Author's Note

The chapter was titled after 7 Angels 7 Plagues' demo. It's set a few months after the series finale when Pinkie's fully adjusted to life as a wife and mother. She's much stronger mentally and emotionally than she was before. It took a lot of effort for me to get to the same place. I still have my days, but they're fewer and further between. Hopefully by the end, we'll all be stronger people than we were before.

Until Day Breathes and the Shadows Flee

Pinkamena stood nailed into the ground, her hooves tied to wooden stakes implanted in the grass. Her eyes were closed, her body embracing the chill of the cold, dark sky. Between the rustling of grass and leaves, she heard hoofsteps approach, slowly trotting towards her. This was it - her final judge and jury. There was only one person besides her in this empty world she'd been locked away in.

"It's been a long time...Pinkie. You look different from the last time I saw you."

"A lot's changed since you last took control. I'm married now. His name is Cheese. We have a son, Lil Cheese."

"So you found a prince charming after all. How sweet. Did you really think he could save you from yourself?"

"No. That's why I'm here. I have to put this to rest - once and for all."

"How do you intend to get rid of me? I know you better than anyone. I know your tricks: your powers. There isn't a part of you that I don't know, mind or body."

"You're right. I can't get rid of you. What I can do is temper you."

"Temper me? How do you expect to quell something you've never shared with anyone? You and I both know where all my anger stems from - all your pain."

"We don't live in that time anymore. This isn't the rock farm we grew up on. I'm in a better place now, and you don't have power here."

"Well, well. This is quite an interesting change. Last time we met, I filled your heart with fear. It seems we're on even footing this time around."

"You're made up of all the sadness I felt as a child - all the loneliness and resentment. I had to fight for the love of my parents. Winning their approval was an everyday battle I had no choice but to win. That one spark of joy was all I had to hold on to. Without it, my life would've turned out just like yours. There's always hope to be found, even if it's hard to see."

"It's more than that. You're sad because your friendships are fading. Everyone's gone their own way, and the joy remaining is slowly withering every day. Your husband and son are all you have left, and they could just as easily be taken from you."

"I know, and that's why I fight so hard. Even if they one day slip away too, I can at least hold on to them for as long as possible. I know what you feel, too. You love them just as much as I do. You're the half of me that refuses to give up."

"So why fight me? Why not free me and let me go all out?"

"Because left unchecked, you'll destroy everything. I exist to distinguish friend from foe. Without me, you couldn't tell the difference. I've been holding you back because you're too dangerous. Maybe not in the way people say, but you're a threat to my well-being and the hearts of those around me."

"I'm the threat? What about you and your powers? No one knows how or why you do the things you do. People fear you, whether you know it or not."

"They would fear me more if they knew the true depths of our abilities. No one wants to know the future or the existence of other sentient life. They just want to live in the present moment, same as us. Everyone knows their clock's ticking, but they would rather enjoy what time they do have between now and then. I can't fault them for feeling that way."

"What about you? Did they ever ask how you were doing when you felt me clawing at the back of your mind? Did they really care?"

"Yes, they did."

"Name one example."

"When I made the clones."

"Clones?"

"After I regained control, there was an incident where I cloned myself in a pond. I acted without thinking, and nearly destroyed the town because of it. You noticed, didn't you? How the regret was bleeding through? I felt you that day, and it was because of you they knew who I was. The clones could replicate what was on the outside, but not what was within."

"So you're saying...I saved you...?"

"Yes, because we worked together without even realizing it. Now that I'm sharing my life with someone else, he can truly see you for what you are."

"How can I trust him? I don't even know him..."

"Just follow my lead. I'll show you the way."

"What if I shatter his notion of you? What if he leaves and takes the boy?"

"I don't see that in him. I've seen no sign of such cruelty - nothing to suggest he would ever abandon me. My friendship with the others was shallow. We didn't really know each other in the ways we should have. I can admit that now, but they knew you. Revealing yourself to Rainbow was a blessing in disguise. Once they became aware, they could see past what they didn't know."

"I'm scared..."

"I know. We've hurt others and been hurt ourselves. There's nothing we can do to undo that damage, but the most meaningful lessons are the ones we learn the hardest. It wasn't until I learned this that we could become complete."

"I'm curious. What will do if I'm right?"

"I'll fight for my son, if you're willing to help."

Pinkamena smiled warmly. It wasn't the creepy or malicious smirk she'd displayed before. It was a smile of defeat. She'd been bested by her other.

"It's funny. People used to see me as a psychotic cannibal. All I really wanted was some peace of mind."

"You've seen her, haven't you? The mare who will carry on our ways?"

"The seraph? What was her name again?"

"To be honest, I don't really remember. It was only brought up once."

"A being of grace who can heal the darkest souls. If only she was here in our time..."

"We're her progenitors. One day she'll see what we accomplished, and carry on what we began."

"All right. I get it. Enough with the mushy stuff. Let me out, will ya?"

Pinkie untied the ropes with her teeth. The sky began to clear.

"See you on the other side."

"I'm counting on you."

A deep blue aura surrounded their forms. Lightning crackled between them, drawing the pair together in a flash of light. When the glare subsided, only Pinkie remained. She still felt mostly like her old self, but with one exception. She allowed herself to feel. The happiness, the sadness...It was all there. She'd entrusted only parts of herself to those around her. Now, they could see the whole picture...