"Anypony outside?"
Night fell upon Pendant Lakes as Stellar peered outside the door. The corridor looked empty, bathed in moonlight. The red carpet was strewn all over the floor, slightly burnt.
Spring shivered as Rarity placed a blanket around her, reassuring her with a smile.
"You don't no need to do this, Rarity. I'm going to... well... to pass on anyway."
"Don't say that." Rarity hushed her, a little hurt at the filly's talk. "You still have a long way to go."
The white pony hugged Spring tightly with concern.
"I won't let you."
Stellar whistled suddenly, waking Octavia up from her slumber with yawn as Crimson helped her up from his chest.
"You really make a good bed, Crimson."
Spring giggled as Crimson looked at her. "Really, Octavia? At a time like this?"
The butler's smile faded quickly. "We don't have much time. We need to get all of you out of here right now."
Rarity nodded with determination.
"But isn't there any other way we can help, Mr. Lionheart? Any at all?"
"I don't know, miss." Stellar said with a shrug. He holstered a small pistol up, jiggling the barrel to his ear.
"Nearly out of bullets. Does anypony have any more?"
Octavia scoffed rudely.
"You think?"
The door creaked open as the five ponies crept outside the corridor. Bullet holes riddled the walls, some of the windows already shattered by brute force. Fires whipped from outside and around, burning through the courtyard mercilessly.
The ground shook again, with Spring nearly tripping over. A small crack echoed around the hallway, stopping all of them in their tracks.
"The palace can't handle this much attacks." Stellar quipped, gripping tightly on his gun. "It can collapse any moment."
Another rumble echoed, small tables rattling along as the walls around them crumbled slightly.
"We have to move. Fast."
All of them trudged forward, ignoring the few shouts booming from outside and within.
"What about the Princesses?"
Stellar turned around, his gaze settling onto Rarity. "The Princesses can help."
"I would love to have the Princesses here with us as well, Miss Rarity." he replied. "But I'm afraid Master Winter won't take too kindly on their arrival to the palace."
"We need all the help we can get, Stellar!" Octavia cried. "You can't just let the Palace burn down!"
Stellar stopped, his mind rambling about as he tried to keep calm.
"Even if Master Winter allows, we can't gallop all the way to Canterlot just to call them over!"
The four ponies fumbled around, with Spring looking at all of them in confusion.
Rarity's head popped up, her eyes widened with realization.
"Idea~~!!"
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Twilight stepped in, shaking her wet mane as a small shower of rain pattered outside.
"Here Fluttershy," she called to the yellow pegasus, who was shuddering under Rainbow's hoof.
The pleasant aroma of mushroom soup wavered through the hallway of the hospital, as Fluttershy reached out for the warm thermos. She took a small gulp, easing a little.
"Th-Thank you..."
Applejack paced around, mumbling under her breath. "Pinkie Pie, you crazy..."
Twilight sat beside Fluttershy as Rainbow gestured the orange pony to sit.
"Fluttershy?"
The yellow pegasus took another sip. "Y...Yes?"
"When Pinki-" she stopped for a moment. "When she did that... was it..."
Fluttershy closed her eyes, cringing a little.
"I-I don't want t-to talk about it..."
"It's okay, sugarcube." Applejack said, walking over to them.
Rainbow stretched her hooves, uneasily gazing at the double doors in front of them.
"Why did she do that to herself... I don't get it."
"We all don't, Rainbow." Twilight assured her. cupping her hooves tightly.
"But she'll make it. I know she would."
Fluttershy and Applejack joined their hands as well. The rain fell in melancholy, tapping on the hospital walls as they closed their eyes in prayer.
"Remember?" Rainbow quipped abruptly, interrupting their solemnity. "Your first Pinkie Pie party, Twilight?"
The unicorn chuckled. "I remember that one. Hot sauce, eh?"
All four of them laughed slightly, as she continued.
"Or that time she made us 'giggle at the ghosties'?"
"Yeah! That one was super!"
"W..What about," Fluttershy's voice piped in. "What about that one time? She sings that song about Zecora?"
