> Voices In My Head (Cupcakes Closure)
>  by Perry Pinkie Potter
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter One: Safe
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I had been out for a late-night walk, when I walked past Sugar Cube Corner. The lights were on, and though I didn't know they were open this late, I figured I'd get myself something. I was just about to walk in, and that's when I heard it. Voices. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. I figured they were just hanging out, when I swore I heard Rainbow Dash scream. I leaned my head against the door and tried to make out what they were saying.

"Dash. Daash! Wake up!" I heard Pinkie Pie say.

I hear Rainbow Dash give a weak sound to Pinkie. I figured I had imagined the scream. It was clear what had happened. Rainbow had fallen asleep, Pinkie was waking her up, and Dash sounded weak because she had just woke up. I was about to walk away when I heard something else.

"Time for the last round." Pinkie said. So they were playing a game? I was so confused.

"Something to take the pain away." Pinkie said. Um… roleplaying game?

"In a few minutes, you won't be able to feel anything below your ribcage. Then you'll be able to stay awake and watch the harvest." She said. This unsettled my stomach. This didn't sound like roleplaying…

"Pinkie…" Dash was crying. I needed to do something. Do I intervene? Do I call someone? Maybe I'm just imagining things, since I'm up late?

"Yeah?" Pinkie asked. She didn't seem worried. Maybe I shouldn't be either.

"I wanna go home." Dash sounded pitiful. I listened in, hoping Pinkie would reply worried and help her with whatever was wrong. She didn't.

"Yeah, I can see wanting to do that. Sometimes, I just wanna say, 'I give up! I'm done!' But you know what?" I didn't need to know what. I was worried. I slammed down the doors.

Nothing could have prepared my for the sight my eyes were forced to take in.

"Rainbow Dash? PINKIE PIE?" I was speechless.

Pinkie started running at me with… a knife. I stood there a moment, blinded by shock. I looked at Rainbow Dash, who looked like she had been tortured. Just as Pinkie was about to stab me, I reached for something to defend myself.

"A cupcake? Seriously!" I growled, but tried shoving it on her face to blind her or something. She had it in her mouth a minute, then passed out. I looked at the cupcakes. Drugs? What was this place? 

"Hello?" I heard a weak voice say.

"Buck! I forgot!" I hurried and untied her, unpleasantly noting more of her features. I let her sit on my back, and I knew I HAD to get to the hospital. I grabbed Pinkie by her leg, and ram off to the hospital.

Finally, I got there. "Nurse! I need a nurse! This is an emergency!" Two quickly ran over, and their mouths dropped.

"What on earth happed here?" One asked.

"There's no time!" I passed the now unconscious Rainbow Dash to the first nurse. "She's barely alive! Treat her now!" She trotted off. I looked at the second nurse and gestured to Pinkie. "She tried to kill Rainbow Dash, and succeeded in killing others. I want to know why. Keep her under until we figure out, she might try to finish Dash off!"

I galloped to the library, the farm, the cottage, and the boutique to notify them of what had happened. I asked Spike to send a message to the princesses. Maybe they could help.

Finally, I sat down a minute. I looked at the blood on my back from where Rainbow Dash had been.

"Why, Pinkie? Why would you do this?"


> Chapter Two: Dash and Celestia
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Gosh, I hope she's okay…". I said nervously. I was pacing back and forth outside the room of Rainbow Dash. "If she isn't, it's my fault. I should have come in earlier, trusted my senses! But I wouldn't let myself believe… that she…". I sat down, then stood up again. I wasn't comfortable just sitting there. 

"It's not your fault." Twilight said. 

Spike nodded. "At least you got there at all!" 

Rarity smiled at me. "There wouldn't even be a sliver of hope if it weren't for you!" 

I buried my face in my hands. Fluttershy flew over. "We're grateful you came when you did." 

I smiled at them, but I turned away. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's surviving when someone else didn't. And knowing I could have saved them. Suddenly, a nurse walked out.

"Visitors for Mrs. Dash?" She asked.

Applejack jumped up. "Is she alright?" She asked.

The nurse smiled. "She's fine."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Then, they trotted in. I smiled at them.

Twilight looked at me expectantly. "Aren't you coming?" She asked.

I shook my head. "You all are Dash's closest to family. It should be you first. Besides, I don't want to overwhelm her." I replied.

Twilight walked up to me and held my hoof. "Don't be silly, Rainbow Dash probably wants to thank you!" 

I sighed and walked into the room with them

For the most part, Dash looked pretty good. Her Cutie Mark was back on, all nails removed. I could tell they had tried reattaching her wings, but not succeeded. At the moment she was half asleep, trying to wake up. She opened her eyes.

We smiled.

"Hey guys," Dash said. " 'Sup?" She said, trying to smile or lighten the mood. She examined our faces, happy but worried. "What's wrong?" She asked.

I stared at Twilight, questioning. Twilight shrugged. 

Rarity stepped up. "You don't remember?" She timidly asked.

"Remember what?" Dash replied. "Hey, why am I in the hospital? I need to stretch my wings, I can barely feel them!" She smiled. She looked down at her wings, or at least she thought she did. But she didn't. Horror dawned on her as she seemed to remember what had happened. She puked.

Then she nearly jumped out of her bed. She looked at me. "Pinkie! The cupcake you gave her! It wares off! Where is she!" She was freaking out, and I could definitely understand why.

"It's fine, Rainbow. She under anesthetics. She's not waking up unless we want her to." I reassured her. 

Rainbow Dash seemed to relax a bit, but she was still tense. 

Another nurse walked in. "Um, Spunk Light? Princess Celestia wants to see you."

I nodded, and she walked out. "Sorry, everypony. This might be important. Get well soon, Rainbow!" I smiled.

Rainbow nodded. "Thank you!"

I saluted, my favorite way to say 'no problem'. Then I walked out.

Princess Celestia was waiting for me. "Hello, Spunk Light. You sent us a message, correct?"

I nodded, out of breath. "Yeah, but I was expecting a guard, not you yourself, Princess!"

I had sent the scroll directly to Celestia, rather than Luna. I loved Luna, she was amazing, but some gut feeling told me to get Celestia instead. And the last time I didn't trust my senses, I was almost too late.

"Follow me, Princess." I said, walking to Sugar Cube Corner.

We arrived and were just outside the basement door.

"You're not bothered by gore, are you?" I asked.

Princess Celestia shook her head. "No, but I'm not it's biggest fan." She replied.

"Well," I said grimly, "then you won't be a fan of this either." I opened the door.

