"So, How does it feel?"
Pinkie struggled to pull herself upright, leaning and swaying as she attempted to balance her body. She could feel cold water patting down on her, the occasion thunder roll piercing her ears. The cool water rolled down her figure in continual streams as she looked around, her vision blurred and warped. Her eyes clamped shut, blinking several times to try correct her impaired sight. Her bright pink mane wavered and bobbed as she tossed her head from side to side, in a futile attempt to shake out the dazed state she was in.
"Haha, look at yourself" A familiar voice sneered from above
Pinkie darted her eyes around, trying to find the source of the voice.
"Pathetic"
The pink pony's vision soon began to fuzz and twist, coming back into focus. She began to make out her surroundings, or in this case the lack of. Pinkie found her self in a ditch, a small but deep hole in the ground. The base was covered in a thick mud, with a few plant roots poking up out of the ground. The walls of the hole were rough and torn, with sticks and twigs scaring the surface. Climbing up was out of the question.
Pinkie looked up at the top of the hole, she could barely make out a figure, that seemed to be seated on a throne.
"Who are you!?" She called out
She heard the pony above her laugh, maniacally over the rain and thunder that crackled around her.
"You don't even know who you're talking to? Wow, you really are stupid" The voice was filled with hurtfulness, striking Pinkie's ears with sadness.
Pinkie didn't know what to say, she squinted and blinked, trying to look at her verbal attacker.
"You!" She sneered
Pinkie saw a face she knew all too well. It was herself, her colors darkened and faded. Her mane straightened flat, hanging by her side as though it were a piece of cloth. She sat on a large throne, decorated with gems that Pinkie had never seen before. It looked as thought she had a cupcake in her hoof, nibbling it playfully.
"Oh look, she recognizes herself" The dreary pony jeered.
"You are NOT me!" Pinkie raised a hoof, pointing at the alternate self.
The apparition leaned her head downwards staring at Pinkie with large, unforgiving eyes. She gave a sneer that sent a shiver down Pinkie's spine.
"Oh really? That's funny, because I recall you letting me come out to play when you thought your friends were ignoring you"
Pinkie's ears lowered, a loud crack of thunder shocking her back into the mud.
"Is she alright?" A voice that came from neither Pinkie or her alternate self echoed through the air.
Pinkie immediately recognized it as Twilight's voice, but it was muffled and faded.
"T...Twilight?" Pinkie said with sadness coating her face.
"Yep, that'd be Twilight" She heard her darkened self tease "I've been listening to them while you were out cold"
"Wh....what did they say?" Pinkie asked
"The usual, they're all worried, all 5 of them" The dark pony leaned back with confidence, taking a bite out of the cupcake she held "Oh, I think Fluttershy stayed by your side all night too, I'm not quite sure. I can't exactly see yet because your body hasn't woken up"
Pinkie let herself flop back into the mud, not sure of what to say next.
"So, how does it feel Pinkie?"
"Don't talk to me, you meanie pants" Pinkie sneered almost instantly.
"You don't want to talk about how I told you so?"
"No! I don't!"
Pinkie looked up at herself sitting on the throne with a sniffle. She began to feel her eyes water, quickly breaking from her eyes with the rain that fell on her face.
"What do you want from me?" Pinkie asked
"Me?" The straight maned pony looked down at the muddied party pony in the hole with a laugh "I want you to stop torturing yourself. Ironic isn't it?"
"How's that?" Pinkie's eyes closed, giving up hope that she could win against herself
"Well am I not the depressed one? Am I not the one who is continually sad? Should I not be the one torturing you...or us?" The high pony pressed the cupcake to her lips once again
"I think I am. I should be the one down there, not you, not like I'm complaining though" She let out a sigh "But I digress, for once, I don't want torture" She said with a sneer
The dull pony slowly climbed off her throne, with a sinister glint in her eyes. Pinkie's alternate self pushed the cupcake into her mouth, gobbling it down greedily. She swallowed, letting out a deep and taunting sigh.
"So, are you going to tell her now?"
Pinkie shook her head, the mud sloshing about as she did "No..."
"Very well have it your way"
Pinkie felt a thud in the ditch. She lifted her head up and out of the mud. The apparition was standing across from her with a malevolent grin. Her eyes glowed red, a burning fire emanating from the pupils. Pinkie attempted to scuttle backwards. The dark figure disappeared in a cloud of dull pink smoke. Shards of pure black accompanied the pink as the cloud shrunk into nothing. Before Pinkie could react, the cloud had reappeared right in her face, her alter ego now looming over the muddied pink mare.
The figure let out a laugh "You can't get away from me here" She growled raising a hoof.
With little remorse, the hoof planted itself on Pinkie's chest firmly, holding her in place.
"This is my area, my little sanctuary, isn't it fitting?" She jeered
Pinkie could do nothing but squirm in horror as the hoof pressed down on her chest. Fear rattled Pinkie's mind, realizing her alter ego's intentions.
"Quit moving, you'll only make things worse!" The moment the sentence finished, Pinkie could feel the air in her lungs being pressed out of her. The hoof on her chest showing no signs of loosening. Pain began to rip through Pinkie's body, her hind legs kicking and flailing. She tried to shout, to scream, tell her to get off. With no air in her lungs, nothing came out of her mouth but a mere squeak.
"Pinkie!" A voice shouted
Pinkie bucked and writhed under her attacker, desperately trying to shake herself free. She felt as though she was going to pass out, everything fading to a dull shade of gray.
The pink pony's torso shot up and out of the bed, sitting upright.
"GET OFF!" She screamed
Pinkie looked around, she sat in a hospital bed, gasping and panting for air. Her body felt hot and sweaty, she could feel the small beads of water rolling along her coat. Her eyes were wide with shock and with each breath she found herself becoming more aware of the pony sitting by her bed.
Twilight sat beside Pinkie, tears only just visible in the corners of her eyes. The lavender unicorn forced a sniffle.
"T...Twilight?" Pinkie's voice was shaky and erratic, anything but healthy
The pink pony laid herself back down on the bed as the adrenaline wore off, her left arm lay limp beside her, a needle embedded just behind her elbow. Pinkie grew confused, the room was dark, she turned her head to the window by her head. It was raining. She could see Ponyville in the distance, through the misty clouds and water falling from the sky. She looked down to her chest, it felt as though it were about to burst from the pressure that was applied to it. The loud sigh of relief left her mouth.
"What's going on Twilight?"
Pinkie's adrenalin boost had run out, she felt her muscles weaken and eyelids hanging down, obstructing part of her view.
"You're sick Pinkie, you're in hospital" Twilight cried
"Why?....And why are you crying?"
Twilight laughed "I'm worried about you, you're my friend, do you think it's easy to see you like this?"
Pinkie swallowed.
"Where are the others?" Pinkie asked trying to spot the her other friends. The blue eyes darted across the room to no avail.
"They've gone home to get some sleep, it's my turn to stay with you for the night"
"Oh"
Pinkie looked at the ceiling. it was different from her room. A dull, monotonous gray. It made her heart sink, and most importantly it made her realize her coat had darkened, her mane was limp, laying it straight strands by her body. She had become the pony she was fighting off.
"No..." She muttered "Why is this happening Twilight?" Pinkie asked with a sob.
Twilight shrugged "I think you're beating yourself up too much Pinkie"
Twilight looked behind her, as thought making sure nopony was listening or watching in on them.
"I understand that you don't want to worry Fluttershy too much about your feelings, but you already are..." Twilight reached out a hoof and placed it on Pinkie's "I can see you want to protect her but...you're killing yourself to do it"
Twilight's voice was rattled with fear and distraught. Pinkie could feel her hoof shake as the unicorn sniffled back tears. Pinkie could say nothing, her mind was blank, she didn't know what to think.
"I think...you're going to have to make a choice Pinkie" The unicorn stopped for a brief moment as thought she were writing up her next few words in her mind before saying them "It's either her or you"
Pinkie gasped, pulling her hoof away in sheer shock.
"Twilight! No! No way am I putting this on her! I can handle this..." Pinkie's voice trailed off as she lifted her hooves together by her face "I think" She finished
The purple unicorn felt a tear break away from the build up in her eyes.
"Pinkie..You almost died" Twilight said brushing her face with a free hoof.
Pinkie felt her ears droop at the mere sound of the word.
"You had a horrible case of hyperglycemia"
"Hy...what?" Pinkie asked, contorting her face.
"Hyperglycemia...put short you had too much sugar" Twilight's face was filled with worry "But in your case...it wasn't just too much..."
"Wha....what do you mean?"
Pinkie felt her voice falter, shaking with each word, awaiting the imminent blow she was expecting.
"You were three times over the lethal amount, you shouldn't even be here right now. That needle in your arm is pretty much the only thing keeping you alive. The doctors said they were astounded that you made it as far as you did"
Pinkie brushed her flattened mane aside, looking at her dull pink limb. Her arm rested by her side, laying limp with a clear plastic tube leading to a bag hanging by her bed. The two ponies sat silently for a few minutes, their minds racing with thoughts. Each one of them wanted to ask questions, talk about what was happening but it felt as thought something was forcing them to hold their thoughts back.
"Twilight?" Pinkie asked
The lavender unicorn looked up at the pink pony with sadness filling her eyes.
"Am I going to...die?"
Silence reigned over the room once more, Twilight unable to answer the question Pinkie had just thrown at her. The unicorn closed her eyes, resting her head on Pinkie's bed.
"We don't know...the doctors said it's not looking good" She said with a sigh "It's best if you rest, for now"
"Twilight, do you have some paper?"
"No, but I can go get some"
Pinkie nodded "Please"
The unicorn pulled herself up off the bed, leaving the room to find some parchment for Pinkie. The ill pink earth pony looked out the slightly fogged up window. The rain pattered against it, running down the glass in long streams. Somehow, the dull weather and the sound of the rain on the roof was relaxing. Pinkie felt some of her worries lift, her body becoming less tense as she let out a sigh. She pulled her free hoof up, grabbing some of the lone strands of her mane. The normally bright pink curls had been reduced to nothing but straight, dull, locks.
"What am I supposed to do now?" Pinkie whispered to herself.
Twilight stepped back into the room, closing the door behind her.
"Here you go Pinkie" Twilight called levitating a piece of paper and a quill over to the pink pony laying in bed.
Pinkie grabbed the quill in her mouth, the paper landing gently on her lap. Twilight took a seat beside her, smiling as she did. The earth pony looked down at the paper.
"Could you please hold it out for me?"
Twilight simply sent a nod, her horn glowing with that familiar purple aura. The paper floated up off Pinkie's lap, hovering just in front of her. Pinkie began to scrawl down words. Her mouth moved with unbelievable speed and precision for her condition. The lavender pony was shocked. She had never seen Pinkie write before. Pinkie wrote word after word, trailing each and every one of the thoughts onto the page carefully. Her eyes slid from side to side, scanning each word she jotted down.
"What are you writing?" Twilight asked
"Nuffnh Tfilight" Pinkie muffled through the quill in her mouth
"If you say so Pinkie"
The pink earth pony wrote for almost 30 minutes. Taking a few breaks, allowing her mouth to rest while she recollected her thoughts. Pinkie placed the quill back down, reading over her note carefully. She smiled, her eyes becoming blurred with tears. She grabbed the note in her hooves, the purple aura of Twilight's magic fading away.
"Thanks Twilight"
Twilight didn't respond, she simply smiled. A smile filled with sadness, yet comforted Pinkie in the strangest way. Pinkie folded the note up, placing on the table beside her bed. The earth pony laid herself back with a deep sigh.
"I think I'm going to take a rest"
"Okay then, I'll stay here, don't worry" Twilight nodded
"Don't you have some books to read or letters to write"
"Weeeell...I do but I'd rather stay here to make sure you're alright"
A sheepish grin washed over the unicorns face. Pinkie shrugged, closing her eyes.
"Thanks Twilight..." She murmured
It didn't take much for Pinkie's mind to fade out. Before she had a chance to reconsider, she found herself in a familiar area. She sat on a throne, perched just over a deep and muddy ditch. She felt a smile creep across her dull pink face as she looked down into the ditch. Through the rain she could see a figure she knew all too well. The bright and bubbly pink earth pony sat in the base of the ditch, mud covering her body.
"My my my....how the tables have turned!" She called out to the bottom of the earthy hole.
Pinkie's eyes filled with a menacing glare.
"I have to say Pinkie, I should thank you for letting me take hold here" Pinkie through her arms into the air, her straightened mane flapping about.
"What are you talking about?" The muddied pony shouted, attempting to look up through the rain.
"Oh please, don't tell me you haven't even realized that you've pushed yourself so far back into your own mind that you've let me step in charge of things?"
"Well I..."
"HA!" Pinkie sneered "Well it doesn't matter anymore, as soon as we're done here, I'm going to give Fluttershy that note and this will all finally be over"
"Wait no! You can't tell her" Her former self shouted as she stood herself up.
The rain grew heavier, the thunder rolling louder by the second.
"Oh? And who's going to stop me?" Pinkie paused for a moment "You?" She jeered sarcastically.
"But you can't you need to stay in hospital!" The mare at the bottom of the ditch began to fume with anger
"DO I LOOK LIKE I CARE ABOUT SOME HOSPITAL!?" Pinkie roared "I've had just about enough of you killing the both us slowly, I want to agree with you, get along with you...but you make it so hard with your stubbornness"
Pinkie brushed her mane back into place, resting her head back against her comfortable seating.
"Besides, she deserves to be told, and there's nothing you can do to stop me"
Pinkie felt the ground below her shake, a bright pink light burst from the hole. An abrupt explosion filled the air as the bubbly pink mare shot out and slammed herself into the pony seated on the throne. Her former self was flaring with light, her eyes glowing a furious white, her mane wavering with the sheer anger radiating off her body. Pinkie felt a hoof press down on her throat.
"Oh I...see...how it is...you think....you can actu...ally stop me?" Pinkie choked struggling to pull the mares hooves off her "Why do you insist...on..torturing yourself?"
Pinkie began to feel her mind fade, breathing became difficult. The glowing apparition, pressed down harder, her threatening sneer growing larger.
"I only want...you to stop..hur....ting....yourself......do you have...any....idea....how much...you've...lost?"
The hoof pressing down on her lifted slightly, the face of anger weakened. Pinkie saw the shade of doubt, and jumped on it in an instant.
"You can't even comfort yourself any...more"
The pink aura around the apparition faded as she stepped off Pinkie with a face of shock. Pinkie pulled herself back, coughing and spluttering. She took a deep breath before continuing her taunts.
"Those, cupcakes, cakes, sweets, sugar...you won't be able to eat those anymore, you've lost yet another thing you love and you keep trying to push on?"
Pinkie threw her hoof out, shouting her words with fury. The bubbly pink mare sunk back, crouching in fear and denial.
"You're lying!"
"Am I?!" Pinkie's eyes shot open, her pupils shrinking in size.
Pinkie slowly trotted over to the pink mare, circling around her whispering hurtful words at her.
"I'm sick of you being sad, why is it so bad if I want you...us, to be happy?"
Pinkie raised her hooves, shoving her former self over the edge of the ditch. The pink mare fell, flailing her limbs around in panic. She landed back into the mud with a splat.
"AND STAY DOWN THERE UNTIL I'M DONE!" Pinkie growled "I'm fixing your mess and that's that!"
The pink mare below said nothing, she lay in the mud, feeling her sorrows flow over her. She had lost everything she loved, why exactly was she trying to prevent happiness? Did she not love herself anymore? Her mind flooded with questions, if all of this was really worth it.
Pinkie sat herself back on her throne, waiting her time to come to set things right. It was time to glue the pieces back together.