//------------------------------// // Chapter 12 // Story: Living Nightmare // by Autum Breeze //------------------------------// Chapter 12 ___________________________________________________________ “Ah still can’t believe it!” Apple Bloom cheered as we walked towards Sugar Cube Corner. “Ya’ll actually were flyin’?” Scootaloo grinned sheepishly. “Well, technically gliding, but if you’re asking were we really moving through the air without anypony holding us up then, yeah, totally!” I nodded, grinning. Gliding had been such a rush! I’d never felt like that before. I couldn’t wait for the next time I’d be staying with Rainbow Dash, so we could continue my gliding training. We entered Sugar Cube Corner and suddenly stopped. Even though it was still just after lunch, the bakery was in darkness. “Uh, what’s going on?” Sweetie Belle asked, shaking a little. Suddenly the lights went on and dozens of ponies shouted, “SURPRISE!” We all blinked, looking around the bakery. It was designed to look like the night sky, with dark-blues and stars made of cardboard hanging all around and, at the back, a big banner saying WELCOME TO PONYVILLE, STELLAR NOVA! I looked around and saw a lot of ponies I knew, Miss Cheerilee and some of the other teachers from the school, Derpy Hooves and Dinky, Pipsqueak and his mum, a yellow Pegasus with raindrops for a Cutie Mark, Twilight, Spike, Applejack, Granny Smith, Big Macintosh, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, a zebra and several other ponies I hadn’t met before and, standing in the middle of them all, Pinkie Pie. I took a step back at the sight of her, before I got a hold of myself and stepped forward again, smiling. “It’s your Welcome to Ponyville Party!” Pinkie cheered, bouncing over. “And, because it’s so late, you get a pinata.” She pointed to a big colourful donkey pinata hanging from the ceiling. “Sorry it took so long, but I wanted to hold it when you came to stay with me, but you came to me last, cos I picked six, not two.” Pinkie’s words were lost to me as I spied the food table. The thing I’ve always loved about parties is the food and this party was no exception. Cakes, chocolates, lollies, pies, too many sweets to count. I grinned at the others and they nodded, before we shot towards the food table. ___________________________________________________________ I yawned as I waved goodbye to Apple Bloom and Applejack, the former draped over her big sister’s back, barely awake. The party had been great. Not only had I been surrounded by nothing but smiling faces, but Pinkie Pie wasn’t as scary as she’d first made me think she was and she had gotten some really great games to play, like bobbing for apples, something I’d always wanted to try since watching kids play it on TV and, her favourite, Pin the Tail on the Pony. Pinkie loved that game with a passion. She made us play at least five times before she won. Though, something was off about Pinkie. During the party she seemed totally happy and yet... I sensed something. Something... sad behind her eyes. It wasn’t like the strange way Rarity, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had looked at me when I went to stay over with them. No, with Pinkie, it was something else. I couldn’t tell what, but it was big and had been affecting her for a long time, long before I came to Equestria, anyway. “Come on,” Pinkie smiled sleepily at me, turning to the door leading into the kitchen. “That way fun but—” she gave a loud, funny yawn, “—it’s time for beddy-byes.” Pinkie started walking off without me, clearly too tired from the party to notice I wasn’t walking with her and I followed, stopping as I passed Mr. and Mrs Cake as we entered the home part of the bakery, who were watching, not me, but Pinkie with worried looks. I glanced to Pinkie, then walked over to them. “Um...” They both jumped and looked down at me, before uncertain calmness returned to their faces. Clearly they were okay with me staying over but, like a lot of other ponies, weren’t trusting me because I looked like her. “Is something wrong with Pinkie?” They both blinked, not even trying to hide the shock from their faces. “You... see it too?” Mrs Cake asked and I nodded. “I sensed something all through the party. It’s like, Pinkie’s happy, but... she’s sad too. Does that make sense?” Both of them glanced at each other before Mr. Cake answered me. “Well, we’re not sure ourselves, really. Pinkie’s always been like that, happy and outgoing, but...” “But...?” I asked, moving a hoof to indicate he continue. “It’s hard to put into words,” Mrs Cake answered him. “Sometimes we see... flashes of something, deep in her eyes. I can’t really say what, but it’s always there, even when Pinkie’s at her happiest.” I looked down, frowning. From what I’d learned of Pinkie Pie from the crusaders, Dinky, Pip, everypony I’d met, she was always happy. So... why did she seem sad too? “Stellar,” Pinkie’s voice called from upstairs. “Hurry up, silly filly. You need to get all cleaned up and brush your teeth before bed. If you don’t I’ll set Gummy on you.” I rolled my eyes. How was that meant to make me scared? I’d met