The Derpy I Know And Love 3 or How Pinkie Got Her Groove Back

CHAPTER SIX

The Ultimate Sacrifice

The tunnel or world or realm or what ever it is was starting to become mind-numbing.  They could not tell if it was miles that they had traveled or if by some cruel trick had just stayed in place.   However, the only sign that they were making any progress was the occasional pitfalls.  Some were just a mild dip, others were about the same as the first.  However they did come across one that they could not determine the bottom.  It was a good thing that they were so wary or they might have just stepped off into nothingness.  Rainbow Dash was able to fly across with some difficulty in getting the control of her flight.  She had to almost do everything the reverse of what her tuned instincts  were telling her.

Twilight found that her teleportation did not work here, or at least in a way she had as yet discovered.  She decided to levitate herself across, fearing all the way that she would lose control and plummet to nothingness.

They continued on despite the growing sense of futility.  They were not sure if it was the place, something that was being projected on them or they were really about to give up.

Rainbow had not had any good rest.  Even when Twilight was sleeping, she had stayed awake to watch over them.  Now it was getting to her.  She normally would take several cat naps a day when she could.  But now she felt like she had not slept in years.

“Twilight,” said Rainbow, “we have to stop.  I can’t take one more step.”

Twilight turned and looked at her friend.  She was about to say something about the urgency of the situation when Rainbow collapsed to the floor.

“Rainbow!” shouted Twilight.

She ran to her friend, Twilight cradled Rainbow’s head.  Rainbow looked up at her and smiled.

“I was wondering what it would take to get some attention from you.”

Despite the disparity of feelings she was fighting, Twilight bent down and gave Rainbow a small kiss on the lips.

“Sleep now Rainbow,” said Twilight, “it is my turn to watch.”

Rainbow did not argue.  Almost as soon as the words had left Twilight’s mouth, the blue pegasus was asleep.

The situation gave her a chance to rest as well.  She only wished that her mind would rest.

Those other feelings were starting to intensify again.  Here she was holding a mare that she had hidden the fact that she was attracted to, hidden even from herself.  She looked on Rainbow’s roguish features, the little smile she was doing right now.  That rainbow mane was always a marvel to Twilight.

She so much wanted to run her hooves through it.  She wanted to stroke the fine blue coat of this special pony.

From just supporting her head, Twilight could feel the toned muscles just below the skin.  The feeling of Rainbow was a paradox.  She was as soft as any mare but she was as hard as any stallion.  Then looking down the length of her body, Twilight was starting to fight with the feelings that Rainbow had fought when she was sleeping.

It would be so easy to gently wake her with kisses that Twilight was sure that Rainbow would not fight.  She would work her way down that lovely neck to her strong chest.  Continuing on stopping for nothing, except perhaps to linger on the nipples that she could now see.  Kissing on until Rainbow’s marehood was before her.  Twilight would dive in and please this closest of friends, pouring out all of her skill to bring to climax this mare that she now knew that there was not any doubt that she loved.  She did not even consider in her fantasy Rainbow doing anything for herself, it did not matter.  That was not what this would be all about.  If Twilight was to loose the last thread of control, it would be about showing this mare just how much she was desired and loved.

Twilight was not sure if Rainbow was asleep for minutes or hours, but she started to stir.

“Is the air in here getting bad?” asked Rainbow, “you are breathing awful hard.”

“Sorry,” said Twilight, “I was just thinking.”

Rainbow knew better than to ask what she had been thinking about.  She knew what, and the only reason Twilight had not asked her the same when she woke up was that Rainbow was able to control her breathing better.

But ‘it must have been a good one’, thought Rainbow to get Twilight breathing that hard.

They stood up, got their bearings from the direction of the ghostly ponies and continued on.

Shooting Star could feel Rainbow Dash coming nearer.  She had been easy to influence.  Rainbow operated at a more basic level, relying on her impulses and instincts.  She was not stupid but with the basic level that she operated, it made it easy for him to use the spirit magic to contact and to a small degree, control.

Twilight was different.  She was logical, controlled and suspicious of everything.  Even her passions were tempered with understanding and control.  He could understand why Bubbles had chosen her.  She was much like himself originally.  He had no chance of trying to interfere with her at this point, so he had to rely on the hold he was having on the pegasus.