Celestia's reaction was about the same as mine. I could tell that she was trying to maintain her posture.

I looked at her. "No offense, Princess Celestia, but we are standing in a secret basement full of dead bodies, decaying, baked into cupcakes, with the all around smell of blood and urine. NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT TIME TO ACT LIKE ROYALTY!" 

Celestia nodded. And quietly vomited in the corner. I felt my stomach churning as I desended the stairs. 

I had hoped I'd never have to go in here again, but if it helped, I would do just about anything.

"I can't believe anyone would do this!" I said to Princess Celestia, who seemed to be done for now.

"Anyone?" She asked. I've been spending WAY too much time with Lyra.

"Never mind." I replied. "Not important."

"Is that actual skin?" Celestia asked. I trotted over to what she was looking at.

That foul garment she has worn. "Well, considering no place in Equestria has faux pony fur, I'm going to assume yes." I said frankly. There wasn't time to freak out. Celestia walked to a table of cupcakes.

"Don't eat those!" I yelled to Celestia, hurrying to stop her.

"Relax." Celestia said. "I lost my appetite the minute I walked in here. But why are they in two piles?"

I pribed at them carefully. "One's drugged, and one's the ones made down here. Out of pony meat." 

It was lucky I grabbed a cupcake from the pile I did. Otherwise, Pinkie would have just ate the cupcake and speared me right through! 

"One thing I don't understand…where in Equestria did Pinkie get this much money? No way a bakers salary pays this much!" I exclaimed, looking at the equipment. "Or a party planner's."

Celestia shook her head. "I'd better clean this up." She said.

I nodded. "I'll help."
> Chapter Three: Another Walk
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After a while, we had finally finished cleaning up. Celestia had teleported what she could find of bodies to the graveyard by Canterlot. When she arrived, she would figure out what to do until we broke the news. Because no one but the mane six (as the town called them), Spike, Celestia, and I knew why there were missing ponies. And we all dreaded when we'd have to explain what had happened to them. I went to Rainbow Dash's room to discover that Rainbow Dash had gone home with one of her friends. I sat down a minute. 

"Now what?" I thought aloud.

One nurse passed me on her way home. "Try to get some sleep, hon. You look like you could use some."

I hadn't slept in two days… I suppose she was right. "Thanks. Have a good night." I said to her on my way out.

The nurse smiled. "You too."

So I trotted home, ready for a good night's sleep!

"Yeah, this isn't happening." I sighed 20 minutes later. It was 10:00. "I need to do something, not just stand here!" I shook my head. I was still tired. I pulled out a mug and drunk from it. "Nothing like coffee to wake you up! Cheers!"

After a while, I DID fall asleep. But I had some horrible nightmares. I suddenly felt sympathy for Rainbow Dash gush through me. I couldn't even imagine the nightmares she was having. I felt an instinct to go and check on her, and was out the door when I realized that everyone was probably still asleep. I decided to just take a walk.

I directly experienced de ja vu as I walked past Sugar Cube Corner. Remembered what I had heard. Had it really been two nights ago? Wow. Next thing to stroll past was the hospital. I sighed and started walking past it, when something caught my eye. I could never ignore pink, and the drugged mare I was seeing was nothing but it. I wanted to run away, but my curiosity got the best of me. I cautiously stepped closer, still keeping a generous amount of distance.

I looked at her and noticed something weird. It was almost like her face was spilt in two. One side worried, one side malicious. Now that I looked at it, the evil looking side had hair just slightly flat. Was this relevant? I remembered when my friend had suffered from insanity. The first step was voices. Did Pinkie have these? Could I find out? 

I confidently walked to Sugar Cube Corner. It seemed I had found something to do after all.

I finally arrived. As I expected, Mr. and Mrs. Cake were wide awake. I slowly knocked, not wanting to make then jump. When they saw who was as the door, they whispered to each other. Mrs. Cake nodded and Mr. Cake opened the door.

"Sorry to bother you both this late. I've got an idea for what might have happened… to Pinkie. I don't think your in a mood to talk about her, and just say the word and I won't bother you. But I don't believe she would do these things, and I might have an explanation. But I need to ask a couple of questions to confirm my idea." I didn't say anything else. Didn't rush them. I just waited patiently.

Mr. Cake looked down. "What kind of questions?" He asked.

It was apparent he was giving me a chance, and not liking it too much. But I seized the opportunity.

Now, a pony awarded in subtlety would have said something along the lines of 'Did Pinkie ever act strange?'

I have all the subtlety of a Popsicle Stick. I dived in.

"Did it ever seem like Pinkie was talking to herself? Or rather…" I probed carefully. "Like she was arguing with herself?"
> Chapter Four: A Parasite
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Actually, yes." Mrs. Cake replied. "One night she said she would be staying up late in the basement, but then said she was tired and would go to bed in her own room. It was like she was fighting with herself…" She trailed off.

This concerned me. And worse off was that the two had more to tell me. Everything from Mr. Cake asking if Pinkie wanted to see a movie with him that night, to Mrs. Cake simply asking how her day went. Pinkie Pie arguing with her own mind, though the Cakes said the persona she gave the voice was 'Pinkamena'. This sounded like what had happened to Cloudy Wish, and her 'voice' Sea Star. I couldn't save my friend, but maybe I could still save Pinkie.

It was about 6:00, and since the hospital opened around 7:00, I had to make sure I had my act together.

"Thank you both so much. I know that might have been hard, but I want you to know that I'll try my hardest to help Pinkie Pie."

They nodded, and Mrs. Cake spoke up. "Is this our fault? Should we have known? Suspected it?"

I shook my head rapidly. "Absolutely not. Trust me, this isn't a very normal thing in Equestria. You can only suspect it if you've had experience with it. Don't let yourself think for a minute your to blame."

They nodded. "Then how do you know about it?" Mr. Cake asked.

I stood there a minute outside the door. Then, I quietly replied, "A friend." Then I left.

I ran to the hospital, scolding my behavior. "Get those tears out of your eyes! You can't save Cloudy Wish! But if you want to save Pinkie Pie, stop dwelling in the past and get your head back on Earth! And you didn't even say goodbye to the Cakes! Probably made them feel like they've done something wrong!" I had to remember to apologize to them later, (as if they didn't have enough going on without me making them feel bad) but I had to prioritize. Pinkie Pie first.

When i finally got to the hospital, I went straight to the front desk, and,, as I had hoped, no one else was there. 

"Yes?" The pony at the reception desk asked.

I smiled. "Hello! Could I please get a brain scan on Pinkie Pie?"

The nurse nodded. "Do you have a note from the patient's guardian, being a Pie or a Cake?" She asked.

I pulled the pink stationary note out of my bag that the Cakes had been kind enough to give me. "Will this do?"

The nurse looked at the note. "Well, this seems all in order. When would you like this?" She asked.

"Whenever you can find the time to, mam." I said dismissively.

The nurse shook her head. "According to this note, your in charge of care and appointments on this patient." 

"Huh?" I looked at the note, which admittingly I hadn't read before. 

Tears filled my eyes as I looked over it. Mr. and Mrs. Cake were trusting me with someone who was as good as a daughter to them. I couldn't let them down! I put the note back in my bag. "Do you have a doctor in now?" I asked.

The nurse looked at her schedule. "We should have quite a few."

I nodded. "Immediately."

There was a special balcony where you could view the scan being performed. It was pitiful to see Pinkie Pie lying there. Images filled my head. Me looking at Cloudy Wish like he was crazy. Him lying there. Him acting as though he couldn't hear me. Him- NO! I WASN'T letting that happen to Pinkie Pie. I shook my head. I needed to stop it. 

"Um… Mrs. Light? There's something you should probably see." The doctor called.

I trotted down. "What is it?"

The doctor shook his head. "Take a look."

I gasped at what the brain scan showed. 

"A virus?" I asked incredulously. "Something invading her brain." 

The doctor nodded. "That's what it seems."

I shook my head. "Can you treat it?" I asked.

"Yes."

I breathed a sigh of relief. I looked at the clock and gasped. "How long do you think this treatment will take?"

The doctor looked again. "I'd say a good hour."

I nodded. I'll be back by then. "I've got some things I need to do. Could you tell me when your finished?"

The doctor nodded. "Of course."

I thanked him and left.


> Chapter Five: Rounds
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I trotted off, ready to go on my 'rounds', as I called them.

My first stop was Sweet Apple Acres. My little sister, June Night had been at a Cutie Mark Crusaders sleepover when everything had happened, and I had asked Applejack if she minded watching June a little while longer. I was paying her, of course, but I wanted to make sure June was behaving herself.

Knock knock. Applebloom opened the door. "Howdy, Spunk Light! JUNE! SPUNK LIGHT'S HERE TO SEE YA! She'll be here in a minute." Applebloom smiled.

"How are you, Applebloom?" I asked.

"Pretty good! It's been a blast having June over! Thanks for letting her come! Though I still don't know why…"

I smiled nervously. Obviously, neither filly knew the real reason why they were staying together. You'd have to be insane to tell a child about Pinkie's basement. So I grinned playfully. "Why do you need a reason to have fun with friends?"

June came over and I hugged her. "Hey, Swina Bu! Having a good time?"-

She smiled. "The best!" She looked at me concerned. "You look awful, Spunkle! Have you even slept?"

I shook my head. "Just pulling some late nights at work, Juney. Don't worry!"

June shrugged. "If you're sure!"

The two foals ran off to play and Applejack came to the door. 

"Is June being good?" I asked as I watched them run.

"She's fine." Applejack said. "The two have been having a ball together."

I nodded. "In sorry about all this. I should be done in a day or two."

"It's really not a problem. It's good to have Applebloom occupied too. Killing two birds with one stone." She reassured me.

I sighed. "More like killing two ponies with one. I'll be so glad when all this is over."

"Any idea what your doing with her yet?"

"Being treated as we speak."

"So you think she'll be alright?"

"I think so."

"That's good."

I reached into my saddle bag and got 25 bits. "Here." I said, passing them to her.

Applejack shook her head. "I told you you don't have to pay me."

"And I told YOU I wouldn't feel right if I didn't. I've gotta go."

I waved to Applebloom and squeezed June. "Bye girls!"

My next stop consisted of Fluttershy's cottage. I was told that Rainbow Dash was rotating between houses, and right now it was Fluttershy's turn.

I finally got there and was greeted by Fluttershy. 

"Hey, Fluttershy! How's it going?"

She smiled at me. "I'm okay. Is Rainbow here?"

She nodded. "I'll get her for you. Hold on just one minute." She flew off.

While I was waiting, Angel gave me a look and stuck out his middle finger.

I stuck tongue out at him. "Shut it, Angel. You're no prize to be won yourself, you know!" Stupid bunny. For some reason, the moment he meet me he despised me. Luckily, the feeling was mutual.

The atmosphere was really tense, so let's just say I was happy when Fluttershy walked down the stairs with Rainbow Dash.

"Hey, Dash! Glad to see your on your feet! How are you doing?"

Rainbow smiled, which was definitely a good sign! "Better." She said.

"I'm glad." And I was.

"Any news on… Pinkie?" Rainbow Dash seemed to be trying to choke out Pinkie's name. Still a tender subject. I noted this.

"She has some sort of thing in her brain, infesting her thoughts and causing her to hallucinate. It's being treated now." I explained.

Rainbow Dash nodded. "Gr-great." She whispered.

I lifted her chin and smiled. "She's got a restraining order against you. Don't worry. She won't be coming near ANYPONY for a while. Especially you."

This seemed to cheer Dash up a little bit.

"Be sure to keep us updated!" Fluttershy said.

I smiled at her. "I will. Gotta go! Bye girls!" I ran off.

My final place was the Cakes. I apologized, and updated them on everything so far. I was going to talk to them a bit more, when a pony fetched me.

"Mrs. Light? Dr. Silver Saddle wanted me to inform you the operation is finished."

I nodded and turned to the Cakes. "Hooves crossed!" I smiled nervously. They nodded and waved goodbye.

I ran to the hospital ready to find out how it had gone.


> Chapter Six: Waking Up
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I ran to the hospital as fast as I could, excited but scared. Nervousited, as Pinkie would call it.

"Did you fix it?" I asked nervously once I had arrived.

The doctor nodded, and a breathed a sigh of relief.

"What would you like us to do now?" He asked me.

I thought for a minute. "Wake her up." They looked at me like I was crazy.

"Precautions will have to be made," I said. "Secure her down, just in case. I'm going to try to talk to her on my own, but I'll need ponies outside if it didn't work." 

He was extremely hesitant. "Are you sure?" 

I nodded. "Positive."

"Well," the doctor sighed, "You ponies heard her. Let's go!"

I stood in the room, waiting. Running over what to say and not to say. The door opened, and they rolled in a bed, on which Pinkie Pie was sleeping peacefully. The nurse nodded. "Whenever your ready, Mrs. Light." They shut the door.

