Princess Celestia's New Creed

Pinkie Pie was staring intently at where she thought Apple Jack’s face was as Apple Jack told her the story of her time in Nova Prospect, was it?
Eventually, Apple Jack fell asleep, cutting the story short. Pinkie Pie, not knowing when they would stop, decided that she’d better too.
“A rather shocking story, right?”
Pinkie jumped, stifling a scream, “Who are you?”
There was a noise as the other pony moved, “Sorry. I wasn’t meaning to scare you. Forgive me. I’m Hairspray.”
Pinkie Pie laid down, “Can you come over here? I can’t see a thing.”
The stallion trotted to her, his eyes long adjusted to the dark, “Guess we all need to be united in these times, one way or another.”
Pinkie Pie nodded, “I just wish that this is a nightmare. I’ve had one before that plagued me to almost perform it, but this is nothing compared to it.”
Hairspray trotted over to her, “I overheard the conductor saying something about Canterlot, so you may want to get some sleep. It’s still a long way.”

She sighed, “I’m never going to be able to sleep again.” She said, “Never until the moon stops rising.”

The stallion laughed, “Which may not be too long, seeing what Celestia is doing.”

Pinkie Pie felt a hoof on her shoulder. “I think, that if the two of us could stick together, Pinkamena, then we can get through anything.”

Pinkie looked up, “How do you know my name?”

The stallion smiled in the dark, “Rock farming.”

“I didn’t have any brothers.” She said, “The only boy I knew was…”

“The boy down the street?”

“Strike?” she remembered; the bright pink filly she had a crush on!

“I changed my name when I got my cutie mark.” He chuckled, “Then became a mane stylist.”

Pinkie Pie felt a bit more secure, knowing she had two friends with her now.
“Come on, Pinkamena, Let’s get some sleep.”
Pinkie smiled, nuzzling into his side, “That might work.”

Pinkie Pie looked up from her brooding. She heard a noise.

“What in tarnation are they doing?” Braeburn asked, stepping protectively in front of the mares.

CRASH!

A pony tumbled through the new hole in the wall. He rolled, then stood.

“Not interrupting, am I?” He brushed himself off, showing his identity.

“Hairspray?” Pinkie asked, “What did you do?”

He chuckled, “I knocked a hole in the wall. So?”

She looked at him, then lowered her head. Even though his return was good, she still wanted to cry her heart out.

Skorpeon? You saved Apple Jack from those Combine people. What will it take to save us now?

“You okay Pinkamena?” Hairspray sat down beside her, placing a hoof around her. “You’ve been crying.”

He brought his other hoof up to her face, wiping the tears away.

“Hairspray?” she asked, looking deep into his lovely black eyes, “Can I tell you something personal?”

“That you’ve had a crush on me from the moment that our fathers combined their rock farms together?”

Pinkie’s jaw literally dropped to the floor, “How did you know?”

Hairspray chuckled, “Apple Jack told me.”

Pinkie Pie turned to the two Apple ponies across from her, “You didn’t.”

Apple Jack smiled apologetically, “He asked, and ya’ll know ah can’t lie.”

The door was thrown open with a resounding crash. The ponies present turned towards a white Alicorn with a flowing mane.

“Apple Jack. Pinkie Pie. Come here.” She commanded.

The two ponies trotted to the princess, head bowed. They followed the princess out the door, Pinkie not listening to Celestia’s rambling.

There was another crash, and a shout of “Pinkie Pie!”

The pink pony turned, seeing Hairspray running towards her, “Hairspray!”

“Guards!” Celestia called, “GUARDS!”

Two unicorn guards appeared out of nowhere, ensnaring the stallion in two cases of magic.

“Celestia, you tyrant!” Hairspray tried to free himself, “You’ll never get away with his!”

Celestia chuckled, shaking a hoof. “I already have.” She shoved her hoof onto his chest, causing him to scream in pain.

“Hairspray!” Pinkie Pie thought she knocked Apple Jack down, but she didn’t care. Even from this distance, she could see Hairspray’s blood leaking onto the pavement.

She bent low over her friend, “Hairspray.” She whimpered.

“Pinkie.” He coughed, “I should have told you sooner.”

“Told me what?” Pinkie asked, trying to staunch the flow of blood.

It was no use. Hairspray felt himself slipping away, “I wanted to tell you sooner.”

“Tell me what?” Pinkie was looking around, her pink eyes practically glowing with hatred towards the Unicorns.

“I need to tell you.” He coughed again, blood pooling on the corner of his mouth. “I need to tell you, that I love you.”

Pinkie tried to smile, but her lips wouldn’t move. “I love you too, Hairspray.”

Hairspray looked the pony in the eyes, “Strike. Call me strike. Please?”

Pinkie bent low, crying into his ear, “I love you, strike.” She whispered.

She felt it before she smelled it: Death.

She looked into the black eyes of her lover, now clouding over with grey.

Pinkamena screamed out in pain. She screamed to rid it. The pain in her heart.

She screamed until she felt that her throat would shred open and start bleeding .

She screamed until something hit the back of her head.

Pinkamena Diane Pie fell unconscious onto the dead body of Strike, her one love.

