All She Wanted

Days passed as Gilda sat alone in her home, with guilt and fear being the only things to keep her company. Every time she blinked, she saw what remained of the once cheerful Pinkie Pie. The only sound she could hear was the sound of Pinkie Pie hitting the ground. She rocked herself as she relived the memory over and over again. She killed somepony and nothing she could do would fix that.

“It was an accident” She thought to herself. Her mind continued to replay the sound of Pinkie Pie’s body being crushed by the fall “STOP IT!” she screamed, Gilda didn’t even know what she was yelling at.

Gilda stared at her wall “What do I do now? She’s dead because of me…I killed her. What am I supposed to do?” Gilda whimpered to herself until her rocking came to a stop. Tears rolled down her face and she fell to her side. Gilda remembered the look on Pinkie’s face before she died; her last moments were that of fear.

Gilda lied motionless “She’s never coming back. She’s never gonna breathe again. She’s never gonna smile. Never laugh. Never…make Rainbow Dash laugh”. Gilda realized that she not only affected Pinkie Pie, but her best friend as well. Gilda cried even harder at the thought of what Rainbow Dash must be feeling.

“Dash…” Gilda didn’t know what to say, she didn’t know if there was anything she could say. She thought about telling Rainbow Dash everything, but her fear kept her from leaving her home.

“She’ll hate me and she’ll tell everypony” Gilda shuddered at the thought “What would they to do me? Will they kill me? Will Dash?”. Murder was a rare crime in Equestria, so rare that Gilda didn’t even know what the punishment for murder was. Gilda remained on the floor, with only guilt and fear to keep her company.

*

In Twilight’s home, the group quietly sat in confusion and heartbreak. Each sat together at a table, with one empty chair constantly grabbing the attention of the mares.

“How is the princess handling things?” Rarity asked, trying to start a conversation.

“Okay, I guess” Twilight answered looking at the floor “I feel like she’s worse than she let’s on”

“I suppose that’s as good as anypony could do right now” Rarity replied.

“She did seem...quiet at the um, funeral” Fluttershy softly spoke.

“How’s Pinkie’s gator doin’?” Applejack asked.

“Oh, Gummy is fine. I’m…I’m not sure if…he knows” Fluttershy couldn’t bring herself to talk about Pinkie dying.

“Just like doesn’t know that he ain’t got teeth?” Applejack gave a half-smile in an attempt to be uplifting.

Fluttershy gave a small smile and nodded.

“Everypony remember the party she threw for Gummy?” Twilight asked with her head raised, a small smile went across her face as well.

“How could anypony forget one of Pinkie Pie’s parties” Rarity commented, with a smile on her face and a light chuckle.

“She was a mighty fine party planner” Applejack said “I always loved the parties she threw the day after our birthdays”.

Rainbow Dash slowly stirred in her chair.

“She wasn’t the best detective though” Twilight smiled “Or do I have to remind all of you of the incident involving a certain cake?”.

“But she sure did have spirit” Applejack responded.

“But not the fashion sense” Rarity chimed in “She could have done much better than that tacky hat”.

“It beats the hat that she made me wear” Twilight laughed.

Fluttershy giggled.

“Don’t even get me started on her Pinkie Promises” Twilight rolled her eyes.

Rainbow Dash flew out of her chair, knocking it a few feet away from her. She beamed down at her friends she was flying above.

“Stop acting like you have nothing to say to me!” she shouted.

Nopony said anything; they just stared at their distraught friend.

“Just say it. Say…” Rainbow Dash clenched her eyes to keep from crying, but she couldn’t keep her tears from showing “Say it’s my fault!”.

Shock took over her friends’ faces, while still remaining quiet.

After a few seconds, Twilight spoke “Rainbow, you shouldn’t say things like that”.

Rainbow Dash flew to Twilight, just inches away from her face “I know you’re thinking it” more tears poured down her face as
she looked at each of her friends “You all are, and everypony outside is thinking it too!”.

“Nopony thinks that!” Applejack shouted.

Rainbow Dash glared at her “I heard everypony talking; I heard them talk about me!”. Rainbow Dash could no longer hold back all her pain; she lowered herself to the floor and started to cry.

“I should have known those balloons weren’t safe” Rainbow Dash looked down at the floor “If I was there…I” Applejack got up and embraced the sobbing Pegasus. The others got up and did the same, quietly comforting their friend.
Rainbow Dash brought her head up “I’m sorry everypony”.

