The cacophony of birds awoke Berry the next morning, Pinkie Pie was bouncing along the edge of the Volcano having the best time of her life it seems. The sun was just peeking over the horizon of trees, a growl vibrated from within Berry, gazing around she locates a stack of berries, “Pinkie Pie! Are these berries safe to eat?”
“Yeppers, otherwise I would be sick silly!”
“Thank you for finding them Pinkie Pie! This saves us so much time!” Time, the one thing that is working both for her, and against her. With many months left Berry was relaxed, it was very likely that she would be able to reclaim her daughter before she was adopted. Berry ate the food sitting before her and picked herself up, “Pinkie can you see anything down there?”
“Yeah! There is a big dragonny looking stone in the wall, think its the temple?”
“I sure hope so, otherwise we have a long walk ahead of us in order to find another volcano,” Berry walks over to the edge, seeking what Pinkie was seeing, a large grey draconic head gazed back at her, its eyes full of fire, “Well, I see where we need to go, but how do we get there?”
The sound of crashing was heard from the left of Berry, as she turned her head she sees a small pink pony falling down a set of stairs, somehow making each turn as she falls. When Pinkie Pie finally reaches the entrance she calls out, “You take the stairs DUH!”
When Berry descends the stairs to stand next to Pinkie the scale of the temple’s entrance becomes known, this was built for dragons, by dragons. No doubt the traps would be designed for them as well, but what could defeat a dragon? Maybe it isn’t to kill a dragon, but hold them there until they starve? Pinkie bounces into the temple without a care in the world. Berry hurries after her, the temple looming over them as, the light quickly fading and returning as they pass glowing gem after gem, each of them a ruby, the grey walls dappled black from ash, stones starting to break from the wall and ceiling, showing the temples age. Berry hears a click, and an “oops” from behind her. She turns to see Pinkie on a pressure pad, one she missed only bearly. Turning back around a great ball of Fire is sent hurtling toward them. Berry steps to the side, and Pinkie ducks, her hair being set alight. Berry rushes toward Pinkie and helps put her hair out, the smell of burnt sugar permeating the air. “Pinkie watch where you are going, the last thing we need is to be burnt to a crisp!”, the sound of Berry’s yelling bouncing off the walls, endlessly repeating the message to Pinkie Pie, she sits down, and bends her head.
“Sorry Berry… I just wasn’t paying attention… I’ll do better I promise!”, the quiet sorrow of the normally loud and rambunctious pony snapping Berry from her rage.
“It’s okay Pinkie, I’m sorry I yelled at you, it was just the rush, I really don’t want to die, and well…”
“I know what you are trying to say Berry, its okay. I’ll be careful.” They continue on down the hallway, careful of the many pressure pads pocketing the hallway. A large threshold reveals itself to the group, and beyond it, a great pool of lava. “Ummm, Berry, I don’t know how we are going to pass this, it seems a little far to take a hop, skip, and a jump.”
“It seems like this jump was put here to keep non-dragons from going further, obviously there is something of value here. Take a look around, there must be something.” For many minutes they gazed and touched the walls, trying to have something, anything happen. The sun was rising and falling. Of course, the ponies had no idea, as time seemed to swiftly pass as they pondered their current situation. A hiss broke both ponies out of their trance, as a snake was now mere inches above the pool, its tail high up into the ceiling, “Pinkie! This snake! We can use this as a rope to get to the other side! We are going to get her back!” Hopes were held high for Berry, the highest they have ever been, not only is this the temple, but this is the largest inhibitor to her achieving what she sought, the Golden Dragon, and her daughter, her family would finally be reunited, a whizzing noise was heard above Berry, followed by a hiss and a sound of cooking meat. Berry looked back to see the snake dying in the lava. She looked at Pinkie, “P-P-Pinkie… what was that…” Berry’s voice trembled from the crushing weight of what had just happened, her only hope of getting her daughter back, was gone. A gaping hole was left in her heart, and was quickly filled with rage at Pinkie’s next words.
“It was a rock I threw at the snake silly!”
“Pinkie… you, STUPID EXCUSE FOR A FRIEND! THAT SNAKE WAS THE ONLY WAY I WOULD BE ABLE TO SAVE BERRY PINCH, AND YOU TOOK THAT AWAY FROM ME!” Berry is left breathless, her stance wide, ready to spring on the Pink pony at a moments notice. Pinkie stands there, lost, face full of shock, awe, and utter defeat.
“But... but Berry…”
“No Pinkie, just go home. I’ll find another way around. Just leave.” Berry, giving in to the grief piling in her heart, sits, broken, “ It was a mistake to bring you along, it was a mistake to see you as a friend.”
Those last words left Pinkie Pie broken, ponies have not wanted to be her friend, but never before had she lost one. Tears in both ponies eyes, pinkie drags herself to the entrance of the cave, the afternoon sun, casting a shadow back onto Berry’s broken frame. Pinkie turns back, fighting back tears, her hair straight as a line, “Good bye Berry Punch… I hope you get your daughter back…” Berry turns her back to her. Pinkie leaves silently sobbing. At last, Berry gets to let herself cry, wails of grief for both her lost friend, and her lost chances of getting her Pinchy back.