Chapters One year. One year exactly. That's how long its been.
My finger traced along the long, ugly scar that ran down the length of my right rib cage, and a low sigh left my mouth.
"Are ya ok, sugarcube?"
The farmer's soft voice cut into my melancholy thoughts. I looked up.
"I...I don't know..."I said. "Its...its...well...today is..." I broke then, unable to continue as I slumped dejectedly into a chair. A pair of white arms went around me in a warm embrace.
"We know, darling." Rarity's voice was soft and gentle.
"Damn it all!" Dash's angry shout caused all of us to stare at her, stunned. "Why does this have to be so hard?! Why?! I hate this day! I hate it!! Why can't we erase it? Go back in time? Stop it all from happening? This just...hurts...so...bad..." The athlete crumpled in her seat, tears coursing down her cheeks. A pair of scarred, lavendar arms encircled her, drawing her close, gently rubbing her back.
"We can't go back and change it, Dash." Twilight's low voice was heavy with anguish. "The past is gone. Its over. There isn't any way to undo it." The girl in her arms sobbed louder.
"I'm sorry." I whispered, for what felt like the millionth time in a year. All eyes were on me. "If I hadn't...if I could've found a way to...I should have..." I broke off as sobs overcame me.
"It wasn't your fault, Sunset." Applejack took a shuddering breath, eyes glistening as they met mine. "We did all we could. You had...we had...no choice..." Her head dropped.
I sniffled, and I was not the only one. I was not ready for the pale yellow girl who practically leaped into my lap, arms around my neck, sobbing heavily. I could only wrap my arms around Fluttershy and hug her tightly, ignoring the dull throb in my side. It still acted up on me, even after a year.
"P...P...Pinkie P..Piiiiiieeeee!!!" Fluttershy's agonised wail peirced all of our hearts like a knife.
All we could do was look at each other with tears pouring down our faces, as all our minds went back to that fateful day.....
**********************************
"I just can't believe it." Rarity echoed the thoughts in all of thier minds. "Who could do something so...so...so vile ?!" She spat the word out with a deep rage.
The news had been all over the newest story: a serial killer was loose in Canterlot, terrorising people, abducting them, torturing and killing them. The descriptions were absolutely horrifying...the stuff you only see in the very worst of your worst nightmares. The images were worse. And yes, there were images. Images of bloody, mutilated bodies that lacked appendages, or eyes, or something. Bodies that had been been gutted and left to rot.
Dash rubbed her eyes in an effort to wipe out the images in her head. But no such luck.
"Guess only one good thing came of this." She said wearily. "No school."
"Rainbow Dash!!" Applejack glared at her. "Bite yer tongue!! People are dyin' an' dyin' horrible deaths an' all you can say is no school??! Shut up, Dash. Or Ah'll knock ya through a wall!" Dash wisely shut up.
"Anybody seen Pinkie Pie?" Twilight looked around. "She's not been around much lately."
Normally these words would have gone over Sunset's head. But today for some reason, they hit her. Hard. Alarm bells sounded in her head.
"Yeah..."she said slowly. "Come to think of it, none of us have seen much of her for a month...right about the time..." She didn't finish.
All eyes locked on her, shocked.
"Sugarcube, ya surely ain't saying..." Applejack tried.
"I don't know what I'm saying." Sunset groaned. "I'm tired, this murder stuff has my nerves on edge. Sorry."
Twilight had left the room now, heading to the bedrooms upstairs. Being at Pinkie's house was what they did every day.
"Twilight, where are you...?"Dash called, only to be cut off a moment later by an earth shattering scream.
The girls sped up the stairs and shot into the bedroom the scream had come from. Twilight was standing stock still, staring in complete horror. The others realised why she had screamed. A large, red stained knife lay on the dresser. Why it would be there, in plain sight, no one knew.
"Is...is that...?" Fluttershy looked ready to pass out.
Dash dared to move closer, shuddering as she examined the weapon, even reaching out to touch a spot that looked fairly recently fresh. She cringed at the stickiness.
"I...I'm fairly sure that that's...that's blood..." she finally got out.
No one moved or spoke, until Rarity whispered,"Look..."
