Don't Look Backby JerryTheHouseGhostChaptersPrologue: Why is this Happening to Me?Chapter 1: Where Have You Gone?Chapter 2: All AloneChapter 3: The Beginning of the EndPrologue: Why is this Happening to Me?Pinkie Pie was running down a long, dark pathway in the Everfree Forest. She was running away from... Something... No matter how deep into her brain she dug, she couldn't seem to remember what it was she was trying so hard to avoid. Now Pinkie couldn't recall if it was something she was running from; maybe she was attempting to reach something or some place. All she really understood was that she was running, and had been for a while; she was beginning to feel the strain on her legs, the feeling that she could collapse at any given moment. But she couldn't stop; she refused to stop. But why? What was so important? Pinkie Pie stopped. She examined her surroundings. The trees that bordered the path were the only things Pinkie could see perfectly; everything beyond them was almost instantly consumed by the darkness of night. The pathway she had been running on was made of dirt. Pinkie Pie looked behind her, but there were no dust clouds formed by her hooves hitting the dry dirt; or at least none she could see now. Pinkie Pie began to think. What was she doing before she began to ran? Even after straining her brain, attempting to figure out what was going on, nothing came to her. It was almost as if the pony had amnesia and couldn't remember anything, except she remembered everything; all but the reason for her sudden urge to sprint to the nearest... Whatever Pinkie Pie happened to be after... It was troubling to this pony; not being able to remember. She remembered just about everything about anything. Pinkie Pie had been stopped for much longer than she should have been, for she began to sense a lingering presence hidden behind the thick foliage. "Wh- Who's there?" asked Pinkie Pie, who was so exhausted that she wasn't even sure if she could even feel frightened without it being too much on her body. Luckily, and unluckily, she was able to handle this feeling; a mix of extreme nervousness and fright that almost rendered her motionless. Pinkie was just about to look in another direction when her pursuer stepped out of the bushes and onto the pathway, blocking the way Pinkie was previously going. This figure, though almost a complete silhouette, was so familiar to Pinkie Pie; she just couldn't place a hoof on how this figure fit in to what was happening. The figure began to slowly make its way down the path towards Pinkie Pie. Then everything started coming back to her. At first it was only a single memory of the appearance of this pony, but soon became a flood of memories washing over Pinkie's mind. Pinkie Pie soon wished she hadn't remembered anything. "You! How did you find me!?" Pinkie Pie demanded from the pony she wished wasn't even there. The new arrival didn't speak at first, and continued to walk slowly towards Pinkie. The pony began to get illuminated, revealing its full appearance. It was... Pinkie Pie... But also not Pinkie Pie. It had the same colors and the same eyes, but it was much duller than Pinkie Pie. The mane this pony had was not the frazzled, fun-filled mane of the true Pinkie Pie's; it was straightened down like it was when Pinkie was a filly. "Oh, it isn't hard to track you at all. You see, no matter where you run, no matter where you hide, I will always be able to find you," said the other Pinkie Pie with a grin on her face. Hearing her own voice come from this dull pony sent shivers down Pinkie Pie's back. "What do you want with me?" asked Pinkie Pie. Being in the presence of this pony had made Pinkie feel even more frightened than before she even knew what was following her. The aura this other Pinkie Pie let off was purely terrifying; a doppelgänger come to corrupt the good of the world. "I thought you'd never ask," the dark Pinkie Pie said. She slipped into the bushes, and, before Pinkie Pie could attempt to run again, came back out with a white rabbit. Not perfectly white, however, unless one is to associate red with white in any way. "Such a beautiful sight, don't you think?" Pinkie Pie couldn't breathe for a couple seconds. "Is- Is that..." "Angel? No; but I wish it was. Just practicing for when I do get to him, though. I can't wait." "Stop it! Just shut up!" "What, you can't take me talking about a dumb rabbit? Jeez, Pinkie; and to think I'll be moving on to even bigger things with you." "Go away!" yelled Pinkie. She finally got the strength to begin running again. Away from what she hated; away from what she feared. She knew she couldn't stop running for a long time. She finally knew exactly what she was running from: the forgotten memories that she had so foolishly remembered. Pinkie saw a pony come into view in front of her down the path. "Help! You've got to help me! There's a-" It was her other self. The dead rabbit lay in front of her. "You forgot something back there," said the doppelgänger, nudging the snow-white rabbit stained with red towards Pinkie Pie. "No!" yelled Pinkie Pie. She left the path and began to run between all the trees. Why is this happening to me? she thought. The pathway was much easier to travel; Pinkie could hardly see anything around her in the forest. She should have gotten back on the path, but now she had strayed too far away from it, taken so many different turns, that she had no clue where the path was anymore. She began to hear what the other Pinkie Pie had said. No matter where you run, no matter where you hide, I will always be able to find you. Pinkie continued to run, despite beginning to feel her legs getting tired faster and faster. She had no idea where she was; no idea where she would even go. I will always be able to find you. Pinkie Pie's legs finally gave out. She fell over and hit the ground hard. It was suddenly bright in the forest- except it wasn't even the forest anymore. Pinkie had awoken from a nightmare. She was relieved that she was in her room; such a familiar surrounding was a sight for sore eyes after what she had experienced in her sleep. She crawled out of her bed, ready to start the day. She froze when she saw it. Laying on the ground in front of the door was a white rabbit stained with blood. Pinkie began to silently cry. She slowly made her way back to the bed, got on it, and pulled the covers over herself. She had tried to stop it before, but nothing ever worked; it was unstoppable. Pinkie Pie knew this day would come, but hoped it never would. It was the only way to keep everypony safe. Pinkie Pie knew that she had to leave. Now let the story begin. Chapter 1: Where Have You Gone?1Where Have You Gone? Twilight Sparkle was up before most ponies this day. She had to get up early to help Rarity set up decorations around Ponyville for Hearth's Warming Eve. Though the holiday itself was't for another few weeks, the citizens of Ponyville always enjoyed having the festive mood start early in the month. Twilight was told to meet Rarity at her house to start the decorating. Rarity had made most of these herself, before Twilight had come to live in Ponyville. As Twilight opened the door of her house, freezing-cold air began to blow in. The weather was definitely approving of the decorations being put up. Twilight had thought that she wasn't going to have to wear her warm winter clothes today, but she had been proven wrong by the sight of her breath instantly after the door was opened. After clothing herself with the proper attire, Twilight attempted to leave her house again, this time with more success. She made her way to Rarity's house. She was excited that Rarity had asked her to help out with the decorations for two reasons. One, because she had never put up Hearth's Warming Eve decorations since she was a filly, and two, because she thought she could get a friendship report out of it. Twilight arrived at Carousel Boutique. After a few knocks on the door, she heard Rarity's voice call "come in!" Twilight opened up the door and walked through the threshold. She had almost forgotten what proper warmth was until she closed the door behind her. She removed her winter clothes and set them down by the door; she didn't want to get too hot. Rarity was working hard on something. "Twilight, would you be a dear and lift this up while I wrap some fabric around it?" asked Rarity. "Of course!" Twilight used her magic to levitate whatever it was Rarity was working on. Rarity began to wrap a light-blue fabric around it. After Rarity ran out of the fabric, she began to wrap a thin gold ribbon around it. Once she reached the other side, she cut the ribbon with scissors and glued it down. "Oh, I just can't wait to see the look on Pinkie Pie's face when she sees this new decoration!" Rarity said excitedly. Pinkie Pie had always loved every one of the decorations Rarity made. "I couldn't stand to see how downtrodden she looked yesterday." "Yeah, I wonder what was wrong," said Twilight. She looked at the 'decoration' with a confused look on her face. "What is it?" "Oh, sorry," said Rarity. She used her magic to stand it upright. It was a lamp post made to look like a blue and gold candy cane. "Couldn't you have put this stuff on a lamp post we already had?" asked Twilight. "Now, Twilight, that would be too easy. Do you remember who you're talking to? I never take the easy way out when it comes to my work!" "So, how many decorations are there to be set up?" asked Twilight. Before Rarity could take a breath to begin her answer, Rainbow Dash came through the door. "Hey, have any of you seen Pinkie Pie? I was supposed to met her at Sugarcube Corner to help her bake cupcakes, but she wasn't there. I've searched almost everywhere for her!" "Sorry, Dash; I haven't seen her since yesterday," responded Twilight. "Nor have I," said Rarity. "Have you checked her room in Sugarcube Corner? Maybe she hasn't woken up yet?" "I doubt it, but I'll check anyway," said Rainbow Dash. She left Rarity's house, letting in a quick gust of cold air. Twilight shivered. "Strange; Pinkie Pie is never too hard to find," said Twilight. "I wonder if this has something to do with why she was acting so strange yesterday." "That's quite a possibility, Twilight. She didn't even show up for lunch yesterday; she always shows up for lunch," said Rarity. "I forgot to tell you that when I asked her what was wrong, she insisted that it was nothing and ended up just walking away. That is definitely not something she'd do, not even if she wanted to." "I'm sure she's feeling better today, or at least starting to," said Rarity. "Remember the last time we saw her like that? It didn't even last the whole day." "Yeah, I guess you're right," said Twilight. She was still worried for Pinkie Pie, though. She had a reason to feel down last time, and her friends were able to easily get her spirits back up. This time, however, was different; nopony knew what was wrong. Twilight was about to continue examining the candy cane lamp post when Rainbow Dash burst through the door. "Rainbow Dash? What are you-" Twilight saw that she had tears in her eyes. "Rainbow Dash, whats wrong!" Rainbow Dash dropped a piece of paper on the floor and flew out the door. Rarity ran over and closed the door, then trotted next to Twilight to look at the piece of paper. Twilight picked it up with her magic and turned it over to see what was on it. There was a note. Dear Friends, I am sorry to say that, by the time you are reading this, I have already left Ponyville and will not return. I need to keep you all safe, and the only way to do that was to get myself as far away as possible from everypony. Please do not come searching for me. I kindly ask Fluttershy to watch over Gummy now. I must say sorry again, and I will miss all of you. Goodbye, Pinkie Pie Twilight and Rarity couldn't keep the tears from coming out of their eyes. Twilight dropped the note from Pinkie Pie onto the ground. Twilight and Rarity hugged each other, still crying. Once Twilight was able to speak, she said, "Fluttershy and Applejack have to know." The two unicorn ponies put on their warm clothes and left for Fluttershy's cottage with the note. They told anypony they saw along the way of what has happened, and each one got teary-eyed and didn't know what to say. They couldn't believe that Pinkie Pie had just gotten up and left. One of the only sources of fun had just vanished. It was almost as if a magician had secretly performed a disappearing act with the happiness in Ponyville, but had forgotten to make it reappear. Twilight and Rarity got to the walkway that led to Fluttershy's cottage. They didn't know how they would tell Fluttershy of this bad news. As the two ponies discussed their plan of action, the front door of the cottage opened up. Out came Gummy with a little scarf and ear muffs, followed by Fluttershy with her winter clothes on. The sight of Gummy without Pinkie Pie caused Rarity to tear up and begin to cry. Twilight comforted Rarity as Fluttershy trotted over to them, with Gummy following close behind her. "What's the matter, Rarity?" Fluttershy looked very concerned. "Is something wrong with Opalescence!?" "No, it's not that," replied Twilight. "Well then... Why are you crying, Rarity?" asked Flutershy, even more concerned now. "Why do you have Gummy, Fluttershy?" asked Rarity, barely able to speak over her sniffling. "Oh, somepony was knocking on my door very early in the morning, and when I finally got to opening it up, I saw Gummy standing in front of the doorway with nopony with him. The poor little thing was freezing cold, so I took him inside to warm up." "So Pinkie Pie wasn't there?" asked Twilight. "She might have been the one who knocked on the door," began Fluttershy, "but I doubt it; she'd never leave Gummy out in the cold by himself like that." "There's something..." Twilight began to tear up. "There's something you've got to see." Twilight took the note of of her pocket and gave it to Fluttershy, who began to read it. "Oh, my..." These were the only words Fluttershy was able to speak before she began to cry. She left the note on the ground and quickly went back inside of her cottage with Gummy. Twilight looked at Rarity, and they both nodded. Twilight lifted the note up with her magic and put it back in the pocket of her winter coat. She was reluctant to go tell Applejack, because she knew that it would bring even more sadness to both her and Rarity, and now Applejack. However, it had to be done. The walk to Sweet Apple Acres was a very long one, and in this cold weather Twilight knew it wouldn't be a very happy walk. It started to snow on the way. Oh, the snow; such a happy and peaceful sight to most. It falls so softly, so slowly, making no noise at all. Pinkie Pie loved the snow. She would always lay on her back in the snow and wave her legs around to make what was called a 'snow angel.' Twilight looked up into the sky. Somewhere, right at this very moment, snow must be falling around Pinkie Pie. Sweet Apple Acres began coming into view up ahead. The snow had created a beautiful blanket of pure-white all over the ground. Twilight and Rarity couldn't help themselves; they both fell onto their backs and made snow angels. They got up and