Chapter 26 - Re:S:Q
It wasn't the roving armored cars and the distant whirs of the floodlights that kept Bellamena up. Worries over her older sister caused the dark and grayish mare to clamber out of her tent and through several carts and duffle bags of guns, bullets, and other bounty hunting supplies. In one bag, she procured a set of spiked horseshoes she used to climb up a tree where her sister contented herself on sleeping on the thick branch of the tree that overlooked Rock Prison. Sleeping was a relative term in bounty hunting life. A pony such as herself and her sister could barely afford a few hours’ worth of sleep when in hot pursuit of their prey. Yet Bella could never get used to what she saw when she reached the branch, and still she remained creeped out. Supposedly, Ingrid mastered the art of sleeping with her eyes open, and these eyes barely twitched or blinked when Bella came within its apparent line of sight.
"How long are we going to camp out here at Everfree's edge?" Bella asked. "It's almost been a week, and Rebel Applejack still hasn't escaped."
The way Ingrid woke up was also creepy. Her wide-open eyes finally blinked normally, and she cracked her neck like a freshly wound up automaton. Fortunately, Ingrid kept her machete within its sheath and her sniper rifle rested over her shoulder. Otherwise, she would have slit Bella's throat or shot her point blank if she were any other pony.
"The escape is going to occur soon," Ingrid yawned. "By the tingling sensation in my hoof, I am sure of it."
"You said that yesterday."
"The sensation is a lot stronger."
"Even if she did escape, what then? Do you think the Black Crystal Ring that old pony sold us is going to work against that unicorn? It's not like we have another unicorn to test it against."
"We'll just have to wait and see, sister. Now go to sleep. I'll let you know when I sense something exciting.”
Bella shrugged her shoulders. She climbed down the tree just as Ingrid resumed her sleep with her eyes open and her sniper rifle hugged close to her body.
It had almost been a day since Pinkie had left to search for the Element of Truth, and that day was the most torturous wait for Applejack. The rebel mare feared the worst as she paced around her cell late at night and bit at her hooves at the occasional hour. Applejack repeatedly convinced herself that Pinkie had been stalled from returning to her. She almost expected her former cellmate to suddenly explode from the toilet and garbed in a colorful Hoofspañola Flamenco dress.
But that never came to be.
Too tired to wait, Applejack slept late only to wake up a few hours later for breakfast. Mrs. Cake was chipper as usual, and her crimson mane and her body started to gain some volume. At least that was a sure sign that Spike was still around.
The orange pony sat at her usual table completely alone and isolated from all the other prisonmares, whose numbers appeared to be thinning by the day. The Cult of Twilight still kept their eyes upon Applejack, whereas their latest recruit Golden Harvest could not bear the shame of looking directly at Applejack. If she was the one who ratted Pinkie out…
"Attention all prisoners," cried the overhead PA speakers. "In five minutes, Warden Bon Bon will be making an important announcement. Please direct your attention to the overhead monitors."
This was a first. So far, those televisions only showed news propaganda and old movies, but Applejack never expected that the prison would have its own television studio, or at least a decent video camera. The visage of Bon Bon in her dark green uniform manifested on the monitors, and she appeared to be sitting in a small office with a single window for a wall.
"Ladies and gentlecolts," spoke Bon Bon. "It has come to my attention that high treason has been committed against the Republic of Gaea by none other than Pinkamena Diane Pie, who is actually none other than Lieutenant Surprise of our enemy nation, Pegasopolis. Miss Surprise had purposely clipped her own wings and infiltrated our fair society as a petty criminal for the sole purpose of undermining our cause and our peace across our country. Her infiltration was the sole cause of the destruction of Appleloosa, which resulted in the loss of over a thousand innocent earth pony lives.
"We all have been taken as fools to the antics of Miss Pie. Many of you, as well as I, have befriended her, but Gaea is a peaceful nation of laws. It is with a heavy heart that I, Head Warden Bon Bon, must sentence Miss Pie, also known as Lieutenant Surprise, to death. Her execution will happen tomorrow night, and all prisoners are required to view her execution as lawful witnesses."
Bon Bon's tone did not sound like she believed the words she was saying, and her floating eyes were telltale signs that she was forced to read off a script prepared by the Department of Information Control. Throughout her speech, the television displayed carefully edited images of Pinkie and a file photo of Lieutenant Surprise of Pegasopolis and their apparently matching Nature’s Call (pegasii refer to them as Heaven’s Insignia). Almost every prisonmare in the cafeteria wailed in distraught at such blatantly false accusations. They banged their hooves on tables and chairs, and yelled slurs at the guards who then shouted back at them while standing in formation with their batons drawn out.