All eyes moved to her. She was standing near the bed, pointing a shaking finger at what looked like a picture album. On closer inspection, they saw it was. And the first photo was enough to cause all of them to want to throw up. It was of a grinning, blood soaked Pinkie Pie, straight haired, an evil gleam in her eye. She was holding a knife and close behind was a freshly mutilated body...the organs were in Pinkie's hand.
For a long moment, there was deathly silent. Then...
"Oh...my...god..."Dash breathe, nostrils flaring, eyes wide with terror. "Pinkie? Pinkie is the...the...?" She broke off.
"How is that possible?" Twilight whimpered."She...she's Pinkie. She wouldn't hurt anyone.......would she?"
No one knew what to say to that. This was too much to handle. Pinkie a killer? How? Why? It made no sense!!
"If she's the one, we gotta get the hell outta here!" Dash finally said, worriedly.
"Agreed!" Sunset spoke up. "If we don't get out of here quick, we're finished!"
"But...but Pinkie Pie..." Fluttershy whispered.
"Is a cold blooded killer, from what I see." Sunset said."Best thing we can do is get out of here. Right now. While we still can."
At that moment a slow, evil chuckle sounded, and everyone froze in place as thier blood ran cold. They slowly turned, as one, and stared straight ahead, expressions registering horror, shock, disgust, then paralyzing fear.
The blood soaked, straight haired Pinkie stood in the doorway, red covered knife in hand, grinning wickedly.
"I'm afraid its much too late for you to run." A maniacal laugh followed that statement. "I guess its time you girls join the party. We are gonna have some fun." She cackled.
And one thought went through each of their heads:
We are going to die! !!!
Author's Note
My first ever horrific and gory tale...
I have no idea why I wrote this...
I am so sorry for the torture I am putting you through
Author's Note
I'm going to put you through absolute misery and hell in all chapters of this story.
I am so, so sorry for this...
All I can say is, have lots of Kleenex and some calming tea.
And do not read any of it at night....
Seriously, don't. I am giving myself nightmares with it...
Run for Your Life...
They say your life flashes before your eyes when you're about to die. For the trembling group facing their once completely sane and party loving friend, it was partly true. It took all of two seconds for each of them to recall regrets and unfinished goals and dreams that would likely never be met. Then they snapped out of it, focusing on one thing and one thing only: survival. And for the brave ones, protecting the weaker ones.
As Pinkie stepped a little closer, Dash and Applejack moved in front of Fluttershy, who was clinging to Twilight for dear life. Sunset moved in front of Rarity, who was, at the moment, looking positively ill and ready to faint.
"You're crazy." Dash snarled, eyes narrowing, hoping she looked and sounded braver than she felt.
Pinkie laughed...a shrill, giddy type laugh.
"Oh, Dashie, we're all crazy, in some form or another." She said, almost cheerfully, twirling her bloody knife. "My craziness? Well, I kill. That's all."
Dash blinked, wordless. Applejack took over for her.
"Pinkie Pie, how could ya do this?" She asked, bitterly. "How could ya kill people like ya do? That ain't the Pinkie we know."
"Oh, but I'm not Pinkie, Applejack." Pinkie's eyes flashed dangerously as she chortled. "I'm Pinkamena."
Applejack blinked, as wordless as Dash. Well, except that Dash suddenly found her voice.
"So you'd kill us?" She demanded, voice shaking in spite of her efforts to not let it.
"Yeppers!" Pinkie...Pinkamena, said cheerfully.
"But...but we're your friends." Dash said, somewhat dazed at the reply.
"Ah ah ah, Dashie!" Pinkamena smirked. "That won't save you! But, because you're my friends, I'll kill you a little faster than everyone else, ok? Like, in twenty minutes? They got thirty, most of them." She grinned wide.
"You're just sick..." Dash said.
With Dash and Applejack keeping Pinkamena distracted, Sunset took a look around the room for an escape route. Two windows, a balcony, and the door Pinkamena was blocking. Not much of a choice. But considering the alternative to escaping...
Sunset jerked her head back to look at their would be killer. A plan was forming. She looked over her shoulder at Rarity, Twilight and Fluttershy, signaling to the escape routes with her eyes. They barely nodded.
