The girls made it to the hospital, where they handed their friend over to a nurse. They then collapsed in the waiting room to get their breath and try to stop shaking.

"This just gets worse and worse." Dash moaned pitifully, stomach rolling.

"I think she'll be ok, Dash." Sunset said, trying to smile reassuringly. It came out closer to a grimace.

"We really are going to have to...you know...aren't we?" Rarity spoke softly.

The five of them looked at each other, then all eyes settled on Sunset, who had thought of The Plan. She rubbed her neck and sighed heavily.

"Yeah..."she finally said, voice low. "We are."

"Oh god..." mumbled Dash for the fourth time that day, head drooping.

"Who is going to...?" Rarity broke off, swallowed hard, and added in a quivering voice,"I...I will not be able to."

"Ah can't either." Applejack mumbled.

Dash shook her head miserably. "No. Not me."

Fluttershy said nothing. She didn't have to. Everyone knew the gentle and sensitive girl could never do what was needed.

"I'll do it." Sunset's voice trembled a little.

"Are ya sure?" Applejack asked. Sunset sniffed.

"No." She replied shakily. "But its got to be done..."

No one spoke. They all sat there, the silence broken only by voices of hospital staff and the soft sniffles from Fluttershy. The nurse returned soon after the sun had vanished completely from the sky.

"Your friend will be ok." She said. "She lost alot of blood, and there will be scars, but thankfully there was no nerve damage in her arms. She's resting now, but wants to see you."

The girls were escorted to Twilight's room, and they immediately moved into a group hug around her, careful not to hurt her. When they broke apart, she looked at them sorrowfully.

"Its going to happen, isn't it?"

They all knew what she meant. Sunset nodded.

"Yeah," she said quietly. "And, I...I volunteered..."

Twilight's eyes filled with tears of sorrow and regret. The group hug formed again and they all held each other close, wishing that they could wake up from this horrid nightmare.

The girls remained with Twilight until early the next morning. After hugging her, they left silently. They made one stop at a store nearby before walking slowly to the place they knew Pinkamena would be: her house.

There was a movement at a window as they neared the place, and they all saw it.

"She's here." Dash muttered, sounding like she wished she wasn't.

Sunset led the way up the steps and in the front door. Once inside, the girls stood in a line behind Sunset, shoulder to shoulder, backs against the wall, that way they were protected from a rear attack.
There was a soft thump upstairs, like a footstep. Sunset drew a deep breath.

"Pinkamena!" She called out.

No answer.

"Pinkamena, we know you're here." Sunset called again. "You may as well come out."

No answer. It was eerily silent.

"Sunset..." Rarity whispered. "Look...in the living room..."

In the doorway lay a blood soaked, mutilated body, completely gutted. The organs were scattered on the floor. Blood was splattered on the walls and pooled on the floor beneath the body. Dash fought off nausea and Fluttershy hid her eyes.

The kill was fairly fresh. Alot of the blood had yet to fully dry. Sunset swallowed down the bile rising in her throat. Then they heard it.

A low, evil cackle followed by footsteps. Pinkamena came down the stairs and faced them.

"You made a big mistake coming after me." She said wickedly. "But at least now I don't have to hunt you all down." She chuckled. "Why did you come?"

Sunset glanced at her friends, who nodded even as tears filled their eyes. She looked back at Pinkamena.

"We're tired of running." She said. "You'll get us eventually anyway." She hoped she sounded exhausted.

Pinkamena laughed. "Glad you finally see it my way." She chortled. "So...ready to play??" Her knife was in her hand.

Praying this would work out, Sunset held up a hand.

"Wait."

Pinkamena froze, eyes narrowing. Sunset took a breath and met the murderous stare with one of kindness.

"Pinkie Pie, I know you're there, somewhere." She said. Pinkamena flinched.

"I am not Pinkie Pie!" She yelled, moving nearer. "I am Pinkamena!! Pinkie Pie is dead! Do you hear me? Dead!!!"

"No, she's not!!" Sunset said loudly. "She's in there! I don't know why you took over, Pinkamena, but Pinkie Pie is in there."

Pinkamena snorted.

"I took over," she said eerily, "because Pinkie was weak. Cowardly. And even if you succeed in reaching her, I will never let go of her. Never."