Applejack might have been weirded out by her cellmate's antics, and while she herself stated that the Pink Pony was a mass murderer or a serial molester, she was never really serious. The lies she saw on the television just like the ones ponies spread about her family, like how they were dumb, inbred hicks; like how her father was a womanizing drunkard and her mother a whore. Not once did Applejack think that Pinkie was capable of ill will, but she could barely contain her anger as the doctored images reappeared along scrolling text of false and hateful accusations.
"It's all lies," said Applejack. "It's all damned lies!"
The anger gave her strength to lift her empty table and throw it to one of the overhead televisions, thereby breaking both appliance and furniture. The other prisonmares cheered and readied themselves to join up with Applejack, but they were too late. The guards were quicker. Daisy of the Flower Guard them fired a shotgun into the ceiling, and the rest tackled Applejack before she could lift another table and start a prison riot. Their clubs dealt blows to her legs and torso. Pain had been felt, but Applejack wrestled six or seven guardsmares like a bucking bronco before Flower Guard Rose tased her unconscious. She then ordered the guards to take Applejack's limp body to solitary confinement in the Central Annex.
Applejack was barely conscious when they dragged her away like an animal. They didn't take her to the Secret Prison, thank the earth, but given her status, she should have been. They tossed her into a small dark cell, but the orange pony had enough strength to rise back to her hooves and smash one of them against the bars. The cell door creaked, and old and rusty as it was, it remained strong as the day she remembered first being here.
She kept her own mind and anger in check by shuffling around her tiny cell throughout the day, and her only meal for lunch was pea porridge and a glass of water. They spared Applejack from the arduous and dangerous work in the mines, but knowing herself, she would have raised a ruckus and further her riot.
Dinner was the same pea porridge affair. Applejack didn't want it, but it did not surprise her that a burly cream-colored mare served it with and insidious smile.
"Look at you," grinned Quake. "Proud and debatably honest Applejack, rotting herself away with the criminal scum of Gaea."
"Why don't you get it over with and jus’ kill me?" Applejack asked.
"Posey doesn't like to execute prisoners left and right, unlike the previous chancellors. Everypony who breathes life is useful to her, and this prison was built to control those who needlessly rebel against our glorious government of ours. We have perfected our methods in that we can render the most uncontrollable ponies into mindless slaves. We did have a difficult time taming your brother when we brought him in, but we felt the utmost excitement when we finally broke him.
"It's not enough that we torture ponies. To control ponies, and by extension everypony outside these walls, we completely rob them of hope, and what better way to do so is through the execution of Pinkie Pie. She has been a complete thorn in our operations, and we needed a firm excuse to execute her. Let's just say that she happened to stumble onto state secrets that she wasn't supposed to know about."
"Then what about me? Why ain't I put to death?"
"The difference lies that while you preach the apparent 'truth' to other ponies, Pinkie Pie brings hope, and without hope, your words will be nothing but lies. Pinkie has evaded our legal system because, quite frankly, she is surprisingly knowledgeable about our complex laws. Coupled with the fact that she constantly makes the judges and the jurors laugh and smile is what rendered her untouchable until now. The President-Advisers of Information Control and Economics had witnessed her willful sabotage of Tartarus 02. As the Chancellor's mouthpiece, they have the full authority to order the execution of Pinkie Pie.
"Make no mistake, Rebel Applejack. You will die here, but you will die a slow and lonely death. If you have outside help, we will crush them before they could ever hope to come in. We will out any traitors in our system and make you feel the full extent of the guilt of forming friendships with them. Putting you under our complete control like your brother will take time just like fine wine, and the end result will be gloriously satisfying."
The question that formed in Applejack's mind as Quake left was how in earth did they make a muscle-bound lunatic a Lieutenant of a prison? Never mind that, Quake reeked of Posey's icy stench, and whatever she did to turn that mare for the worst, she did it good.
But Applejack could still escape. Twilight and Sunny were still out there, and Spike was still waiting in the prison sewers aided by his pony foster parents. Then why couldn't she look forward to escaping?
"Time to get out," said Lily of the Flower Guard. The light from the hallway was almost blinding, and Applejack barely got up before Lily and Daisy cuffed her hooves and forced her out to march. The leader of the trio, Rose, was absent for some reason. Not that it mattered.