"Okie dokie! Time to play!!" Pinkamena lunged for Dash, who shrieked as she leaped out of the way. Applejack dodged a slash of the knife, barely. Then suddenly, Sunset darted forward. As Pinkamena turned to glare at Dash, Sunset lunged, bringing a flower vase smashing down on the girl's head. It stunned her, and she staggered, dropping on her knees in the doorway. In one smooth motion, Sunset grabbed Dash and ran towards one window. Not stopping to open it, she slammed through, breaking the glass, both girls screaming as they fell. Applejack had already grabbed Fluttershy from Twilight, and now she smashed herself and the crying girl through the second window. Rarity and Twilight ran for the balcony and flung themselves over the railing.
Miraculously, the six of them survived it with only a few scapes and bruises, but they had little time to think on that as an enraged voice screamed at them from above.
"I WILL KILL YOU!!"Pinkamena screamed. "I WILL KILL YOU ALL!!"
"Run!!!" Sunset yelled, leading the way.
The group ran for their lives, not daring to look back, only caring about getting out of harms way. They ran until Sunset led them into a small, dimly lit, abandoned hut, where they all collapsed to get their breath.
"Holy hell, I thought we were dead!" Dash puffed, wide eyed.
"We still could be if we aren't careful." Twilight said, holding Fluttershy. "Pinkie...I mean, Pinkamena, is very dangerous and literally out for blood. Right now its ours."
"Twilight's right,"Sunset said. "She wants us dead."
"How do we escape her?" Applejack asked. "She was able to find anyone she wanted to as Pinkie Pie, Ah don't wanna know what abilities Pinkamena has." She shuddered.
A faint scream of terror from somewhere in the distance caused all of them to tense as their eyes met.
"Oh no, she's coming!" Dash muttered.
"Nope!! I'm already heeeeere!!!"
A mighty crash followed those sing songed words as the front of the small hut caved in, and there stood the evilly grinning Pinkamena in all her bloody glory. Fresh blood dripped from her knife. Probably from whoever had screamed moments before.
"GAAAHHH!!"
Screaming in terror, the six girls scattered in pairs: Dash and Rarity one way, Applejack and Fluttershy another, and Sunset and Twilight in yet another. Divide and conquer. Or in this case, divide and pray you live.
"I'm coooming after youuuu!" Pinkamena sang out happily. "You can't get away for loooong!!" She bounded after the last pair to have fled: Applejack and Fluttershy. She caught up to the somewhat slower Fluttershy and made a lunge, capturing her by the shirt.
"APPLEJAAAAAAAACKKK!!!!!" Fluttershy screamed as she went down. Her friend spun, doubling back, kicking Pinkamena off a split second before her knife could sink into the panicked victim. She grabbed Fluttershy and ran, vanishing around a corner before Pinkamena could even stand.
"We have to be quiet." Dash whispered.
"I'm trying!" Rarity whined, eyes closed.
Dash peeked out, looking for signs they had been followed. She saw nothing. Then from next to her, she heard Rarity.
"Dash, darling...stop patting me!" The fashionista hissed.
"I'm not!" Dash hissed back.
And then it clicked. Both girls froze, breaking into a cold sweat. If Rarity was being touched, and it wasn't Dash...
"Tag! Now lets play my game!!" Pinkamena was grinning down at them.
A scream left Rarity's lips as she rolled clear a split second before the knife came down. Dash lunged boldly at Pinkamena, knocking her into the wall. The knife slashed at her, and it nicked her arm, leaving a small gash. Pinkamena howled with delight. Then she lunged.
Dash barely had time to register what was going on before the deranged girl was on top of her, knife at her throat.
"Ready for fun, Dashie?" Pinkamena asked, eagerly. "Ooh, you'll love this pa.."
Thud!!
Pinkamena dropped to the side stunned and dazed from the kick to the head. Rarity pulled Dash up.
"Thanks." Dash panted.
"Run now! Talk later!" Rarity yelled, as Pinkamena began to rise.
The two girls fled the alley they were in, desperate to escape the maniacal murderer behind them. They ran around a corner and dove into another alley, ran down it, and ran around another corner. A glance behind confirmed that Pinkamena was not pursuing them. For now.
The two quickly burst into an open, abandoned store and pressed themselves flat against one wall.