“It’s okay” Fluttershy said in a soothing voice.

*

“Nopony will know…nopony will know, nopony will know” Gilda muttered to herself in an effort to convince herself that things were going to be okay.

She heard the noise again. She clutched her head and screamed at the top of her lungs to drown out the sound, but she could still hear it.

“It was an accident, but it was still murder. Nopony saw, but what if somepony did. Nopony will find out, but somepony still could” Gilda’s thoughts buzzed around her head and nearly made her sick.

“Nopony will know” she said to herself. She got up and looked out her window “Nopony will know”, and then she flew towards where it all began.

*

“You can stay with me tonight, if you want” Applejack smiled to Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash paused for a short time, but finally answered. “Okay” she said, wiping away her tears. Applejack lead Rainbow Dash out of Twilight’s home, with her hoof on Rainbow Dash’s back.

After Twilight shut the door, Rarity lightly shook her head “The poor dear, she’s been taking it harder than anypony”.

Twilight let out a sigh “I just hope she gets better”, Fluttershy nodded in agreement.

“Now that she’s gone” Twilight continues “I’d like to talk to you girls about something”.

“Wh…what?” Fluttershy nervously questioned.

“It’s about Pinkie Pie” Twilight sat back down in her seat.

“Twilight, wouldn’t it be best if we just stopped thinking about it?” Rarity calmly asked.

“Something about it keeps bothering me” Twilight looked into Rarity’s eyes for acceptance.

Rarity turned her head to Fluttershy, who lightly nodded.

Rarity turned her head back to Twilight “Okay Twilight, tell us what it is” she said.

Twilight paused for a few moments, she didn’t like what she was about to say. “We assumed that Pinkie’s balloons came untied, right?”.

Rarity and Fluttershy nodded.

“Well, when have Pinkie Pie’s balloons ever come untied?” Twilight asked.

A silence took over the room as Rarity and Fluttershy thought about Twilight’s question.

“I’ve…never seen it happen” Fluttershy said. She began to see the problem.

“I’ve never even been able to untie them” Rarity declared. Rarity showed uncertainty on her face as she thought about this fact “What exactly are you suggesting Twilight?”.

“I think…” Twilight took a deep breath “I think something cut the strings”.

“You’re saying that it wasn’t an accident?” Rarity asked.

Twilight nodded “Yes, something must have attacked her”.

“Well” Fluttershy gently said “There are all kinds of nasty monsters in the Everfree Forest”.

“Exactly” Twilight replied “One of them must have done it”.

Twilight got up out of her seat and levitated a book towards herself. “If that’s the case, we could have a problem” Twilight said with her face buried in the book’s contents.

Rarity realized Twilights analysis “The creature that killed her could kill another pony”.

Twilight lowered her book past her eyes “Precisely”.

“What should we do?” Fluttershy asked.

“We should talk to Zecora” Twilight suggested “She knows the Everfree Forest better than anypony”
“It’s the best option we have” Rarity agreed.

Fluttershy nodded.

“Then it’s settled” Twilight said as she closed her book “It’s best if we go right now before another incident”.
“
I’m afraid I can’t Twilight. I’ve been putting off work for too long, I have clients that are waiting” Rarity said.

“That’s fine. Fluttershy and I will go” Twilight levitated her book back into the bookcase and opened the door for the mares to leave.

“Wait, please” Fluttershy said. She had a strange look on her face.

“What is it, dear?” Rarity asked.

Fluttershy had trouble trying to speak “Do…do the other ponies…really think that it’s R-Rainbow Dash’s fault?”.

Before Twilight could dismiss her friend’s worry, Rarity told Fluttershy what she knew.

“Yes, as a matter of fact. I have been hearing some ponies placing blame on poor Rainbow Dash since the day after Pinkie Pie passed away. I’ve tried setting them straight, but they won’t listen to me” Rarity had a sad look on her face “I wish they could see the pain Rainbow Dash is going through, maybe that would convince them”.

“Don’t worry” Twilight said, trying to be uplifting “If we’re right, they’ll stop talking nonsense”. The three mares then ventured out the door.

*

Gilda sat alone on a cloud, continuously muttering to herself.

“Nopony will know”.

She thought about Pinkie Pie’s family.

“Nopony will know”.

She thought about Rainbow Dash.

“Nopony will know”.

She thought about the other ponies in Ponyville.

“Nopony will know”.

She thought about Rainbow Dash again.

“Nopony will know”.