I breathed. Here goes nothing. I gently rubbed her on the forehead. "Pinkie? Can you wake up, please?" I whispered. I stood back, prepared to call somepony if I needed to. But she seemed normal.

"Spunk Light? Where am I?" 

"You're in the hospital, Pinkie."

"Why am I strapped down?"

"Sorry. Just a precaution."

"Precaution for what?"

Pinkie Pie opened her eyes.

I thought a moment. How do I remind her carefully? I quietly said, "cupcakes".

This did the trick. Pinkie gasped. "Oh my! RAINBOW DASH? IS SHE ALRIGHT? THE BASEMENT AT SUGAR CUBE CORNER! SHE'S THERE!" She was screaming.

"Rainbow Dash is alive, she's fine. Though the same can't be said for the others…" I tried to keep my voice calm.

Pinkie Pie looked me in the eyes. I closed my eyes, thinking I knew what she was going to say. I was surprised when she said "Kill me."

"What?" I said, opening my eyes. For one of the few times in my life EVER, I had been caught off guard.

Pinkie looked at me. "I can't do this again. But I can't stop. You've got to kill me, Spunk Light!"

I looked at her in alarm. "Calm down, it's gone. You won't do that again. They fixed it."

She looked at me, as though trying to get the words out. "Pinkamena is gone?" 

"Pinkamena is gone." I confirmed.

Then it all came out. All the grief, anger, fear, and regret spilled out of her as she cried like I had never seen anypony cry before. Tears of pain, joy, and confusion.

I walked up close to her. I was not afraid of her anymore. I hugged her. I thought of Cloudy Wish. And I cried too. Tears to show the sorrow that I couldn't save him. Tears that proved the happiness I felt that I had saved Pinkie, when anyone else would have killed her on the spot. And my eyes were stained with liquids as I tried to figure out how I really felt.

We stayed there, crying, for an hour, until we were dry. I went to stand up. But something stopped me. "What?" I heard a laugh. I looked up. Her hair was straight. I acted terrified. She smiled, and I caught her off guard, yanking free.

"NOW!" I shouted. Before I could finish, Pinkie had already been given a shot. She was out cold.

My voice was shaking. "Get me a doctor in here, now." I breathed. The ponies hurried off, and I looked at Pinkie Pie. And my eyes had a new kind of tear. Tears of fear.
> Chapter Seven: Pinkamena Will Not Give Up
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The nurses looked at me worriedly. "It didn't work?" One asked me sadly.

"But you didn't call us in quicker? Why not?" The other contradicted.

My eyebrows furrowed as i racked through my brains. "I- I dunno… it worked, and then it didn't. It was like it wore off." I stuttered.

The nursers began talking amongst themselves, but I wasn't really listening. I occasionally caught snippets like "impossible" or "tragic" and even "I can't believe it!". I rolled my eyes, and I began to focus less and less. My mind was working overtime, and considering I hadn't slept in so long, it was quite a task. 
Unfortunately, it was late at night when Dr. Silver Saddles came in, and there wouldn't be time to do anything. It would have to wait until morning. Of course. I sighed, and started the trek back home.

"Ahh!" I looked up. I hadn't been looking where I was going, and appeared to have bumped into Twilight Sparkle.

"Sorry, Spunk Light!" She said, as we shook ourselves.

I raised my eyebrows. "I'm the one who bumped into you. It's fine."

She grinned. "Any news on Pinkie?" She asked quietly. As far as the other ponies knew, she was with her parents.

I hesitated. "Well, she WAS awake and fine, and now I don't even know!" I told her the whole story.

"Oh no!" She said sympatheticly. "I don't know HOW you're doing this."

"I'm fine!" I shrugged it off.

Twilight looked at me "You look terrible! Have you gotten any sleep?"

I looked at her. "What do you think? But I'm okay. Really."

She shook her head. "Come back to the library. I think I've got something to help!"

"Is it more of your magic?" I asked her. 

She smiled. "You won't know unless you come on! Trust me!" She held out her hoof.

The last time I trusted a friend, it didn't end well. I looked at that hoof. But I'm not one to hold grudges. I took it. And we trotted off.
Once we had arrived, Twilight fetched something and hands it to me.

"A pill?" I asked quizzically.

She smiled at me. "It'll give you eight hours of dreamless, peaceful sleep!"

I shook my head. "Thanks, but you should use it. I doubt your sleeping well, either."

"I'm fine. You need it more. Trust me. I can tell." She insisted.

I nodded. "Thanks, Twilight." 

She shrugged. "No problem."

I looked at her meaningfully. "No really. Thank you."

"No pr-". Twilight closed her mouth. She looked at me, and we shared a thought about Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and everything else that had been going on. She hugged me. I didn't hugged often, besides June. Since my parents died, I had been a little… reserved. But I could tell she wasn't being weird, she was being a friend. Awkwardly but sincerely, I hugged her back.
I trotted off, and after a while reached home. I got in bed and took the pill. It looked more like a candy, with a wrapper that read ⓒⓐⓝⓣⓔⓡⓛⓞⓣ ⓗⓞⓢⓟⓘⓣⓐⓛ. Well, if it was used in Canterlot, I supposed I could trust it. I popped it into my mouth.
Twilight was right. The sleep was dreamless, which I tried to enjoy, because that wouldn't be common for a long time, I could tell. I got a full eight hours, and I woke up when it weared off. I was still drowsy, and had to focus really hard to look at the clock. It was still 5:30, and since I was still tired, I figured I could squeeze in more rest.
Of course, I had dreams this time. Horrible nightmares, depicting disembodiment, disembowelment, drugs, and dissection. There was more, but who wants to hear all that? The point is, I woke up around 8:00 in the morning. I jumped up and hurried to get dressed and ready (swearing while I did it, unfortunately) . I trotted to the hospital, making a pit stop at the bakery to pick up a few special things. (All the nightmares had gotten me thinking about those who knew. I had bought cookies for everypony that I would deliver. I almost got cupcakes, but I had a feeing it might change what I was trying to accomplish.) I signed in for my appointment and handed out a few to ponies until I was called.

"So?" I asked breathlessly.

"We were able to confirm that part of the parasite was left. What we couldn't tell was whether this was just a derp on our part, or if she'll need regular treatment. Obviously, I'm hoping for the former." 

I nodded. I couldn't imagine living a normal life if you need to be put under every two hours.

Dr. Silver Saddles cleared his throat to get my attention.