"Hey AJ, is that you?" cried a familiar voice from one of the solitary confinement cells.
"Pinks?"
"Move along," barked Lily.
"Pinks, where are you?"
"Cell SC-06," replied Pinkie.
"I said move along!" Lily cried, but Applejack immediately darted over to Pinkie's cell. She could not hold on to anything as the two Flower Guards started beating her back with batons. Suddenly they stopped, and Lily and Daisy stood at attention when Warden Bon Bon walked in.
"Let her talk to her friend," said Bon Bon. "We'll listen in."
"But the Lieutenant said to…"
"I'm the Head Warden here, and whatever order she gave to you will be overridden this instant. Let the two talk."
Lily and Daisy stepped aside to allow Applejack have her talk. Well, she couldn't discuss any plans of escaping out in the open, but she could not waste what could be her last words to her pink friend. Applejack stood on her hind legs to peer through the viewing port, but came awfully close to Pinkie's face.
"Hi!"
"You seem awfully happy today," said Applejack.
"I have to, because tonight is going to be my last night alive. Gosh, there's a lot of things I need to do until my execution, but seeing that I'm in solitary confinement, there's not much to do. I can think about all the things I did to make everypony smile. Ooh, I can even sing! 'There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold, and she's buying a stairway to heaven…'"
"Damn it Pinkie! Can't you at least act serious just this once! You're gonna be executed! They're gonna kill you over some bald-faced lies! Why do you have to be so damn happy about all this?"
"Why shouldn't I be? I had a good life so far."
"But dyin' ain't gonna make anypony happy!"
"Sure it can! All you have to do is remember how much I made you all smile. I will go down in history as the mare who can turn penitentiary into a 'Nine Tie Party'. Actually, I never tried to do a Nine Tie Party, but I do know that you can't spell penitentiary without 'party'."
"This ain't right," Applejack wept. "Why of all ponies do you have to die?"
"Please don't cry, Applejack. You have to keep you chin up, because there are ponies outside waiting for you."
"I know, but…"
"Applejack, you have to finish up," said Bon Bon.
"Pinks, what should I do now?"
"Now?" asked Pinkie. "You'll have to take care of Gummy for me. He doesn't have any teeth, so you'll have to chew his fish up and feed it to him. It'll taste gross at first, but you'll get the hang of it. Also, you have to promise one thing for me."
"Which is?"
"Promise me that you won't watch my execution. I want to you remember how I lived, not how I died."
"I promise."
"Do you Pinkie Promise?"
"What's a Pinkie Promise?"
"This is a Pinkie Promise: cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. Repeat after me.”
Applejack had to oblige, because she was starting to worry her happy-go-lucky cellmate. She made sure to close her eye in time when she poked her hoof on it.
The guardsmares Lily and Daisy pulled Applejack away and escorted her back to her cell. Unexpectedly, Bon Bon had accompanied them, and remained looking over Applejack a while after the guards left with empathic eyes.
“If you want, you can come to my office where you won't be force to watch the execution,” said the Warden. “Just let Daisy know.
“Why the hay should I accept help from a government pawn like you?”
“Because I too know the value of friendship, and here in this prison, you have to cherish it no matter how much the odds are stacked against you.”
“If you’re bein’ all nice to me, then why not stop the execution?”
“I am powerless Miss Applejack. Teddy and Ace may only be President-Advisers, but they represent the will of the Honorable Chancellor Posey. Please don't make this difficult for the both of us. At the very least, you’ll be allowed to live as long as the experiments continue.”
The warden left. Applejack was alone again, but only for a few hours. Not long after she finished brushing her teeth, the toilet made a sound that sounded almost like reverse flushing. Gummy suddenly shot out from the bowl like a rocket and splash-landed on the floor before bouncing up again. He then clamped its toothless jaw onto Applejack’s ear. For an alligator without teeth, that stung.
Gummy was sure a weird one, but the orange pony hardly paid any mind since Pinkie was always taking care of him. That, or Gummy was always hiding and emerging at the most opportune time. Right now, the baby alligator nibbled on the mare's ear, which meant he musts be hungry after his swim through the sewers.
