Prologue (Edited by: SirReal)
Collared, tired, broken... The distant wails of comrades in defiance of our tormentors echo in a haunting melody throughout the halls of this crystal prison. But our cries go ignored as we are dragged cell by cell to a grim fate.
I stare at the crystal bars of the prison cell, the events of that day replaying in my mind: My sister called out my name before pushing me into the cold snow to save my life. And heroes are seldom rewarded kindly, for what burns twice as bright burns half as long. I wanted to shed a tear, or to let my anger burn hot enough to scorch everything near me to dust, yet I just lay there as they wrestled me down and shackled me. Dragged me away as the snow unceremoniously buried her body on the battlefield.
A white noise hums in my head. It’s silent and distant at first, but gradually grows until it feels as though my skull is going to burst. I want nothing more than for these memories to go away. To be untrue. I bash the bars with my hooves, frustration mounting as they hold firm, cold and uncaring of my plight. Why won't they break! What in Tartarus are they made of!?
“Lieutenant Pie, stop,” a weak voice says.
I keep hitting the bars, tears streaming down my face, uncaring of the bruises forming on my bleeding hooves. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair!
“Lieutenant!”
Snarling, I charge shoulder first into the bars, the white noise now deafening.
“Pinkie!”
I snap to in an instant upon hearing that name. My breathing is haggard and uneven. The world grows narrower, my right eye swelling shut. I taste copper, and I realize blood is now streaming from my nose.
I face my fellow inmate, eyes wide and scared. I choke back a sob. If only I could fall through the cracks of the floor and simply disappear. Captain Shining Armor looks back at me, and although his gaze is exhausted, that does nothing to dwarf the sympathy in his regal eyes.
His face is so thin now compared to that of the strong, confident leader who managed to pull off an impossible rescue when my sister and I were ambushed.
He was gallant in the field and we all respected him, pushing ourselves harder to end this war.
But looking at him now, a shadow of his former self, makes me want to cry even more. What happened to us?
But this anger won’t go away. This hatred I have for the Crystal King is the only thing preventing me from breaking down like a filly who’s realized she’s alone in the dark with the monster under her bed.
Tears spilling to the floor, I open my mouth to say something, only to find myself struggling for air. A sudden panic comes over me as I struggle to rip the collar from my neck.
Falling over, I desperately try to move the collar with my hooves. Shining Armor limps over to me, shouting my name as he tries and fails to channel magic into his horn. His ears twitch as hoofsteps approach the cell. His eyes widen, horror and betrayal dawning on his face as he holds me in his protective grasp.
The collar loses its python-grip around my neck, but it is still tight enough for breathing to be a herculean effort. Coughing and sputtering, I look at the bars to find a purple unicorn mare on the other side. Her eyes glow the same sinister color as the aura surrounding the collar.
"Pinkamena Diane Pie..." she says nonchalantly as I suffer. She turns to Captain Armor. "Brother..."
He trembles where he stands. "Twily..."
"It is time." Her horn glows again and the locks release. The collars we are wearing vibrate, detaching a small piece of itself that slithered down to our hooves, encircling them and leaving a heavy weight on each. She steps aside, looking at us expectantly.
Shining walks to the door, shaking his head. “Twily, I… What in Equestria happened to you?”
Twilight narrows her eyes. “Don’t. Call. Me. That. Now, walk.”
Shining grits his teeth, and just when I see the old him, the commander who led our armies and scattered the Mad King’s forces, he sighs, hanging his head defeatedly. He obeys. I follow behind, giving Twilight a wide berth as I glare at her.
We walk side by side to our graves... I don't blame Twilight for any of this. It looks like she, too, is just another victim to the Mad King. If Celestia somehow wins this hopeless war, I hope she lives on. For the Captain’s sake and for all of us who have fallen.
We walk silently. On and on, the shadows lick at our forms, taunting us as we reach the stairs leading outside. Climbing slowly out into the open, each step buzzes into a sad melody. The air outside is as cold as ever in the freezing north, obscuring our vision. Treading through the snow-covered city that used to be the glorious Crystal Empire, we eventually pass the city’s border.
I look over my shoulder every few minutes to find Twilight still watching us with the predatory gaze of a cragadile. My hooves ache. Each step thunders through my abused limbs, leaving a pink trail in the otherwise pristine blanket of white. The slow trot continues through the snowy blizzards outside the Crystal Empire. The journey is as silent as the howling winds allow, no words passing between us. A few long, cold hours later, we eventually stop.
Looking down we see another pony in the cursed armor of the Crystal King, this one wielding a hammer. The pony raises the hammer and taps it to the ground. The surface cracks and splits, opening like the yawning maw of a great dragon to reveal an ice-cold, inky lake. I gulp as I peer down into the abyss. I can’t even make out how deep it goes. Probably to the blackest pits of Tartarus itself.
Clop clop clop.
The sound of hooves behind us tells there will be no escape. I think I’m crying again, but the tears have already frozen.