looked at their creations. There was something different about the ones Pinkie Pie always made; the ones she created always had a certain look to them, a look of pure joy and excitement. Rarity and Twilight's just looked plain. Applejack was bound to be inside of the house, cooking up some warm meal for the rest of the Apple family to have for lunch. Rarity wished they didn't have to tell Applejack about this bad news. The house looked so peaceful. The fields of snow were untouched by anypony. Twilight began to cry. Pinkie Pie would have made sure to play in every square-foot of snow. Ponyville was going to be different; it wouldn't have the splendid nature of Pinkie Pie to brighten up any down moods. Could this be a dream? A terrible dream that Twilight has yet to wake up from and give a sigh of relief? No; this was too real to be a dream. Twilight and Rarity reached the door, and Rarity knocked on it. Several seconds passed before the door was opened. Apple Bloom stood on the other side of the doorway. "Oh, hey you two!" said Apple Bloom. "Hey, Apple Bloom. Is Applejack inside?" asked Twilight. "She sure is! Come on in!" Apple Bloom was happy to see these unexpected guests. Twilight and Rarity walked inside, and Apple Bloom closed the door behind them. "Applejack's upstairs in 'er room. Do ya want me to go get 'er for ya?" "No, but thank you for offering," said Rarity. The two unicorns proceeded upstairs to Applejack's room. The door to her room was open, and they walked in and closed it. Applejack was at the window, looking out at the snow, when she saw the reflections of her two friends behind her. "If ah had known y'all were gonna be here, I'da prepared more soup for ya!" said Applejack. "Thanks, but that won't be necessary; we're not planning on staying too long," said Rarity. "Why's that?" asked Applejack, who was confused as to why her friends would walk all the way here through the freezing-cold weather and not stay for very long. "Here, this is what we came here for." Twilight took Pinkie Pie's goodbye note out of her coat pocket and gave it to Applejack. "Feel free to do whatever you want with it after you read it; we have no use of it now." "What's this-here piece o' paper?" asked Applejack. "Just read it," said Rarity, who had began to tear up once again. "What's wrong, Rarity?" asked Applejack. Twilight looked at Applejack, then motioned towards the note. Applejack looked down at the paper as Twilight and Rarity left her room. Applejack began to read the note. Twilight and Rarity walked downstairs and walked out the door. As they were walking down the path, they looked back at the house and saw Applejack in an open doorway, crying and being comforted by Apple Bloom. Twilight looked into the distance. Pinkie Pie, where have you gone? Chapter 2: All Alone2All Alone Being alone wasn't as bad as it sounded. Nopony around to bother you, you have all the time in the world to yourself... Oh, who was she kidding? Herself? Pinkie Pie was alone, and she couldn't deny the fact that she hated every single second of it. She kept on telling herself that it was for the best; that it was the only way she could ensure that everypony she knew and loved would be safe from the darkness that lingered inside of her. She thought back to the time the darkness first began to show up in the back of her mind. She thought it to be just some kind of small, strange occurrence in her system; that it would go away as soon as it had come. If only that assumption had been the true outcome of things. Instead, it had just kept growing and growing, until one night it actually took over her body. Only for a few minutes, but like the beginning of the darkness, the amount of time it was able to control her for grew, slowly but surely. Pinkie Pie leaving Ponyville may have been for the good reason of protecting everypony, but those ponies she wanted to protect were also the only ones that could possibly protect her from herself as well. Though she had successfully completed what she thought of as her mission, Pinkie Pie was now all alone in the outer reaches of the Everfree Forest. Not only did she have a lethal presence living inside of her, but there were multiple things in the Everfree that could also present her with an untimely demise. Pinkie had noticed that the darkness hadn't taken over at all since two nights ago. Was this caused by the fact that she was nowhere close to anypony her other self could have any "fun" with? Or was it just waiting for the perfect moment to present itself? What was Pinkie Pie even thinking? What would the right moment even be for it? Pinkie Pie's thoughts were interrupted by something she saw coming into view. A wooden building was beginning to show over the bushes that were in front of Pinkie Pie. At first she thought it was some sort of small cabin, but as she got closer, it was revealed to be much larger than she first thought. It was a mansion. Pinkie Pie became very happy. This mansion would provide her with a place to stay, out of the open and away from any danger that could be lurking in the darkness. Pinkie had just walked up to the front door when a thought came to her head. What if somepony else was living here? She definitely didn't want them to be in danger because of her presence. If she knocked on the door and somepony answered it, she would just have to leave and find someplace else to take refuge for the night. If nopony answered, she would be able to reside there for as long as she pleased. Knock knock knock! Each time she heard her hoof hit the door, Pinkie felt a pulsating feeling in her head. Not pain, no; this was much different. She began to knock again. Knock! Another quick pulse of something. Knock! This time is was a little bigger. Knock! Pinkie hit the door harder on the last knock, which in turn made the pulse even larger. Pinkie almost passed out from it. "What is this!?" Pinkie screamed aloud, falling to the ground and holding her head in her hooves. I'm sorry, are you speaking to me? Pinkie instantly knew this voice inside of her head to be the darkness inside of her. Because I may know what you're experiencing. "What are you doing to me!?" Pinkie demanded. Come now, Miss Pie; you don't want ponies to think that you're yelling at yourself now, do you? "I don't care what other ponies think! There aren't even any ponies around here to see this! Besides, I know that I'm yelling at you and not myself! You aren't me!" Well of course I'm not you, Pinkie. I'm inside of you. Any pony is able to understand that. The thing is, you see, I'm just not you yet. "What are you talking about? What are you going to do with me!?" Slow down there, Pinkamena. You're asking quite a lot of questions as of late. What I'm talking about and what I'm planning on doing to you are two different topics; both of which would surely ruin the surprise. Pinkie just sat there, staring at the ground and beginning to produce tears. What's wrong, Pinkie? I thought you loved surprises? And you wouldn't want to cry in front of the new arrival, would you? "Huh?" Pinkie looked up at the door. It was wide open, but there was nopony in sight. "Hello? Is somepony in there?" What are you waiting for, Pinkie? He's invited you inside. It would be rather rude not to accept his kind gesture. "There's nopony here! Who are you talking about!?" Pinkie stood still at the entrance of the mansion. Why, the owner of this mansion, of course. Go on in, Pinkie; he's growing impatient as you just stand here. Pinkie stepped inside of the mansion, looking around. "Where is he?" she asked. Who? Oh, the owner of this mansion? He's waiting for