"Sorry." I blushed, but he just ignored it, as if it were routine.

"Would you like to do the same as last time, Mrs. Light?"

I bit my lip, and after a minute, I said "yes".

He nodded and prepared things. I waited.

This time, Pinkie Pie seemed to remember everything. I offered her a cookie as I gently sat down on the edge of her hospital bed.

"I don't understand, Spunk Light." She asked confusedly. "I remember us hugging, and then the rest is a blur until now."

I frowned. "We had to put you under again." 

Pinkie shook her head, making the curls on her hair bounce. "I could tell that. But… why?" She asked.

I closed my eyes tightly. "You turned back." I said.

She banged her head. "I knew it! Ugh! I'm never gonna be free of that STUPID PINKAMENA!" She growled in frustration. She cried silently. 
I tried to think of what to do. I grinned. "I know what might cheer you up! I'll be back soon, I promise!" A nurse stepped into the room to watch her, as I hurried out the door. 

I panted as I knocked on the library door. Twilight greeted me, and I wasted no time. 

"Are you scared of Pinkie Pie, Twi?" I asked.

She shook her head vigorously. "Of course not! It's that parasite, not her! I'd give anything to see the real Pinkie again."

For the first time in forever, I smiled sincerely and widely. They agreed to meet me at the hospital in 5 minutes. 

Sweet Apple Acres and Carousel Boutique got the same treatment, and I was pleasantly surprised to hear them all agree, their fear disappearing when they heard they could visit.
I volunteered to stay with Rainbow Dash while Fluttershy visited with the others, but Rainbow insisted we go while she stayed. I was hesitant, but I agreed she could handle herself.
The Cakes didn't even take a minute to consider, immediately saying yes to a visit with there as-good-as-daughter. 
So, five minutes later, I knocked on Pinkie's door. She looked concerned when I came in.

"Were you okay? I got worried!" Pinkie asked anxiously.

I grinned mischievously. "I'm fine. I just had to pick up a few things!" I giggled as I opened the door to admit in Twilight, Spike, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Mrs. Cake, Mr. Cake, Pound Cake, and Pumpkin Cake. Even Gummy had joined the greeting party.
The effect was immediate and one of the most pleasant things I had ever seen. Words can never be invented to describe the joy on Pinkie Pie's face at the sight of her friends rallied around her. Not afraid of the mare who was afraid of herself.
Then, however, she flipped out.
"Spunk Light! Are you CRAZY? They can't be near me!" She yelped nervously.
I brushed it aside. "We've still got an hour, like last time." I smiled confidently.
Pinkie looked hesitant. "Well, I guess I AM strapped down..." 
We all smiled. And she smiled too. 
"I tried to get as many ponies as I could, Pinkie." I said.
"RAINBOW DASH?" Pinkie exclaimed.
"Um, no. She-". But Pinkie was right. I turned around, and right behind me was-
"Rainbow Dash! You're here? I thought you weren't coming!" I raised my eyebrows.
"Well, if it's some parasite, and it's gone, then I see no reason not to visit one of my best friends!" Rainbow smiled.
Pinkie looked relieved. "Rainbow Dash! You're alright! Thank goodness! Oh, you must be furious with me! I'm SO sorry, I don't know what happened. I just..." 
Rainbow smiled nervously. "It's okay." 
Pinkie looked at Dash. "Really?"
Rainbow thought to herself. "Surprisingly, yeah!" She stepped out of the doorway and into the room.
Pinkie saw half her body and smiled. "You got your cutie mark back? That's great!" Then she saw the other half. 
Her face fell as the moment hit her. Hard. "Your- your wings... They're... Not there..."  She stuttered out, crestfallen. "They're putting them back on, right?" She asked, hoping for the answer she knew was wrong. We shook our heads.
What happened next was so rapid that none of us had time to react.
 Pop!  Pinkie's hair rested on her shoulder, completely and totally flat.
Rainbow Dash stepped towards us nervously. I remembered Pinkie's hair had been straight in the basement. Maybe this wasn't a good idea.
Pinkie looked up, tears in her eyes. "I'm- I'm so sorry, Dashie!"
The last word hit with full impact. Dashie. The nickname from the room below Sugar Cube Corner.
Dash freaked out. "I'M SORRY! I CAN'T!" Rainbow Dash leaped out the door, running as fast as she could.
They looked at Pinkie Pie awkwardly, then chased after Dash, leaving just me and Pinkie Pie. 
She shook her head, tears rolling down her eyes. Then, she looked up, with an evil glint.
I yelled for a nurse, and she was down.
With so many thoughts, only one registered at first. That was less time then last time she was awake. 
Afterwards, however, a stream of thoughts hit me. I rushed out the door. Rainbow Dash. Her first!
I ran into Dr. Silver Saddles. "I heard we had problems again. Would you like for us to treat and wake her?" 
I thought a  moment. "No. Our time is limited. We can't afford to waste it. Just seclude her."
I ran out to make sure Rainbow Dash was okay without another word.
> Chapter Eight: Loyalty
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

(There is an extra part of the previous chapter that all viewers may not have seen. Please make sure you've read such part, or you will be very lost. Thank you, and enjoy the ponies.)


I ran to find Rainbow Dash quietly outside, yelling at her friends. "I'm fine!" They walked away uncertainly, but not me. Not that easily.

"You say your okay Dash, but for whatever reason I don't believe you." I prompted.

Rainbow looked at me. "Well, I'm fine, so... Can you go away, please?" She asked.

I grinned. "I'm a bit too stubborn for that. Annoying, huh?"

Dash smiled, sightly. She scooted over on the pavement she was sitting on, inviting me to sit, somewhat reluctantly.

I sat. "So what's up? What happened back there?" 

She groaned. "I mean, I was hesitant to come, but I'm glad I did, it was great to see her, you know, normal. Might lighten up the nightmares a bit. But her hair went down, and I was just going to use the bathroom, collect myself, you know? But I told myself I could stand it. Then she said Dashie, and, well. You know the rest. Where's Pinkie now?" She asked, attempting to change the subject.

I sighed. "Under again." 

Rainbow Dash groaned. "Of course she is. Darnit. I should have stayed." 

I shook my head. "No, it's good you left." I said truthfully. "She went slight evil. That would have REALLY freaked you out. Freaked me out." I rolled my eyes in frustration.

I looked up at Dash. Her eyes were sightly wet. Now wasn't the time to talk about me. "What's wrong?" My voice filled with concern. 