The only problem, if problem it was, was that the pegasus had a very strong loyalty streak.

‘That is because her Element of Harmony is Loyalty.’ Thought Pinkie.

‘You think that you have some advantage by knowing what I am thinking,’ thought Shooting Star.  ‘Don’t!  I can still control you, Rainbow and even Twilight!  This will be easy, I will return to the real world in one of your bodies.  I will take my knowledge and I will rule!’

‘And ponies will just submit to you without any question.’ Said Pinkie, ‘I know that Twilight and Rainbow would gladly be killed rather than have you try to overthrow Celestia.  As far as myself, you have not paid any attention that I have already walked to the edge of the portal and it would only take one more time that you are not paying attention for me to jump through!’

Shooting Star realized that what Pinkie had thought was true, they were at the very brink.

‘The only reason I have not done it yet is I want to watch Rainbow and Twilight send you straight to hell!’ said Pinkie in a way that made Shooting unsure.

‘You wouldn’t!’ thought Shooting Star in a panic, ‘you love life too much just to throw it away!’

‘My happiness is based on my friends, and especially my love for my wife, Rainbow Dash!  I would gladly take you to hell myself if it meant that Rainbow went home free and that the threat of you gone forever from the world!’  Thought Pinkie, ‘maybe I should take that last step now!’

Shooting felt Pinkie’s leg move, he realized that if he inflicted pain right now, she might collapse and fall through the portal anyway.

‘I think I now understand why you act the way you do,’ thought Pinkie, ‘it is kind of fun to make you panic!’

All of the sudden Pinkie came in view, right at the threshold of a gaping maw.  Rainbow and Twilight could feel that beyond that was no return.  And it looked as if Pinkie was about to step into it.

“STOP!” cried Rainbow Dash.

‘They are here,’ said Shooting, ‘I will show you now what I am capable of.’

Pinkie felt Shooting Star using perhaps all the reserve strength to control her.  For the moment she did not resist.  They walked a little way from the opening.

“Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, congratulations on making such an arduous journey.” Said Pinkie, but they could tell that it was not Pinkie.

“What good do you think it will do to have control of Pinkie?” said Twilight.  “Give her up, we can come to terms.”

“Terms?” said Pinkie/Shooting Star.  “Here are my terms.  You Twilight will give yourself over to me.  I realized that you were willing to give your life for these ponies.  So I figured that if you did not come to save this one, I would eventually have Bubbles after I got full control of Pinkie.  But if you did come for her then I would have a proposition that you will not be able to turn down.

You will be displaced, without any chance of surfacing again.  Pinkie and Rainbow will go free, we will go back to the real world and from there we will build a new dynasty.  Your power and my knowledge will be unstoppable!”

“And if I don’t?” Asked Twilight.

“Then I take this one with me to limbo.” Answered Shooting/Pinkie.

Twilight turned to Rainbow and spoke quietly;

“If you love me the way I love you,” said Twilight grimly, “as soon as we get back you must kill me before he can fully use my body.  I will fight him as long as I can.  Tell Bubbles that I am sorry and that I love her.”

“Twilight! No,” said Rainbow.

But it was too late.  Twilight was walking over to Pinkie.

“Okay, you win.” Said Twilight, “I cannot let you hurt the ones I love anymore.”

Rainbow caught the inflection on the work love.  She really did love Rainbow the way she hoped.  She was willing to give her life for friends.  Knowing that as much as Rainbow would hate to do it, she would comply with Twilight’s last instructions.

Twilight stopped just short of Pinkie, there was about five feet between them.

“Get it over with!” demanded  Twilight.

Rainbow saw the red aura around Pinkie, it faded, there stood the gray stallion with the red mane and tail.  He was laughing wildly, Twilight looked as if she was about to cry.  He approached Twilight the red aura growing around Shooting Star.

Several thoughts went through Rainbow’s head in a quick instant.

‘If you love me the way I love you' and ‘no greater love has anypony than that they lay down their life for another pony’

Rainbow then remembered how things worked here.  She grit her teeth, and said in her mind ‘for the two I love’!

She spread her wings and gave only one might stroke down.  She shot ahead, and was pleased that she felt the impact with Shooting Star, he had no time to react.  The momentum carried the two right to the portal.

