute display for a moment before heading into the kitchen. She opened up a small cabinet at the bottom of the kitchen counter, pulled out a glass, and trotted over to the sink where she proceeded to fill it. Fluttershy took a small sip out of the glass before sitting it down on the counter and going over to the refrigerator. Let's see... what should I fix for them? Fluttershy opened the refrigerator and found that most of her food had been eaten. "Hm... I need to go to the farmer's market." Fluttershy said as she shut the door and trotted into the living room. I need to get in the shower before I go. Fluttershy trotted into her room and bedroom and opened her closet, where she kept most of her towels. She grabbed one of the towels and trotted out of her bedroom and into the bathroom. ================== Marble woke up, feeling the warm dawn sunlight wash over her face. She stretched her hooves and back for a moment before straightening up in the chair. Then, she realized her something. Her face flushed. Oh no! I slept in! Marble looked around the room, seeing that all of her family was still asleep. She let out a quiet sigh of relief as her eyes returned to Maud, making sure that she kept her eyes on her. I hope father didn't wake up and find me like this in the middle of the night. Marble bounced her hind-hooves, nervous. He was up for almost two days. "No..." Marble eyes immediately jerked to where the sound originated, which was Maud's bed. "M... Maud?" Marble asked loudly. Maud didn't respond, but she let out a small groan with what sounded like pain hidden behind it. "F-father." Marble said as she gently grabbed his right fore-hoof and shook it, trying to wake it up. Instead of awaking him, Igneous snorted and moved the hoof she shook away. "Father, wake up. Maud might be awake!" Marble said as she pushed against his chest, a bit harder. "Huh? What's wrong?" Igneous said as he jolted awake. He looked around the room, scanning for anypony. "Maud just s-said something. She might have wake up soon!" Marble said excitedly. Igneous took a moment to process the statement before a small smile crept across his face. "That's... that's good." Igneous said as he leaned back into the chair with the smile still on his face. "Sh-should we go over their and m-make her wake u-up?" Marble asked, wanting to see her sister up and awake very soon. "No, dear. We should let her get up on her own. I'll be back in a moment, dear." Igneous said as he got up and trotted out into the hall. Marble became slightly saddened by the order, but she was still happy. "Okay, father." Marble said. After a minute, Igneous returned with Nurse Redheart. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention." She whispered as she entered the room in front of Igneous. "Hello, sweetheart. What was it that you heard?" Nurse Redheart asked kindly as she went over to Marble. "Well... I-I heard her say something like, 'No' and then she just groaned." "Hm..." Nurse Redheart put one of her hoof up to her chin, probably thinking about Maud's condition. "I'm probably gonna give her some pain medication and then we'll see how her condition is." Nurse Redheart said as she trotted over to Maud's I.V stand and took out the I.V bag and exchanged it for a new one. "W... will she wake up soon?" "Let's see... she's been in a metabolic coma for five days... I couldn't really tell you the exact date that she should wake up, but if she's speaking while in the said comatose state, then she's probably entering a semi-comatose state, which basically means that she'll start to enter and exit consciousness over the period of a day or two at average. At most, and there's a very unlikely chance of this, she could do this for a week." "Should come to you once she does wake up?" "Oh, yes. You should come to me or find another nurse or doctor immediately if I'm not here." "Okay. Thank you." Igneous said as he held out his hoof for her to shake. She did shake his hoof and proceeded to left the room. "That's great." Igneous said as she looked over at Maud. "Mmhm." ================== "Th-they were supposed to help me! Not hurt! Pinkie listened to Pinkamena she let go of all the years of bottled up emotion. She was balled up beside Pinkie. Pinkie combed down her messy mane. "I-I can't even begin to describe what I f-felt then... terror, pain, helplessness..." Pinkamena said as she let tears slide down her face and hit the dirt. Pinkie looked on. "I'm so sorry Pinkamena. You've been holding this in the whole time?" Pinkie asked. Pinkamena nodded slowly. "Now all I feel is anger, depression, guilt..." Pinkamena said as more tears fell from her face. "Guilt? Why are you guilty?" "Because y-you were right." Pinkamena said, her voice cracking. Her lower lip trembled as she covered her mouth. "About what?" Pinkie asked once more. "I-I did to Marble and Limestone what mother, father, and Maud did to me!" Pinkamena said, immediately going from somewhat composed to complete bawling. Now Pinkamena wasn't the only one feeling guilty. ================== Fluttershy trotted through the crowds of the farmer's market, trying to findthe Apple Family's stand. Hopefully this time things'll be better this time... After a few minutes of searching, Fluttershy found the stand and trotted up to the entrance. "Howdy, Fluttershy! What can I get'cha?" "H-hello, Applejack. C... could I grab some food for the animals?" "Of course. Just tell me what ya want and ah'll get it for ya!" Applejack said in a welcoming tone. "Okay. I-I need apples and carrots if y-you don't mind." Fluttershy said quietly. "Alright. How many do ya want each?" Applejack asked. "Um... ten each, please." Fluttershy said as she took out her bit pouch and opened it. "Alright. Ya want me ta put 'em in a basket or do ya think that ya can hold 'em in yer saddlebags?" Applejack asked as she picked up the apples and carrots and puts them on the stand in front of Fluttershy. "I-I could probably hold them in my saddle bags." "Alright, sugarcube. Well, how have ya been feelin' since ya got out of the hospital?" "Better. I-I've got to stop back by there to go the physical therapy." "Well, good. Do ya feel better now that y'all told us 'bout Pinkie?" Applejack said, this time speaking quietly. She finished sitting the fruits on the table. "Y-yes." Fluttershy said, a cold shiver going down her spine at the thought of what Pinkie did to her. "Have ya told Rainbow Dash about it?" Applejack whispered. "... No." Fluttershy said as she began to put some of the fruits in her right saddlebag. Her face flushed. "Y'all know yer gonna have ta tell her sometime." "I know... I'm just scared about how she's gonna r-react." Fluttershy said as she realized that her right saddlebag was now full of apples and decided to go to the next one. "Listen, sugarcube. Ah know that Rainbow Dash can be a bit... angry when somepony hurts ya, but she ain't gonna do anything ta hurt you." "I know." "Now, you just need ta calm yerself and work up some courage. Ah know ya can do it." Applejack said, assured of herself. "Thank you..." Fluttershy said as she managed to stuff the rest of the fruits into her saddlebag. "Yer welcome, dear. Y'all have a good day!" "Y... you too." Fluttershy said as she out of the way of Applejack's stand. Now I just need to go to the hospital and do the physical therapy... ================== Pinkie looked at Pinkamena, who was now sobbing uncontrollably. She was at a loss of words. "I..." Pinkie stuttered, trying to find something, anything to say or do that could comfort Pinkamena. "I... don't what to say except, I'm sorry." Pinkie said as she wrapped both of her hooves around Pinkamena and pulled her into a tender hug. "W... why? Why would y-you want to help somepony l-like me?" Pinkamena manage to say through her sobs as weakly tried to pull out of the hug. "I don't think you're not a bad pony." "Y-you don't?" "I know you're not bad, just hurt and scared. I'm sorry for what I said." Pinkie said as she pulled Pinkamena deeper into the hug. Pinkamena gently hugged back, growing back into a full grown mare as she smiled subtly. She felt something that she didn't even think was possible anymore. She felt loved. Welcomed, as if her presence wasn't purposeless. Unfortunately, Pinkie's hooves left Pinkamena along with the rest of her body. "Thank you..." Pinkamena quietly said, remaining in place. ================== Pinkie jolted up in the bed. She immediately hopped out of the bed and went out into the hall. I... I think I know what I need to do. ================== XII: A Request...[Part I of II]Author's Note EDIT 6/29/16: Rewrote some parts of the story, like the first person PoV, and I've written out the physical therapy in Fluttershy's parts. Felt they could've been done better at the time. Will list it as revised. XII: A Request...[Part I of II] Pinkie hastily trotted downstairs ,slinging her saddlebags onto her back and snapping around her waist. She looked over at Cheese Sandwich. He was laying on the couch, quietly playing a song on his accordion. "Cheese, I have to go back to Ponyville for awhile. I might be back either tonight or tomorrow." Pinkie said as she opened the door. "Uh... okay. Do you need me to come back with you in case Pinkamena comes?" "She won't-- trust me. I just need to go do some stuff and I'll be back before you know." Pinkie said with a smile. "Okay. Just hurry back. I've got a party this afternoon that'll be awesome!" Cheese called out as Pinkie stepped out into the humid air. "Will do! Bye!" Pinkie rushed out the door, nearly slamming it behind her as she trotted down the street, towards the exit to Las Pegasus. "Now I just need to go to Twilight... she'll now what to do." Pinkie said as she trotted pass the welcome sign, heading back to Ponyville. ================= Fluttershy's wings throbbed, sore from both the therapy and her injury. She exited the hospital, her hooves weakly keeping the pace of a normal pony. My wings... A painful bolt of pain shot up her wings and down her spine. She groaned. "Hey Flutters'. Everything cool?" Rainbow Dash floated down to in front of her, stopping beside her. Fluttershy jumped at her friends voice, then groaned again as her wings landed back to her ribs. Her face flushed, realizing she had just done the embarrassing act in public. "Gah-- sorry. I-it's nothing. Just s-sore from physical therapy." "Oh, I get it. Cool. What's it like?" "Like going to a g-gym, except just for one part of-of your body." "Sounds weird." "It is. They were just extending my wings and folding them back up for a half hour. Th-they're still sore though." "I'd bet. That was a brutal beating you took." Fluttershy's ears perked up. I haven't told her... she's standing right beside me. Oh no! "Applejack told me you might need my help with something." "S-she did?!" No! I-I can't tell her! Not yet! "Yeah." Rainbow Dash glanced up to her as they trotted down the path to Fluttershy's cottage, passing beside the Everfree Forest's treeline. "Everything cool? You sounded a bit panicked there." Fluttershy nodded, but remained quiet, trotting back down the empty path to Fluttershy's cottage. "Everything good, Fluttershy? You've been too quiet." "I-I'm just tired, really." "You want me to stay with you for a couple hours? I could--" "No!" Fluttershy immediately covered her mouth, surprised by her own outburst. Her face flustered, she turned away, using her mane to cover her reddened her face. Rainbow Dash stepped back for a moment, before trotting ahead of her. "Okay. Jeez... no need to get your tail in a knot." "S-sorry." They reached Fluttershy's house. "Okay. Here we are. I'll leave let you rest." Rainbow Dash said. She flapped her wings, causing her to ascend into the air, although slowly. No... you can't wimp out on this! You have to tell her! "Rainbow Dash, wait." Fluttershy said quickly. Rainbow Dash slowly floated down to eye level. "Yeah, Flutters'?" "C-can you come back in an hour? I need to talk to you. It's important." "'Course Fluttershy. I'll be back in no time." "Thank you." Fluttershy said. Rainbow Dash nodded, before gliding to a landing at her porch. ================= Marble Pie bounced her hind-hooves in anxiety. Only a matter of time. Be patient... Marble tried to calm herself, but her she simply couldn't contain her excitement. "Did you really see her moving around and talking?" Cloudy Quartz asked, leaning in towards Igneous Rock. "I'd love to know." "Well, I take Marble's word for it. I was asleep. Marble?" "Mm-- oh, mhmm." Marble said, staring at Maud. "That's so great! When will she wake up?" Limestone Pie paced around the room excitedly. "The nurse said there'd be no way of telling exactly when, but soon. Sometime between two days to a week." "Great. Then we can go back to the farm and everything can go back to normal." "It will, dear. I know it's been difficult here, but we'll be--" A cough escaped Maud's lips, and she began to gag. "Wha--" Igneous jumped to his hooves, trotting over to Maud's bed. "I'll go get the nurse!" Limestone Pie rushed out of the room. Marble quickly stood up and went to her side. She held her right fore-hoof as Maud shook her head from side to side, trying to shake off her breathing tube. "It's going to be all right darling. We're getting the nurse. Just hold on a little longer." Limestone rushed back into the room with Nurse Redheart close behind her. "Move, move!" Nurse Redheart ordered urgently. Igneous stepped out of her way, pulling Marble with him. Redheart quickly pulled the straps holding the breathing tube in place and pulled the mask off slowly, being careful not to hit anything important with the tube. Maud coughed hoarsely as the tube exited her mouth. Her head rested on the pillow below her, as she took in a few deep breaths. "My name is Nurse Redheart. How're you feeling?" "W... what happened?" Her voice was hoarse. Nurse Redheart lifted her left hind-hoof, only for Maud to pull away. She subtly nodded. "You're in the Ponyville hospital. You were attacked." "Where's my family?" "We're right here, darling." Igneous said. He lifted his right fore-hoof as he trotted to her right bedside. Maud's face distorted into a slight grimace. "Is everypony all right?" "Everypony's okay. We're just glad you're awake." Igneous said, leaning down and kissing her forehead. "Everything looks good. I'll leave you all to catch up." Nurse Redheart trotted out of the room. Limestone and Marble rushed up to their sister, with Marble almost pouncing on her and wrapping her in a hug. ================= Pinkie welcomed the cool air outside of Las Pegasus. She trotted pass the rest area outside of Ponyville, still determined as ever to get there. W... what are you planning to do? Are you going let me have my peace now? Sort of. I'm going to do something even better. What? You'll see. I'd rather keep it a surprise. You're going to love this. I Pinkie Promise. Oh, okay. I... I trust you. ================= Fluttershy opened the door to the cottage and entered her house, allowing Rainbow Dash to trot in before her. She trotted towards the kitchen, noting that Angel had woken up and was sat down on the couch, sitting at the far right. "Just make yourself comfortable. I'll be back in couple minutes. Just need to feed the animals." Fluttershy said as she trotted by him. Angel waved over at her from the couch. The cub was still laying on the pillow. She went over to the counter and sat her saddlebags down andd began to take out the fruits and vegetables that she had brought. Angel hopped into the kitchen and onto the counter. He picked up one of the carrots and began to nibble at the tip of it. "Hello, sweetie. How are you?" Fluttershy asked quietly. Angel rolled his eyes at "sweetie" and shrugged his shoulders. "How is the cub?" Fluttershy asked. Angel looked at her for a moment before shaking his head. "Oh. Not good?" Fluttershy said as she finished her left saddlebag and went to the next. Angel shook his head. "Well... what do you think I should make for breakfast?" Fluttershy asked. Angel shrugged his shoulders and broke off another piece of the carrot and nibbled from it. "Please don't eat too much. I'll have lunch ready in a while." Fluttershy said. Angel rolled his eyes and jumped down from the counter. I could fix some carrot stew. Fluttershy trotted to her sink, grabbing the cleaned pot out of it and filling it halfway with water. She trotted over to the stove and cut it on, setting it down on the burner. "Okay. Just need to find that cook book again." ================= Maud Pie guzzled down the cup of water greedily, held up by Marble Pie. She pulled the cup away once it was empty. "Thank you." Maud said as she took in a deep breath. "You're feeling all right, darling?" "I do now. What happened?" "We were... a-attacked at night by somepony. Don't worry, everypony's okay. We were worried about you the most." "Do we know who did it?" "Er..." Cloudy Quartz trailed off. "We'll explain once you're well enough to get home, darling. Right now, just rest and focus on getting better." Maud nodded as she leaned back, resting her head against the pillow. ================= Fluttershy dipped a wooden spoon into the pot and tasted the carrot stew. The sweet and savory flavor was just perfect. "That should be good." Fluttershy said as she swallowed the rest of the stew. She took out six bowls(one for each group of animals) and filled each of them up halfway to the brim. Fluttershy picked up one of the bowls and brought it to Angel, who was now sitting in front of the pillow the cub was laying down on. Angel picked up the bowl and began to bite into one of the carrot slices. "Do you like it?" Fluttershy asked. Angel looked up at her and shrugged his shoulders, but he couldn't help but crack a small smile from delight. Fluttershy trotted back into the kitchen and returned with another bowl. She sat it in front of the cub. The cub didn't even acknowledge she or Angel was was there. "All right you two, I'm going to be meeting with Rainbow Dash. It's important, and I have to tell her this. I promise I'll be back soon." Fluttershy told them. Angel nodded. The cub still didn't acknowledge her existence. Fluttershy trotted outside, sitting down on her porch and waiting for Rainbow Dash to show up. I have to do this... I have to do this! ================= Pinkie looked over at the oak filled tree line near the Ponyville city limits. She was anxious, but she still wouldn't stop for anything. We're almost there, Pinkamena. Be prepared. O-okay... ================= "Okay, you'll fall into and out of conscious for the next few days. However, I'll need to check the physical condition of your hind-hoof more thoroughly either today or tomorrow." "Okay." Maud simply said, sitting up in her bed and staring at Nurse Redheart. I hope she'll be okay. Marble rubbed her fore-hooves against her hind-hooves. It's so exciting to see her up already. Maybe it's a good sign? "Well, I'll give you all some privacy." Nurse Redheart said as she trotted towards the exit. "Okay. Thank you." Igneous said. Marble felt some tension in the room as Nurse Redheart left. Maud sighed. "So... could we go over this? I'm still having a hard time understanding." "Yes, dear." Igneous moved over to Maud's bedside, standing between her and Cloudy. They whispered, making it near-impossible for Marble to hear them. "Pinkie... attacked... wings..." What? I can't be hearing it correctly. "... was in a coma for five days, and now I may never trot correctly again." Maud finished, letting out a deep sigh. Igneous nodded somberly. Cloudy held her right fore-hoof. "It'll be all right darling. Everything will be perfectly fine." "Yes, dear. We will endure it." "Okay..." Maud said, trying to lean up, before her fore-hooves gave out and she fell back to her bed. Igneous held her right fore-hoof and pushed her up with his right fore-hoof. "There. Lean up a little bit and I'll put the bed set up a higher so you're sitting." "Okay. Thank you." Maud said. Igneous pushed the upper part of the bed set up. Her blanket fell from her chest as she leaned back. "There you go dea-" Father stopped immediate, looking at her chest. Cloudy gasped as she covered her mouth with both hooves. Igneous was standing in front of her. "What?" Marble and Maud asked simultaneously. "Uh-- no- nothing darling. Don't come over here." Limestone stood up and trotted beside father. "Who the hay--?!" Limestone backed away for a moment, almost in shock. "Horseapples!" She kicked the chair to the right of Marble. Marble stood up and trotted over to Maud, realizing why everypony was acting so strangely. There was a small pair of wings carved into my chest. The carvings had become scabbed, making it look slightly grotesque. There was a small message under the wings reading. YOU MADE ME THIS WAY ================= Pinkie read the small welcome sign as she passed into Ponyville. She sighed as a wave of good memories was released into her brain. "This is it." Pinkie said to herself as she trotted into the town. Soon after, she would be in the middle of the town-square. Her heart raced as she trotted towards the Golden Oaks Library. I need to do this. For your and my sake. Pinkie anxiously trotted towards the home of Twilight Sparkle. She reached for the door, only to hesitate and back off. What if she calls the guards? You have to try. Please... Pinkie sighed, trying to relax herself. She reached for the door, this time knocking. Movement shuffled around from behind the door, as somepony stopped in front of the door. The door slowly opened. "Hello? How can I-?!" The door opened. Pinkie and Twilight were now face to face. "Uh... hi." Pinkie said nervously. ================= XIII:... Answered[Part II of II]Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.XIV: DecisionsThirty Minutes Later Pinkie Pie impatiently tapped her fore-hooves against the dirt as she sat on a bench outside of the Golden Oaks Library. Twilight was sitting beside her, patiently reading a book she'd gotten out of her library. "Come on... when are they gonna be here?" Pinkie asked. "They'll be here soon, Pinkie." Twilight said as she flipped through a page in the book. "How soon? I can't wait here for much longer..." "Soon. Just please be patient." Twilight said. "Ugh... sorry. Bored" Pinkie groaned as she tried to find something to preoccupy her. "Why don't you go grab a bite to eat? Or you can read something from the library. Your choice." Twilight suggested as she flipped through to another page. "Where? I can't go back to the Sugarcube Corner... not after what Pinkamena did..." "Are you sure? We've managed to keep this whole thing under wraps for the moment. The only ponies who knows outside of the Elements is Princess Celestia and a few doctors at the hospital." "Y... you think I could go in there and talk with the Cakes for awhile?" I haven't talked to them since before I left. They're going to be so angry. But I miss them. "Of course. Go ahead. I'll come get you when the carriage arrives." "All right. Thank you." Pinkie said as she got up from the bench and trotted towards Sugarcube Corner. ============== Fluttershy bounced her hind-hooves against the floor as Rainbow Dash sipped from her can of soda. "You don't have to worry, y'know. I'm gonna be fine with whatever you tell me." Rainbow Dash said. Fluttershy nodded, and rubbed her fore-head. "S-sorry. I'm just really nervous a-about it." "It's all right. Just tell me what's wrong at your own pace." Fluttershy let out a trembling breath, before staring back up to Rainbow Dash. "I-I think-- um... I think I-I'm ready to tell you who a-attacked me." Rainbow Dash coughed, choking on her soda for a moment. She washed it down with another gulp and sat it on the table to her right before she sat up. "Okay. When you're ready." Fluttershy released another shaky breath, trying to steady her nerves. "Y-you have to promise you won't be angry." "Why?" "Just please" Fluttershy said. Rainbow Dash nodded and lifted her right fore-hoof. "I promise I won't be angry, no matter what you say." "Thank you." Fluttershy relaxed for a moment, straightening up her posture. "The pony who attacked me was--" Fluttershy abruptly stopped. I have to... I have to. You can and will do this! "It's all right. Everything good here. You're safe." Fluttershy nodded. "The pony who attacked me was Pinkie Pie." Tears stung Fluttershy's eyes as her face flushed. "Who?" Fluttershy remained silent. I-I can't! Rainbow Dash put her right fore-hoof on Fluttershy's right shoulder. "We're safe here. I promise that no pony'll hurt you. You know I'll give them a good run if they'd try to hurt us." Rainbow Dash said, chuckling at the end. Fluttershy nodded, taking another trembling breath before staring back at Rainbow Dash. "The pony that hurt me was... P-Pinkie Pie." A tear rolled down Fluttershy's cheek. Rainbow Dash stared at her for a moment, her ears dropping to head. She stared at her in shock, almost disbelief. "Wait-- like, our Pinkie Pie?!" Fluttershy nodded. "I-I'm sorry." "No... no, don't be." Rainbow Dash stood up. "I'm sorry Flutters', but I'll be back in a couple minutes." "W-where're you going?" "I'm going to keep my promise." Rainbow Dash said, an undertone of anger in her voice. She stepped outside onto Fluttershy's porch before flapping her wings, ascending her into the air. ============== Pinkie trotted up to the Sugarcube Corner. She trotted to the side of the building, out of the sight of the windows. "What are they gonna say? Are they gonna be mad?" Pinkie asked herself. I didn't even give them a reason why I was leaving or even let them know. "I'll never know unless I trot in... what's the worst that could happen?" Pinkie said to herself. She took in a deep breath and entered Sugarcube Corner. "Welcome to the Sugarcube Corner! How my I-" Mr. Cake stopped as he noticed her. "Pinkie? Where have you been?!" Mr. Cake asked as he went out from behind the counter, rushed over to her, and wrapped her into a tight hug. "Uh... I just needed a bit of time to myself." Pinkie said as she returned the hug. "Sorry I couldn't let you and Mrs. Cake know before. Something came up out of the blue." "Me and Cup were really worried about you. After the second day, we were about to go get the guards. Thank goodness your friend Twilight stopped us near town square and showed us that note of yours." Mr. Cake said as he released Pinkie. "Yeah. Now that I think about it... I was gone for like almost a week. Maybe two." Pinkie chuckled laughed and rubbed the back of her head. "Don't worry. I understand." Mr. Cake said with a smile. "Oh, wait! Let me go get Cup! She'll so be happy to see you. I'll be back in a minute." Mr. Cake said as he trotted back behind the counter and went into the kitchen. Pinkie patiently waited for Mr. Cake to return with Mrs. Cake. "What do you mean, 'somepony's here to see you'? Who? Why is it so important?" Mr. and Mrs. Cake return to the front counter. Mrs. Cake looked over at Pinkie. "Hello, dearie." Mrs. Cake said as she stepped out and stood in front of Pinkie. "Hi." Mrs. Cake wrapped Pinkie in a hug. "Where have you been? What happened? Are you all right?" She said, releasing her. "I'm fine, Mrs. Cake." "Why'd you have to go?" "Some stuff happened at my family farm. They needed me." "Why couldn't you have told us before? We were so worried." "Sorry. I lost track of time and couldn't stop by here." Pinkie said. "Th-they really needed me." Mrs. Cake looked her over, staring at her directly in the eyes, as if she was trying to decipher something. "Dearie, you know you shouldn't lie." Pinkie sighed, realizing she had been caught out. "Sorry. I'll explain what really happened..." ============== Fluttershy sat quietly, awaiting Rainbow Dash's return. Angel Bunny was sat beside her, chewing on a small piece of a carrot stick. She gently ran the tip of her right fore-hoof across his fur, going over his tail. "I-I could've worded it better. Or warned her." Fluttershy noted. Angel kept chewing on the carrot, seemingly ignoring her. "Now she's probably angry..." I hope Pinkie doesn't come back to Ponyville any time soon. Otherwise Rainbow Dash'll-- Fluttershy's front door opened, and Rainbow Dash stepped through. A piece of a cloud was tangled in her mane. "Sorry. I needed that." RD said, pulling the cloud and tossing it. She sat down beside Fluttershy. "H-how're you feeling?" "Better now." Rainbow Dash said as she released a breath. "So, let me get this straight." "Pinkie Pie-- our Pinkie Pie tried to kill you?" Fluttershy nodded hesitantly. "Horsefeathers..." She cursed under her breath. "She'd better not come back to Ponyville. Otherwise--" Rainbow Dash stopped herself, realizing she was scaring Fluttershy. She sighed. "Sorry. I think I'll go. I need some time to myself." Rainbow Dash stood up. "I'll see you tomorrow, Flutters'." She trotted out the front door, shutting it behind her. Fluttershy sighed. "That could've gone better..." ============== "-And then the pony kept hurting me, so I decided to go to Las Pegasus to stay with Cheese Sandwich for awhile." Pinkie said, finishing her explanation. She told them a similar story to the one she told Cheese. "Why didn't you tell us?" "I was scared that she might find out and hurt me more." "You know that you could've told us, dearie. We would've helped you." "Sorry." "It's all right dear. All that matters is that you're home and safe." Mr. Cake said. Dink Dink Dink Pinkie and the Cakes looked back at the window and saw Twilight motioning for Pinkie to come out. "Uh... actually... Twilight needs me to do something for her." Pinkie said, trying to excuse herself for the moment. "Couldn't you stay for a little while? The twins missed you." "I'm sorry, Mrs. Cake. I'd love to, really, but Twilight needs me to do this thing. But I promise once I get back, I'm yours for the next few weeks." "All right... go ahead." Mrs. Cake said as Mr. Cake nodded. "Thank you. I'll see you both later." Pinkie said as she trotted towards the exit. "Oh, and Pinkie?" "Yes, Mr. Cake?" "Please, let us know if somepony's hurting you next time. We'll go to the guards." "Yeah." "I will. Thank you." Pinkie said as she exited. Took you long enough... Do you want your wings back or not? Sorry... just-- really excited. "They're here." Twilight said as she trotted over to Pinkie. "I figured." "Okay. Follow me." Twilight said as she trotted back towards the Golden Oaks Library. After they turned the corner, they saw a royal carriage. The carriage had a circular cab with the outside being white with golden engravings entwining with each other at the top with a diamond placed on the top. The wheels were a light shade of purple with more golden engravings circling to the middle. In the front of the carriage, there were two of the royal guards standing beside the entrance to the cab. The view to the inside of the cab was blocked by two red sheets of fabric draping over the entrance. "Princess Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie, we have been sent by Princess Celestia to bring you to Canterlot." "Thank you." Twilight said. She and Pinkie trotted towards the carriage, the guard having already opened it for them. Pinkie and Twilight stepped inside, sitting on the opposite side of each other. "Hopefully we'll get there soon." "We'll get there soon enough." ============== One Hour Later Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle stepped out into the warm sun, just dipping under the tip of Canterlot Castle. She and Twilight rushed into the castle, stepping over the draw-bridge and into the castle. They passed by numerous unicorns and guards as they entered the palace. A mare servant stepped in front of them as they entered. "Excuse me Princess Twilight, Pinkie Pie? I need you two to follow me. Princess Celestia wants you to meet her in her private room." The servant said as she bowed. "Okay. Lead the way." "Of course, your highness." The servant turned and trotted down a hallway to the right. "Princess Celestia has a private room?" Pinkie whispered as they followed the guards. "Yes. She goes their when she has the time to relax, but that isn't very often. She also uses it as a planning room, but she just usually uses her bedroom for that." Twilight whispered as they turned a corner. "Cool..." After a moment of trotting, the servant stopped at a large, wooden door. She opened the door and motioned for them to enter. "We've arrived, your highness. You may enter." She said, bowing. "Oh, thank you." Twilight said as she entered the room. Pinkie followed behind with the servant. The servant shut the door behind them. The room's design was stunning; there was a small chandelier hanging over a large, round, marble table with six wooden chairs around it, the flooring was made up a red carpet, there were two wooden chairs sitting a few feet away from a fireplace(where the flooring was marble around the fireplace), and four bookshelves near the two wooden chairs. Celestia was standing in front of one of the bookshelves, seemingly looking for a book to read. "Princess Celestia, Princess Twilight and Pinkie Pie have arrived." The servant said as she bowed. "Thank you. You may leave." Princess Celestia said in a serious tone. The servant nodded and trotted out, shutting the door behind the door. She looked down at them. I'm so anxious... I am too. Do you think she'll give my wings back? I don't know, Pinkamena. I just don't know. Princess Celestia's demeanor was very serious. "Now, Princess Twilight, what is this urgent matter that you wanted to speak with me about?" ============== Author's Note I kinda switched up the scene that I hinted at in the last chapter. I felt that this scene would be a bit better for the story. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. XV: An OrderTwilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, and Princess Celestia sat at the table, Princess Celestia taking the chair at the head, with Twilight and Pinkie sitting at the two chairs at the foot of the table, sitting across from each other. The only sound inside the room was the "So, Twilight, what was it you wanted to discuss with me?" "Uh... well, you see, Pinkie has a... a favor of sorts to ask you..." "What sort of favor is it? Did Gummy chew up your notes again?" Princess Celestia joked, trying to ease the tension in the room. Pinkie chuckled under her breath, and relaxed. "No, it's not like that." Twilight said, giggling. Princess Celestia subtly grinned. "All right. What is it that you wanted then, Pinkie?" "Well... Twilight said she's been telling you about what's happened." "She has... however, I doubt that you would actually do that. Although, I will remain unbiased. So, I guess you're going to explain why?" "Well... you see, there's this pony called Pinkamena who did those things... and a lot of other things." "All right? Why didn't you bring this pony with you?" Princess Celestia asked. Pinkie tapped her fore-hooves against each other, circling around the outside. "S-she's kind of already here." Pinkie said. Princess Celestia looked down at her with one of her eyebrows raised, a bit confused. She turned to Twilight. "Is this true?" She asked. Twilight nodded. "I've seen her go from Pinkie in one minute to a stranger in the next." "S-she regrets going after Fluttershy." "What about your parents? Or your sister-- Maud?" "No." Pinkamena's hair suddenly deflated, falling to the right side of her face. Wait, what're you doing? Telling her the truth. "Why not Pinki- Pinkamena?" "Because they're the whole reason I'm like this in the first place. They're the reason why I attacked Fluttershy out of blind rage. I will never forgive them for that." "Wait-- what happened? Twilight?" Princess Celestia turned to Twilight. Twilight shook her head. "They took my wings. They chopped--" Pinkamena's voice trembled and cracked, her eyes stinging. She stared back up at Princess Celestia, her hooves trembling. "They chopped off my wings while I was still awake. Without any medicine. For not doing my bucking job at my farm." Princess Celestia magically grasped a small napkin, and lifted it to Pinkamena's cheeks, wiping her tears away. "I am so sorry, my little pony. No filly deserved to feel that." "Y-yeah... I-I had to-- I needed to get rid of the helplessness-- the fear of what happened. You have to understand." "I do, but that doesn't necessarily me I think it's right." "Will yo-you give me my wings, princess?" "You realize I could be making a huge mistake by letting you roam free throughout the streets of Equestria? How should I trust you?" "Honestly, you shouldn't, your highness. But I'd be indebted to you forever." Princess Celestia turned away. "Pinkamena, leave the room. Twilight and I must discuss some things." Pinkamena nodded and trotted towards the exit, stepping out. Her body stiffened as Pinkie regained control. What the hay was that?! ================== That went better than I expected. I know she's still mad, but I'm glad she thought on me enough to not freak out in front of me... Fluttershy looked over at Angel Bunny and the cub. Angel had eaten through his carrot stew and now was lying down on the pillow, taking a nap. The cub had barely acknowledged anything around her. She didn't even touch her stew. Maybe I should check on her and make sure she's okay. Fluttershy got up from the couch and trotted over to the pillow, being careful not to wake Angel or the cub(if she was asleep). She tapped on the cub's ribs, making sure not to hurt it. The cub slightly jumped and looked up at Fluttershy with a slight smile on her face, but the smile quickly turned into a frown, and the cub laid back down the pillow. "Are you okay, little one? I'm sorry that I woke you up..." Fluttershy said. The cub didn't acknowledge her and continued to lay there. "L-look, I'm gonna pick you up, ok? Is that alright with you?" Fluttershy asked. The cub still didn't acknowledge her. She picked up the cub, finding out it was dead-weighting her. "O-okay..." Fkuttershy said as she picked up the cub put it on her back. She trotted back over to the couch and sat the cub down gently before sitting down by it. "So, how do you feel?" Fluttershy asked. The cup emitted a low moan and turned away from Fluttershy. "I-I'm sorry that your mother." Fluttershy trailed off as she heard a small whimper escape the cub. I... I can't imagine what that poor creature is going through... I would've been devastated if that was my mom. Or either of my parents for that matter.. Fluttershy picked up the cub and wrapped in a hug. "I'm so sorry." Fluttershy said as she slowly began to rock the cub in her arms as the cub began to let out a few tears our and sniffled. ================== Pinkie Pie stood in the hall, waiting for Princess Celestia to call them back in. Her mane had reinflated, and was as messy as ever. Why the hay didn't you warn me? I would've willingly let you take control if you'd have asked. It was impulse, okay? I refuse to be made out to be an evil pony while my parents did that to me. I know... but just give a bit of a more heads up next time. Suddenly, the door to Princess Celestia's private room opened. "Okay, you can come in now." Twilight said as she poked her head out from behind the door. Pinkie entered Princess Celestia's private room, . "Please shut the door, Twilight." "Okay, Princess Celestia." Twilight said as she did as she was ordered. Princess Celestia let out a sigh before addressing them. "I have made my decision." "Okay, Princess Celestia. W... what is your decision?" Pinkie asked, a bit anxious. Come on... come on... say yes already! "I hate to say that... I can't allow her to be back into society." Princess Celestia said in a serious tone. W... what? Pinkie's body stiffened, as Pinkamena took control. Her hair deflated once more, returning to the same side. "No... please. I have nothing without them. Please, just g-give me a chance!" Pinkamena said, standing up. "I'm sorry, but the risk is too great." "W-what do you want me to do?! I'll do anything! Please!" "I can't talk to you like this. Calm down and I'll explain." "Please!" Pinkamena was in panic mode. Her heart was pounding. This was her one and only chance to get her wings back. "Pinkamena, please calm down or I'll have my guards take you to the dungeon to cool down." Pinkamena hesitantly nodded, sitting down with trembling hooves. "Now, please allow me to explain." ================== A few Minutes Later Pinkamena trotted with the guards, too weakened and saddened to fight back.. "P-please... I just want them back. Please?" Twilight glanced away, seeing her dear friend's body being taken to the dungeon in Canterlot. Calm down, Pinkamena! You aren't helping our situation! This is my only opportunity... I have to get it right this time. We could find another way! How?! I-I don't know, but we could find another way! The guards entered