"Who wouldn't remember that one, Fluttershy." Applejack laughed heartily, imitating Pinkie Pie with her hooves above her head.
"~She's an evil enchantress-"
All of them burst out laughing, Rainbow already rolling around the floor along with Twilight. Tears filled both of their eyes as Fluttershy tried to cover hers with her hoof. Applejack's hat fell to the side as she chortled in amusement.
Inside the operating room, the doctors and nurses scurried around, their snouts sweating as Pinkie Pie laid on the table, her eyes shut tightly.
She gritted her teeth as pain shot up her body. Numbness replaced it quickly, making her moan in a daze.
Her ears perked. Behind the scampering and scurrying. A faint sound of...
"What...?"
"And remember the time? She invited us for Gummy's birthday party?"
"Of course, Twi! It was one of the best parties that Pinkie Pie ever had for us."
Laughter echoed in Pinkie's brain. The laughter of her four friends.
"Could it be...?"
"What about that time! That time she pranks everypony in Ponyville!"
"Rainbow!!"
Her four friends. Laughing. Reminiscing about her.
Pinkie smiled.
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"Come on... Pick up!!"
Rarity felt like slamming the walkie-talkie, which only crackled in reply.
Stellar peeped outside the door, his revolver ever ready. Spring snuggled on Octavia's lap, quietly sleeping as Crimson looked out the window.
"Somepony answer please..." Rarity tried again in desperation.
A small crackle came to life, as the sound of rain bloomed through its speakers.
"H-Hello?"
"Spike!" Rarity exclaimed happily. "Thank Celestia you're here."
The dragon just grumbled. "Where else would I be?"
"Spike, we really, really need your help." the unicorn started to explain.
A gunshot rang through the room, waking Spring up with a shock as Stellar whirled back inside.
"We've been spotted!"
"What was that, Rarity?!" Spike's voice asked in desperation. "What's happening over there?!"
Rarity ducked down with a yelp as a bullet grazed above her mane, shattering the window in front of her.
"Rarity!!"
"I'm fine, Spike!" she shouted as bullets whizzed through the room. Octavia quickly helped Spring up as they ran into the bathroom.
"Aaah!" a scream pierced through as the grey pony fell onto the floor.
"Octavia!!" Crimson shouted, running to her side as he tried to lift her up.
Stellar returned the shots, firing into the hallway as Rarity scrambled from under the table.
Octavia winced in pain, clutching the side of her body as blood started to leak from her side.
"Hang on, 'Tavi!" Crimson cried. "Just hang on!!"
"Spike!! You really need to get Princess Celestia down here!!"
The walkie-talkie started to crackle fiercely as Stellar tossed a gun towards Crimson.
"Here!"
Octavia jerked slightly as Rarity helped her over.
"Octavia? Don't close your eyes now, okay?"
Spring covered her eyes in fear, cringing below the bathroom sink as another hail of bullets riddled into the room.
"Take cover!!"
Spike's voice rang through the speakers again. "I'm sending the letter now!!"
"Quickly!!" Rarity shouted as Crimson returned fire, striking a few ponies.
"Damn you idiots!!" he shouted into the corridor.
Octavia cringed in pain, blood soaking her grey coat as Rarity helped her up.
"Come on, Octavia!" she said, tearing the bed sheets with her mouth as she began rubbing oil on her wound.
The grey pony screamed a little in pain as Rarity's horn glowed, directed onto the bleeding wound.
A polished, bloodstained metal gleamed in Rarity's blue aura as it surfaced from her wound. Octavia gripped tightly on the carpet, biting her lip in pain with tears in her eyes.
Stellar's gun started clicking. "I'm out, Crimson!!"
Crimson nodded, firing at the ponies outside as wood splintered from the raining bullets.
He peered out a little, a small glint caught his eyes as his mind started brewing a plan.
"Stellar! Get ready to close the door!"
Crimson held his breath while Stellar readied his hoof. Octavia tried not to scream as her friend continued the extraction.
Her coltfriend's hoof twitched nervously as he fired.
"Close it!!!"
An explosion blasted through the hallway as Stellar quickly slammed the door. He fell backwards, slightly stunned by the blow.
