"Father, we need to talk." Pinkie observed the Administrator's mouth collapse onto the ground in a heap of saliva and teeth. Probably not the best reaction.
"How do you know that?" His tone, rather than demanding, held more of a trace of wonder than anything else. "I haven't heard that in... in..." He shook his head. "... Five thousand years? I've lost track."
"Somepony - someone, really, told me." Pinkie fixed a steely gaze on the Administrator, banishing all hints of cheerfulness from her expression. "I've heard that you're going to kill thousands of innocents."
"What... oh... you've been talking to her. The failure." He ground his teeth in frustration. "Damn it! I should've known she'd get to you... how did she do it?"
"Through a dream." Pinkie said curtly.
"I thought only Luna had that sort of control. Then again, she hasn't lived as long..." He mused. "Whatever. You must know is that she did not give you the full story."
"That's what they all say." She snorted. "What is it that she didn't tell me?"
"These 'innocents' are not as pure as you believe them to be."
Pinkie's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
"They are parasites. Weeds in a garden. By giving them sustenance, the rest of Equestria is put at risk."
"And since when do you care about that?"
The Administrator shot her one of his you got me smiles, but the cocky edge to it revealed that he hadn't quite lost the argument yet. "And why, pray tell, should I treat them any differently from the others?"
"You've said it before. Ponies are not innocent. By the sins of their gods, they have condemned themselves..." She stopped short, realizing her father's direction of attack.
"And the one who approached you is no angel either." He countered. "By sharing in their ill-gotten gains, she has committed the same felony as Celestia and Luna, and therefore she must suffer for it."
Pinkie eyed the Administrator. "The same crime?"
"The same." He agreed. "When he returns he will exact his revenge, but until then I have to hold the fort down. Against all perpetrators, no matter who or what they are."
"But is the killing right?"
"One thing you need to learn, my adopted daughter." He tutted. "All means can be justified, so long as the end is righteous enough to do so."
"I don't know." Pinkie said hesitantly. "I don't think we can ever be certain of absolutes."
"Are you absolutely sure?" The Administrator chuckled. "My dear, I've lived thousands of years longer than you have. I have learnt, over the course of this time, what is right and what is wrong."
"And as we both know, what is efficient is right." She grumbled.
"Efficiency is an end in itself, you know." He reminded her.
"Hmph."
"In any case, did you just come here to accuse me of genocide?"
"... No." Pinkie admitted. "I really am scared of what's happening tomorrow."
"What's there to be scared about?" The Administrator asked.
"I've never fought without... without my mask before. And I thought I'd never have to do what I'm going to tomorrow."
He frowned. "It's just a mask."
"And that's why I need it." Pinkie explained. "When I fight... when I kill... nopony ever sees my face. To them, I am a soulless monster. And that's the way it has to stay."
"Why?"
"Because..." She trailed off. "Because even I'm afraid of what lies underneath."
"But... that's you."
"Exactly."
For a while, they stared at each other, both having nothing to say and neither willing to break the silence.
Some of us are monsters by choice. The Administrator reflected, absently staring into Pinkie's eyes. Some of us are monsters because destiny forces us to be. But the noblest kind of monster... His irises refocused, locking themselves on his daughter's face. The noblest kind is the kind that becomes a monster by choice and hate themselves for it.
The monster that resents what it has become and yet pushes on... This is the kind that the world needs. There is always dirty work to be done, and so few willing to do it. The ones who shoulder these responsibilities are labelled monsters and ostracized by society, but nopony realizes that without them, everything they know and love would crumble to dust.
The only ponies worth respecting are those who work for others selflessly, and the ones most deserving of this respect are those whose efforts are rewarded with cruelty but shrug it off and continue on their quest to make the world a better place.
His mind slowly wandered back to reality, where he registered Pinkie's patient stare. He returned it with one of his own, waiting to see if she would say anything.
She didn't. Neither did he, so they just let the silence reign. At some point in the night she fell asleep, and he just stroked her mane lovingly and nuzzled her before settling into his own much-needed sleep.
For the first time in years, he slept with a smile on his face.
"I failed. She was my last hope. Without her, we have no other options left."
"... So what now, your highness?"
"We talk."
"Talk? Again? But it just-"
"No. Not to him. To Celestia and Luna."
"Them? I thought they'd never agree to save us."
"They probably won't. Don't worry, I've already got a backup plan."
"Is it likely to work?"
"Very. Assemble our strike force at once. We move out the day after tomorrow."
Pinkie awoke alone. The Administrator had probably left earlier, spreading the blanket over her exposed body before departing.
The air conditioning in this room's really cold. She realized, suppressing a shiver. How does he sleep here?
She shrugged off the protective layer of cloth, her teeth chattering uncontrollably as she hurried out of the room and into the harsh reality outside.
Today is my interview.
She broke into a gallop. At the same time, she began to think.
So what?
Her legs worked twice as hard, increasing her speed to nearly impossible levels.
Am I afraid to show the world who I am?
She reached the door, yanking it open and exposing her skin to the gentle sunlight.
Am I afraid of what lies behind the mask?
Unhesitatingly, she dashed forward, towards the looming figure of Canterlot Mountain.
Maybe I am. Maybe I don't want to face my fears.
Her pace never slowed.
But life is full of trials and tribulations. This is just one of them.
The corners of her mouth curved upwards slightly.
You just gotta take all of them and keep smiling.
Slowly but surely, the entrance to the pass came into view.
Even if nopony else wants to, I have to continue smiling.
Because otherwise, Equestria will lose a little bit of cheer. And I can't let that happen.
With a large, chipper grin on her face, Pinkie Pie strode forward.
Not as long as I'm here to laugh for everypony else.
"Thank you for coming to this meeting, Administrator." Across the table in the grand conference room sat an earth pony with a brown coat. He was clad in a peculiar blue-tinted translucent cloak that shimmered in the dim light, and his right foreleg was encased in a hard shell of ink-black armour which occasionally pulsed with green energy, giving it an otherworldly appearance. The yellow shock of hair that was his mane seemed to be the only normal part of him, but even that was far too unkempt to befit the stature of one in the presence of a pseudo-god.
And strangest of all, a vulture was perched on his left shoulder, eyeing the new appearance with eyes of intense suspicion and distrust. It never took its gaze off of the Administrator as he moved over to the nearest chair.
"Right, right." He took a seat directly opposite the earth pony. "So, about the infestation, mister...?"
"Just call me Ician." The pony said amiably. "I don't see any need for formalities here."
"Awfully direct, aren't we?"
"Only when I need to be." Ician leaned forward, the vulture readjusting its posture to accommodate the change in position. "And believe me, the sooner we get to talking about this threat the better."
"What's so dangerous about this anyway?" The Administrator scoffed. "I can create and destroy an entire horde of insects with a snap of my fingers."
"Not these insects." Ician warned. "If you could have you would have annihilated them already."
"How am I supposed to annihilate them if I don't know what they are?"
"You've already seen them."
The Administrator raised an eyebrow. "Have I, now?"
"You have." Ician confirmed. "You've already spoken to her."
A frown manifested itself on the draconequus' face. "Her?" A few seconds of thinking gave him the revelation he was waiting for. "Oh. Her."
"You do realize the danger, right?"
"Yes, but what do you propose I do?"
"That's what I called the meeting today to discuss." Ician explained. "Come, let us begin."
To be continued in Meet the Pyro (Part I)