//------------------------------// // Laughter // Story: Equestria Needs Saviors // by DashyJ //------------------------------// Luna and Pinkie each were sitting in the briefing room. Nice, cozy, clean something Pinkie hadn't really seen in ages. During her training that is. Strangely she missed the simple cleanliness of her home in Ponyville. The room consisted of navy blue walls, and a simple black carpet in the middle of the room, under the table, that contrasted nicely with the grey of the cobblestone floors. There weren’t many windows in this section of the palace. A rarity for Canterlot. Celestia's side of the castle had vast windows, with golden granite flooring and walls, and flowers flanking each and every hallway and door. Luna’s side was more rustic. Dim torch lit cobblestone hallways, dark blue rugs running along them everywhere you walk, and large balconies everywhere you went. Both sides of the Castle were sights to be marveled. Taking a sip of her steaming tea, Luna thought to break the silence, but decided against it. It was rare to ever see Pinkie so quiet, and that was no doubt a blessing for the princess of the night. 'Is something wrong with her?' Luna thought to herself. Placing down her tea, which was now cooled Luna noticed that Pinkie hadn't drank any of her tea. Not even any of the sugar cubes were gone! She went to great lengths for extra, EXTRA sugar cubes for this occasion. This meeting was going to be the only pleasantry Pinkie had to experience until after her final stages of training. Taking a long swig of her tea, Luna broke her lovely moment of peace in concern for her friend. "Pinkie what botherst you?" She asked refilling her cup with her magic. Pinkie looked up at her lunar friend. "Oh don’t worry Princess, im fine, im just... really nervous." Replied Pinkie, her chin sinking back to her chest once more. This wasn't like Pinkie at all. Luna remembered back to when her fortress was about to be attacked in the simulation. She was more Pinkie than ever, and now she’s all quiet? There is something seriously wrong. "Art thou sure thou speakest the truth?" Luna asked tilting her head to one side. "Dost this have to do with the Elements of Discord that we spokest of before thy training?" Pinkie paused for a moment. In truth, yes it was about her opposite. The Element of Discord that was sure to be a part of her learning her potential. Guilt. Guilt was her opposite. Her Eternal Foe even if she never met him before. Luckily Nopony actually living has fit the bill for any of the Elements of Discord since Discord himself ruled over Equestria. "Yes..." Pinkie whispered. It was just now she realised during her train of thought, that she had slowly slunk down into the fetal position, hooves across her face, shivering under the coffee table. Luna had to think long and hard at what to do. Two millennium of knowledge was behind her, and she needed to make this decision. Fast. With her mind made up about what to do all Luna had to do was act on her plan. And so she did. "CORNHOOOOOOOLIIIIOOOOOOO!" Luna cried running back and forth, eyes wide open, flaring her wings. All Pinkie and the guards could do was watch in disbelief. Had she lost it? 'Stage one complete.' Luna thought to herself. After Luna had Pinkie's, and the guards complete attention, stage two was under affect. Grabbing all the sugar Luna could manage in her hooves, Luna shoved it all in Pinkie's mouth. "Success!" She shouted. Pinkie had a confused look on her face, her mouth filled with sugar, the guards not too sure what to do shuffling around in their armour. After about 10 seconds Pinkie started to feel like herself again. Bouncing up and down similar to her doosie prediction. It was also then she realised how hungry she was. Luna watched in awe as literally every scrap of food was gobbled up in about thirty seconds. Ironically this made the guards relax, seeing Pinkie in a downed state seriously hurt morale and the general mood in the room. "MHHMMM THANKS LUNA!" Pinkie shouted. She was back to her 'normal' self. Bouncing up and down, giggling once more, lighting up the room. "Then we shallst brief thou now, in thy mission." Luna said stifling her giggles, with a hoof. “When we put you in the dreamscape thou shall definitely encounter your opposite, Guilt. He is not your primary objective though. Your primary objective is to find the temple of which your Element dwells. Each Element has a trial, some are the same others may differ. When you wake your true potential shall be awoken. This is similar to a simulation asides the fact that if thou dies in the dreamscape, it shall have the same effect on you in reality" "Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie chirped. Send me in!" Luna ignited her horn, and with a flash of magic, the duo were in a room similar to the simulation room. Doctors were walking around in their white coats ready to strap Pinkie up. It wasn't too easy for Pinkie was wearing armour. Her armour was made of a black leather, but not just any leather. It was dragon hide, The second hardest thing on a dragon under their scales. Still flexible, but sturdy. She was also equipt with many knives, smoke bombs, and fire crackers. Pinkie frowned. "Hurry up! Im going to assault this Guilt guy with cake!" Pinkie stated. It seemed every two words she spoke she was in a different location scaring the crap out of the doctors and tech guys, and flinging sensors and different technological things flying across the room. By the end she was back at Luna's side. The doctors now recovering from Pinkie's teleporting, started strapping her in again reluctantly. "We! Let’s go!" Luna smiled and complied. Lighting her horn she enveloped Pinkie in her dark blue aura. Within seconds Pinkie was out of it. The doctors seemed relieved. All Luna needed to do now was to set Pinkie up with the doctors to monitor her experience and then she could have a nap. Pinkie awoke with a snap. Standing to her hooves, she checked her surroundings. Something about this area was creepily farmiliar. What was it? The area was dark, maybe around one or two in the morning, so she really couldn't see that much. The area was filled many large medium and small objects, not moving. 'They must be rocks.' Pinkie thought to herself. Pinkie needed to find shelter and wait until it was day time. Then she could get her baring’s and head to find her Element. Walking Pinkie continued to look around at the all too farmiliar surroundings. She just couldn't comprehend what it was. Finding a place under what she confirmed was a giant rock, Pinkie curled into a small ball, and found sleep not long after. During her dream with in a dream, Pinkie took the time to throw a party, with her friends. From what it looked like, Pinkie was to need all the morale she could get in her endeavor. When Pinkie awoke again it was light. Celestia's figurative sun was just starting to rise, shedding light on her still unknown surroundings. Pinkie stood to her hooves, correcting one of the knives that was at poking her. When she looked to see where she was her eyes went wide, with horror, fear, and strangely joy. "This isn’t what I think it is, is it?" Pinkie thought out loud. She could have sworn she heard manical laughter, but thought against it. Before her, the area Pinkie was sent was the worse thing Pinkie has ever seen. There before her, was her home. The home she grew up in. And it was in flames, the entire rock farm was for that matter. "Aww..." Whispered a heinous voice all too similar to Discord's. "What is wrong Pinkimena?" Pinkie spun around but saw nothing, just the flames across the fields. "Who's there?!?" Pinkie yelled disoriented and confused, searching for the owner of the terrible voice. "Show your self! You aren't welcome here!" She yelled as she continued to search for her adversary. "Why Pinkie!" Said the evil voice mock offended. It was then he appeared, floating down towards her. "That is no way to treat your ... Father!" Pinkie was confused until she looked him over. He was a splitting image of her father his plain light brown coat, and grey mane, pickaxe for a cutie mark, and... Asides from one thing, his eyes weren't even there. Instead they were replaced by a dark aura of black energy. "Guilt." Pinkie said with rage. Taking a battle stance. Pinkie's emotions were on fire. She knew about consummation magic. Her power was similar, but a permanent consumption of a body was to claim it's life first. That meant one thing. Her father was dead. "What surprised to see me?" Guilt sad with a terrible laugh. "You know Laughter, you are never any fun, despite your Element. I know about your family." Guilt spoke, but his mouth never moved. Guilt doesn’t need to speak, physically that is. He will always dwell there, in that little dark corner in your heart. He must had opened a magical channel in her mind, while she was sleeping. Looking deep into her eyes, letting his powers unleash onto her. Guilt spoke once more. "I know all of your deepest, darkest, secrets and regrets... I am, after all Guilt. One of the most powerful Element's of Discord. Tell me, why did you leave your family? You knew that they would struggle without you." Guilt smiled a manical smile. Nothing like her father would ever smile. 'That is if he ever really did smile.' Pinkie thought to herself. "You didnt make everypony smile, smile, smile, or fill their hearts with sunshine did you!?!" Guilt yelled to her. "NO!" Pinkie shouted. Throwing a knife at Guilt, but her attempt was in vain. Guilt had vanished as soon as he appeared, and was already behind Pinkie, throwing her to the ground. "HAH! you call yourself an Element." Guilt chuckled. I will be seeing you around Pinkimena." He said as he faded away. Pinkie shot up to her hooves once more, another knife ready in hoof. But Guilt was gone. Pinkie lowered her guard after ten seconds. And then was reminded of her surroundings once more from the smell of burning wood. "OH NO! MY FAMILY!" Pinkie yelled rushing towards her house. It was burning, but wasn’t done yet. Pinkie opted to give it a try and see if her family was alright. After searching in her mothers burning room with no luck, she spotted one of her sisters climbing out the window. "Picky Pie!" she screamed waving a hoof. "Pinkie? Picky asked quizzically to herself. "Meet me outside! she yelled over the