"It's your fault it didn't work!"
Pinkie Pie glared off towards where Discord skated off to, as he appeared to mock her with his every move, every leap, every chuckle and snort of his sneer. In fact, his very being appeared to insult who she was. He was made of several other creatures after all. That's not normal; she's not normal.
She hated him.
"Who are you talking to?"
The once pink pony turned to the frustrated lavender unicorn, Twilight, who looked totally confused. Just like always. Confused about Pinkie's silliness as per usual. Confused about her blatant insanity.
She hated her, too.
"Any of you," Pinkie growled, "ALL of you! I'm leaving!"
And with that, she began to bounce away. She hated bouncing. Why did she always have to bounce here and there? It only made her sweat, after all. It was completely, and utterly pointless. Not to mention gross.
"FINE! LEAVE! See if I care!" the lavender pony shouted out as the others, as grey as Pinkie herself was, began to go their separate ways as well, "I don't need you guys either! With friends like you, who needs...?"
That's all Pinkie could hear from a distance.
Not like she cared or anything.
Not like they cared in return.
She growled as she heard laughter from above her. Fluttershy, with that smug grin on her face, seemed to be entertained by Pinkie's own, disdainful reaction. "Ha, ha, ha-ha, ha!" the Pegasus taunted, before flying off into the distance, far away from any of her so called "friends", and back to her Cottage to return to her usual day of tormenting whoever the hay she wanted.
Oh, how Pinkie loathed her.
Pinkie didn't know how long she walked through Ponyville and out. She didn't care. It all was too crazy for her there now, anyway. She wanted to be alone, far from the mockery, far from the zaniness that was as so and her own mane. She hated her mane, and its frizziness. She hated Ponyville and its inhabitants.
She hated Discord, she hated Twilight, she hated Fluttershy...
She hated every-pony.
The trot turned into a gallop, as her rage seemed to increase in the pony's mind. Collected thoughts and memories of all the times that she truly despised. All the parties, all the fun, all the laughs, giggles, chuckles, snickers-snicker-snickers-SNICKERS! Lies! All lies!
She didn't need them! She didn't need ANY-pony! All they did was laugh at her! All they did was make fun of her!
Pinkie's silly! She's just being regular ole' Pinkie Pie! Plain old Pinkie! Crazy old Pinkie! Stupid, random, crazy-!
UGH! She hated crazy!
In the middle of the Everfree Forest, Pinkie stopped running, and let out a loud, ear-piercing scream of anger and irritation...grief and despair. All those emotions in one painfully tightened package; the kind that was impossible to open, and now that you saw what was in it, you clearly regretted it. And it wasn't because what you saw was horrible, or even worth mentioning. That's just it; it wasn't worth your own time or effort to begin with.
Pinkie Pie fell to the ground, curling herself up into a ball, seething mad, hot with tears, shivering in agony. Far away from everything that made her feel the most anger, and now she could be left with her grief. She despised how the Everfree appeared more peculiar than usual; how some of the trees appeared to dance at a deceptively joyful tune, how the cotton cany clouds rained chocolate (how she hated chocolate milk), and how the creatures themselves seemed to be running for their lives from each other as they become more fearsome than before, save for a few who had been lucky enough to escape Discord's wrath (for now).
Yet, they all ignored Pinkie. Yes. Every-pony did, whenever she was calm or anything but herself. Only when she said something completely unexpected did some-pony care to notice her. Only when she did something strange did some-pony actually talk to her. Like she wasn't allowed to be one of them, even for a day.
Even now, as every-pony danced or giggled with insane glee, the same that she had produced day after day, she wasn't allowed to be one of them. In a world of chaos, a world of which she knew she would've been all for had it not come with the price of every-pony else's well-being, she still didn't fit in with the others. It didn't bother her when she had color; it only started to hurt at the garden. When the balloons...her friends...all of them...
She. Hated it. So much.
"AH-hahahahaha!"
Pinkie's ears lifted at the sound of horrendous laughter; and not just any form of it either. She recognized that laugh. She knew it from the moment she first heard it, mere hours before she turned grey.
Discord.
Pinkie Pie lifted her head, eyes filled with angry tears, her teeth gritted as she growled at the goat-face monster. But Discord wasn't laughing at her. He didn't even see her. He was laughing at everything else, as he began to fly through the forest, 'zapping' objects and living beings at random with his magic.
A cockatrice ran by.
Burp
It grew ten feet and a half, and fluttered away to Canterlot to seek revenge on a pirate known only as "Captain Armor of Shine" and his mates, who all grew frog legs and horse lips.
A manticore flew high in the air in an attempt to escape the mayhem.
Zing-zing-zing
It split into three parts of itself, each fighting for dominance over the empire of kittydom. All who sought to attack the attackers were taken down with brute paws, teeth, and tail.
"Hahaha! Priceless!" Discord laughed, smacking his "knee", "Simply priceless!"
The draconequus bended his back over in hysterics, and finally laid eyes on a pathetic looking Pinkie Pie, who glared hatefully at him. This was all his fault. The Spirit of Chaos grinned, almost as if he weren't snickering at her position. "Well, well, well," he said, "Look who finally decided to join the party! How are you, dear Pinkamina Diane?"
The earth pony said nothing, earning a feigned pout from Discord. "Aw, now, Pinkie," Discord said folding his hands, "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue? Or should I say-"
Pinkie felt herself being lifted up by the tail by a maddened Diamond Dog, who was finally living up to its name. "HEY!" she shouted, wanted to beat the living daylights out of the mutt.
"-Dog got your tail?!" Discord laughed some more.
Pinkie was unimpressed. That wasn't very funny. It wasn't funny at all. The Spirit of Chaos should know that, right? Or was he too crazy to care?
Discord noticed Pinkie's reaction, and smirked. "Come, now, Pinkamena," Discord stated as he landed in front of her, ignoring the Diamond Dog shaking her around like a rag doll. "You've got to get into the spirit of things."
Pinkie started to feel dizzy. She hated being dizzy. When she was dizzy, the world spun around her, just as it did now. After a few more seconds, Discord snapped his fingers, and the Diamond Dog was reduced to the form of a mouse. Pinkie landed to the ground, on top of the specimen, who squeezed out and scampered away. Discord pulled Pinkie into a side hug. "After all," he continued motioning around him, "This is your home now."
"...I hate forests," Pinkie growled.
"Now, I don't expect you to live here exactly," Discord went on, "I was thinking more like this world is your home now. All that is chaotic, all that is mad...that is now the norm here and everywhere."
The pony turned away in a huff. "And I bet that just PLEEEEASES you, huh?" Pinkie Pie spat, Discord's magic turning it into tiny streamers, "You think you can just waltz right in here and make a mockery of me...of PINKIE...PIE!?"
The draqonequess stared as the grey-pink pony shook a violent hoof at him, that for all either of them knew would probably be turned into a chocolate snake meant to do unsightly things to her for daring to threaten the King of Bedlam and all other kinds of bad. Yet Pinkie was too angry to care, and Discord looked rather...perplexed. With a dab of intrigue, and a sprinkle of amusement. He barely even flinched, if at all, as the smaller creature roughly jabbed him in his stomach, which was an odd mixture of being as hard as a rock, while being as soft as a marshmallow.
"Listen here, MISTER," Pinkie growled, "I have had an awful, terrible, worst of all kind of day today thanks to you and your stupid...stupid...stupidness! You big, stupid draconaquus! You...you CABOTAGE!"
There was an awkward silence after she said that word. Yes. Discord was definitely, specifically a cabbage bent on sabotaging the lives of everyone including herself. It explained everything. He did come from the Royal Garden after all. This was all a part of the vegetation regime to overthrow the masses.
Pinkie felt both proud of herself for coming to this conclusion, and angry at this feeble annoyance.
And yet, in spite her terrific discovery of his evil plan, Discord simply laughed. It was a softer one than the others, but hard enough to produce tears. Pinkie raised an eyebrow. "Ah, Pinkie Pie," he said, wiping a single tear from his eye, "You're so random."
"AM NOT!" Pinkie shouted in anger; she hated random. It was the same thing as chaos, and she wasn't even that anymore.
...not that she ever was, come to think of it. She was just...being...Pinkie...but...being Pinkie wasn't like being another pony, was it? So...wasn't that in a way...?
"Now, now, Pinkie, my dear," Discord said, raising up his hands in defense, his voice having brought her back to whatever reality was left upon the land, "You must know that I meant that as a compliment. Nothing more."
"NO!" Pinkie shouted, "You just wanna make fun of me, right?! Like every-pony else does! Well you know what I say?! I say you're a-a-a BIG MEANIE!"
Discord simply stared once again. "Yeah! You heard me!" Pinkie said pointing at Discord, "You're a big meanie! That's all you are!"
A pause.
"And don't think I don't know about your evil vegetable plan, you diabolical, balloon popping, scadalous-!"
