//------------------------------// // Friends From Within Shadows // Story: Mission: Find Home // by KOTLCfan //------------------------------// Pinkie Pie blinked open her eyes slowly. Everything at that moment was blurry for her and she struggled to gain further consciousness. Pinkie Pie tried to stand up but failed, finding her legs were weak. She tried to say something, but her voice was hoarse, like she hadn't used it in a long time. She thought of her friends, as thoughts and memories began to race through her head. Twilight, Rarity, Apple Jack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy. Where were they now? Where was she now? The blurriness began to fade, and Pinkie Pie started to see her surroundings more clearly. Pinkie was surrounded by thousands of trees. All of which looked nothing like the ones from home. Pinkie began to panic but something calmed her, somehow. It was memories. Memories started to begin flashing through her head. Memories of all her friends, and all their adventures. Happy ones and sad moments, all of it. But there still was no memory answering her questions about why she was here, or where she was. Pinkie suddenly jerked backwards when she came across a new memory. Fluttershy. Pinkie Pie was unsure about why, but her instincts told her to find Fluttershy, now. Was Fluttershy even here? If so, why? Pinkie forced herself to get up and she wobbled, trying to gain balance. "Twil..." Pinkie tried to call out. She swallowed, and her mouth began to gain moisture again. "Twilight!" Pinkie called out, desperately hoping that this would turn out to be some horrible dream. Pinkie shook her head and felt brave as tilted her head upwards, with sudden confidence. It was just another adventure. Pinkie always went on adventures, there nothing that went wrong and caused her such danger that she could never return home. With her friends at her side, Pinkie never needed to fear. Suddenly, Pinkie was aware of what was going on. Her friends weren't with her, like they normally were when she went out on adventures, does that mean she does need to fear? She was alone, isolated, and in a strange place with no memory of what had happened. Where was she? Where were her friends? What happened? The harder Pinkie Pie tried to remember, the further away the memories seemed to appear, and the harder they were to retrieve. Pinkie gave up knowing she just cause the memories to fade completely. Instead she started tapping one of her hooves, nervously. She continued that for a couple minutes, which seemed like a hour. Pinkie stopped and put on a brave smile. Pinkie needed to calm herself. She was the party planning, happy pony that everyone loved. She needed to pretend this was all planned out. She needed to do this or she might start to lose sanity. "This is going to be fine." Pinkie said, regaining her happy thoughts. "It will be an adventure and then I can tell everyone all about it! This place is beautiful and this would be a great spot to explore and meet new friends!" Pinkie said aloud. Pinkie allowed herself to falsely grin and bounced in circles looking at everything and absorbing the information gathered. Pinkie looked up at the sky and began to trot in a direction that caught her eye. She saw a flash of movement and something furry. "Hey! Who's there? I won't hurt you. I'm Pinkie and I'm from Ponyville. Do you know where that is?" She asked, introducing herself, hoping somepony could help her. The blurry white thing dashed back into the direction it came from. "Could you slow down? It's hard to see you when you move so fast. All I see is a white blur. I wish I was that fast!" Pinkie giggled. The white creature suddenly leaped out from the bushes., or appeared to, for a moment. Pinkie's eyes widened. It swished back and forth in front of her. Pinkie did a double take. It swished. It was swaying back and forth. Pinkie almost mistook it for a snake, but then she remembered that this was furry! Her eyes scanned the thing, trying to figure out a logical solution. Pinkie jerked backwards and yelped in surprise, almost instantly. It had to be a tail! Which means... that something was attached to that tail. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I scare you?" A voice dripping with false kindness spoke. Pinkie didn't seem to notice and stared at the tail, her eyes following the end of it to the bush. She guessed that whoever was speaking was the one the tail was attached to. "Oh no! I just figured something out, that's all. I thought that you were a snake but then I realized that I was looking at a tail. Would you mind helping me? My name is Pinkie Pie and I'm from Pony-" Pinkie Pie was cut off by a hiss. The voice came back and laughed, harshly, but kept the sweet tone. "Dearie, did you actually think I cared whether or not I scared you? I don't care about another one of you ponies. I have only ever met two ponies, and you happen to be one of them. But despite that, I think I despise ponies." The creature hissed. Pinkie Pie, ignoring the first and last comment, focused on what the creature said about meeting another pony. Pinkie Pie's ears perked upwards. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but, have you seen a yellow pony around here? Her name is Fluttershy and it is urgent that I find her. See, we are lost. In all of my time in Equestria, or even on my missions with my friends, I have never seen a place such as this." Pinkie explained, hoping for information about Flutter Shy. The creature's tail stopped swaying and tensed up. It started moving again but this time it wasn't relaxed. It was moving in sharp, slow movements. Pinkie Pie took notice and tilted her head, curiously. "Equestria?" The creature suddenly hissed, with a dark voice, completely abandoning the honeyed voice, the creature was first using. "It actually exists, then?" The creature removed itself from it's hiding spot in the bushes and jumped in front of Pinkie before she retreated to the air and began studying her. "In that case, I would be happy to tell you about your friend." The creature grinned, showing all its sharp teeth. Pinkie Pie was now able to see the creature. The creature was definitely a female. And... a griffin? Her tail was a brilliant white with specks of black and the end of it seemed to be a pure silver color. The griffin itself was a radiant combination of silver and pure black colored feathers. Pinkie gaped at her. The griffin tilted it's head. "What?" Pinkie held up a pink hoof. "First, you're a griffin? Second, your colors!" Pinkie grinned up at her. Maybe this griffin could really help Pinkie find Flutter Shy. Maybe this griffin could be the key to finding- Pinkie paused and her mind raced back to when Pinkie mentioned Equestria. Did she actually ask if it exists? Does that mean she isn't in Equestria...? If so, where was she?