Chapters The day's sun is shining bright like always, Pinkie springs out the door of Sugarcube corner and takes a deep whiff of the spring air, the scent of fresh grass and blooming flowers makes the mare beam. It's a perfect day for a party!
"Or to jus' spend time with friends" a pony calls with a chuckle, making Pinkie turn to see the bright orange hue of her farm pony friend AppleJack!
"Oh! Heehee, did I say that outloud?"
"Practically yelled it, reckon half the town musta' heard ya'." The mare smirks, raising a brow before patting Pinkies shoulder, "Hey, we could actually use a pair of hooves on the farm Ta'day iff'n you don't mind?"
"Of course! I heard about the ZapApples coming from a few ponies the other day, need help picking them maaayyybee?" Pinkie leans in practically scrunching her nose into the blonde ponies snout before she gently shoves Pinkie back with a snort.
"naa'h, they still have a day or so ta bloom now, it's a bit of a bakin' issue at the moment, Grannysmith is a bit under the weather and BigMac is preppin for the harvest with Bloom." Oh no not Granny, Pinkie can't help the sad shift in her expression, AppleJack reads in on it quick and gives Pinkie a reassuring pat "Now don't you worry 'bout GrannySmith, she just got a little too excited and shes restin' up that's all. Think you can stop by to help me catch up in our stock? We're a few pie sales away from getting a fancy new wheelbarrow!"
"Sure can do AppleJack! I'll be right over!"
AppleJack was happy to hear and told Pinkie she'd be at the farm and that the door will be open, Pinkie in turn went back inside to finish any tasks necessary before taking her day off to help her friend. And help her friend she VERY much did, Pinkie was on a role with the baking that AppleJack ended up having to hide the flour in order to get the bubbly mare to take a break. They clean and set the pies and pastries out to cool before cracking open some ciders on the porch after a long job well done.
"Criminy Pinkie, didn't expect to get the whole batch of apples done in one day! We certainly will need to spend extra time packaging them, you really have a hop to yur step t'day! Er, well, more than usual that is." Pinkie takes a drink from the cider, it's very crisp, Pinkies body feels warm from the work and close proximity with the oven that it almost stings on its way down her throat.
"Yeah, the day just seemed so much brighter today, and I'm always happy to help my best-est of friends!" AJ gives a drawn out chuckle in response, Pinkie smiles, ignoring the burn in her throat and the odd breathless feeling in her chest. She takes the collar of her shirt and tugs it around a bit to get cool air down in it. Pinkie doesn't remember when she put a shirt on, AppleJack must of been out of aprons.
"The ZapApples should be rollin' in here soon, I reckin' a day or so. BigMac will holler in when it's time." The orange mares voice seems to hold some tension, making Pinkie raise a brow.
"I can help out with the ZapApples if you'd like AJ." Her green eyes snap to look in Pinkies blue misty ones a little too sudden.
"Pinkie ya know you shouldn't, it's a family thing and what would Maud think if'n I got you involved and you ended back in old habits?" AJ seems stern, almost like she caught Pinkie reaching for a cookie jar, the pink mare herself is confused.
"What do you mean AJ? Why would Maud think anything, and what habits? I just wanna help out!" Pinkie stands up, desperate for her friend to stop confusing her. Pinkie finds herself trying to stand up to face planting into a cider covered floor, the wet tile makes it hard to stand.
"Pinkie! Pinkie Pie, are ya okay?" Pinkie feels AppleJack hoist her up and prop her back up against the porch pillar, It's so cold it stings against her back. AJ grabs Pinkies face and pushes their faces up really close, normally Pinkie wouldn't mind but the scrutinizing expression on her friends face makes Pinkie all the more confused and scared. Her chest wont stop hurting, and her eyes burn to shut.
"Oh f'r Celestia's sake, yur already on it ain't ya? Pinkie, how much did ya take?" Pinkie tries to respond but she cant think of one and all that comes out is a jumbled mix of syllables. The world starts to twist, forming blurred colors of green, brown, grays and orange. A fuzzy cotton like sound stuffs Pinkies ears as she feels a cold hard floor gently meet her cheek and AJ calling out something, desperately calling out for someone before Pinkie finally closes her eyes.
Pinkie gasps and lurches up from her bed in a cold sweat, it's dark and loud, sounds causing her pounding head to throb. She can't help the rapid and panicked breaths she takes as she tries to find some familiarity in her surroundings, it's different, its dark and shes terrified. She tries to get up from the strange small bed but finds her hoof is firmly secured to it by a strap. At this point her breathing had become so frantic that shes choking, wheezing and trying to suck in air only for her throat to refuse and close off its access to her lungs. A light suddenly flicks on making Pinkie recoil as it blinds her and a voice pipes up clearly from the loud banging and yells reverberating around her.
"She's woken up, get the warden."
Pinkie blinks away the spots from her eyes and slowly and sluggishly turns to where the voice came from, a pegasus mare with a bright orange coat and fiery orange mane. Pinkie swears this mare is familiar yet can't think of a name, let alone identify the unfamiliar uniform she wears, given the drumming in her skull. Pinkie closes her eyes and swallows in an attempt to gather some saliva in her mouth, its dry as paper and her throat feels like she hasn't had a drink in days. After taking a moment, her breathing calming to deep wheezes she opens her eyes and looks down to her hoof. It's her left foreleg that's strapped down and stuck with an IV, Pinkie sighs with a bit of relief and she start to recall a bit of memory. She was helping AppleJack, she must of passed out from heat exhaustion. That makes sense why things got so confusing, it likely was affecting her rather badly and her mind was warping her sense of reality. Pinkie chokes out a laugh and rubs her face, she looks around the room to see shes on a tall medical cot, there's large windows to a hall that have a curtain drawn shut over them and a very heavy duty door to the right. The room has enough space for a desk and a cabinet. Both are locked, some muttering makes Pinkie look back to the door to see the fiery mare speaking to a white mare with a pink mane. A name clicks in Pinkies head and shes quick, not as quick as she usually is, but still quick to lift and raise her right hoof to slightly wave it.
"Redheart! Nurse Redheart!" She squeaks, her voice barely managing to work. Said ponies icy blue gaze shifts to lock on Pinkie so give a hesitant smile and a little wave.
"Quiet, the warden will be her soon to get some answers and decide your fate well enough." The fire colored mare snaps, making both Pinkie and the nurse flinch.
"Okee dokee meanie pants..." Pinkie scowls and turns away before a realization makes her eyes glint and shes snapping back up to speak. "Wait! What do you mean warden? Who's that?" Both mares in the door way furrow their brows and share a look. Nurse Redheart slowly approaches Pinkie while the fiery mare shifts in place and looks down the hall expectantly.
"Pinkamena, do you remember what you're here for?" The soft colored nurse inquires, reaching for a clipboard on the edge of the bed. Pinkie puts a hoof to her head and looks up in thought.
"Well, it was a really REALLY sunny day outside," Redhearts brows furrow as she scribbles down something "and I ran into AppleJack," at this the mare in the doorway perks her ears up to listen. A hoof raising out to seemingly stop someone in the hall while peering at pinkie with a studying squint. "AJ said she could use some help with her baking so I said I could and first I finished helping Cake at the SugarCube corner," Redheart scribbles more down "and I then went to the farm to help out!" more scribbling. Pinkie purses her lips and tries to lean forward to see but Redheart looks up making her freeze.
"Keep going, why are you here, Pinkie, keep focused." She seems really tense now and Pinkie fidgets nervously under her gaze before continuing, the fiery mare seems to be muttering to someone in the hall now. Whoever that is must be just out of sight.
"Ah, well we baked quite a bit, pies, tarts, a whole lot. It got really hot and we went out to cool off but I started to feel really dizzy and tired. I guess it's cause I was around the oven too much, I didn't take a break and got exhausted?" Pinkie finishes the story with a questioning tone, trying to hint that she isn't entirely sure what happened, it's her best guess. Redheart looks up with a grimace before looking back at the pony at the hall who gains a similar expression once seeing hers, the Fiery mare takes a step back as a VERY familiar face steps through the door.
"Starlight!" Pinkie pats her hooves rapidly on the bed, the purple mare, clad in a dressy business like uniform besides some odd shoulder patches, halts with a startled expression. The other two ponies in the room raising a brow and looking generally awkward.