Gummy during the party when I was bobbing for apples. He was Pinkie’s pet alligator. And, while I was scared at first, I soon learned Gummy has no teeth. In fact, he was funny. So, what kind of fear to do us I’m told did Pinkie think telling me she’d set her toothless alligator on me would do? Shrugging, mainly because I was actually fairly tired after the party, I went upstairs and followed Pinkie to the bathroom, had a shower, brushed my teeth, then followed her to where I’d be staying. Like Fluttershy, Pinkie had decided I would sleep with her, in her own bed. I couldn’t really complain. After getting used to always walking around naked and snuggling up to sleep with two ponies already, I’d become used to having somepony in bed with me and her body heat made the bed even warmer. Pinkie was asleep before her head even hit the pillow and she started snoring, rather loudly. I giggled and, using my magic to create some ear plugs to block out Pinkie’s snores, snuggled into her and drifted off to sleep. ___________________________________________________________ I was standing in a world of blackness. I tried looking around, my ears turning every which way, trying to pick up even the tiniest of sounds to tell me where I was. After a while, I noticed a sound. It was... crying? I blinked, then focused on what was ahead of me. I could just see a door. It was pink, with a picture of three rocks painted on it, two a creamy colour, the other blue. I cocked an eyebrow. The pink of the door was the same as Pinkie’s fur and the colour pattern of the rocks was the same as the balloons that were her Cutie Mark, but that wasn’t the picture of her Cutie Mark. Cautiously, I walked towards it and leaned forward, placing an ear to the door. The crying sound grew a little clearly. It was coming from behind the door. I nodded, not sure what was going on, but guessing my Dream Walking powers were working again and this was Pinkie’s dream. I took the doorknob with a piece of my mane, turned it and opened the door. I could see nothing but the same darkness that was outside the door inside, but knew somepony was in there, probably Pinkie Pie herself and walked in. At once everything changed. I saw what looked like TV screens all over the black walls, which I now saw was a hallway. As I looked at each screen I passed, I quickly realized there were showing me Pinkie’s memories, from when she was a little filly to now. I walked through the hall, glancing at each screen, wondering why this was where I’d ended up; before I came across something I didn’t understand. It was a screen just like all the others, this one showing Pinkie as a filly around my age, but there was something different about her. Her mane and tail weren’t poofy, but flat. She was sitting at a dinner table with five other ponies, two adults, two fillies that looked younger than Pinkie by maybe a year, and another filly who looked older than her by two years. They all had similar looks, flat manes and no emotions on their faces. “Pinkamena, please pass the salt,” the mare who must be Pinkie’s mother asked, not even looking at the filly as she asked. When Pinkie didn’t respond, her mother’s did look to her, her tone becoming a bit sterner. “Pinkamena Diane Pie.” Pinkie jerked, then grabbed the salt with a hoof and passed it to her mother. So, Pinkie's full name was Pinkamena Diane Pie? No wonder she had everypony simply call her Pinkie. That name was a mouthful and nowhere near as cheery. The mare nodded, then shook her head. “Day dreaming about beyond the farm again?” Pinkie wilted, something I didn’t think this her could even do any further and nodded. “I just... I just want to do something other than farm rocks.” Wait. Farm rocks? I thought, shaking my head. Okay, that is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. How do you farm rocks? The stallion, her father, huffed, pulling my attention back to the memory. “We’ve toiled these fields for generations, Pinkamena.” “Granny Surprise Pie doesn’t,” Pinkie said weakly. Her father snorted. “Yes, well, my mother was always a little... odd.” I blinked. Pinkie had a grandmother named Surprise? Well, wasn’t any weirder than what I’d already learned about her from knowing her and it kind of fitted, Pinkie being the party pony she is. The memory faded and was replaced by one of Pinkie and her family working in a field moving... rocks? Wow. Guess you can farm rocks in this world. Then again, pegasi can touch clouds, so why did anything still surprise me about this world anymore? The sky was cover in dark, depressing clouds. I watched as Pinkie moved some rocks, then looked to her family at the sound of a ringing as they all walked inside, each giving her a look that wasn’t cold, but still wasn’t that of a loving family, aside from the filly who was Pinkie’s older sister. The door closed sharply and Pinkie looked down, sighing. I felt really bad for her. How was this the same Pinkie Pie from before? How did she become the energetic, fun-loving pony I knew from this. Suddenly the sky seemed to explode and a rainbow of light shot across it, breaking the clouds apart and revealing