Based on her recollection of her cellmate's zany organizational abilities, Applejack rummaged underneath the top bunk mattress to procure a can of sardines. Only a few times did Applejack chew on meat to stop her stomach from growling during her travels across Gaea, and she could never get used to a food group carnivores devoured off from the flesh of others. The fish tasted oily, greasy, and somewhat rough, and Applejack quickly readied a funnel pulled from underneath Pinkie's bed to spit Gummy’s dinner through. The baby alligator lapped it up like a how a chick receives food regurgitated from its mother. Applejack watched him for a while to make sure he didn't choke. After blinking his blank eyes for a bit, Gummy threw up on Applejack’s face.
“Dagnabit.” Applejack went over to the sink to wash herself off. Amongst mucky mess of puke, there was a small but solid sheet of cardboard or plastic with legible markings, and drawn on it was a sewer map to the Secret Prison.
Applejack smirked. It was just like Pinkie to give her a roundabout method to extract the map from Gummy’s stomach. She almost want to give the gator a big ol' hug, but he was busy feeding himself with a baby bottle filled would could be processed meats. She could now get back her Element and escape, but after what her cellmate had done so far, she could not allow such a pony die for a crime she did not commit.
On the morning of the execution, Applejack immediately convinced Mrs. Cake to let her into the kitchen storeroom. Here, she made contact with Spike, but not to plan an escape, but a rescue.
“You want me to go into the secret prison and get back your Element?” the little dragon repeated as he received the stiff and soiled map from the orange pony.
"You don't have to do it if it's too dangerous," said Applejack. "You have your dragon teleport thingy to bring Twi and Sunny in, don't cha?"
"Yeah, but I never teleported ponies that far."
"Please Spike. You gotta do this for me. A very important pony's life is in stake, and I can't let her die for a crime she didn't commit. Don't do it just for my sake. Do it for Twi and Octavia's."
"I'll do my best."
Spike saluted, and he dropped down through the manhole, which was left open. That was because Applejack had one more conspirator to give orders to. She pulled from underneath her prison uniform the poker-eyed baby alligator and plopped him before her.
"I don't know if you understand me," she said, "but I want you to tell that Colton or Golden Grape fella to bring my brother to the Central Annex. I don't know how you do it or how he does it, I ain't leavin' the prison without Big Mac. Got that?"
She wasn't sure if Gummy understood her, and she couldn't formulate a test in time because the baby alligator had already leapt into the manhole. Applejack immediately closed it up and exited the kitchen to join up with the rest of the prisonmares for mining work.
Applejack's mining group had thinned so much that they had to bring other prisoners from other shifts and other blocks. There were even aided by a small group of stallions, but neither pony had any energy or desire to chat or holler at one another. Obviously, this wasn't due to the increased security watching them at gunpoint. Mostly it was due to everypony feeling depressed at the looming prospect of Pinkie Pie's execution, and Applejack could tell from their slow and sluggish movements that the color of hope and happiness was sucked out of them. There was no talking. There was no smiling. Applejack on the other hoof still had enough anger and energy to rebel, but if she did, she would lose her chance to take up Bon Bon's offer and sit her in her office.
So once her group returned to the surface after a somber mining operation, Applejack sought out one of the Flower Guards that was with the Warden last night. She believed it was Daisy, but it might have been Lily. It was hard to tell given their identical uniforms and similar coat colors. Through one of the Flower Guards, she notified Bon Bon that she wished to remain in the office during the execution, but she would not be escorted until fifteen minutes before. That did not give her a lot of time, but Applejack couldn't complain after such an opportunity had presented itself.
In the hours before the execution, Applejack paced herself in her cell and drank a few of the leftover sarsaparilla bottles to keep her mind focused and energized. Then she prayed to Twilight's celestial gods that she would succeed in her rescue and eventual escape. Then she downed what could be her last sarsaparilla bottle.
When the Flower Guards came by to pick her up, they brought hoofcuffs as expected. The Rebel Mare willingly allowed herself to be restrained as her escorts took her to the halls of the Central Annex and into Warden Bon Bon's office. Here, the intimidating visage of Posey looked down upon Applejack in the form of a portrait on the wall. The television was off, and Bon Bon had unwrapped another confectionary for her nervous consumption while Applejack sat on a guest chair across from the desk.
The two were alone now. The secretary supposedly had been sent away, and the Flower Guards were just outside in the halls. There was no opportune time, but only if Applejack could figure her way through her hoofcuffs.
"It was Pinkie who helped me hook up with Professor Heartstrings," said Bon Bon. "What I mean by hooked up, I mean befriended Professor Heartstrings."
"Uh-huh," said Applejack, not entirely focused on the Warden's reminiscing. She really hated that portrait of Posey, and both it and Bon Bon distracted from her escape.