"I hope the others are ok." Twilight whispered.
"They'll be fine." Sunset said, hoping she sounded convincing.
For a moment they stood in silence. Then...
"Hiding from someone?" The voice was slightly high pitched.
"Yes!" Both girls answered together. "A person who wants to-" They both stopped talking instantly, a deep and sickening horror settling over them.
That voice. It was very familiar. Too familiar.
They turned their heads to find their worst nightmare in front of them with a maniacal grin.
"Hi, Twi and Sunny! Ready to play?" The grin widened. "I am!"
The knife was descending towards them. With a scream, the two girls leaped apart, and the knife missed them both.
"Aww, no fun!" Pinkamena pouted. She lunged, succeeding in knocking Twilight down and sending Sunset toppling into a clothing rack. Before Twilight could react, she was pinned to the floor by a smirking Pinkamena, and she felt the touch of cold steel on her neck.
"I'm gonna like this." Pinkamena saud happily. "And so will you, Twilight!" The knife blade was superbly sharp, as Twilight discovered when Pinkamena drew it lightly across her throat, piercing the layer of skin and drawing blood, but not enough to actually harm or kill her. Twilight gasped, eyes widening at the sting. Pinkamena laughed.
"That was just a little taste." She said. "Now for the real fun!" The knife bore down harder on Twilight's neck, ready to cut, and cut deep.
Sunset had recovered, and now dove headfirst into Pinkamena's side, knocking her off sideways. The fight that ensued was brief, and ended with Pinkamena being knocked senseless. Sunset helped Twilight up.
"We need to go...now!" She said urgently. Twilight was only too glad to agree. With one last look at the very stunned Pinkamena, the two girls ran out the door and shot off down the street on foot, desperately trying to reach safety before the nutty killer recovered.
Safety. Funny word. They weren't safe anywhere, really. But they headed to the one place they might be safe for now: a basement of sorts underneath Fluttershy's house. With any luck, the others would be there too.
Sunset swallowed hard. She and Twilight shared a look that said they were thinking the same thing.
Please let them be ok!
Whoever said there was nothing to fear but fear itself...clearly had never been running like hell from a deranged killer, as the six girls could attest. The three pairs of them arrived at Fluttershy's at about the same moment, ran inside, dove down into the small room under the house, and slid all four bolts into place. They then turned to take a look at each other.
"Dash, Twilight, you're hurt!" Fluttershy squeaked, before rushing to a small cabinet and pulling out a box. She carried it over and glanced at Sunset. "Will you help me?"
Sunset came to her side, ready to do whatever was needed. Fluttershy gave her iodine and a bandage.
"Um, take care of Dash." She said, before turning her attention to Twilight. She dabbed iodine on the cut on her neck, making her wince a little. "Its not very deep. It should heal in a couple of days."
"Oh sure, if we freaking live that long!!" Dash said sarcastically, then yelped as Sunset poured iodine over her arm. "Ow!"
"Sorry."Sunset said, finishing up with a bandage.
"So what happened with ya'll?" Applejack asked.
The girls began recounting their stories of near death.
"Dang." Dash said when they were all done. "This girl is completely off her sane grid!"
"Somehow, we have to stop her." Sunset said softly. All eyes went to her.
"Stop her? How?" Rarity asked nervously. "Every time we have interacted with her today, we have barely escaped with our lives."
"I don't know, Rarity." Sunset sank into a chair. "I don't know. All I know is that our best friend is...well...gone."
"But...but that's Pinkie..." Fluttershy whimpered.
"No, its not." Twilight looked around. "Its not. That's Pinkamena. She took our friend from us. I don't think we can get her back."
"But, what if we try?" Fluttershy asked quietly, then gasped in shock at her own words.
"And how would we do that??" Dash demanded. "In case you forgot, Shy, she is busy trying to kill us !"
Fluttershy whimpered and cowered against Rarity at Dash's sharp tone. Rarity hugged her and glared at the athlete.
"This is such a nightmare..." groaned Dash.
"The only thing being that we can't wake up." Twilight said softly, running her finger over the light bandage on her throat, unable to shake the memory of being so near death so many times, and managing to live to tell about it.