The draconequus let out a chuckle as he let Pinkie ramble on. When the muted-colored mare was seemingly done with her rant, Discord leaned over, their muzzles almost touching. Pinkie was shocked at how...big his eyes seemed up close. "Even in the state as you are," he said, "Even after corrupting you fully, changing the very fabrics of your being..." he slithered dangerously as he examined the unmoved pony, "You're still...you."
Pinkie let out a confused snort, not even bothering to ask what he meant. Discord didn't really need a reason to continue on as his slender body ever-so slightly nudged her as he circled around her on all fours. Why? Why wasn't she running? There was a chill running down her spine, probably full of fear, and yet she stood firm. Maybe her anger had granted her the pride that the traitorous Rainbow Dash once had, if she had even lost it that is.
"Applejack is a self-serving liar, not to mention a coward in it of itself," Discord listed, "Rarity has become obsessed with a mere rock, treating it as a treasure worthier of praise than her own allies. Fluttershy is a complete brute, and that's me putting it mildly. Rainbow Dash...she's left you all to rot in my very...hooves, I supposed? I doubt you'd comprehend the idea of 'hands' just yet."
Pinkie felt her ears droop, her heart drop. Why did this suddenly hurt so much? The anger still grew, but...she noticed...something empty in her. Discord gave a toothy smirk. "And even Twilight Sparkle has fallen into despair," he cackled, "As we speak, the once great and powerful Unicorn has lost all her faith in you...so much for friendship being magical and whatnot."
Finally, Discord floated back into the air, staring into Pinkie's eyes from above her, his head upside down. "And then there's you," he said, "You're a grump. A stick in the mud, some may even say," he snapped his fingers, freezing Pinkie in the air as she attempted to jump up and strangle him for his insults, "And yet, you manage to think...creatively. I've taken your drive, your fun, your...happiness...but you're still you, regardless. You're still the same old Pinkie Pie..."
Discord rubbed a talon against her face, squishing her cheeks and making her purse her lips as a small squeaking sound left the tip of her nose like a dog toy. "My Pinkie Pie."
Pinkie began to flush.
Wait.
She hated him.
She hated him very much.
Why was she...?
"N-no!" Pinkie said crossing her forelegs, her body still midair, "No! I'm not-I mean I-I'm NO-pony's."
"It's nothing to be ashamed of," Discord stated as he pulled Pinkie closer to him with his bare arms, "After all...Equestria is mine. I rule this domain, and everything beyond."
Pinkie tried to pull away, but couldn't. Somehow she didn't want to, as a warmth seemed to return to her body, mostly to her face. Eventually, she simply lied her head against the Spirit's long, hard/soft body, letting out a groan. She hated this so much.
"Every pony, every animal, every hoof or paw or claw or talon that lands on the earth or sea is now in my possession," Discord went onto saying, "I can do whatever I want, pretty much. I can...claim whatever I want."
Pinkie stared at the ground as Discord pulled away, her grey turning into pink. Not her usual shade, mind you; a much darker shade. She hated Discord even more now. "What makes you think that it makes you out of the equation?" he asked, "I did say you were my favorite."
Favorite? Favorite Element, he meant? Laughter was his favorite Element of Harmony, that much was true. When did he say...?
Discord hovered above Pinkie, who looked at him in surprise. Then again, it shouldn't have been. It was only natural for the Spirit of Chaos to react so casually to all the disharmony all around him. He made it happen, after all.
But natural was normal. Normal made sense. What fun was there in making sense? So, supposedly in a way, what he was doing right now was possibly the most chaotic thing he could do; staying calm among the destruction of the world. The destruction he himself had caused.
Discord lifted up Pinkie's chin even higher than she had it already. His ugly yellow and red eyes stared at the pretty blue ones. Pinkie was somehow hypnotized completely, almost as if those "ugly" eyes were all that mattered now, even if it still sustained its own cruelty. "And a king's favorite," Discord said, "Should always remain his."
With that their lips collided with one another, sending Pinkie into a wave of hysteric confusion. The anger and sadness subsided in her heart, and was replaced by pure shock and...and...the grey started to fade back to its original color as she gingerly returned the kiss. However, before Pinkie could even return to her normal state, Discord pulled away, and all became grey again. Pinkie whimpered.
"I apologize, my dear," Discord stated in sympathy, though Pinkie knew better than that, "But I must be off. I have a meeting to attend to with a certain, whiny princess and her dear sister," he tapped his paw to his chin in thought, "I wonder how Luna's doing back in the moon? And Celestia..." a suspicious hum left him, like he knew there was something amiss, "she's been hiding in her room all day. Not like her at all to be so cowardly..."
The rest of the dialogue appeared to be to himself, and it faded away as Discord began to fly off into the distance. Pinkie stared for a moment, trying to collect her thoughts and piece together what had just happened. Finding no true resolve, she suddenly took a few steps towards him before making a full galloping sprint all in one fell motion. "WAIT!" she cried out, "COME BACK! TAKE ME WITH YOU!"
She ran passed the creatures who had transfigured into forms of which they were never designed for, passed the trees that had either been planted upside down, had uprooted themselves and escaped to another world entirely, or simply turned as gray as she and her former friends had become, passed even Zecora herself who was cackling like an old witch unable to comprehend a thing as she tried to put a curse on Pinkie for stepping on her enchanted flowers. Pinkie tracked Discord down until she reached outside of the Everfree Forest, barely outside of Ponyville as she watched desperately. Discord appeared to be too far away to hear any of Pinkie's cries, and had disappeared toward Canterlot it seemed. Pinkie's run slowed down to a walk and she panted, looking up into the night sky that immediately became day again.
She stared off, falling onto her rump, and stayed like that for several chaotic cycles of day and night, which really was the equivalent of a few hours. And Pinkie did it to wait. Wait for that stupid draqonequus or whatever the heck he was. Wait so that she could punch him in his weird face.
Wait so he could explain to her exactly what she was feeling right now.
"PINKIE!"
Pinkie Pie turned her head to a group of ponies sprinting towards her. Great. Twilight Know-it-All, Apple-Butt, Rari-Ditz, and Flutter-Noxious were here. What struck her as odd and peculiar only lasted for a few seconds before rage came on full force. They were all colorful again; not just Twilight this time. Pinkie growled, ready to attack her "friends" and tear them limb from limb, but Applejack and Rarity acted first, tackling her down to the ground. Pinkie responded by bucking Applejack in the stomach, and pushing Rarity off completely.
Fluttershy watched from a safe distance in the air, as she stared down at the ponies who struggled to keep Pinkie still. "Oh my goodness..." she said rather timidly as she covered her eyes with her hooves.
Applejack glared at her grey-pink friend. "Now, I ain't givin' that up jus' yet," she said, as she galloped forward, headbutting Pinkie in the chest, knocking her to the ground.
Pinkie snarled as she flipped back to her hooves, and charged at the orange farm pony.
Rarity on the other hoof looked what was conveniently nearest to Pinkie at the moment, and smiled as she went over to it, Twilight following soon after. The two unicorns moved over a cart some ways behind the raging mare. Applejack and Pinkie were locking heads with each other like angry bulls. Eventually, Applejack proved to be stronger, as she pushed Pinkie with full force into the cart. Ropes were then thrown around the mare by Rarity and Twilight before she could leap right out to continue the attack.
"LEMME' GO!" Pinkie roared, "I SWEAR, I'LL KILL YOU ALL!"
"Good job, Applejack, Rarity," Twilight beamed as she walked over to Pinkie, levitating her rope to Fluttershy and Applejack, "Now, hold still. This won't hurt at all."
Pinkie looked up at Twilight's kind smile with full, unadulterated rage as the purple unicorn's horn began to glow. The horn touched Pinkie's head...and it all made sense again.
Yes, she remembered all those times she had with her friends. She could never forget those times, even while she was angry with them. What she had forgotten was what made those times enjoyable to begin with. It made her feel so silly for being so cranky-lanky.
As Twilight and her friends began to make way to the other side of Ponyville, in search for one more mare in particular that they needed to save from corruption, Pinkie continued to laugh hysterically, hiccuping every once in a while. "HAHAHA! I turned grey! HAHAHA-Snort! Can you believe it?!"
Finally. The nightmare was over. All of Equestria was back to its normal state. Discord, now a fear-stricken statue, fell onto the grass bellow. All six ponies rejoiced, and soon they could hear the relieved cries of the citizens of Ponyville as well. Dancing, cheering, singing, the six friends mostly laughed a dearly missed laughter.
"YES!" "We did it!" "Alright! Great job every-pony!" "woo-hoo..." "Yesyesyesyesyes!"
After the six ponies finished their acclaim, Twilight looked over at her friends with a proud smile. "Thank you, every-pony," she said, "I couldn't have done it without you!"
The six best friends all ran in for a group hug, relieved that the worst was behind them. From Pinkie's view, she could see the statue lying on the ground, and stared at it for a moment. She suddenly frowned. Discord looked so terrified, so helpless, so...weak now that he was encased in stone. He wasn't so great and powerful as a sculpture or something or other.
Pinkie's eyes scrunched up.
She hated that.