"During one of the mining operations, Miss Pie unearthed an ancient well-preserved record dating all the way to the Before Times, and for the entire time, she kept it under disguise as a pony-made record. It is remarkable that the technology used in the Before Times is compatible with the ones we have now. Then again, without the Lost Technology, we would not have overthrown the unicorns and stave off the pegasii a thousand years ago.
"The Professor and I listened to the record together during our break. It's an ancient style of music called 'jazz', which is very different from the rigid orchestral government songs they put out on radio and television. It has some kind of free-flow chaotic feel to it. At first I didn't like it, but it grew on me so much that I wanted to share that kind of music to my best friends.
"Well, I thought I had friends. I used to have good friends. Posey is a Chancellor, and Sapphire is the current Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force. Me? I'm left rotting away for years in this prison until the Honorable Chancellor recalls me for an important mission against the pegasii. "
"Never thought Posey would have friends," said Applejack.
"She's the Chancellor. She has friends."
"Then why aren't you standin' by her side as one of the President-Advisers? You've been played for a fool, Bon Bon. Posey doesn't love you. She doesn't love anypony!"
"She has a daughter! She is still faithful to her husband even after his death in the line of duty. She loves everypony in Gaea, and that is something you don't seem to get."
"Posey was there when my barn was razed. She wanted to kill me and my family, and she relished it."
"She wanted to seize the Element of Truth in order to protect you."
"Will ya stop bein' in denial? Posey ain't no saint! She's a cold-hearted mare who's only interested in war and more war, and she'll stop at nothing until everything that is non-Earthian is destroyed! She'll even sacrifice a whole lot of us in the process!"
“You’re right. Posey has committed many evils to her own ponies, but those evils will be nothing to the destruction the pegasii will unleash upon us now that the current pegasii Empress Commander is in charge.”
“Bons, you gotta let me go. An innocent mare is gonna die tonight, and you know it. I’ll trade my life for hers, but only when I use the Elements of Creation to stop the war. Tell them I socked you when I escaped. Tell them I blackmailed you. Please, you have to let me save Pinkie.”
Bon Bon ate another piece of candy, leaving yet another wrapper on her messy desk. She paced around Applejack and stared up towards Posey’s intimidating portrait.
“About a few decades ago, Posey suddenly visited me,” said Bon Bon. “She wasn't herself. She was drunk, and she never drinks. She was raving about how we should mate to produce pure earth ponies. I agreed with her, and that we should find ourselves find nice stallion dates the next time were in the city. What I didn't expect was her suddenly coming on to me. I loved Posey, but I couldn't love her in the same way as she did towards me on that night. I cried for help. I screamed, and I was forced to strike back at her. I hurt her, and her guards came in and caught me with a candleholder in my hoof.
“Nopony spoke about that incident, and the years went by with me assuming that Posey had forgotten about what happened then. Then one day during the election for Chancellorship, I was suddenly taken away by Posey’s agents, who then brought me over to her. Posey gave me an ultimatum: take blame for the assault and disappear for good. I had to accept or else she'll arrest my family. But what’s the point? My family thinks I’m dead, and I am forever trapped in this prison. In many ways, I envy those who had died escaping. At least they died as free ponies.”
The Warden rose up and gripped the frame of Posey's portrait until she unhooked it from the wall. Respectfully, she turned it around and leaned it against wall, perhaps to hide from the Chancellor the next thing Bon Bon was about to do. That was when she stood behind Applejack and unlocked her cuffs.
“Like you said, you’ll have to make it look like that you assaulted me,” she said. “Make it hard enough to be believable, but not hard enough for me to fall unconscious. I have to at least press the alarm after a two-minute head start.”
“If you say so,” said Applejack.
Turning around, she threw a hard kick into Bon Bon’s face, sending the warden over the desk. With a black eye, Bon Bon struggled back to her haunches.
“The execution room is two doors past the torture chamber where we took you upon your arrival,” said Bon Bon. “Hurry. They're about to start.”
“Thanks Bons.”
The Warden slumped behind the desk, and whether she was unconscious or not, Applejack had no time to check. Immediately she darted through the door and through the empty secretary’s office. Back in the halls, she dashed past the Lily and Daisy who were guarding the office and galloped as hard as she could until Rose blocked her advance.
“I ain’t got time for y’all,” said Applejack as the Flower Guards encircled her. “Lemme pass!”