"Done!" Rarity said, letting the small metal fall with a clinked on the carpet. Octavia panted with exhaustion, loosening her tight grip on a small pillow.
"Octavia!" Crimson said, rushing over to his marefriend as Rarity began bandaging the wound with the satin sheets.
"You okay, 'Tavi?"
Spring crawled out from under the sink, with Stellar helping her up as they both looked in concern.
Octavia coughed a little, brushing her black mane aside.
"I'm fine, I guess." she said, glancing uneasily at her injury.
A small voice crackled from the table. Rarity hastily picked up the receiver, her friend slightly sobbing in Crimson's mane.
"Spike? Spike, are you still there?"
"Rarity, thank Celestia!" the dragon's voice exclaimed, booming through the speaker. "I sent the letter like you said!"
"And?" the white unicorn tapped her hooves desperately.
"She..." the dragon hesitated a little. Rarity could hear him curse with contempt.
"Language, Spikey!" she scolded.
Spike fumbled a little, slightly taken aback. "S-Sorry, Rarity."
Rarity giggled as Octavia looked over discerningly at her friend, shaking her head.
"Really? At a time like this?"
"So what did she say?" Rarity asked again.
Spike held his breath. "How shall I put this..."
"She denied."
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Applejack looked out the hospital. "Stopped raining already."
Pinkie Pie rested on the bed, her mane still flat. The orange pony couldn't bear to look at her mummified body, which was slightly stained with medicine.
"Is she awake yet?" Twilight said as she stepped in the room. Spike followed inside, a basket of fruit swinging along his claws as he started munching on an apple.
"Spike!" the unicorn shouted at him as the dragon spat a few seeds out.
"Sorry." he said with a shrug. "Sheesh."
Pinkie tossed and turn restlessly, groaning with annoyance.
"She's waking. Call Rainbow and Fluttershy in..." Twilight whispered to Spike.
Shortly after the dragon left, Pinkie's eyes slowly opened, her blurry vision becoming clearer with each passing minute.
"Hey, Pinkie." Twilight said, slightly uncertain of what to do.
"Howdy." Applejack tipped her hat.
The only reply was a small, nervous 'hi.'
"So...." Twilight's voice trailed off, tapping her hooves impatiently. "How are you feeling?"
"All right, I guess." the pink pony said, examining her body with disgust.
"Pinkie, about yesterday..."
"I don't want to remember." Pinkie said, glancing away uneasily. A small tear formed in her eye, slowly falling onto the bed as she cowered under the blanket.
"I don't w-want to remember..."
Pinkie felt the blanket fly free from her hooves as Applejack gave it a small tug.
"Pinkie, it's okay. It's okay now, sugarcube." she said, comforting her friend a little.
"All of us forgave you."
Pinkie stopped sniffling. "Y-You... You really mean it?"
The door swung open as Rainbow Dash stepped in along with Spike.
"Hey there, Pinkie!" the pegasus raised her hoof up with a wave.
Spike stepped in with a slight bow, a grin plastered on his face.
"You're awake, Spike." Pinkie said with a smile.
"Long enough." the dragon said, stretching his arms.
The door opened again as a yellow pegasus nervously stepped in.
Pinkie gasped a little, glancing away uneasily as her pink face paled.
"H..Hi Pinkie." Fluttershy managed to mutter.
The pink pony only responded with a whimper.
Silence draped over the room, a small sob fluttering from Pinkie's mouth as she hid her face under the blanket.
Applejack placed a hoof around Pinkie, gently patting the pony's back.
"It's alright, sugarcube."
"No...." the pony said between her sobs. "It's not... It's not......"
"Pinkie..." Fluttershy's voice chirped. "I don't blame you."
The pink pony just sniffled, her eyes tightly shut with guilt.
"I just..." Fluttershy crept closer to her cowering friend.
"You wouldn't understand, Fluttershy..." Pinkie sniveled, kicking the blanket away.
"Look at this! Look at what I've done..."
Spike trembled a little, slightly taken aback at her wounds.
The strong smell of medicine reeked through the room as Pinkie started bawling loudly in humiliation.
"You never felt this... All of this..."
Pinkie cringed, hiding under her mane with contempt.
"And.... when I made you watch...."
Pinkie broke down again, burying her face in a pillow as she wailed uncontrollably.
"Pinkie... Pinkie please..." Fluttershy protested, struggling in vain to seize her friend's hoof with Rainbow's help.
"I don't blame you for what you did... to me."
Pinkie stopped sobbing. "Wh-What do you mean? I-I made you watch..."
"I don't want to watch, of course." Fluttershy smiled sadly. "I don't want to watch my friends get hurt."
"But you're still hurt, Pinkie. And I'm still watching you cry."
Pinkie stopped, looking up at her friend with hope starting to glitter in her sky blue eyes.
"A-And I don't want to see you cry..." Fluttershy stopped short, wiping a tear off her eye as Twilight nodded with approval.
"She's right, Pinkie. We all do."
A gazillion thoughts crossed through her mind as Pinkie's eyes widened in astonishment.
"Y-You weren't scared?"
Everypony else shook their heads no.
"You weren't angry? At all?"
"Why would we be?" Rainbow Dash chuckled at her friend. "We're your friends!"
Pinkie smiled, her mane starting to return to its natural puffy self.
Applejack smiled widely. "C'me here, Pinkie."
The pink pony started laughing loudly as she fell into Applejack's hooves, hugging her friend tightly with tears in her eyes.
Twilight, Fluttershy and Rainbow joined in, all giggling and laughing with relief.
A small crack sounded through the room as Pinkie's mane suddenly popped with delight. The pony's face beamed with pride, her smile already touching the ends of her ears.
"I'm so GLAD you guys aren't mad at me!!! I mean, I thought you guys would hate me for doing ALL the horrible stuff that I've done!! I really do!! And you know what?!! This calls for... a ... PARTY!!!!"
Everypony else chuckled as Rainbow nudged Twilight's hoof.
"She's Pinkie Pie again."
Twilight nodded, her worries diminishing as she giggled at her pink friend bouncing energetically around the room. Applejack laughed with content as well as Fluttershy, who was being tossed around by the pink pony with glee.
A tap on the shoulder made Twilight turn around, gazing directly into Spike's face as the dragon cleared his throat.
"Twilight, something's come up with Rarity."
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Caper crept around the hallways, clutching onto a small revolver as he peered around the hallway.
"Autumn?" he called out, worry twisting in his gut.
The library was turned upside down. Books were scattered everywhere, some of the wooden bookshelves already toppled over like dominoes.
"Autumn, answer me." he cried out.
A small ruffle caught his ears, as he prepared his weapon.
"Is that you, Autumn?"
Caper moved cautiously towards the fallen mound of books, loading a small bullet into his revolver with a click.
"I wouldn't move if I were you."
Caper stopped suddenly at the click of a gun not his own. His eyes looked in shock as a figure stepped out of the shadows.
"Autumn?"
The mare walked out, her face anguished in desperation as he saw the fear in her eyes.
Her hooves were raised in the air, as another pony trotted closely behind her.
"Caper, Caper...." the voice said. "Look at what you've done."
The former magician gritted his teeth.
"Let her go, Dresden."
A light blue stallion stepped out, laughing coldly as he pushed Autumn with the barrel of the gun.
"Really, Caper? Giving up one famous magician act for the hand of a maiden?"
The gun in Dresden's hoof clicked, making Autumn flinch.
"Ask yourself, dude. Is it worth it?"
"Worth more than you can imagine." Caper answered without fail.
"And how was your first date like?" Dresden cackled a little. "Sawing her into two?"
He laughed with complete sarcasm as Caper's face grimaced.
"What about Sweden before the show," he shouted back, "have a few late-night one-stoppers?"
Dresden stopped laughing. "I'm sure those mares have better... assets than Miss Palgiot here."
He pushed her forward, making her yelp.
"Don't touch her!!" Caper howled, raising his gun at his friend.
"You know I've done this once, Dres. I can always do it again."
"What do you mean?" Autumn asked hastily, ignoring the barrel of the revolver twisting into her back. "What do you mean you've done this before?"