the bright blue sky. I watched as the wind from the explosion pushed through the fields, pushing against Pinkie, but not sending her flying. When it stopped, Pinkie mane and tail looked more like they did now, only messier. A rainbow then flew across the sky and Pinkie’s eyes went wide and huge smile coming to her face, before the memory faded away. I shook my head and blinked. What did this have to with why Pinkie seemed sad? It was then I heard the crying again and turned, only to jump back in shock. Pinkie was sitting right next to me, looking at the screen, her face so sad it made me want to cry along with her. “P-Pinkie Pie?” I asked, putting a hoof on her shoulder. She blinked, then looked to me and shook her head. “I’m not Pinkie Pie. I’m Pinkamena Diane Pie.” I blinked. What? She tells me she’s not Pinkie, then tells me her name is the same thing Pinkie’s mum called her? Talk about contradicting yourself. “Yeah, sure you’re not Pinkie,” I said, making sure the sarcasm in my voice wouldn’t be missed; Rainbow had told me Pinkie didn’t usually get sarcasm, so you had to make it really obvious. “If you’re not Pinkie, but you’ve the same name her mother just called her in that memory, then who are you?” “Her other self.” Wait. What? She nodded, tears sliding down her face as she got up and walked over to one of the screens, one showing Pinkie memories of my Welcome to Ponyville party. I got up and moved over to her, not hiding the confusion on my face. “The... other her? You mean... there are two Pinkie Pie.” Oh, please, God let her say no! I don't think this world could handle that. She shook her head. “Pinkie and I are the same pony, but she is the one who gets to enjoy life. Me... all I can do is sit in her and watch her enjoying every day whilst I’m left in sadness.” I didn’t understand. Was she a spirit trapped in Pinkie’s body, like I am the body I’m in? She gave a small chuckle. “I don’t hate her for it, you know,” she said, looking to me with the weakest, saddest of smiles I’d ever seen. “When the Rainboom happened, she came to existence, sharing all the memories I had.” She sighed, closing her eyes. “Now though, I’m trapped, forced to watch all the friends we make having fun and living their lives, with me just watching from within.” Wow. I... can kind of understand how she feels. I blinked and glanced around. It was that voice again. It hadn’t said a thing since that time I’d saved Pip from Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. This time, it sounded... sad. I sort of deserve what’s happened to me, but... this pony did nothing wrong. We... the voice sighed. I honestly cannot believe I’m saying this, but, we need to help her. I frowned, cocking an eyebrow. And just how was I meant to help Pinkamena get out of her own body, but leave Pinkie with her own? Oh, please, the voice sounded annoyed again. You have my magic. Bloody use it already! I winced at the shout and felt my horn glowing, before my vision turned white. “Hey! What are you doing?” Pinkamena’s voice shouted in fright. “What are you—?” She didn’t finish the question, instead screaming. ___________________________________________________________ I woke up gasping, wincing from a pain that shot through my horn, before flopping completely on the bed. I felt completely drained, as if I’d been running for days without rest. Pinkie had woken up too, but not because I’d gasped. She was suddenly shaking like crazy, so much that I bounced off the bed and flopped onto the floor. I was so drained I couldn’t even twitch as I lay on my stomach on the floor. As soon as Pinkie stopped vibrating I screamed as a searing pain flared through my horn, followed by a bright flash of white light. Pinkie screamed too, sounding like she was in just as much pain as I was from my horn. The sound of crying from the Cakes’ two foals started up from the room next door, but I barely paid it any attention. My eyes were drooping, trying to close. But the light from the centre of the room stopped me from closing them. When it finally faded there was a pony lying in the middle of the floor. Pinkie and I were both gasping for breath; my head pounding like it did back home because of the tumour I’d had to go into hospital for. After what felt like hours the pain dulled enough for me to focus on the form lying in the middle of the room. From what I could see in the light, it was a mare, like Pinkie. I couldn’t tell what colour her coat was, but her mane style was familiar. It looked like Pinkamena’s. Suddenly the lights went on and I was blinded for a second as my eyes tried to adjust to the sudden light. When they did, however, what I saw would have made my jaw drop, if my chin wasn’t currently resting on the floor. It was Pinkamena. She looked just like she had in Pinkie’s dream, only she had a Cutie Mark that looked like the picture of rocks on the door I’d entered. “What...? What’s going on?” Mrs Cake gasped, looking from me, to Pinkie, to Pinkamena. “Pinkie, who is this pony and why does she look so much like you?” That was all I could remember, before my world went black and sleep took my tired form again.