"Here you will jump," Twilight says as she steps away. "Should you try to escape, I promise you’ll experience far worse. Goodbye." And then she is gone into the harsh winds as an uncountable number of cursed guards come into view.
Captain Shining Armor nudges me. He smiles at me and walks to the edge. I follow, numb. The white noise has returned once again, but this time it doesn’t hurt. This time it’s… calming, in a way. Turning around, we meet eye to eye one last time. With a sad nod, he struggles to raise his weighted hoof. It shakes relentlessly, and finally, at the peak, he gives me a salute. I instinctually salute back with tears running down my face. We kept the salute for... I don't know how long, until one of the ponies behind me launched a magic bolt, pushing Captain Armor off the edge into the watery abyss.
"CAPTAIN!" I reach out to him, trying fruitlessly to save him. My heart thunders in my chest as my limbs quake. I turn my head, eyes wide and feral as I search for the bastard responsible. Scrunching my muzzle, I steel myself, refusing to give these monsters the satisfaction of seeing me break.
"Get moving!"
Somepony pushes me, driving my muzzle into the ground.
"Stand up and jump!"
Placing my hoof on the floor, I stand up. I walk to the edge and look down into the depths. For a second, I think I see something in there. Concentrating, an image forms. Not one, but two? No, more than that! There were thousands of them! All of them! My comrades! Each and everypony smiling at me! Shining Armor, Rainbow Dash, Maud, they are all here! Don't worry, everypony! I'm here! The war is over! Let's have a party!
I feel so excited that I jump!
splash
I’m here now, everypony... Each and everypony is waving at me.
Welcoming me.
Your smiles fill me with glee.
Heya, Maud!
I see you swimming to me!
Do you want a hug!?
Oh! Maud grabbed my hooves and pulled really hard!
So you want to dance!? It’s been so long since I’ve danced with somepony!
Wrapping your hooves around me? I knew it! You do want a hug!
Maud, your mouth is moving but I can't hear you...
You shook your head no?
Why are you raising your hoof, Maud?
Look up?
Oh! Shiny light!
Do you want to swim to the light Maud?
I see that nod, that is definitely a yes!
Let's go together! We wave our hoofsies like so. Don’t you remember, Maud? That’s how you swam to me!
Let's swim to the light!
Hehe, this is fun! Race you, Maud!
Look, Maud, I'm almost there! I'm winning!
I’m almost at the light...!
"Maud... Let’s race again..."
Slowly opening my eyes, I found I was staring at a rocky surface. That's weird. Wasn’t it supposed to be all crystals or snow? I slowly bring myself to my hooves when a sudden pressure presses on my tail. I immediately kick out, but nothing’s there.
Springing to my hooves, I scan my surroundings. My mouth drops and my voice dies in my throat. They… What in Equestria happened? This glowing pool, this room stuffed full of clones of me! What in Equestria happened!? Did somepony save me? Maud? Did you survive?
I cautiously walk up to one of me and tap her shoulder to get her attention. She turns her head 270 degrees and gives me a curious look. I snap my head back at the action, backing away from her. “You’re… You’re me..."
She hops up and her whole body spins into the correct position. I have so many questions. She walks up to me and places a hoof on my chest. "No, silly, you’re me!”
"I..." I am so confused! Who is the real Pinkamena around here? Is she Pinkamena? "That can’t be right. You’re me!”"
She pushes her face against mine, her hoof on my chest burying deeper. Her eyes bulging out, drilling into my soul. "Have you ever played a prank? Like a practical joke?"
What kind of an inane question was that? There is a war going on, in case she missed it. There wasn’t any time for foalish pranks! “I don’t have time for this,” I say, thoroughly done with this insanity. “Captain Armor and everypony else is depending on me. Now, move.”
Brushing past her, I can tell from her eyes that she is very disappointed in me. "Have you ever worn a silly costume?"
"...Is this a game to you? I coldly whisper, facing her.
She stares at me with those judging eyes for a few seconds until she blinks, and backs away. "Alright, I can see that I have to teach you how to be Pinkie." She pulls out a horn from behind a rock and starts playing it. I growl at her.
All the other me’s bounce around her. "Fun!"
Drums and other instruments start joining in. "We are Pinkie Pies!~ Fun!"
"Umm..." Are they seriously singing? What about the war?
"We are Pinkie Pies!~"
I stomp my hoof. "This is stupid! How can you all just―"
A Pinkie shoves a broom into my face. "Now listen closely!"
"Here is a little lesson in Pinkery, this is going down in history.~"
Where am I? And what have I gotten myself into! Is this one of the Mad King’s sick games!?
"If you wanna be a Pinkie number one, you’ve gotta chase a party-pooper on the run!"
Author's Note
And this is Pinkamena's fate, a life/journey in the new/canon timeline! Don't worry, she won't follow the main six. The main six's canon episodes will be referenced in the background sometimes, after Pinkamena finish the too many pinkie pies episode.