“NO!” screamed Twilight and Pinkie as they saw Rainbow and Shooting Star about to enter the portal.

What happened next, neither Rainbow or Twilight was ready for.  Around Rainbow was a yellow aura.  Rainbow was frozen right at the brink, Shooting star disappeared beyond.

Rainbow floated back to the ponies standing there, Twilight saw a yellow glow in Pinkie’s eyes, she saw Pinkie directing Rainbow back to them.  Rainbow set down, then the aura cleared.  Both Twilight and Pinkie rushed Rainbow and started hugging her and kissing her.

“Now I know I am dead,” said Rainbow, “I am in heaven!”

“Rainbow!” cried Twilight, “that was the bravest and most stupid thing I ever saw!  Thank you!”

“I could not stand to see something happen to either pony I love.” Said Rainbow sheepishly.

To her surprise, Pinkie did not react with her declaration of loving Twilight.

“Of course you love Twilight.” Said Pinkie, “here you learn things if you wait long enough.  And I am glad that when I am finally gone, Twilight will take care of you Dashie!”

The two mares stood there trying to figure out why Pinkie said what she did.  Then it hit Twilight.

“Wait a moment!  How in Equestria were you able to levitate Rainbow?” asked Twilight.

“Not that I am ungrateful but I would like to know it as well.”  Said Rainbow.

Pinkie looked embarrassed;

“I know that most Ponies think that I don’t pay attention to anything important.  But when it is important I do pay attention.

When I realized that he could read my thoughts and was able to know the things I know, I figured that while he was busy, I would see if it worked both ways.  I remembered the theory that he had put forth that not just unicorns but anypony could do magic.  So I wandered around his mind while he was in mine.   I absorbed his knowledge of magic.  When you are in their mind it does not take long.  It is as if you had learned it yourself.  It might take me some time, but I am sure with help, Twilight, I could master it.”

“It would be my honor to help train you,” said Twilight hugging Pinkie.

“I do have a question for you Twi,” said Pinkie.

“Anything!” said Twilight.

“Did you not think that Dashie is a fantastic kisser?”

Rainbow and Twilight stood there dumbfounded.

“Come on!” said Pinkie, “Shooting Star was able to reach out through Dashie and knew what was going on.  And so did I.”

“You are not upset?” asked Twilight.

“Heck no!” said Pinkie, “I thought it kind of exciting!  I could tell through Shooting Star, who could tell through Dashie that you are quite the kisser yourself!”

“So Shooting Star put all that in our minds,” said Rainbow, glancing over to Twilight.

“No!” said Pinkie.  “Time does not work the same here,  you are able to tap into the past, present and future.  All he did was bring it to your attention.  He was trying to distract you.  Make you so confused that you would not pay attention enough until too late.  He did not realize that the feelings he was making you aware of would be his downfall.  Now you love Twilight, and Twilight loves you.  Don’t be ashamed, love is a very special thing, never to be ashamed of.”

“I guess I have a lot to explain to Bubbles when we get back.” Said Twilight.  She was looking very worried.

“No, you don’t” said Rainbow, “I will explain everything.  I will take all the blame.”

“No, both of you are wrong,” said Pinkie.  “I will explain everything to Bubbles, since I know everything that has gone on more than either of you.  I guarantee that it will all work out.”

Twilight was not so sure.

“Well this has been fun,” said Pinkie, “but if you two love birds don’t mind, I want to go home.”

“How?” asked Twilight.

“Shooting Star knew how, listen,” said Pinkie.

They could hear the chant and drum.

“Here we go!” said Pinkie.

There was a yellow glow in Pinkie’s eyes, then a yellow aura around the three.  The world around them went to a blur.  The chant and drum grew louder.  There was a very bad sick feeling in Twilight and Rainbow’s stomachs.  Everything was black.  Twilight opened her eyes, she was in Zecora’s hut.

Bubbles stopped the chant as the three ponies sat up.

“Give them the buckets!” shouted Zecora.

It was immediately evident to Rainbow and Twilight why the zebra said what she said.  As soon as the buckets were sat down by them, the two felt that the nasty brew they had ingested was wanting to come out.  The two unashamedly vomited into the buckets.

Zecora just smiled.