Caper sighed as Dresden flashed a dark smile.
"Autumn... I haven't been completely truthful to you..."
"Before magic, before all those cards and wands. I did something.... something horrible."
Caper glanced nervously at his gun, watching it gleam menacingly in the moonlight.
"I... I killed somepony."
Autumn gasped a little.
"Wh-Who was it?"
Caper's face twisted as he looked away, making Dresden laugh heartlessly.
"Spit it out, Caper." he scowled at the black stallion.
Caper held his breath.
"I-It was y-your cousin... Gypsum Palgiot."
Autumn's eyes widened in shock.
"You?!!" she screeched in rage, trying in vain to charge at the pony as Dresden held her back.
"You were that pony?! That bucking pony that killed GP in front of everypony??!!"
Caper nodded, unable to take a look at her face.
"HOW COULD YOU?!!" Autumn screamed with tears running down her eyes. "I TRUSTED YOU, YOU BUCKING-"
She elbowed Dresden strongly, making him stumble as she launched herself towards Caper.
A powerful punch made Caper fall backwards as Autumn stomped hastily towards him, her eyes seething with pure rage. She lifted Crimson up by the neck, making him choke with blue.
"GO TO HELL, CAPER!!" she screamed like a banshee in his face, making him cringe.
Dresden dragged the raging mare away. "That's enough now, Miss Autumn!!"
In one swift move, Autumn snatched Dresden's gun, pushing him away violently as the stallion crashed into a bookcase.
She screamed, firing at Dresden as the bullets riddled his body into a bloody mess.
Dresden felt his body go limp. "Wh...What..."
As soon as Caper saw his friend fell to the floor, panic shot through his veins like adrenaline.
"Autumn!!" he said, pushing himself away from the mare as she started marching towards him.
"Come to your senses, Autumn!!" he shouted.
Autumn raised the gun, pointing directly at Caper's head as he backed up against the wall.
Caper closed his eyes tightly.
Click.
Autumn tried again. Click.
She scowled, throwing the gun across the room as she sat down, burying her face in her hooves.
Caper's pants slowly returned normal.
"Autumn?" he called out nervously to the crying mare.
"Just get out..."
"Autumn, please-!" Caper began to protest.
"GET OUT!!"
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The throne room was always vacant at this time of the night.
Princess Celestia scrolled through a few clipboards, sipping a small cup of coffee.
"Sister," a voice called out. "it's late."
Princess Luna stepped forward from the balconies, ignoring the blackening eyes of her older sister as she looked around at the tattered mess on the floor.
"You need some sleep, sister." she tried again. "I'll be watching the night. Don't worry."
The alicorn swallowed the coffee, her face twinging at the strong brew as she looked at her younger sister.
"Luna... Something's come up."
The other alicorn walked to her side, examining the messy scrolls closely.
"What is it?"
Celestia's brow furrowed, gesturing towards the scroll in her hoof.
"Spike sent this letter." she explained. "My protege's assistant?"
"I remember him." Luna recalled, thinking back.
"Well, one of Twilight's friends apparently ran into some trouble up north." Princess Celestia continued.
"From what we know," her sister replied. "helping other ponies is our duty."
"I know, I know." the older alicorn brushed it off. "But I can't administer to this issue."
"Why not?"
"Cause," Princess Celestia stopped short, opening a rolled up scroll slowly as it revealed a map of Equestria.
"She's here," the princess said, her hoof landing on a mountainous region.
Pendant Lakes, Aston Peaks
Princess Luna was slightly stunned.
"Of all places in Equestria..." she cursed under her breath.
"Even the name disgusts me." the younger alicorn said, spitting onto the floor.
"Manners, Luna." Celestia said with a chuckle as the other princess blushed in embarrassment.
"Both of us know what the ponies at Pendant Lakes have implicated upon Equestria." she said, her tone darkening as she stared outside the window.
"There's no possible solution to aid the mare." Luna said, sighing in defeat.
Princess Celestia pondered for a moment, walking out in the balcony as her mane whipped in a small gale.
"There is one way..."