//------------------------------// // Bonus Mini Chapter: Desperation // Story: PonyFall: Australia // by Thunderbug80 //------------------------------// Bonus Mini Chapter: Desperation Night Time - April 25th, 2012 It was pitch dark in room 204 at the Ocean Side Motel, and for the first time that night, everyone else was finally asleep. Pinkie waited for another ten minutes just to be sure. Beside her in bed were both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, the latter having been carried into the bedroom and placed gently into bed by Fluttershy. Both girls were the type to move often in their sleep, and it would do no good to wake either of them up. Once she was satisfied that the girls truly were asleep, Pinkie crept out from under the covers and gently hopped out of bed. She didn't leave the bedroom immediately, however. Instead, she stood at the bedside and watched the girls sleep for a few moments with a sad smile. She couldn't help but to bend down and gently kiss each of their foreheads. A surge of guilt washed over her and she hesitated. The girls weren't going to understand, were they? Pinkie very nearly climbed back into bed then and there, but a part of her felt that the very fact that she felt this way was justification enough for everything. She was supposed to represent laughter, but when was the last time anyone had laughed around her? There truly was nothing to laugh about anymore. Swallowing hard, she took a few shaky steps towards the door, then a few more. When she finally made it to the door, she turned around one more time to look at the sleeping figures behind her. Then she quietly opened the door and made her way into the hallway. She couldn't leave without visiting the other bedroom first, however. With an almost supernatural level of quiet and stealth, she opened the door to the double bedroom and stepped inside. Immediately on the floor to the left of her was the slumped form of John, who had fallen asleep next to Angel's bed. On the other bed was Apple Bloom, and she took a moment to wonder if the poor filly would make it through the night. She was a member of the Apple family though, and they were all tough as nails. One of Apple Bloom's hands was clasped in one of Doug's hands as he slept on a chair next to her bed. Captain Man-Bear. The big guy with the soft heart. He introduced her to Coke and she would always be grateful for his efforts in getting them home. It was all well and good, but Pinkie knew the truth. Portals to another dimension weren't something that could just be summoned. If that were the case, the princesses would probably have some back at the palace. There would be some kind of magical portal book for Twilight to stick her nose in. There would be artifacts and lore from other dimensions somewhere in Equestria. No, portals weren't that easy to come by. And there was a very good reason for that. It required both the magic of harmony and the magic of chaos combined to make one. That's why she and her friends had ended up here on Earth. Because Discord's magic had mixed with Princess Luna's. In other words, the only way they had any hope of ever getting home was if they worked together with Discord. Pinkie gently sighed and left the bedroom. In the lounge, Fluttershy slept peacefully upon the couch. She wanted to hop over and hug the former pegasus. She wanted Fluttershy to jump up suddenly and tell her everything was going to be okay. But that was her job. She was the one who was supposed to keep everypony happy, and she had failed. With one last look at Fluttershy, Pinkie hung her head and walked out the front door. It was windy on the beach, and Pinkie had to wrap her arms around herself to keep warm. The strong winds brought impressive waves up to crash along the shore, causing cold water to rush over Pinkie's bare feet. She looked up at the clear night sky and to the stars and moon that dominated it. It was beautiful, she thought. The sight made her even sadder, and she looked back out to the ocean. If I were to let you, would you sweep me away? she thought. She closed her eyes and tears ran down her cheeks to fall to the sand. She was a coward. Not only was she incapable of making her friends laugh, but... As she took a step towards the water, a set of arms wrapped around her waist from behind and a familiar voice spoke. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" Fluttershy whispered. "Earth, I mean." Pinkie's knees buckled and she fell to the sand, taking Fluttershy with her. She wept openly as her friend pulled her close in an embrace. "It hasn't been easy, has it?" Fluttershy cooed. She took Pinkie's hands into hers and waited until Pinkie met her gaze to continue. "We don't belong here, I know that. And... and it seems like this whole world is against us sometimes. Like the planet itself wants nothing more than for us to fail." She gave Pinkie a small smile. "But even so, I'm glad." Pinkie wiped the tears from her eyes. "Why, Fluttershy? Why would you be glad for any of this?" Fluttershy smiled as tears of her own began to fall. "Because..." her voice broke and she, too, began to weep. "Because I have you here with me! Because I don't know what I would have done without you. B-because I can't imagine not having you around to help me smile!" A lump formed in Pinkie's throat. She wanted to curl up and hide within herself. "Fluttershy..." "Let me help you, Pinkie," Fluttershy pleaded. "It's hard, Pinkie, I know. Oh, Celestia, I know. But I'm here for you and I always will be for as long as you let me. Please just come back with me! I don't want to go back alone!" Pinkie closed her eyes again, but this time tears of joy began to mix in with those of guilt and ran down her face. She didn't have to crack jokes or act silly to get her friends to smile. In the difficult times, when all seemed lost and nothing went right, all she had to do to keep her friends smiling was to be there. She opened her eyes and smiled, a wide and genuine smile, at Fluttershy. "Let's go back then. Together." Further down the beach, hidden in the shadows of nearby bushes, the man known as F.A. cracked a smile of his own as he watched the two former ponies walk back up the beach toward the motel. How many times had he watched Pinkie Pie die? How many years had it taken to finally achieve this result? Too many, he thought. With his business seemingly concluded, the man turned away and walked the opposite direction down the beach. After about fifty meters, he vanished into thin air.