Darkest Equestria

Pinkie Pie could still remember those days.

She could remember when the sun shone bright, when green grass covered the hillsides, and when the smiles on the faces of foals livened the streets they played on. She could remember the cheery parties she threw, the wide smiles of those whose days she brightened, and the friends she had made. She remembered, even if no one else seemed to.

Those days were gone, and she would do anything to get them back.

The key to that lay in saving Princess Celestia from the Everfree. But such a task was impossible. It was simply too dangerous, too thick with the miasma of evil. It was-

"Hey Pinkie. Are you coming to the tavern tonight?"

The voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Pinkie was in Sugarcube Corner, standing behind the front desk. In front of her was a dusty maned mare. Her blue coat was slick with grime, and there were thick bags beneath her eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorry Cloud Kicker." Pinkie Pie put on a smile as she leaned on the front desk. Her poofy pink mane bounced like a spring. "I didn't see you there."

"Really?" Cloud Kicker frowned, her face all sharp worry lines. "You don't need me to fetch the nurse, do you?"

"No!" Pinkie Pie waved her hooves. "I am perfectly fine, in fact, I've never been better!"

Cloud Kicker narrowed her eyes. "Well, as long as you are sure..."

"Surer than a pony does the pokey!" Pinkie Pie said, a forced smile on her face. She hoped that it worked. Anything but that place again.

"...Okay... so are you going to be at the tavern tonight?" Cloud Kicker asked.

"Sure thing! You can count on me to be there!" Pinkie said.

"Good. Everypony likes it when you come. Livens up the mood." Cloud Kicker sighed. "Now, can I get three loaves of bread?"

"You betcha!" Pinkie Pie turned around. The wall where all of the baked goods once sat, frosted cupcakes and cakes, was now entirely filled with plain old bread. Or at least, it was once filled with plain old bread. Now only three sad loafs remained. She grabbed them, wrapped them in a bit of paper, then set them on the counter. "You're in luck. That was the last of them!"

"Oh, thank Celestia." Cloud Kicker quickly grabbed the bread, dropping a few bits on the counter. "You know how my little sister has such an appetite."

"I hope she enjoys them!" Pinkie tried to ignore that name. Princess Celestia. It hurts too much to hear sometimes.

"Hey Pinkie. Can I say something?"

"Sure thing!"

"Thank you for staying. You know, everypony else left. The cakes, the apples, the weather team, they all left besides you." Cloud Kicker frowned. "I don't know where we would eat if you left."

"It's the least I can do." Pinkie Pie said. "This place treated me so well when I first came here, it's time to return the favor!"

Cloud Kicker took the bread and gave her a hesitant smile. Her lips nearly quivered, as if they hadn't turned that way in a long time. Then, she left, the door closing behind her with a thud.

She had nearly got the mare to smile openly. Nearly.

Pinkie Pie sighed as she left. The bakery seemed so lonely without any other pony in it. The faded bright colors of pink and purple looked like old memories, decaying over time. There was no way to stop it. The gingerbread like walls were nearly falling apart at this point, and Pinkie didn't go upstairs anymore. The roof had collapsed a year ago, and she hadn't bothered trying to repair it. The buildings of Ponyville were not built to survive such unpredictable weather akin to the Everfree.

The Everfree. Where Princess Celestia had disappeared to. If only there was a way to save her, to turn things back to how they used to be.

She trotted over to the front of the bakery and flipped a sign on the front. It simply read, "OUT OF STOCK."

Then, with nothing more to do, she stepped out into the streets.

It was a dark and gloomy day, as it always was. The sun was hidden behind swirling clouds, looming over the town in a stifling miasma. What few ponies were out on the worn dirt roads did not loiter for long, their steps hurried as they went about business. Most wore cloaks, hiding their faces from the constant drizzle of rain.

What colors remained on the once bright buildings of Ponyville were washed out, old and unpainted. It had been ten years since that fateful day, and it showed in every nook and cranny of the town. Left to rot, the place was a hollow shell of what it once was, a corpse that had not yet decided to die.

Pinkie didn't feel any older, but the passage of time had gone on without fail, and it showed.

Her gaze went skyward, and a strange sight greeted her. The town's scouting balloon, which usually hung high in the sky, was nowhere to be seen. It could be refueling, but it usually only did so during the night days.

"Hey, do you know what happened to the scouting blimp?" Pinkie stopped one of the ponies in the street.

The pony nearly jumped out of his coat, his eyes darting back and forth. When they locked onto her, his shoulders relaxed. "Oh, it's just you Pinkie."

"Yep! It's me!" Pinkie said with all the cheer she could muster.

"Well, I heard that some pony from Canterlot hired it for a ride here." The stallion said. He kept looking further down the road, his body tense and anxious.

"Who would do that?"