"I wish we could find out why." Sunset spoke with firm conviction. "Why is she doing this? Why is she a crazy killer? If we could just draw out a little of the real Pinkie, maybe we can save her."
"Again, how?" Dash said darkly. "Am I the only one in here that even remotely remembers that she's trying to kill us?!"
"We all know that, darling." Rarity said softly. "But Sunset is right. If we can save Pinkie Pie from her evil side..."
"I think we should try." Twilight said, looking to Sunset.
"Ah do, too." Applejack agreed.
"Ok." Fluttershy whispered.
"Ugh!" Dash groaned. "Fine!!"
"Now how?" Rarity asked.
Sunset sat there silently, thinking of all the possible options and plans. Finally, she spoke.
"Its time to plan a meeting with her."
"Are you nuts ??!" Dash said in disbelief. "You...you wanna just walk up and say 'hey, how are ya? Oh, and by the way, please don't kill me until I say what I want to say to you'. You're just crazy!"
Sunset sighed deeply. She kind of agreed with that. But still, if there was a way...
"We have to do something." She finally stated, eyes locking into Dash's. "And its not like I'll be all alone, right? Six against one is a good number."
"Barely." Dash said. "The six of us almost didn't make it out of Pinkie's alive."
"We'll be right with ya." Applejack promised Sunset.
At that moment there was a pounding on the door, and the voice they had come to hate and fear sang through it merrily.
"Yoohoo...giiiirrrls...I'm heeere!"
"Oh crap, she found us!" Dash said, as they all jumped up.
"Don't worry, the door will keep her out." Sunset said.
As if fate wanted to prove her wrong, there was a mighty crash as said door was knocked inward, and there stood Pinkamena, a cross between glee and rage on her face.
"You were saying?" Dash muttered to Sunset.
"You got away again." Pinkamena said, pouting, while her eyes flashed. "I'm beginning to think you don't like my game."
"Maybe because we don't !" Dash snapped, voice quivering a little.
Pinkamena's eyes widened a little, her face contorting from a pout to a dangerously deadly scowl.
"You don't like my game?" She snarled, taking a step closer as she drew her trusty knife. "Just for that, you only get five minutes knocked off our playtime instead of ten. And that twenty five minutes will be the worst of your life." She grinned wickedly.
"Pinkie, you don't have to do this!" Sunset spoke up quickly. "This isn't you!"
"I am PINKAMENA !!!!" screamed the murderer in rage, and lunged into their midst.
Screaming, they split apart, barely managing to avoid her knife. Dash grabbed Fluttershy and made a daring and successful dive out the door. Rarity dove out next, screaming as Pinkamena's knife managed to slash one of her legs. She ran, staggering, after the other two. Sunset, Applejack, and Twilight were cornered, Pinkamena advancing on them with murder in her eyes, a gleeful grin on her face. At the last possible second, Applejack moved, sending her fist shooting into the girl's jaw. The blow dropped Pinkamena to the floor, and her three cornered victims leaped over her and ran for their lives after the others. They met up outside and ran down the street.
"C..cave..." gasped Dash.
They headed for Dash's. Bursting into the yard, they raced for her shed, dove inside, and ran up to the attic, where Dash had built a "tomboy cave".
As they collapsed and desperately tried to get their breath, they looked at each other. Dash got up and got some bandages for Rarity, then sat back down. At long last, Sunset spoke.
"Its time for more drastic plans." She sounded sad. With all eyes on her, she sighed, and spoke again. "I have only plan now..."
As she outlined it, tears filled everyone's eyes, and by the time she finished, they were all sobbing.
"L...lets do it, then." Dash choked out. "If its the only way..."
Sunset sniffled. "It...it...I don't know what else to do."
The others nodded their heads, their hearts breaking as they considered the plan and the fact that it was their only chance of surviving, and hopefully saving Pinkie's good side.
If only it wasn't such a heart breaking plan...
Their thoughts were cut short by a slam below them, followed by the voice that would haunt them forever.
"Oh giiirrrls....I know you're here! Time to plaaaayyy!"
And Pinkamena bounded up the stairs and stood grinning broadly at the teary eyed and shaking group.
Author's Note
Oh gosh. I am crying so hard right now. This is so hard to write...
Sweet Celestia...why am I even writing this story at all...