"I'm supposed to be the element of loyalty! But I couldn't forgive my friend, when she FELT BAD about what she did!" She scolded herself.

I scoffed. "So what? You're the loyalist pony I'VE seen, and I'm sure many would agree!" 

Dash shook her head. "You don't understand. I wasn't even SLIGHTLY loyal!"

I looked at her, confused. "And who said you had to?"

"But I'm the element of LOYALTY." She emphasized.

"And? That automatically means you have to be 100% loyal 24/7? That's not what being an element of harmony is about." 

Rainbow looked at me curiously. "What do you mean?"

I sighed. "No one can be loyal all the time. Not even a princess. Even the princess of friendship! No one can be just one trait at all! Pinkie's been sad. Right? Have you seen Applejack lie? Is Rarity ALWAYS giving? Fluttershy was mean once. Has Twilight done something without magic? Yeah! Being an element doesn't mean you're always what you are. It means you can do great acts with that element! When it matters, your loyal. Absolute loyalty. But you can't always be Dash. You just can't."

She sighed. "I wish what went down in that basement never happened."

"Me too, Rainbow Dash. Me too."

Rainbow paused. "Thanks for all your doing for Pinkie Pie. I know it doesn't seem like we appreciate it, but really, we do."

I shook my head. "You've all been busy. And what I'm doing can go unsaid, I couldn't care less. But don't thank me quite yet. I've got to fix her for good first. And if I want to, I'd better get going."

Rainbow Dash nodded. "You know, you should be an element. You'd make a better one than me, at least."

I was startled. "Me? Nah, I'm not awesome enough. And the most awesome pony is already there. Don't sell yourself short, Dash. You're doing this whole 'loyalty' thing just fine. See ya."

Rainbow nodded. "See ya." She stood up, and trotted off, leaving me lost in thought.

Element of harmony, huh? I humored myself. Gold necklace with a bright yellow jewel, the shape of a medicine bottle. I snorted. Yeah right. I shook my head and walked back inside.
> Chapter Nine: Easy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

 You know, a lot of things are easy. Super easy. For example. Telling a secret. That's easy, don't you think?

"Why did you want to meet here, Twilight? And... Not that I don't appreciate it, but... Why am I here?"

Twilight bit her lip. "The princesses think it's time to let the cat out of the bag."

I stared at her. "What? Why now?" 

Twilight shrugged. "I dunno. All they sad was that ponies were asking about Pinkie, and they deserved to know. We'll be careful," She added. "One or two ponies at a time."

We were all given the task to tell one pony every day and see how it went.

For instance, I decided to tell a pony named Vinyl Scratch.

 See, what did I tell you? EASY! However, an easy thing can turn hard fast. For instance, if you tell the secret to a pony you can't trust with secrets.

"WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU TELL THEM? YOU KNOW THOSE THREE GIRLS HAVE A THING FOR GOSSIP! NO WONDER THE TOWN KNOWS!" I yelled.

Rarity defended herself. "You all said, tell the first pony you bump into! I bumped into them, they were told. I was given no other instructions!"

I tried really hard to stay calm. "Fine. Whatever. You can't change that. Twilight, what did the princesses say about this?"

Twilight Sparkle shrugged. "They're not answering any of my scrolls."

I groaned. "Two bits says they're ignoring the whole thing."

Everypony looked at me, scandalized. I forgot joking about royalty was frowned upon.
"My little joke, calm down! Welp, looks like we're back to my favorite way of handling a situation like this. Everypony, welcome to 'Winging It 101'. May the odds be ever in your favor, because they sure aren't in mine." 

 Talk about the opposite of easy, huh? Rarity... Another thing that's easy is having the princess promise she'll pay you a visit. That she cares about all her subjects, and will make a damaged one her top priority.



Dear Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,
Thank you for your help. I understand things have been
hectic lately, but I appreciate you both very much. So
I'll meet you at my place whenever you get in? OK!
Your subject,
Spunk Light



I told you, EASY! The problem is if you don't plan a specific or estimated time.

I was pacing outside. 

"What's wrong?" Berry Punch asked me.

"Huh? Oh, nothing. I'm fine."

"You don't look fine."

"Well, I am."

"OH MY GOSH! THE PONY SLAYER CUPCAKE BAKER HAS THREATENED HER! HELP!" And she ran off, without letting me explain. At all.

Would you like trying to explain that to the police at 9:00 PM? 'Cause it's not very fun.




Well, the princesses finally came. They said they might know a spell to cure her, but they had never tried it before. I agreed it was best that they practice first, before Pinkie Pie is blown up.
The bakery was closed now, so no chance of volunteering there like I sometimes do. Maybe another shop in Ponyville needs some assistance?

"For the last time, I wasn't sneaking up on you to commit murder, all I did was knock on the door! There's really no need to call the police. If you're THAT bothered, I'll go. Sorry for startling you. Have a good evening. OKAY! Leaving now!"

Needless to say, I'm not having a great evening. 
Perhaps the doctor needs me?

"I have to wait until they get here with the spell? Are you sure? Alright."

 So, after that, I've come to a conclusion. The only thing that's truly easy is finding something that's not easy.

So, now there's only one thing left to do.

 Wait. 
> Chapter Ten: Waiting
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Until the princesses came, I had to wait. Which I reasoned DID mean I could take a break.
And there wasn't even the slightest doubt or hesitation about what I wanted to do first.

"Hello? Oh. Hey Spunk Light." Applebloom greeted me.

"Hey, Applebloom. Can I talk to Applejack a minute?"

She nodded. "Sure thing, I'll go get her."

I breathed. At least I would be able to look after my sister. I didn't know if rumors had reached the fillies yet, but Applebloom seemed fine, so I was hopeful. June would undoubtedly find out, but I'd prefer to explain it to her.
Applejack invited me to sit down. "I heard about what happened. So, your just waiting. I'm guessing you want June back."

I nodded. "Have the fillies found out yet?" I asked her anxiously.

"No." Applejack said. "I planned on telling Applebloom tonight. But I figured you might like to tell June yourself."

I was thankful she had, she was completely right. Applejack got up to get her, and returned shortly.

"Hey June! Ready to go home?" I smiled.

"Yeah! Bye Applebloom! I had tons of fun with you! Thanks for letting me come, Applejack!" 

"No problem. Take care, you two." Applejack smiled.

Applebloom followed us all the way to the outskirts of Sweet Apple Acres, then waved until we were out of sight. I'm glad June and Applebloom could have fun together. However, my 'fun' was far from over. June needed to know, and she needed to hear it from me. Mom was gone, and I had to protect her. But how do I tell her... That?

Well, no point waiting. "Hey, Swina Bu. Have you heard any weird rumors lately?"

"No. Why? Does it have to do with me being at Applebloom's? Was it one of your cases again?"

After what happened with Cloudy Wish, I found out nopony had this job. So I took it on as my own. Of course, now with June as my responsibly, I've got a few jobs to juggle with. But when June is sent to a friend's for a day or two, she knows by now what it means. But it's never been a pony she was friends with. And it was never a pony who harmed anypony besides herself. This would be interesting.

"You got it, June. Another case. Though this one isn't done yet..."

June Night looked excited. She wanted to do what I did, but I didn't like it. The work was dangerous. However, if she truly had her heart set on this, I'd be glad to teach her all I knew. 

"Ooh! Hard case! Tell me about it!" She begged eagerly.

"I will at dinner, okay? It's a bit harder than usual." I told her hesitantly.

She noticed something was wrong, but she didn't press. I was glad. I needed to plan.

I cooked Ravioli, June's favorite, our tradition for when we both came home. As she was eating, I waited for her to bring it up. And it didn't take her long. 

"So? Are you gonna tell me? Who's this pony that's super hard? I want to know!"

I sighed. Time to plunge in. I waited for her to finish, then sat with her in the living room. She cuddled up close to me on the couch, ready to listen. And I hated myself for having to tell the most vulnerable and innocent pony I knew what she was about to hear.

"Okay, I'm gonna tell you June, but first. Know three things. One: This might scare you. But you have to know, the right way. Two: The pony in question is somepony you know. But she's getting better. And three: no matter what, I'll protect you. All the villains in Equestria together couldn't harm you. I swear on it. No matter what. Are you ready?"

She nodded. The last one was standard warning for all my stories, but it was usually the only one. And it was never this emphasized. But she had to know. I had to keep it in mind.

"This is going to be hard, and I know you'll have questions, but wait until I'm done if you can. I'm just going to go right into it, okay? The pony is Pinkie Pie."

I winced at her shock. She hadn't seen anything yet. 

"Pinkie has a parasite. The things she's done are NOT Pinkie Pie. There what she calls 'Pinkamena' . But this Pinkamena has done some terrible things."

Revisiting my story was hard and made me want to puke, but my darkest moment was the only thing I had left, the pony to protect at all costs. And her reaction to the true motives of the alternate ego to Ponyville's best party pony. Seeing her face, her hushed gasp, tore me apart. 
But I had to stay strong. I hugged her and reassured her a minute, then continued. I overlooked the gore, but no important details could be left out. 

She was tearing up. " Rainbow Dash? Is she-?"

"No." I responded immediately, desperate to save her some pain. "Her wings are gone, but otherwise she's fine. No other permanent damage."

She breathed shallowly. "What happened to Pinkie!" She asked me, afraid of the answer.

And so I told her. The next little bit was a blur, crying heavily involved.

I tucked her into bed, and just as I was about to leave, I looked into those big brown eyes.

"Do you need to sleep with me tonight, Swina Bu?"

She tucked herself comfortably into bed with me, 20 stuffed animals keeping us apart. She did, however, reach out a hoof. I grabbed it. 

"You promise you'll protect me?" 

"I swear on it. I love you."

"I love you too."

And as she snuggled up against a pony toy, still grabbing my hoof. And I took a small comfort.

In knowing that with whatever happened, I still had one silent night to enjoy with June Night.

And,
Miraculously,
I fell asleep.

And so did June.
> Chapter 11: In A Way, Answers
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was (finally) a month later when I got a message from a princess. Part of me felt like jabbing at why it took so long, part of me was just happy to get some news. I opened it eagerly.

Dear Spunk Light,
I'm sorry this took so long, there was a bit of a situation with a changeling spotting, but regardless, I think I have an answer. This spell will indeed work, but only if performed by the elements of harmony. There are still many questions, such as how these missing ponies weren't reported sooner, but we're working hard to get answers one by one. I'm open to ideas. As always, if you need me, I'm only a letter away.
Yours truly,
Princess Celestia and Princess Luna

I took a breath. The first thing that stood out was that they had a way to heal Pinkie. We would have to find a replacement for Laughter, but it hopefully wouldn't be too hard.

The next thing that came to mind was that there was something off about the letter, something I couldn't put my hoof on. I figured I could look into it later, and hopefully have some sort of idea another time.

However, the next thing to do was find a replacement for Laughter.

...

"Alright, do you have ANY idea of a pony who could replace that element? A pony who rivals her?"

"There's nopony that rivals Pinkie I can think of..." Twilight grimaced.

I groaned. "Terrific. Every time there's good news, we get more bad! It's like a News Sandwich or something!" 

Rarity gasped. "That's it! We could try Cheese Sandwich!" 

"Who?" I asked. Nopony was really listening to me, though.

"That could work!" Applejack nodded.

"Alright... Well, send a letter I guess. Speaking of letters..." I said as I pulled out the Princess's.

...

I had read over it multiple times, but I still hadn't figured it out. There was something nagging about the changeling spotting. Then, something clicked.

A reason there hadn't been missing pony reports.

A reason there was a lack of changeling reports lately.

A collaboration had been made.

"Pinkie and... Changelings?!"

I galloped over to Sugarcube Corner, smacking into a guard.

"And what exactly are you doing, Missy?" He asked me.

I rolled my eyes and presented a scroll the Princess had given me, permitting me onto the crime scene.

The guard looked at me questionably. "Why do you have something like this? What permits you to go sniffing around here?"

I could feel my patience shortening. I had a lead, and I DIDN'T have time for games!

"Unfortunately," I said snidely, "That's none of your concern. Your job is to keep ponies without permission away, which you're doing a fine job of. However, as stated clearly here, I have every right to be on this crime scene, and if you have second thoughts, I urge you to contact the Princesses for a confirmation. Otherwise, please move out of my way, as I have a lead to follow." 

The guard, dumbfounded, stepped aside to permit me through.

I strode over to the basement and (reluctantly) down the stairs. I was about to have one of the most disgusting searches of my life. I might as well get started.

...

"Aha!" I exclaimed happily. I laid out the piece of paper I had found, and smiled as I read clearly:



Changeling Contact Information



I tried to read more, but due to the shear blood, it was near decipherable. I carried it up the stairs with me, taking careful tread not to step in guts or something.

"And what do you have there?" The same guard as before asked.