burning house most of the room was engulfed in flames, and neither of them had much time. With out a seconds moment hesitation Pinkie was already outside at her sisters window. Picky jumped just in time as the window and most of the side of their house had collapsed. Landing on her stomach Picky let out a loud "Oof!" And was starting spitting blood. Pinkie walked over to hold her sister until she was able to recover. As she held her sister, Pinkie looked her over. Her usual grey features were now charred. Major third degree burns patterned her entire body. Her mane was for the most part fine, asides the fact it was covered in blood. This opted the question in Pinkies mind. "Where's mom and Quartzy?" Picky looked into her eldest sisters eyes, then back to the ground. "Dad... Dad killed them. It wasn't him though... It was somepony else..." She said her breath shaking. "Im alive because I played dead, under Quartzy's body..." She revealed her slash across her stomach. It was deep and wide. too deep and wide for anypony to be living. Picky started coughing blood at an alarming rate, spewing it all over Pinkie's armour and pink coat, but she didn’t care. All that mattered to her was her sister. After gagging and wheezing for thirty seconds or so Picky spoke her last words. "Why Pinkie? Why did you leav-" She was dead. All Pinkie could do was stare at her youngest dead sister before her. Her mane instantly flattened, under her hood. She knew it, but nopony (That is IF there was a pony alive.) Could see it. There was no more Pinkie now though. She was no longer. Pinkimena was now in charge. And she was to have revenge. Fluttershy's shed was nothing compared to Pinkie's massacre. Laughter seemed to darken, she could be an Element of Discord with all the rage she felt. Nothing was alive in her wake. Blood everywhere, limbs strewn across the forest. Pinkimena stood up. She hadn't slept since her family's death, and that was three days ago. She had not eaten, not slept, she hadn’t even checked her equipment. Deciding she needed some fresh air, from the... Lovely stench of blood that surrounded her. "Insanity is what it seems, and real life is a nightmare of a dream." Pinkimena sang to herself, as she walked through the forest. The forest was dank, and thick. The trees that flanked her were occasionally stained with blood from her previous rage. It was still there make no mistake, but she wasn't quiet in the killing mood right now. "Hehehehe." Pinkimena heard the manical laugh echo through out the forest, or was it her mind? It had to be in her mind, nothing around her was alive to laugh anymore. It had to be Guilt. "Hello Laughter." Guilt said deviously, leaning nonchalantly against a tree. "Having some fun?" Pinkimena simply ignored her opposite, brushing past him. Knocking him off balance. The blood that stained her coat, rubbed off onto her fathers manipulated body, as he stumbled to regain his balance. Guilt looked at his coat. "Looks like you have been having ALOT of fun." He grinned. This was all just a façade though. Laughter is one of the most unpredictable Element's of all. Guilt didn’t show it, but was afraid. He looked directly into Pinkimena's eyes, placing all of his power into her. The guilt that Pinkimena felt was massive, but it wasn’t enough to stop her. With her fore hooves she grabbed her fathers body, and simply broke it's neck. Guilt yelled in surprise. And fell to the ground. "You aren’t ready for your trial's." Guilt tried, while repairing his body with the magic he possessed. Pinkimena didn't even bother to acknowledge him, but stayed where she was, watching Guilt recover himself. His once broken body was now restored, and was now standing before her again. You reek of guilt, Laughter, I love it. Pinkie laughed, strangely enough this was Pinkie's laugh, not Pinkimena's laugh. But Guilt didn't notice it. "You'll see what is in store for you." He commented giving his last shot, before he was forced to retreat. "Remember your family, oh wait..." And with that guilt was now gone again. Pinkimena needed to stop. Her encounter with Guilt was more than what she let on. It took all of her strength to not release Pinkie. Pinkimena was in control, not Pinkie. No she wasn't ready. Her limbs were weak, not from slaughtering most of the animals in the forest, or even Guilt’s magic. Pinkie wanted to come out so bad and that took most of Pinkimena's strength to contain her. 