Pinkie stood there, her armor irritating her coat. She had been there two months, and Strike’s words still echoed in her ears.

I love you. I always have.

She blinked back tears, “I love you too Strike.” She whispered.

“What’d ya say, Sugar Cube?” Apple Jack asked, shifting in her own set of armor.

“Nothing. Don’t worry about it.” They exchanged for the umpteenth time.

The doors opened, revealing two Alicorns. Pinkie Pie and Apple Jack immediately thrust their muzzles to the ground, not wanting more checkerboards on their backs.

“Sister, you don’t understand!” Luna was practically yelling at her sister, “You can’t execute a pony like that!”

“He was rallying resistance. He was trying to form hope. Hope that could shatter everything you and I worked so hard to do this past year.”

“You have done that yourself.” Luna muttered, almost wanting to slay her sister.

“Pinkamena!” Pinkie almost jumped, Skorpeon’s voice suddenly sounding in her ear.

“Skorpeon? Where are you?” she asked in an undertone.

“Pinkamena, can you hear me?” he asked, excitement flooding his voice.

“Yes, but I can’t talk now.”

“Pinkie? Can you hear me?”

“Skorpeon, I can’t talk.” She said a bit louder.

“Must be interference. Nod I you can hear me.”

Not knowing how he could tell in she nodded, she moved her head slightly.

“She can hear us, but we can’t hear them.” She heard Skorpeon tell someone on his end.

A small piece of metal appeared in Pinkie’s face, the floated to her ear. She heard something click.

“Pinkie, can you hear me?”

“Yes. I can hear you.”

“Okay, we got audio. Pinkie, stay calm, I’m coming to get you.” He said.

“No, Celestia’s here! She’s spitting nails as it is!”

She heard Skorpeon sigh, “Who purchased you?”

“We’re Celestia’s personal servants. Aloe and Lotus from the spa are here too.”

“Rarity’s not going to like that. Don’t worry, I’ll send Wolf or someone to get you. I’ll keep a tab on you. You may not be able to hear us, but we’ll be here. All you need to do is say the word.”

She heard the device click, then silence.

Apple Jack jumped sky high, no doubt from the transmission that she was receiving from Skorpeon.

“Apple Jack!” Celestia rounded on the orange pony, “What are you doing?”

“Ah, nothing, your highness!” Apple Jack stammered, “Ah was, ah, there was a--”

“Oh, please stop your inconsiderate stammering!” Celestia pulled a rope from the side of her throne, flicking it.

Apple Jack screamed as the glass on the ends of it cut into her flesh. Her scream caused another flick.

Pinkie Pie turned her head, looking back at the far wall.

“If you’re going to do something Skorpeon, you’d better do it fast.” She muttered, hoping that he could still hear her.

Celestia slept peacefully in the room she and Lotus were guarding. Lotus, having the bigger armor, was sleeping her shift. Pinkie Pie was mindlessly twirling her pike on the ground, listening intently for Celestia’s room to make some sort of noise.

She sat there an hour. All was silent.

There was a hardly audible beep. That was the signal.

“Lotus.” Pinkie Pie tapped the head of the robot in front of her. “Lotus, your shift.”

The robot moved, “Thanks Pinkie. You get some sleep now.”

Pinkie Pie nodded, settling her head on her hooves. For the millionth time since this new creed came out, she cursed Celestia.

She cursed Celestia for killing the love she had.

She cursed Celestia for enslaving her kind.

She cursed Celestia for what Lotus and Aloe were shoved into.

There was a scream that caused her to snap out of thought. “GUARDS!”

Pinkie Pie and Lotus practically knocked the door down as they went in.

Princess Celestia was sitting up in her bed, heavily breathing.

“Your Highness?” the mechanical voice of Lotus rang out, “What happened?”

She stuttered, “Skor—Skorpeon RyDer! Right through my window!”

Pinkie heard another small beep, “I’m behind you. Don’t acknowledge.”

Pinkie took a step to her right, under the preoccupation of looking at the open window.

“It was probably a nightmare.” Pinkie said, “Sometimes when I left the window open, I’ve had dreams where somepony came in through it.”

Celestia, for once, didn’t care that Pinkie Pie spoke without permission. In fact, she was kind of comforted by her words. “Thank you Pinkie. If you’d be so kind as to close it.”

“Go ahead.” She heard Skorpeon whisper without the device’s help.

Pinkie grabbed the rope in her mouth, closing the windows shut with a small click.

“Good. Now leave.” Celestia laid back down on her bed, pulling the curtains closed.

Pinkie heard a small noise. A chuckle? Lotus stepped out the room, leaving Pinkie Pie to close the door but a crack.

“Celestia, you’re DEAD!” they heard another voice and Celestia scream once more. Her scream was cut short with a sound of metal and flesh. There was a gurgling noise, then silence.

The door opened, and Pinkie felt something tap her shoulder.

“Pinkie, your shift.” Pinkie Pie blinked awake, looking into the glowing red eyes of Lotus’ armor.

“Thanks Lotus. Get some sleep.” She looked towards the door; unopened. “That was a great dream.” She sighed, “If only…”