Sunset and her friends cringed at the venom in Pinkamena's voice.

"We know." Sunset said. "But we are going to reach her, right now, if only to say she's still our friend."

Pinkamena screamed and dove at them. The others dodged, but Sunset was caught in the iron grasp. Pinkamena pinned her down, glaring and chortling. The others stayed back, frightened of the outcome, knowing this was only somewhat part of the Plan.

Sunset gazed up into the angry eyes, and spoke softly as tears filled her own.

"Pinkie."

Pinkamena growled. The knife descended. Sunset twisted enough that it slashed down along her right ribcage, leaving a long, deep and bloody gash.

"Sunset!" Dash cried out in horror.

"Ah! Pinkie, stop!" Sunset's cry did something. They all saw it.

Pinkamena stilled, knife raised, staring down at her victim. There was a spark of recognition in her eyes, desperation too.

"S...Sunset?" She faltered.

Sunset instantly saw the return of Pinkie Pie in those blue eyes. She looked slightly confused as she looked from Sunset to the knife and back.

"Oh god..." she groaned. "What have I done? Sunset...help me..."

There was a struggle in her eyes as the dark side tried to take over. Pinkie fought it back, but she couldn't hold out for long.

"Sunset, help..." she pleaded. "Don't let it...take over...anymore...please..."

Sunset's eyes were full of tears as her right hand came up, holding a gleaming object.

"I won't, Pinkie. I'll help you..." she whispered, before plunging the blade into the girl's chest as Pinkamena showed through. There was a struggle, Pinkamena screamed as Sunset pinned her to the floor, bearing down on the knife with the full weight of her body, twisting it as she drove it into the other girl's chest as far as it would go. She was crying the whole time, and from the sound of it, so were the other girls. But she had to do this.

"I'm so sorry, Pinkie..." she whispered, blinded by her tears. Pinkamena screamed once more.

Then Pinkie showed through completely, her blue eyes locking into Sunset's tear filled brown ones. Sunset gave the knife an almost halfhearted twist. The cry of pain that passed the pink lips this time was from Pinkie Pie, not her dark side.

"I'm so sorry, Pinkie Pie." Sunset sobbed. "Please...forgive me..."

Pinkie smiled, even though her eyes were full of tears.

"Its...ok...Sunny. Y...you...stopped...the darkness..."she whispered, words coming out in gasps and gurgles as blood filled her throat. "It can't...hurt...or kill...anymore...thank you..."

The others gathered around, crying. Pinkie met each gaze in turn.

"I...love you...all...my...dear...friends..." she managed, voice growing steadily weaker and more faint. "Don't forget...Pinkie. F...forget the darkness, not....not Pinkie. I....I'm so sorry...for what...I did. Sunset, t...thank you..."

"We...we love y...you too, P..Pinkie..." Sunset choked out, as the others only nodded and cried harder.

Pinkie smiled one more time, the big, classic Pinkie smile they all knew and loved. Her body heaved and shuddered and a final breath rattled itself loose from her lungs. Then she stilled, her eyes closing on their own as her head drooped to the side, against Sunset's chest.

"Oh, Pinkie." Sunset whispered, before she and her friends gathered the lifeless form in a final group hug, sobbing their hearts out.

Pinkamena had been stopped, but it had taken destroying Pinkie to do it. This had been the hardest choice the group had ever made, and it would haunt them forever.

They finally rose, and began their trek back to the hospital, carrying the body of the dear friend with them.
********************************

Sunset's wound was cared for before the girls went to Twilight's room. As their request, they and they alone carried their fallen friend in. Twilight could only sob as she gathered Pinkie's still body into her wounded arms, tears splashing onto the peaceful face.

"Oh Pinkie..." she sobbed out. "I am sorry. I am so, so sorry..."

"She...she died smilin', sugarcube." Applejack whispered. "Her smile was like old times. She...she died...happy."

A nurse came to remove the body as soon as she heard the wailing sobs, and the girls clung to one another and wept bitter, burning tears of agony, pain, and regret.

Their hearts were completely shattered at the loss of their friend. Life was over for Pinkie, she was in a better place.

For the friends she left behind, life would never be the same again.

Never.

Author's Note

I'm...sniff...almost...sob...done.
I'm...sob...sniff...choke...

Oh the heck with it....sob...
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry....