//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 // Story: The Element of Laughter // by The-rogue-shadow //------------------------------// Pinkie kept the wrapped up body of Rosethorn steady as the cart they had commissioned in a nearby town trundled down the road. Nopony was speaking, nor looking each other in the eye. Redmond and Swift pulled the cart, and Heartstrings sat across from Pinkie in the back. Pinkie noticed Heartstrings looking anxious, but said nothing, Finally, Heartstrings spoke; "Okay, I've had enough! Pinkie, what the hay WAS that back there?" she yelled, Pinkie shook her head. "Not now Please." "Now is a good a time as any, What was THAT?" Yelled Heartstrings louder. The stallions thought it best not to get involved. I don't want to talk about it ok?" said Pinkie forcefully. Heartstrings lifted herself into the air, hovering above Pinkie's face. "Well too bad, I do want to talk about it. What happened with you?" She yelled. Pinkie couldn't take it anymore "I don't know?!" she yelled into Heartstrings' face. "I saw her die and something clicked, like a defence mechanism." "Then why did it call itself Pinkamina?" asked Heartstrings. "Because that's her name! She isn't me, we are separate, but together." Said Pinkie, trying to explain without sounding crazy. Heartstring stared at her, before landing back into her seat. "I… I'm sorry Pinkie, I don't mean to yell, it's just that you scared us all back there, like, a lot." Said Heartstrings. Pinkie nodded, accepting the apology. "And I especially sorry about Rosethorn, I know how close you both were." "So do I." said Pinkie quietly. She turned at the sound of Redmond's voice. "We're almost there; I can see Maneflow Springs in the distance." He said. Pinkie squinted and could just barely make out the shape of a town. "Hey, what's that?" said Heartstrings, looking up into the sky. Pinkie looked up and saw what seemed to be a hundred black dots, all coming towards them. "Griffins?" Pinkie asked. Heartstrings shook her head. "They are too small to be griffins, they must be Pegasi." She replied. "Oh good, they must have got the report I sent." Said Redmond. Pinkie turned. "What report?" she asked, starting to get worried. "I sent a report telling them that the mission was successful, like protocol dictates." He told her and Pinkie looked at Heartstrings and shrugged, having no clue about doing their own. A thought suddenly popped into Pinkie's head. "Did you tell them about Pinkamina?" she asked hurriedly. Redmond nodded nervously, and Swift smacked him over the back of the head. The black dots had become clearer now, and were recognisable as Pegasi. They descended on the cart, some had their swords drawn and Pinkie recognised the armour of the royal guard. A particularly large one landed on the cart and addressed Pinkie. "Pinkamina Pie? You are ordered to come with us immediately." He said, holding out his hoof to help her up. "For what reason?" asked Pinkie, as the cart stopped. "I'm sorry, but that is classified information." Replied the Pegasus. Pinkie shook her head. "Can it wait until I bury my friend?" she asked, gesturing to Rosethorn's body. "Look, our orders are just to take you, we didn't have to ask. Take them." He said to the other Pegasi, who quickly advanced on the ponies, grabbing them and tying them up if they resisted. Pinkie screamed, struggling and biting the pegasi as they tied ropes around her legs. One of them said to the leader; "What do you want to do with the corpse?" and the leader replied; "Leave it, the buzzards can pick it clean." Pinkie yelled louder, and tried to will the darkness back, but it wouldn't come, as though she had used up its energy. "You can't please, she deserves a proper burial, I'll go quietly if you give her a proper military funeral." Pinkie pleaded, and the leader looked at her and sighed. "Have two rookies take her back to the front lines for burial." He said, and Pinkie thanked him, stopping her struggling. The leader turned back to her; "I'm sorry about this, but we aren't allowed to let you see where we are going." He said and punched Pinkie in the side of the head and knocking her out. Once again, Pinkie found herself in the empty blackness, no solidity under her hooves, just floating. "Are you in control again Pinkamina?" she asked as her voice echoed in the abyss. "No Pinkie, you were knocked out." Said Pinkamina, appearing beside her. She hugged Pinkie, as though she hadn't seen her in a long time. "I'm sorry about Rosethorn, I know how much you loved her." Said Pinkamina. Pinkie looked at her, puzzled. "Don't you mean how much WE loved her?" she asked, trying to get used to the split consciousness concept. Pinkamina shook her head. "No, just you, personally, I was more into Heartstrings, but I'm really just here to help when you can't handle the situation, not give you love advice." She said. Pinkie nodded, still confused. "Where are we, I imagined my dream world to be a lot more colourful." Said Pinkie, looking around at the nothingness. Pinkamina laughed. "This isn't your dream world, this is where I live. The easiest way to explain it would be if I said that it is the place where you are just about to sleep, but not quite there. The transition point in your mind between dreams and reality." She explained, and Pinkie rubbed her eyes in a mix of confusion and frustration. "And what does that make you?" Pinkie asked. Pinkamina said nothing for a moment, as though contemplating the best answer. "I suppose I am… Your polar opposite, the other side of your coin, the antithesis of Pinkie Pie. I am what everypony has; a dark side. But lucky you get me, the only one that can actually interact with you. And I have a theory about why; ever wonder what the Pinkie sense is? It is some kind of mental ability, like precognition, meaning that you are psychic. And because of that, I am somehow bonded with that part of you. I don't really know how or why, but at least it lets me help you." Said Pinkamina, smiling. Pinkie took a deep breath, absorbing all of the new information slowly. "I think I'm going to be sick." Said Pinkie and Pinkamina's eyes widened. "Oh! Well in that case it's time to wake up." She said, touching Pinkie on the forehead. Pinkie opened her eyes, tasting blood. She vomited, realising that she was tied to something, standing upright with her front legs at her sides. The room she was in was white, and consisted only of what she was tied to, a table and a chair. On the wall that Pinkie was facing was a large mirror. Pinkie tried to wiggle loose from her bonds but it was no use. The door opened and Pinkie was surprised to see Trixie enter, followed by I.Q and Duskheart. "What's going on here; let me go." Pinkie demanded, as Duskheart sat down at the only chair. Trixie walked up to Pinkie, a malicious smile on her face. "Hello Pinkie, or are you Pinkamina now?" said I.Q and Pinkie paled. I.Q smiled when he noticed this. "Oh yes, it seems that you have some demons inside you. And I want to know more about Pinkamina." Scared out of her wits, Pinkie told them everything she knew about Pinkamina. When she had finished, Duskheart rose, whispering something into I.Q's ear. I.Q nodded, and Duskheart walked over to Pinkie. He pulled himself close to her ear and whispered; "For what it's worth, I'm sorry Pink. I'm only doing my duty." He pulled away, and turned to Trixie. "You're up, and remember what I said, she isn't to be hurt." He told her, and Trixie's smile widened. "Yes father, I understand." She said, and Duskheart kissed her forehead, before walking out of the room, followed by I.Q. Pinkie looked at Trixie. "So he's your father, huh. Explains a lot." Said Pinkie, using bravado to mask her fear. Trixie shot her a look. "Oh ha ha, make the jokes now Pink, but you are not going to enjoy yourself here. I will make sure of that. When I'm finished, I think Celestia will give me a medal, hay, she may even make the leader of the griffin empire after she kills Gregor's fat flank." Trixie said, the venom in her voice was like fire, burning through to Pinkie's core. "And what are you going to do to me?" asked Pinkie, as her voice cracked. Trixie caressed Pinkie's face, and leant in close. "I'm going to do one of two things; Kill you and leave only Pinkamina, or have you so mentally broken that Pinkamina will have to stay in control just to survive." She whispered. Pinkie's eyes welled with tears. "Please don't, you have no idea what you could unleash." She pleaded, and only received mocking laughter in response. Trixie stood back, and stretched. She took a deep breath, before bowing her head and gathering power in her horn. Trixie's head glowed with light blue energy, the same energy that surrounded Pinkie's