into a small, wooden door that looked like it had been there for decades that entered into a small room that somehow was able to fit six cells into the room. The dungeon walls were made up mainly of old, cracked stone bricks and the floor was mainly made up of scuffed stone. Cobwebs where almost everywhere in the room. It obviously wasn't used very often. One of the guards opened the cell nearest to them and sat Pinkamena inside it. They slammed the door shut and locked it before Pinkamena even had the chance to get up. Pinkamena sighed sadly, trotting over to the right wall and sitting, tears rolling down her cheeks. Pinkamena, stop. We're going to be fine. "I just blew my only shot..." She repeated to herself. "I'm never going to get my wings back." Tears stung her eyes. "The princess will see you when she is ready." One of the guards said as they left the room, shutting and locking the door behind them. Pinkamena sighed, allowing her head to hang between her hooves. How could I be so foolish... We'll find another way Pinkamena, I promise. I knew it was too good to be true. Calm down! There's a still chance of you still getting them back. Just calm down. "Could you let me in there? I-I need to talk to the pony that you just put in there." "Okay, your highness. But I need to watch to make sure nothing happens." "I'm fine with that. I just really need to speak with her." Creaakkk Pinkamena looked over at the and saw that Twilight and a guard had entered. "You have to calm down. For both yours and Pinkie's sake. You almost had a panic attack in there." Twilight said. Pinkamena nodded in acknowledgement "I'm sorry... but I'll do whatever it takes... even if I live for a few moments after getting my wings back and a few moment less to fly, it'd be better than living the rest of my life without them..." Pinkamena said as she felt her eyes sting with tears. "Look, maybe there's another thing that you could try?" Twilight said. Pinkamena let out a snarl. "I have. Nothing else peaked my interests beside flying." "I-I don't know what to say." "Yeah... you get used to it after awhile." Pinkamena said as tears began to roll down her cheeks. The guard turned his head and looked outside of the dungeon. He stepped over as if somepony was going to enter. "Pinkie- or Pinkamena, please listen to us." Princess Celestia said as she trotted into the dungeon. Pinkamena looked back at her and gave her an angry stare. "You must understand why I'm not going to give you your wings back." "I do. I'm only ask for a chance. Please..." "I can't. You are dangerous and I can't allow you to attack anymore innocent ponies." Princess Celestia said. Tears began to pour down Pinkamena's face. "W... what do I need to do?" "You see, I don't know if there is anything you can do. I'm going to be frank when I say this; you've brutally attacked your family with no relent and show more remorse for it. I'm willing and able to give back your wings, but you seem unstable and volatile." "Please! I'll do anything!" Pinkamena pleaded. She got down on her knees. Princess Celestia stared at her for a moment, before sighing and staring back at her. "I'm willing to give you a chance, but you must prove that you've changed to me." "I'll do anything! Just say the word!" "Twilight and I will discuss what you need to do. Twilight, please come with me." "Okay princess." ================== A Few Hours Later Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle entered the dungeon, making Pinkamena's eyes eagerly jolt towards them. "Hello." "We've come to a conclusion of what we think you need to do..." "W... what is it?" "You need to apologize to your victims. Everypony, including your parents." Princess Celestia said. Pinkie remained silent, frustrated with the last part. "Four royal guards will accompany you to make sure you don't try anything. You have a week to complete this task." ================== Author's Note The next chapter will be the last... Let's see if Pinkamena will do her task to get her wings back... XVI: EndgameOne Day Later Pinkamena trotted down the small, dusty path to Fluttershy's cottage surrounded by four royal guards and Twilight Sparkle. She sighed, angry with the guards constantly having an eye on her. Bucking lap dogs. I can do this without them watching me. You've hurt her before. Why shouldn't they? Because I actually feel bad for hurting her. I didn't have the right to do it. My rage got to me. Still, they can't know if you're lying or not. I guess. "We're here." "Hm... yeah..." Pinkamena said as she noticed that they were outside of the the cottage. "I'm going to tell her what's going on... and I'm and the royal guard are going to be watching you intently, so it'd be in your best interest for you not to try anything to hurt her. And please don't try to intimidate her." Twilight said as she trotted up to the door. "I promise. I'd lift my right fore-hoof if I could." "I hope so. For your sake." Twilight said as she knocked on the door. After a moment, the door opened and a buttercup pony stepped in front of the doorway. "Oh, h-hello Twilight. What's..." Fluttershy noticed Pinkamena and the royal guards almost immediately. "U-uh, Twilight, I-I'm sorry, but I've got to do s-something and I-I can't talk right now, bye!" Fluttershy said as she stepped back and slammed the door in Twilight face. "Horseapples... is she really that scared?" Twilight knocked on the door again. "Twilight, I-I'm sorry, but I really c-can't talk right now!" "Fluttershy, let me in. I'll just come in, okay? No guards, no Pinkie, just me and me alone." Twilight said kindly, trying to ease Fluttershy into letting her inside. "O-okay..." After a moment, the door slightly cracked. Twilight trotted inside and shut the door behind herself. Poor Fluttershy... she's so scared. Horsefeathers. I feel so bad... I'm glad. I told you weren't a bad pony. No-- I still am for even letting myself get that angry. I'm not a good pony. But you're apologizing to her! You're even going to say sorry to mom and dad! I'm not even sure I'll do it... they're never going to be my parents. Not after today, not ever. You have to, Pinkie. Even if it's the smallest, tiniest apology, it has to be done. Pinkamena sighed. You're right... I have to. Just for Marble and Limestone. That's the spirit. Even if it's just to them... Creak Twilight peaked her head out of the door. "Okay, I think she's ready now. I want you all to keep an eye on her." Twilight said as she pointed to Pinkamena. "Yes, your highness." The guards said one after another. "Now Pinkamena, come here and apologize. And if you so much as lift your hoof to her, I'll stop you and take you back to Canterlot immediately." Twilight threatened. "You won't have to worry about me with her, trust me." Pinkamena trotted up onto the front porch and into the house. "U-uh, Twilight... I-I don't feel comfortable being here... with her..." Fluttershy's hooves were quivering, barely able to hold her own weight out of sheer fear. "It's all right. The royal guard is here to protect us, and Pinka- Pinkie isn't going to do anything, aren't you?" Twilight said as she trotted to Fluttershy and stared at Pinkamena. "Pinkamena, is there anything you want to say to Fluttershy?" Twilight said, hinting for Pinkamena to say sorry. "Yes. I'm so sorry for what I did. It was out of my own blind rage and I shouldn't have done it." Pinkamena said. Fluttershy's hooves continued to quivered, still terrified of her. "I promise you'll never have to see me again. We'll just... go." Pinkamena turned away, taking a step towards the porch. "W-wait." Pinkamena turned back to her. "I... I j-just need some time, okay? I-I'll for-forgive you eventually. I j-just can't be around you right now." Fluttershy burrowed her into her mane. Thank goodness. "Okay... thank you. Really." Pinkamena said. Fluttershy nodded. "Fluttershy, thank you for being brave enough to do this and taking the time to do this. I'd really love to stay, but Pinkie has more ponies to apologize to." "Okay. G-goodbye, Twi'." "Bye, Fluttershy." Twilight said as she and Pinkamena trotted outside. Grrr Pinkamena looked back at the inside of Twilight's cottage(the origin of growl) and saw the cub was standing in a defensive position. "D-don't do anything, little one. S-she said she was sorry." Fluttershy said, trying to calm the cub. The cub still looked at her angry, but somehow managed not to pounce on her. "Let's just go to the hospital and I'll apologize to my parents." Pinkamena turned away, trotting away from the cub. "I'll see you later, Flutters'." Twilight said as she, the guards, and Pinkmena continued to trot away. ================ Limestone Pie sat down beside Marble Pie, who was now sitting in one of the chairs at the side of the hospital room. Maud Pie was lying back on the bed, staring at the ceiling, as if she was in some sort of a trance. Cloudy Quartz was talking with Igneous Rock about something that Marble couldn't hear. "Hey, Marble." Marble nodded, subtly and gently waving to her. "So, what is going on with you?" Marble shrugged her shoulders, glancing back to Maud before going back to her sister. "I'm bored." Limestone yawned, leaning back in the chair. "Wish they had more things to do at the hospital. We'd usually be in the fields at this time of the day." "Mmhm." "Marble?" "Mhmm?" Marble mumbled. Limestone glanced over to Maud for a moment to make sure she was still staring at the ceiling(which she was). "Do you think Maud's hoof will be all right?" Limestone whispered "I-I hope so." "Same. I guess we shouldn't worry too much about it unless the nurse tells us otherwise. Y'know, I was--" Knock Knock Knock Marble and Limestone looked over to the entrance to the hospital room, the origin of the sound. "I'll be back in a moment." Igneous said to Cloudy. He trotted over to the door and opened it. "Oh, hello again." Igneous said as he moved out of the way of the door and let Nurse Redheart in. She was holding a folded up wheelchair under her right shoulder. "Hello. Maud, I need you to come with me." Nurse Redheart said as she trotted over to Maud's bedside and sat the wheelchair down beside her, unfolding it in the process. Maud responded with silence. "Maudline?" Nurse Redheart asked as she waved her right fore-hoof above Maud's eyes. Maud blinked and looked up at her. "Oh, sorry. What is it that you said?" Maud said. The nurse began to unhook her from all the tubes and machines. "I need you to come with me. We've got to check on the condition of your hoof today, remember?" Nurse Redheart said. "Yes. Let me just..." Maud trailed off as she leaned up and sat down the said of the bed, letting her hind-hooves fall off the bed. "Let me help you." Igneous said as he trotted over to Maud and prepared to catch her if she were to fall off the bed and wasn't able to catch herself with her hooves. Maud cautiously put her hind-hooves down on the ground and slid off the bed. Her hooves quivered for a moment and buckled. She would've fallen as well if Igneous and Nurse Redheart hadn't been there to catch them. "Okay. Help me put her in the wheelchair, sir." Nurse Redheart said. Igneous nodded and began to lift her up and put her into the chair. "Okay. I'm going to come with you." "That's fine, sir. Just follow me." Nurse Redheart said as she rolled Maud outside of the room. Igneous followed behind. Hopefully she'll be all right... I'm so worried. ================ Pinkamena looked towards the hospital. The guards surrounded her, making her near-impossible to see her unless they allowed the passing ponies to look, which they didn't. Can't believe this... I'm having to apologize to the ponies who made me this way. Just don't think about it and get it over with. Don't get yourself worked up. I'll try, but I can't make any promises. Pinkamena and the group reached the hospital entrance and stopped. "Could I go in alone on this one?" "Uh... I can't allow that." "This one is a bit more... personal. Besides, if I'd escape and get out of doing this, I won't get my wings. I'd be losing more than I would be gaining." Pinkamena reasoned. "I'm coming with you and waiting outside of the room." "Fine." Pinkamena said. Twilight pointed to her hooves. The guards, seemingly knowing what she meant by it, removed the chains binding her hooves. Pinkamena rolled her hooves for a moment before entering the hospital "Please wait out here for a while. I can stop her if she tries anything" Twilight said as she followed Pinkamena into the hospital. "Yes, your highness." The guards said almost simultaneously. "Thank you." Twilight said as she entered the hospital and hastily trotted towards Pinkamena. "-Yeah, I'm apart of the family. What room are they in?" Pinkamena said impatiently to the mare behind the desk. "Let's see... they're in room 18." The mare said behind the desk. Pinkamena nodded to her and trotted towards a hallway filled with doors to different rooms. "I'm with her. Thanks." Twilight said as she followed Pinkamena. It wasn't hard, because Pinkamena was trotting slowly, as if she doesn't want to do this(which she doesn't). "Why are you trying to get away from me?" Twilight said as she caught up to Pinkamena. "I'm angry... and I'm trying not to lose my composure." "Because you have to apologize to them?" "No. Because I'm having to apologize to the people who put me into this position in the first place. Didn't Pinkie tell you what those monsters did to me?" Pinkamena said as she looked away. "Yes, but you can't just stay mad at them forever. They're your parents and your sister." "Why shouldn't I? Must I remind you that they took away my wings in the first place?! They will never be my parents!" Pinkamena exclaimed. Twilight remained silent for a moment. "I'm sure they didn't enjoy doing it." "Oh yeah?! Then you're saying that it's fine for my family and my sister to chop off my wings, ruin my life as long as they feel bad?!" Pinkamena said as she turned towards Twilight and looked over at Twilight. "No, of course not! I'm not saying that it's okay! It was a terrible thing to do! But you have to understand that it'd be really hard for somepony to enjoy doing that to anypony unless they're as evil and cruel as Queen Chrysalis or King Sombra." Twilight said. Pinkamena stared at her directly in the eyes before turning away and trotting over to a door and looking up at a small, gold-colored plate with something engraved into it. 18 Pinkamena sighed. "Twilight, please. Don't make me do this..." Pinkamena said quietly, trying not to alert her family inside the room that she was there. "I... you need to forgive them and they need to forgive you. This needs to happen." Twilight said sympathetically. Pinkamena sighed, trying to calm her nerves. Her heart raced as she grabbed the door handle, but stopped. You can do this, Pinkamena. I... I wish I could say the same. Pinkamena pushed down on the door knob and opened the door, seeing her mother and two younger sisters, talking about something. "Hello dear. How's-" Cloudy stopped talking as she turned her head and saw exactly who she was talking to. Marble and Limestone looked over to Pinkamena, as if they had seen a ghost. "P-Pinkie..." Cloudy managed to force out. "Where've you been? Father said he had--" "You'd better stay away from them." Cloudy said, sitting up.. "I'm not here to hurt anypony, I just want to talk, okay?" "Fine... what do you want to speak with us about?" "Well, originally, I just wanted to pop in and apologize, but know, due to some unwanted advise, here I am for a while." "Okay... that still doesn't answer my question." Cloudy pointed out. Pinkamena sighed. "I want to talk about what happened." "Wait, what's there to talk about?" "What is there to talk about? You attacked us, we ended up in the hospital, and that's where we are right now." "I mean, what did it feel like? How did it feel?" "W-what is she--" "I... I don't think you have the right ask me for that." "Oh, but I think I do. Especially after what you all did to me." PInkamena said as she turned her face away from her mother. She wiped her mane outside of her face, revealing her tear filled eyes. Cloudy's face became visibly paler. "W... what are you talking about?" Cloudy asked, a bit scared. "Oh, don't try and play dumb! You know exactly what you, Maud, and father did to me that night when I was a filly!" Pinkamena said angry. Pinkamena, calm down! Buck off, Pinkie! This has nothing to do with you! "M-mother, what is she talking about?" Marble said, her voice trembling. "Nothing--" "Oh, they didn't tell you what they did to me?" Pinkamena said as she turned over to Marble and Limestone and began to trot towards them. You're taking this too far! "Pinkie, stop!" Cloudy said as she began to move over to the bedside. "They did something to me when I was a filly that so cruel, so evil to me that I can't even describe in words how hurt I was and still am!" Pinkamena said as she got closer to Marble and Limestone, causing Marble to become petrified. Limestone stood up and tried to match her sister's aggression "Pinkie, you just can't--" "I'm sorry you're having to find out this way, but you both deserve to know this!" Limestone faltered back down to the chair as Marble whimpered. Pinkamena! "Your mother, father, and Maud aren't as good as they seem. They cut off my-" Pinkamena stopped as Cloudy shoved herself between Pinkamena, Marble, and Limestone, blocking Pinkamena from doing anything to hurt Marble or Limestone. "Pinkie, stop this. Now!" Cloudy said with an angry glare across her face. Pinkamena shot the glare right back at her for a moment before sighing. "We'll talk about this later." Cloudy said as Pinkamena noticed that there was a stream of blood trailing down her right fore-hoof. "No, they deserve to know--?" Pinkamena noticed Marble's tear filled eyes. Her face and formed into a small grimace, and her eyes looked at Pinkamena with shock and fear. Even Limestone seemed a bit shook, almost frozen in place aside from an occasional tremble in her hooves. Pinkamena realized that she was scaring them. She backed away, guilty and ashamed of herself. "I apologize." Pinkamena said as she disengaged from her little tyrant. "I'm sorry for everything. I'll just go." Pinkamena said sadly as she trotted towards the exit and walked right out of the door, leaving it open. "I heard some of that stuff in there. Are you alright?" "No. Just don't talk to me. Let's just go back to Canterlot." Pinkamena said, trying to hide her sadness. ================ A Few Minutes After Pinkamena Left Marble Pie and Limestone Pie sat beside each other, having calmed down a bit after Pinkie's outburst. What was Pinkie talking about? Marble looked over to her mother's hospital bed, noting that the I.V tube was hanging to the side of the bed and that there was a line of blood trailing down her pillow and stopped at the middle of her bed. Drips of blood continued towards the chairs. Apparently, she had ripped it out of her vein when it seemed like Pinkie was going to attack them and had shoved herself in front of Pinkie. She now was sitting beside them, giving them both a protective hug, despite dripping blood. "It's all right, you two. She's gone. We'll talk about her later." Cloudy Quartz said as she continued to hug them, ignoring her bleeding hoof and her aching chest. She frankly didn't care about it at this point. All she cared about was Marble and Limestone's safety. "-Her hooves seem to be healing, so that means that she's most likely going to be out of here in about... three days." "Thank you, Nurse Red-?!" Igneous Rock stopped speaking as he entered the room and saw the slightly bloody bed and the drips of blood leading towards his wife and two youngest of his fillies. "What happened?!" Igneous asked as he rushed over to them. "Pinkie came here..." "She did this to you?" Maud asked, still in the wheelchair, which had now been sat at the foot of Cloudy's hospital bed. "N-no... she j-jumped up trying to save us an-and ripped out the IV." "What did she do?" Nurse Redheart asked as she trotted over to Cloudy and began to inspect where her hoof was bleeding. "She came in her and started yelling at us for whatever reason. I ripped out the IV and jumped in front of her to protect them, like Marble said." "All right. I'll be back in a moment to bandage that up." Nurse Redheart said as she exited the room. Silence ruled over the room. ================ Pinkamena and Twilight sat in the carriage, which had taken off about 15 minutes ago, giving them a long while before they'd be in Canterlot. Twilight and her had remained silent ever since the confrontation at the hospital. "So, how are you?" Twilight asked, trying to find something, anything to talk about. "Just peachy-keen." Pinkamena said sarcastically. "Yeah... I'm gonna guess that things didn't go too well?" "Not really. I nearly scared Marble and Limestone to death and mother's hoof was bleeding when I left." Pinkamena said as she rested her head on her hooves. "That's not good." "Yeah. I still apologized afterwords." Pinkamena said. A few moments of awkward silence pasted by. "How do you and Pinkie coincide in the same body?" Twilight asked curiously. "It's kinda like she's my opposite personality. She can take control anytime." Pinkamena's body stiffened, as her hair inflated and became as messy as ever. "Like now." Pinkie said. She giggled as she saw Twilight surprised face. "I'm still not used to that..." Twilight quietly noted. "Interesting. Can you two talk to each other? I'll have to study this after Princess Celestia separates you two, if you two don't mind." She said, probably taking a mental note. "Mhmm. We can even touch and talk to each other in person while she or I's dreaming." "So amazing..." Twilight opened her saddlebag and took out her notebook and quill. She rapidly wrote down notes. "When are we going to be back in Canterlot?" "In about... a half hour." "All right. I'll try to get some sleep before then." Pinkie said. She leaned back into her seat and shut her eyes, trying to block out of her surroundings and let her mind roam. I'm kinda proud of you, Pinkamena. Why? Because I apologized? I've said it before, I'll do anything to get them back. No, because you were sincere with Fluttershy. You even relented on telling Marble and Limestone when you could have told them. I wouldn't have done it like that in front of them. I've done some terrible stuff, but I'm not that much of a monster to attack somepony's mother in front of them. I'm glad. Thank goodness... They're the only people in this family that I actually trust enough to tell them something. The only ones who deserve my love and respect. ================ Half an Hour Later Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle stepped off of the carriage. The sun was setting as she and Twilight trotted down the drawbridge. "So... where do we go?" Pinkie asked, bit excited. "I guess we should check the throne room first." Twilight suggested. "Okay, then, let's go." Pinkie said as followed Twilight to the throne room. After a few minutes of passing through different hallways, they found the throne room. Thankfully, Princess Celestia was in there(unsurprisingly) sitting on her throne. Twilight and Pinkamena trotted into the vast throne room, passing by a few guards. "Ah, Twilight. Has our friend completed our task?" Princess Celestia asked kindly as she spotted the two. "She has. I think that she had some trouble doing it, but she definitely got it done." "Great. Give me a moment. Princess Luna must join us." Princess Celestia said as she whispered into the ear of a guard that was standing beside her throne. "Of course, your highness." The guard said as he trotted towards the exit to the throne room. After a few minutes of waiting went by, the guard returned with Princess Luna. She must have just woken up, because her crown was clumsily placed on her head, her mane was slightly messy, and she had bags under her eyes. "Sister, why hath thou awoken me early?" Princess Luna said she trotted up to her sister. "It's still day; the sun hasn't yet set." "You see Luna I need you to come with me and I'll explain it. Twilight, Pinkie, please followed." Princess Celestia said as she got up from the throne and trotted towards the exit with Luna, Pinkamena, and Twilight following her. After a few minutes of trotting from hall to hall, they arrived at Celestia's private room. Celestia opened the door and let everypony pass into the room. After everypony was inside the room, Celestia entered the room herself and shut the door behind them. "Will you please explain what is going on, sister?" "Of course. Excuse us for a moment, my little ponies." Princess Celestia said as she and Luna trotted in front of the fireplace. "You see, sister..." Princess Celestia said as she began to whisper, making her words nearly undecipherable. "Hm..." Luna mumbled as she acknowledged Celestia's. She continued to listen to Celestia words. After a full explanation had been made, she seemed to be having a hard time processing it. "Sister, are thou sure that this subject hath been telling the truth?" "Yes. I've seen her change in a matter of seconds and do and say things Pinkie Pie never would." Princess Celestia said. Luna looked at Pinkie with a sympathetic look. "I shall do this deed. What is it that thee need need me to do?" Princess Luna said quietly to Princess Celestia. "All I need you to do is help me separate them." "Let's do it, shall we?" Princess Luna said as she and Princess Celestia trotted back over to Pinkamena and Twilight. "Twilight, I want you to watch Pinkie when we begin this spell. If anything seems off about how she looks, warn us." Princess Celestia said. "Okay, princess. What exactly is off?" "I'd rather not say with her standing there..." Princess Celestia whispered. "Pinkamean, can you join us now?" Pinkie's body stiffened and her hair deflated. "Okay. I'm here." Pinkamena said, becoming nervous. "It's crucial that you stay as still as you can." "I want to warn you, it may hurt." "All right..." Pinkamena said, her nerves worsening by the minute. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna began to start the spell, loading the magic required to perform the spell into their horns. I'm not gonna lie... I'm very nervous... and a bit scared. It's all right. I am too. Hopefully it works out. I just hope this works out... "Okay Luna, do it now!" Princess Celestia said. Luna shot out a magical beam towards Pinkamena forehead. Twilight seemed to hesitate at this, but didn't act. ================ Pinkie began to fiddle with her hooves nervously, unable to remain calm. "I... I don't like this... I'm so nervous." Pinkie said. Suddenly, there was a jolt of pain in her head, as if somepony was hitting her with something. Something sharp. "Ah!" Pinkie said as she immediately grabbed her forehead. The pain began to spread from her forehead to her entire head. Then it spread from it's entire head to her entire body. "Stop!" Pinkie called as she felt the pain become even more immense and a burning feeling began to spread across her body along with the pain. Her body began to rise up from the ground, but Pinkie barely noticed due to the pain. ================ Pinkamena's clenched her eyes shut as she felt the burning pain from her head. She tried to as remain still as she could, but the burning sensation in her hooves made it difficult to keep her hooves firmly planted on the ground.. Princess Luna's beam of magic was still feeding into Pinkamena's forehead. A beam of magic exited Pinkie's forehead, at first black, but then it became a dark shade of pink, the same as Pinkamena's. The beam began to form slowly into a pony-- a pegasus, becoming a fully grown, tall pony. Princess Celestia put the tip of her horn against Luna's. "Okay, fire it beside Pinkie!" Princess Celestia said as she fed some of her magic into Luna. Princess Luna as she was told, pulling her horn away from Princess Celestia and firing at the floor beside Pinkie. The spell caused as thick cloud of smoke to fill the room. Princess Celestia fired a magical beam at Pinkamena's back, over her ribs. Pinkamena's pain suddenly moved over to her back, however, it stopped shortly after. She opened her eyes, finding nothing but smoke "W-wow... that's... amazing!" Pinkamena looked around the room, looking for Twilight. "Ow... that hurt... where the hay am I?" Pinkamena recognized the voice immediately and turned to her right and saw Pinkie. "What the... they did it?!" Pinkamena said. Pinkie swatted her right fore-hoof in front of her face, trying to blow away the smoke. Once the smoke had finally clear, Pinkie's jaw dropped and her eyes widened. "Why are you..." Pinkamena stopped as she began to fully realized the situation she was in. She looked back and saw something that she nor Pinkie could believe. There was a pair of wings on her back. And this time, they were real. ================ XVII: EpilogueSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.I: ProloguePinkie sat in the small corner of her small, dirty cell, littered with dirt and grime painted the concrete walls. There was a springboard bed at the side a dirty mattress sitting atop of the sharp springs. She was uncharacteristically silent from the horrors she had just witnessed. Not to mention Pinkamena's confession. "Pinkamena... you have to be lying. There's no way I'm just some imaginary friend who took you over." Pinkie said, her voice shaking with every word. "You have to be lying..." I'm not. You're going to have to face the truth eventually, Pinkie. Pinkie got up and bucked against the wall with all her might, trying to break it through. Yet, despite her effort, the wall still stood tall. "Just let me out of here!" Pinkie called out, kicking the wall. She sat for a moment, her hind-hooves beginning to hurt. It's not happening, Pinkie. You aren't getting control. "You coward! You'll never get with this! Once I get my hooves on you--" Pinkie stopped herself. No-- I won't sink to her level. I won't go that low. She calmed herself, before turning back up to the ceiling. "Pinkamena, what do you want? What do you want me to say to get me out of here?" Pinkie asked. Though she had nothing to offer, she figured it would be worth a shot. There's nothing you can do. I'm staying in control for the moment. Even if I wanted, I couldn't. We're in a dream-state right now. And there's not a thing you can do about it. Pinkie groaned, half-heartedly kicking the wall in frustration. Giving up? "Never. I'm just resting." Pinkie said as she took a moment to take a breath. So... I wonder the family's doing right now... Pinkamena said. Pinkie glanced up, her eyes full of anger, and her lips curled into a frown. "Don't go there, Pinkamena..." Pinkie warned. In the blink of an eye, her prison became a large, fenced, foggy area. Thunder rumbled in the air above, a mist had began circling around her. There were tombstones of differing sizes and shapes. Neither Celestia's sun nor Luna's moon were in sight. "What the hay?" Pinkie questioned. She looked around, checking for anypony. I'm not going anywhere. Just checking in on Maud... "Please don't, Pinkamena..." Pinkie pled. "She was your sister too." She was never my sister. That moment when she willingly-- willingly cut off my wing, we separated. She severed whatever chance of forgiveness or love I'd ever give her. Pinkie hooves unwillingly marched towards a small gravestone. Wilted flowers leaned against the right side, left there for whomever the grave belonged to long ago. There was a large crack running down the middle, becoming narrow towards the bottom. There was a small rock beside her, sticking out abnormally from the rest. "Stop Pinkamena!" Pinkie called out, looking away as she came to a stop. She fought back tears. Why? It's my dream. I can do whatever I want with you. Pinkie's head slowly began to turn back towards the headstone. "Stop it!" She cried. "I won't look! You won't make me!" Her head fought back against the forces pulling it towards the headstone. "Are you sure about that?" Her head suddenly whipped towards the grave, her eyes jolting open. Here Lies Maudline Mudstone Pie Worked her whole life Even in the end Pinkie felt tears rise to her eyes as she read the gravestone. "Why... why are you doing this to me?" You have to know what'll happen to her. Her due. Our retribution. Pinkie looked away from the gravestone. She couldn't stomach any more of this torture. "Get me out of this dream! If you're gonna torment me, at least be brave enough to meet me face-to-face!" She called out. The graveyard reverted back into the same prison she was previously in. A new door had materialised at the front of the cell, holding seven metal bars in its frame, with her captor standing on the other side. Pinkie leapt towards it, ramming her shoulder into the door. She bounced back into the bed, her shoulder stinging. "You're gonna have to do much more than that to break outta this place." "If I get my hooves on you, I'm gonna--" "You're gonna do what?" Pinkamena interrupted with a confident smile. "This is my dream. My imagination! I can do whatever I want to do to you, whenever I want to, where ever I want! You're powerless against whatever I may do to you." She said, pacing back and forwards in front of Pinkie's cell. "I don't care! I'll get out somehow!" Pinkie exclaimed, pulling against the bars. "Sure you will..." Pinkamena said in a mocking tone. =============== Marble Pie's eyes fluttered open with a quiet yawn. She had ended up falling asleep in a rigid, plastic chair, sat right beside her father's hospital bed. Limestone was in her own steel chair, with her head resting against the foot of Igneous' bed. Her mane was messy, strands sticking out of place and her neck sitting at an uncomfortable angle. Igneous was laying in his bed, with the white sheet covering his lower body, up to his chest. She stood up, stretching out her hooves and back. The hospital room was quiet, the only exception being her father's snoring. I shouldn't wake them... maybe I could go visit mother and Maud. she began to walk towards the room's exit before stopping. I probably shouldn't leave Limestone looking so uncomfortable. Marble quiet trotted to the opposite side of the bed. She lightly lifted her head, putting her right fore-hoof under her head before resting gently setting her chin back down. There, that's better. She nodded. Now, to Maud and mother's room. Marble trotted out of the room, gently shutting the door behind her. The hospital was quiet, the excitement of the previous day seeming to have passed. She remembered turned to her right, trotting down the hall. Hopefully this is the right way to their room. Marble had a tough time remembering where exactly the other half of her family were stationed, what with the madness and chaos of getting all of them in the hospital. A shiver went down her spine as she recalled what Pinkie had done. Why would she do that? I mean mother, father, and Maud haven't done anything... Marble thought for a brief moment, before writing it off. No-- don't be stupid. That couldn't have been Pinkie. She'd never do that to us. Marble pondered the thought as she looked around the empty hall for her mother's room. After a moment, she found the room and entered. Cloudy Quartz and Maud Pie sat in two beds beside each other, both motionless. "Mother?" Marble quietly asked. Cloudy didn't answer, only pointing her head away from Marble. She's may be asleep. Her surgery was just a few hours ago... Marble trotted over to Maud's bed. She rested her right fore-hoof on Maud's left fore-hoof. "Maud? Can you hear me?" Marble whispered as she stared down at her injured sister. She could've never imagined her elder sister- the toughest and hardest-working out of all of them could be in such a vulnerable state. Her breathing machine beeped, giving her another breath. Please be okay. "Maud?" Marble whispered again. Another breath. "I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm glad that you made it through surgery." Marble whispered, squeezing her hoof. She leaned down to Maud and nuzzled her neck. "I hope you wake up soon. I love you, okay?" Marble said, turning away from Maud as she took a deep breath. Her mother was now turned towards her, with her eyes bloodshot. "Hello, dear." Cloudy said. Her voice was raspy and weak. A large strand of her mane hung out over her left eye, the bun in her mane beginning to undo. "Oh--" Marble turned away. "I-I'm s-sorry. I d-didn't mean to wake you, mother." "It's fine dear. You didn't do anything wrong." Cloudy said. Marble nodded as she hesitantly turned back towards to her. "How is your sister?" "S-she's asleep, but a-all right." Marble slowly trotted to her mother's bedside. "Good, good." Cloudy said, somewhat relieved. "How is your father?" "Asleep too." "I suppose I should've known... it is early." Cloudy noted. Marble shrugged in acknowledgement. "Be honest with me for a moment, dear." "Mmhm?" "Are you okay?" Cloudy asked. Marble glanced away for a moment. "It's okay to be afraid. I won't be angry regardless of what you say." Cloudy said. Marble remained quiet for a moment more, before she worked up the confidence to speak again. "I-I'm scared, mother." ================ "Let me out!" Pinkie called out as she pulled against the bars. "You have no right to do this!" "My body, my mind, my rules." Pinkamena said as she stood just out of Pinkie's reach purposely. Pinkie huffed, slipping her hooves back behind the bars. She sat down in the corner of her cell, staring at Pinkamena. "I'm going to get you." "And how are you going to do that?" She asked. Pinkie remained silent. "That's what I thought. I will not tolerate back-talk, especially from something like you. I think that there needs to be a punishment for such rudeness..." "What?" "I know what you're afraid of..." Pinkamena said. She swallowed nervously. Oh no... "How about we relive those scary moments with Fluttershy?" She said. Pinkie jumped up and rushed to the bars. "Please, no! You can't!" "You shouldn't have been so rude." Pinkamena said. The prison turned into Fluttershy's bedroom. Blood had been splattered on the walls, the carpet was dampened and darkened with it. Pinkie was standing over her, a knife in her right fore-hoof. She tried fighting against Pinkamena's control, but it was no use. "Please Pinkie..." Fluttershy pleaded. Pinkie tried to look away, but she couldn't. Pinkie stabbed into Fluttershy's left wing, not of her own will. Fluttershy's back arched in pain. A small sob slipped through Pinkie's lips as she continued to stab her, with more fury. Pinkie stabbed into Fluttershy's chest, bringing a pained scream with it. "Please s-stop..." Fluttershy called out softly. The vivid memories of the night rushed through Pinkie's head, guilt and remorse washing over her like a tidal wave. Please, take me out of this nightmare. In a moment. I want to see the look on your face. Tears ran down her cheeks as she helpless looked down at her friend. Her hoof trembled as she tried to stop herself. I... can't! You will. She stabbed into her other wing as Fluttershy's eyes closed. "Are you happy now?! Can I be let out of this nightmare?" Very. Pinkie's surroundings changed back to the prison cell. Pinkamena was standing in front of the bars. "W... why..." Pinkie questioned as she leaned against the wall. "Because I need this. I need others to know." A moment of silence passed between the two, before Pinkie spokr once again. "Y-you have to accept what happened, Pinkamena." "You don't understand. Not like anyone else does." Pinkamena said. She seemed distracted. "If you miss your wings so much, just dream of them. Do something-- just stop doing this to me." Pinkie said. Pinkamena's face switched from a cheeky grin to a look of intrigue. "That's a good idea... excuse me." "Wait, Pinkamena! You can't just leave me here! Not after that!" Pinkie called out, her voice echoing. Pinkamena continued to walk away, seemingly unaware or indifferent to what she said. Pinkie managed to squeeze her head between the bars and look outside. "Please let this work... please." Pinkamena quietly pled as she shut her eyes. Her face became tensed, squeezing her eyes shut tightly. POOF A small cloud of dust enveloped her. Once the dust cleared, there was a sight that neither Pinkie nor Pinkamean could believe. There was a set of wings on Pinkamena's back. ================== Author's Note Ello again. For the new people who are reading this, welcome. For the people who's been with me since, "Ignorance is Bliss.." or, "A Certain Urge" thank you for joining me again. Also, if you're wondering why Pinkamena is able to do these things to Pinkie, the environment she's in, and (sometimes)herself, they're in a dream where Pinkamena is the one in control Hopefully I didn't/don't screw this up...