you in his room upstairs. Before you go thank him for letting you stay, why don't you indulge in the nice meal he's laid out for you? Pinkie Pie's stomach began to growl. We both know you want to, Pinkie. So why not fill up on the nice oats and flowers he's cooked up for you and then thank him after? Pinkie began to smell these nice things. "I guess eating doesn't sound like such a bad idea right now." She walked into the room that the smell was emanating from. Sure enough, a plate of food was sitting on a table. The room was lit up by multiple oil lamps, as well as a fresh fire in the fireplace. Pinkie sat down at the table and began to eat. Once she felt that she had enough, she decided to go look for the pony the darkness was talking about. She began to ascend the staircase that was in the main hall wen the darkness began to speak. Ah yes, I almost forgot to mention that you've already been invited in here before. "What?" asked Pinkie Pie, a confused look on her face. When she reached the top of the stairs, she saw several doors. All were open except the last on to the left. And you've already been in here before. And yes, that door's the one. Pinkie trotted over to the closed door and began to open it. "Hey, I just wanted to thank you for letting me in, but I've got to leave beca-" There was a dead unicorn in the opposite corner of the room. Pinkie quickly slammed the door and put her back against it, sliding down to a sitting position. She put her head in her hooves and breathed heavily. Don't you just love surprises? Chapter 3: The Beginning of the End3The Beginning of the End Twilight saw movement behind a tree. "Pinkie? Is that you?" The lack of an answer caused Twilight to cautiously approach the tree. As she was about to go around it, a bird flew out from behind it. Twilight sighed. Maybe she told us not to try and find her because she knew we'd never be able to find her anyway. She turned around to head back to Ponyville, but instead of the pathway, she came face-to-face with a wall of darkness. But it wasn't really even a wall; it seemed to have some sort of depth to it. Twilight took one step into the darkness, then stopped. It wouldn't be the best idea to just walk right into such a phenomenon, seeing as though it was for all she knew an infinite dark plane. The ground suddenly started to shake. Twilight then began to hear a low voice. "Ah, I see we have a visitor. Come on in, Twilight; make yourself at home," said the voice in a slow manner. The rumbling died down. "Who are you? And how do you know my name?" Twilight asked, a little scared and confused. "Who I am is not important; it's who you are that is," said the voice. "How do I know your name? Well, let's just say that a mutual friend let me in on some information about, well, everything." "Who?" "The one you are here to seek out." "Pinkie!? Do you know where she is!?" "Ah yes, Pinkie; that's the one. I know where she is, yes; in fact, I'm with her right now." "Well, would you mind telling me where you both are?" "But of course! How rude would it be of me to not help you find one of your best friends?" Just as the voice stopped talking, the darkness began to fade away and reveal a pathway in a forest. "And I can do much better than just telling you where we are; I can show you." Twilight began walking down the pathway as the voice spoke. "Up north, you will find a clearing." The scenery changed to a clearing in the middle of the forest. "There, you will be able to spot the Starswirl constellation in the night sky. Follow the brightest star to the east, and there you will find a house..." Trees appeared around Twilight, and a moonlit house became visible in the distance. As she approached the house, she saw somepony in the upstairs window. "Pinkie Pie! Pinkie, it's me; Twilight!" The pony in the window looked at her, then frantically opened the window. "Twilight!?" Pinkie couldn't believe what she was seeing. "Yeah! Come on, Pinkie!" "No! You don't understand! You've gotta get away from here; away from me!" She's not here, Pinkie; I was only showing her where you are. Pinkie could hear the dark presence inside of her head. "What do you mean I'm not here?" asked Twilight. Pinkie froze. "You... You can hear it too?" she asked. "Hear what?" Me, Miss Sparkle; she's referring to me. This didn't make any sense! How was the darkness able to talk to Twilight if Pinkie still only heard it in her head? What I mean by "you aren't here" is that you are dreaming. Pinkie tried to warn Twilight about the darkness, but no words came out; she was unable to speak. And what Pinkie meant by "get away from here" is that you should wake up and begin trying to find this place. Pinkie could only hope that Twilight would see that something was wrong with this situation. But she didn't. Now that you've been given these instructions and have seen what this house looks like, it's time for you to wake up. Happy travels, Twilight; I can't wait to meet you out of a dream. "Hold on! Wait!" Twilight suddenly disappeared. Happy travels. "Noooo!" Pinkie was finally able to speak, and she started gasping for air. Slow down there, Pinkie Pie; I only prevented you from speaking, not breathing. Or maybe... The darkness paused. I sure do hope you don't over-exaggerate this much when you're around your friends. "I... I don't understand..." Pinkie had no idea what just happened. What? Oh, how Twilight was here? I may be confined to you right now, but I can still communicate with others in many ways. I contacted Twilight in her dream and brought her here. "But how is that possible?" Not into the real world, silly; into your head- wait, did I just say...? Nah. But she was in your head, which should explain a lot. Pinkie ran down the stairs, opened the door and ran through. She was back at the top of the stairs. "Wha-...?" Hm? Is something wrong? Pinkie shook her head then ran down the stairs again. Upon reaching the front door, she paused as she reached to open it with her hoof. I can't let you do that, Pinkie. She opened the door, and she was back upstairs again. She looked behind her, but it wasn't the front door she had gone through. This wasn't some sort of trick house; she had literally just appeared upstairs. And I'll make sure that you don't. Have you forgotten that I can control your body whenever I please now? That memory of yours is giving me second thoughts about choosing you... Twilight ran to Carousel Boutique, where she and her friends had agreed to meet that day. Having overslept, she was running late. But this hadn't impeded their progress towards finding Pinkie Pie. Once inside, Twilight headed to her friends with some news that would definitely bring some smiles back to the ponies who were now downtrodden by their friend leaving them. "Twilight, where have you been?" asked Rarity. "We were worried about you!" "Girls, I know how to find Pinkie Pie!" Pinkie Pie walked down the stairs, took a look at the door, then turned around and headed into the kitchen. Feeling hungry again? Running down those stairs a couple times shouldn't have taken that much energy from you. I think you should stay away from cupcakes for a bit. "Yeah, ha ha, very funny." Well, I guess my sense of humor isn't as developed as your is. They always said my jokes were never funny. Well, it's not like they have a say in anything anymore, because they are all dead. Well, all but one; but still. There was a brief silence as Pinkie paced back and forth. We better find something to pass the time while we wait for your friends, don't you think? Pinkie Pie stopped dead in her tracks. All of her friends were going to be here. In the middle of a forest, away from any form of help. With the darkness.
Prologue: Why is this Happening to Me?Pinkie Pie was running down a long, dark pathway in the Everfree Forest. She was running away from... Something... No matter how deep into her brain she dug, she couldn't seem to remember what it was she was trying so hard to avoid. Now Pinkie couldn't recall if it was something she was running from; maybe she was attempting to reach something or some place. All she really understood was that she was running, and had been for a while; she was beginning to feel the strain on her legs, the feeling that she could collapse at any given moment. But she couldn't stop; she refused to stop. But why? What was so important? Pinkie Pie stopped. She examined her surroundings. The trees that bordered the path were the only things Pinkie could see perfectly; everything beyond them was almost instantly consumed by the darkness of night. The pathway she had been running on was made of dirt. Pinkie Pie looked behind her, but there were no dust clouds formed by her hooves hitting the dry dirt; or at least none she could see now. Pinkie Pie began to think. What was she doing before she began to ran? Even after straining her brain, attempting to figure out what was going on, nothing came to her. It was almost as if the pony had amnesia and couldn't remember anything, except she remembered everything; all but the reason for her sudden urge to sprint to the nearest... Whatever Pinkie Pie happened to be after... It was troubling to this pony; not being able to remember. She remembered just about everything about anything. Pinkie Pie had been stopped for much longer than she should have been, for she began to sense a lingering presence hidden behind the thick foliage. "Wh- Who's there?" asked Pinkie Pie, who was so exhausted that she wasn't even sure if she could even feel frightened without it being too much on her body. Luckily, and unluckily, she was able to handle this feeling; a mix of extreme nervousness and fright that almost rendered her motionless. Pinkie was just about to look in another direction when her pursuer stepped out of the bushes and onto the pathway, blocking the way Pinkie was previously going. This figure, though almost a complete silhouette, was so familiar to Pinkie Pie; she just couldn't place a hoof on how this figure fit in to what was happening. The figure began to slowly make its way down the path towards Pinkie Pie. Then everything started coming back to her. At first it was only a single memory of the appearance of this pony, but soon became a flood of memories washing over Pinkie's mind. Pinkie Pie soon wished she hadn't remembered anything. "You! How did you find me!?" Pinkie Pie demanded from the pony she wished wasn't even there. The new arrival didn't speak at first, and continued to walk slowly towards Pinkie. The pony began to get illuminated, revealing its full appearance. It was... Pinkie Pie... But also not Pinkie Pie. It had the same colors and the same eyes, but it was much duller than Pinkie Pie. The mane this pony had was not the frazzled, fun-filled mane of the true Pinkie Pie's; it was straightened down like it was when Pinkie was a filly. "Oh, it isn't hard to track you at all. You see, no matter where you run, no matter where you hide, I will always be able to find you," said the other Pinkie Pie with a grin on her face. Hearing her own voice come from this dull pony sent shivers down Pinkie Pie's back. "What do you want with me?" asked Pinkie Pie. Being in the presence of this pony had made Pinkie feel even more frightened than before she even knew what was following her. The aura this other Pinkie Pie let off was purely terrifying; a doppelgänger come to corrupt the good of the world. "I thought you'd never ask," the dark Pinkie Pie said. She slipped into the bushes, and, before Pinkie Pie could attempt to run again, came back out with a white rabbit. Not perfectly white, however, unless one is to associate red with white in any way. "Such a beautiful sight, don't you think?" Pinkie Pie couldn't breathe for a couple seconds. "Is- Is that..." "Angel? No; but I wish it was. Just practicing for when I do get to him, though. I can't wait." "Stop it! Just shut up!" "What, you can't take me talking about a dumb rabbit? Jeez, Pinkie; and to think I'll be moving on to even bigger things with you." "Go away!" yelled Pinkie. She finally got the strength to begin running again. Away from what she hated; away from what she feared. She knew she couldn't stop running for a long time. She finally knew exactly what she was running from: the forgotten memories that she had so foolishly remembered. Pinkie saw a pony come into view in front of her down the path. "Help! You've got to help me! There's a-" It was her other self. The dead rabbit lay in front of her. "You forgot something back there," said the doppelgänger, nudging the snow-white rabbit stained with red towards Pinkie Pie. "No!" yelled Pinkie Pie. She left the path and began to run between all the trees. Why is this happening to me? she thought. The pathway was much easier to travel; Pinkie could hardly see anything around her in the forest. She should have gotten back on the path, but now she had strayed too far away from it, taken so many different turns, that she had no clue where the path was anymore. She began to hear what the other Pinkie Pie had said. No matter where you run, no matter where you hide, I will always be able to find you. Pinkie continued to run, despite beginning to feel her legs getting tired faster and faster. She had no idea where she was; no idea where she would even go. I will always be able to find you. Pinkie Pie's legs finally gave out. She fell over and hit the ground hard. It was suddenly bright in the forest- except it wasn't even the forest anymore. Pinkie had awoken from a nightmare. She was relieved that she was in her room; such a familiar surrounding was a sight for sore eyes after what she had experienced in her sleep. She crawled out of her bed, ready to start the day. She froze when she saw it. Laying on the ground in front of the door was a white rabbit stained with blood. Pinkie began to silently cry. She slowly made her way back to the bed, got on it, and pulled the covers over herself. She had tried to stop it before, but nothing ever worked; it was unstoppable. Pinkie Pie knew this day would come, but hoped it never would. It was the only way to keep everypony safe. Pinkie Pie knew that she had to leave. Now let the story begin.