"Not sure. If you want more information, I'm sure somepony else knows." The stallion snapped.

"Oh, sorry for bothering you." It hurt Pinkie's heart to see the way his hooves shuffled, and his eyes darted.

"It's not you Pinkie, it's just..." The stallion stared towards that distant forest. "Look, I'll see you at the tavern tonight, okay? Keep safe, you shouldn't be out on the streets if you don't have to be."

"Keep safe as well, friend!" Pinkie called after him as he practically galloped down the street. As the sound of hooves on dirt faded, she was left alone in the tenebrous streets. "I got a great party planned for your birthday!"

There was no reply.

"Oh, there he goes." Pinkie's pink coat was ruffled by a cold breeze. Her pure, vibrant blue eyes stared after him.

And once again, she was left alone. She stared at the ground, idly playing with the dirt with a hoof. It was acceptable to be in such a hurry. Who knew when something would come shambling into town, or the bandits would come again for another grab at their gold. Well, those bandits better hope they didn't come across her. The last time they did, it had not ended well for them. Though the scars on her neck were quite the price to pay for that victory...

It had been a pleasure to bleed them dry. They were the wicked terrors that killed her friends, and she would never forgive them.

Oh, she had nearly forgotten! How could Pinkie have forgotten her trusty hoof-blades?

She trotted back into Sugarcube Corner, and then went to one of the dusty corners. Piled in the corner, just behind the counter, was her equipment. Two hoof blades, to be attached to the two front hooves by tentative pony magic and cord. One was a crescent arc, akin to farming sickle, and the other a sharpened dirk. And between them, a wooden lute.

Pinkie grabbed the lute with a hum and strummed a few cords. The pleasant tune cheered her up just a little. This was the lifeblood of Ponyville, the thing that kept them all going. Who could have known what wonders a few jokes and a soothing tune could do for the soul?

She grabbed a set of old white saddlebags with a depiction of three balloons stitched onto the front, a mark that was exactly like the one on her flanks. The three cheerful balloons looked out of place on the bags, much like Pinkie Pie assumed she looked like to the town. The lute went into one, and the hoof-blades into another. Hopefully there would be no need for them, but in these times, it was better to be safe than sorry.

Pinkie missed when everything just seemed to work for her. When she could just make things happen or carry anything with no real need for thought. When the princess disappeared, those strange powers of hers seemed to have vanished as well. At least she still had her Pinkie sense, it had saved her life more times than she could count.

Then, she made sure to pack away a red and pink outfit into one of the saddlebags. Bells jingled on it, a jester's joy.

She shook her head. There were ponies in need of cheer at the tavern, and she would be there to give it!

"Time to hit up the tavern!" Pinkie dashed out of the bakery.

Her hooves carried her through the solemn streets. Houses passed her by, all in some state of neglectful disrepair. Most were empty, some weren't, but they all shared a similar fate.

It was on this trip that Pinkie noticed something in the sky, a flashing image in the corner of her eye. The scouting balloon was in sight. It was still a way away, drifting over the old road to Canterlot. The Everfree woods had grown thick beyond their borders, surrounding the town of Ponyville in woods. Nopony really dared brave the road anymore, which made travel by balloon preferable.

The sight of it made Pinkie skid to a stop. If there was going to be a new pony in town, then she had to make sure there was a party ready for them!

Yet, as she watched, she noticed there was something off about the balloon. It was swaying a little too heavily. Small black birds swarmed it, a cacophony of cawing that she could hear even from here. It passed through a dark cloud, swaying and shaking. Her tail twitched, a clear sign from her Pinkie sense that filled her with an unsettling feeling.

Something was going to fall.

The balloon popped like an overripe grape under the onslaught. Pinkie watched the balloon fall in the distance, then disappear below the canopy. That couldn't be good. It was the only scouting blimp in town, and not to mention, there was supposed to be more than one passenger on it. There was a pony that needed a party in that balloon!

She had to do something. The woods were thick with danger, and whoever was on it would be torn apart if they weren't equipped to deal with the forest. It was a fact she knew all too well. Pinkie nibbled her hooves in worry, wondering what to do.

Maybe she could get a scouting party together? No, the ponies in the town wouldn't even try taking the old road by hoof, much less go searching for a downed balloon in it. They could scarcely go outside their own homes nowadays, unless a sudden bravery struck them to visit the tavern for a stiff drink.

"This isn't good at all." Pinkie said. She didn't know the ponies on the balloon, other than its pilot, but she couldn't just leave them to rot in those woods.

There had to be somepony that would accompany her into the woods. But who? She tried to think, but nothing came to mind. Maybe asking at the tavern would help?

With that in mind, Pinkie renewed her gallop towards the tavern.

