//------------------------------// // The Return of Insanity // Story: Pinkamena's Awakening: A Promise Unforgotten // by Kingsley //------------------------------// Chapter 6: The Return of Insanity _____________________ The Following Morning _____________________ Twilight and Pinkie had entered the Throne Room once again, noticing Eternal Sleep and Lilith also entering from the door opposite of them. "Did you girls sleep well?" Twilight asked. "I didn't sleep much actually..." Eternal Sleep said. "I have too many things on my mind at the moment..." "We'll find her Eternal Sleep, don't you worry about that." Twilight said. "How about you Lilith?" "I slept like an angel Twilight, thanks for asking." Lilith said softly. "Now, you said we were going to Ponyville?" "That's right, I promised my friends I'd inform them of whatever news we received." Twilight said. "Even if they probably don't want to hear it..." "Well then what are we waiting for? Let's get going." Eternal Sleep said, making her way towards the exit. "Everything alright Pinkie?" Twilight asked, noticing she looked depressed. "I suppose, I'm just still shocked about the whole thing..." Pinkie said sadly. "You know what has to be done when we find her right?" Twilight said. "Yea... I know... I don't want it to happen... But if we can't trust her yet then I guess there's no other option..." Pinkie said. "Come on, let's catch up with Eternal Sleep and Lilith..." Twilight, Pinkie, Eternal Sleep, and "Lilith" all headed down towards the train station, catching the next ride that goes to Ponyville. ____________________________ Ponyville - 4 Friends Perspective ___________________________ Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash were sitting outside City Hall conversing about what to do next, when a familiar pony came to greet them again. "Hi girls!" Caramel Swirls said gleefully. "I was hoping you'd be out here!" "Why Hello there Caramel dear." Rarity said. "It's so nice to see you again darling." "It's nice to see you too again Rarity!" Caramel Swirls said. "It's nice to see all of you again! What are you doing anyway?" "We were just talking about our friend Pinkie, and how we hope they found a solution to the... problem we've been having." Rainbow Dash said. "I really want to meet this Pinkie you guys keep talking about!" Caramel Swirls said. "When can I meet heeeer!?" Applejack looked over Rarity and smiled. "You can meet her right now! Look!" Applejack said, pointing at Pinkie Pie, whom had just arrived back in Ponyville with Twilight and the others. "Hi girls." Twilight said. "I'm sorry to say this... but I'm afraid I have some rather bad news..." "Don't tell me, there wasn't anything you could do about the separation was there?" Rainbow Dash said. "I'm afraid you're right and also wrong Rainbow... Dash was it?" Eternal Sleep said. "We didn't exactly find anything on freeing Pinkamena... but it doesn't matter because somehow she's escaped..." "Escaped!? How!?" Fluttershy said. "I didn't think she could leave Pinkie's mind on her own." "There's clearly something we're missing here, if she could leave anytime she wanted then why did she waste her time asking for help?" Eternal Sleep said. "Or maybe something else occurred... Either way I'm still not sure on anything." Pinkie was listening to Eternal Sleep's explanation, when suddenly she felt a rather... strange and wet feeling on her tail. She turned around to see what it was, when to her surprise she saw Caramel munching on her poofy pink tail. "Hey! What are you doing!?" Pinkie exclaimed. Caramel pulled herself away from Pinkie's tail. "Sorry! Your tail looked like cotton candy and you smell so sweet! I couldn't help myself!" "Oh it's alright! I've done it to myself in the past, sometimes I still do!" Pinkie laughed. "You also have a tasty smelling aroma!" "Can we get back to the matter at hand?" Eternal Sleep said. "Heh... Sorry." Caramel Swirls said. "I got caught up in the moment." "Right then... now before we continue with our discussion..." Eternal Sleep said, turning around and looking at the bushes. "Can you please come out already? I know you've been there this entire time watching us." There was no response. "You're not fooling me y'know, come out right now before I make you!" Eternal Sleep declared. For a few seconds there was nothing happening, but suddenly the bushes started to move, and a very unusual looking pony with a beige coat slowly emerged from inside of it. "Come over here." Eternal Sleep said. The unfamiliar pony hesitantly walked over to Eternal Sleep, startling other ponies who were observing. "Why exactly were you watching us? If you don't mind me asking." Eternal Sleep said stoically. "HeHe. I'm sorry if I bothered you, I tend to... observe other ponies as a way to pass the time. HeHe..." The Odd Pony said. "Right..." Eternal Sleep said. "You have an odd speech pattern if I might add... and your appearance is quite unusual as well... who are you exactly?" "I'm so sorry if my looks bother you Hehe... I didn't mean to cause any trouble..." The Odd Pony said. "HeHe... my name though however is Grimm Smiles if you wanna know HeHe..." "Hey Twilight! What's up with her mouth? She's got a real creepy smile going on there... and she looks so... scary!" Rainbow Dash whispered. Grimm had an unusual appearance, her mane was black and was very messy. Her eyes were an icy blue color, with a black scalera surrounding them. She had a beige colored coat and was quite taller than the other ponies. She also had an odd speech pattern that isn't explained, as she tends to cackle quite frequently when she speaks to others. But one of the things that stand out the most is her mouth, as she is always smiling no matter what, even if she is sad, angry, or bored, it doesn't matter, as her cutie mark is also that of a smiling bloody maw. "Yes I see it Rainbow." Twilight whispered. "I wonder why she looks so different..." "Why don't you ask her then?" Rainbow Dash whispered. "Why me? Why don't you ask her!" Twilight whispered. "I would, but you're better at this stuff than I am." Rainbow Dash whispered. "Besides, I wouldn't know what to say." "Ugh fine, I just don't want to sound rude or anything." Twilight replied. "Hey um... Grimm was it? If you don't mind me asking... why do you look the way you do exactly?" "Same reason you look the way you do HeHe... because I like it." Grimm said. "As for my smile HeHe... well I'd rather not say if you don't mind..." "Oh, well alright then." Twilight said. "Do you... have any friends? I've never seen you here in Ponyville before, so you must have come from somewhere with someone right?" "Well HeHe... I did just recently come here... but I don't have any friends to be honest with you HeHe..." Grimm said. "Ponies don't exactly want to be around me because of... well my appearance HeHe..." "I'll be your friend Grimm!" Pinkie said. "It doesn't matter what you look like to me! A friend is a friend no matter what and I'll gladly be yours!" "HeHe... Y-You will?" Grimm said surprisingly. "T-Thanks... I've never had a real friend before HeHe... most ponies just tend to avoid me, and I've grown used to it over the years..." Pinkie went up and held Grimm's hoof. "That's because no one ever gave you a chance, but I know that past your appearance... there's a kind and friendly pony! Who only wants to do what she can to help those she cares about!" Grimm looked at Pinkie with watery eyes, still smiling widely. "T-Thank you Pinkie HeHe... you're the first pony I've come across that wanted to be my friend..." Grimm said happily, wiping her eyes. "It means a lot HeHe..." "I'm glad!" Pinkie said. "After were done with everything here, I'll show you around town and introduce you to everypony else!" "W-Why don't we hold off on that last part for now HeHe... I'm still getting used to everything after all." Grimm said, looking at Lilith and noticing something was very wrong. "HeHe... Um Pinkie? I think there's something wrong with your little friend there..." Pinkie and the others turned to look at Lilith, her pure white coat had turned to an ashen gray, and her body was on the verge of collapse. "Lilith! Lilith what's wrong!?" Eternal Sleep yelled, trying to speak to Lilith. "What's wrong with you! Please tell me! I can sense your life force getting weaker!" Twilight and everypony else started to panic, Lilith was on the verge of death and nopony knew why. Twilight was about to lose hope, as she saw Lilith slowly falling to the floor, but then the words echoed back to her... the words that Hermaeus Mora told her just before she was forced from The Aprocrypha. "Do not let anxiety and fear cloud your judgement... not while the demon hides within the angel Twilight..." "Not while the demon hides within the angel..." Twilight thought. "Not while the demon HIDES WITHIN THE ANGEL! THAT'S IT! ETERNAL SLEEP I KNOW WHERE PINKAMENA IS!" "Is this really the time for that!? As much as I would love to hear it, Lilith is about to DIE RIGHT NOW!" Eternal Sleep yelled. "But that's just it! Pinkamena is inside Lilith! She's using her as a vessel!" Twilight said. "If Lilith is a demon then!..." "Then she can feed off her in order to survive outside Pinkie's MIND!" Eternal Sleep said. "Oh you just made a BIG MISTAKE PINKAMENA!" Eternal Sleep's hoof glowed brightly, as she touched Lilith's forehead and started to integrate with her. "Tch!" Pinkamena said. "I really didn't expect you to find me!" Eternal Sleep pulled back forcefully, as Pinkamena's black electricity discharged everywhere while she was being pulled out of Lilith's body. "Get... OUT OF THERE!" Eternal Sleep screamed, removing Pinkamena from Lilith's body completely and slamming her down to the ground in a