Chapter 1: Where Have You Gone?1Where Have You Gone? Twilight Sparkle was up before most ponies this day. She had to get up early to help Rarity set up decorations around Ponyville for Hearth's Warming Eve. Though the holiday itself was't for another few weeks, the citizens of Ponyville always enjoyed having the festive mood start early in the month. Twilight was told to meet Rarity at her house to start the decorating. Rarity had made most of these herself, before Twilight had come to live in Ponyville. As Twilight opened the door of her house, freezing-cold air began to blow in. The weather was definitely approving of the decorations being put up. Twilight had thought that she wasn't going to have to wear her warm winter clothes today, but she had been proven wrong by the sight of her breath instantly after the door was opened. After clothing herself with the proper attire, Twilight attempted to leave her house again, this time with more success. She made her way to Rarity's house. She was excited that Rarity had asked her to help out with the decorations for two reasons. One, because she had never put up Hearth's Warming Eve decorations since she was a filly, and two, because she thought she could get a friendship report out of it. Twilight arrived at Carousel Boutique. After a few knocks on the door, she heard Rarity's voice call "come in!" Twilight opened up the door and walked through the threshold. She had almost forgotten what proper warmth was until she closed the door behind her. She removed her winter clothes and set them down by the door; she didn't want to get too hot. Rarity was working hard on something. "Twilight, would you be a dear and lift this up while I wrap some fabric around it?" asked Rarity. "Of course!" Twilight used her magic to levitate whatever it was Rarity was working on. Rarity began to wrap a light-blue fabric around it. After Rarity ran out of the fabric, she began to wrap a thin gold ribbon around it. Once she reached the other side, she cut the ribbon with scissors and glued it down. "Oh, I just can't wait to see the look on Pinkie Pie's face when she sees this new decoration!" Rarity said excitedly. Pinkie Pie had always loved every one of the decorations Rarity made. "I couldn't stand to see how downtrodden she looked yesterday." "Yeah, I wonder what was wrong," said Twilight. She looked at the 'decoration' with a confused look on her face. "What is it?" "Oh, sorry," said Rarity. She used her magic to stand it upright. It was a lamp post made to look like a blue and gold candy cane. "Couldn't you have put this stuff on a lamp post we already had?" asked Twilight. "Now, Twilight, that would be too easy. Do you remember who you're talking to? I never take the easy way out when it comes to my work!" "So, how many decorations are there to be set up?" asked Twilight. Before Rarity could take a breath to begin her answer, Rainbow Dash came through the door. "Hey, have any of you seen Pinkie Pie? I was supposed to met her at Sugarcube Corner to help her bake cupcakes, but she wasn't there. I've searched almost everywhere for her!" "Sorry, Dash; I haven't seen her since yesterday," responded Twilight. "Nor have I," said Rarity. "Have you checked her room in Sugarcube Corner? Maybe she hasn't woken up yet?" "I doubt it, but I'll check anyway," said Rainbow Dash. She left Rarity's house, letting in a quick gust of cold air. Twilight shivered. "Strange; Pinkie Pie is never too hard to find," said Twilight. "I wonder if this has something to do with why she was acting so strange yesterday." "That's quite a possibility, Twilight. She didn't even show up for lunch yesterday; she always shows up for lunch," said Rarity. "I forgot to tell you that when I asked her what was wrong, she insisted that it was nothing and ended up just walking away. That is definitely not something she'd do, not even if she wanted to." "I'm sure she's feeling better today, or at least starting to," said Rarity. "Remember the last time we saw her like that? It didn't even last the whole day." "Yeah, I guess you're right," said Twilight. She was still worried for Pinkie Pie, though. She had a reason to feel down last time, and her friends were able to easily get her spirits back up. This time, however, was different; nopony knew what was wrong. Twilight was about to continue examining the candy cane lamp post when Rainbow Dash burst through the door. "Rainbow Dash? What are you-" Twilight saw that she had tears in her eyes. "Rainbow Dash, whats wrong!" Rainbow Dash dropped a piece of paper on the floor and flew out the door. Rarity ran over and closed the door, then trotted next to Twilight to look at the piece of paper. Twilight picked it up with her magic and turned it over to see what was on it. There was a note. Dear Friends, I am sorry to say that, by the time you are reading this, I have already left Ponyville and will not return. I need to keep you all safe, and the only way to do that was to get myself as far away as possible from everypony. Please do not come searching for me. I kindly ask Fluttershy to watch over Gummy now. I must say sorry again, and I will miss all of you. Goodbye, Pinkie Pie Twilight and Rarity couldn't keep the tears from coming out of their eyes. Twilight dropped the note from Pinkie Pie onto the ground. Twilight and Rarity hugged each other, still crying. Once Twilight was able to speak, she said, "Fluttershy and Applejack have to know." The two unicorn ponies put on their warm clothes and left for Fluttershy's cottage with the note. They told anypony they saw along the way of what has happened, and each one got teary-eyed and didn't know what to say. They couldn't believe that Pinkie Pie had just gotten up and left. One of the only sources of fun had just vanished. It was almost as if a magician had secretly performed a disappearing act with the happiness in Ponyville, but had forgotten to make it reappear. Twilight and Rarity got to the walkway that led to Fluttershy's cottage. They didn't know how they would tell Fluttershy of this bad news. As the two ponies discussed their plan of action, the front door of the cottage opened up. Out came Gummy with a little scarf and ear muffs, followed by Fluttershy with her winter clothes on. The sight of Gummy without Pinkie Pie caused Rarity to tear up and begin to cry. Twilight comforted Rarity as Fluttershy trotted over to them, with Gummy following close behind her. "What's the matter, Rarity?" Fluttershy looked very concerned. "Is something wrong with Opalescence!?" "No, it's not that," replied Twilight. "Well then... Why are you crying, Rarity?" asked Flutershy, even more concerned now. "Why do you have Gummy, Fluttershy?" asked Rarity, barely able to speak over her sniffling. "Oh, somepony was knocking on my door very early in the morning, and when I finally got to opening it up, I saw Gummy standing in front of the doorway with nopony with him. The poor little thing was freezing cold, so I took him inside to warm up." "So Pinkie Pie wasn't there?" asked Twilight. "She might have been the one who knocked on the door," began Fluttershy, "but I doubt it; she'd never leave Gummy out in the cold by himself like that." "There's something..." Twilight began to tear up. "There's something you've got to see." Twilight took the note of of her pocket and gave it to Fluttershy, who began to read it. "Oh, my..." These were the only words Fluttershy was able to speak before she began to cry. She left the note on the ground and quickly went back inside of her cottage with Gummy. Twilight looked at Rarity, and they both nodded. Twilight lifted the note up with her magic and put it back in the pocket of her winter coat. She was reluctant to go tell Applejack, because she knew that it would bring even more sadness to both her and Rarity, and now Applejack. However, it had to be done. The walk to Sweet Apple Acres was a very long one, and in this cold weather Twilight knew it wouldn't be a very happy walk. It started to snow on the way. Oh, the snow; such a happy and peaceful sight to most. It falls so softly, so slowly, making no noise at all. Pinkie Pie loved the snow. She would always lay on her back in the snow and wave her legs around to make what was called a 'snow angel.' Twilight looked up into the sky. Somewhere, right at this very moment, snow must be falling around Pinkie Pie. Sweet Apple Acres began coming into view up ahead. The snow had created a beautiful blanket of pure-white all over the ground. Twilight and Rarity couldn't help themselves; they both fell onto their backs and made snow angels. They got up and looked at their creations. There was something different about the ones Pinkie Pie