One Capture, One Rescue, now RUN!
The six girls looked at each other. This was getting so old and exhausting. How long could they keep running? They braced themselves, preparing to flee yet again.
"You know, it would be easier if you would just let me play." Pinkamena said, shaking her head in mock sadness.
"Why? You're just going to kill us if we do." Dash said, wearily.
"Of course I am, silly!" Pinkamena chuckled. "Its part of the game. Its a rule. So, playtime!"
She lunged at them, succeeding in getting a hold of Twilight, who shrieked. The others dove aside, narrowly missing her knife. They all fled down the stairs, screaming in fear and horror, not realising that one of them had been left behind...
Twilight flailed in Pinkamena's grasp, desperately trying to escape. But Pinkamena was strong, too strong, and kept an iron grip on her, pinning her down easily.
"Ooh, finally, I can play!" Pinkamena sneered. "And when we're done, I'll go play with the others." Her knife hovered menacingly, getting closer and closer.
Twilight could only scream in agony as the razor sharp blade cut deeply into the skin on her chest, then everything went black.
***************************
Meantime, the other girls had made it to relative safety in an old house half a mile away.
"Everyone ok?" Sunset asked, turning to assess any injuries. Her expression changed from concern to horror in a split second. The others looked around at each other.
"Wh...where's Twilight?" Dash faltered, eyes wide with terror.
"She...she must have fallen behind..." Rarity whispered.
A very faint scream of agony and terror floated in on the early evening breeze. There was something familiar in that scream...
"Oh god..."Dash moaned, feeling sick. "She has her. She has Twilight."
The group sat in stunned, horrified silence as that revelation sank in.
"Come on, ya'll!" Applejack sprang up. "We ain't lettin' that monster butcher Twilight!"
She led the charge out of the house and back to Dash's...and whatever horror they might encounter, silently praying they would get there in time to save their friend.
******************************
Twilight groaned, forcing her eyes open, aware of a sharp pain in her chest. She was also aware she was quite firmly tied down to a table in Dash's shed. It took a second to register what was going on. Then a grinning face appeared in front of her.
"Oh goody, you're awake!" Pinkamena giggled happily.
Twilight found herself wishing with all her might she wasn't. And praying that maybe by some miracle she might literally die of fright. Then she wouldn't have to face...whatever it was Pinkamena had in mind.
"Pinkie..." she started, ending in a gasp as she was slapped, quite violently, across the face.
"Pinkamena..." hissed her tormentor wrathfully.
"Pinkamena." Twilight whimpered. "Pinkamena, please...don't hurt me..."
"But that's part of the fun!" Pinkamena said, smiling. She patted Twilight's head. "But not to worry. I promise to kill you five minutes sooner than I did everyone else. And I promise that, unlike the rest, I will kill you very quickly. Ok? But first, fun!"
Twilight gulped as Pinkamena picked up her knife and moved closer.
"Lets see..." Pinkamena drew the cold blade lightly along one of her arms, and Twilight flinched. "Where should I cut you? Hmmm...."
Twilight bit back a scream as the knife blade drove into her left forearm. Pinkamena smirked.
"Yep."
She pushed slowly, forcefully, driving the blade deeper. Twilight screamed as she felt it pushing violently through her flesh. Blood oozed up around it, running down her arm. The pain was horrible...a deep, fiery pain that seemed to shoot up and down the length of her arm. Pinkamena giggled with pleasure at her victim's agony.
"See? Isn't this fun??" She said happily, bearing down enough to push the knife the rest of the way through Twilight's arm and cause it to pierce the wood beneath. Twilight screamed again before drawing enough breath to respond.
"N...no..." she got out through the pain and rising nausea. "Its not ."
"Aww, how come?" Pinkamena asked, disappointed.
Twilight's eyes, glistening with a mixture of pain, rage, fear, and agony, met Pinkamena's dark, alert, and dangerous ones. She knew exactly what was going to happen if she spoke the words burning in her brain, but since she was going to die anyway, might as well die having said it. She drew a breath.
"Because I'm not a murdering, savage monster like you !" she hissed.
Pinkamena's body went rigid at those words, her eyes narrowing to mere slits as she glared with intense rage and hatred at her victim. Leaning in close, her hand wrapping around the handle of the knife buried in Twilight's arm, she gave a feral growl.