"Yes Pinkamena, my name is Starlight. But I'd rather you say Ms. Glimmer." The mare states with a thin lipped smile, Pinkie tilts her head in confusion.
"What do you mean? We've never called you that" Pinkie states, she certainly doesn't recall that, besides, aren't friends supposed to be on a first name basis?
"I'm not quite sure what you or the other mares may call me, I'm pretty sure I don't want to know." Starlight, er, Ms. Glimmer mutters before approaching the foot of the bed. "Ms. Pie, whats Sugarcube corner?"
Pinkie snorts and waves a hoof dismissively "You silly filly, It's where I work!" She punctuates by lifting her hooves up in the air, or well, a hoof as the other is held in place.
"Uuuuh huh... hmm." Starlights eyes rapidly blink, a strange expression crosses her face. Like one of recognition, before changing to a troubled furrow eyed look, then almost looking a bit hopeful. Her mouth pops open to speak but the nurse chimes in just before she can let out a sound.
"I believe she may have had a frequent access to zap given her confusion and might need a few days to adjust, if not then it's possible we need to consider the case of brain damage from the overdose." Pinkies jaw drops, she didn't expect any such words to come into context in ANY scenario let alone involving her! What do they mean overdose, OR BRAIN DAMAGE? Pinkie is stunned silent, trying to process the sudden dark themes thrown out into the open. Starlights expression turns to an unreadable deadpan look before her horn lights up and the clipboard levitates from nurse Readheart for her to read. Perplexed, Pinkie's mouth keeps clamped shut. The fiery mare approaches and leans in to mutter something to Starlight who gives a closed eyed sigh in response before hooking the clipboard to the bed.
"Pinkamena, I need you to think really hard for me. What is your life right now," she raises a hoof to quiet Pinkies attempt to question her question "what do you do for a living, where do you live, who do you know?"
Pinkies lip quivers as she glances around the brightly lit room, all eyes are boring into her and making her skin crawl given the strange situation. The sounds from elsewhere are clearer, banging, yells. The clops of hooves in the hallway of busy ponies. Pinkie swallows the lump in her throat before speaking.
"I work at Sugarcube corner, making cupcakes and other pastries. I'm an element of harmony, meant to protect the harmony of the land with the others, my friends." The nurse and the fiery pegasus look at one another with there snouts wrinkled, Starlight stares intently. "M-my friends are Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbowdash, Applejack and Spike." Recognition flashes in Starlights eyes again and she nods once for Pinkie to continue. "We live in Ponyville and-"
Loud yelling from the hall and the rushed figures of ponies passing the door interrupt Pinkie from speaking more, she starts to quiver a bit as the situation doesn't seem to be turning for the better. The fiery mare shouts something and exits the room swiftly and the nurse warily follows. Pinkie stares at the door, expecting something to come crashing through but the loud shouts and sounds start to peter out just as Pinkie sees a hoof wave in front of her face. Her eyes lock on Starlight, she had rounded the bed to get Pinkies attention. The unicorn looks over Pinkies face a second before her horn lights and the door slowly swings shut and a chair pulls up and she sits.
"Ms. Pie-"
"PinkiePie! Why are you calling me Pinkamena, or Ms. Pie, you've always called me Pinkie!" At this moment PinkiePie is currently shivering violently, with eyes brimming with tears. Starlight looks absolutely pained before closing her eyes and breathing just as the door opens and the Fiery mare reenters, closing it once again.
"Pinkie."
"Yea?" Pinkie sniffles. Starlights eyes open and lock on her, Pinkie, in response freezes completely. Starlights eyes are void, detached, absolutely blank and unfeeling. Sitting up straighter Starlight speaks again.
"That's all a nice little story but you need to snap back to reality" She stately coldy "I have no time for games, and I need to know who supplied you with the Zap, Pinkie." The pink mare huffs in disbelief before shaking her head.
"I don't know what you're talking about! I don't know what zap is and It's not a story!"
"For Bucks sake Pinkamena, do you really expect us to believe some stupid story like that?!" The fiery pegasis snaps but Starlight raises a hoof and she silences and adjusts to a soldier stiff stance.
"Pinkie, listen, carefully." Starlight lowers her hoof into the bed and leans in with a slight raise of her brows. "You are Pinkamena Diane Pie, you've been arrested for being an accomplice to multiple accounts of gang related activity and the possession and use of illegal substances. You've been housed, here, in Everfree Penitentiary." Pinkie can't believe what she's hearing, this can't true, this cant be happening.
"No, stop, that's not right, this isn't funny- NO, no it's not funny stop!" Starlight tries to speak more but Pinkie just shakes her head and refuses to listen, a slam of a hoof on the metal of her bed makes her tense just as a sudden force slams her back onto her pillow. Starlights horn is glowing and Pinkie feels completely restrained.
"You were doing so well, great behavior, and clean for so long! Or so we thought." Starlight practically seethes. "Pinkie, tell me who gave you the zap or I'll be forced to send you to solitary." She growls the last word like it's threat on her life. Pinkies eyes sting as tears start to stream down her cheeks to soak into the pillow, she blubbers a for a second before inhaling sharply.
"I d-don't know! I don't know what that is, I didn't do anything!" Pinkie is downright sobbing at this point, snot bubbling from her snout and breaths choppy as she wails softly. Starlights eyes roll back as she sighs and releases Pinkie, she turns and starts to head out to the hall.
"Then you'll stay in solitary till you either fess up, or Redheart confirms you indeed have some case of brain damage." She states coldly and opens the door.
"S-Startlight, wait, WAIT Starlight don't go, please! Starlight!" Pinkie stretches out a hoof but its tugged to the side to meet another restraint by the pegasus, Starlight glances back for a moment with a blank gaze.
"It's Ms. Glimmer."
Pinkie is quite forcibly guided through concrete and tile hallways, ponies and rooms pass in a blur of confusion until she finds herself being pushed through an amazingly heavy and secure door to a cramped room. There's a toilet, a built into the wall cot and a small window too far up to be of any use besides light. Pinkie spins on her hooves to leave or even just protest but the door is quickly slammed shut. Narrowly missing a busted nose, Pinkie plops onto her hindquarters and peers through the heavily scratched and vandalized window of the door to the fiery mare locking eyes with her only a moment before stepping away, completely out of sight. Pinkie takes a moment to step back and evaluate whats happening, what has happened, what will happen...
"Please, someone please talk to me, this isn't funny." Pinkie squishes her face into the door window, her eyes leaking fresh tears once again as she looks about, trying to see somepony. She knocks her hoof onto the door, pausing in surprise when she doesn't right away feel her hoof clack against the metal. Leaning back she looks at her hoof to see a soft plastic horseshoe nailed into her hoof. She taps it against the ground a few times to feel her hoof bounce from the impact, shifting to look up with muddled thoughts a glint catches her eye enough to peer up at a makeshift mirror. Its a thick piece of barely reflective metal that's firmly secured to the wall, carefully she stands and peers into its surface to look at herself. Pinkie isn't sure if it's the metal or not but what she sees a pallor pink pony with tired, dull blue eyes peering from the surface. She raises a hoof to her straight and mangy short cut mane.
"I want to go home..." Pinkies whispers, her stomach knots when she hears her voice in match with the reflection, it just doesn't feel right, none of this does. Eyes welling up again but she quickly wipes the tears away and stomps a hoof, the rubber maker her leg wobble.
"No! This is all just a strange nightmare, Luna will help me, she must just be busy with others." Pinkie sniffles, smiling softy and continues to wipe away tears as she steps over and up onto the bed, nestling down into the sheet and stiff mat.
"Maybe if I try and dream in my dream, I'll dream of something better!" Pinkie giggles at the odd logic but nods seriously with a grin. It's very cold, the stone under the mat stealing the heat and not to mention the stiff plastic is none to comfortable in the first place, but Pinkie shrugs it off and clenches her eyes shut in hopes of escaping this elaborate nightmare.
"Just gotta dream, dream dream dream.~" It's a good few minutes of sniffling and muttering to herself till the mare finally, slowly, falls into a light slumber. From the hall, the soft sound of obsessively trimmed hooves and light calculated steps don't rouse Pinkie from her rest, she does squirm when she gets the hair raising feeling of being watched, until the soft sound of hoofsteps make their leave without disturbing the slumbering mare.
Pinkies eyes flutter open after what to her seemed like a moment, but to her body seemed like hours, and hours it indeed had been. Pinkie whimpers as she sits up, her joints and back sore from the so called "bed". Crestfallen to see herself still in the dingy and cold room, heavy hoof falls from the hall make Pinkie look up sharply and then as fast as she can manage shes smushing her face into the window with wide hopeful eyes. In the hall she sees a large stallion who she is unfamiliar with entirely, he wears a uniform similar to the fiery mare just without a blazer. There's a wired walkie on his shoulder that hooks to his belt with a pair of large cuffs jingling just bellow what looks like a hoof friendly canister. Pinkie squints before knocking on the door, the pretzel colored stallion looks up from studying the floor to see Pinkie practically crushing her snout into the glass. He gives a scowl before stomping a hoof.
"Back off the door Pinkamena." Pinkie blinks, surprised to hear her name.
"You know me? Oh but I don't know you, who are you whats your name?" Pinkie beams only sitting back enough to speak, words fogging the glass. Her eyes twinkle in hopes of turning things around and making more friends along the way.
"Shut your pink yapper," Pinkie flinches back at his increasingly stern tone "Celestia damn you tweakers." The pony grumbles before reaching a hoof up and sighing into the walkie. "She's awake, tell the teach she can head on down." He then lumbers on out of view, perking her ears though she can still hear him in the small space of the hall. Pinkie groans and slides down the door dramatically before flopping herself back towards and up onto the bed. Pursing her lips Pinkie wonders who could be coming to see her, she was in fact just asleep and the stallion seemed like he was waiting just outside her door for the very reason to inform someone if she stirred. Deciding to wait, Pinkie taps her hooves to the edge of her cot. The small bounce her hooves do amuse her for the time being till from the hall she hears a loud beep and the slide of metal. Eyes glittering with curiosity Pinkie turns and stares at the door, the sun has lowered just enough for the light to gleam off the glass of the door forcing Pinkie to wait for whoever is on the other side to enter. The soft taps of hooves on tile is all she hears from the other end up to her room, Pinkie leans here and there in attempts to maybe look past the glare in the glass in order to get a glimpse of whoever is on the other side. She doesn't have to attempt long as the familiar twinkling sound of magic bursting to life gives her pause as the door unbolts and swings open to reveal the beautifully groomed violet alicorn she has come to known. Pinkie nearly bursts into a fit of happy sobs as her dear friend Twilight steps carefully into the room, giving Pinkie a small but cheek raising smile.
"Twilight! I'm so happy to see you!" Pinkie would bounce up on any other occasion, though now seeming much to exhausted to move in for a hug regardless of what sleep she had earlier. The good friend of Pinkies turns herself to shut the door slightly to make their conversation a tad more private.
"It's good to see you too Pinkie, I was so worried when I heard one of my friends was in trouble!" Sighing in relief Pinkie doesn't even know where to start with this weird day, she knows Twilight would have ALL the answers though. The alicorn friend twists back and on her chest, pinned to what Pinkie now noticed is a black coat with a long flap neck that's flipped upward, is a gold pin shaped into a pair of wings and a long horn stretching between the two. Before Pinkie could ask about it, her purple alicorn friend sits on the bed next to Pinkie.
"So, Pinkie... Starlight has informed me of some... troubling news about your memory, is that so?" Pinkie looks slightly away, shifting nervously before nodding. "I see. Well then, Pinkie," Twilight's horn glows as she lifts a small pink notepad and pen from somewhere in her coat. Pinkies brow furrows as she scribbles some things down on the small scraps of note paper "Why don't we go over some details and see if we can compare what you remember, doesn't that sound like fun?" Twilight gives the small yet still cheek lifting smile to Pinkie, turning to look her in the eye. Pinkie in turn bounces her gaze between Twilight's glistening and happy eyes before leaning to look at the partially shut door.
"Wheres Spike?" Twilights eyes light up to the question as she gives a small titter and brushes her mane back, Pinkie notices that her mane is strangely long. Still straight and the usual cut, but it's as if she's been growing it out the past few weeks or a month or so.
"Spike's at the library like he usually is Pinkie! I can bring him along next time if you'd like?" She exclaims enthusiastically as she jots down on her notepad, from the angle Pinkie reads, "Remembers Spike, our little helper." Pinkies brow pinches, why wouldn't she remember Spike?
"Now, Pinkie, do you remember anyone else? You said you remember our friend Applejack, is that correct?" Twilight looks Pinkie in the eyes again, eager for an answer. In turn Pinkie nods and the alicorn friend gives another smile before jotting down more, Pinkie decides to continue with the others.
"I remember Rainbowdash, Rarity, Fluttershy, you, Spike, Starlight, Mrs. and Mr. Cake." Twilight nods and continues to write in the notepad as Pinkie gives off names of pretty much everypony that comes to mind. Twilight after a bit stops writing to just listen until Pinkie is naming off her sisters names, the alicorn's expression shifts slightly in response to the names however a raise of a hoof makes Pinkie stop. Twilight scribbles down one last line into the notepad before flipping the page before Pinkie can see.
"So... You remember quite a a lot ponies! I think there's maybe only a few that you don't know, they aren't ones you meet often though so it's not surprising," Twilight writes something at the top of the next page and turns once again to Pinkie.
"Okay, Pinkie, can you tell me about yesterday?" Pinkie Pie nods and recounts the whole events the same way she did with Starlight, Twilights expression appears unreadable the entire time. Just a softer smile and blank eyes searching over Pinkies face as she speaks, by the time Pinkie finishes the mare is slowly nodding and silently jots down a few things.
"Pinkie, can you tell me what we do normally, what is an average day between us all?" Twilights tone is consistent in the way she says this, its not flat but it doesn't hold any tilts to it. Like she planned every word before saying anything at all.
"Well, now after you got your wings from Princess Celestia, we use the magic table from your castle to see what adventure we have to go on! The chosen ponies cutiemarks glow and then we adventure out to help friendship problems!" Theres a chortle from the hall making Twilights ear twitch but she doesn't move further to react as shes busy writing on the notepad, the door does bump a tad bit more shut likely from a mindless shove of magic.
"I see, so what of your sisters Pinkie?" Twilight lifts the pen slightly to ask, but ready to start writing once more when Pinkie begins.
"Well... I don't see them very often as they're busy on the rock farm, though I have been visiting here and there. I see Maud more often then Limestone or Marble as she is out exploring for rocks usually," Twilight pauses to flick her gaze up in thought before scribbling more down on the paper.
"I see... What do you do for a living then? Where do you live?" Pinkie closes her eyes and rubs her face with a sigh, the light shining through the window has changed to a burning orange. Bathing the room in a glow like the deep recesses of an oven, ready to bake its contents into a delectable golden brown. Pinkies stomach rumbles at the thought and her face paints a red hue as Twilight giggles, easily hearing the angry snarl of her gut.
"Let's finish up with this last question, and I'll return with some supper and we can discuss what we have okay?" Pinkie smiles at the sweet consideration of her friend and nods.
"We live in Ponyville, all of us. I live at and work for Sugarcube corner, making pastries and sugary drinks for ponies! I love it there, I also throw parties! All SORTS of parties! It's my talent after all!" Pinkie about delves into the element of making people laugh, feeling great to recount her life, like it's all gonna snap back once she gets it out in the open. Like her eyes will snap open to find herself slumped over a table from a sugar crash and a weird chocolate induced dream, but Twilights tensed shoulders and head snapping up with pinched brows makes the pink party mare clamp her jaw. Her friend looks greatly troubled, like a mask had shattered as she flitters her gaze across Pinkie Pies face, looking for some sort of sign, skimming her notes and flipping through them before it flicks shut and tucks into her coat behind the winged horn pin and she stands.
"Well, I will be right back with some trays for supper and we can pick up where we left off." The mare turns her back and opens the door, confusing the party pony at the abrupt mood change. Pinkies eyes lock on her back, her eyes were drawn there before when she turned to close the door but she had ignored the nagging sensation to look. Her friend, on her back, is an absent set of wings. Nothing, not even a bulge in the coat to show them lying underneath and out of sight. Pinkies eyes widen to saucers at the realization that this whole time her alicorn friend has just been a unicorn and she didn't even take notice. She could of swore that Twilight didn't even bat an eye at the mention of Celestia giving her wings, she even looked a little pleased at the mention!
"Don't have too much fun while I'm gone!" Twi calls out, before Pinkie can ask her back the door is engulfed with magic and pulled firmly shut with the bolts sliding into place. Pinkie lunges up from the mat and squishes her face to the window, trying to see her friend. That maybe the setting sun somehow was the cause of her missing the sight of her friends hard earned and glorious pair of wings only to see the dull gray of the hall outside. Pinkie slumps to the floor, bouncing her eyes across the cracks in the tile as she tries to reason with her new discovery. There's no way, this has to be some sort of test. Maybe Discord is playing around again? Maybe this is something else entirely? Maybe she hit her head on the way down. Pinkie Pies hair raises on the nape of her neck as she considers this as some sort of coma, it feels real though, she knows it deep down. She is too sensible for this to be some sort of dream and to test it she starts to count the cracks in the floor. Over and over again, tracing them with her hoof. She counts them about ten to twelve times and each time it's the same. Clenching her eyes shut she suppresses the nauseous feeling as she confirms it. She isn't dreaming, this is all real. At least for now, she reasons with some hope. Taking a breath she stands up and clambers into the bed, gazing up at the window. The light dims more and more, the room transitioning from warm tones to somber blue to a deep dark gray. Pinkie watches it, wondering what is taking Twilight so long until it's practically dark.
Pinkie Pie sighs and her eyes sliding close, feeling a sense of betrayal just before the sound of a beep, a buzz and heavy gears sliding as the door in the hall unlocks and opens. Pinkie looks up expectantly but flinches as a light suddenly blinks on in her room, making her dark adjusted eyes burn, she shoves her snout into the flimsy blanket as whoever opens the door enters. The musty, dirty smell of the blanket is far worse than dealing with a bright light however and when Pinkie makes her decision to sit back the smell of steamed veggies meets her nose instead. The door creaks as Pinkie eases her eye open to see Twilight without her jacket, making a button up dress shirt with a heather gray pencil skirt finally visible, it together is rather drab, Rarity would have a fit. Neat and finely pressed, meant for a professional environment with a name tag included. Pinkies fears are blatantly confirmed, not a single feather to be seen. No wings. Pinkie slumps and Twilight turns just in time to see it.
"What's wrong Pinkie?" The unicorn inquires as she sets down a tray, it has three dished spots, two big squares on the left and right holding a mix of steamed prefrozen veggies on one side, with beans and rice with a slice of stiff bread on top the other. The center has a thin long indent that is empty, though Pinkie is able to confirm that's where the necessary eating utensil was suppose to go. It over all doesn't look appetizing, but still edible. Pinkie leans back slightly and look up at her friend, who is waiting patiently for a response.
"Where..." Pinkie wonders if she should even ask about her friends wings, with a sigh she decides its best not to for now and instead asks, "Where's your food Twilight?" The mare perks up surprised before biting her lip and glancing to the side. Pinkie knows, if she was Twilight, she wouldn't touch this stuff either. Twilight read Pinkie look and smiles sympathetically.
"It's been awhile since the others ate, this is what I managed to get before any of it was thrown out," Twilight admits with a guilty tone, swirling a hoof on the floor. "I heated it up though!" She smiles a little wider then her other ones but Pinkie knows this one is forced. They share gazes for a moment, Twilights smile slowly getting weaker as Pinkie just doesn't know what to say. Finally Pinkie sighs, not wanting to torture her friends poor cheek muscles any further.
"Thank you Twilight, it was still thoughtful of you." After Pinkie speaks with a genuine tone, in turn Twilight seems to relax but chews on her cheek like there's more she wished to add before just breathing deep and carefully taking a seat on the bed. Twilight levitates the notepad from her shirt pocket and flips through the pages. Pinkie watches for a moment before Twilight glances over and motions to the tray.
"Go on, before it goes cold PinkiePie." Taking a breath to steel her resolve, Pinkie tests her stomachs strength with this questionable meal. She cranes her neck down and carefully tries to use her lips and teeth to get the food into her mouth, once it hits her tongue the taste of freezer is enough to make Pinkie wince. She glances up to Twilight to see if she could share this look, a childish urge to maybe receive some pity from her friend. Twi however is focused on her notepad, eyes narrowed with pen tapping to her lips in thought. Pinkie makes a hum which sounds more like a whimper with the food in her mouth and swallows it the best she can without chewing much. Next she tries the bread with the bean and rice mix, it looks like it was a leftovers of both just mixed into one. The bread as well seems like it was pulled from the back of a pantry, Pinkie even studies it close to make sure it doesn't have any mold before taking a bite. Its oddly chewy but compared to the veggies it would be a sweet treat. Pinkie dips a bit of it into the bean rice mixture and then bites and finds its even a little more palatable with the moisture. Finishing the slice with one last chomp, Pinkie leans down to slurp up the rest of the bean and rice contents. Hearing Twilight sigh, pinkie realized that leaning her head down to eat had put her rather close to the purple mare. The smell of a lavender based fabric softener and a generic yet rosy fur shampoo tickles Pinkies nose, Pinkie Pie quickly leans back with a light blush embarrassed to find herself smelling another pony. She decides shes done with what she had to eat as she'll never get those veggies down, and wipes her muzzle only to pause at her nose scrunching when her fur came close. Pinkie leans in and sniffs at her coat, smelling grunge and bleach only to glance at Twilight before carefully twisting her head to take a quick whiff of her shirt and flinching.
"Blehk! Uck!" Pinkie reflexively pinches her nose, eyes watering from the pungent and acidic smell on her shirt and fur making Twilight looks over in shock.
"What's wrong? Are you okay?" The unicorn looks about ready to stand up and get her distance, likely from the gagging sound Pinkie made. In order to calm her friends reaction Pinkie wave her hoof in a "pee-yoo" motion before huffing and grabbing her plate and placing it on the floor.
"I could probably use a wash..." Pinkie admits rubbing her face awkwardly, she glances at Twi like maybe she'll take a hint. Twilight smiles in understanding.
"You've been laying in a bed for a few good hours, likely expelling fluid on your shirt during the detox." She motions to the shirt which Pinkie realizes has some faint stains, making her all the more uncomfortable and gross feeling. "I'm sure when we get all this sorted out you can be released and take a nice, long, hot shower and put on a fresh new shirt!" It's not exactly what Pinkie had hoped for but the mention of being released makes the silly mare perk up, Twilight takes this as a sign to get started on what she wanted to sort out.
"Alright, I took some time looking over what we discussed and sat down with Zecora" Hearing that Zecora was here, or at least easily available concerns Pinkie a tad. The zebra always as a knack at keeping herself out of trouble, always seeming to be aware when something off was stirring. However, Pinkie Pie knows that shes incredibly wise and with her and Twilight working together only good could come from it. "We noticed some connections with what you told me, and Zecora is quite confident that you very much believe everything you're saying." Pinkie tenses, of course she believes what she's saying, it's ACTUALLY happened!
"Pinkie, tell me about... let's say... The day we first met." Twilight smiles, Pinkie however feels dread. There is a heavy pit in her stomach, she has to convince Twilight that what she says is the truth. Somehow Twilight has forgotten, she can remind her though!
"I'm an element of harmony..." Pinkie whispers to herself, Twilight leans in, perking an ear but Pinkie clears her throat and Twi decides to sit back expectantly, mistaking her quiet words as nerves.