always made; the ones she created always had a certain look to them, a look of pure joy and excitement. Rarity and Twilight's just looked plain. Applejack was bound to be inside of the house, cooking up some warm meal for the rest of the Apple family to have for lunch. Rarity wished they didn't have to tell Applejack about this bad news. The house looked so peaceful. The fields of snow were untouched by anypony. Twilight began to cry. Pinkie Pie would have made sure to play in every square-foot of snow. Ponyville was going to be different; it wouldn't have the splendid nature of Pinkie Pie to brighten up any down moods. Could this be a dream? A terrible dream that Twilight has yet to wake up from and give a sigh of relief? No; this was too real to be a dream. Twilight and Rarity reached the door, and Rarity knocked on it. Several seconds passed before the door was opened. Apple Bloom stood on the other side of the doorway. "Oh, hey you two!" said Apple Bloom. "Hey, Apple Bloom. Is Applejack inside?" asked Twilight. "She sure is! Come on in!" Apple Bloom was happy to see these unexpected guests. Twilight and Rarity walked inside, and Apple Bloom closed the door behind them. "Applejack's upstairs in 'er room. Do ya want me to go get 'er for ya?" "No, but thank you for offering," said Rarity. The two unicorns proceeded upstairs to Applejack's room. The door to her room was open, and they walked in and closed it. Applejack was at the window, looking out at the snow, when she saw the reflections of her two friends behind her. "If ah had known y'all were gonna be here, I'da prepared more soup for ya!" said Applejack. "Thanks, but that won't be necessary; we're not planning on staying too long," said Rarity. "Why's that?" asked Applejack, who was confused as to why her friends would walk all the way here through the freezing-cold weather and not stay for very long. "Here, this is what we came here for." Twilight took Pinkie Pie's goodbye note out of her coat pocket and gave it to Applejack. "Feel free to do whatever you want with it after you read it; we have no use of it now." "What's this-here piece o' paper?" asked Applejack. "Just read it," said Rarity, who had began to tear up once again. "What's wrong, Rarity?" asked Applejack. Twilight looked at Applejack, then motioned towards the note. Applejack looked down at the paper as Twilight and Rarity left her room. Applejack began to read the note. Twilight and Rarity walked downstairs and walked out the door. As they were walking down the path, they looked back at the house and saw Applejack in an open doorway, crying and being comforted by Apple Bloom. Twilight looked into the distance. Pinkie Pie, where have you gone?
Chapter 2: All Alone2All Alone Being alone wasn't as bad as it sounded. Nopony around to bother you, you have all the time in the world to yourself... Oh, who was she kidding? Herself? Pinkie Pie was alone, and she couldn't deny the fact that she hated every single second of it. She kept on telling herself that it was for the best; that it was the only way she could ensure that everypony she knew and loved would be safe from the darkness that lingered inside of her. She thought back to the time the darkness first began to show up in the back of her mind. She thought it to be just some kind of small, strange occurrence in her system; that it would go away as soon as it had come. If only that assumption had been the true outcome of things. Instead, it had just kept growing and growing, until one night it actually took over her body. Only for a few minutes, but like the beginning of the darkness, the amount of time it was able to control her for grew, slowly but surely. Pinkie Pie leaving Ponyville may have been for the good reason of protecting everypony, but those ponies she wanted to protect were also the only ones that could possibly protect her from herself as well. Though she had successfully completed what she thought of as her mission, Pinkie Pie was now all alone in the outer reaches of the Everfree Forest. Not only did she have a lethal presence living inside of her, but there were multiple things in the Everfree that could also present her with an untimely demise. Pinkie had noticed that the darkness hadn't taken over at all since two nights ago. Was this caused by the fact that she was nowhere close to anypony her other self could have any "fun" with? Or was it just waiting for the perfect moment to present itself? What was Pinkie Pie even thinking? What would the right moment even be for it? Pinkie Pie's thoughts were interrupted by something she saw coming into view. A wooden building was beginning to show over the bushes that were in front of Pinkie Pie. At first she thought it was some sort of small cabin, but as she got closer, it was revealed to be much larger than she first thought. It was a mansion. Pinkie Pie became very happy. This mansion would provide her with a place to stay, out of the open and away from any danger that could be lurking in the darkness. Pinkie had just walked up to the front door when a thought came to her head. What if somepony else was living here? She definitely didn't want them to be in danger because of her presence. If she knocked on the door and somepony answered it, she would just have to leave and find someplace else to take refuge for the night. If nopony answered, she would be able to reside there for as long as she pleased. Knock knock knock! Each time she heard her hoof hit the door, Pinkie felt a pulsating feeling in her head. Not pain, no; this was much different. She began to knock again. Knock! Another quick pulse of something. Knock! This time is was a little bigger. Knock! Pinkie hit the door harder on the last knock, which in turn made the pulse even larger. Pinkie almost passed out from it. "What is this!?" Pinkie screamed aloud, falling to the ground and holding her head in her hooves. I'm sorry, are you speaking to me? Pinkie instantly knew this voice inside of her head to be the darkness inside of her. Because I may know what you're experiencing. "What are you doing to me!?" Pinkie demanded. Come now, Miss Pie; you don't want ponies to think that you're yelling at yourself now, do you? "I don't care what other ponies think! There aren't even any ponies around here to see this! Besides, I know that I'm yelling at you and not myself! You aren't me!" Well of course I'm not you, Pinkie. I'm inside of you. Any pony is able to understand that. The thing is, you see, I'm just not you yet. "What are you talking about? What are you going to do with me!?" Slow down there, Pinkamena. You're asking quite a lot of questions as of late. What I'm talking about and what I'm planning on doing to you are two different topics; both of which would surely ruin the surprise. Pinkie just sat there, staring at the ground and beginning to produce tears. What's wrong, Pinkie? I thought you loved surprises? And you wouldn't want to cry in front of the new arrival, would you? "Huh?" Pinkie looked up at the door. It was wide open, but there was nopony in sight. "Hello? Is somepony in there?" What are you waiting for, Pinkie? He's invited you inside. It would be rather rude not to accept his kind gesture. "There's nopony here! Who are you talking about!?" Pinkie stood still at the entrance of the mansion. Why, the owner of this mansion, of course. Go on in, Pinkie; he's growing impatient as you just stand here. Pinkie stepped inside of the mansion, looking around. "Where is he?" she asked. Who? Oh, the owner of this mansion? He's waiting for you in his room upstairs. Before you go thank him for letting you stay, why don't you