'Guilt's magic must have broken my containment on Pinkie.' Pinkimena thought to herself. She continued to walk throughout the forest, nothing new in sight. The trees had the same look the them, gray, dead, lacking any life. Eventually Pinkimena had reached what looked to be a temple of sorts. Pinkie, still battling for control of her own body, had enough control to force Pinkimena into the temple. The temple was old and rustic. It looked like it was made out of rocks... The same ones on Pinkie's farm actually. It stood at twenty feet high and had one massive entrance at the front. The temple was covered in moss, and vines strangely enough. Entering the temple both Pinkie and Pinkimena felt a massive pull towards the center of the temple. A kind of old magic that wasn't to be ignored. Literally pulling Pinkimena towards the center (Pinkimena is in control of their body right now) a pink light illuminated the temple, at the same time darkening the rest of the entry's and window's. "Ahh I see the bearer of Laughter has arrived." A feminine voice similar to Luna's came out of the air. Just in the saying of that, Pinkies necklace that represented the Element of laughter, appeared in the middle of the room. Pinkimena and Pinkie both had the idea to look up, something they actually agreed on for once. "But with an unexpected guest! One is dark, the other is light... But you are the same." After a pause of uncomfortable silence for both Pinkie and Pinkimena the voice of laughter spoke once again. "It seems I already know my trial for who is worthy!" exclaimed the voice. "Since you are both the same, and have the required characteristics to bear Laughter, you shall fight yourself!" The ground started to rumble as the temple seemed to collapse. The corners around the temple, fell into an abyss of darkness and the roof caved in. All that was left was a large rock circle in which Pinkimena stood facing Pinkie. "Now I know who you are." The voice stated. "Pinkie one of light who can conquer shadows, is to face Pinkimena one of who is a dweller of darkness, but walks within the light. You are to fight to the death, leaving only one standing. The winner shall be returned to your actual body that you have shared for so long." It was then Pinkie and Pinkimena noticed they were but aurora's of themselves. Pinkie a bright pink, Pinkimena, and dark pink. "Let the battle begin!" Pinkie was already over at Pinkimena knife in hoof. Floating right beside her to her right, she swung her blade. Pinkimena dodged not quiet in the nick of time, allowing Pinkie's blade to sever part of her ear. The aura of her ear floated lazily to the ground and disintegrated when it hit the floor. Pinkimena returned with a smoke bomb to Pinkie's face blinding her. Pinkie fell with a yelp out of the air, and was already pinned by Pinkimena. "Any last words?" Pinkimena snarled. Pinkie was unfazed by this though. She had already snuck under from Pinkimena and was about to stab her in the back, but Pinkimena saw it coming. Many hooves were thrown, but none actually made contact. Each were blocked like the last. Combat wasn't going to work. Pinkie needed to use something else. Then she remembered something. Pinkimena was her opposite. Just like Guilt, but in a different way. She needed to use her Element to her advantage. but during her train of thought Pinkie was smacked to the ground and Pinkimena stuck a knife into her side, breaking two of her ribs. It was now or never. Pinkie was to use her Element to defeat herself, not her knowledge of combat. Pinkie erupted into a fit of giggles regardless of how much pain she was really in. Pinkimena was certainly thrown off guard by this. She was supposed to be screaming in pain... Not laughing like she was having fun. Pinkie was lifted from a pink tendrils from nowhere. Becoming enveloped in the tendrils Pinkie formed a cocoon around herself. All Pinkimena could do was stare. What as going on?!? Giggles started to echo throughout the room, not manical ones either. These were fun loving, all pure laughter giggles. What started as low echo's was now the only thing to be heard throughout the battle space. The cocoon around Pinkie had suddenly shattered. Pinkie floated out of the cocoon completely healed and radiating light like no tomorrow. She stood before Pinkimena. The Element of Laughter was around her neck and was shining brightly. Pinkie shot out a ray from the necklace, and enveloped Pinkimena in it. Pinkimena just screamed she had lost, and this was her death. After Pinkie's eyes had recovered from the light, she was now back in her own body, not the ethereal version of herself. The once grand tall standing temple was no longer there. The forest seemed to be bustling with life and activity, and the trees were all green and healthy now. Instead just rubble from broken rocks, and dead eerie tree's. The body of Pinkimena before her. Guilt walked up to the temple to see why there was such a large amount of power coming from it. He was drawn to the power, and what he saw terrified him. There stood Pinkie, and she had found her true potential. Guilt tried to make a get away, but was quickly heard from Pinkie as he ran into a tree. Pinkie was already at Guilt before he was able to recover. "Guilt!" she chirped. "Aww! You look so sad! Maybe you learned that it isn't nice to destroy other people lives!" Guilt tried to teleport away, but Pinkie's magic was way too strong for him to do that. He scrambled backwards, hoping to find some sort of weapon to surprise and end her, but to no avail. "St-stay away from me... You... you FREAK! YOU KILLED YOUR FAMILY, YOU KILLED YOURSELF, YOU LIE WHEN YOU SAY C'MON EVERYPONY SMILE SMILE SMILE! THEY AREN' YOUR FRIENDS!" Pinkie just tilted her head, continuously smiling. "Aww that’s too bad." With that Pinkie let her powers envelope Guilt destroying him. She had done it. She was Laughter now. She had realized her true potential.