Gilda stopped her muttering and looked down at the spot where Pinkie Pie landed. Even though her body was buried days ago, she still saw the body lying there.

Eyes still open. Legs mangled. Teeth shattered. Head crushed. Spine broken.

Gilda saw herself drop Pinkie Pie. She saw Pinkie Pie fall. She saw her body hit the ground. She heard the noise it made.

Gilda then saw two ponies tread over the body as if it weren’t there, then Gilda didn’t see the body anymore.

Gilda shook herself back into reality as she saw the ponies enter the Everfree Forest. It took her a short time to realize that she had seen those ponies before. They were at the party with Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie.

“Why are they going into the forest?” Gilda pondered as she watched the ponies disappear into the trees.
Gilda immediately felt her heart race “They know. They’re looking for me”. She began to hyperventilate and tremble on her cloud.

“I’m not there. They won’t find me” her breathing started to slow.

“They know I’m not there” Gilda’s trembling came to her stop and her breathing slowed to a normal pace.

“They aren’t looking for me” Gilda let out a breath of relief.

Gilda stared off into the distance. She reverted back to her muttering, plagued with the thought of being caught.

*
Applejack and Rainbow Dash sat alone in Applejack’s house, drinking cider to calm their nerves.

“Where is everypony?” Rainbow Dash asked, sounding less saddened than before.

“Big Mac and Granny Smith are visitin’ family” Applejack took a drink “And Apple Bloom said somethin’ about cutie mark crusader sailors”.

Rainbow kept quiet and continued drinking her cider.

“Rainbow…” Applejack started “Me and the other girls trust you. We all know that you didn’t do anythin’ wrong. We don’t care what anypony says”.

Rainbow looked at Applejack “Thanks” she said “I’m glad you guys are my friends”.

Rainbow drank the last of her cider and walked into the guest bedroom “I need to lie down” she said.

“You’re more than welcome to” Applejack said, watching the door close in front of her.

*

Zecora heard a knock at her door. She put down her herbs to see who it was.

Zecora opened the door and saw her good friends anxiously waiting.

“My friends, come in” she said “Many days it has been”.

“Thank you Zecora” Twilight said as she and her friends walked into Zecora’s home.

The ponies all walked inside Zecora’s home, but simply stood in one spot instead of sitting down.

Zecora noticed this, “You ponies look tense. There is a problem that I sense”.

“Not too be rude” Fluttershy said “But we…didn’t really come here to visit you”.

Zecora tilted her head in confusion.

“She’s right” Twilight explained “We’re here because we think something in the Everfree Forest killed Pinkie Pie”.

Zecora bore a sad look on her face “It was just an accident I thought. You ponies think it’s a killer that we’ve got?”

“That’s right, Zecora” Twilight said “You’re more familiar with the creatures here than we are. Do you know any creatures that would have killed her?”.

“Outside the forest is where our friend died, the creatures here will only attack ponies inside” Zecora explained.

“Are you sure?” Twilight asked, disappointment in her voice “Maybe a dragon could have done it”.

Zecora shook her head “Dragons attack to creatures that trespass in their homes, they won’t attack a pony who simply roams”.

“There must be something” Twilight quietly spoke, eyes to the floor.

Zecora walked over to a pot and pulled out a few feathers.

“I found these feathers on the forest floor, but I have never seen this kind here before” Zecora explained.

Twilight levitated the one of the feathers to herself for a closer inspection.

“Hmm, they look familiar. I have a book at home that might be able to tell us what these feathers belong to” Twilight said.

“I could take one too” Fluttershy said “I don’t think any of my animals could do such a thing, but I…I can check to be sure”.

“That’s a good idea” Twilight said. She turned to Zecora “Thank you so much, Zecora. I’d hate to leave after I just arrived, but we really need to look into this”.

“Anything for my pony friends, let us hope this problem finally ends” Zecora smiled.

*
Gilda heard the noise again, it never seemed to end.

“Maybe I could just jump” Gilda thought “Die like she did”.

Gilda looked down to the distant ground below her. She knew how easy it would be. She didn’t even have to jump; all she had to do was just fall. It would have been painless as far as she knew. One thing stopped her from actually doing it.

“Rainbow Dash” Gilda thought “You’d never let me do it. You’d tell me that I didn’t deserve to die. You’d tell that I had such a cool life to live”.

Gilda buried her face into her claws “But if you knew I killed Pinkie Pie, you’d tell me to do it. You’d want me to die. You’d hate me” tears dripped to the ground below her.