indulge in the nice meal he's laid out for you? Pinkie Pie's stomach began to growl. We both know you want to, Pinkie. So why not fill up on the nice oats and flowers he's cooked up for you and then thank him after? Pinkie began to smell these nice things. "I guess eating doesn't sound like such a bad idea right now." She walked into the room that the smell was emanating from. Sure enough, a plate of food was sitting on a table. The room was lit up by multiple oil lamps, as well as a fresh fire in the fireplace. Pinkie sat down at the table and began to eat. Once she felt that she had enough, she decided to go look for the pony the darkness was talking about. She began to ascend the staircase that was in the main hall wen the darkness began to speak. Ah yes, I almost forgot to mention that you've already been invited in here before. "What?" asked Pinkie Pie, a confused look on her face. When she reached the top of the stairs, she saw several doors. All were open except the last on to the left. And you've already been in here before. And yes, that door's the one. Pinkie trotted over to the closed door and began to open it. "Hey, I just wanted to thank you for letting me in, but I've got to leave beca-" There was a dead unicorn in the opposite corner of the room. Pinkie quickly slammed the door and put her back against it, sliding down to a sitting position. She put her head in her hooves and breathed heavily. Don't you just love surprises?
Chapter 3: The Beginning of the End3The Beginning of the End Twilight saw movement behind a tree. "Pinkie? Is that you?" The lack of an answer caused Twilight to cautiously approach the tree. As she was about to go around it, a bird flew out from behind it. Twilight sighed. Maybe she told us not to try and find her because she knew we'd never be able to find her anyway. She turned around to head back to Ponyville, but instead of the pathway, she came face-to-face with a wall of darkness. But it wasn't really even a wall; it seemed to have some sort of depth to it. Twilight took one step into the darkness, then stopped. It wouldn't be the best idea to just walk right into such a phenomenon, seeing as though it was for all she knew an infinite dark plane. The ground suddenly started to shake. Twilight then began to hear a low voice. "Ah, I see we have a visitor. Come on in, Twilight; make yourself at home," said the voice in a slow manner. The rumbling died down. "Who are you? And how do you know my name?" Twilight asked, a little scared and confused. "Who I am is not important; it's who you are that is," said the voice. "How do I know your name? Well, let's just say that a mutual friend let me in on some information about, well, everything." "Who?" "The one you are here to seek out." "Pinkie!? Do you know where she is!?" "Ah yes, Pinkie; that's the one. I know where she is, yes; in fact, I'm with her right now." "Well, would you mind telling me where you both are?" "But of course! How rude would it be of me to not help you find one of your best friends?" Just as the voice stopped talking, the darkness began to fade away and reveal a pathway in a forest. "And I can do much better than just telling you where we are; I can show you." Twilight began walking down the pathway as the voice spoke. "Up north, you will find a clearing." The scenery changed to a clearing in the middle of the forest. "There, you will be able to spot the Starswirl constellation in the night sky. Follow the brightest star to the east, and there you will find a house..." Trees appeared around Twilight, and a moonlit house became visible in the distance. As she approached the house, she saw somepony in the upstairs window. "Pinkie Pie! Pinkie, it's me; Twilight!" The pony in the window looked at her, then frantically opened the window. "Twilight!?" Pinkie couldn't believe what she was seeing. "Yeah! Come on, Pinkie!" "No! You don't understand! You've gotta get away from here; away from me!" She's not here, Pinkie; I was only showing her where you are. Pinkie could hear the dark presence inside of her head. "What do you mean I'm not here?" asked Twilight. Pinkie froze. "You... You can hear it too?" she asked. "Hear what?" Me, Miss Sparkle; she's referring to me. This didn't make any sense! How was the darkness able to talk to Twilight if Pinkie still only heard it in her head? What I mean by "you aren't here" is that you are dreaming. Pinkie tried to warn Twilight about the darkness, but no words came out; she was unable to speak. And what Pinkie meant by "get away from here" is that you should wake up and begin trying to find this place. Pinkie could only hope that Twilight would see that something was wrong with this situation. But she didn't. Now that you've been given these instructions and have seen what this house looks like, it's time for you to wake up. Happy travels, Twilight; I can't wait to meet you out of a dream. "Hold on! Wait!" Twilight suddenly disappeared. Happy travels. "Noooo!" Pinkie was finally able to speak, and she started gasping for air. Slow down there, Pinkie Pie; I only prevented you from speaking, not breathing. Or maybe... The darkness paused. I sure do hope you don't over-exaggerate this much when you're around your friends. "I... I don't understand..." Pinkie had no idea what just happened. What? Oh, how Twilight was here? I may be confined to you right now, but I can still communicate with others in many ways. I contacted Twilight in her dream and brought her here. "But how is that possible?" Not into the real world, silly; into your head- wait, did I just say...? Nah. But she was in your head, which should explain a lot. Pinkie ran down the stairs, opened the door and ran through. She was back at the top of the stairs. "Wha-...?" Hm? Is something wrong? Pinkie shook her head then ran down the stairs again. Upon reaching the front door, she paused as she reached to open it with her hoof. I can't let you do that, Pinkie. She opened the door, and she was back upstairs again. She looked behind her, but it wasn't the front door she had gone through. This wasn't some sort of trick house; she had literally just appeared upstairs. And I'll make sure that you don't. Have you forgotten that I can control your body whenever I please now? That memory of yours is giving me second thoughts about choosing you... Twilight ran to Carousel Boutique, where she and her friends had agreed to meet that day. Having overslept, she was running late. But this hadn't impeded their progress towards finding Pinkie Pie. Once inside, Twilight headed to her friends with some news that would definitely bring some smiles back to the ponies who were now downtrodden by their friend leaving them. "Twilight, where have you been?" asked Rarity. "We were worried about you!" "Girls, I know how to find Pinkie Pie!" Pinkie Pie walked down the stairs, took a look at the door, then turned around and headed into the kitchen. Feeling hungry again? Running down those stairs a couple times shouldn't have taken that much energy from you. I think you should stay away from cupcakes for a bit. "Yeah, ha ha, very funny." Well, I guess my sense of humor isn't as developed as your is. They always said my jokes were never funny. Well, it's not like they have a say in anything anymore, because they are all dead. Well, all but one; but still. There was a brief silence as Pinkie paced back and forth. We better find something to pass the time while we wait for your friends, don't you think? Pinkie Pie stopped dead in her tracks. All of her friends were going to be here. In the middle of a forest, away from any form of help. With the darkness.