head. She closed her eyes against the pain as Trixie forced herself in. Pinkie screamed having no way to stop the intrusion on her own, waiting for Pinkamina to take control and help, but she never came, for hours Pinkie suffered as Trixie invaded her every memory, every happy moment in her life and mocked them with her very presence. At last Pinkie couldn't take it anymore, she called out to the one thing that could save her. "Pinkamina, help me!" she yelled, and felt the darkness rushing up, fighting back against Trixie, who was thrown against the mirror, which shattered. Pinkie breathed a sigh of relief. Trixie stood, as blood trickled down her face from her mane line and out of her nose. She walked up to Pinkie and punched her. "How dare you! I am the great and powerful Trixie. You do NOT make me bleed, I make YOU bleed you mental case." She yelled in Pinkie's face. Trixie made her way out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Pinkie closed her eyes, wanting some rest from the mental torture she had just been put through. Once again in the dark place, Pinkie found Pinkamina staring at her with an angry expression. 'How could you be so stupid as to call for me!" she yelled, much to Pinkie's surprise. "Don't you understand, if you call for me, I am going to show up and help, but they are LOOKING for me Pinkie, they want to use me as a weapon, and every time I have to come out, they WILL get closer to their goal." "So what am I meant to do? Put up with it, let them kill me?" Pinkie argued, Pinkamina's expression changed from anger to concern. "No Pinkie, you just have to be strong for both of us, don't give in to them. And I promise, if the mental attacks get so bad that it threatens your wellbeing. I will be there to stop them. Now get some real sleep, I have a feeling that it is going to be a horrible time for us both." Pinkamina told her. Pinkie nodded, as Pinkamina touched her forehead. Pinkie realised that Pinkamina had been right, it was horrible for her. Pinkie lost track of the days as she was subjected to the same mental torture by Trixie again and again. As time went on Pinkie learned a weak defence against her, enough to alleviate the pain slightly. Unfortunately, Trixie was ruthless, and Pinkie found herself getting rescued by Pinkamina more and more. After one particularly bad session, and one where Trixie had been thrown completely through the mirror, which was revealed to be a two way mirror, Pinkie closed her eyes to converse with Pinkamina. This time was different however, Pinkie didn't fell the freedom she usually did, and instead she felt suffocated. She called out to Pinkamina, and she showed up, her face was covered by her hair and she looked limp. "Pinkamina, are you okay?" she asked, worried about her only support. Pinkamina looked up, and Pinkie was horrified to see her eyes, wide and bloodshot, and her ears were flat against her head. She disappeared, and then Pinkie felt breathing down her neck. "Oh Pinkie, I discovered something wonderful while playing with your psychic abilities today. Did you know that you can see into other universes? Uh huh that's right. So, curious, I went exploring, I found some of particular interest, for example. There is one universe where you and your friends are all stallions, yes, and Bubble berry was very nice. And there was another, where you and Twilight are traveling through time and space with the Doctor, oh so much fun. My favourite, however, was the universe where the war started ten years ago, and I was free and having the time of my life with these griffins." She revealed to Pinkie, who was beginning to get very nervous. "That would have been great fun." Said Pinkie nervously, and she tried to float away from Pinkamina, who suddenly appeared in front of her. "You didn't do what I asked Pinkie." She said, suddenly serious. "I asked you to be strong for us, and you failed. I had to keep saving your useless hide and now look, I'm almost dead!" "I..I'm sorry, I tried I-"Pinkie stammered. "YOU DIDN'T TRY HARD ENOUGH!" screamed Pinkamina, attacking Pinkie. She punched and kicked and created walls out of nothing just so she could slam Pinkie's head into them. Pinkamina whispered into Pinkie's ear, as blood flowed down her face. "It's my turn at the helm now." And with that, Pinkamina disappeared, and Pinkie found herself alone in the dark.