“Let her,” said a voice. From behind Rose, the stallion guards Golden Grape and Lucky Clover had appeared along with Big McIntosh.
“Colton?” said Daisy.
"We can't let this oppression continue on," said Grape. "How can we ever call ourselves ponies if we let an innocent mare die before us? A mare who is also our friend."
"But we can't disobey the Lieutenant! Do you know what she'll do to us if she learns of our disobedience? We'll be arrested, tortured, and you won't just be able to get your vineyard back. We'll never see each other again!"
"We owe everything to Pinkie. Each one of us. Rose, Lily, you agree with me, right?"
Rose and Lily winced as they lowered their heads. Clearly they owed Pinkie, but at the same time they too were also intimidated and controlled by Lieutenant Quake. In their hesitation to act, the so-called silent alarm rang, and the overhead lights pulsed red. Down the halls, doors burst open, and the march of guards and Clone Soldiers thundered on the concrete floor.
Big Mac stepped past Rose and gave Applejack the very same apple Pinkie left him.
"Let's go save Pinkie, sis," he said. Then Gummy slithered out of his mane and landed on top of Applejack's head.
Big Mac. He could talk now. Well, he hardly talked, even in his youth, but to hear his true voice once more almost drove the orange pony to tears. She wanted to hug him, hold him tight, and feel his beating life beneath his chest. The tearful reunion would have to wait. The Clones were stampeding closer.
"We'll keep the guards and Clones at bay," said Grape. "Now go!"
The brother and sister plus one baby alligator galloped off. The further they galloped, the more the lights flickered. Behind several doors in the hall they heard Pinkie's snorting laughter from the television speakers.
"Do it again!" they heard her cry. "Do it again!"
The rebel mare grit her teeth, hoping that the execution had had not started and that they were only torturing her instead. The closer they arrived to the execution chambers, the more guards and Clone Soldiers appeared, and the latter outnumbered the former two to one. These faceless magical and soulless abominations were apparently part of the Ace and Teddy’s entourage, full evidence that the two President-Advisers had yet to leave the prison.
The brother and sister eventually began receiving the full brunt of the Clone Soldiers’ programmed wrath. Flying bullets grazed Applejack and Big Mac's skin and enemy boots bruised their bodies. A stone throw’s away lie the single metal door to the execution chamber, but four heavily armored Clone Soldiers stood in front of it to thwart the siblings' advance. Well, the heavier they are, they harder they would fall. Applejack readied to buck them to kingdom come if they didn't move out of the way, but instead Big Mac threw into his sister’s mouth a keycard she assumed was meant for the door.
“I’ll hold these four off, little sis!” he cried. "Save Pinkie!"
Big Mac rushed in tackled the two heavy Clones to the concrete before duking out the remaining two. She wanted to help him, but his eyes told her to forget about him and go on. It's not like he could accompany her. His skinny build defied the impressive strength he mustered to hold down one Soldier with both of his hind legs and another by his own mouth. The other two downed Clones were getting up, and he could only buy her so much time. Quickly, Applejack swiped the keycard, jumped in, and slammed the door behind her.
In a large room, four cameras surrounded the pink pony from all four corners. She sat restrained and wired on the electric chair bleeding from her eyes, nose, and mouth, and despite all that, she continued to laugh and smile with snorting glee.
“Do it again!” she cried.
“I’m sure it’s working this time!” cried the black-hooded executioner by the switch.
Applejack wasn't sure what was going on. Pinkie was still alive, and now she had a chance to save her. Before she could even make a short trot, Quake leapt out from the side and shoved the rebel mare against the wall where Pinkie, in her horror, could see her struggling to free herself. Then to Applejack's astonishment, Pinkie's poofy mane and tail literally started to deflate into flat bangs, and her color became grayer.
“AJ, what are you doing here?” asked Pinkamena. “I told you to not watch me die!”
“But you didn't tell me to not rescue you,” gagged Applejack.
“Lieutenant Quake, please, don't let her watch. Get her out of here, now.”
“I don't think I could,” grinned Quake. “This is the perfect opportunity to destroy all hope in this wretched Apple. Executioner, throw the switch!”
“I’m begging you, please don't let her see this. Please, oh please, don't let see this. I don’t want her to see me die!”
“Do it now!”
The pink pony’s tearful pleas went unheard. To everypony who had admired her, this was going to be the last image of her they were going to see: a sad Pinkamena Diane Pie who had exhausted all happiness and hope. The executioner, after a brief moment of hesitation, pulled the switch for the final time.