I grinned widely as I walked past him. "Proof."
> Chapter 12: Fixed, Then Broken Again
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Warning: Please note that the following chapter does contain thoughts and actions involving suicide towards it's end. If this is a sensitive topic for you, or if you otherwise can't handle reading it, feel free to skip that part of the chapter. Thank you, and otherwise, enjoy! 

Princess Celestia was sorting through papers or something when she heard a knock at the door. Then a pony came galloping in. That pony was me.

Celestia's top assistant, Raven came strutting up to me. "And what do you think you're doing? Do you have an appointment?"

"No, but I have something to help solve the case of numerous disappearances, stop a serial killer, and expand upon the threat of changelings. I do hope you'll forgive me for barging in. However, I think you'll find what I have to show doesn't disappoint." I smiled.

I walked up to the princess and showed her the scroll. "Um... Could you please elaborate, Spunk Light?" She asked. I quickly explained it to her, which was met with a satisfied look. "That would make much sense. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. And speaking of, a Mr. Cheese Sandwich has agreed to help step in as the Element of Laughter, and it seems he will work as the temporary bearer."

I grinned widely. Things were finally going write today! This... This is where it all goes horribly wrong...

"Thank you, Princess. I have to go. I need to check some things."

And off I went.

...

I was finally at the hospital, where everypony else was gathered around. "Sorry, everypony. Had a bit of trouble on my way. Are we ready?" I got nods from around the room. I nodded back. "Let's do this." I stepped back.

The elements locked hooves and a glow emitted, first from Twilight's horn, then from the group of ponies. The room was engulfed in sparks, and when it was over, I opened my eyes. Everypony was breathing heavily. 

"Did it work?" Fluttershy asked anxiously.

"One way to find out." We rushed to the scanner. Everything seemed to be fine. We kept her under a little bit, but no relaspe. We finally woke her up, restraints and all. 

Pinkie's eyes opened slowly. "What... happened?"


Two Months Later... 
Things had been going swimmingly. Absolutely perfect. Then, of course, it all went to Tartarus.

Pinkie had gone missing. Naturally, there was a general panic. After flying around, Rainbow Dash finally found her at the edge of a cliff. And she was about to jump.

Pinkie stopped for a moment when she heard her friends. But her mind was still set.

"Don't come any closer!" Pinkie said shrilly. "If you do, I'll back up. I swear, I will!"

"Pinkie, don't do this!" Twilight yelled, tears in her eyes.

"After everything I've done, all the lives I've taken, it's only fair if I do the same for myself! I waited for 2 months, picking a spot where I thought you wouldn't find me! Why did you have to look for me, Dashie?! Why?! After what I did, you should hate me more then anypony else! So why?! Why don't you hate me?! Why can't you just HATE ME!?"

I trotted forward, finally catching up. "Pinkie, don't!"

"If you come near me, I'll jump!" Pinkie warned.

"You're planning on jumping anyway, so if you really want to, then do it."

Everypony was appalled. But I knew exactly what I was doing. 

Pinkie was caught off guard. "W-what?"

"You slaughtered so many ponies, and you're a horrible one yourself! So you owe it to let me talk to you." I didn't wait for a reply, and trotted over. Though I did slowly, just in case.

I sat down beside her. "Please don't."

She shook her head. "Nopony will miss me."

"If you really think that, you're thicker then a brick. You honestly think your friends and your family won't miss you? You've got to be kidding me."

Tears started flowing. "They shouldn't miss me. I don't deserve it." Pinkie whimpered.

"But they will!"

"How do you know?"

...

Years and years ago...
I ran around, chasing Cloudy Wish through the Ponyville fair. We were just foals. "Come and get me, Cloud!"

"Don't think I won't, Spunk!"

We giggled as we chased each other, until he finally tackled me. I shrieked as we rolled around in the grass.

The scene changed. We were older, and were browsing by a shop. He stopped me and ran inside, and when he came out he was holding a yellow scarf.

"For you, my queen." He bowed playfully as he wrapped around my neck.

I bowed back. "Thank you, good sir. A scarf this fine simply must be accompanied by a picture."

We took one, smiling as we tried to fit both our heads into the frame.



The memory transitioned to the day after that. Cloud was trotting up to me.

"Spunk Light, I'd like you to meet Sea Star! She's new in town."

Nopony was there. "Uh, Cloudy, don't you think you're a bit old for an imaginary friend?"

Cloudy Wish looked at me curiously. "What do you mean?"

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, I'll play along. Nice to meet you, Sea Star."

A few months went by, and Sea Star was always there. Well, never there for me, but always there for him. Then, one day, Cloudy Wish jumped.

I rushed to help him up. I asked him why he would do something like this. He was NEVER suicidal! But it was like he couldn't even hear me. He just kept murmuring to himself. "That hurt, Sea Star. You said it wouldn't hurt. That hurt."

He was in the hospital. But he hadn't made it.

"You did well, Mrs. Light. You got him here very quickly." One doctor tried to comfort me.

I shook my head. "But I was too late... If I had just trusted my senses... Gotten help sooner..."

"You had suspicions of this? That's very impressive, Mrs. Light, very impressive indeed. Especially since things like this are pretty obscure in Equestria. No doctors for this sort of thing at all."

"But... Aren't there more cases like this out there?"

"There could be. Who knows?"

I took a deep breath. "I promise I won't fail anypony else. I-I promise." I whispered to Cloudy Wish, hoping by some miracle he heard me.

There was a ringing and a small flash of light, and when I turned around, I had gotten my Cutie Mark. It was then that I really started crying.

Back to the present...

"I know because I've been there, Pinkie. And when I say they'll miss you, that's an understatement. They'll be crushed, heartbroken, they'll shut themselves in."

"You got past it." Pinkie said.

"Yeah, 15 years later, great huh? Listen Pinks, I know what it's like to be overwhelmed by guilt. I know what it's like to feel like you don't deserve to live, and to even take action on those feelings. But ya gotta trust me when I say this is NOT the answer. You just gotta find a way to keep going."

"How did you keep going?"

I managed a small smile. "My sister." I looked at her seriously. "If you can't find a way to live for yourself, live for them. And pretty soon, they'll make you see just how great life really is."

"How do you know things will get better?"

"I don't. But think about it this way: things can't get worse."

Pinkie let out a half-chuckle, half-sob. I stood up and extended my hoof to her. She took a shaky breath, stood up, and locked hooves with me. I smiled, and she smiled back, and together, we walked back. And for a moment, just a moment, just that single moment... everything was perfect.