“Nopony will know”.

Gilda wiped away her tears.

“Nopony will know”.

She looked towards Sweet Apple Acres.

“Nopony will know”.

She saw a yellow pegasus fly past her cloud with her hoof clutching on something she could not make out. She ducked down and watched the pegasus enter her house. She remembered the mare entering the woods earlier.

Gilda smiled “Guess you didn’t find anything”.

She looked down at the forest and saw another mare walking slowly out of the forest. She was using her magic to look at something.

Gilda squinted to see the object, due to the aura around it making it difficult to see.

“Looks like a white feather with” Gilda’s eyes widened, her heart jumped “That’s MY feather. How did she get it? Where? Why?”.

Tears and sweat poured down Gilda’s face “No no no no no. This can’t happen. Please!”.

She flew into the forest and hid behind a tree without drawing the attention from the unicorn.

She saw the mare walk further away from her, and Gilda saw her fate get closer. “They will know it’s mine, they’ll find me, catch me, and then kill me in front of everypony. Even Rainbow Dash”.

“I could hide in this stupid forest” Gilda thought “No, they would expect that. They’d also expect me to be home”.

Gilda pounded her head against a tree, clenching the ground in pain. Then she felt something rough in her claw, a chunk of rock. It was kind of heavy and had jagged edges. Gilda looked at the rock, and then the unicorn. Her legs trembled at what she thought about doing.
“
I…I” Gilda couldn’t think, she had no time to think. The unicorn would be in public view soon, and then Gilda could do nothing.

Without a second thought, Gilda rushed towards the unicorn as fact as she could. She reared back her claw, and swung it as hard as she could. The unicorn flew forward, dropping the feather and landing face-first into the ground. Blood poured from the wound in the back of the unicorn’s head. Gilda was just a few inches behind her, staring at her motionless body.

Suddenly, to Gilda’s shock, the unicorn started to move. She struggled to get back to her feet, letting out a whimpering noise as she tried to recover. Tears filled Gilda’s eyes, Gilda was not finished yet. Before the unicorn could turn her head, Gilda took another swing at the same spot.

Gilda had the unicorn’s blood all over her leg. The wound in the unicorns head was larger, and showed shards of her skull penetrating her brain. Gilda took one final swing, and plunged the rock into the unicorns head.

Gilda looked at her claw, covered in blood and brain matter. Gilda looked at the unicorn, still and lifeless.

Gilda started to cry “Why didn’t you just leave everything alone? You made me do it. You could have stayed home. I didn’t want to do it”.

Gilda thought it was bad enough that she killed another pony, but then she remembered that the pony was Rainbow Dash’s friend.

“Rainbow Dash” Gilda thought in her head, as if Rainbow Dash could hear her thoughts “I didn’t mean to do this to you. I never wanted this to happen”.

“Nopony will know” Gilda said to herself.

She picked up the unicorn’s body and her feather, and then flew away. Gilda didn’t know where to go; she didn’t know what to do with the body. All she could think about was Rainbow Dash, which brought her to Rainbow Dash’s house.

She found a small ditch and threw the unicorn’s body into it. She lightly covered the body with some nearby twigs and leaves. It was done.

Gilda looked up at Rainbow Dash’s house “I’ve put you through so much pain Dash. That’s not what friends do”.

Another tear ran down Gilda’s face “I’ll never come back”. Gilda flew away to the safety of her home, and left behind the damage she caused.

*

Rainbow Dash stood in front of a gravestone, with a large group of ponies forming a circle around her. Each of them glaring at her, none of them speaking to her. Rainbow Dash couldn’t see any of her friends, just the angry faces of nameless ponies.

Rainbow Dash saw a pink hoof tear out of the ground, but slowly began to sink. She called out, but no noise came from her mouth. She gripped the pink hoof and pulled as hard as she could, but the hoof just kept sinking into the dirt. Eventually, the hoof was fully submerged into the dirt.

Rainbow Dash tried to dig, but the dirt was as hard as rock. Blood poured out of the hole, drenching Rainbow Dash in the maroon fluid. The blood also sprayed the ponies surrounding her. The ponies then walked towards her in unison. The space got tighter, breathing became harder. Rainbow Dash covered her head with her hooves as the world around her went black.

Rainbow Dash gasped as she awoke. She looked around, making sure she was awake. Same guest bedroom she fell
asleep in, same bed she slept in. Rainbow Dash rolled over and cried into her pillow, wanting her nightmare to end.