It came into view ahead. It was one of the more intact buildings in Ponyville, which wasn't saying much. Cracked timbers supported a sagging tile roof. One of the windows was boarded up, a result of a fight within no doubt. It was silent as the grave. And yet, the warm light coming from its windows promised safety, warm food, and good drink. Overhead, a crooked wooden sign hung. On it was the symbol of a torch, which held in its iron cradle a blazing sun, Celestia's sun. It read, "The Torch and Crown."

The scent of unwashed bodies and alcohol hit her as Pinkie opened the door to the place. Hushed sounds of subdued merriment filled the shadowed interior of the bar. Ponies were scattered at circular tables, throwing dice and playing cards. Some downed drinks with fervor, while others stared off into space, idly sipping away.

Pinkie strode into the familiar place. As she walked, the murmurings around her heightened.

"Here to play a song, Pinks?" A mare raised a tankard at her. "A little earlier than your usual!"

"Well, I would love to..." Pinkie started.

"Did you hear that? Pinkie is going to liven up the mood!" The mare cheered.

In response, a cheer erupted across the tavern. Tankards clashed together, and Pinkie found one being shoved in front of her face. The scent of cheap wine stung her nostrils.

"Ah, wait everypony!" Pinkie nervously chuckled. "I have something to announce."

The tavern went silent.

"You’re... you're not leaving, are you?" One of the stallions in the scattered small crowd asked.

"Of course not." Pinkie said. "I'm not leaving the town that welcomed me behind!"

"Oh, thank Celestia, much as that wicked mare did for us-"

"Shut your mouth, Celestia did more for us than you ever could."

"Oh yeah, then where is she now? If you ask me, she left on her own. Gave up on us all, thought we weren't worth it. Left us behind."

"She didn't, she is just trapped."

"Or dead."

"What did you say?! She is not dead, you fool."

Tension was palpable in the air. The argument was rapidly growing in intensity, tones being heightened, and words becoming more barbed. Pinkie looked between them, wondering what to do. At this rate, a fight was going to break out. Not that it was uncommon, but it always ended with somepony hurt. She also didn't have time for this, every second spent here was another in the favor of the forest, and at the detriment of the ponies in the balloon.

"Hey! I said I have something to announce!" Pinkie shouted.

All eyes turned to her. The grumbling continued. "Sorry, Pinks."

Once it quieted down, she started to speak. "The scouting balloon went down in the forest. I saw it just a few minutes ago."

Panicked murmuring started at the tables. "Well, what do you want us to do about it? If it's gone, it's gone."

"There were ponies on board." Pinkie paused. "I am going out to find them, and I need some ponies to join me."

The murmurings in the crowd heightened. They glanced between each other, some nudging another, but no pony moved.

"Are you sure that is a good idea? They are probably already dead. You shouldn't risk it. Besides, the mayor was on the balloon and she's crazy anyways. Saves a few trips to the hospital if anything." A pony from the crowd said. There were murmured agreements.

"Well, I'm going. Those ponies need help." Pinkie nodded, to convince herself more than anything else. "Will anypony join me?"

The ponies averted their gazes when she looked over them. It was silent.

"That forest Pinks... it's not made for pony hooves anymore. At least that of decent folk. You should stay here, where it's safe."

It was a tempting proposition. To stay in the confines of the town, sheltered at least just a little from the horrors that dwelled outside. It would be easy to return to Sugarcube Corner, maybe play a few tunes at the tavern before she went. And yet, that would mean she was like them. Content. Content with the way the world was now, devoid of hope or cheer. Content with the fact that the princess was gone, and content with the disturbed balance, the deaths, the sickness, the degradation. If she was anything, it was not content.

And if Pinkie knew one thing about herself, it was that she had something they didn't. A little bit of hope, and a little bit of cheer. The prancing steps of life.

"If anypony wants to join me, I'll be at the forest's edge." Pinkie gave them a light smile. "If I'm back at night for a song, you'll know how it went!"

The grim cheer didn't have the effect she had intended. Guilty frowns and hurried glances were all that she received.

With that said, Pinkie left the tavern, closing the door behind her. It seemed that she would be undertaking this journey alone. Her head drooped the slightest, her hooves dragging in the dirt. Then, she straightened herself. Spirit had to keep strong, or else the Everfree would win.

She looked towards the Everfree, and thought of the downed balloon.

Winning started with keeping ponies breathing. For if there was breath, there could be laughter.

It was time to face the forest. Pinkie was sick of letting it win, sick of letting its mere presence haunt the hearts of ponies. Those wretched bandits were able to traverse the winding weald, so why couldn't she?

She headed for the edge of the forest and steeled her heart and nerves. The ponies in Ponyville may have given up on a brighter future. They may have given up on doing the right thing, on the morals that Equestria was built on. They may have given up on the world.

But Pinkie never did.