"You will pay for that, Twilight. Oh, you will pay dearly." Her voice was low and deadly. She twisted the knife and yanked it with all her might, wrenching it free of the other girl's arm. Twilight's blood curdling scream of agony could have been heard miles away. And then the knife plunged mercilessly into her other arm, and her scream intensified to an impossible volume before everything again went black.
"Oh god..." Dash moaned, before the normally tough athlete leaned forward and emptied what little contents her stomach held on the ground.
"Poor, poor Twilight..." whispered Rarity, tears pooling in her eyes.
"At least we know she's still alive." Applejack said shakily.
"Lets go." Sunset said, leading the way as the scream suddenly intensified, then dies out.
The girls made it up to the shed and peeked through the window carefully. What they saw sent Dash into a series of painful dry heaves as she leaned against Applejack for support, and Fluttershy covered her eyes and trembled.
Twilight was tied to a table the girls didn't even know Dash had, not moving, eyes closed. Blood was flowing from deep wounds on her arms and her shirt front was ripped and soaked with blood. There was a nearly black mark on one cheek. Pinkamena stood to one side, grinning wickedly, her knife dripping with fresh blood. Twilight's blood.
All in a split second, the group reacted.
"Chaaaaaarge!!!!!" Sunset screamed, and the entire group crashed into the shed.
Mayhem ensured. The fight was a vicious one, and each girl sustained minor cuts from Pinkamena's knife before it was over. Sunset managed to free Twilight, who was thankfully still breathing, and then she ran. Applejack followed and helped carry her friend.
Dash landed a lucky punch, sending Pinkamena flying back into a shelf. While she was stunned, the girls fled.
There were two things they needed to do. Get Twilight some help...then go through with...the Plan.
The Plan.
No one wanted to carry that out. But it was the only alternative they had left. It was the Plan, or die.
As heart breaking as it was, The Plan would have to be carried out. As the girls ran to the one place they knew could save Twilight, the same thought went through their minds:
The Plan is our only hope. If only it wasn't.
Author's Note
Hopefully the pain is almost over for all of us...
...I don't know how much more I can take...
Also, I am so, so sorry for what I just put Twilight through...
You have no idea how sorry.
But I blame it entirely on WannaFlugelHorn, who said in the comment section they thought one of the girls should fall prey to Pinkamena and be killed or nearly killed. Don't ask me why...
But why did I pick Twilight???
Well, you see....
*thinks for five minutes*
....I haven't the slightest idea.
But at least I chose to be nice and not completely kill her off at Pinkamena's hands. I just had her tortured. Which made me cry the entire time I was writing it...
I'm sorry for putting you through this.
Confrontation and The Plan
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.
"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.
Oh the heck with it....sob...
Epilogue: In Memory of Pinkie
Present Day
I sniffled, still remembering the terrible moment I had plunged in that knife a year ago. It had killed Pinkie, and her dark side, but had also killed something in me, too. It had killed a part of each of us.
"Pinkie Pie..." Fluttershy still sobbed in my arms. I hugged her tighter, looking at the others.
Dash had her head on the table. Applejack had pulled her hat down over her face, though I could see she was crying from her shaking shoulders. Rarity was weeping as unashamedly as Fluttershy. Twilight was absently running her fingers over the scars on her arms.
"We did what we had to." Applejack's voice was muffled by her hat. "She would have kept killin'."
We all knew that. It still didn't make our choice from a year earlier any easier to live with. Not only would she have kept killing, but eventually she would have been captured. That would have meant prison, an asylum, or maybe even death. None of us would have wanted that. Pinkamena might not have cared, but Pinkie Pie wouldn't have been able to tolerate it long. No. It was far better to have done it the way we did. Even though I still felt guilty and apologised for not coming up with a better plan, we all knew there wasn't a better one.
We all carried scars, physically, mentally, and emotionally. The horrors we's seen during those 24 hours, not to mention what we had experienced, still haunted us in our dreams. The only difference being that now, we could wake up before the knife plunged in.
"I can't believe its been a year." Rarity whispered. "It...it seems like only yesterday."
Probably because we relived the horrible time night after night in our dreams.