II: SadnessAuthor's Note Ello once again. Before you read this, I have some bad news(or good news depending on who you ask) for you. I'm going to be unable to update this story from this Thursday to next Tuesday because of some things going on in my personal life that has no business being here. I'll try to squeeze another chapter before I leave, but I can't make any promises. With that said, I hope you enjoy this one. II: Sadness "Did it work?" Pinkamena slowly opened her eyes, looking downward to make sure nothing had happened to her lower extremities. Thankfully, everything was where it should have been. She raised her head, an innumerable amount of butterflies beginning to form in the pit of her stomach. With an anxious breath, she turned to look at her back. Her jaw dropped in disbelief. "It worked...?" She opened her right wing, then her left. A small smile crept onto Pinkamena's face. "It really worked!" Pinkamena called out as she turned to Pinkie and began to gallop to her. Tears of joy pooled in her eyes. "It did..." Pinkie began to pull her head back inside the cell, fearful of what Pinkamena would do to her. However, before she could, Pinkamena grabbed her head, pulling her in for a tight hug. "I can fly again!" she laughed jovially. "Uh... Pinkamena?" Pinkie question, sitting there with a confused frown. I never thought I'd see her like this... "I've got my wings back!" Pinkamena squeezed her firmly. "I'm really happy for you." Pinkie said. She was still confused, unfamiliar with what to do. "Could you let me go? I'm having a hard time breathing." "Oh, right." She quickly released her, turning away from her. "I need someone to watch me fly anyways." Pinkie's prison suddenly disappeared, causing her to fall snout first into the ground below. She groaned, lifting a hoof to rub her nose. "Coulda warned me." "Whatever, get comfortable. Oh, and just to make sure you don't go anywhere..." A ball and chain materialized around Pinkie's hoof. She tried to lift it, but the ball was too heavy. How much does this thing weigh?! "Okay... let's see if I can remember..." Pinkamena said as she tried to remember how to fly. It had been years since she had flown last; almost a decade. "I think I remember. Okay..." Pinkamena quietly said. Pinkie sat down behind her. Pinkamena extended her wings, before backing a few steps away. The excitement and tension in the air were palpable. "Here we go!" Pinkamena began to sprint towards a small hill in the grassland. She jumped once she reached the peak of the hill, gliding in the air. A smile spread across her face for a moment, before it quickly melted into a frown. She dropped to the ground and shook her head. "No. Please..." Pinkamena said, sounding almost disappointed. She took another sprint and opened her wings, causing her to rise again. Pinkamena flapped her wings before she passed through a cloud, getting pieces of the water vapor stuck in her mane. But, like last time, she dropped to the ground after a moment. She sighed sadly. "What's the matter?" Pinkie called to Pinkamena, who was only a few yards away now. "It doesn't feel the same..." Pinkamena said as she began to trot towards Pinkie, letting her head hang low, almost touching the ground. "Uh.. well... I-I am sorry." She stumbled over her words. Oh no... "I knew it was too good to be true." Pinkamena said sadly as she came within close proximity to Pinkie. The grassland began to become darker; the clear sky above filled with dark storm clouds and the green grass below became wilted. "Why does this always have to happen to me?!" Pinkamena said. Thunder rumbled in the background. "Pinkamena, calm down!" "You shut up! You have no idea what I've been through!" Pinkamena said, anger filling her voice. Pinkie swore she saw a bolt of lightning hit the tree behind them. "I saw what they did to you. You just need to accept-" "Shut up!" Pinkamena interrupted. Pinkie began to back away, fearful of what she'd do. The ball and chain kept holding her back. "How dare you tell me to accept it! As if I lost a small bit! I lost two wings! I'll be grounded for the rest of my life!" Pinkamena said as she angrily stomped towards Pinkie. Pinkie felt the ground rumble under her hooves. She tripped over the chain of the ball and chain as Pinkamena came ever closer to her. She reached down and grabbed her throat, holding her against the ground. "I have felt so much physical and emotional pain because of me losing my wings, and you have the audacity to tell me to accept it?!" Pinkamena said as she squeezed Pinkie's windpipe. Pinkie's heart raced as she began to feel her windpipe closed. "Pinkamena -ah- I'm sorry! I don't -uh- don't know what you've -ah- been through! You've -agh- been through so much pain, -ugh- I can't even imagine it!" Pinkie managed to squeeze out. PInkamena kept the tight grip on her throat. "..." "S-stop!" Pinkie said, nearly out of breath. Pinkamena slammed her head against the ground before she stood up, releasing her throat. Pinkie gasped and cough as she caught her breath. "Don't you dare tell me that again." "I-I won't..." Pinkie said as she rubbed her throat. She was surrounded by the same dark prison cell as before, in the same empty room. =================== Fluttershy sat up in her bed. Today was her last day in the hospital. The nurses and doctors had disconnected all the tubes and wires from her and they had even taken the device off of her wings. She was both excited and scared at the same time. Excited because she'd be able to see her animals again. Scared because she'd be vulnerable to Pinkie again. I should see if I can still move my wings. Fluttershy tried to open and close her wings. They were stiff and sore. "How do they feel?" "B-better. I'm probably not gonna be able to fly." She hated lying to Rarity, but she didn't want to worry her. "Wonderful." Rarity smiled. "Now, are you absolutely certain that you don't need me to stay over with you for a few days?" "No thank you." Fluttershy said as she carefully got up from the bed. "Do you need me to assist you?" Rarity asked as she trotted over to Fluttershy. "No... I-I can do it." Fluttershy said as she carefully trotted towards the door. Her hooves were slightly tense, but they didn't hurt as much as her previous attempt at trotting. "Are you sure, dear? You know I don't mind at all." Rarity said as she trotted beside Fluttershy, making sure she didn't collapse. "I'm okay, really." Fluttershy said. She didn't want to burden her friend. "Well, all right... but I'm still going to keep my eye on you." Rarity said as they trotted out into the hallway. Fluttershy's hooves became less tense as she trotted towards the front desk. I probably need to sign some papers so I can discharge. Fluttershy trotted up to the counter. "Um-- h-hello. M-may I leave now, please?" Fluttershy asked the nurse at the front desk timidly. "Okay... what's your name?" Fluttershy repeated her name to the nurse. "Okay... Fluttershy." -The nurse began to look through a small file cabinet under the desk- "Ah! Here we are. Yes, you can discharge. Hold on for a moment. I'll go get the papers and there's some medicine you'll need to take." The nurse said as she went back into the actual office that was behind the front desk. After a few minutes, she came back with the discharge paper and a pen in one hoof and a pill-bottle in the other. "Okay, sigh on the dotted line at the bottom, fill in the blanks in the paragraphs right there and there, and then bring the papers back here when you get finished. I'll give you the medicine when you come back with the papers." The nurse said as she handed Fluttershy the paper and the pen. "T-thank you..." Fluttershy said as she went over to a small waiting room. After a few minutes, she and Rarity returned with the discharge paper. "Here y-you go." Fluttershy said as she sat the paper down on the counter in front of the nurse. "Thank you." The nurse said as she looked over the paper. "That should do it. Okay, here's your medicine. You'll need to take it once a day after you have a meal. You're officially discharged. Have a great rest of the day." The nurse said as she put the discharge in a small file. Rarity magically grasped Fluttershy's medicine, holding it for her as they exited. ================== Pinkamena sat down on the wilted grass. She had been thoroughly disappointed. "I should have known..." She said as she began to pick out some of the grass. Pinkamena let out a sad sigh. She had been reminded of all those good memories, only to have her hopes of reliving them crushed. THUMP Pinkamena looked up at the prison cell. "Let me out!" Pinkie said as she tried bucking against the bars. "You aren't getting out Pinkie... I'm already angry, so please just leave me alone." THUMP "Pinkie... what did I just say?" THUMP Pinkamena let out an annoyed sigh as she got up and trotted towards the cell. "I said stop." Pinkamena said as she looked at Pinkie through the bars. "No!" Pinkie said as she bucked against the bars once more. "Pinkie... I'm trying to keep my cool. I honestly don't even want to deal with you right now, so, stop before you force my hoof." Pinkamena said. Pinkie seemed hesitant for a moment, but bucked at the bars once more. That was the last straw. "Pinkie!" Pinkamena said angrily. Pinkie stopped as Pinkamena opened up the cell. "Come here..." Pinkamena said as Pinkie exited the cell. Pinkie didn't move. Pinkamena got up and went over to Pinkie. A white straitjacket wrapped around Pinkie, restricting the movement in her fore-hooves and the ball and chain reappeared around her right hind-hoof. "What the-?" A muzzle covered her mouth, keeping her from finishing her sentence. "I think that this should be enough." Pinkamena said as she picked up Pinkie and flung her back into the cell. She trotted back to her prior spot again and sat down. "Finally... some peace and quiet." Pinkamena said. Unfortunately, that peace and quiet would be interrupted. ================ Pinkamena woke up to knocking on the guest bedroom door. "Pinkie, ya in here?" Cheese Sandwich called out from behind the door. Perfect. Now I have to deal with Pinkie two-point-o. "Yeah! I was just resting in here!" Pinkamena called out with fake enthusiasm. "Okay! Just checking! It's a bit late, by the way!" Cheese Sandwich called back. Hoofsteps could be heard heading away from the door. Pinkamena got up from the bed and stretched. She went over to the window and looked outside at Celestia's setting sun. "I'll be out in a few minutes!" Looks like I slept all day. Perfect. Another crappy addition to the pile of disappointment. Pinkamena's mane had deflated down while he had slept. She wiped her fore-hooves through her mane, making it as messy as Pinkie's usually was, before trotting out. =================
III: HopeAuthor's Note Ello once again. I'd actually like to ask you a favor. You see, I'm trying to become better at "show, don't tell" writing. I experimented with it a little bit in this chapter. I didn't use it all of the time, I just used it once. So, if I was terrible at it, it doesn't ruin the story for you. If you have any sort of tip that could help me write this better, please tell me with a comment. Also, this will probably be the last chapter I write before I leave. Hope you enjoy this chapter. III: Hope Pinkie sat in her small cell, struggling against the straitjacket. The fabric was surprisingly strong, though she expected nothing less from Pinkamena. If I could just get out of this jacket, I could find some way out! Pinkie tried to pull her hooves out of the sleeves, but it seemed the more she struggled, the tighter the jacket became. Come on! She can't keep me locked up forever! She began to struggle against the jacket with fervor, becoming more and more frustrated with every tug. Maybe I should try to get the muzzle off first. At least I'll be able to talk again. Pinkie shook her head, trying to shake off the muzzle. She felt the straps move up and down on her cheeks, rolling around the mounds of her mane. I could wiggle my way over to the bars and try to unstrap it that way. Pinkie began to try and wiggle her way towards the bars in a strange fashion. Unfortunately, moving without her fore-hooves was difficult, to say the least. She had barely moved with all the odd shifting and scraping against the ground. This is gonna take some time... ================ Pinkamena bit into the overly-sweetened muffin as she sat on the couch in Cheese Sandwich's living room. She forced down the sugary muffin, barely managing not to quiver, as Cheese sat down in front of her, biting down on his own muffin. "So... how did you sleep?" Cheese asked, covering his mouth with his left fore-hoof as to not spit food on her. At least he has some manners. "Great. I had a funny dream last ni- today." She forced a giggle. "Oooooo... what was it about?" Cheese asked. He leaned in towards her What would be Pinkie's usual response? "I dreamed that I was inside a huge cake and I had to eat my way out of it! Then, when I finally got outside, there was a huge party there with all my friends!" Pinkamena said, using as much enthusiasm as she could muster up. Yep. That sounds like something Pinkie would dream of. "Cool." "So, what's been up with you?" I'm probably going to regret asking that... "Actually, nothing. There hasn't been that many parties that I've held here besides the one the night before you came. I'd have to move into the downtown of the city, but it's way too dangerous down there." Cheese said, slightly saddened. Great. I'll be stuck with him all night. "That's awful." Pinkamena said disingenuously. "Yeah... but look on the bright side, we could always throw a party here!" Oh horseapples... this is going to be a long night. ================ Marble sat beside her mother for the longest time, just staring at her mother. She was so relieved that her mother wasn't in too much pain. "Are you okay, dear?" "Mhmm." "Good." Cloudy said. They remained quiet for a moment. "Mother, m-may I ask you a question?" "Of course, darling." "W-will everypony be all right after this?" Marble asked. Cloudy froze up. She remained quiet. Marble stared at her, confused. "Mother? Did I do something to upset you?" "I... no. It's just--" Marble waved off her mother, not allowing her to finish. She could clearly see her question was making her uncomfortable. Cloudy nodded, turning to Maud and staring at her. A few minutes of awkward, silent tension passed by. Knock Knock Knock "Hello, it's Nurse Redheart. May I come in?" "Yes. It's open." Cloudy said. Nurse Redheart entered, her light pink mane in a bun, tied behind her nurse cap. She had a blue bag hanging around her neck, bouncing with every step she took. "Sorry to interrupt. I just here to check in on you two." "I need to change out your IV bag. This may sting for a moment." Nurse Redheart said as she went over to Cloudy's IV stand and pulled off the only IV bag. She pulled the needle out of Cloudy's right fore-hoof, wrapping it around the bag and putting it in her bag. She pulled out another, identical bag with a clear liquid inside from the blue bag and hung it up, inserting the needle back into the same spot the previous one in. "Oh, thank you." "You're welcome." Nurse Redheart said as she walked over to Maud. Marble followed behind her, following her hooves as she pulled out a small bottle. "Don't worry. I'm only checking her sensory reactions to some tests and giving her some medicine so her wounds won't get infected. I won't hurt your sister, I promise." Nurse Redheart said. She opened the small bottle and poured some of the ivory liquid onto her fore-hooves. She proceeded to rub it into Maud's injured hooves, stomach, and chest. Marble nodded, still somewhat worried for Maud. "Can you grab that cloth sticking out of the bag for me? I'd do it myself, but I've got this stuff on my hooves." Nurse Redheart asked. Marble grabbed the cloth, giving it to her. "Thank you." Nurse Redheart wiped off her hooves. She put the cloth in her bag along with the bottle. Nurse Redheart pulled Maud's IV off of the rack, removing the needle from her left fore-hoof as she did before. She pulled out another, full one from her bag as she put the old one away and hung it up, inserting the needle back into her fore-hoof. "Maud? Can you hear me? Squeeze my hoof if you can." Nurse Redheart asked as she touched Maud's hoof with her own. Please wake up. Marble silently hoped. Nurse Redheart kept holding her hoof for a few moments before releasing it. She took out the pen-like object and opened up Maud's left eye. She tapped the bottom of the object with her hoof, causing a beam of light shot out of the end of it. She shined the light in Maud's eye. Her pupil just stared blankly at the light for a moment, before slightly moving away from the light. After a moment, she cut it off and closed Maud's eye. "Excuse me, but my I talk to you in private?" Nurse Redheart asked Cloudy as she approached her bed. "Of course. Marble, please step outside for a moment." Cloudy said. Marble nodded as she trotted out the door, shutting it behind her. Marble leaned against the door. I wonder why she'd need to shut the door... but I probably shouldn't peek in on their conversation. Marble tried to resist at first, but eventually, curiosity got the best of her and she put her ear again the door. She listened intently for the sound of anypony's voice. "-What is it that you wanted to talk about, Nurse?" "I have some good news and some bad news." Nurse Redheart said, her voice sounding somber. "Okay... is everything all right?" "The good news is that your daughter is showing some sensory reactions, which is good. That means that she'll most likely be out of here in a few weeks." "The bad news is that when her attacker cut into her hooves, she ripped through the muscle. She won't be able to trot correctly until it heals." "H... how long is it going to take?" "Honestly, I don't know. The attacker may have severed the muscle away from the nerve. If that's so, the muscle may never heal properly. But if it isn't, then it shouldn't take more than a month to two to heal fully and properly." "Oh... okay. T-thank you for bringing this to my attention." Cloudy said, her voice filled with remorse and sadness. Maud could never trot again?! Marble's heart skipped a beat. Quiet hoofsteps approached the door. She backed away from the door and waited for Nurse Redheart to come through. Nurse Redheart came out a few moments later with a saddened frown plastered across her face. "Hello. Thank you for being patient." Nurse Redheart said as she looked down at Marble, trying to smile as best she could. Marble half-smiled back as she entered the room. Cloudy sat in her bed, a frown across her already somber face. "Mother?" Marble said as she went over to the bed. "I'm fine, dear. Nothing to worry about." Cloudy forced an obviously fake smile. "I-I heard what's going on with Maud..." "You did?" Cloudy asked. Marble nodded in response. Cloudy sighed, wiping her eyes. "All we need to do it hope. Hope that it'll heal." "Mhmm" "Well, you should get back to your father before he wakes. Tell him I need to see him when he gets the chance" "Okay, mother. Goodbye." Marble said as she exited the room and started to head back to her father's room. "All we need to do is hope" Marble hoped that statement would be true in the end. ================ Five Hours Later Pinkamena tiredly sat down on the couch beside a passed out Cheese Sandwich. She had to party with him ever since she accidentally brought up the topic. That was the most annoying five hours of my life. Pinkamena stood up, trotting towards the stairs. She ripped off the goofy, white and red polka-dot party hat that Cheese had basically forced on her hours ago tearing the string that held it in place carelessly and threw it over to Cheese. Why does Pinkie love to do something so stupid? It's nothing but a bunch of jumping around and playing a bunch of dumb games for absolutely no reason. Pinkamena yawned as she looked at the clock in the middle of Cheese's living room. 2:30 AM I'm just glad he passed out now. Another hour of that and I'd have lost my mind. Pinkamena went into the guest bedroom and laid down in bed, tearing the covers from their place and pilling them atop of her, layer by layer. At least I have something to look forward to... ================ Pinkie scrapped her left-cheek against one of the bars, trying to unstrap the muzzle, even if it wasn't by a lot. She had been at it for probably hours now, and still hadn't even made a dent in it. Her cheek had become raw and red from all the friction, stinging and burning with every push or pull against it. Come on! Work! Pinkie, now frustrated, began to scrape against the bars with more force and fervor, but the stubborn strap wouldn't budge. She let out a growl of frustration before kicking the bars with her hind hooves. Maybe I should just give up... Pinkie let out a small sigh. I mean, if what she says is true, it was her body. Maybe I should just let it happen. Just let her take full control. Pinkie's hooves went limp. Perhaps there wasn't any chance of her getting away? I'll never throw another party again. Pinkie began to tear up as she thought of all of her friends. No more cupcakes. She tried to wipe away the tears on the ground. I'll never see my friends... my family... Gummy... I'll never see the Cakes again... Pinkie began rested her head on the ground for another moment. She rested there for a moment, defeated. No... Pinkie lifted up her head, sitting up, and began to scrape the buckle against the bar again. I can't just give up! I can't let her ruin my life just because her's was. I feel bad for her, but she doesn't have to take it out on me and the rest of Equestria! "Then I'll just keep you in here longer." Pinkamena approached the bars, an eager smile on her face. "You think you're escaping?" Pinkamena said as she looked down at Pinkie condescendingly. "You don't get it, do you? This is my imagination. Even if you do manage to escape somehow, I'll lock you up again more securely." I'll get outta here! I'll figure a way out! "Yeah. Just like you figured out a way to save your family and Fluttershy. Just accept it. You'll fade away just like I did." I will escape this place and take back control! "Sure you will..." Pinkamena said as she walked away from the bars. You aren't right! I will escape! ================
IV: DeterminationAuthor's Note Ok, I'm back. I apologize if this chapter isn't as well written. I'm still not back in the swing of writing everyday. I hope you enjoy it IV: Determination Pinkie rested her head against the bed for a moment. Her cheek throbbed against the hard mattress.. I'm gonna get out... I just need to figure another way. Her strands of her mane held in front of her face. She tried to shake it out, but it just caused more to fall. Is anything gonna go the way I want to today?! Not as long as I'm here. Will you leave me with my own thoughts?! You've already done enough to me! Fine. I'm just chiming in whenever I feel like it. Thank you! Pinkie took a few deep breaths and calmed herself. She began to look around her cell, trying to find anything that could cut the straight jacket or help her get the strap off. The cell was very basic; it had a row of what Pinkie guessed was metal bars blocking the entrance and exit, the walls were made up of some sort of concrete, the bed was almost fully made up of metal springs with a dirty mattress atop of the springs. The bars haven't worked, the walls wouldn't work. I could cut the strap off with one of the metal springs... Pinkie wiggled over to the bed. She used her jaw the mattress off of the bed and looked for a sharp spring that was close to her. C'mon... come... there! Pinkie spotted a spring was on the row closest to her. It had a bend in it that made the jagged tip of the spring point to the side. She leaned in towards it and began to move the right side of her head up and down beside the point, trying to cut off the muzzle. Snap Pinkie felt some of the tension on her right cheek release, however, the muzzle was still attached to her face. Suddenly, a jolt of pain. Pinkie jerked away from the bed with a masked grunt, causing her to fall back to the ground with a thud. Blood ran down the side of her face. Of course... She used her shoulder to wipe it away as she stood herself up, leaning back towards the bed. Ssssssnap Pinkie felt the pressure of the muzzle around her mouth disappear. "Yes! Ha, hear that, Pinkamena?! I got out of the muzzle!" Pinkie called out, finally victorious over the muzzle. Pinkamena wasn't in sight, nor could be heard anyplace near the cell. "Now I've just gotta work on the straitjacket..." "I could probably cut it with the same spring." Pinkie said as she examined her view of the straitjacket, trying to find the best place where to cut. "I probably need to cut at the hoof so I can rip it away with my hoof when I get enough leeway." Pinkie affirmed to herself. She leaned down and used her teeth to hold the straight jacket as she cut through the jacket. As soon as the spring pulled out of the cut, the cut began to sew itself back together. "What the...?" Pinkie said as she looked down at the jacket, thoroughly confused. "Oh... you're messing with me, aren't you Pinkamena? It isn't funny." Pinkie called out. But it is very funny to see you look around like a school-filly who has just been given a hard math test. Besides, I thought somepony like you would find anything funny. "What do you mean by, 'somepony like me'?" Oh, nothing. Just that I thought somepony as dumb as you would find anything funny. "Hey! I don't find everything funny!" Pinkie said defensively. Oh really? "Just because I can see the fun in a lot of things doesn't mean I'm dumb! " Pinkie said, assured of herself. Pinkamena laughed. I think it does... "Grrr..." Seems like you're annoyed, hm? "Just stay on track, Pinkie... you'll cut out of this jacket and get out of here. She's just trying to distract you." Pinkie reassured herself and tried to ignore Pinkamena. You have so much false hope it's sad. Pinkie ignored Pinkamena's comment once more and continued to cut down the jacket, making a small one below her left fore-hoof. Suddenly, the cement blocks around her became translucent. There was a dark pink blurry object moving behind the now-translucent walls. "I'm going to toy with you a bit more..." Pinkie sighed as Pinkamena began to circle around the cell like a predator hunting its prey, thoroughly tired with her mind games. "You think that's gonna stop me from getting out of here?" Pinkie said as she continued to try and cut the straight jacket. The moving object changed from being dark pink to being a familiar shade of buttercup yellow. "Why did you do this to me, Pinkie?" "No--" Pinkie stopped dead in her tracks. "Y-you're not her. Stay on track." Pinkie began cutting at it again, making the cut wider. "I'm so hurt... so lonely. I'll never s-see my animals again..." The voice sounded like it was on the verge of tears. "It's not real..." Pinkie tried to ignore Fluttershy's pitiful voice, but the sound of her voice in pain and sadness was almost too much for her to bear. Tears pooled in her eyes as she heard her dear friend whimper. "S-stay on track..." She told herself again, trying to focus on cutting the straitjacket. "I-I'm in so much pain..." "Stop Pinkamena!" She called out as she shut her eyes tightly, tears now streaming out of her eyes. The object continued to circle around the cell, slightly limping. "I feel so-so betrayed by you... w-why did you do this to me, Pinkie?" The voice said. Suddenly, the translucent walls became transparent for a moment; revealing Fluttershy's bloody and cut body right in front of Pinkie. Pinkie leaned back, hitting the back of her head against the wall behind her. "Stop it! It wasn't me, Fluttershy! I'm sorry!" Pinkie stood up as quickly as she could, rushing over to the wall in front of her. The second she reached it, the walls became opaque once again. "Stop this, Pinkamena! I'm tired of these games!" Pinkie called out. "I'm not gonna let her win..." Pinkie said, still determined to get out of the cell. Her eyelids hung heavily, for whatever reason. Perhaps from Pinkamena, or her own emotional exhaustion? I can't let her get to me... I won't allow her to distract me. =============== Fluttershy woke up in her newly cleaned bed, her pink mane in a pile across her face. After a moment or two of waking, she saw by the cub and Angel Bunny sitting at the end of her bed, looking at her. Apparently, they had been sitting there, worried about her. The previous night was a bit fuzzy. Mainly because of the painkillers they had given her. "Hello... I'm so glad to be back with you all." Fluttershy said as she petted the animals one-by-one. The cub accepted and returned the affection. Angel crossed his arms and pretended not to care, but he couldn't help but crack a small smile when she petting him lovingly. "Excuse me..." Fluttershy quietly said as she leaned up and scooted off the bed. Her hooves were still a bit sore, but they didn't hurt half as much as when she first arrived at the hospital. She trotted into the living room and looked at the clock hanging over her couch. 9:30 A.M "Oh my... I slept in. I've got to fix the animals from breakfast." Fluttershy said as she trotted towards the kitchen. The carrot stew and blood had been cleaned since she had last been there, more likely than not by Twilight or the other Elements. The area brought on a few bad memories, which she tried to push out of her mind. She trotted over to her refrigerator and opened it's doors. "Let's see..." Fluttershy said as she pulled out all sorts of different fruits and vegetables. She pulled out a large carrot and turned to Angel, who was now hopping, trying to grab the carrot. "Okay..."-Fluttershy grabbed one of the carrots out of the refrigerator, broke it in half, and gave one of the halves to Angel-"there you go dear." Fluttershy said. Angel quickly snatched it out of her hooves and hopped off. Fluttershy turned back to the refrigerator and began to look again. She grabbed two apples from the bottom shelf, sat one of them in front of the birds, and sat the other in front of the cub. "There you go. That should hold you over until I finish the actual breakfast." Fluttershy said as she shut the refrigerator door. She trotted over to her back door. "Okay... now, I've just got to feed the rest..." Fluttershy took a look outside of the window, the sunlight nearly blinding her at first. When her vision cleared, she saw a crowd of animals, pooled at the outskirts of the Everfree Forest. =============== Pinkie scraped the straitjacket against the broken spring, trying to brush off the horrid memories she had relived. She pushed down into the hole she had made previously beside her left fore-hoof, scratching her. She moved her hooves from side to side rapidly, trying to widen the cut, stopping after a moment to look. The cut hadn't widened at all. Pinkie groaned as she rested her hooves against the springs. Her head hung in exhaustion. "Tired, are we?" "Shut up..." Pinkie said. Her patience had run thin, especially after what she had just done. "I'll take that as a yes. Hm... didn't expect that." Pinkamena said in mocking tone. "What do you mean?" "I thought you would've worked yourself a bit harder to see your friends again. I'm actually surprised." "Wha-" Pinkie became confused for a moment. Then, she remembered what Pinkamena said. "If I can regain control of you and keep control of you for a certain amount of time, let's say a few days to a week, you'll fall into a deep sleep like I did." "N-no! I'm n-not!" Pinkie called out as she shook her head, trying wake herself up. "Oh yes, dear. I expect you won't make it another day." "I'll g-get outta here!" Pinkie said as she moved her hooves feverishly, trying to cut the jacket. "Sure you will dear. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go do my own things." Pinkamena said as she moved out of sight. Pinkie didn't bother to try to listen to Pinkamena's comment. She had to see her friends again. If not only to make sure Pinkamena didn't hurt another one of them ever again. She's lying! I will get outta here before I fade away! =============== Fluttershy wiped her brow as she put four bowls down onto the counter. They all were filled with different fruits and nuts. "Whew... now I just need to set them out for the rest of the animals." Thump Fluttershy jumped as she heard the sound. "Fluttershy..." "N-no..." Fluttershy quietly said as she began to quiver in fear. Was that... "Where are you?" Fluttershy ducked under the counter and covered her head with her hooves. "Come out, dear. I'm not going to hurt you." Fluttershy looked around for a moment but still didn't get up. "R-Rarity?" Fluttershy called out quietly. "It's me, dear. You don't need to be frightened, my darling." Fluttershy was hesitant, but she got up from under the counter and peeked over the counter and saw a white pony, her purple hair curled at the ends. "Oh, there you are dear. I was beginning to get worried." Rarity said as she looked at her cowering friend. "S-sorry..." Fluttershy said as she fully arose from under the counter, her face flushed out of embarrassment. "Oh, it's quite all right darling! I was actually coming over here to offer you something." "Okay. What?" "Would you like to come to the spa with me today? I know it isn't very ideal for your first day out of the hospital, but I figured that you've been under a lot of stress over the past few days, so I thought that it may do you some good if you and I might do that. If you don't completely comfortable going yet, it's perfectly fine." "Oh... w-well, I don't know... I need t-to take care of my animals first." "Well, it's up to you, dear. Don't come on my accord." "I-I guess I could come with you after I feed the animals." "Oh, marvelous! Let me help you with it." "No... I-I can get it." Fluttershy said as she picked up one of the bowls, holding it in her mouth by the edge. She tried to grab another with her left wing, but a painful twitch went throughout her wings, causing her to immediately fold them. "Are you sure? I don't mind at all." Rarity said. Fluttershy tried to grab the second one again, trying with her right one, but the received the same response from her wings. "O-okay... I guess y-you could help." Fluttershy said as she grabbed a second bowl and balanced it on the top her head. She began to slowly trot outside, waiting for Rarity to answer. "Okay, dear. I'll just grab these two..." Rarity said. She magically held the bowls beside her as she followed beside Fluttershy. Fluttershy felt a bit more optimistic seeing her friend. She looked over at Rarity and began to feel a bit determined as she sat one of the bowls one the grass in front of the treeline. I... I think I might be able to tell her about Pinkie after we get done with the spa... ===============
V: SurprisesAuthor's Note Hello once again. I think everything's business as usual for the moment. Well, I hope you enjoy this. That is all V: Surprises Pinkamena slowly sat up in her bed, her hair deflated and tangled at her right side. She yawned as she stretched out her hooves before dragging herself out of the bed. Sunlight pierced through the window, momentarily blinding her. Once she regained her vision, she looked outside the window, seeing a mother bird preening some if her fledglings. Pinkamena stared at them, seeing the fledgling happily gliding around as soon as their mother was finished with them. Reminds me of the old days. The birds continued to fly as the mother watched from the window-sill. Pinkamena opened the window somehow managing not scare the birds off. One of the fledglings landed in front of her and looked at her curiously. "If I could trade places with you for a minute, I would do it." Pinkamena said. She knew the bird couldn't actually understand her, but it comforted her. The bird began to flap her wings in front of Pinkamena, much to her dismay. She lightly swatted at the bird, knocking it onto it's side. Ugh... Why'd I do that? Pinkamena quickly corrected her mistake, helping the bird to stand. It scurried behind it's mother. She sighed as ran her hoof through her hair. May as well go downstairs... I can't avoid Cheese Sandwich forever. =============== Pinkie looked down at the spring. Pinkamena had left her here alone, with nothing to stimulate her besides the bed spring. Her eyelids hung heavy, but she wasn't about to give up. She worked the spring feverishly, desperate to cut the jacket as soon as she could. "I gotta... gotta get outta here..." Pinkie's left fore-hoof fell for a moment, cutting herself. Even the pain barely kept her from passing out from exhaustion. "Come on... I don't have much time." Pinkie said. She looked down at the spring, filled with anger and frustration. She pulled against the spring, trying widen the hole. Unfortunately, the fabric holding the spring ripped, sending her forehooves into her snout. She fell back, landing onto some sort of fabric. After a moment, she kicked the bed springs out of frustration. At least I landed someplace comfortable. Pinkie rubbed her back into whatever she was laying on. She sat there for a moment, stalling as her heavy eyelids closed for a moment. So comfortable... Pinkie rested her head on her right cheek. The fabric was so comfortable, she almost could-- "No!" Pinkie forced her eyes open, pushing herself off the fabric, and saw that it was the mattress she had pushed off hours ago. She kicked it away as she leaned over the bed springs, working the spring again. "Snap out of it, Pinkie! You n-need to get out of here!" Come on! Just come on! I don't have enough time! Pinkie began to pull against the spring with more force. She groaned in frustration, only ripping a few stitches in the straitjacket. Wait a moment... I think I've been doing this all wrong! If I just stab into and pull it upwards, it might rip it!. Pinkie began to push down onto the spring. Soon after, she felt the pressure of the spring against her hoof. "I swear... when I get outta here, PInkamena's gonna get it." Pinkie said angrily. The very thoughts of what Pinkamena had done made her angry. Even more reason to get out of this cell. Rippp Pinkie heard the sound of the straight jacket's fabric ripping and the pain of the spring entering her hoof. "Yes..." Pinkie said quietly, seeing that her plan had worked. She began to try and pull the spring away from the small hole she had just created, but a bolt of pain caused her to jerk back to it's prior position. "Horseapples." Pinkie cursed under her breath. Looks like I'm gonna have to pull it out of the wound unless I wanna mess up my hoof. Pinkie began to slowly bring her hooves up, being careful not to injure her hoof further. She felt the rigid spring retract away from her flesh. Every movement hurt, but she didn't allow her hooves to wince or jerk away. I just need to make sure that I don't pull it out too far... Pinkie couldn't really tell where the flesh ended and where the spring would exit. She went slowly, being careful to make sure she didn't accidentally pull it out of the jacket. Suddenly, she felt the jacket shake and immediately stopped. "Is it okay to move?" Pinkie asked herself as she hesitantly moved her hooves. There was no pain. Pinkie began to move with more force, thankfully with no pain in her hoof. "Thank you, Celestia..." She said as she began to pull against the spring less hesitantly. After another moment, she heard more of the fabric rip. For the first time all day, she felt the cool outside air touch her coat. "Hopefully this is a sign that things are going to become better." =============== Marble woke up in an empty hospital bedroom. Neither Limestone nor Igneous Pie were in sight. The bed sheet was still messy and unmade. They can't have been gone that long. Father's bed is still messy. Maybe they went to see mother and Maud? Marble trotted outside and began to trot to her mother's room. She looked over her surroundings, looking at the pale-lime and and light-blue lines intersecting on the walls beside her. After a few minutes, she found her mother's hospital bedroom. But for some reason, the door was closed. Limestone was sitting on the floor beside the door with a worried look on her face. Marble trotted over to her. Marble trotted up beside her, waving as before she sat down beside her "Hey." "Where's father?" "He's in there with mother. No idea what they're talking about." "Mhmm." Marble sat quietly, waiting patiently for her father to step out. Her sister, however, was becoming inpatient. "They've been in there for an hour now... I might peek in and see what they're talking about." Limestone said, standing. She reached for the door, only for Marble to grab her right fore-hoof. "D-don't." "We can know. We're not foals anymore." Limestone said, shaking off her sister's hoof as she quietly opened the door. Marble nervously bounced her hind-hooves against the ground as Limestone peaked inside, putting her ear to the door. After a moment, she quietly shut the door. "They're talking about Pinkie." Limestone said. Marble froze up, remembering what she had saw at the farm. There's no way Pinkie did this... she wouldn't do this to us. Mom, dad, and Maud haven't done anything to her. Marble tried to think of another pony that might do this to her family. Pinkie was not a possibility. The farm's pretty isolated besides the train station to Ponyville a few yards away from the house. Mother and father don't let us go out that often unless it was with Maud. Did she make somepony angry? She put her one fore-hooves to her chin as she went deeper into the possibilities of who might do this and why. Maybe... maybe Pinkie actually did it. "Marble?" Marble shook her head as she put her hoof back down on the ground and looked over at her sister. Her face flushed as she realized she had just completely blanked out with her sister standing in front of her. "S-sorry. I--" "I don't know!" Marble jumped at the noise. Limestone looked back at the door, surprised by their mother's scream. She slowly trotted over to the door. Limestone slightly cracked the door, looking inside. "I-I'm sorry..." "It's all right darling. We've brought this upon ourselves." Igneous said somberly. What are they talking about? "Really weird..." Limestone quietly noted. "We never should have done it to her..." Cloudy said in a mournful tone. To who? Pinkie? "What's done is done. But what are we going to do now?" "What the hay're they talking about? Do you know?" Limestone whispered, looking to her sister. Marble shook her head. "We just need to wait for Maud... then we can go back to normal life." "Yes... how are you taking this?" "It's tough. I-I'm afraid she'll never wake up." Cloudy's voice was trembling out of fear and sadness. "I know it is darling, but we mustn't think like that." "I suppose you're right... may I see Limestone?" "Of course, my darling." Igneous said as hoofsteps could be heard approaching. Limestone quickly rushed beside Marble, sitting down as Igneous opened the door. "Limestone- oh. Hello Marble." Marble nodded in acknowledgement. "Would you two want to see your mother and sister?" "Yes! Uh- I mean, yes sir." "Mmhm." "Good. You two follow me." Igneous said as he trotted back into the room. I wonder if I could ask them about what they were talking about. Marble trotted in behind Igneous and Limestone. Limestone quickly rushed up to Cloudy, wrapping her in a hug. "How are you, mother?" Limestone asked as she released her mother. "I'm fine. How are you, dear?" "I'm all right. Just a little worried about you two." Marble trailed away from their conversation as she looked up at her father, and saw a worried expression on his face. "What's wrong, father?" Marble asked. He didn't answer. "Father?" She asked once more, and got the same reply of silence. What is he... Marble realized something. He was staring at Maud. "O-oh, sorry." She quietly said. Not another word slipped through her lips as she allowed Limestone and Cloudy's conversation fill the room. =============== Pinkie continued to try and cut the jacket, making more progress with each pull and push. She felt optimistic for the first time in weeks. "Thank you, Celestia." Pinkie said, thankful that things were finally going her way for once. Creakkk Pinkie didn't feel the spring pushing against the jacket anymore. She glanced down, looking for what had happened "What?" Pinkie said as confusingly looked down at the spring. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she her eyes met with the spring. It was bent downwards, in between other springs. There was no way for her to cut with it. "No!" Pinkie said as she moved over to the spring and tried to straighten it out with the hole in her jacket. "Nonononononono!" She exclaimed in disbelief. I can't have gotten this far for nothing! "M-maybe I could use my teeth?! Yeah! T-that should work!" Pinkie said as she reached down and grabbed the spring with her teeth, ignoring the other springs pressing against her face uncomfortably. She had to get out. Crrrac-brrriinngg The spring broke off in her mouth. "No!" She said as she spit out the piece. "There's gotta be something else I can cut out of her with!" Pinkie said as she looked over the rest of the bed-springs. Some of them were sharp, but they were too far away from Pinkie. "No..." Pinkie's head hung against the spring. She was too exhausted to hold it up. =============== Marble and Igneous sat outside, giving Cloudy and Limestone some time to talk. They sat in silent tension as they watched many patience and doctors passed by them, not saying a single word to them. "How do you feel, my filly?" Igneous asked her, trying to break the uncomfortable silence. "A-all right, father." "Good." Igneous said. The uncomfortable silence returned after the words left his mouth. This is my chance to ask him... "Father, what happened to Pinkie?" Marble asked. Igneous' eyes widened for a moment, but he recomposed after a moment. "Nothing, dear." Igneous said. The emotions in his voice was hard to decipher. Marble was having a hard time trying to figure out if he was angry or not. "W-we heard what y-you were saying." Marble said. Igneous looked down at her. "You were listening to us?" Igneous asked. Marble nervously nodded. "Dear... I can't tell you. Your mother or I will tell you when you're older." "Why?" "I just can't." Igneous said harshly. Marble, surprised by the sudden outburst from her father, moved a few inches away from Igneous and looked down at the ground. After a moment, Igneous sighed. "I'm sorry. We're just under a lot of stress right now... but I still cannot tell you." "Okay" What did they do to her that was so bad that they couldn't tell Limestone or me? Marble pondered. =============== Pinkie laid down on the cold, hard floor, heartbroken. She had lost all hope. There'd be no way to get out of the straitjacket without something sharp, and the only thing close enough to her was the spring she had just broken. "I'm never gonna see my friends again... my family..." A tear rolled down Pinkie's right cheek. She kicked the bed springs out of anger "Why does she have to ruin my life?!" Pinkie said angrily. Pinkie looked over to the mattress, which still tempted her. "I might as well. Not like I'm gonna get outta here." Pinkie said as she moved over and put her head on the mattress. The unfamiliar situation actually reminded her of sleeping in her bed at Sugarcube Corner(the jacket being her blanket and the mattress being her pillow). It was surprisingly comfortable. She rubbed her snout into the fabric, almost giggling as it tickled her snout. She rested her head against the side of the mattress. Pinkie released a breath as she pulled her hind-hooves onto the bed. "I just wish I could have gotten this jacket off..." Pinkie quietly said as she slowly closed her eyes close. Poof Pinkie's eyes jolted open as she heard the noise. She wiped her eyes away with her left fore-hoof. "What was tha-?" Pinkie looked down at the hoof she had just used to wipe her eyes. She trailed down the hoof and saw that there was no longer a straight jacket enveloping her. "Yes! I'm out! But how?!" ===============
VI: PlanningPinkie still in a state of disbelief. She was so confused. That was certainly a nice wake-up call "How?!" Pinkie ran her hooves over her ribs, making sure she wasn't fooling herself. Can I control the dream too? "Uh... I wish I had a cupcake." Pinkie asked as she hesitantly held out her hooves. Poof A cupcake appeared above her and it fell into her hooves. Pinkie began to smile as she licked a bit of the frosting off the top of it. "Could this prison disappear?" Pinkie asked again. The prison around her disappeared and she was greeted with a grassland. Pinkie giggled. "Yes!" Pinkie cried out as she jumped out of joy. She laughed as she ran around the grassland, seeing that there was no prisons or Pinkamena in site. After a moment, Pinkie sat down on the grass. Since I'm out of that cell, I can start to plan what I can do to take control now. "But Pinkamena is too much for me right now. I need to figure out a way to beat her..." Pinkie said as, putting her right fore-hoof to her chin as she tried to think of a plan. A piece of paper on a clipboard and a pencil appeared in front of her and landed on the ground in front of her. "She hates partying... but I doubt that it'll stop her long enough for me to regain control." Pinkie said as she shot down the idea. "Maybe I could trap her like she did to me..." Pinkie said as she wrote the idea down on the paper. "No. She has control over the dream as well. She'd just get herself out." Pinkie said as she crossed out the idea. "What about her wings... that's certainly a sensitive spot for her." Pinkie asked herself as she wrote the idea down on the paper. "It's a good idea, but it's a low blow." Pinkie said. She went to cross it out, but stopped once the tip hit the paper. "Why should I care? She's done nothing but been mean to me ever since she came back." Pinkie told herself, trying to reassure herself that it'd be a good idea. However, she still was doubtful of doing it. "I-I could do that one, but let's just think of another one. Just in case..." Pinkie said. She listed the idea under the "Last Resort" on the other side of the paper. "Maybe I could make a clone and put it in the prison for my replacement. So she thinks that it's just me and I could hide somewhere else or make myself invisible." Pinkie said, writing down the idea. She nodded and put a small check mark beside the idea. "Yeah... I could even make the clone asleep so she won't be expecting me." Pinkie said. She put a small note on the idea saying to make sure the clone is asleep. ============ Fluttershy and Rarity walked outside of the spa. "Thank you again!" Rarity called out to Lotus Blossom and Aloe as they exited. "Y-yeah..." Fluttershy said, but not as loudly as Rarity. "So dear, did you enjoy the spa?" Rarity asked, now focusing her attention on Fluttershy. "Yes. I feel better now. T-thank you." Fluttershy said. She wasn't completely truthful. I'm still nervous. "Oh, you're welcome dear. Would you like to join me back at the Carousel Boutique for a cup of tea?" "Uh... sure." Fluttershy said as they approached the seamstress' shop. "Oh, marvelous." Rarity said as she and Fluttershy approached the entrance. Rarity opened the door and motioned for Fluttershy to enter. "Oh... t-thank you." Fluttershy said as she entered. Rarity followed behind, shutting the door behind herself. "Any specific kind of tea you'd like darling?" "Chamomile please." "All right, dear. I'll be out a few moments." Rarity said, entering her kitchen. After a few moments, she returned from the kitchen, magically holding the two cups of tea and a small pot in the air beside her. "Okay, darling. Here it is." The cups of tea sat beside other, and the pot of tea went to the middle of the table. Rarity sat down beside Fluttershy, smiling at her as she sat and lifted her cup to her mouth, taking a sip. "Thank you." Fluttershy said as she picked up the cup in front of her and took a small sip from it, tasting the warm, relaxing tea. For a few minutes, they just sat beside each other, sipping tea from their cups. Come on... I need to do this. There's no backing out of it. I have to do this. Fluttershy took in and let out a deep sigh, trying to relax before speaking again. "Uh... Rarity, c-can I tell you something?" Fluttershy asked anxiously. "Of course, dear." Rarity said, smiling at her. Fluttershy took in another deep sigh. She was still very nervous. "I-I think I'm ready to t-tell you who h-hurt me." Fluttershy said. Rarity's eyes slightly widened and she sat the cup on the coffee table. "Okay, dear. I'm here for you." "Okay." Fluttershy said as tears stung her eyes, recalling the memory of that night. "I-it w-was..." Fluttershy took another sip of the tea, which seemed to have no effect on her nerves at the moment. "It's all right dear." Rarity said as she got up and put a hoof on Fluttershy's right shoulder, giving her a comforting smile. "Go at your own pace, darling." "It w-was Pin-" Fluttershy could barely speak. She knew Pinkie'd be in trouble, but she had to do it. Come on... you have to do this. For your sake and everypony else's "It was P-Pinkie!" Fluttershy quickly muttered before covering her mouth, tears rolling down her face. The color drained from Rarity's face. "W-who?" "Pinkie..." Fluttershy said, uncovering her mouth as she allowed her head to hang. "Oh my... dear Celestia." Rarity collapsed onto the couch, sitting beside Fluttershy. She picked up her cup and drank the remaining contents of the cup in one big gulp, some of the tea dripping onto her face. "H-have you told anypony this beside's me?" "N-no." Fluttershy said as she momentarily glanced up. "Do you want to tell anypony besides me?" "I-I'd like to tell the rest of the Elements, but I-I don't know if I'll be able to." Fluttershy said as her face returned to its prior spot. "I could tell them. I'll go fetch Twilight and the others right now i-if you'd like me to do so." "I-I don't know... I guess so." "Okay dear, I'll be back in a moment." Rarity said. She trotted into the kitchen, wiped the tea off of her face with a paper towel, and hastily went outside. Fluttershy let out a sigh as the front door shut. I did it... now for the rest of them. ============ Pinkamena walked outside and sat down. Thankfully, Cheese Sandwich wasn't home. Maybe that's why things were so peaceful. "Pinkie's been quiet... she usually would've said something by now." Pinkamena quietly said to herself as she felt the hot, humid Las Pegasus touch her coat. "Maybe she's finally gone." Pinkamena said with a small smirk. Pinkie? There was no answer. Pinkamena manically giggled as she heard no response from Pinkie. "It seems like I've finally won. Oh well. I'm actually going to miss toying with her." ============ Fluttershy patiently waited for Rarity to return. She has had some time to calm down since she had told Rarity. It felt like a weight had been lifted up from her shoulders. I should set up some tea for them. Fluttershy picked up the teapot and filled Rarity's and her own cup. She set the pot down and went into the kitchen. After a moment, she returned with three cups. She sat them down on the coffee table, in a row at the opposite side of the table, and filled them individually and sat back down on the couch in front of her own cup. "I don't intend to be rude, but you all must hurry! This is very important!" "Okay! We're coming!" "Why did ya drag us here? What's goin' on?" "I'll explain in a moment! But right now, we must get inside. "Okay, Rarity! What is wr-" Twilight, Rarity, and Applejack enter the Carousel Boutique "-uh... hello Fluttershy. What's the matter?" Twilight said, changing her tone of voice from confused to concerned. "Sorry, Fluttershy. I couldn't find Rainbow Dash." "I-it's all right. Thank you." "Um... what wrong? Did somethin' happen?" "Okay, Fluttershy. Tell them when you're ready. We'll be here for you." Rarity said as she trotted over to the couch and sat down beside Fluttershy. "I want to tell you both who h-hurt me." ============ "And... there. I think I've got my plan." Pinkie looked over the clipboard of different ideas. Most of them were crossed out, but after hours of brainstorming, she finally figured out the fill plan. "Okay... let me go over this..." Pinkie said to herself as she began to read over the list. ♦Plan to Take Back Control♦ Make a clone √ (Note to self: Make sure that clone is sleeping and has a straight jacket on by the time Pinkamena comes back) ~~Throw a party to annoy her~~ Make a lot of small yet powerful party cannons √ (Another Note to Self: Make lots of confetti.) Hide somewhere when Pinkamena returns(or make myself invisible. Either one will do) √ ~~Trap her in something(possibly a giant cake so it'll take her longer)~~ Recreate the cell and put the sleeping clone inside √ ♦Last Resort(s)♦ Talk about Pinkamena's wings ~ Take her through the memories of her dream ~ "I think that this is good. I'm still a bit iffy about the last resorts though." Pinkie said to herself as she let out a little yawn. "Might as well start... Pinkamena will probably be back here soon." Pinkie said as she began to create the things on her list. ============ A Few Moments Later "What?!" Twilight called out as the news of who had hurt Fluttershy hit her eardrums. Applejack reminded silent and looked disappointed, staring away from Fluttershy. "I-it was her." Fluttershy said as a few tears escaped her eyes. "I- what- why?!" Twilight stumbled over her words before letting out a sigh. "I-I don't understand..." "Did Pinkie say anything to ya that might tell us why?" Applejack asked, her voice very serious. She turned back to her "No..." "Ugh... so that's why she left." "W-why would she do this?" Fluttershy said as a few more tears left her eyes. Rarity rubbed her shoulder in an effort to comfort her. "I honestly couldn't tell ya, sugarcube. She can't stay out of Ponyville forever. We can find out why that way." "But nopony is to hurt her. We need to find out what the hay is going on. There's no way Pinkie'd do this of her own will. "Ya. Pinkie's not the type'a pony ta do that too... anypony, really." Rarity sipped from her cup. "Perhaps we could find her?" "We could... but where the hay would we start? Isn't like she'd go back to her family's farm after what happened." "B-but what if she comes back on her own? W-what could she do to us?!" "Don't worry dear. We'll be fine." Rarity said, trying to reassure her friend. "Sugarcube, we're gonna be here for ya." Applejack said. Twilight nodded in agreement. "Thank you. A-all of you. Now I just need to tell Rainbow Dash..." "Uh, sugarcube? I don't think that she's gonna take it very well." "I know..." Fluttershy quietly said, silently dreading telling her. ============ Pinkie wiped soda off of her mouth and looked at her work. She had successfully created three party cannons, six barrels of loadable confetti for the cannons, a cell that was almost identical to the one she was previously trapped in, a sleeping clone with a straight jacket in said cell, and a small cupcake(for her own personal needs). "Whew... now everything's ready. I just need to make myself invisible when she returns and then that'll be everything off my checklist." Pinkie said as she picked up the cupcake and licked a bit of icing off of the top of it. ============ "I had so much fun at that party! You should've been there! Even DJ PON-3 was there!" Cheese Sandwich said as he ate an apple. "Cool..." Pinkamena said, trying to mask the reluctance in her voice. I knew the peace and quiet couldn't last forever... oh well. Maybe he'll be my next target. Pinkamena trotted into the kitchen and grabbed a small apple from a small basket in Cheese's kitchen. She took a small bite out of it and looked up at the clock. 8:30 P.M Hopefully I could probably get away with going to bed now. Even if I don't actually go to sleep, it'll be better than hanging out with Cheese. "Hey Cheese, I'm gonna go ahead and go to bed. I don't know about you, but I'm tired!" PInkamena said, trying to sound like Pinkie. She began to trot towards the staircase. "I'm probably not far behind ya. Well, goodnight." Cheese said as she trotted up the stairs. "Goodnight, Cheese." Pinkamena said as she reached the top of the staircase and entered the guest bedroom. She shut the door behind her and fell into the bed. I can't wait to see Pinkie for myself. ============
VII: The BattleAuthor's Note Hello. I've worked day and night to get this out. Hope you enjoy it. VII: The Battle Pinkamena entered the dream-state. She glanced over at the cell, seeing a pink hoof sticking out of the door, motionless. "Pinkie! I'm back." Pinkamena called out as she trotted towards the cell. She pushed Pinkie's left hind-hoof inside before she opened the cell door. Pinkie's tangled mane covered the majority of her face, only leaving her snout and her closed right eye visible. Her left fore-hoof slightly poked out of the hole in her straitjacket, but the hole was too small for it to fit through. The had been unstrapped at one side of her face, resting beside her. Her hind-hooves were propped up against the bed spring "Pinkie?" Pinkamena said as she stepped into the cell and kicked the pony in the ribs. Pinkie didn't respond or even flinch. She kicked her again, this time in the head, and much harder. "I knew you couldn't last too much longer. Surprised you got out of that muzzle at all." Pinkamena said with a large smirk. "Or so you thought" Slam Pinkamena, upon hearing the familiar voice and the slam, looked back. Pinkie had locked her inside the cell. "Pinkie, how did you get out?!" Pinkamena said as she rushed towards the bars. She pulled against the bars, but they wouldn't budge. "Well, if you what you say is true, it may be your body, but it's my mind as well!" "You have no idea what you're doing to yourself!" "It'd be better than being trapped in a cell with you!" "That's it!" Pinkamena said. The bars blasted off of there hinges. Pinkie ducked to the ground, narrowly missing the bars. Pinkamena stood in front of Pinkie, a knife now held in between her teeth. "If you won't fade, then I'll force you to!" Pinkamena said as she spat out the knife before picking it up with her right fore-hoof. She approached Pinkie. "You're not gonna make me do anything..." Pinkie said with confidence. "And how exactly are you gonna stop me?" Pinkamena questioned as she grew ever closer to Pinkie. "Like this." Pinkie said as she stomped on the ground. However, nothing seemed to happen. "Ooooh... I'm so scared." Pinkamena said in a mocking tone. "You should be." Pinkie said as she looked at Pinkamena with a confident grin. Suddenly, something wrapped around Pinkamena. "What?!" Pinkamena said as she felt some sort of strap wrap around her neck, making it difficult to breathe. "We're taking back control!" Pinkamena caught a small glimpse of a messy pink mane, identical to Pinkie's. "You forgot about my clone in the cell..." "You -ah-" Pinkamena stopped, unable to speak. She flipped the knife to where the tip was pointing towards the Pinkie clone and stabbed into it. "Ah!" Pinkamena felt the strap slightly loosen, allowing her to get a breath of air. She grabbed the strap and lifted it off of her head, letting it fall away from her body. Pinkamena turned around and looked at the Pinkie clone, her knife sticking out from her stomach. She grabbed the knife and began to drag it up her body, making sure that it dragged against her bones and organs. "A-ah!" The clone called out as the knife passed through her flesh. Pinkamena continued to push the knife into her body, making sure it was very painful. She kept doing this until the clone's eyes closed. "This is what's gonna happen to you, Pinkie!" Pinkamena said as she turned around and was met with... surprisingly nothing. Pinkie wasn't in her line of vision. "Pinkie! Where are you?! I'm ending this right now!" Pinkamena said as she began to look around, searching for the pink party pony. A few moments went by with no sign of Pinkie. Boooom-whoooooooo Pinkamena felt something hit her in the ribs with much force. She was immediately knocked into the air because of the immense force. Confetti sprayed in her face and mane, momentarily blinding her. "Ahg!" Pinkamena called out as she felt the pain coming from her side. She landed with a thud against the ground. Her ribs and right side burned painfully. "Ow..." Pinkamena quietly said as she slowly picked her head up and tried to look at what caused such an intense force. Her vision was blurry at first from the confetti, but once she focused she saw Pinkie standing behind a party cannon. The barrel of the party cannon was smoking. "Pinkie... I'm going to- ah!" Pinkamena said as she tried to stand up, but collapsed back onto the ground due to the pain in her ribs. "Hey, Pinkamena! That was for Fluttershy!" Pinkie called out as she was reloading the party cannon with one of the barrels. Pinkamena hit her hooves against the ground and braved through the pain. She stumbled as she trotted towards Pinkie. "I'm going to kill you... then it'll be Cheese," Pinkamena said as she trotted towards Pinkie "Sure you will." Pinkie said as she started to fire the party cannon again. The cannon fired, but no confetti came out. "Huh?" Pinkie said as she looked at the cannon, confused. She looked at the top of the cannon, seeing that it was blocked by some sort of metal lid. "Oh no!" Pinkie said. The party cannon suddenly exploding, blasting Pinkie back by a few feet. Shrapnel cut into her right fore-hoof, sending a jolt of pain up her hoof. "You'd better start running. I'm not leaving here until you're gone." Pinkamena said as she trotted towards Pinkie, who was still lying on the ground. Pinkie shook her head before stumbling up and rushing away. Pinkamena sighed. She had at least a moment recover. "My ribs..." Pinkamena groaned as she rubbed her side, trying to numb the pain. ===================== Pinkie hid in a small trench that she had just made on the ground. She sat down and let herself recover for the moment. "Dang it... I wasn't expecting that." Pinkie said as she let her head rest against the dirt. She made a small bottle of water appear in front of her and poured it over her right fore-hoof, washing out the piece of metal that had lodged in her hoof in the explosion. "I can't let her get the upper-hoof." Pinkie said as she dragged herself out of the trench and trotted towards the next party cannon she had set up. ===================== Pinkamena transformed her small knife into a large machete. She as prepared for whatever Pinkie could throw at her. "She thinks she's gotten me beat..." Pinkamena said to herself. "I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve. Somethings that will push this in my favor." She said to herself as she began to run her hoof up and down the blade of her machete. "Now, let's find her." Pinkamena said as she began to trot, looking for Pinkie. "Come out, Pinkie..." "Okay. Since you won't come to me, then I'll come to you." Boooom-whoooo Pinkamena recognized the sound immediately and she ducked down. The ball of confetti narrowly missed her. She looked over to where it was fired and saw Pinkie. "You shouldn't have done that, Pinkie!" Pinkamena called out as she rushed towards Pinkie. "Shoot!" Pinkie said to herself as she hastily tried to reload the cannon. Before she got the chance to, Pinkamena jumped over the cannon and stabbed Pinkie in the shoulder. "Ah!" Pinkie said as she felt the pain on her shoulder. She pushed Pinkamena and the machete off of her and rushed away. Pinkamena picked up the machete and hastily followed behind. "You aren't escaping!" Pinkamena called out as she chased behind. Pinkie galloped away from Pinkamena, trying to escape her. Pinkamena followed behind her closely. "I've gotta use one of the last resorts..." Pinkie changed the surroundings in front of her, from a wide, flat grassland to a small, cramped barn containing her parents, sister, and a pegasus foal named Pinkamena. "Hey, Pinkamena! You think you can stop me?!" Pinkie taunted, hoping to further the chase long enough. They were only a few feet away from the entrance to the farm. She hid behind the wagon in the corner as Pinkamena entered. "Oh, I certainly-" Pinkamena said as she entered the barn. Pinkie sneaked outside as Pinkamena realized the situation she was in. "No..." Pinkamena said as she immediately recognized the area. Tears stung her eyes. "Mom! Please help! I'll never talk back to you again! I'll be the nice, obedient little filly! Just don't take my wings!" The blinded, small filly pleaded with her parents. Igneous held the knife against her wings. "No! No, no, no!" She called out as tears rolled down her cheeks. Pinkamena looked back at where she came from, but the barn doors had disappeared. "No! I need to get out of her, now!" Pinkamena began to desperately look for an exit. There were no barn doors or windows for her to exit. "Mom! Dad! Someone get me outta here!" "Pinkie! You'd better let me outta here!" Pinkamena called out as she banged against the wall. "Wait! I can just dream this away! Y-yeah!" Pinkamena said as she tried to focus on something else besides those horrid memories. Her thoughts were racing, and her heart pounded. "I-I can't focus!" "Dad! Please don't do it! I'll do anything... I'll... I'll..." Pinky pleaded with her parents. "Come on! Think of something else Pinkamena! Think of something to get me outta here!" She said, panicking. Tears fell from her eyes as she felt an emotion that she wished to have never feel again. Helplessness. "I can't do it! I'm so sorry Pinky!" Igneous said as he dropped the cleaver and hugged the foal. "Don't you dare say that you bucking liar! You were going to do it to me and you know it!!" Pinkamena said as she turned to her father. She knew that he couldn't hear her, but it distracted her from her current situation. "Please forgive us Pinky! We're so sorry" Cloudy said as she rushed over to the filly and wrapped her in a hug. "You should've done something! You should've stopped Maud before she laid a hoof on me! You just stood there, either sobbing or just standing there helping them!" Pinkamena said angrily to her mother. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The filly screamed as Maud cut off her wings. Pinkamena covered her ears. However, the words could still be heard. She began to pound against the walls of the barn, hoping to break through. ===================== "Let me out! I can't take this anymore!" Pinkie sat against the wall outside of the barn, listening to Pinkamena's pleas. She tried to block out the screams, overwhelmed by guilt. "I didn't wanna do this, Pinkamena... but you forced my hoof."+ "Pinkie, you'd better let me outta here right now! I-I'll hurt you when I get out of here!" Pinkie couldn't stand the fact that she was doing something like this to somepony. "Why do I feel so bad? She's done all these things to my friends... my family... me, but I still feel guilty..." Crack Pinkie jumped at the sound, standing up and trotting away from the wall. She looked at the origin of the sound and saw what looked like a bloody blade sticking out of the wooden board she was sitting beside. It pulled back and stabbed back into the wall under the original stab. A pink hoof went through the wood and pulled it's self back into the barn. "Oh no..." Pinkie said as she looked at the scene. The hoof began to pull the boards in, almost like it was trying to make an exit. Pinkie rushed up to the wall and pushed against the wall, trying to keep her inside. "Pinkie... please." Pinkie stopped pushing as she heard Pinkamena's whimper. She backed away from the board, allowing Pinkamena to break the board and grab the board beside her. "What happened?! Why can't I feel my left wing!?" Pinkie looked up and saw Pinkamena's face. Her face was stained with tears. She was covering her right ear with her free fore-hoof. "Please... p-please make it stop." Pinkamena said, her voice filled with sadness. Pinkie hesitated for a moment, but after hearing her whimpering, she couldn't bear to hear her in such distress anymore. She pulled the boards out from beside her, breaking them away to create a path for her. Pinkamena rushed out, dropping the machete and collapsing to the knees. "W... why?" She glanced up to Pinkie, eyes full of tears. "You left me no ch-choice. I'm sorry." She stared at the ground, trembling slightly. "I... I can feel them moving." "What?" "My wings." She said woefully. "Uh... I..." Pinkie stumbled over her words. Pinkamena turned to Pinkie and wiped her eyes "Go." Pinkamena simply said. "W... what?" "I'm gonna give you a minute or two to run. So, go." Pinkamena said. Pinkie seemed suspicious at first, but she rushed over to her party cannon and took it with her as she ran. After Pinkie was far away, Pinkamena sighed and buried her hooves in her face and let the tears flow down her face. "I was so scared... so helpless," Pinkamena said as she recalled the event that had just happened a few minutes ago. "I-I felt like that scared little filly again..." Tears rolled down her cheeks. "Why do I have to be tormented by those memories?! I just wish I could forget all of it!" Pinkamena exclaimed. She slammed her hooves against the ground in anger. Pinkamena let out a few deep breaths before speaking again. "Calm down, Pinkamena...she's just trying to get into your head... I need to focus on killing her." Pinkamena said. She took in a few more deep breaths before getting up and creating a small knife and began to follow her hoof-steps. ===================== Pinkie held the small party cannon under her shoulder as she ran towards the trench. "Ah..." Pinkie groaned as she felt the pain come from her shoulder. She wanted to grab it to try and at least alleviate some of her pain but was unable to because she was running. Pinkie ran into her trench, sat the party cannon down, and grabbed her shoulder. "Buck!" Pinkie said as she felt the intense pain from the stab wound. An ice-pack appeared in front of her, which she immediately put on his shoulder. She moaned in relief as she felt the pain slightly numb. "That's much better." Pinkie said as a small, goofy smile spread across her face. She looked over at her party cannon. "Okay... one of the party cannons has been destroyed, one is all right, but I don't think I'll be able to get to it with Pinkamena looking for me, so I guess that this one'll have to do." Pinkie said. She leaned over and looked in the loading spot; she still had a ball of confetti inside. "That'll be good if Pinkamena finds me." Pinkie said as she went back to her prior spot. She didn't really have much to do in the small trench. "I could probably heal my shoulder." Pinkie said. She lifted up the ice-pack. The pain was, but there still was a large wound on her shoulder. "Oh well..." Pinkie said as she disposed of the ice-pack. "I knew it'd stir up her emotions, but I didn't mean for her to have a breakdown." Pinkie said as guilt filled her voice. "I mean, she is keeping me away from my friends... she's hurt my family... why do I still care about her?" "Maybe what she said was true... maybe I am just an imaginary friend who took over..." Pinkie quietly said. She thought about the possibility for a few minutes. "I don't know!" Pinkie said, admitting defeat. "Pinkie... come out?" Pinkie shut her mouth tightly. She grabbed the party cannon and put it at the trench entrance as an extra precaution. "Hm. A trench." Hoof-steps could be heard approaching the trench. There was something dragging on the ground. Pinkie had her hoof on the firing button, ready to fire. Her nerves were on edge as it was, and the waiting for Pinkamena to enter wasn't helping. Crack Pinkie pressed the button, causing the confetti to shoot out the end of the barrel of the cannon. "That was a mistake, Pinkie..." Pinkie watched as Pinkamena entered the small trench, her machete in her hoof. She began to crawl back until her back hit the edge of the trench. Pinkamena put her machete to Pinkie's chest with some pressure. "You shouldn't have shown me those memories, Pinkie." Pinkamena said as she put more pressure on her chest. Pinkie had become petrified from fear. "You made me remember how helpless I felt... how afraid," Pinkamena said as her voice trembled. She wiped the tears away from her eyes. "The pain in my wings... they hurt so much." Pinkamena said as more tears stung her eyes. The pressure against Pinkie's chest lightened slightly. Pinkie finally worked up the courage to speak. "P-Pinkamena... I-I know you're angry... but p-please... you don't have to t-take it out on everyone else." "Well, then what am I supposed to do, huh?! How am I supposed to forget that those animals cut off my wings?!" Pinkamena said as she glared angrily at Pinkie with teary-eyes. "I need to distract myself from the memories... I can't go back to that place-- I can't!" Pinkamena quietly said as she looked down at the ground. The blade slowly fell from Pinkie's chest to her stomach. "I-I could distract you! You said that I used to distract you when you were younger like you said!" "It doesn't work anymore. I need something more." Pinkamena said. She shakily lifted her blade back up to her chest and began to push it into her. "Pinkamena, this isn't you! What happened to that innocent, fun-loving filly I saw in those flashbacks?!" Pinkie asked. "That filly died when her wings were taken away." Pinkamena said. Pinkie felt the pressure on her chest increase once more. She grabbed the blade and tried the push it away. "Get away!" Pinkie said as she pushed the machete out of Pinkamena's hoof, causing it to land at the far-side of the trench. Pinkamena rushed for the machete as Pinkie went for her party cannon. She grabbed the party cannon and grabbed one of the barrels of confetti. Pinkamena rushed towards her with the blade. Pinkie tried to load the party barrel, but the shakiness in her hooves was making it difficult. "Come on!" "Stop that!" Pinkamena said as she came closer to Pinkie. Pinkie finally loaded the confetti into party cannon and fired, hitting Pinkamena directly in the chest. Pinkamena landed with a thud. Pinkie coughed as the smoke cleared from the cannon. "Pinkamena?" Pinkie asked as she got up. She trotted over to Pinkamena, who seemed unconscious. Pinkie let out a sigh of relief as she dragged herself out of the trench. Sni-sni Pinkie looked back at trench(which was the origin of the sound). She saw Pinkamena in a fetal position, tears leaking from her eyes. "Just forget her... take control." Pinkie said to herself as she yearned herself to trot away, but she just... couldn't go. She sighed and went back down to the trench. "W-what do you want? You've won. Take back control..." Pinkamena said as Pinkie entered. "Honestly? I don't know." Pinkie said as she picked up the machete and threw away from Pinkamena. She sat down beside Pinkamena. "Will you just go away-ah!" Pinkamena said. She clenched her chest. "Not yet..." "Why did you come back? Y-you hate me... I've hurt-hurt you for so long." "I don't like to see ponies cry... even you. And I don't hate you." Pinkie said. Pinkamena turned away from Pinkie. "Go. Away. Now." Pinkamena said bitterly, making sure to keep her face out of Pinkie's sight. "No. I know that you aren't completely an evil pony." "You sure about that?" "One-hundred and fifty percent sure. You've just been hurt so much that the fun-living filly I first saw is being covered up by all that pain." "I said go away!" Pinkamena said as she got up and moved away from Pinkie. She put up a wall in a trench separating her from Pinkie. Pinkie sighed. "I'll be back in a day." Pinkie said as she went out of the trench and began to take control. ===================== Pinkie woke up in Cheese Sandwich's guest bedroom. She jolted up in the bed. "Am I in control?" Pinkie asked herself. She pinched herself and felt a dull pain. She smiled. "Yes..." Pinkie said, welcoming the pain. She had gained control. =====================
VIII: FreedomAuthor's Note Getting this one out a bit late. I wanted to get it out on the 20th, but oh well... I hope you enjoy this one regardless. VIII: Freedom Pinkie took in a deep breath of the air in the room, welcoming the scent of the fresh, humid Las Pegasus air and the chirping of the birds outside. She got out of bed and excitedly trotted downstairs, hoping to meet Cheese or somepony-- anypony to celebrate with. Thankfully, Cheese was sitting down on the couch, drinking some sort of red liquid in the glass. His accordion was sat beside him. "Oh, hello Pinkie. Good morning!" Cheese said. Pinkie rushed over to him and hugged him tightly. After days of only seeing Pinkamena, Cheese was a fresh breath of air for her. She stiffened, a bit surprised by the sudden outburst of energy from the pony who'd been seemingly drained for the past couple days. "Uh... Pinkie? Are you feeling all right?" "Oh Cheese... I'm so happy that I'm here. Thank you for letting me stay here." Pinkie said as she let go of him. "Ok... great." Cheese said as he sipped from his glass, still a bit confused. Pinkie sat down beside him. "What's up?" Pinkie asked as she lightly bounced up and down on the couch. "I'm kinda sad right now. A stallion and I were planning a party, but he just canceled it out of the blue. Nothing is more disappointing than a ruined party." "Sorry. I know how that's like, trust me." Pinkie said. Cheese smiled at her act of sympathy. "Oh-- it'll be fine. In the meantime, I could tell you about that party I went to last night again." "Sure!" Pinkie said as she sat down beside him, almost bouncing in her seat. ================= Marble's hooves bounced in anxiety. Even though the whole day had gone by painfully slowly and was fairly uneventful, she still couldn't help but be worried. Igneous was sitting beside her. He seemed disheveled. His mane, usually straight down his neck, stuck out to the sides and he had black bags under his eyes, showing his exhaustion. "Hello, father." Marble straightened her pose in her chair and combed down the back of her head, some of her mane standing up. "Huh... oh, hello dear." Igneous wiped her eyes and yawned quietly. "I-is everything all right?" "Yes. Your mother and Maud are fine, and your sister is asleep. The nurse said she'd bring some food soon for breakfast." "Okay" "I'll have to go back to the farm soon. Your mother needs her glasses and Maud needs a frock for when she wakes up. I needed to get some bits anyway." "Okay. D-do you need some sleep? I can watch them if you want to get some s-sleep." Igneous didn't reply, simply staring at Maud. "Father?" "Huh-- no. I'll be fine dear. Thank you." Marble nodded. He turned back to Maud, staring at her. Beep Beep Beep Father must be worried about them. He hasn't slept since we got here. "Father?" Marble asked again. She was beginning to get a bit worried. Her father wasn't the type of pony to ignore somepony, let alone his own daughter. He's acting so strangely... almost like he's guilty about this or something. Igneous still stared blankly at Maud. "Father?" Marble asked, the usual timid pony raising her voice. "What, dear?" Igneous asked impatiently. "A-are you all right?" "Yes. I'm fine." "Are you worried a-about mother and Maud?" Marble questioned. Igneous sighed, wiping over his eyes and brushing over his mane. "Yes." Igneous lowered his head slightly, but he still kept his eyes on Maud. "I am too." "I should have done something..." Igneous said quietly. "W-what, father?" Marble asked. Igneous shook his head. "Nothing," Igneous said as if he were trying to evade her question. "Nothing at all. Marble glanced away from him for a moment. Her face flushed. Why can't I just keep my mouth shut? He clearly isn't comfortable. Be quiet-- "Thank you for your concern, dear. But I don't want to talk." Igneous said as he glanced at the door, then back to Maud. "O-okay, father." ================= "Aw... I wish I would've been there. DJ Pon-3, streamers-- sound so fun!" Pinkie said as she heard of the amazing party Cheese went to last night. She barely was able to contain her excitement. "Yeah... you really should've been there. You seemed a bit down yesterday." Pinkamena was in control then, so that makes sense. Thank Celestia that she didn't hurt anypony while I was trapped in there. "Well... I kinda missed my friends. Don't get me wrong; I've enjoyed being here with you, but I just miss my friends back in Ponyville." Pinkie said, somewhat truthful. "I can understand that. Sometimes, I miss my parents from Manehattan. We don't get to talk that much anymore." Cheese said as he looked down somberly. "Yeah..." Pinkie said. The room was with an uneasy, almost awkward tension in the room. "But look on the bright side!" Cheese thoroughly broke the silence. "We've got each other for company! There're plenty more parties to go to! And we could pass the time with my accordion!" Cheese said excitedly, picking up his accordion and beginning to play. "Yeah!" Pinkie said, Cheese's excitement filling her. "C'mon, let's go to the park or someplace. That'll help us. And my accordion's still allowed in there." "All right. So long as we have some fun, lead the way!" ================= Marble bounced her hind-hooves against the ground nervously. Her mother and sister were still asleep, and Igneous Rock was still watching over them, guarding over them like his life depended on it. Beep Beep Beep Marble looked over to Maud. Her worries began to become more predominant in her mind. "F-father, is Maud go-going to be all right?" Marble asked, looking for some form of reassurance. "I hope so, dear." Beep Beep Beep Marble looked up at Maud's heart monitor, the origin of the sound. The bad feeling in her stomach traveled up into her heart. After a moment, the beeping returned to normal. ================= Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich trotted down the sidewalks of Las Pegasus. She was excited to be free once again and actually do something to relax her for a change. The sun was overhead as Cheese and she searched around for something to do. "Let's see... I think the park's down there." Cheese pointed in between two buildings, a wide gravel path towards a fenced area. "All right. Let's go." "Hopefully they've cleaned up everything. It usually get's trashed overnight from ponies partying." "What all is down there?" Pinkie asked. Cheese put his left fore-hoof up to his chin. "Well, it's been a while since I've been there, but I'm pretty sure they have a path that leads through the park, a swing or two for the foals, and a lake." "Sounds fun." "I'm so glad we're getting out. Get's my mind off of Pinka--" Pinkie covered her mouth, stopping behind him. Cheese turned back, staring at her. His ears had fallen to his head, and he seemed confused. "Who's that? I've never heard of her or him before." "Nopony. Just somepony who was mean to me in Ponyville before I left." "Oh... sorry." Cheese turned away as they continued on the gravel path. Perfect... I had to bring up Pinkamena. "W... what did she do to you? Is she the reason why you left Ponyville?" Cheese asked. Pinkie stopped, the question putting a damper on the already weakened conversation. She remained silent, uncomfortable with the topic. "Never mind. Sorry." "No... it's all right. I-I'll tell you about it..." "Her name was Pinka- Diane. She first came into town when I working at Sugarcube Corner. We actually were friends at first. She was really mean to other ponies, but I'd usually distract her by telling lots of jokes. I even threw her a party one time." Pinkie said. Cheese listened intently. "... but then she began to pick on Fluttershy-- one of my best friends. I tried to stop her at first, but it didn't work most of the time. Then, I finally confronted her about it. Pinkamena turned on me and began to bully and pick on me along with Fluttershy and a lot of other ponies." "I-I felt trapped-- I was trapped. Whenever I'd go out, she'd always be there to hurt me and Fluttershy. Then one day I saw her hitting and beating up Fluttershy. I rushed up to her and tried to pull her off, but she just pushed me away and began to punch her more and more. She beat me up, but it was worth it to try and help Flutters. Even with my help, Fluttershy had to go to the hospital. I managed to push her off of me and she looked at me and said, 'You did this to her'..." Pinkie said, trying to keep her emotions under control. "... she tried to convince me that she made me angry enough to make her do this." "You couldn't have caused her to do that!" "Yeah... I know. But somehow, she actually convinced me at one point. I actually went to the hospital and tried to apologize." Pinkie said, putting one of her hooves to cover her quivering lips. "She had me trapped in Ponyville, feeling guilty. But after many days and weeks of abuse, I finally worked up the courage to stand up to her. One day, I finally stood up to her. She tried to beat me up, but I sort of, kinda-- in a way, shot her with my party cannon." Pinkie said. Cheese looked a bit shocked for a moment. He burst into a fit of laughter. "Nice!" Cheese managed to say after a minute-long laughter. Pinkie smiled. "Yeah. I ran away from Ponyville and I didn't stop until I reached a rest area outside of Ponyville. That's when I called you and asked you for a place to stay. Thanks for that, by the way." "You're welcome. I just wish you would've told me sooner... and I'm sorry that all that stuff happened to you." "Sorry... and thanks." "No problem. Now, let try and relax." "Yeah... let's go find somewhere." Cheese said as he and Pinkie began to walk down the street again. ================= Marble Pie paced back and forward, unable to shake the bad feeling. She felt like something terrible was going to happen. "Marble, are you all right?" Limestone Pie asked as she stood and trotted over to her worried sister. "I'm nervous." "Oh... I am too." Limestone said. Cloudy Quartz looked over to Marble, causing her face to flush immediately "I-I feel like something bad is about to happen." "It's all right, dear. We're going to be fine." Cloudy said comfortingly. Beep Beep Beep Marble looked over at the heart monitor, the beeping making her nervous. Beep Beep Beep Marble became more and more nervous. Beep Beep Beep Marble stared at the monitor for a moment more, before sighing in relief. She giggled as she bent down. Thank Celestia... Cloudy groaned, causing Marble to turn back to her "Mother?" "My hoof just started burning." Cloudy grabbed her left hind-hoof. "Do I need to get the nurse?" Igneous said, standing. "J-- just grab Nurse Redheart. Just in case." Cloudy said. Igneous nodded and stood up, trotting out into the hallway. Thankfully, Nurse Redheart was passing by. Igneous trotted out and stopped her. "What's the matter?" Nurse Redheart asked. Igneous lead her into the room. "Sorry to interrupt. My hoof is burning." "All right. Let me take a look." Nurse Redheart trotted up to her, inspecting her hoof. Her hoof was noticeably darker. Nurse Redheart's eyes widened. "Sir, you need to take your daughters out of the room. They don't need to see this." Nurse Redheart said. Igneous nodded, signaling for them to come. Marble stared at her mother. W-what? "Hey, wait. What's wrong with her?" "We missed something. Now please leave. For your mother's sake and your own." Marble nodded and trotted out of the door, while Limestone had to be lead out by Igneous. He shut the door behind them, and leaned against it from the other side, inside the room. "What's wrong? We can't just leave her in there!" "Sh-she'll be fine--" A painful howl echoed from inside the room, startling both Marble and Limestone. "What's going on in there?" Limestone asked, knocking on the door. Another groan came from the room as something splattered against the ground. Another painful howl. Tears pooled in Marble's eyes. "Mother?" Limestone called into the room, knocking a little louder. "No, no, no..." Marble repeated, her heart skipping a beat. She slid down the wall, sitting beside Limestone. A painful yell echoed in their ears. Something metal fell to the ground, making a clank against the ground. Tears rolled down Marble's cheeks. "What the hay is--" The door opened, and Nurse Redheart stepped out, her fore-hooves splattered with blood. "She's all right now. There was a piece of metal in her leg. Sorry about the confusion." Nurse Redheart said. Limestone and Marble quickly entered the room, looking for their mother. She was laying in bed, her left fore-hoof now colored. Her coat around her left fore-hoof was dampened, freshly cleaned. There were blotches of blood on the ground beside her bed. She smiled, albeit a bit disingenuous. It was clearly forced. "Hello. Don't be worried, my darlings. Just a little scare is all." Marble immediately rushed up to her, hugging her. Limestone stepped away, staying beside her father. "It's all right dear. Everything's fine. We're all going to be fine." ================= Pinkamena sat in the small trench. She hadn't tried to regain control, she hadn't retorted at Pinkie, hay, she hadn't even spoken since Pinkie had beaten her. Her chest throbbed, both in pain and sadness. "Maybe she's right," Pinkamena questioned. She held her chest. "It wouldn't be easy..." "I've been in so much pain because of the memory of my wings... so much anger..." "I'm so confused... why can't I just forget it all... I'd prefer if I faded away. So many bad memories have been brought up." =================
IX: RelaxationAuthor's Note Ello. I hope you enjoy this chapter. That is all IX: Relaxation Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich trotted down the street. The sun was beginning to dip below the surface and they were still looking for somewhere to go. They trotted down the gravel road together, the unprecedented silence ruling over the roadway. Nopony else was inside the park nor on the path beside a few elderly pony feeding the birds. Of course I had to bring Pinkamena up... I couldn't have kept my big mouth shut about her. "This is where it ends." Cheese said, stopping in front of a large, metal fence. "All right. We can just sit somewhere in the park or just walk around." "Let's go someplace else. The park's kinda boring when it's deserted." "Yeah. Okay. Lead the way." "Of course." Cheese trotted back down the park. Pinkie followed behind. ================== Fluttershy chopped up some apples that she was preparing to give to the animals. Yesterday was certainly an emotional day for her and the rest of the Elements of Harmony. Well, most of the Elements of Harmony. I still need to tell Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy noted as she finished chopping the first apple and went to the second. How'll she react? She didn't do so well when that griffin-- Gilda insulted Pinkie, and that was small compared to... this. What'll she do? Fluttershy knew Rainbow Dash too well to assume that she wouldn't be angry. She's going to be angry... Something tugged at her left hind-hoof, applying some pressure. Not enough to hurt, but just enough to get her attention. Fluttershy glanced back, seeing the baby cub pulling at her, trying to get her attention. "Oh... what's the matter? Are you hungry?" Fluttershy said. The cub shook her head. "Do you want to play?" Fluttershy asked. The cub shook her head again in the same motion. "Do you need to... um... use the bathroom?" Fluttershy asked. The cub shook her head in the same motion once more. "Well, why don't you show me what you want?" Fluttershy said. The cub walked towards the door outside and motioned Fluttershy to follow. She obliged, allowing the cub led her to a big tree and pointed up to a small birds' nest with its nose. Fluttershy looked up at the nest and saw a mother feeding its hatchlings. "Oh... you miss your mama?" Fluttershy asked. The cub nodded vigorously. "Well... let me get you and the rest of the animals some dinner and then we'll look after if it isn't too dark, okay?" Fluttershy said. The cub had a sad look on her face, but she nodded. "Okay. Now you just wait while I make dinner and soon enough, we'll go looking." Fluttershy said lovingly as she rubbed the top of the cubs head. The cub and she went back inside and she went back to preparing dinner for the animals and herself. ================== "This is relaxing." "I guess. Better than sitting at your house." "Do you not like it? We can go someplace else if you're not." "No, no-- this is good." "All right. I was just checking." Pinkie trotted beside Cheese down the street, looking around the blank, residential building of Las Pegasus. She held a sigh, somewhat disappointed so far. "Would you like to get something to eat? It's getting a bit late." Pinkie's body slightly stiffened. "Uh.... sure Cheese. Just lead the way." "Gotcha." Her body stiffened again. You aren't getting back control Pinkamena. Please... I don't want to hurt anypony... look-- I need to do something Pinkie. Just let me take control for just an hour and I promise you'll never have to worry about me again. Why should I trust you or what you say? You've hurt me, my friends, and my family. You shouldn't, but please, just let me take control. I need to do something before I fade. Please Pinkie, please... You're not getting control, Pinkamena. Not now, probably not ever. "Hey, Pinkie." Cheese called out, trying to get her attention. "Huh? Oh-- sorry. Got caught up in my thoughts." "It's all right. Just wanted to let you know that we're here." "Okay." The stiffness slowly left Pinkie's body. "What is the restaurant?" "'The Golden Grin' or something like that. Never been here to eat before." "Sounds interesting. Let's check it out!" ================== Fluttershy put the small bowl of chopped apples outside for the birds. She had already put different meals out for the rest of the animals. "Now I just need something for myself..." Fluttershy said as she reentered her kitchen and began to think of something quick to make. "I'll just grab a few apples." Fluttershy said as she opened her refrigerator and took out two of the remaining apples she had. She took a small bite out of the side of it and went into the living room, where Angel Bunny and the cub was eating. Fluttershy took another bite out of the apple. She looked at Angel and the cub. They were both nibbling at blueberries and chopped up apples. Angel tried to push the cub out of the way of the bowl, but she was too heavy for him. "Angel, don't be mean. You should share." Fluttershy said as she took another small bite of the apple. Angel looked over at her, rolled his eyes, and stopped pushing the cub. He went over to the opposite side of and began to eat from that side. "Thank you." Fluttershy said. She finished her first apple and went to her second. However, there was still something bothering her. How was she going tell Rainbow Dash about Pinkie? How am I even going to sentence it? I could barely tell Rarity let alone the other girls. Fluttershy's hind-hooves bounced as she ate the apple, trying to alleviate her nervousness. She continued to nibble at the apple. How do you even go about telling somepony something like that? Fluttershy finished the apple. The cub rushed over and began to tug on one her bouncing hind-hooves, causing it to momentarily stop. "Okay. Hold on please." Fluttershy said as stood up and went into the kitchen. She wiped her mouth before looking out of the window. The sun had already set, but there was still some light. Fluttershy reentered the living room and went over to the cub. "We can go looking for your mama now when you're ready." Fluttershy said. The cub immediately rushed over to her and tried to tug her towards the door outside with her teeth. "Hold on, little on... we're going to look for her right now. Show me where you last saw her." Fluttershy said. The cub let her hoof go and hastily walked towards the door and outside. Fluttershy followed behind. ================== Pinkie and Cheese sat at their table, sipping from their individual cups. Cheese got punch while Pinkie got a soda. They had already ordered their meals and were sat at the table, awaiting their food. "Thanks again Cheese. I think I needed this." "No problem Pinkie. What are friends for, right?" "Thanks for everything. The walk, showing me around, the room at your house." "No problem. You feeling better since you got here?" "Oh, yeah. I needed to get away from Ponyville for a while, with the whole Pinkamena thing, you know?" Cheese nodded. "It can't have easy." "Eh, so long as I have Gummy to remember." She giggled. Cheese grinned and began to giggle along with her. "Oh, shoot. I wish I'd have remembered to bring my accordion. Would've played it some while we walked." "Oh well. It'll be fine. Besides, we can just talk" "Mhmm." ================== Fluttershy followed the cub far down the road, looking at the tree line while they traveled. The cub kept hastily running until they got to a small yet steep embankment. She stopped and pointed at it with her paw. "That's where you last saw your mother?" Fluttershy asked. The cub nodded. "Okay. You wait here and I'll try to find her." Fluttershy said as she looked down the embankment. She tried to open up her wings so she could glide down, but she got a bolt of pain shoot through her wings. "Ah!" Fluttershy said as she immediately pulled her wings into their prior spots. I need to go back to the hospital for the physical therapy. "Looks like I'll need to trot down." Fluttershy said as she began to step down the embankment. It was steep, but Fluttershy managed. Once she reached the embankment, she looked around the heavily wooded area. "Oh no..." Fluttershy said as she saw a few vultures circle overhead. She saw a few of them fly down and land nearby. That isn't good... Caw Caw Fluttershy began to where she presumed the vultures landed. Once she reached the area, she saw three vultures picking at a big, black object. Fluttershy feared what she would see when she would get close. "Stop." Fluttershy said to the vultures. They looked back at her. Caw! Fluttershy stared at them, using her disciplinary stare. They immediately stopped and flew away. "Thank you." Fluttershy said. She slowly trotted towards the object, deciphering it to be a bear that looked similar to the cub. The bear had been rotting for days, some of its organs were hanging out of wounds in its stomach that had been picked at by the vultures. "Oh my..." Fluttershy said, shocked by the sight. A lump formed in her throat from her gag reflex. She looked away from the bear, unable to look at it anymore. "D... did Pinkie do that?" Fluttershy asked herself. She began to trot back up the embankment in silence. Once she reached the top of the embankment and went back on the road, the cub's ears perked up in happiness and it rushed over to her. She looked down at the cub. "I-I'm sorry." Fluttershy said sadly. The cub looked up at her, confused. "Your mother's..." Fluttershy trailed off. The cub's ears fell back to its head. "... she's gone. I-I'm sorry." Fluttershy said. The cub shook her head side-to-side, frightened, and tried to rush to the embankment. "No! Y-you, you don't want to see her." Fluttershy said as she grabbed the cub and wrapped it in a hug. The cub continued to struggle against Fluttershy for a moment before dissolving into the hug and began to cry. "I know... let it out." Fluttershy said as she continued to hug the cub tenderly. ================ "Thanks again!" Cheese called out as he and Pinkie exited The Golden Grin. The sun had long since set, casting them in the darkness. He released a deep breath. "I think I ate too much." Pinkie said, rubbing her stomach. "Yeah. It was good though." "Mmm-hm!" "Well, we should start to get home. That was fun." "Yeah. Thanks for inviting me. It was well worth the time." "No problem Pinkie." After a long walk, Pinkie and Cheese came to the house. They trotted up to the front door, and Cheese opened it, allowing her to go in first. Pinkie smiled and nodded, stepping inside. "Whew. That was fun. Thanks for spending the night with me, Pinkie." "You kidding? That was your idea. I just went along with it. Thank you." "Oh, well you're welcome, I guess." Cheese yawned. "I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted. I'm gonna go hit the hay. Goodnight." Cheese said, trotting up the staircase. "Goodnight." Pinkie said, following behind him. She entered the guest bedroom and collapsed onto the bed, awaiting sleep. It's been fun... but now I need to deal with Pinkamena... ==================