"I was walking through Ponyville just going about my day, seeing ponies smile, happy, it was a nice day only a little bit of clouds but you had Dash take care of that REALLY quick!" Pinkie cant help but smile as she starts to recount the day, eyes gleaming and staring up as if observing it all in a bubble of thoughts. "But anyway, I was walking and spotted a royal carriage fly down and out stepped YOU! I walked closer to see if I could recognize you but when I didn't I realized I had to throw you a welcome party!" Pinkie pauses and starts to take a breath, her throat is burning, she doesn't remember it ever being an issue before and raises a roof to hold that thought as she gets up and move to the toilet. As much as it unnerves her, there's a sink attached to the back of the toilet. Even though she knows it's clean as its not from in the dish and comes straight from the wall, the idea that she is technically drinking from a toilet is gross. Sucking it up so she can continue, Pinkie presses on the button and a broken spray of water gushes out and she leans in taking a sip, then a few generous gulps as the cool water soothes her throat and tastes rather good. With a swallow and a sigh, Pinkie wipes her mouth and returns to the cot. Twilight looks up to see shes done and smiles before turning back to finish what she was writing, motioning Pinkie to continue.
"So, you said hello, and I gasped and ran off to plan the party and invite all the ponies in Ponyville so you could make some friends! I figured out you were going to be living in the old library from Miss Mayor and so I gathered everyone there and shut the lights off to wait for your arrival! You were so shocked! Also I think you drank hotsauce." Pinkie taps her hoof to her chin. Twilight goes to speak but Pinkie cuts in "That was pretty much the whole day, the more interesting stuff happened at night." Twilights expression turns to sheer confusion.
"What could of possibly happened at night Pinkie?" She questions the pink pony, utterly perplexed. Pinkie blinks and chews her lip a moment, giving a desperate hum. How could Twilight POSSIBLY forget something so important?
"It was the Summer Sun Celebration!" Pinkie exclaims and Twilights mouth forms and "o".
"Right, that wouldn't be at night though Pinkie, it was the next morning."
"But it was night silly!" Pinkie tries to argue, which ends up sending Twilight into a spiel about how time of day doesn't strictly revolve around sun and moon and that would never work with clocks so we have set optimal hours for the best daylight as it's a little different for everypony everywhere and so even though the sun hasn't risen yet, just before dawn is a whole new day. She almost begins a tale about how this system even came to be but pinkie ends up firmly gripping the unicorn mares shoulders, making her snap into focus. "Okay, I get it, Twi. You went up the stairs, into your room to rest for the night, while I ate hot sauce cupcakes downstairs in the party." Pinkie puts her hooves to the bed and Twilight blinks to regather her previous thoughts before her tangent.
"Ah... Yeah," She writes down a few things, Pinkie assumes Twilight's just summarizing what she had said so far. Her friends expressionless look is back but from what Pinkie had learned pony watching, her pupils seems to be contracted more than just the lighting... Like she's remembering something unpleasant. There's only the sound of pen scribbling on paper before with a sigh the mare clicks the writing tool and skims what she wrote. "Pinkie, Zecora and I were pretty on the nose from what I can take from this." She flips through the book back to the start. "We are in Ponyville, but you don't live in the town." She lifts her gaze to meet Pinkies, her look firm and steady. "We are in Everfree Penitentiary, all of your friends are, Pinkie."
"N-No, Twilight wait-" Said mare stands up and turns, a stern but sympathetic look on her face.
"Pinkie Pie, I need you to listen to me. That day we met, I had been dropped off by a long distance taxi right outside the prison. It was my first day and I was walking in past the rec yard in the chain link pathway and you were being escorted from your daily job into the yard." Twilight pauses to be sure Pinkie is still listening, "The gate had been in the center of our path and the narrow space meant I had to wait for the guard to get it open and get you through. You seemed to be staring at me quite intently, I felt it was polite to great you so I said hello but the guard had opened the gate and shoved you through before you could respond. Later that day I went to the library to get my bearings, but what happened wasn't a party. It wasn't a nice day at all." Twilight seems to wince.
"I don't remember someone by me though, Twilight." Pinkie protests, the unicorn shakes her head and taps her temple. "What do you mean that wasn't a party-"
"The mind is a fragile thing, Pinkie Pie," She crosses her forehooves and looks towards the mirror. "I was meant to go around and speak to the ponies who would be attending my class for the start of the day, honestly, it wasn't very planned out and a really foolish way to go about things. Thus the reason I'm glad Starlight was appointed to warden instead, she would have been more reasonable. Even with how she started out..." Twilight mutters and fiddles with the pen, clicking it repeatedly.
"Twilight, what happened at the party?" Pinkie was almost scared to hear the answer, but her friend was obviously distraught and Pinkie wanted to be there regardless if this was going to be a confusing twist of the reality she knew. Twilight turned her gaze to Pinkie, looking into one eye and then the other before taking a breath and putting her notepad into her pocket.
"Pinkie Pie... I'll talk with Starlight about what I've learned and both Zecora and I will stop by to decide if you are fit to be released back with the others." Pinkie's heart drops as Twilight states that her "release" is with "others" meaning that its not some sort of full release from this place. But Pinkie wasn't really getting her hopes up given the situation... She watches quietly as Twilight levitates the tray and opens the door enough for her to walk through, muttering about the time and "busy day tomorrow" or something. Before she goes though, Pinkie finds herself softly asking as Twilight is turned away.
"Twi, where's your wings?" There's a silence before Twilight turns with a hesitant and nearly pained smile.
"I left them with my jacket, goodnight Pinkie, I'll see you in the morning." The door closes, locks, and her friend is gone. Pinkie doesn't know what to think, and flops back onto the mat with a grunt. She hears the light clop of hooves, the door in the hall open with a beep and buzz, then a click as the light flicks off. Bathing the room in darkness.
Author's Note
I'm working on a cover art for this, I hope to get it done sometime soon! ~~I'm amused that this turned out to be straight up 5,000 words, at least that's what it says XD~~
Author's Note
I went back and fixed a few things in the first two chapters, sorry for that hiatus, I ran into a huge writing block and was trying to get motivation the same way I started and it didn't work out. One day though I just felt like doing something other than drawing or watching videos and I checked here and reread and started fixing my mistakes and I got motivated for this chapter almost seamlessly afterwards!
Hope you enjoyed it! I bet you can guess who has the other two rooms
Fabric Flaws
"Some sort of Psychosis?"
"Rather False or Fabricated memories, misapprehensions of day to day life."
"She recalls events from so long ago with the same deluded perspective, she doesn't even remember what happened to you that night. Glosses over it as some sort of... gathering?"
"A party, she said... Then said the most important things happened during the Summer Sun Celebration." Pinkie stirs as words slowly mix in with the haze of her sleep, groaning she rolls over and rubs her eyes.
"Perhaps she was under the influence..." Pinkie flicks her ears up to voices in the hall, the voice is familiar but Pinkies mind needs a moment to wake up before she can place a name to it. Deciding her easiest bet is to take a look as she carefully stands and shambles toward the door. Eyes adjusting to the artificial light filtering in from the hall, it must be very early.
"She said something about her talent being about parties..." The other voice, familiar as well, pipes in again with a low mutter, very familiar, Twilight?
"Excuse me, what?" The former voice hisses in shock, Pinkie stops. Of course it's parties, she would never forget something that's so important to her.
There's no way that would be wrong this can't be happening.
Pinkie finds herself by the mirror, hiking a leg onto the toilet and pulling at her shirt, the glance she made trying to fight it's way into her mind but she wont believe it. She needs a clear view, she needs to see a all of it. Of her cutiemark. When she did though, in the reflection of that dinged up metal slab, there was no way she could of been prepared. All of this had been a living nightmare but seeing the one thing she cared about most, her very passion and strive for everything she's done with her life warped into a depressive and false mimic of her precious balloon mark sends Pinkies mind careening over an unseen edge. This can't be happening to her, this isn't real. It's not possible. This can't be happening.
It can't. It can't. IT C A N ' T .
Pinkies ears are ringing too loud for her to hear the door slam open, shes pulled back from the mirror, hoof soaked in water as it had slipped into the toilet bowl in her frantic distressed state. Twilight comes into view, her hooves the ones holding Pinkie tight and upright. Starlight then steps to into Pinkies line of sight to peer around the purple mare. Her jaw moves with silent words towards Twi who in turn responds, muffled by Pinkies screams and sobs. Twilight turns and makes a waving and shushing motion, trying her best to calm the fit having mare. After a few unsuccessful attempts Starlight seems to state something to Twilight visible displeasure yet she bows her head in defeat, Starlight levitates a talkie from her side and turns to mutter into it. Pinkie starts heaving for breath at this point, her lungs burning and her throat raw. What she just learned was too much for consolation, her everything was just stripped away to the very meaning of her life and she can't handle this. Not now. More ponies came in uniforms, Nurse Redheart as well. Hooves held Pinkie steady as the white earthpony lifts a syringe before sticking her in the flank. Flank. Pinkie doesn't want to think about her flank. Not now. Not now.
Over a few minutes as the sedative slowly works through her system, Pinkie slowly quiets, to the point of whimpers and hiccups before her eyes began to flutter shut. A sigh from her side, where Twilight had been before shes released to the floor.
"Someone retrieve a wheelchair..."
Heartbeat, it's what Pinkie hears when she starts to wake up again. Her blood pumping through her ears, there's muffled sounds around her which slowly start to come to focus as she tries to open her eyes. The light spreads over her blurry vision as she slowly comes to more and more. Just as she starts to focus a shaded face appears as a pony leans over to inspect her. Pinkie feels her lid raise as a bright light flicks on to look over her eye making the exhausted mare moan in discomfort and attempt to squirm, something keeps her placed firmly down. Her lid is release as the other is raised and the same light blinds that one as well, Pinkie squirms a bit more desperately before that lid is released as well. She screws her eyes shut as the spots of color seem to overtake any sight she would of gained previously. Trying to take deep breaths and clear her foggy mind Pinkie rotates her ears to follow the hoof steps the best she can. The static cotton like sound beginning to slowly clear as a squeak of a door opening and shuts and the room is left with only the sounds of Pinkies shaky breaths.
Pinkie takes a moment to rest, allowing her swimming mind to come into a focus and by the time she starts to think clearly her eyes open to view herself back in that medical room. Pinkie notices it's a different room now, smaller and the curtains are pulled open. No one seems to be in the hall, but there is a room across from pinkies. A bed with a figure laid upon it but from the angle Pinkie cant make out who besides a yellow hoof. Pinkie sits up, trying to take a look. Yellow is familiar, though she hopes that she wouldn't find her yellow friend somewhere like this, she desperately does want a friend here right now though, someone who would listen! As she twists to stand, her hoof stops with a sharp clank, but her body still rolls. Given her drug addled brain she doesn't register the thought to catch herself or to stop as she flops to the floor and her foreleg is twisted in an awkward and painful way causing the pink mare to yelp out shrilly. She scrambles to push back up with her hind legs, her left shoulder feeling ready to roll from the socket just as the door swings open violently.
"Pinkamena," Teal blue engulfs Pinkies vision as shes lifted and flopped back onto the bed, in the doorway stands Starlight Glimmer, ears pinned back and mane slightly frazzled. "You're really, testing. My. Patience."
Pinkie blinks rapidly at the tone she has before the unicorn mare rolls her neck and adjusts to a more formal stance during her slow approach.
"Given the fit you had earlier, Ms. Sparkle and Zecora had to reschedule." Starlight lowers her gaze to the cuff of her sleeve and lifts a leg as she adjusts it. "Besides that, and our speculations to what had caused it. You seem coherent enough for your usual work schedule." Pinkies brow furrows, work schedule? Right now? Ms. Glimmer glances up with a pause from her fiddling before setting her hoof down.
"That is, if you think you can keep a level head. I believe getting out of here and back in routine might help you come to your senses. You'll be accompanied however and monitored closely for your safety and the safety as others... I also figured you'd might enjoy a shower and a clean set of clothes." Her hooves shift together, giving the mare a taller stature.
Pinkie lets her gaze fall to the bleach white sheet. She's sure "getting out" is relative, she's still trapped here but it's more than a bland cell room or a medical station, that she cant even explore. Perhaps she can see what everyone else is seeing, compare things, find the differences. The sound of metal clinking makes Pinkie look up, Starlight is impatiently fiddling with some items on a medical cart. With a breath Pinkie makes her decision.
"I would like to go." Her jaw tightens as Starlight snaps her gaze up without turning her head, her eyes burning into Pinkie as if probing for some sort of surreptitious motive, Pinkie finds herself unconsciously sitting up straighter. Starlight turns her head to pinkie, muzzle pointed down and gaining a soft smile. One Pinkie doesn't feel is genuine though it's a pretty offsetting and convincing one.
"Very well then Ms. Pie. We'll integrate you back into routine, I'm sure Mrs.Cake will be happy for the help again." Starlight turns toward the door before pausing mid stride. "You'll also be returned to your room. We tossed your cell already and lucky for you, found nothing." The mare turns just enough to peer back at Pinkie. "I hope we don't have to go through all this again. If we do. I WILL find the contraband, and it'll be your third and... Final offense." She then turns, opens the door, and slips into the hall as the door eases shut with a hiss.
"What does she mean by, It'll be my third offense... What did I do?" Pinkie rubs her temple before laying back in the sheets, Starlight seems pretty stern now. There's times she acts friendly, but it's not truly genuine. The only honest emotion Pinkie can recall is the first time she woke up here. Her concern, and then her anger. There's something there though, Pinkie can feel it, like underneath that there is something trying to crawl it's way forward when they meet eyes.
"This is all just so weird..." Pinkie rubs her temple, her mind starting to throb again as she tries to recall what shes thinking of. With a huff the mare lets her hoof fall to her side and she blinks up at the ceiling. Right now, all that Pinkie knows is something happened. Whether they're right and she's deluded, or something bigger is at work. Pinkie knows that she needs to keep calm and her chin up for her friends. She's the only one who remembers this other world, the happier one, and that means shes quite possibly is the only one who can save them all. Tears brim in her eyes, a memory coming to mind. Her cutiemark, the thing to finally slap the reality of the situation into her. Closing her eyes she recalls it, the dull reflection in that metallic mirror. Her three brightly colored balloons, replaced with three gold and silver shovels. Similar enough in shape and design, but not hers. It just isn't.
Pinkie softly sobs, lips pressed shut to stifle it. Whatever is the cause of this, is sadistic and thorough, and it makes Pinkie sick at the thought. What about her other friends? What has become of them? Pinkie is confident in her decision now. She is going to follow along with their routine, find her friends, and fix whatever has happened. Glancing to the window a chill runs up Pinkies spine as she meets the gaze of another pony. Pinkie instantly recognizes the pink mane and sleepy blue gaze.
"F-Fluttershy." It is her, the pony in the other room. The pony had leaned to the other side of the bed likely to peer out and had seen Pinkie. Or that's what she thought till the strange glazed look of her friends eyes causes some confusion, Pinkie raises her spare hoof and waves slowly. The yellow pony, slack jawed and dazed slowly blinks before waving back slowly in turn. Drool drips from the mares lip as she lightly smiles, eyes fluttering and wet. Pinkie blinks, rubs her eyes and sits up, she leans trying to get a better look but cant seem to get a good angle with her foreleg restrained. Fluttershy stops waving as her hoof flops to the bed and she regains a slow blinking and dazed look, completely unfocused once again. Concern is bubbling in the pit of Pinkies stomach but she sighs and leans back given she can't really do much at the moment anyways. Deciding to close her eyes and possibly sleep until someone comes to take her away is the only thing she can think of that won't get her into any further trouble. It takes Pinkie some time sitting in silence, listening to the occasional sound from outside and her own steady breathing before she dozes into a light sleep.
"Wakey wakey, we don't have all day now." With a snort Pinkie sits up only to feel a knock to her noggin making her flop back down and groan. "Oooh, ouch... That hurt pretty badly." Pinkie cracks an eye open and looks down to see a gray pegasus mare with a blonde mane and tail. She wears the same uniform as the guards, tag stating Hooves on her left. Pinkie knows the mare near instantaneously.
"Derpy!" The mare snaps her eyes open, a focused gaze until one of her eyes starts to go off center. She frowns slightly and looks up to meet Pinkies gaze.
"Ah, it's Ms. Hooves... Please." Pinkie blinks before nodding and lifting her hoof to rub her head as the mare stands up and brushes off. "Well," A smile makes its way back onto the pegasi's muzzle "We best get going, you can't be late to your work shift for lunch, I was told you should maybe shower first, huh?"
Pinkie nods before looking over to see if her hoof is free, only to realize shes been rubbing her head with said hoof. Sticking her tongue out with a soft Pthlp sound she scoots out of the bed and lands on her hooves, Ms. Hooves stretches out a wing to help steady her when her knees started to knock from the lack of use. After a few steps though Pinkie feels confident enough to stand straight and follow along. They slip out into the hall, making a left, just as Pinkie is passing she remembers her friend in the other room and halts and backpedals a bit to peer inside. Fluttershy is curled on her side away from the window now, inside as well is Nurse RedHeart who is busy with some files. She seems turned in a way to stand up quickly, Pinkie can't ponder why for very long before she hears Derpy call her name. It takes quite a bit of will power to turn away from the window, but seeing the even breathing of her sleeping friend Pinkie takes a deep breath of her own and turns to follow her escort through the hall. Around a corner is a sort of separator gate, it's like a box in the hall with two doors and all glass. Derpy flicks out a wing, a keycard being pulled from her belt to be scanned by a reader on the door. It buzzes and the door clicks, she lets the card go and it snaps back to her belt by a retractable string. Pushing the door open they enter and the pink mare notices that its a safe little spot as the next door requires a key from the outside at well, somewhere to be locked away but able to push out to either hall without bothering to scan.
Onto the next hall Pinkie starts to see more ponies, way more ponies, as they start to walk. These ponies aren't in uniforms, not like the guards at least, they either wear just the white shirt with it a lime green jumpsuit which matches the green rubber horseshoes they all share. They're other prisoners, doesn't take a Twilight to figure that out. As they pass there's plenty of stares and whispers, even some friendly calls. Pinkie can't help but find herself smiling as here and there she recognizes someone. Seeing them here though, is just too surreal which is what keeps her more focused on following behind Derpy than trying to socialize. There's quite a few twists and turns and Pinkie tries to apply them to memory, reading signs like A block, or B block on the halls they pass. They end up passing what looks like a cafeteria but don't enter, down a bit further they make a turn to a hall with a door right at its entrance. Along the halls Pinkie noticed plenty of cameras, right at the face of this hall is one as well. Derpy pushes and holds the door open before smiling at Pinkie, the other eye wanders instead this time though Pinkie pays it no mind and smiles back.
"Here we are, we had one of your cellmates stop by to help you get along in the shower and bring you some fresh clothes before your shift, I'll be waiting out here so don't worry." With a thank you Pinkie enters the tiled room and looks over the stalls. There's a blurry plastic curtain for each shower and trotting in further Pinkie halts to see a bench and folding a towel by it is a white unicorn with a long purple mane. She turns and locks her brilliant blue gaze on Pinkie and smiles.
"Oh! Darling~ I'm so pleased to see you're okay, and out an about so soon! It's couldn't of been zap if you're feeling well already, though I heard they still detoxed you. So strange..." The elegant mare, Rarity, puts a hoof to her chin in thought. The green rubber horseshoe just doesn't match Rarity in the slightest!
"I feel pretty okay, though I'm having a lot of trouble... Remembering things, apparently." Pinkie states, trying to choose her words carefully.
"Oh my... So it is true." Pinkie flicks her ears toward the mare as she starts to lift and tie her hair into a bun. "There's been gossip picked up from the staff that you may have suffered some sort of... brain damage." She winces quite obviously, fanning herself in disbelief. Pinkie notices something with her hair pulled back, at the base of her horn is a rubber band, it's hard to see but it looks like something is inside the rubber touching the base of her horn.
"I can't fathom going through something like that in a place like this! Now, lets get you cleaned up then, hm? I'll show you how the shower works just in case." Rarity turns and makes her way to a stall and pulls away the curtain, it doesn't seem like the band on her horn restricts her magic too much as she seems to be using it fine.
"Now, the best way to get it warm the fastest is to turn it all the way to the left, then back up and-" As Rarity leans to the side to show Pinkie, whether by a mindless glance or just a deeper curiosity inclining her to, she finds her gaze wondering to Rarity's cutiemark. Her tail, a tad longer and more agile than non-unicorn ponies, flicks to the side giving Pinkie a perfect view of the mares flank and the mark that adorns it.
"So there we have a nice, warm shower. It's better to have it colder when washing your mane though you know~ ah-... um. Pinkie?" Rarity had turned to the mare in question, who was staring in a wide eyed daze. Much to Raritys discomfort, she appears to be staring right at her bottom. Hiking up a leg and curling her tail tight the unicorn gasps.
"My word Pinkie, such crude behavior is quite unseemly of you" Pinkie snaps her gaze to Raritys, now beet red face before feeling her own cheeks burn with realization and shame.
"Oh! No no no! Rarity, sorry! I... It's just- Your cutiemark!" The unicorn seems to calm her bristling and lets her hooves down.
"What of it?" She flicks her tail out of the way and turns to investigate the mark on her rump, three diamonds. Three argyle diamonds with dark blue stitching across them.
"Aren't they usually diamonds?" Rarity gives Pinkie a bewildered look before Pinkie blushes more with embarrassment "I-I mean... like jewel, diamonds." Pinkie rubs her leg awkwardly as the white mare stares at her. There is a pregnant pause, the shower making up for the lack of words before Rarity clears her throat and turns to face Pinkie.
"Is this," she leans in with a gesturing flick of her hoof "what you meant by memory trouble?" Inhaling sharply Pinkie nods before Rarity makes a sympathetic click of her tongue. "Poor dear... here, lets get that shirt off and you cleaned up shall we?" With a sigh Pinkie does as suggested and pulls her shirt over her head before it's tossed in a bin, Rarity guides her to the shower she already started before closing the curtain and starting up the shower beside it.
"Well, I can see why you might get confused Pinkie, I do rather adooore gems and rhinestones." There's a twinkle of magic from Raritys stall as she lifts shampoo and such things to wash. Not wanting to just sit and soak, no matter how nice the feel of the warm water is, Pinkie pumps some shampoo from the dispenser into her hoof and starts to scrub it in.
"So... Rarity, I saw Fluttershy in the... um, Medical rooms." There's a soft, oooh and poor thing, poor thing from Rarity. Swallowing thickly Pinkie continues.
"Did something happen?" Rarity however, doesn't respond immediately. In fact, Pinkie thinks she might not respond at all until her voice pipes up in barely a whisper.
"She relapsed not long after you were put in medical... As soon as word started to get around that you perhaps had an overdose she not long after managed to pick something up. It couldn't of been Zap unless, perhaps, someone is going behind Jack... She would never give Fluttershy something like that especially with the reaction it could have with her new medication." The tone Rarity had sounds unsure, Pinkie though has ceased any movement. Drugs? Fluttershy gets into narcotics? Why did Pinkies time in medical trigger her to seek them out again? What meds?!
"Oh Darling... Don't blame yourself, I'm sure she'll be absolutely thrilled to hear you're okay and already out. I'm sure she'd feel rather guilty for the rash response given as it might not even been drugs you were on in the first place." Rarity finishes before humming and continuing to wash. Pinkie follows slowly along, not quite as thorough though she's sure. Getting to her flank, Pinkie eyes the foreign pattern with disgust before obscuring it with suds. Rinsing off and twisting the shower handle here and there till it finally shuts off Pinkie steps out and shakes much like a dog before looking around for a towel. Rarity steps out already wrapped in one as she twists her mane out and back up into the bun again, she barely glances at Pinkie before making an "oh" sound and walking over to the bench only to lift a towel sitting under some clothes and walking over to drape it around Pinkie. She wonders why Rarity bothered walking that much just to use her magic when she remembers the horn band, it must inhibit her from using it at certain distances.
"Thank you" Pinkie mumbles before grabbing the towel and rubbing it across her back.
"It's no trouble at all!" Rarity continues to hum before patting herself dry and getting dressed. She slips into a white tanktop, though compared to Raritys coat it appears to be more of an off color eggshell, then tugging on the lime green jumper she takes the foreleg sleeves and ties them back into a nice little bow. Pinkie in turn throws the towel to the bin and pulls on a white shirt in the pile and then the jumper. She zips it up but not the whole way, some of her shirt bunches out of the front and she doesn't bother with shoving it down out of the way of the zipper.
"Well, I'm sure our jobs will be starting soon. Quite sure Ms. Hooves will take you to the kitchen early to make sure you know what you'll doing." Rarity states as she heads for the door and opens it up, on the outside Derpy is leaning her side against the wall, legs crossed and boredly staring into the distance before her ear flicks and she turns her attention towards both mares.
"Ah, ready to go then?" She asks and Pinkie and Rarity both nod as the pagasus stands straight and stretches before leading the way. The halls aren't as busy as before, making the walk a rather quiet and quick one. Pinkie wonders if she'll see AJ again, or maybe she'll spot RainbowDash. Right now, in the back of her mind she regrets leaving medical, maybe she could of somehow spoke to Fluttershy. Made sure she was okay, if she hadn't of lost her cool in that solitary room she could of gotten her answers from Twilight! This is all just mucky and yucky, nothing is looking good at all...
"Well, here we are!" Derpy states, snapping Pinkie from her dark thoughts.
"Well, I'm glad you're okay Pinkie, I hope you start to remember things soon enough however, it would be hard to relearn the things you pick up in this place." Rarity gives Pinkie a light nuzzle before smiling and continuing past. Her eyes though, Pinkie saw, seemed to hold an exhausted look to them.
"Alright Pinkie, Mrs. Cake should remind you of everything you need to know." Derpy says, walking her in before patting her shoulder "I'll be over at the guard station monitoring while you run through the steps." With that she trots off and leaves Pinkie by the door. Pinkie glances back to the hall, she could back out and wonder off but the likeliness she'd just get in trouble is blatantly immense. With a sigh she steps further into the kitchen until she spots Mrs. Cake trotting in from what looks like the serving booth.
"Oh! So you did end up released! Well, that's good news beside the..." Mrs. Cake seems to be trying to find her works before Pinkie chimes in.
"The memory problems?"
"Yes, oh I'm sorry dear. I won't put you to your usual jobs today, I'll just have you help serving desserts again is all. If you could help me carry the pans out though I'd really appreciate it." Pinkie nods and helps the pudgy kind mare with lifting up and moving the pans filled with different meal courses out into the bins. After that and a few extra cleanup jobs and chopping up some veggies along with some other ponies who arrived for kitchen duty, Pinkie was sat down to eat just before lunch was to start as she was meant to help divvy out the desert which was just some sort of sponge cake with sugar on top. It wasn't the most amazing thing Pinkie had ever eaten but it definitely filled the craving her sweet tooth had. She managed to munch down perhaps about half the meal when a shrill alarm suddenly makes her jolt from her seat. Lights in the hall start flashing red and the girls in the kitchen groan, Pinkie looks around confused as she sees ponies swarming the halls and Derpy looking tense as she walks out of the office and towards her.
"C'mon Pinkamena, at the sound of that alarm everyone needs to return to their cell block. Might as well make sure you know where yours is huh?" Pinkie nods and stuffs the rest of the cake in her mouth before getting to all her hooves and obediently following. Pinkie tries to memorize the best she can in the hectic state, some ponies leisurely making their ways through the hall, others just about sprinting as they dodge their way around. Pinkie decides to pull up close to Derpy to ask a few questions.
"What is the alarm for?" Ms. Hooves inches a tad away for some more personal space before responding clearly over the loud sounds.
"It can mean a few things depending on the code the intercom is stating." Pinkie listens for it just as something crackles to life and starts to speak through the alarm.
"All inmates must return to your cell, this is a code red lockdown, a code red lockdown, all inmates must return to your cell"
"A code red usually means someone pressed the alarm, sometimes other codes are given or prisoners are just told to return to their cells if it's something to be investigated. Regardless, you hear the alarm, return to your cell and buckle down." Pinkie nods, the hall they enter seems to be wing C there's a line of large cell bars blocking off what seems to be a living space of four quarters. The sign by the first says C1 and Pinkie is guided passed it to C2, inside she sees three cells along the right wall two along the left. A small counter with a sink takes over the back corner on the left end. This block seems to be a bit more spacious then the previous one and sitting at a table with a steaming mug is Rarity, she looks up and waves a hoof.
"Oh! I'll takes care of her from here Ms. Hooves don't worry!" Pinkie steps into the cell block only for the gate to be shut behind her. "Well, guess it's just me and you today, Pinkie." Rarity stands and lifts her mug along with her. "Like some tea? Maybe a coffee?" Pinkie swallows before nodding.
"Um, tea would be good." Her nerves are already fried as is, coffee would throw her into a meltdown. Rarity nods and clops over to the counter where theres an electric kettle and starts to fill it up. Pinkie looks around, there's a yellow table with some green metal chairs. Then there's a plastic covered green sofa with two seats with a rather short plastic coffee table covered in magazines. Pinkie hums and walks along the wall, peering through doors into rooms. The first by the gate on the right seems to have posters, plenty of sports and idol pinups from torn from magazines and snippets from news articles pinned to the wall and random things like blankets or shirts on the floor. Pinkie would get a closer look but she doesn't wish to get in trouble with a bunkmate for intruding. To the left is a more tidy room with what looks like drawings of designs and cuts from fashion magazines and perfume sections, pretty likely Rarity lives there. Next up on the left is a rather plain room besides what looks like a homemade blanket and a pile of newspapers in the corner and a book holding them down, not as organized as rarity but certainly more tidy than the first room. To the right again, across from that one, is a room absolutely COVERED in photos, snippets from magazines or Polaroids are pinned to the wall. Seems like nature pics, birds and rabbits. The room is tidied up and organized, blankets tucked in, pillow fluffed.
"I figured she wouldn't want to return to a completely tossed room." Rarity states suddenly, nearly frightening Pinkie out of her skin. She hands over the mug which Pinkie sits back to grab and take a generous gulp from, the room SCREAMS Fluttershy, and given Raritys comment, it probably is. Pinkie sighs, the hot drink soothing her nerves and quenching her thirst before standing up and walking to the last room that's beside it. On the wall are candy themed pages with cakes and confetti, scribbled pictures of ponies and rainbows and even more cakes. Walking in Pinkie sees a table in the corner and sets the drink down, noticing a drawing. It looks like her cutiemark, both really. The artwork is very poor, almost even looking like three lollipops that are yellow and blue. Pinkie sits down with a huff, her ear tilts to hear Rarity approach and place a hoof on her back, rubbing soothing circles. Sighing, Pinkie cant help a sudden question that comes to mind as she peers at the drawing.
"Rarity..."
"Yes darling?"
"Why are we here?" Raritys face makes a rather confused scrunch before Pinkie stammers "I mean... Um, why are you here... In prison."
The change was was sudden, the mood turning even more somber as Raritys hoof stops moving.
"Ah... Memory troubles, right." Pinkie wants to mutter an apology but Rarity continues before she can even start. "My career wasn't doing so well, I had the talent but not the recognition. I fell to self pity, and drinking. Once when working on a commission that was to pay the bill on a few important things, I had a little too much to drink. I botched the entire thing, yet I didn't hold myself accountable. So when the client refused to take it and threatened to ruin my name after I had insisted they were just demented or something of the sort, I lashed out." Pinkie listens quietly, horror slowly etching into her features, it's almost unfathomable to imagine Rarity in such a case. She was such an amazing seamstress, to be on hard times and washing it down with liquor is not something Pinkie could see of her.
"I was charged for public intoxication as my boutique was indeed open to the public, and aggravated assault. I'm... Thankful it ended there, I was restrained before I could... Continue. Else I'd of possibly ended up here for, I'm ashamed to say, murder." At that word, Pinkie nearly feels like the air had been knocked from her lungs. Rarity attacked someone, and even nearly killed them? What had she done to them in the first place? Pinkie lifts her drink, trying to put the moisture back in her mouth as Rarity turned.
"Haven't had a spirit in years though, so, I'm doing better. On my way to improvement." Rarity states confidently as she makes her way to the sofa and lays herself down. "Better make the most of my time while I'm here though." A notebook and pencil lift up from the coffee table and onto Rarity's forelegs, as she begins to sketch Pinkie smiles as her friend seems to hold her head up and continues to plan for her future. Tears brimming the corner of her eyes the pink mare wipes them away and walks over to her bed to plop down. It's a bit more cushioned then the other two shes been on and with the warm tea in her belly along with the fluffy cushion of her pillow, Pinkie can't help but close her eyes and start to doze once again.