"It still hurts...so bad..." this from Dash.
"The emotional and mental wounds are still fresh." I said, sighing. "Our physical wounds healed, but..." I stopped.
Time heals all wounds. Another famous saying. From another famous idiot who probably didn't know the first thing about the deep, horrible wounds in the heart and soul that seemed to stay extremely fresh. Sure, physical wounds healed. Big deal! What of the others? I sighed.
"What would Pinkie do?"
The unexpected question made all eyes lock on Fluttershy, mine included, though I had to tilt my head back a bit due to the fact she was still in my lap with her arms around me like I was a lifeline. She met each of our eyes in turn.
"She wouldn't want us to feel so sad." She said softly. "She told us...before she died...remember Pinkie, not...not the darkness of Pinkamena. She...she wanted us to remember her as she was before. Not what she was before she died."
"Flutters is right." Dash said with a sigh. "For the last year we've remembered the terror of Pinkamena. Not the joy and laughter of Pinkie Pie. I know she wouldn't be happy seeing us so sad."
It was true. The bubbly party girl would have done anything to make us smile, even throw a....
"Party!!" I exclaimed. "Lets have a party in honor of Pinkie, like we should have a year ago. Pinkamena wasn't Pinkie. And Pinkie was our friend. She would want a party."
"Lets do it!" Dash agreed. The others nodded.
An hour later we were all going our separate ways to gather what we needed.
We met up that afternoon on the sidewalk outside of Pinkie's house. For a moment we stood silently. Then we walked up the stairs and I opened the door. The house had been thoroughly cleaned after Pinkamena was stopped and Pinkie died. We had not been back since that fateful day. It was familiar, like we'd never missed a day coming here.
We set up in the kitchen, and proceeded to decorate the lower rooms. It would only be us six for the party. With that done, we all gathered at the foot of the stairs. We slowly climbed them together, knowing there was one more thing to do. We entered Pinkie's room and stood there, breathing deeply, fighting off bad memories and replacing them with good ones. Fluttershy pressed close to Rarity, who put an arm around her.
The room was tidy. No knives or photo albums of dead bodies. The windows had been fixed. It only took a moment to gather all the photos of Pinkie we could find and carry them downstairs, setting them at random through the rooms. We picked the oddest places we could, and the goofiest, because that's what Pinkie would have done.
Dash, though not as good at it as Pinkie, had managed to rig up a few of her many party cannons so they would explode when the rest of us unknowingly tripped them.
We got together in tje kitchen and chowed down on cake, cookies, soda, pizza and other delicious foods, sharing funny stories of Pinkie Pie and laughing until we cried at them.
We played pin the tail on the donkey, we popped balloons, we played tag through the house, and we even held a masive pillow fight that nearly devasted the entire house. We played goofy word games and did all kinds of silly dance moves to make each other laugh. Finally, out of breath and tired, and happier than we had been in a year, we grabbed sodas and went to the living room, still chuckling.
We stood there, in the living room, looking at a large picture of the grinning, giggly Pinkie and lifted our soda cups.
"To Pinkie Pie, best partier ever." Dash said, smiling.
"To Pinkie Pie, who gave the greatest hugs in the world." Rarity supplied.
"To Pinkie Pie, who cared more for other folks than herself." Applejack said.
"To Pinkie Pie, who always agreed to be my scientific test subject when I asked." Twilight offered, which earned a few smiles.
"To Pinkie Pie, who l...loved baking and m...my animals and could always make us laugh." Fluttershy faltered, with a watery smile.
They all looked at me. I gazed into the bright blue eyes that beamed at me from the picture frame.
Lifting my soda a little higher, I smiled back at the picture Pinkie and spoke.
"To Pinkie Pie, our best friend in the whole world, we love you, and we will never, ever forget you."
"Hear, hear!" Was the hearty, though somewhat tearful, response, as we clicked our soda cans together and drank to the memory of Pinkie Pie.
Author's Note
Last chapter, guys. I'm thrilled about that. It was so sad writing all this...
I apologise if this chapter seemed rushed or cheesy or out of place or whatever else.
I was desperate to get this story over with so I could finally stop bawling like a baby. You seriously don't want to know how big a pile of Kleenex is currently sitting on my desk....
