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Escape2,270 words
Trapped1,966 words
Decisions2,500 words
A New Life1,794 words
Interactions, Part I2,043 words
Interactions, Part II1,872 words
Realization1,524 words
Cage Unlocked2,685 words

Cage Unlocked

I walked down the winding dirt path slowly towards Fluttershy's house for our daily morning get-together.
I don't think I'd ever needed to talk to her more than today. I was in a serious moral crisis right now and if anyone could help me, it'd be her!

After a much longer than necessary time I reached the wooden door to her cottage home and reached up, knocking loudly with a hoof.
I tapped the ground impatiently as I waited for her to open the door.

The sound of a handle turning and the squeak of hinges hit my ears and I was greeted by the smiling pegasus holding the door open.

"Good morning, Pinkamena!" She greeted me cheerfully.

I wish I could be as happy as she was.

"Hi, Fluttershy..." I sighed and trudged inside slowly, making a show of how I was feeling by letting my mane fall in my face and letting myself basically flop onto the green couch.

"Oh my, what's wrong now?" She questioned me, concern shining in her bright eyes.

"I don't know what to do..." was the response I mumbled into the soft cushions.

I heard the sounds of hooves tapping on wood as she walked towards me and sat down on the other side of the wooden table she kept near her couch.

"About what?" She spoke in her usual kind tone.

"Pinkie Pie..." I sighed sadly. I knew I had to be more specific than that, but I wasn't sure exactly what to say to someone who wouldn't understand exactly how I felt.

"Is she... bothering you again?"

I could hear the pain in that question. She obviously didn't want to think badly of Pinkie.

"Not really..." I whispered barely audibly.

"Then...what?" Now there was a hint of confusion in her voice on top of everything else.

"I don't feel good about keeping her locked up like this..." That was the problem, wasn't it? I felt bad for keeping her locked up now?

"You feel bad?" There was a bit of hidden happiness in her voice there.

That happiness hurt me, but I knew it was only expected.

"Yes... but she's been in control for ten years, and I've only been here for a few weeks! I-I don't want to go back to being trapped..."

That was it. That was the biggest thing.
I was afraid.

"I'm...scared...."

I jumped a bit when I felt a hoof brushing through my mane, but relaxed quickly.

"Well, I may not know what it's like to be so trapped, but I know what it's like to be scared, Pinkamena..."

"I know." I grinned a little.

Things were silent for a bit before I spoke up again.

"What do you think I should do?"

She 'hmmed' and seemed to think for a moment before answering my question, hoof still running through my hair.

"I think you should take turns with Pinkie Pie."

"Take turns?" I repeated. "But I...don't want to ever lose control of myself again. I don't want to risk it!"

"You'll be let back out again. You're my friend too, remember?"

It was true. I did trust Fluttershy, didn't I?

"But..." I wasn't sure what else to say. I had no arguments left. Maybe it wasn't fair I had lost all those years due to Pinkie Pie, but she didn't know. I did, and how terrible of a pony would it make me to knowingly condemn her to that fate?
And not just that... I'd be hurting my new friends by doing that. They'd be hurt if I never let Pinkie out again.

"I-I'm gonna go..." I mumbled quietly and got up, brushing her hoof that had still being running through my mane away.

"So soon?" She sounded disappointed.

"Yes." My brain hurt too much. I didn't want it to get worse.

"Okay...well, remember you can stop by any time!"

I nodded and left hurriedly.

Instead of heading to Sweet Apple Acres, I headed back to Sugarcube Corner. I had left Fluttershy's early in order to avoid the very thing talking with Applejack always seemed to do.
And at this point, my mood was so low I'd much rather eat a bunch of donuts and get sick than eat apples.

So that's exactly what I did. Passing through the busy parts of town without giving so much as a glance to anything but the road beneath my hooves, blocking my hearing from all the noise of ponies around me, and just headed back to the bakery that also happened to be my home as of now.

I took a deep breath when I entered the shop, enjoying the smell of fresh baked sugary foods.

'Hard to believe I used to be disgusted by the stuff...'

I headed into the back and, not really caring about anything anyone else said, grabbed a few fresh made donuts and chowed down.
Hey, I lived here, and Pinkie normally ate this stuff all the time.

'Though I'm not really letting her do it am I? No, I'm just torturing her by doing it while she can't.'

I felt a stab of pain in my heart. The donuts weren't helping.
____________________________________________________
After that short, unhealthy lunch, I had been sitting on my bed all day. I couldn't do anything else. My mind was locked on this problem.
Hours passed, and I continued to sit there in misery.

'Why can't this just be simple!?' I practically cried in frustration.

My eyelids were growing heavy, but I refused sleep. I didn't want to have to see her face to face. I wouldn't be able to handle it.

Even now, I knew she could hear my thoughts, but at least she wasn't speaking to me, and I couldn't see her myself.
In the end, I realized it was simply a matter of letting her take control again or not.

Letting her take control would be the selfless, right thing to do, but on the other hand, it was so unfair how I got so little time while she had been free for a decade!

My eyelids drooped.

I yawned.

I couldn't fight it anymore and collapsed backwards onto my bed, mane messily spread out, dozing off instantly while still in mental turmoil.
____________________________________________________
I refused to make eye contact with her and busied myself by staring at my own hooves, which were much duller in contrast to her bright pink.
I couldn't face her like this, not when I was so unsure, not when I could barely handle this problem just with my own thoughts!

"Don't worry about it, Pinkamena!" I heard her clearly forced cheerful voice. "You don't have to worry about letting me out, since I'm staying right here!"

My head snapped up and I suddenly had the ability to stare at her, which i did with wide eyes "Huh!?"

"Yeah! I already took your life away from you for that long and I'm not gonna take it back! It wouldn't be fair! You should have your chance to be happy, too!"

"But you'll be unhappy..." I said in a much quieter tone. Looking back on it, I realized I was worried for her well being, the exact opposite of what I used to do.

"Nah! I'd be making you happy, and making ponies happy is what makes me happy!"

I suddenly knew.

I knew what I had to do.

"Pinkie..." I started shakily but increased my confidence. "You staying locked up in here isn't what would make me or anypony else happy." I walked closer to her slowly. "Your friends would be miserable forever if you decide to stay here. And..." I pawed at the 'ground'. "I wouldn't be happy knowing I was imprisoning you..."

"R-Really?"

"Of course." I nodded.

"But you'll be stuck instead! It's better if I stay here!" She said in a tone that had a slight whine of despair in it.

I grinned a bit. "Hey. Don't worry about that! We can take turns, right? We'll just promise to take turns!" Maybe, if we really could live that way, my moral dilemma would finally be solved. "It's...what I want."

I saw a smile, a real smile, on her face now, and I knew I made the right decision. I felt a strange sort of satisfaction from that smile.

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" She chanted and went through the motions of her Pinkie promise.

As she finished she looked at me expectantly and I smiled widely.

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."
____________________________________________________
As I sat in bed rubbing the sleep out of my eyes after having woken up, my heart pounded as I thought about what I was going to do.

I was going to give up my freedom, the freedom I had regained after a decade of my life.

'No.' I thought, 'I'm not giving it up. Because we'll be sharing our freedom.'

"I'm ready..." I whispered to the pony trapped in my mind as I closed my eyes.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to imitate what she did that originally let me loose.

I tried to let go of any commands to my body, I tried to let go of my own will to do anything, and I tried to retreat into my mind.

And all of a sudden, I once again found myself caged inside.
____________________________________________________
I had a different perspective as I listened to her thoughts, watched through her eyes, and heard through her ears.
Before, for so many years, I had simply hated life, hated the situation I was in, had pretty much hated everything.
Now I had found a meaning, and the only thing left was to see if this pinkie promise really would be kept.

Pinkie was trotting happily towards the library. I'm not sure why she decided to go to Twilight first, but I guess it doesn't really matter
When she raised a hoof and knocked on the door, a crash was heard as well as the grumbling of a certain unicorn, who opened the door, looking tired.

"Good morning Pinka- " she stopped speaking in an instant and her eyes widened as she saw who it really was at her door.

"Hiya Twilight!"

Twilight was slack jawed, and I had the reflex to grin. Too bad I couldn't.
But Pinkie did it for me anyways, which I thanked her for.