choke hold. "Escaping is one thing Pinkamena... but when you do something, ANYTHING TO LILITH! That's when you've really pissed me off." "Ugh... W-Where am I?" Lilith said confusingly. "E.S?... I-Is that you!?" "Don't worry Lilith, I promised I'd always protect you didn't I? Eternal Sleep said. "You just get your strength back... while I take care of this one..." "Eternal..." Lilith said happily. Pinkamena struggled to release herself from Eternal Sleep's grasp, but to no avail. She was too weak without a host body to control, and her body was still discharging with electricity as she faded between solid and transparent. "It looks like you're starting to deform correct? I should just let this happen and let you die... but that would be too good for someone like you." Eternal Sleep said. "No... you deserve something much worse than death..." "What do you plan on doing to me then!" Pinkamena said weakly. "Putting you back in Pinkie's mind is out of the question, I can't have her bare the burden of being your prison anymore." Eternal Sleep said. "No I'm putting you somewhere where you can't bother anyone ever again." "Tch! And where would that be!?" Pinkamena said. "I spoke with Hermaeus Mora last night... and he's agreed that, if it was necessary... The Apocrypha would be your prison, and you'll never be allowed to leave." Eternal Sleep said, summoning the black book above her. "This... is end of the line for you my dear." "No! You can't do this to me please!" Pinkamena cried. "I gave you a chance for freedom, all you had to do was be patient and hope we found a solution... but you lost your chance, you lost your freedom, and you lost everything!" Eternal Sleep said, slowly opening the book. "No! No please don't!" Pinkamena cried. "Twilight! Caramel! Someone please help me!" Twilight and everyone else looked away from Pinkamena. "P-Pinkie!? You'll help me won't you!?" Pinkamena cried. "After all! Y-You promised!? Right!?" "...I'm sorry Pinkamena." Pinkie said sorrowfully. "But you're too far gone already..." Pinkamena's pupils shrank, and she looked up at Eternal Sleep with fearful eyes. "NO! NO YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" Pinkamena screamed. "I WON'T LET YOU!" Pinkamena screamed and let out a massive shock wave, pushing everyone away from her. "Why you little..." Eternal Sleep said, getting up slowly. "Think you can still put up a fight can you?" "I... I won't go back... go back to the madness... I won't let it... It... consume-" Pinkamena stopped, dropping to her front hooves and vomiting blood. "Looks like you've already reached your limit!" Eternal Sleep yelled, pouncing at Pinkamena. "STAY BACK!" Pinkamena screamed, releasing another shock wave, sending Eternal Sleep flying back, but at the cost of more blood. "I can't do this...I'll... I'll die at this rate..." Pinkamena wheezed. "I need... power..." Pinkamena raised her hoof and edged it forward. Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy were all pulled towards her and suspended in front of her. "You'll do... just fine..." Pinkamena coughed. Releasing a black aura around them and ensnaring them in it. The black aura entered their bodies and their eyes became hollow with darkness, only a blood red pupil illuminating their eyes. Their faces and bodies cracked as the hate and malice spread throughout their bodies and their bright colors faded. The corrupted ponies stood in front of Pinkamena, staring at who was before them. "How... H-How could you do something like this!" Eternal Sleep yelled. "When one is faced... with nothing but death... or imprisonment... there really shouldn't be anymore surprise..." Pinkamena said weakly. She surrounded herself in a dark shield, protecting her body. The corrupted ponies each obtained an black amulet resembling their cutie mark on their neck, for what reasons are still unknown. Rainbow Dash flew towards Grimm Smiles faster than she ever did before and grabbed her off the ground, flying away to another location with Fluttershy following swiftly behind. "Grimm!" Lilith yelled. Running as fast as she could towards Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, away from the area. Twilight teleported in front of Caramel, and Rarity in front of Pinkie. They both grabbed the ponies and teleported them away with them to a different location. Only Applejack remained, guarding Pinkamena from Eternal Sleep. "Let me tell you something Eternal Sleep..." Pinkamena said weakly. Eternal Sleep looked at Pinkamena with pure anger. "...I've only experienced happiness and bliss once in my life... and I thought it was what I was looking for all this time..." Pinkamena wheezed. "But I... was born out of malice and hatred... and I've finally come to terms with what I am... I can never lead a normal life... and I can never have real friends... not everyone... can have a happy ending..."