X: DepressionPinkie entered the dream-state and looked over the remainder of the battlefield. There was confetti covering the grounds, metal shrapnel from the first party cannon was at the front of the trench, blood was splattered at the second party cannon and in front of the trench, dirt walls were still placed, covering one half of the trench, and there was a bloody machete at the entrance of the trench, the blade stuck to the ground. "Pinkamena?" Pinkie approached the dirt wall at the front of the trench. No answer. "Please, Pinkamena. I just want to talk." Pinkie said as she knocked on the wall. Only an echo from the knocking. "Listen, Pinkamena. You know that I needed to do what I did!" Silence. Pinkie knocked again, this time with more force. The wall was solid, there was no way she was gonna get in without Pinkamena opening it for her. "I just wanna talk Pinkamena. You don't have to hide." Pinkie said as she used all her might to push against the wall, trying to push it over. "I can until I fade. Why do you even care?" "I want to help you." "You want to or you need to?" "Will you just let me in?" Pinkie evaded the question. "Will you answer my question? Did you want to talk to me or did you need to?" "I need to, okay? I can't just leave you alone to cry." Pinkie said genuinely. She expected to get an answer of silence, but she actually received a short giggle. "You've been here almost twelve years and you're still doing this..." Pinkamena said, her voice filled with what sounded like nostalgia. "Doing what?" "Comforting me." Pinkamena stepped towards the wall, leaning against it. "That's just a normal reaction. That doesn't mean that I'm an imaginary friend." Pinkie said, trying to convince herself of that. "Oh really? Would you willingly help someone who hurt you, your family, and your friends? And now, you aren't an imaginary friend. Not anymore. Now you're an alternate persona at this point..." Pinkamena said. She didn't sound angry or sarcastic, but... Pinkie could tell she was honest. "No..." "Exactly." "Can you just let me in?" "You honestly want to be in the same room with a terrible pony like me? The pony who could trap you in here and take back control?" "Yeah. And even if you managed to trap me, I'd just escape again." "Alright..." Pinkamena said. The dirt wall slowly dropped down to the ground, revealing Pinkamena sitting in the corner of the makeshift room. Her hooves and stomach were covered in bandages. Tears stained her cheeks. Pinkie was taken aback by the sight. She didn't realize that she hadn't caused this much damage to her. Pinkie immediately noticed that Pinkamena was noticeably shorter than their last encounter. Her mane only went to her chin, her tail was short, and her hooves weren't muscular as they were previously. She was a head shorter than Pinkie. "What?" Pinkamena asked. Even her voice sounded a bit higher, a bit like a little filly's. "Nothing. Just... you look different." "They're from our fight." "But--" "I'll explain later." Pinkie stood at the entrance. Silent tension overtook the room. "You just going to stand there?" Pinkie trotted up beside her and sat down. "I'm trying to think about something to talk about." "Hm." Pinkamena acknowledging Pinkie's response. "So... how do you feel?" Pinkie said as she cautiously sat down beside Pinkamena. "How do you think I feel?" "Angry. Sad. Hurt. I could go on..." "I'm not really angry... confused would be a better choice." Pinkamena said, correcting Pinkie. "Why?" Pinkie asked. Pinkamena stopped talking. She just sat there, staring at the ground. "Pinkamena, why?" Pinkie asked once more in a more serious tone. "Why did they take them?" A small pair of wings appeared on her back, folded. "I... I'm not sure." "Yeah, I haven't figured that out either," Pinkamena said. "They took away the one thing I loved because of a few chores." Pinkie remained silent. "They were supposed to be the ponies who were supposed to protect me-- the ones who I'm supposed to feel safe with, but instead--" Pinkamena turned away, tears stinging her eyes. "Uh... I-I get it." "I don't think you do." Pinkamena said, somehow able to decipher what Pinkie felt. "Listen, Pinkie." Pinkamena said as she turned back towards Pinkie and looked into her eyes. "Yes?" "I need to you to go to that magic friend of your's- Twilight Sparkle, and I need you to ask her to get rid of me." "What?!" Pinkie said, a bit shocked. "You heard me..." Pinkamena said, turning away. "But- I can't-" "Listen, I know I have been the worst thing in your life for the last few weeks, but please, just do this for me." "But you can't just do this! You can't just give up!" "If you don't do it then I'll do it myself!" Pinkamena said. Silence ruled over the small room afterward. =============== Marble looked over the hospital room. Her sister and mother had fallen asleep long ago, her father had kept his eyes on Maud and Cloudy and had somehow managed to stay awake with her(despite being awake for at least twenty-four hours), and Maud hadn't had any problems since her heart problem. Nightfall had come and things had slowed down in the hospital. "Father?" Marble asked quietly, trying not to wake her family. "Yes, dear?" "I-it's safe here. You d-don't have to stay up." Marble asked her father. "Yes... but I can't help it. I have to know they're okay." "Mhmm. I understand." "You don't dear... trust me, you don't." Igneous said as he wiped his eyes and rested his head on his hooves. Marble looked around the hospital room once more, but this time, she began to focus on Maud. The blanket covering her began to slightly move at her fore-hooves before returning to its prior spot, surprising Marble. Is she awake!? "F-father... did you see that?" "What, dear?" "I-I think I saw one of Maud's fore-hooves move." "You did?!" Igneous asked, a bit louder than he wanted to. He covered his mouth as he saw Cloudy move as if she was about to awaken. "Marble, are you playing a joke on me?" Igneous said, whispering as he removed his hooves away from his mouth. Marble shook her head. Igneous looked to Maud, scanning for any movement. "Marble dear, I need you to keep your eyes on Maud. If you see anything, and I mean anything that suggests she is awake, you come to me or your mother immediately. Even if we are asleep, you wake us up." Igneous said, his voice taking a serious tone. "Mmhm." Marble nodded. "Good. Thank you, dear." Igneous said as he leaned back and continued to look over at Cloudy. Hopefully she'll wake up soon... that was a good sign that she will. =============== Pinkie sat beside Pinkamena, a bit worried. Not only for Pinkamena, for also herself. "I won't be responsible for a pony's death..." "Then I'll do it myself. You let me have control in the morning and I'll do it myself. You won't even have to watch." "Why can't you just move on?" Pinkie asked. Pinkamena looked over at her with a hateful look. "I can't okay? I will never forgive them for it." Pinkamena said before she turned away, somehow managing not to bludgeon Pinkie with the nearest object. "I don't think you've even tried. And I'm not asking you to forgive them, I'm just asking you to try." "Maybe that's a good thing..." "How so?" Pinkamena became silent. "Pinkamena, you just need to tell me what you're feeling. You can't just sulk around. I'm sorry, but there's no way you're gonna get rid out of this rut without talking about it." Pinkie tenderly put a hoof on her shoulder. "You've gotta get rid of all those emotions. It can't be healthy." "You want to know what I'm feeling? Really?" "Yes, truthfully." "I'm feeling like telling you to get out." Pinkamena said as she got up and went outside of trench, leaving Pinkie alone in the trench. Pinkie sighed. "She can't keep it bottled up forever." =============== Fluttershy trotted into her cottage, the cub laying on her back asleep. After she told the cub of her mother's fate, she hugged her tenderly for the longest time. She eventually fell asleep in her hooves and Fluttershy had to put her on her back while she traveled back to her cottage. Angel hopped up to her as she entered, his face revealing a bit of jealousy. He crossed his arms and bounced his left foot on the ground. "I'll explain it to you in a moment, Angel. I've got to put this poor, little one to bed." Fluttershy said as she trotted over to the small pillow in the corner of the living room and she had set up for the cub earlier in the day. She carefully picked up the cub and put it on the pillow, making sure not to wake her up. Thankfully, she didn't. Fluttershy quietly tip-hoofed away from the cub and went back over to Angel, who still had his arms crossed and a jealous look on his face. "Angel, please don't be angry with her. She just found out that her mother is d-dead." Fluttershy said seriously. Angel immediately stopped in the middle of his whole act; even his foot had stopped in the middle of a bounce. One of his eyes widened, but the other remained a normal size. "Angel? A-are you alright?" Fluttershy asked. Angel bunny sat his foot down, uncrossed his arms, and went over beside the cub. "Angel, please don't...?" Fluttershy trailed off as she saw Angel bunny curl up beside the cub and close his eyes as if he was going to fall asleep beside her. A small smile crept across Fluttershy's face. "Aw... Angel." Fluttershy quietly said as she saw the cute display of comfort. A slight blush crept across Angel's face, but he still remained in place. "Well, goodnight you two." Fluttershy said as she walked over to the front door, shut it, and locked it. She went into the kitchen and repeated the process for the back door before going to her bedroom and laying down. =============== Marble looked over at her eldest sister, scanning for any movement. She had been at it for at least a half-an-hour and hadn't seen any more movement. Maybe I was just seeing things... I'm exhausted. Marble wiped her eyes as she looked over at her sister. Her eyelids were heavy. Maybe I could get a few minutes of sleep. Marble looked over at her father, who had finally managed to fall asleep. Surely a couple of minutes of shut-eye wouldn't hurt, could it? Marble let her eyelids fall and her vision darkened. She felt her self slowly drift to sleep. "Uhhhh..." =============== Pinkie trotted up behind Pinkamena, who was now at the opposite side of the trench and sat down beside her. Pinkamena still kept her eyes away from Pinkie. "I guess I was right..." "About what?" "You refuse to let anyone in." Pinkie said. Pinkamena let out a low growl. "And you won't let out any sadness or hurt." "Where did releasing my emotions get me last time? Huh?" "..." "I let mother, father, and Maud know exactly what I was feeling that night when my wings were cut off. And where did that get me? Nowhere. My wings were still cut off, so don't come to me with that stuff." "I'm just trying to help..." "Well you can't help me unless you get my wings back, and that isn't very likely, is it?" "..." "Exactly." Pinkamena said as she got up and trotted away from Pinkie. Once Pinkamena was out of earshot, Pinkie sighed. "I know she's hurt, but she doesn't need to keep pushing everyone away. She just needs to let me in and I can help her..." ===============
XI: ReleasePinkie looked over at Pinkamena, who had been scraping her right fore-hoof against the ground so much that their was a small depression in the dirt. "You can't hide yourself forever." "Are you sure about that? I've hid this long, I can do it until I can fade away or get control. Either way, I won't remember how it felt." "Could you at least just open up to me? You know that you can trust me." Pinkie put her right fore-hoof up to Pinkamena's right shoulder, rubbing it. Pinkamena glanced back with a blank, emotionless glare, before turning back to the ground. "I know that you're smart enough not to blab about it to your friends. Do I trust you? Not really." "What do you think I'll do to you? It's not like I'm somepony who'll hurt you." "You're going to use it against me. Like you did when we were fighting." "I did what I did, only because I had to. I'm sorry, but I had to do it to get control back." "No-- you don't realize how much it kills me. I-I can't stand the helplessness, the fear of-of knowing what happened." "I know. It's-- "You don't know. Sitting, paralyzed in fear, having my wings sawed off one-by-one, and having those- those things who call themselves ponies staring at me, pretending to be remorseful for removing my ability to do what I love--" Pinkamena's voice trembled, distressed and angry by the memories. "Please Pinkie, j-just leave me... let me lament in peace until I fade away." "I just want to help." Pinkie said, reaching for her right shoulder again. Pinkamena this time looked back to her, a angry glare on her face. "Just leave me alone!" Pinkamena scraped up some of the dirt in her left fore-hoof and threw it at Pinkie's eyes. "Ah!" Pinkie called out as her vision immediately became clouded. She heard hoof-steps that sounded like they were going away from her. Pinkie tried to rub the dirt out, but it was easier said than done. Pinkie created a small bottle of water, but she couldn't find it due to her vision. She couldn't see it, blinded by the dirt. "Come on..." Pinkie groaned as she felt around for the bottle. After a moment, she finally found the bottle, nearly knocking over the bottle. She unscrewed the top and poured the bottle over her face, trying to wash the dirt out of her eyes. Thankfully, her vision returned after a moment. "Grrr..." Pinkie growled under her breath. Her patience was beginning to wear thin. She got up and exited the trench, looking for Pinkamena. "Pinkamena! Come out!" Pinkie called out. There was nopony in sight. Anger began to take over as she angrily stomped around, looking for Pinkamena. "I'm just trying to help!" Pinkie exclaimed, continuing to look around with still no sign of Pinkamena. She trotted over to the barn and looked around. "Come on, Pinkamena! Please! I just want to help" Pinkie yelled, turning the corner to the right side of the barn. Snnn- crack-crack Pinkie looked back at where she thought the sound originated, and saw that a small fire had started on the barn. "What?" Pinkie said as she fire quickly travel up the wooden structure. She looked around, looking for Pinkamena. "She has to be near by... I know she started it." Pinkie said to herself she continued to scan the area. Finally, she saw a small head stick out of the trench, scan the area, then dip back down into the trench. "Aha..." Pinkie quietly said as she trotted over to the trench and cautiously entered. She saw Pinkamena, who was now sitting in the corner of the room, facing her. She was now as small as a filly, her small mane barely passing her chin. Tears stained her cheeks as she leaned against the wall, her hooves covered in soot. "I'm gonna guess that you were the one who set the barn on fire?" Pinkie said, slightly confused by the change, but she didn't question it. "Y... yes." Pinkamena said sadly. She pulled her hind-hooves up to her chest, wrapping her fore-hooves around her hind-hooves. "Hm. Can't really blame you." Pinkie said. They both sat in silence for a moment. "Will you just let me help you?" "Why should you? I'm a terrible pony. I've lost my wings, and there's no way to get them back. You can't help me, I've ruined it." Pinkamena said as a few tears leaked from her eyes. Pinkie sighed. "Please Pinkamena. I have friends who can help." "I have. I've thought about doing this over and over again, and I want this to happen. I-I can't-- I won't sit here for another day, feeling like a helpless filly." "You need help. I'm sorry, but I won't sit by and watch you end it when you still have a chance of getting help." "There is no chance, okay?!" Pinkamena exclaimed, standing up as tears quickly rolled down her cheeks. "Who'd want to help me?! Who?!" she jumped to her hooves, tears freely flowing. "Pinkamena, the pony who's done the most evil, vile thing imaginable! Me, the murderer! Me, the irresponsible little filly! Me, the worthless, wingless Pegasus!" her words were full of pain and heartbreak. Pinkie could only sit and watch. "Why would anyone help me?! The... the flightless Pegasus..." Pinkamena's hooves trembled and gave out, collapsing to her knees. "N-Nopony would want somepony so useless... I don't deserve anypony's attention..." Pinkamena reaffirmed, more for herself than Pinkie. The wings on her back slowly began to fizzle away, each feather tearing away piece by piece until they were gone. Pinkie couldn't bear it any longer. She swiftly grabbed Pinkamena, wrapping her in a hug. "No, d-don't touch me!" "It's all right, just let it out! You're so close!" Pinkamena weakly pushed against her hooves. "I c-can't... I won't." Pinkamena said as she looked away from Pinkie. "Why?" "It's too painful..." "The only way you're gonna get rid of the pain is to face it head on. I'm here for you." Pinkie tightened her hug as gave her a warm smile. Pinkamena glanced back at Pinkie for a moment before looking away again and sighing. "Okay... j-just-- let me go." ================== Fluttershy woke up from a(thankfully) blissful sleep. She rubbed her eyes before scooting out of bed and going into the living room. She looked over to the corner of the room, where Angel and the cub were asleep on top of the pillow. He was in the same spot, except he had turned towards the cub overnight. That was so nice of him... trying to comfort her. Fluttershy looked over the cute display for a moment before heading into the kitchen. She opened up a small cabinet at the bottom of the kitchen counter, pulled out a glass, and trotted over to the sink where she proceeded to fill it. Fluttershy took a small sip out of the glass before sitting it down on the counter and going over to the refrigerator. Let's see... what should I fix for them? Fluttershy opened the refrigerator and found that most of her food had been eaten. "Hm... I need to go to the farmer's market." Fluttershy said as she shut the door and trotted into the living room. I need to get in the shower before I go. Fluttershy trotted into her room and bedroom and opened her closet, where she kept most of her towels. She grabbed one of the towels and trotted out of her bedroom and into the bathroom. ================== Marble woke up, feeling the warm dawn sunlight wash over her face. She stretched her hooves and back for a moment before straightening up in the chair. Then, she realized her something. Her face flushed. Oh no! I slept in! Marble looked around the room, seeing that all of her family was still asleep. She let out a quiet sigh of relief as her eyes returned to Maud, making sure that she kept her eyes on her. I hope father didn't wake up and find me like this in the middle of the night. Marble bounced her hind-hooves, nervous. He was up for almost two days. "No..." Marble eyes immediately jerked to where the sound originated, which was Maud's bed. "M... Maud?" Marble asked loudly. Maud didn't respond, but she let out a small groan with what sounded like pain hidden behind it. "F-father." Marble said as she gently grabbed his right fore-hoof and shook it, trying to wake it up. Instead of awaking him, Igneous snorted and moved the hoof she shook away. "Father, wake up. Maud might be awake!" Marble said as she pushed against his chest, a bit harder. "Huh? What's wrong?" Igneous said as he jolted awake. He looked around the room, scanning for anypony. "Maud just s-said something. She might have wake up soon!" Marble said excitedly. Igneous took a moment to process the statement before a small smile crept across his face. "That's... that's good." Igneous said as he leaned back into the chair with the smile still on his face. "Sh-should we go over their and m-make her wake u-up?" Marble asked, wanting to see her sister up and awake very soon. "No, dear. We should let her get up on her own. I'll be back in a moment, dear." Igneous said as he got up and trotted out into the hall. Marble became slightly saddened by the order, but she was still happy. "Okay, father." Marble said. After a minute, Igneous returned with Nurse Redheart. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention." She whispered as she entered the room in front of Igneous. "Hello, sweetheart. What was it that you heard?" Nurse Redheart asked kindly as she went over to Marble. "Well... I-I heard her say something like, 'No' and then she just groaned." "Hm..." Nurse Redheart put one of her hoof up to her chin, probably thinking about Maud's condition. "I'm probably gonna give her some pain medication and then we'll see how her condition is." Nurse Redheart said as she trotted over to Maud's I.V stand and took out the I.V bag and exchanged it for a new one. "W... will she wake up soon?" "Let's see... she's been in a metabolic coma for five days... I couldn't really tell you the exact date that she should wake up, but if she's speaking while in the said comatose state, then she's probably entering a semi-comatose state, which basically means that she'll start to enter and exit consciousness over the period of a day or two at average. At most, and there's a very unlikely chance of this, she could do this for a week." "Should come to you once she does wake up?" "Oh, yes. You should come to me or find another nurse or doctor immediately if I'm not here." "Okay. Thank you." Igneous said as he held out his hoof for her to shake. She did shake his hoof and proceeded to left the room. "That's great." Igneous said as she looked over at Maud. "Mmhm." ================== "Th-they were supposed to help me! Not hurt! Pinkie listened to Pinkamena she let go of all the years of bottled up emotion. She was balled up beside Pinkie. Pinkie combed down her messy mane. "I-I can't even begin to describe what I f-felt then... terror, pain, helplessness..." Pinkamena said as she let tears slide down her face and hit the dirt. Pinkie looked on. "I'm so sorry Pinkamena. You've been holding this in the whole time?" Pinkie asked. Pinkamena nodded slowly. "Now all I feel is anger, depression, guilt..." Pinkamena said as more tears fell from her face. "Guilt? Why are you guilty?" "Because y-you were right." Pinkamena said, her voice cracking. Her lower lip trembled as she covered her mouth. "About what?" Pinkie asked once more. "I-I did to Marble and Limestone what mother, father, and Maud did to me!" Pinkamena said, immediately going from somewhat composed to complete bawling. Now Pinkamena wasn't the only one feeling guilty. ================== Fluttershy trotted through the crowds of the farmer's market, trying to findthe Apple Family's stand. Hopefully this time things'll be better this time... After a few minutes of searching, Fluttershy found the stand and trotted up to the entrance. "Howdy, Fluttershy! What can I get'cha?" "H-hello, Applejack. C... could I grab some food for the animals?" "Of course. Just tell me what ya want and ah'll get it for ya!" Applejack said in a welcoming tone. "Okay. I-I need apples and carrots if y-you don't mind." Fluttershy said quietly. "Alright. How many do ya want each?" Applejack asked. "Um... ten each, please." Fluttershy said as she took out her bit pouch and opened it. "Alright. Ya want me ta put 'em in a basket or do ya think that ya can hold 'em in yer saddlebags?" Applejack asked as she picked up the apples and carrots and puts them on the stand in front of Fluttershy. "I-I could probably hold them in my saddle bags." "Alright, sugarcube. Well, how have ya been feelin' since ya got out of the hospital?" "Better. I-I've got to stop back by there to go the physical therapy." "Well, good. Do ya feel better now that y'all told us 'bout Pinkie?" Applejack said, this time speaking quietly. She finished sitting the fruits on the table. "Y-yes." Fluttershy said, a cold shiver going down her spine at the thought of what Pinkie did to her. "Have ya told Rainbow Dash about it?" Applejack whispered. "... No." Fluttershy said as she began to put some of the fruits in her right saddlebag. Her face flushed. "Y'all know yer gonna have ta tell her sometime." "I know... I'm just scared about how she's gonna r-react." Fluttershy said as she realized that her right saddlebag was now full of apples and decided to go to the next one. "Listen, sugarcube. Ah know that Rainbow Dash can be a bit... angry when somepony hurts ya, but she ain't gonna do anything ta hurt you." "I know." "Now, you just need ta calm yerself and work up some courage. Ah know ya can do it." Applejack said, assured of herself. "Thank you..." Fluttershy said as she managed to stuff the rest of the fruits into her saddlebag. "Yer welcome, dear. Y'all have a good day!" "Y... you too." Fluttershy said as she out of the way of Applejack's stand. Now I just need to go to the hospital and do the physical therapy... ================== Pinkie looked at Pinkamena, who was now sobbing uncontrollably. She was at a loss of words. "I..." Pinkie stuttered, trying to find something, anything to say or do that could comfort Pinkamena. "I... don't what to say except, I'm sorry." Pinkie said as she wrapped both of her hooves around Pinkamena and pulled her into a tender hug. "W... why? Why would y-you want to help somepony l-like me?" Pinkamena manage to say through her sobs as weakly tried to pull out of the hug. "I don't think you're not a bad pony." "Y-you don't?" "I know you're not bad, just hurt and scared. I'm sorry for what I said." Pinkie said as she pulled Pinkamena deeper into the hug. Pinkamena gently hugged back, growing back into a full grown mare as she smiled subtly. She felt something that she didn't even think was possible anymore. She felt loved. Welcomed, as if her presence wasn't purposeless. Unfortunately, Pinkie's hooves left Pinkamena along with the rest of her body. "Thank you..." Pinkamena quietly said, remaining in place. ================== Pinkie jolted up in the bed. She immediately hopped out of the bed and went out into the hall. I... I think I know what I need to do. ==================
XII: A Request...[Part I of II]Author's Note EDIT 6/29/16: Rewrote some parts of the story, like the first person PoV, and I've written out the physical therapy in Fluttershy's parts. Felt they could've been done better at the time. Will list it as revised. XII: A Request...[Part I of II] Pinkie hastily trotted downstairs ,slinging her saddlebags onto her back and snapping around her waist. She looked over at Cheese Sandwich. He was laying on the couch, quietly playing a song on his accordion. "Cheese, I have to go back to Ponyville for awhile. I might be back either tonight or tomorrow." Pinkie said as she opened the door. "Uh... okay. Do you need me to come back with you in case Pinkamena comes?" "She won't-- trust me. I just need to go do some stuff and I'll be back before you know." Pinkie said with a smile. "Okay. Just hurry back. I've got a party this afternoon that'll be awesome!" Cheese called out as Pinkie stepped out into the humid air. "Will do! Bye!" Pinkie rushed out the door, nearly slamming it behind her as she trotted down the street, towards the exit to Las Pegasus. "Now I just need to go to Twilight... she'll now what to do." Pinkie said as she trotted pass the welcome sign, heading back to Ponyville. ================= Fluttershy's wings throbbed, sore from both the therapy and her injury. She exited the hospital, her hooves weakly keeping the pace of a normal pony. My wings... A painful bolt of pain shot up her wings and down her spine. She groaned. "Hey Flutters'. Everything cool?" Rainbow Dash floated down to in front of her, stopping beside her. Fluttershy jumped at her friends voice, then groaned again as her wings landed back to her ribs. Her face flushed, realizing she had just done the embarrassing act in public. "Gah-- sorry. I-it's nothing. Just s-sore from physical therapy." "Oh, I get it. Cool. What's it like?" "Like going to a g-gym, except just for one part of-of your body." "Sounds weird." "It is. They were just extending my wings and folding them back up for a half hour. Th-they're still sore though." "I'd bet. That was a brutal beating you took." Fluttershy's ears perked up. I haven't told her... she's standing right beside me. Oh no! "Applejack told me you might need my help with something." "S-she did?!" No! I-I can't tell her! Not yet! "Yeah." Rainbow Dash glanced up to her as they trotted down the path to Fluttershy's cottage, passing beside the Everfree Forest's treeline. "Everything cool? You sounded a bit panicked there." Fluttershy nodded, but remained quiet, trotting back down the empty path to Fluttershy's cottage. "Everything good, Fluttershy? You've been too quiet." "I-I'm just tired, really." "You want me to stay with you for a couple hours? I could--" "No!" Fluttershy immediately covered her mouth, surprised by her own outburst. Her face flustered, she turned away, using her mane to cover her reddened her face. Rainbow Dash stepped back for a moment, before trotting ahead of her. "Okay. Jeez... no need to get your tail in a knot." "S-sorry." They reached Fluttershy's house. "Okay. Here we are. I'll leave let you rest." Rainbow Dash said. She flapped her wings, causing her to ascend into the air, although slowly. No... you can't wimp out on this! You have to tell her! "Rainbow Dash, wait." Fluttershy said quickly. Rainbow Dash slowly floated down to eye level. "Yeah, Flutters'?" "C-can you come back in an hour? I need to talk to you. It's important." "'Course Fluttershy. I'll be back in no time." "Thank you." Fluttershy said. Rainbow Dash nodded, before gliding to a landing at her porch. ================= Marble Pie bounced her hind-hooves in anxiety. Only a matter of time. Be patient... Marble tried to calm herself, but her she simply couldn't contain her excitement. "Did you really see her moving around and talking?" Cloudy Quartz asked, leaning in towards Igneous Rock. "I'd love to know." "Well, I take Marble's word for it. I was asleep. Marble?" "Mm-- oh, mhmm." Marble said, staring at Maud. "That's so great! When will she wake up?" Limestone Pie paced around the room excitedly. "The nurse said there'd be no way of telling exactly when, but soon. Sometime between two days to a week." "Great. Then we can go back to the farm and everything can go back to normal." "It will, dear. I know it's been difficult here, but we'll be--" A cough escaped Maud's lips, and she began to gag. "Wha--" Igneous jumped to his hooves, trotting over to Maud's bed. "I'll go get the nurse!" Limestone Pie rushed out of the room. Marble quickly stood up and went to her side. She held her right fore-hoof as Maud shook her head from side to side, trying to shake off her breathing tube. "It's going to be all right darling. We're getting the nurse. Just hold on a little longer." Limestone rushed back into the room with Nurse Redheart close behind her. "Move, move!" Nurse Redheart ordered urgently. Igneous stepped out of her way, pulling Marble with him. Redheart quickly pulled the straps holding the breathing tube in place and pulled the mask off slowly, being careful not to hit anything important with the tube. Maud coughed hoarsely as the tube exited her mouth. Her head rested on the pillow below her, as she took in a few deep breaths. "My name is Nurse Redheart. How're you feeling?" "W... what happened?" Her voice was hoarse. Nurse Redheart lifted her left hind-hoof, only for Maud to pull away. She subtly nodded. "You're in the Ponyville hospital. You were attacked." "Where's my family?" "We're right here, darling." Igneous said. He lifted his right fore-hoof as he trotted to her right bedside. Maud's face distorted into a slight grimace. "Is everypony all right?" "Everypony's okay. We're just glad you're awake." Igneous said, leaning down and kissing her forehead. "Everything looks good. I'll leave you all to catch up." Nurse Redheart trotted out of the room. Limestone and Marble rushed up to their sister, with Marble almost pouncing on her and wrapping her in a hug. ================= Pinkie welcomed the cool air outside of Las Pegasus. She trotted pass the rest area outside of Ponyville, still determined as ever to get there. W... what are you planning to do? Are you going let me have my peace now? Sort of. I'm going to do something even better. What? You'll see. I'd rather keep it a surprise. You're going to love this. I Pinkie Promise. Oh, okay. I... I trust you. ================= Fluttershy opened the door to the cottage and entered her house, allowing Rainbow Dash to trot in before her. She trotted towards the kitchen, noting that Angel had woken up and was sat down on the couch, sitting at the far right. "Just make yourself comfortable. I'll be back in couple minutes. Just need to feed the animals." Fluttershy said as she trotted by him. Angel waved over at her from the couch. The cub was still laying on the pillow. She went over to the counter and sat her saddlebags down andd began to take out the fruits and vegetables that she had brought. Angel hopped into the kitchen and onto the counter. He picked up one of the carrots and began to nibble at the tip of it. "Hello, sweetie. How are you?" Fluttershy asked quietly. Angel rolled his eyes at "sweetie" and shrugged his shoulders. "How is the cub?" Fluttershy asked. Angel looked at her for a moment before shaking his head. "Oh. Not good?" Fluttershy said as she finished her left saddlebag and went to the next. Angel shook his head. "Well... what do you think I should make for breakfast?" Fluttershy asked. Angel shrugged his shoulders and broke off another piece of the carrot and nibbled from it. "Please don't eat too much. I'll have lunch ready in a while." Fluttershy said. Angel rolled his eyes and jumped down from the counter. I could fix some carrot stew. Fluttershy trotted to her sink, grabbing the cleaned pot out of it and filling it halfway with water. She trotted over to the stove and cut it on, setting it down on the burner. "Okay. Just need to find that cook book again." ================= Maud Pie guzzled down the cup of water greedily, held up by Marble Pie. She pulled the cup away once it was empty. "Thank you." Maud said as she took in a deep breath. "You're feeling all right, darling?" "I do now. What happened?" "We were... a-attacked at night by somepony. Don't worry, everypony's okay. We were worried about you the most." "Do we know who did it?" "Er..." Cloudy Quartz trailed off. "We'll explain once you're well enough to get home, darling. Right now, just rest and focus on getting better." Maud nodded as she leaned back, resting her head against the pillow. ================= Fluttershy dipped a wooden spoon into the pot and tasted the carrot stew. The sweet and savory flavor was just perfect. "That should be good." Fluttershy said as she swallowed the rest of the stew. She took out six bowls(one for each group of animals) and filled each of them up halfway to the brim. Fluttershy picked up one of the bowls and brought it to Angel, who was now sitting in front of the pillow the cub was laying down on. Angel picked up the bowl and began to bite into one of the carrot slices. "Do you like it?" Fluttershy asked. Angel looked up at her and shrugged his shoulders, but he couldn't help but crack a small smile from delight. Fluttershy trotted back into the kitchen and returned with another bowl. She sat it in front of the cub. The cub didn't even acknowledge she or Angel was was there. "All right you two, I'm going to be meeting with Rainbow Dash. It's important, and I have to tell her this. I promise I'll be back soon." Fluttershy told them. Angel nodded. The cub still didn't acknowledge her existence. Fluttershy trotted outside, sitting down on her porch and waiting for Rainbow Dash to show up. I have to do this... I have to do this! ================= Pinkie looked over at the oak filled tree line near the Ponyville city limits. She was anxious, but she still wouldn't stop for anything. We're almost there, Pinkamena. Be prepared. O-okay... ================= "Okay, you'll fall into and out of conscious for the next few days. However, I'll need to check the physical condition of your hind-hoof more thoroughly either today or tomorrow." "Okay." Maud simply said, sitting up in her bed and staring at Nurse Redheart. I hope she'll be okay. Marble rubbed her fore-hooves against her hind-hooves. It's so exciting to see her up already. Maybe it's a good sign? "Well, I'll give you all some privacy." Nurse Redheart said as she trotted towards the exit. "Okay. Thank you." Igneous said. Marble felt some tension in the room as Nurse Redheart left. Maud sighed. "So... could we go over this? I'm still having a hard time understanding." "Yes, dear." Igneous moved over to Maud's bedside, standing between her and Cloudy. They whispered, making it near-impossible for Marble to hear them. "Pinkie... attacked... wings..." What? I can't be hearing it correctly. "... was in a coma for five days, and now I may never trot correctly again." Maud finished, letting out a deep sigh. Igneous nodded somberly. Cloudy held her right fore-hoof. "It'll be all right darling. Everything will be perfectly fine." "Yes, dear. We will endure it." "Okay..." Maud said, trying to lean up, before her fore-hooves gave out and she fell back to her bed. Igneous held her right fore-hoof and pushed her up with his right fore-hoof. "There. Lean up a little bit and I'll put the bed set up a higher so you're sitting." "Okay. Thank you." Maud said. Igneous pushed the upper part of the bed set up. Her blanket fell from her chest as she leaned back. "There you go dea-" Father stopped immediate, looking at her chest. Cloudy gasped as she covered her mouth with both hooves. Igneous was standing in front of her. "What?" Marble and Maud asked simultaneously. "Uh-- no- nothing darling. Don't come over here." Limestone stood up and trotted beside father. "Who the hay--?!" Limestone backed away for a moment, almost in shock. "Horseapples!" She kicked the chair to the right of Marble. Marble stood up and trotted over to Maud, realizing why everypony was acting so strangely. There was a small pair of wings carved into my chest. The carvings had become scabbed, making it look slightly grotesque. There was a small message under the wings reading. YOU MADE ME THIS WAY ================= Pinkie read the small welcome sign as she passed into Ponyville. She sighed as a wave of good memories was released into her brain. "This is it." Pinkie said to herself as she trotted into the town. Soon after, she would be in the middle of the town-square. Her heart raced as she trotted towards the Golden Oaks Library. I need to do this. For your and my sake. Pinkie anxiously trotted towards the home of Twilight Sparkle. She reached for the door, only to hesitate and back off. What if she calls the guards? You have to try. Please... Pinkie sighed, trying to relax herself. She reached for the door, this time knocking. Movement shuffled around from behind the door, as somepony stopped in front of the door. The door slowly opened. "Hello? How can I-?!" The door opened. Pinkie and Twilight were now face to face. "Uh... hi." Pinkie said nervously. =================
XIII:... Answered[Part II of II]Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
XIV: DecisionsThirty Minutes Later Pinkie Pie impatiently tapped her fore-hooves against the dirt as she sat on a bench outside of the Golden Oaks Library. Twilight was sitting beside her, patiently reading a book she'd gotten out of her library. "Come on... when are they gonna be here?" Pinkie asked. "They'll be here soon, Pinkie." Twilight said as she flipped through a page in the book. "How soon? I can't wait here for much longer..." "Soon. Just please be patient." Twilight said. "Ugh... sorry. Bored" Pinkie groaned as she tried to find something to preoccupy her. "Why don't you go grab a bite to eat? Or you can read something from the library. Your choice." Twilight suggested as she flipped through to another page. "Where? I can't go back to the Sugarcube Corner... not after what Pinkamena did..." "Are you sure? We've managed to keep this whole thing under wraps for the moment. The only ponies who knows outside of the Elements is Princess Celestia and a few doctors at the hospital." "Y... you think I could go in there and talk with the Cakes for awhile?" I haven't talked to them since before I left. They're going to be so angry. But I miss them. "Of course. Go ahead. I'll come get you when the carriage arrives." "All right. Thank you." Pinkie said as she got up from the bench and trotted towards Sugarcube Corner. ============== Fluttershy bounced her hind-hooves against the floor as Rainbow Dash sipped from her can of soda. "You don't have to worry, y'know. I'm gonna be fine with whatever you tell me." Rainbow Dash said. Fluttershy nodded, and rubbed her fore-head. "S-sorry. I'm just really nervous a-about it." "It's all right. Just tell me what's wrong at your own pace." Fluttershy let out a trembling breath, before staring back up to Rainbow Dash. "I-I think-- um... I think I-I'm ready to tell you who a-attacked me." Rainbow Dash coughed, choking on her soda for a moment. She washed it down with another gulp and sat it on the table to her right before she sat up. "Okay. When you're ready." Fluttershy released another shaky breath, trying to steady her nerves. "Y-you have to promise you won't be angry." "Why?" "Just please" Fluttershy said. Rainbow Dash nodded and lifted her right fore-hoof. "I promise I won't be angry, no matter what you say." "Thank you." Fluttershy relaxed for a moment, straightening up her posture. "The pony who attacked me was--" Fluttershy abruptly stopped. I have to... I have to. You can and will do this! "It's all right. Everything good here. You're safe." Fluttershy nodded. "The pony who attacked me was Pinkie Pie." Tears stung Fluttershy's eyes as her face flushed. "Who?" Fluttershy remained silent. I-I can't! Rainbow Dash put her right fore-hoof on Fluttershy's right shoulder. "We're safe here. I promise that no pony'll hurt you. You know I'll give them a good run if they'd try to hurt us." Rainbow Dash said, chuckling at the end. Fluttershy nodded, taking another trembling breath before staring back at Rainbow Dash. "The pony that hurt me was... P-Pinkie Pie." A tear rolled down Fluttershy's cheek. Rainbow Dash stared at her for a moment, her ears dropping to head. She stared at her in shock, almost disbelief. "Wait-- like, our Pinkie Pie?!" Fluttershy nodded. "I-I'm sorry." "No... no, don't be." Rainbow Dash stood up. "I'm sorry Flutters', but I'll be back in a couple minutes." "W-where're you going?" "I'm going to keep my promise." Rainbow Dash said, an undertone of anger in her voice. She stepped outside onto Fluttershy's porch before flapping her wings, ascending her into the air. ============== Pinkie trotted up to the Sugarcube Corner. She trotted to the side of the building, out of the sight of the windows. "What are they gonna say? Are they gonna be mad?" Pinkie asked herself. I didn't even give them a reason why I was leaving or even let them know. "I'll never know unless I trot in... what's the worst that could happen?" Pinkie said to herself. She took in a deep breath and entered Sugarcube Corner. "Welcome to the Sugarcube Corner! How my I-" Mr. Cake stopped as he noticed her. "Pinkie? Where have you been?!" Mr. Cake asked as he went out from behind the counter, rushed over to her, and wrapped her into a tight hug. "Uh... I just needed a bit of time to myself." Pinkie said as she returned the hug. "Sorry I couldn't let you and Mrs. Cake know before. Something came up out of the blue." "Me and Cup were really worried about you. After the second day, we were about to go get the guards. Thank goodness your friend Twilight stopped us near town square and showed us that note of yours." Mr. Cake said as he released Pinkie. "Yeah. Now that I think about it... I was gone for like almost a week. Maybe two." Pinkie chuckled laughed and rubbed the back of her head. "Don't worry. I understand." Mr. Cake said with a smile. "Oh, wait! Let me go get Cup! She'll so be happy to see you. I'll be back in a minute." Mr. Cake said as he trotted back behind the counter and went into the kitchen. Pinkie patiently waited for Mr. Cake to return with Mrs. Cake. "What do you mean, 'somepony's here to see you'? Who? Why is it so important?" Mr. and Mrs. Cake return to the front counter. Mrs. Cake looked over at Pinkie. "Hello, dearie." Mrs. Cake said as she stepped out and stood in front of Pinkie. "Hi." Mrs. Cake wrapped Pinkie in a hug. "Where have you been? What happened? Are you all right?" She said, releasing her. "I'm fine, Mrs. Cake." "Why'd you have to go?" "Some stuff happened at my family farm. They needed me." "Why couldn't you have told us before? We were so worried." "Sorry. I lost track of time and couldn't stop by here." Pinkie said. "Th-they really needed me." Mrs. Cake looked her over, staring at her directly in the eyes, as if she was trying to decipher something. "Dearie, you know you shouldn't lie." Pinkie sighed, realizing she had been caught out. "Sorry. I'll explain what really happened..." ============== Fluttershy sat quietly, awaiting Rainbow Dash's return. Angel Bunny was sat beside her, chewing on a small piece of a carrot stick. She gently ran the tip of her right fore-hoof across his fur, going over his tail. "I-I could've worded it better. Or warned her." Fluttershy noted. Angel kept chewing on the carrot, seemingly ignoring her. "Now she's probably angry..." I hope Pinkie doesn't come back to Ponyville any time soon. Otherwise Rainbow Dash'll-- Fluttershy's front door opened, and Rainbow Dash stepped through. A piece of a cloud was tangled in her mane. "Sorry. I needed that." RD said, pulling the cloud and tossing it. She sat down beside Fluttershy. "H-how're you feeling?" "Better now." Rainbow Dash said as she released a breath. "So, let me get this straight." "Pinkie Pie-- our Pinkie Pie tried to kill you?" Fluttershy nodded hesitantly. "Horsefeathers..." She cursed under her breath. "She'd better not come back to Ponyville. Otherwise--" Rainbow Dash stopped herself, realizing she was scaring Fluttershy. She sighed. "Sorry. I think I'll go. I need some time to myself." Rainbow Dash stood up. "I'll see you tomorrow, Flutters'." She trotted out the front door, shutting it behind her. Fluttershy sighed. "That could've gone better..." ============== "-And then the pony kept hurting me, so I decided to go to Las Pegasus to stay with Cheese Sandwich for awhile." Pinkie said, finishing her explanation. She told them a similar story to the one she told Cheese. "Why didn't you tell us?" "I was scared that she might find out and hurt me more." "You know that you could've told us, dearie. We would've helped you." "Sorry." "It's all right dear. All that matters is that you're home and safe." Mr. Cake said. Dink Dink Dink Pinkie and the Cakes looked back at the window and saw Twilight motioning for Pinkie to come out. "Uh... actually... Twilight needs me to do something for her." Pinkie said, trying to excuse herself for the moment. "Couldn't you stay for a little while? The twins missed you." "I'm sorry, Mrs. Cake. I'd love to, really, but Twilight needs me to do this thing. But I promise once I get back, I'm yours for the next few weeks." "All right... go ahead." Mrs. Cake said as Mr. Cake nodded. "Thank you. I'll see you both later." Pinkie said as she trotted towards the exit. "Oh, and Pinkie?" "Yes, Mr. Cake?" "Please, let us know if somepony's hurting you next time. We'll go to the guards." "Yeah." "I will. Thank you." Pinkie said as she exited. Took you long enough... Do you want your wings back or not? Sorry... just-- really excited. "They're here." Twilight said as she trotted over to Pinkie. "I figured." "Okay. Follow me." Twilight said as she trotted back towards the Golden Oaks Library. After they turned the corner, they saw a royal carriage. The carriage had a circular cab with the outside being white with golden engravings entwining with each other at the top with a diamond placed on the top. The wheels were a light shade of purple with more golden engravings circling to the middle. In the front of the carriage, there were two of the royal guards standing beside the entrance to the cab. The view to the inside of the cab was blocked by two red sheets of fabric draping over the entrance. "Princess Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie, we have been sent by Princess Celestia to bring you to Canterlot." "Thank you." Twilight said. She and Pinkie trotted towards the carriage, the guard having already opened it for them. Pinkie and Twilight stepped inside, sitting on the opposite side of each other. "Hopefully we'll get there soon." "We'll get there soon enough." ============== One Hour Later Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle stepped out into the warm sun, just dipping under the tip of Canterlot Castle. She and Twilight rushed into the castle, stepping over the draw-bridge and into the castle. They passed by numerous unicorns and guards as they entered the palace. A mare servant stepped in front of them as they entered. "Excuse me Princess Twilight, Pinkie Pie? I need you two to follow me. Princess Celestia wants you to meet her in her private room." The servant said as she bowed. "Okay. Lead the way." "Of course, your highness." The servant turned and trotted down a hallway to the right. "Princess Celestia has a private room?" Pinkie whispered as they followed the guards. "Yes. She goes their when she has the time to relax, but that isn't very often. She also uses it as a planning room, but she just usually uses her bedroom for that." Twilight whispered as they turned a corner. "Cool..." After a moment of trotting, the servant stopped at a large, wooden door. She opened the door and motioned for them to enter. "We've arrived, your highness. You may enter." She said, bowing. "Oh, thank you." Twilight said as she entered the room. Pinkie followed behind with the servant. The servant shut the door behind them. The room's design was stunning; there was a small chandelier hanging over a large, round, marble table with six wooden chairs around it, the flooring was made up a red carpet, there were two wooden chairs sitting a few feet away from a fireplace(where the flooring was marble around the fireplace), and four bookshelves near the two wooden chairs. Celestia was standing in front of one of the bookshelves, seemingly looking for a book to read. "Princess Celestia, Princess Twilight and Pinkie Pie have arrived." The servant said as she bowed. "Thank you. You may leave." Princess Celestia said in a serious tone. The servant nodded and trotted out, shutting the door behind the door. She looked down at them. I'm so anxious... I am too. Do you think she'll give my wings back? I don't know, Pinkamena. I just don't know. Princess Celestia's demeanor was very serious. "Now, Princess Twilight, what is this urgent matter that you wanted to speak with me about?" ============== Author's Note I kinda switched up the scene that I hinted at in the last chapter. I felt that this scene would be a bit better for the story. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
XV: An OrderTwilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, and Princess Celestia sat at the table, Princess Celestia taking the chair at the head, with Twilight and Pinkie sitting at the two chairs at the foot of the table, sitting across from each other. The only sound inside the room was the "So, Twilight, what was it you wanted to discuss with me?" "Uh... well, you see, Pinkie has a... a favor of sorts to ask you..." "What sort of favor is it? Did Gummy chew up your notes again?" Princess Celestia joked, trying to ease the tension in the room. Pinkie chuckled under her breath, and relaxed. "No, it's not like that." Twilight said, giggling. Princess Celestia subtly grinned. "All right. What is it that you wanted then, Pinkie?" "Well... Twilight said she's been telling you about what's happened." "She has... however, I doubt that you would actually do that. Although, I will remain unbiased. So, I guess you're going to explain why?" "Well... you see, there's this pony called Pinkamena who did those things... and a lot of other things." "All right? Why didn't you bring this pony with you?" Princess Celestia asked. Pinkie tapped her fore-hooves against each other, circling around the outside. "S-she's kind of already here." Pinkie said. Princess Celestia looked down at her with one of her eyebrows raised, a bit confused. She turned to Twilight. "Is this true?" She asked. Twilight nodded. "I've seen her go from Pinkie in one minute to a stranger in the next." "S-she regrets going after Fluttershy." "What about your parents? Or your sister-- Maud?" "No." Pinkamena's hair suddenly deflated, falling to the right side of her face. Wait, what're you doing? Telling her the truth. "Why not Pinki- Pinkamena?" "Because they're the whole reason I'm like this in the first place. They're the reason why I attacked Fluttershy out of blind rage. I will never forgive them for that." "Wait-- what happened? Twilight?" Princess Celestia turned to Twilight. Twilight shook her head. "They took my wings. They chopped--" Pinkamena's voice trembled and cracked, her eyes stinging. She stared back up at Princess Celestia, her hooves trembling. "They chopped off my wings while I was still awake. Without any medicine. For not doing my bucking job at my farm." Princess Celestia magically grasped a small napkin, and lifted it to Pinkamena's cheeks, wiping her tears away. "I am so sorry, my little pony. No filly deserved to feel that." "Y-yeah... I-I had to-- I needed to get rid of the helplessness-- the fear of what happened. You have to understand." "I do, but that doesn't necessarily me I think it's right." "Will yo-you give me my wings, princess?" "You realize I could be making a huge mistake by letting you roam free throughout the streets of Equestria? How should I trust you?" "Honestly, you shouldn't, your highness. But I'd be indebted to you forever." Princess Celestia turned away. "Pinkamena, leave the room. Twilight and I must discuss some things." Pinkamena nodded and trotted towards the exit, stepping out. Her body stiffened as Pinkie regained control. What the hay was that?! ================== That went better than I expected. I know she's still mad, but I'm glad she thought on me enough to not freak out in front of me... Fluttershy looked over at Angel Bunny and the cub. Angel had eaten through his carrot stew and now was lying down on the pillow, taking a nap. The cub had barely acknowledged anything around her. She didn't even touch her stew. Maybe I should check on her and make sure she's okay. Fluttershy got up from the couch and trotted over to the pillow, being careful not to wake Angel or the cub(if she was asleep). She tapped on the cub's ribs, making sure not to hurt it. The cub slightly jumped and looked up at Fluttershy with a slight smile on her face, but the smile quickly turned into a frown, and the cub laid back down the pillow. "Are you okay, little one? I'm sorry that I woke you up..." Fluttershy said. The cub didn't acknowledge her and continued to lay there. "L-look, I'm gonna pick you up, ok? Is that alright with you?" Fluttershy asked. The cub still didn't acknowledge her. She picked up the cub, finding out it was dead-weighting her. "O-okay..." Fkuttershy said as she picked up the cub put it on her back. She trotted back over to the couch and sat the cub down gently before sitting down by it. "So, how do you feel?" Fluttershy asked. The cup emitted a low moan and turned away from Fluttershy. "I-I'm sorry that your mother." Fluttershy trailed off as she heard a small whimper escape the cub. I... I can't imagine what that poor creature is going through... I would've been devastated if that was my mom. Or either of my parents for that matter.. Fluttershy picked up the cub and wrapped in a hug. "I'm so sorry." Fluttershy said as she slowly began to rock the cub in her arms as the cub began to let out a few tears our and sniffled. ================== Pinkie Pie stood in the hall, waiting for Princess Celestia to call them back in. Her mane had reinflated, and was as messy as ever. Why the hay didn't you warn me? I would've willingly let you take control if you'd have asked. It was impulse, okay? I refuse to be made out to be an evil pony while my parents did that to me. I know... but just give a bit of a more heads up next time. Suddenly, the door to Princess Celestia's private room opened. "Okay, you can come in now." Twilight said as she poked her head out from behind the door. Pinkie entered Princess Celestia's private room, . "Please shut the door, Twilight." "Okay, Princess Celestia." Twilight said as she did as she was ordered. Princess Celestia let out a sigh before addressing them. "I have made my decision." "Okay, Princess Celestia. W... what is your decision?" Pinkie asked, a bit anxious. Come on... come on... say yes already! "I hate to say that... I can't allow her to be back into society." Princess Celestia said in a serious tone. W... what? Pinkie's body stiffened, as Pinkamena took control. Her hair deflated once more, returning to the same side. "No... please. I have nothing without them. Please, just g-give me a chance!" Pinkamena said, standing up. "I'm sorry, but the risk is too great." "W-what do you want me to do?! I'll do anything! Please!" "I can't talk to you like this. Calm down and I'll explain." "Please!" Pinkamena was in panic mode. Her heart was pounding. This was her one and only chance to get her wings back. "Pinkamena, please calm down or I'll have my guards take you to the dungeon to cool down." Pinkamena hesitantly nodded, sitting down with trembling hooves. "Now, please allow me to explain." ================== A few Minutes Later Pinkamena trotted with the guards, too weakened and saddened to fight back.. "P-please... I just want them back. Please?" Twilight glanced away, seeing her dear friend's body being taken to the dungeon in Canterlot. Calm down, Pinkamena! You aren't helping our situation! This is my only opportunity... I have to get it right this time. We could find another way! How?! I-I don't know, but we could find another way! The guards entered into a small, wooden door that looked like it had been there for decades that entered into a small room that somehow was able to fit six cells into the room. The dungeon walls were made up mainly of old, cracked stone bricks and the floor was mainly made up of scuffed stone. Cobwebs where almost everywhere in the room. It obviously wasn't used very often. One of the guards opened the cell nearest to them and sat Pinkamena inside it. They slammed the door shut and locked it before Pinkamena even had the chance to get up. Pinkamena sighed sadly, trotting over to the right wall and sitting, tears rolling down her cheeks. Pinkamena, stop. We're going to be fine. "I just blew my only shot..." She repeated to herself. "I'm never going to get my wings back." Tears stung her eyes. "The princess will see you when she is ready." One of the guards said as they left the room, shutting and locking the door behind them. Pinkamena sighed, allowing her head to hang between her hooves. How could I be so foolish... We'll find another way Pinkamena, I promise. I knew it was too good to be true. Calm down! There's a still chance of you still getting them back. Just calm down. "Could you let me in there? I-I need to talk to the pony that you just put in there." "Okay, your highness. But I need to watch to make sure nothing happens." "I'm fine with that. I just really need to speak with her." Creaakkk Pinkamena looked over at the and saw that Twilight and a guard had entered. "You have to calm down. For both yours and Pinkie's sake. You almost had a panic attack in there." Twilight said. Pinkamena nodded in acknowledgement "I'm sorry... but I'll do whatever it takes... even if I live for a few moments after getting my wings back and a few moment less to fly, it'd be better than living the rest of my life without them..." Pinkamena said as she felt her eyes sting with tears. "Look, maybe there's another thing that you could try?" Twilight said. Pinkamena let out a snarl. "I have. Nothing else peaked my interests beside flying." "I-I don't know what to say." "Yeah... you get used to it after awhile." Pinkamena said as tears began to roll down her cheeks. The guard turned his head and looked outside of the dungeon. He stepped over as if somepony was going to enter. "Pinkie- or Pinkamena, please listen to us." Princess Celestia said as she trotted into the dungeon. Pinkamena looked back at her and gave her an angry stare. "You must understand why I'm not going to give you your wings back." "I do. I'm only ask for a chance. Please..." "I can't. You are dangerous and I can't allow you to attack anymore innocent ponies." Princess Celestia said. Tears began to pour down Pinkamena's face. "W... what do I need to do?" "You see, I don't know if there is anything you can do. I'm going to be frank when I say this; you've brutally attacked your family with no relent and show more remorse for it. I'm willing and able to give back your wings, but you seem unstable and volatile." "Please! I'll do anything!" Pinkamena pleaded. She got down on her knees. Princess Celestia stared at her for a moment, before sighing and staring back at her. "I'm willing to give you a chance, but you must prove that you've changed to me." "I'll do anything! Just say the word!" "Twilight and I will discuss what you need to do. Twilight, please come with me." "Okay princess." ================== A Few Hours Later Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle entered the dungeon, making Pinkamena's eyes eagerly jolt towards them. "Hello." "We've come to a conclusion of what we think you need to do..." "W... what is it?" "You need to apologize to your victims. Everypony, including your parents." Princess Celestia said. Pinkie remained silent, frustrated with the last part. "Four royal guards will accompany you to make sure you don't try anything. You have a week to complete this task." ================== Author's Note The next chapter will be the last... Let's see if Pinkamena will do her task to get her wings back...
XVI: EndgameOne Day Later Pinkamena trotted down the small, dusty path to Fluttershy's cottage surrounded by four royal guards and Twilight Sparkle. She sighed, angry with the guards constantly having an eye on her. Bucking lap dogs. I can do this without them watching me. You've hurt her before. Why shouldn't they? Because I actually feel bad for hurting her. I didn't have the right to do it. My rage got to me. Still, they can't know if you're lying or not. I guess. "We're here." "Hm... yeah..." Pinkamena said as she noticed that they were outside of the the cottage. "I'm going to tell her what's going on... and I'm and the royal guard are going to be watching you intently, so it'd be in your best interest for you not to try anything to hurt her. And please don't try to intimidate her." Twilight said as she trotted up to the door. "I promise. I'd lift my right fore-hoof if I could." "I hope so. For your sake." Twilight said as she knocked on the door. After a moment, the door opened and a buttercup pony stepped in front of the doorway. "Oh, h-hello Twilight. What's..." Fluttershy noticed Pinkamena and the royal guards almost immediately. "U-uh, Twilight, I-I'm sorry, but I've got to do s-something and I-I can't talk right now, bye!" Fluttershy said as she stepped back and slammed the door in Twilight face. "Horseapples... is she really that scared?" Twilight knocked on the door again. "Twilight, I-I'm sorry, but I really c-can't talk right now!" "Fluttershy, let me in. I'll just come in, okay? No guards, no Pinkie, just me and me alone." Twilight said kindly, trying to ease Fluttershy into letting her inside. "O-okay..." After a moment, the door slightly cracked. Twilight trotted inside and shut the door behind herself. Poor Fluttershy... she's so scared. Horsefeathers. I feel so bad... I'm glad. I told you weren't a bad pony. No-- I still am for even letting myself get that angry. I'm not a good pony. But you're apologizing to her! You're even going to say sorry to mom and dad! I'm not even sure I'll do it... they're never going to be my parents. Not after today, not ever. You have to, Pinkie. Even if it's the smallest, tiniest apology, it has to be done. Pinkamena sighed. You're right... I have to. Just for Marble and Limestone. That's the spirit. Even if it's just to them... Creak Twilight peaked her head out of the door. "Okay, I think she's ready now. I want you all to keep an eye on her." Twilight said as she pointed to Pinkamena. "Yes, your highness." The guards said one after another. "Now Pinkamena, come here and apologize. And if you so much as lift your hoof to her, I'll stop you and take you back to Canterlot immediately." Twilight threatened. "You won't have to worry about me with her, trust me." Pinkamena trotted up onto the front porch and into the house. "U-uh, Twilight... I-I don't feel comfortable being here... with her..." Fluttershy's hooves were quivering, barely able to hold her own weight out of sheer fear. "It's all right. The royal guard is here to protect us, and Pinka- Pinkie isn't going to do anything, aren't you?" Twilight said as she trotted to Fluttershy and stared at Pinkamena. "Pinkamena, is there anything you want to say to Fluttershy?" Twilight said, hinting for Pinkamena to say sorry. "Yes. I'm so sorry for what I did. It was out of my own blind rage and I shouldn't have done it." Pinkamena said. Fluttershy's hooves continued to quivered, still terrified of her. "I promise you'll never have to see me again. We'll just... go." Pinkamena turned away, taking a step towards the porch. "W-wait." Pinkamena turned back to her. "I... I j-just need some time, okay? I-I'll for-forgive you eventually. I j-just can't be around you right now." Fluttershy burrowed her into her mane. Thank goodness. "Okay... thank you. Really." Pinkamena said. Fluttershy nodded. "Fluttershy, thank you for being brave enough to do this and taking the time to do this. I'd really love to stay, but Pinkie has more ponies to apologize to." "Okay. G-goodbye, Twi'." "Bye, Fluttershy." Twilight said as she and Pinkamena trotted outside. Grrr Pinkamena looked back at the inside of Twilight's cottage(the origin of growl) and saw the cub was standing in a defensive position. "D-don't do anything, little one. S-she said she was sorry." Fluttershy said, trying to calm the cub. The cub still looked at her angry, but somehow managed not to pounce on her. "Let's just go to the hospital and I'll apologize to my parents." Pinkamena turned away, trotting away from the cub. "I'll see you later, Flutters'." Twilight said as she, the guards, and Pinkmena continued to trot away. ================ Limestone Pie sat down beside Marble Pie, who was now sitting in one of the chairs at the side of the hospital room. Maud Pie was lying back on the bed, staring at the ceiling, as if she was in some sort of a trance. Cloudy Quartz was talking with Igneous Rock about something that Marble couldn't hear. "Hey, Marble." Marble nodded, subtly and gently waving to her. "So, what is going on with you?" Marble shrugged her shoulders, glancing back to Maud before going back to her sister. "I'm bored." Limestone yawned, leaning back in the chair. "Wish they had more things to do at the hospital. We'd usually be in the fields at this time of the day." "Mmhm." "Marble?" "Mhmm?" Marble mumbled. Limestone glanced over to Maud for a moment to make sure she was still staring at the ceiling(which she was). "Do you think Maud's hoof will be all right?" Limestone whispered "I-I hope so." "Same. I guess we shouldn't worry too much about it unless the nurse tells us otherwise. Y'know, I was--" Knock Knock Knock Marble and Limestone looked over to the entrance to the hospital room, the origin of the sound. "I'll be back in a moment." Igneous said to Cloudy. He trotted over to the door and opened it. "Oh, hello again." Igneous said as he moved out of the way of the door and let Nurse Redheart in. She was holding a folded up wheelchair under her right shoulder. "Hello. Maud, I need you to come with me." Nurse Redheart said as she trotted over to Maud's bedside and sat the wheelchair down beside her, unfolding it in the process. Maud responded with silence. "Maudline?" Nurse Redheart asked as she waved her right fore-hoof above Maud's eyes. Maud blinked and looked up at her. "Oh, sorry. What is it that you said?" Maud said. The nurse began to unhook her from all the tubes and machines. "I need you to come with me. We've got to check on the condition of your hoof today, remember?" Nurse Redheart said. "Yes. Let me just..." Maud trailed off as she leaned up and sat down the said of the bed, letting her hind-hooves fall off the bed. "Let me help you." Igneous said as he trotted over to Maud and prepared to catch her if she were to fall off the bed and wasn't able to catch herself with her hooves. Maud cautiously put her hind-hooves down on the ground and slid off the bed. Her hooves quivered for a moment and buckled. She would've fallen as well if Igneous and Nurse Redheart hadn't been there to catch them. "Okay. Help me put her in the wheelchair, sir." Nurse Redheart said. Igneous nodded and began to lift her up and put her into the chair. "Okay. I'm going to come with you." "That's fine, sir. Just follow me." Nurse Redheart said as she rolled Maud outside of the room. Igneous followed behind. Hopefully she'll be all right... I'm so worried. ================ Pinkamena looked towards the hospital. The guards surrounded her, making her near-impossible to see her unless they allowed the passing ponies to look, which they didn't. Can't believe this... I'm having to apologize to the ponies who made me this way. Just don't think about it and get it over with. Don't get yourself worked up. I'll try, but I can't make any promises. Pinkamena and the group reached the hospital entrance and stopped. "Could I go in alone on this one?" "Uh... I can't allow that." "This one is a bit more... personal. Besides, if I'd escape and get out of doing this, I won't get my wings. I'd be losing more than I would be gaining." Pinkamena reasoned. "I'm coming with you and waiting outside of the room." "Fine." Pinkamena said. Twilight pointed to her hooves. The guards, seemingly knowing what she meant by it, removed the chains binding her hooves. Pinkamena rolled her hooves for a moment before entering the hospital "Please wait out here for a while. I can stop her if she tries anything" Twilight said as she followed Pinkamena into the hospital. "Yes, your highness." The guards said almost simultaneously. "Thank you." Twilight said as she entered the hospital and hastily trotted towards Pinkamena. "-Yeah, I'm apart of the family. What room are they in?" Pinkamena said impatiently to the mare behind the desk. "Let's see... they're in room 18." The mare said behind the desk. Pinkamena nodded to her and trotted towards a hallway filled with doors to different rooms. "I'm with her. Thanks." Twilight said as she followed Pinkamena. It wasn't hard, because Pinkamena was trotting slowly, as if she doesn't want to do this(which she doesn't). "Why are you trying to get away from me?" Twilight said as she caught up to Pinkamena. "I'm angry... and I'm trying not to lose my composure." "Because you have to apologize to them?" "No. Because I'm having to apologize to the people who put me into this position in the first place. Didn't Pinkie tell you what those monsters did to me?" Pinkamena said as she looked away. "Yes, but you can't just stay mad at them forever. They're your parents and your sister." "Why shouldn't I? Must I remind you that they took away my wings in the first place?! They will never be my parents!" Pinkamena exclaimed. Twilight remained silent for a moment. "I'm sure they didn't enjoy doing it." "Oh yeah?! Then you're saying that it's fine for my family and my sister to chop off my wings, ruin my life as long as they feel bad?!" Pinkamena said as she turned towards Twilight and looked over at Twilight. "No, of course not! I'm not saying that it's okay! It was a terrible thing to do! But you have to understand that it'd be really hard for somepony to enjoy doing that to anypony unless they're as evil and cruel as Queen Chrysalis or King Sombra." Twilight said. Pinkamena stared at her directly in the eyes before turning away and trotting over to a door and looking up at a small, gold-colored plate with something engraved into it. 18 Pinkamena sighed. "Twilight, please. Don't make me do this..." Pinkamena said quietly, trying not to alert her family inside the room that she was there. "I... you need to forgive them and they need to forgive you. This needs to happen." Twilight said sympathetically. Pinkamena sighed, trying to calm her nerves. Her heart raced as she grabbed the door handle, but stopped. You can do this, Pinkamena. I... I wish I could say the same. Pinkamena pushed down on the door knob and opened the door, seeing her mother and two younger sisters, talking about something. "Hello dear. How's-" Cloudy stopped talking as she turned her head and saw exactly who she was talking to. Marble and Limestone looked over to Pinkamena, as if they had seen a ghost. "P-Pinkie..." Cloudy managed to force out. "Where've you been? Father said he had--" "You'd better stay away from them." Cloudy said, sitting up.. "I'm not here to hurt anypony, I just want to talk, okay?" "Fine... what do you want to speak with us about?" "Well, originally, I just wanted to pop in and apologize, but know, due to some unwanted advise, here I am for a while." "Okay... that still doesn't answer my question." Cloudy pointed out. Pinkamena sighed. "I want to talk about what happened." "Wait, what's there to talk about?" "What is there to talk about? You attacked us, we ended up in the hospital, and that's where we are right now." "I mean, what did it feel like? How did it feel?" "W-what is she--" "I... I don't think you have the right ask me for that." "Oh, but I think I do. Especially after what you all did to me." PInkamena said as she turned her face away from her mother. She wiped her mane outside of her face, revealing her tear filled eyes. Cloudy's face became visibly paler. "W... what are you talking about?" Cloudy asked, a bit scared. "Oh, don't try and play dumb! You know exactly what you, Maud, and father did to me that night when I was a filly!" Pinkamena said angry. Pinkamena, calm down! Buck off, Pinkie! This has nothing to do with you! "M-mother, what is she talking about?" Marble said, her voice trembling. "Nothing--" "Oh, they didn't tell you what they did to me?" Pinkamena said as she turned over to Marble and Limestone and began to trot towards them. You're taking this too far! "Pinkie, stop!" Cloudy said as she began to move over to the bedside. "They did something to me when I was a filly that so cruel, so evil to me that I can't even describe in words how hurt I was and still am!" Pinkamena said as she got closer to Marble and Limestone, causing Marble to become petrified. Limestone stood up and tried to match her sister's aggression "Pinkie, you just can't--" "I'm sorry you're having to find out this way, but you both deserve to know this!" Limestone faltered back down to the chair as Marble whimpered. Pinkamena! "Your mother, father, and Maud aren't as good as they seem. They cut off my-" Pinkamena stopped as Cloudy shoved herself between Pinkamena, Marble, and Limestone, blocking Pinkamena from doing anything to hurt Marble or Limestone. "Pinkie, stop this. Now!" Cloudy said with an angry glare across her face. Pinkamena shot the glare right back at her for a moment before sighing. "We'll talk about this later." Cloudy said as Pinkamena noticed that there was a stream of blood trailing down her right fore-hoof. "No, they deserve to know--?" Pinkamena noticed Marble's tear filled eyes. Her face and formed into a small grimace, and her eyes looked at Pinkamena with shock and fear. Even Limestone seemed a bit shook, almost frozen in place aside from an occasional tremble in her hooves. Pinkamena realized that she was scaring them. She backed away, guilty and ashamed of herself. "I apologize." Pinkamena said as she disengaged from her little tyrant. "I'm sorry for everything. I'll just go." Pinkamena said sadly as she trotted towards the exit and walked right out of the door, leaving it open. "I heard some of that stuff in there. Are you alright?" "No. Just don't talk to me. Let's just go back to Canterlot." Pinkamena said, trying to hide her sadness. ================ A Few Minutes After Pinkamena Left Marble Pie and Limestone Pie sat beside each other, having calmed down a bit after Pinkie's outburst. What was Pinkie talking about? Marble looked over to her mother's hospital bed, noting that the I.V tube was hanging to the side of the bed and that there was a line of blood trailing down her pillow and stopped at the middle of her bed. Drips of blood continued towards the chairs. Apparently, she had ripped it out of her vein when it seemed like Pinkie was going to attack them and had shoved herself in front of Pinkie. She now was sitting beside them, giving them both a protective hug, despite dripping blood. "It's all right, you two. She's gone. We'll talk about her later." Cloudy Quartz said as she continued to hug them, ignoring her bleeding hoof and her aching chest. She frankly didn't care about it at this point. All she cared about was Marble and Limestone's safety. "-Her hooves seem to be healing, so that means that she's most likely going to be out of here in about... three days." "Thank you, Nurse Red-?!" Igneous Rock stopped speaking as he entered the room and saw the slightly bloody bed and the drips of blood leading towards his wife and two youngest of his fillies. "What happened?!" Igneous asked as he rushed over to them. "Pinkie came here..." "She did this to you?" Maud asked, still in the wheelchair, which had now been sat at the foot of Cloudy's hospital bed. "N-no... she j-jumped up trying to save us an-and ripped out the IV." "What did she do?" Nurse Redheart asked as she trotted over to Cloudy and began to inspect where her hoof was bleeding. "She came in her and started yelling at us for whatever reason. I ripped out the IV and jumped in front of her to protect them, like Marble said." "All right. I'll be back in a moment to bandage that up." Nurse Redheart said as she exited the room. Silence ruled over the room. ================ Pinkamena and Twilight sat in the carriage, which had taken off about 15 minutes ago, giving them a long while before they'd be in Canterlot. Twilight and her had remained silent ever since the confrontation at the hospital. "So, how are you?" Twilight asked, trying to find something, anything to talk about. "Just peachy-keen." Pinkamena said sarcastically. "Yeah... I'm gonna guess that things didn't go too well?" "Not really. I nearly scared Marble and Limestone to death and mother's hoof was bleeding when I left." Pinkamena said as she rested her head on her hooves. "That's not good." "Yeah. I still apologized afterwords." Pinkamena said. A few moments of awkward silence pasted by. "How do you and Pinkie coincide in the same body?" Twilight asked curiously. "It's kinda like she's my opposite personality. She can take control anytime." Pinkamena's body stiffened, as her hair inflated and became as messy as ever. "Like now." Pinkie said. She giggled as she saw Twilight surprised face. "I'm still not used to that..." Twilight quietly noted. "Interesting. Can you two talk to each other? I'll have to study this after Princess Celestia separates you two, if you two don't mind." She said, probably taking a mental note. "Mhmm. We can even touch and talk to each other in person while she or I's dreaming." "So amazing..." Twilight opened her saddlebag and took out her notebook and quill. She rapidly wrote down notes. "When are we going to be back in Canterlot?" "In about... a half hour." "All right. I'll try to get some sleep before then." Pinkie said. She leaned back into her seat and shut her eyes, trying to block out of her surroundings and let her mind roam. I'm kinda proud of you, Pinkamena. Why? Because I apologized? I've said it before, I'll do anything to get them back. No, because you were sincere with Fluttershy. You even relented on telling Marble and Limestone when you could have told them. I wouldn't have done it like that in front of them. I've done some terrible stuff, but I'm not that much of a monster to attack somepony's mother in front of them. I'm glad. Thank goodness... They're the only people in this family that I actually trust enough to tell them something. The only ones who deserve my love and respect. ================ Half an Hour Later Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle stepped off of the carriage. The sun was setting as she and Twilight trotted down the drawbridge. "So... where do we go?" Pinkie asked, bit excited. "I guess we should check the throne room first." Twilight suggested. "Okay, then, let's go." Pinkie said as followed Twilight to the throne room. After a few minutes of passing through different hallways, they found the throne room. Thankfully, Princess Celestia was in there(unsurprisingly) sitting on her throne. Twilight and Pinkamena trotted into the vast throne room, passing by a few guards. "Ah, Twilight. Has our friend completed our task?" Princess Celestia asked kindly as she spotted the two. "She has. I think that she had some trouble doing it, but she definitely got it done." "Great. Give me a moment. Princess Luna must join us." Princess Celestia said as she whispered into the ear of a guard that was standing beside her throne. "Of course, your highness." The guard said as he trotted towards the exit to the throne room. After a few minutes of waiting went by, the guard returned with Princess Luna. She must have just woken up, because her crown was clumsily placed on her head, her mane was slightly messy, and she had bags under her eyes. "Sister, why hath thou awoken me early?" Princess Luna said she trotted up to her sister. "It's still day; the sun hasn't yet set." "You see Luna I need you to come with me and I'll explain it. Twilight, Pinkie, please followed." Princess Celestia said as she got up from the throne and trotted towards the exit with Luna, Pinkamena, and Twilight following her. After a few minutes of trotting from hall to hall, they arrived at Celestia's private room. Celestia opened the door and let everypony pass into the room. After everypony was inside the room, Celestia entered the room herself and shut the door behind them. "Will you please explain what is going on, sister?" "Of course. Excuse us for a moment, my little ponies." Princess Celestia said as she and Luna trotted in front of the fireplace. "You see, sister..." Princess Celestia said as she began to whisper, making her words nearly undecipherable. "Hm..." Luna mumbled as she acknowledged Celestia's. She continued to listen to Celestia words. After a full explanation had been made, she seemed to be having a hard time processing it. "Sister, are thou sure that this subject hath been telling the truth?" "Yes. I've seen her change in a matter of seconds and do and say things Pinkie Pie never would." Princess Celestia said. Luna looked at Pinkie with a sympathetic look. "I shall do this deed. What is it that thee need need me to do?" Princess Luna said quietly to Princess Celestia. "All I need you to do is help me separate them." "Let's do it, shall we?" Princess Luna said as she and Princess Celestia trotted back over to Pinkamena and Twilight. "Twilight, I want you to watch Pinkie when we begin this spell. If anything seems off about how she looks, warn us." Princess Celestia said. "Okay, princess. What exactly is off?" "I'd rather not say with her standing there..." Princess Celestia whispered. "Pinkamean, can you join us now?" Pinkie's body stiffened and her hair deflated. "Okay. I'm here." Pinkamena said, becoming nervous. "It's crucial that you stay as still as you can." "I want to warn you, it may hurt." "All right..." Pinkamena said, her nerves worsening by the minute. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna began to start the spell, loading the magic required to perform the spell into their horns. I'm not gonna lie... I'm very nervous... and a bit scared. It's all right. I am too. Hopefully it works out. I just hope this works out... "Okay Luna, do it now!" Princess Celestia said. Luna shot out a magical beam towards Pinkamena forehead. Twilight seemed to hesitate at this, but didn't act. ================ Pinkie began to fiddle with her hooves nervously, unable to remain calm. "I... I don't like this... I'm so nervous." Pinkie said. Suddenly, there was a jolt of pain in her head, as if somepony was hitting her with something. Something sharp. "Ah!" Pinkie said as she immediately grabbed her forehead. The pain began to spread from her forehead to her entire head. Then it spread from it's entire head to her entire body. "Stop!" Pinkie called as she felt the pain become even more immense and a burning feeling began to spread across her body along with the pain. Her body began to rise up from the ground, but Pinkie barely noticed due to the pain. ================ Pinkamena's clenched her eyes shut as she felt the burning pain from her head. She tried to as remain still as she could, but the burning sensation in her hooves made it difficult to keep her hooves firmly planted on the ground.. Princess Luna's beam of magic was still feeding into Pinkamena's forehead. A beam of magic exited Pinkie's forehead, at first black, but then it became a dark shade of pink, the same as Pinkamena's. The beam began to form slowly into a pony-- a pegasus, becoming a fully grown, tall pony. Princess Celestia put the tip of her horn against Luna's. "Okay, fire it beside Pinkie!" Princess Celestia said as she fed some of her magic into Luna. Princess Luna as she was told, pulling her horn away from Princess Celestia and firing at the floor beside Pinkie. The spell caused as thick cloud of smoke to fill the room. Princess Celestia fired a magical beam at Pinkamena's back, over her ribs. Pinkamena's pain suddenly moved over to her back, however, it stopped shortly after. She opened her eyes, finding nothing but smoke "W-wow... that's... amazing!" Pinkamena looked around the room, looking for Twilight. "Ow... that hurt... where the hay am I?" Pinkamena recognized the voice immediately and turned to her right and saw Pinkie. "What the... they did it?!" Pinkamena said. Pinkie swatted her right fore-hoof in front of her face, trying to blow away the smoke. Once the smoke had finally clear, Pinkie's jaw dropped and her eyes widened. "Why are you..." Pinkamena stopped as she began to fully realized the situation she was in. She looked back and saw something that she nor Pinkie could believe. There was a pair of wings on her back. And this time, they were real. ================
I: ProloguePinkie sat in the small corner of her small, dirty cell, littered with dirt and grime painted the concrete walls. There was a springboard bed at the side a dirty mattress sitting atop of the sharp springs. She was uncharacteristically silent from the horrors she had just witnessed. Not to mention Pinkamena's confession. "Pinkamena... you have to be lying. There's no way I'm just some imaginary friend who took you over." Pinkie said, her voice shaking with every word. "You have to be lying..." I'm not. You're going to have to face the truth eventually, Pinkie. Pinkie got up and bucked against the wall with all her might, trying to break it through. Yet, despite her effort, the wall still stood tall. "Just let me out of here!" Pinkie called out, kicking the wall. She sat for a moment, her hind-hooves beginning to hurt. It's not happening, Pinkie. You aren't getting control. "You coward! You'll never get with this! Once I get my hooves on you--" Pinkie stopped herself. No-- I won't sink to her level. I won't go that low. She calmed herself, before turning back up to the ceiling. "Pinkamena, what do you want? What do you want me to say to get me out of here?" Pinkie asked. Though she had nothing to offer, she figured it would be worth a shot. There's nothing you can do. I'm staying in control for the moment. Even if I wanted, I couldn't. We're in a dream-state right now. And there's not a thing you can do about it. Pinkie groaned, half-heartedly kicking the wall in frustration. Giving up? "Never. I'm just resting." Pinkie said as she took a moment to take a breath. So... I wonder the family's doing right now... Pinkamena said. Pinkie glanced up, her eyes full of anger, and her lips curled into a frown. "Don't go there, Pinkamena..." Pinkie warned. In the blink of an eye, her prison became a large, fenced, foggy area. Thunder rumbled in the air above, a mist had began circling around her. There were tombstones of differing sizes and shapes. Neither Celestia's sun nor Luna's moon were in sight. "What the hay?" Pinkie questioned. She looked around, checking for anypony. I'm not going anywhere. Just checking in on Maud... "Please don't, Pinkamena..." Pinkie pled. "She was your sister too." She was never my sister. That moment when she willingly-- willingly cut off my wing, we separated. She severed whatever chance of forgiveness or love I'd ever give her. Pinkie hooves unwillingly marched towards a small gravestone. Wilted flowers leaned against the right side, left there for whomever the grave belonged to long ago. There was a large crack running down the middle, becoming narrow towards the bottom. There was a small rock beside her, sticking out abnormally from the rest. "Stop Pinkamena!" Pinkie called out, looking away as she came to a stop. She fought back tears. Why? It's my dream. I can do whatever I want with you. Pinkie's head slowly began to turn back towards the headstone. "Stop it!" She cried. "I won't look! You won't make me!" Her head fought back against the forces pulling it towards the headstone. "Are you sure about that?" Her head suddenly whipped towards the grave, her eyes jolting open. Here Lies Maudline Mudstone Pie Worked her whole life Even in the end Pinkie felt tears rise to her eyes as she read the gravestone. "Why... why are you doing this to me?" You have to know what'll happen to her. Her due. Our retribution. Pinkie looked away from the gravestone. She couldn't stomach any more of this torture. "Get me out of this dream! If you're gonna torment me, at least be brave enough to meet me face-to-face!" She called out. The graveyard reverted back into the same prison she was previously in. A new door had materialised at the front of the cell, holding seven metal bars in its frame, with her captor standing on the other side. Pinkie leapt towards it, ramming her shoulder into the door. She bounced back into the bed, her shoulder stinging. "You're gonna have to do much more than that to break outta this place." "If I get my hooves on you, I'm gonna--" "You're gonna do what?" Pinkamena interrupted with a confident smile. "This is my dream. My imagination! I can do whatever I want to do to you, whenever I want to, where ever I want! You're powerless against whatever I may do to you." She said, pacing back and forwards in front of Pinkie's cell. "I don't care! I'll get out somehow!" Pinkie exclaimed, pulling against the bars. "Sure you will..." Pinkamena said in a mocking tone. =============== Marble Pie's eyes fluttered open with a quiet yawn. She had ended up falling asleep in a rigid, plastic chair, sat right beside her father's hospital bed. Limestone was in her own steel chair, with her head resting against the foot of Igneous' bed. Her mane was messy, strands sticking out of place and her neck sitting at an uncomfortable angle. Igneous was laying in his bed, with the white sheet covering his lower body, up to his chest. She stood up, stretching out her hooves and back. The hospital room was quiet, the only exception being her father's snoring. I shouldn't wake them... maybe I could go visit mother and Maud. she began to walk towards the room's exit before stopping. I probably shouldn't leave Limestone looking so uncomfortable. Marble quiet trotted to the opposite side of the bed. She lightly lifted her head, putting her right fore-hoof under her head before resting gently setting her chin back down. There, that's better. She nodded. Now, to Maud and mother's room. Marble trotted out of the room, gently shutting the door behind her. The hospital was quiet, the excitement of the previous day seeming to have passed. She remembered turned to her right, trotting down the hall. Hopefully this is the right way to their room. Marble had a tough time remembering where exactly the other half of her family were stationed, what with the madness and chaos of getting all of them in the hospital. A shiver went down her spine as she recalled what Pinkie had done. Why would she do that? I mean mother, father, and Maud haven't done anything... Marble thought for a brief moment, before writing it off. No-- don't be stupid. That couldn't have been Pinkie. She'd never do that to us. Marble pondered the thought as she looked around the empty hall for her mother's room. After a moment, she found the room and entered. Cloudy Quartz and Maud Pie sat in two beds beside each other, both motionless. "Mother?" Marble quietly asked. Cloudy didn't answer, only pointing her head away from Marble. She's may be asleep. Her surgery was just a few hours ago... Marble trotted over to Maud's bed. She rested her right fore-hoof on Maud's left fore-hoof. "Maud? Can you hear me?" Marble whispered as she stared down at her injured sister. She could've never imagined her elder sister- the toughest and hardest-working out of all of them could be in such a vulnerable state. Her breathing machine beeped, giving her another breath. Please be okay. "Maud?" Marble whispered again. Another breath. "I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm glad that you made it through surgery." Marble whispered, squeezing her hoof. She leaned down to Maud and nuzzled her neck. "I hope you wake up soon. I love you, okay?" Marble said, turning away from Maud as she took a deep breath. Her mother was now turned towards her, with her eyes bloodshot. "Hello, dear." Cloudy said. Her voice was raspy and weak. A large strand of her mane hung out over her left eye, the bun in her mane beginning to undo. "Oh--" Marble turned away. "I-I'm s-sorry. I d-didn't mean to wake you, mother." "It's fine dear. You didn't do anything wrong." Cloudy said. Marble nodded as she hesitantly turned back towards to her. "How is your sister?" "S-she's asleep, but a-all right." Marble slowly trotted to her mother's bedside. "Good, good." Cloudy said, somewhat relieved. "How is your father?" "Asleep too." "I suppose I should've known... it is early." Cloudy noted. Marble shrugged in acknowledgement. "Be honest with me for a moment, dear." "Mmhm?" "Are you okay?" Cloudy asked. Marble glanced away for a moment. "It's okay to be afraid. I won't be angry regardless of what you say." Cloudy said. Marble remained quiet for a moment more, before she worked up the confidence to speak again. "I-I'm scared, mother." ================ "Let me out!" Pinkie called out as she pulled against the bars. "You have no right to do this!" "My body, my mind, my rules." Pinkamena said as she stood just out of Pinkie's reach purposely. Pinkie huffed, slipping her hooves back behind the bars. She sat down in the corner of her cell, staring at Pinkamena. "I'm going to get you." "And how are you going to do that?" She asked. Pinkie remained silent. "That's what I thought. I will not tolerate back-talk, especially from something like you. I think that there needs to be a punishment for such rudeness..." "What?" "I know what you're afraid of..." Pinkamena said. She swallowed nervously. Oh no... "How about we relive those scary moments with Fluttershy?" She said. Pinkie jumped up and rushed to the bars. "Please, no! You can't!" "You shouldn't have been so rude." Pinkamena said. The prison turned into Fluttershy's bedroom. Blood had been splattered on the walls, the carpet was dampened and darkened with it. Pinkie was standing over her, a knife in her right fore-hoof. She tried fighting against Pinkamena's control, but it was no use. "Please Pinkie..." Fluttershy pleaded. Pinkie tried to look away, but she couldn't. Pinkie stabbed into Fluttershy's left wing, not of her own will. Fluttershy's back arched in pain. A small sob slipped through Pinkie's lips as she continued to stab her, with more fury. Pinkie stabbed into Fluttershy's chest, bringing a pained scream with it. "Please s-stop..." Fluttershy called out softly. The vivid memories of the night rushed through Pinkie's head, guilt and remorse washing over her like a tidal wave. Please, take me out of this nightmare. In a moment. I want to see the look on your face. Tears ran down her cheeks as she helpless looked down at her friend. Her hoof trembled as she tried to stop herself. I... can't! You will. She stabbed into her other wing as Fluttershy's eyes closed. "Are you happy now?! Can I be let out of this nightmare?" Very. Pinkie's surroundings changed back to the prison cell. Pinkamena was standing in front of the bars. "W... why..." Pinkie questioned as she leaned against the wall. "Because I need this. I need others to know." A moment of silence passed between the two, before Pinkie spokr once again. "Y-you have to accept what happened, Pinkamena." "You don't understand. Not like anyone else does." Pinkamena said. She seemed distracted. "If you miss your wings so much, just dream of them. Do something-- just stop doing this to me." Pinkie said. Pinkamena's face switched from a cheeky grin to a look of intrigue. "That's a good idea... excuse me." "Wait, Pinkamena! You can't just leave me here! Not after that!" Pinkie called out, her voice echoing. Pinkamena continued to walk away, seemingly unaware or indifferent to what she said. Pinkie managed to squeeze her head between the bars and look outside. "Please let this work... please." Pinkamena quietly pled as she shut her eyes. Her face became tensed, squeezing her eyes shut tightly. POOF A small cloud of dust enveloped her. Once the dust cleared, there was a sight that neither Pinkie nor Pinkamean could believe. There was a set of wings on Pinkamena's back. ================== Author's Note Ello again. For the new people who are reading this, welcome. For the people who's been with me since, "Ignorance is Bliss.." or, "A Certain Urge" thank you for joining me again. Also, if you're wondering why Pinkamena is able to do these things to Pinkie, the environment she's in, and (sometimes)herself, they're in a dream where Pinkamena is the one in control Hopefully I didn't/don't screw this up...