"P-Pinkie! It's you! You're back! How? What happened to Pinkamena? Where were you exactly!?" There was so much excitement and joy in her voice despite the fact what she actually said was purely from confusion.

I felt a strange enjoyment when I saw her smile due to Pinkie being back in control, which I found odd.

Pinkie tapped Twilight on the head and giggled. "No time for questions! We should throw a party to celebrate me and Pinkamena both living in Ponyville together now!"

"H-Huh?" Twilight seemed to still be trying to catch up with what was happening. "You-you came to an agreement?"

'Was I really that unreasonable?'

Pinkie just giggled in response to what I said, and Twilight tilted her head in misunderstanding.

"Of course! We can both be happy, what with having such super amazing friends!"
Twilight got a comically serious look. "Well you better answer all my questions eventually, Pinkie Pie!" Her serious look melted into a wide smile. "It's good to have you back..."

I heard Pinkie's thoughts on the matter of answering questions as soon as she had them.

'Well if you don't want to bother answering questions, I will.'

The happy mood continued as Pinkie Pie started setting up her first party in weeks in a flash.
____________________________________________________
After a few hours I was getting a little worried.
Sure they all knew I existed now, but...was Pinkie going to let me have control anytime soon? I decided to bring it up with her when she was putting the finishing touches on the decorations for the party in her ...our...room.

'Pinkie, are you going to let me out anytime soon?'

I was unfortunately getting a bit impatient.

"Don't worry!" She responded cheerfully as she bounced around, hanging a few streamers. "We can trade places during the party! It'd only be fair since it's a party for us after all!"

'.....That's good enough, I guess...'

Pinkie had gotten Twilight to spread the word to her other friends about the situation...and party. Easier to show them all at once.
A knock on the door was finally heard and in a pink blur that left me dizzy, Pinkie dashed towards the door and opened it.

"Hi girls!"

"Pinkie!" I felt a bit of pain as a tackle hug hit Pinkie.

'Ow.'

"Aww, I missed all of you too! But c'mon! It's happy party time!"
____________________________________________________
The longer the party went the more and more concerned I was about actually getting a turn. Was Pinkie going to keep her word? So far it didn't seem like it. She'd been keeping control all day!

'Pinkie...' I started, a bit of fear in my voice. Fear that I'd be stuck for another ten years.

'Don't worry, Pinkamena!' She thought to me, perpetually smiling.

"Hey everypony! I want you all to know that I'm happy to see you again, but it's Pinkamena's turn now!"

Before anyone, including myself had time to react, I suddenly had control of myself again, and my mane was straightened.
But this time, my coat and overall colour wasn't dull, but rather almost as bright as Pinkie's. I think that's a sign of something.
I grinned and my ears flattened against my head. I felt a bit awkward having suddenly been thrust into this situation.

'Maybe a bit of warning next time?'

'Oops! Sorry!' She giggled. I was glad things seemed to be going much better now.

And with the scenario leading up to the agreement between us fully explained, it seemed everything really was going to be happy from now on for me, and Pinkie Pie.
____________________________________________________
Twilight looked through the stack of books Princess Celestia had sent from the Canterlot library after she had been asked for help with the confusing situation by her student.

She sighed as so far nothing seemed to be very helpful. Of course, at least things were peaceful between everyone regarding the situation now, but the lack of understanding was killing her.
A few questions had been answered by Pinkamena, yes, but even the main victim of this all didn't understand much.

With just the last book in the pile of unread ones laying next to her left, she picked it up with her magic, expecting more useless information.
But, as she read on, a grin formed that grew wider and wider.

"It all makes sense now...!"

It all made sense.

"And I think I know how to fix it..."

Author's Note:

SEQUEL UPLOADED! That's what that little ending bit was for :)

Thank you all for reading this story, and thanks SOOOO MUCH for the HUGE amount of support throughout it! I never expected this story to get so popular, when it's really nothing great in my eyes.

I'm sorry for the lackluster final scene. I intend to go back and fix it, along with many other problems with this story....eventually.

Please let me know what you thought of it in the comments, and make sure to check out the sequel, as it's far better than this story!

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