//------------------------------// // 4: Visit // Story: Cupcakes: Truth Revealed // by mcb893 //------------------------------// "After Gilda's disappearance, your friends reported you going into a severe depression, and you just weren't yourself for a few days. Rainbow said she even caught you cutting yourself. Is this true?" The interrogator asked. Pinkie sighed and hung her head. That was vaguely familiar. The guilt of her first murder had been too much for her, and she just locked herself away. Her friends became increasingly concerned as the days went by, and even tried to get her to a psychologist to see what was wrong. That hurt Pinkie even more. Her friends cared about her so much, but she didn't deserve friends like that... she was a murderer... "It's true... The scar is gone, but I still remember it. I couldn't figure out how they could just be that nice to me... I was a monster... " She hung her head again and let out a tear. The interrogators seemed to discuss something, leaving Pinkie back into her own thoughts. Poor Dashie... What if she lost her wings permanently? Then she would never get to be a wonderbolt. Some friend... "I'm sorry Dashie..." She said as she began to sob softly. "I'm so sorry..." "Listen Pinkie, we're sending somepony in to see you. Just talk to them honestly. In addition, it might help calm you down." The interrogator said. Pinkie's head shot straight up, fear in her eyes. "No! What if I hurt them? I can't stand to see them like that! I just can't!" She shouts as more tears fall from her eyes. "Pinkie, it's fine. From what you've told us, you aren't the one behind this. Besides, we have you locked into a chair, you couldn't do anything." Pinkie relaxed and tried to ease her breathing. Leaning back against the wooden frame of the chair, she tried to calm herself down and asked if the pony could be sent in. To her right, a door opened, revealing somepony she knew would hate her. Applejack. The farm mare cautiously walked toward her as Pinkie hung her head in shame. "Hey..." She said with a tremble in her voice. Looking up, she sees Applejack sits down on the floor, a good five feet away from her. There is a harsh, somewhat unforgiving look in her eye, just like Pinkie thought there would be. "Just so we're clear, I don't hate you." Applejack said, her voice somewhat gentle. Pinkie gave a slight chuckle. "You just don't like me right?" She asked as she looked her friend in the eye. Applejack shook her head. "Ah didn't say that either." She said. Pinkie just shook her head. "Don't pretend you're okay with this AJ. We both know what I did was wrong." "Ah can agree with that. Ah certainly don't forgive yah for killin' all dem ponies yet. Or what you did to Rainbow." She said with her forelegs crossed. Her eyes were still unforgiving, but they had lost their harsh quality. Pinkie nodded and stared at the floor. How could she? This was already going slightly better than expected, but it was still going badly. "But Ah do understand that you regret yer actions. An' while that doesn't make it right, it shows that yah aren't a cold blooded killer." Pinkie shook her head. "But I am... I was the one that killed them... I ended their hopes and dreams... Everything they were... could have been... gone..." She said. Pinkie sighed and closed her eyes. Thinking back to her first day at Sugar Cube Corner... the Cakes had trusted her completely with inventory, and would only ask for a couple supplies now and then. Why couldn't they have checked on her? They should have checked on her. Looking back up to her friend, her forelegs are still crossed, and her sat remains seated on her cranium. Her fellow Earth Pony still didn't seem to be convinced. Sighing, Applejack unfolds her forelegs. "Look, Ah'm not saying you're a bad pony... Far from it. Ah'm saying that your actions are despicable. Yer reason fer doin' it is admirable, but it's still wrong." AJ walked closer to her and looked her in the eye. Pinkie looked away. Applejack sighed, patted her on the shoulder, and spoke again. "I still think yer a good pony Pinkie, Ah really do. You just made some bad choices. An' I don't agree with em'." Pinkie gave a slight smile. Maybe she was too quick to judge. This was going a lot better than expected. She instantly frowned again. "AJ, I don't deserve this... Your kindness... why are you being so nice to me?" She asked. Applejack released her from her grip. "Cuz' everypony deserves a second chance. Within reason. Ah'm still deciding on whether or not you deserve yers though." Applejack turned her head and walked away. Pinkie hung her head and thought about this. As far as she was concerned, she didn't deserve a second chance. After everything she'd done, she didn't deserve anything. "Pinkie, after your depression, a new pony went missing, known as Carrot Top. It was assumed that she moved away, but I think we know what really happened to her." The interrogator said as Applejack shut the door. Pinkie sighed and nodded. ... The pony looked up with sadness and fear in her eyes, to which Pinkie responded with a sympathetic look. Unlike Gilda, Carrot Top seemed to understand that she didn't want to do this. Pinkie let loose another tear as she sliced away her left ear, causing the mare to let loose a whimper of pain, followed by tears. Pinkie took the ear and expected it. It was free of wax. But outside of it was stained with blood and sweat, resulting in a foul smelling combination of bodily fluids. Pinkie sighed and tossed the ear onto the table, next to her cutie marks. The stallion nodded, seeming satisfied. "Very good, you have come very far my young apprentice. I must say I am impressed. Most would not be able to go through with this." He said as he licked blood off of the Carrot Top's ear. Most don't have their friends being threatened either. Pinkie thought to herself. Pinkie looks back over to her fellow pony, the one she considered a real pony, not some sick monster. "I'm so sorry..." She whispered. Carrot Top just shut her eyes, no doubt trying to cope with the pain. The stallion sighed with satisfaction and nodded at Pinkie. The pink party pony sighed and looked over to the knife laying on the table. Stupid thing... Why did this have to happen? Pinkie shook her head as she grabbed the knife and turned back to her friend. Her lips trembled and quivered as she placed the knife to her midsection, pausing. Looking up, Pinkie saw the terrified face of Carrot Top. "I'm so sorry... Forgive me... Please..." She whispered. Carrot Top nodded, and closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable.