//------------------------------// // Chapter 9 - The Blood Trail // Story: Pinksomnia: The Darkest Descent // by Wolokai //------------------------------// Scootaloo sat on her haunches, staring towards the hospital bed. Pinkie looked peaceful, her head turned to the right and her chest rising and falling gently. Tears flowed from the orange mare eyes, looking up and down her frail mother's form. She walked over slowly, her eyes glued to her mother, afraid that if she looked away, even for a split-second, that she would disappear again. She put her front hooves up on the edge of the bed and stood up on her hind legs, sniffing and whispering quietly "Hi momma..." Pinkie Pie didn't respond, didn't even move. She was looking in her direction though, which gave Scootaloo the comfort she needed. She smiled a little through her tears, whispering still "Y...you know, I heard you can still...hear ponies even if you're in a coma...can you hear me?" She knew Pinkie wasn't going to answer, so she went on "I missed you...things have been so hard without you...Running Sugar Cube Corner is a pain...and I haven't been sleeping good." She sighed, looking down at her front hooves and rubbing them together shamefully "I've done some bad things Mom...things I'm not proud of...and I wanted to do something good for once...so I came looking for you." She looked at Pinkie for a good while, the moderate beep of the EKG machine the only sound that floated through the air. She felt cold...miserable even, even though she had found Pinkie Pie at last. She needed warmth...comfort...someone to hold her. She hoisted herself up onto the bed, slipping into the covers and snuggling into her mother, pressing the side of her face against her chest and crying silently. "I found you momma..." she whimpered, crying and trying to blink her tears away. A teardrop slid along the edge of her eyelid and fell, falling gently through the air and landing on Pinkie's chest. The EKG let out a loud 'BEEP!' which made Scootaloo look up. She peered towards the screen, the numbers and lines changing all over them. The lines started to move faster, and the beeping more rapid. She raised a brow in confusion, and suddenly felt something thumping against her hoof. She looked down at where her hoof was pressed, and gasped. She could feel Pinkie's heartbeat. She laid her head back down on her chest and smiled, nuzzling against her and letting her warmth tightly hug her soul. She sighed, content for a moment, but suddenly gasped, her eyes widening in pure shock and her pupils shrinking. Something was moving against her sides slowly, and were wrapping around her, hugging her tightly. She looked up slowly and teared up, watching as Pinkie squinted her eyes a little and slowly open them, looking down slow and sluggishly. Her eyes met Scootaloo and for the first time in nearly a year, Pinkie smiled and whispered "Ssscootaloo..." Scootaloo choked out a sob and hugged her tightly, pressing her head under Pinkie's chin and crying "Oh mother...I missed you so much! I'll never leave you again! Ever!!!" Pinkie sighed happily, weakly stroking her back and whispering "I missed you sweetie...but I...I have to tell you something...I'll fall back asleep soon...please listen, ok?" Scootaloo looked up, nodding and listening intently. Pinkie leaned her head back and sighed, hugging her snuggling daughter close to her. She looked up at the ceiling and whispered "You have a right to know what happened...where I went...why I disappeared...and about the orb." ~One Year Earlier~ -Pinkie Pie- "GOING IN ORDER!!!" I screamed at The Entity, gutting myself savagely with the knife and spilling my blood into the basin. I heard a shattering noise above her as I fell to the ground, dragging myself along the ground towards the balcony. I groaned as I pushed my way out of one of the doors and moved outside, the screams of "THE ENTITY!!! TWILIGHT KILL IT!! KILL IT!!" floating from within the castle. I heard something clattering against the ground near me and I looked over, gasping as I saw the orb rolling away. I growled and reached out, grasping it with my hooves and shouting "Oh no you don't...if we die we all die together! I'm taking you with me!!!" I looked over the edge of the balcony, to a rocky river below, the rapids churning violently with deadly force. I smiled weakly, my vision blurring a little and my voice coming out in a weak rasp "To the depths then!" I heaved myself over the balcony with the orb, rushing downwards towards the river of my demise. As I fell the orb gleamed with a blackish glow and my mind flooded with images of snow...the north...a village. I had no idea what any of the images meant...I saw a temple now...north of this town. The images suddenly flashed away an din the next moment, my life flashed before my eyes...and I could see everything. The lunch with Fluttershy, the body in my basement, you and I on the river dear Scootaloo, Hoofintgton, Trottington, everything. I sighed...filling my final thoughts and moments with you...my beautiful, adoring daughter. I made my peace with Celestia, praying that you be kept safe. As I crashed into the river, my vision gleamed white and...and I knew no more. I don't know how long I swam in the white abyss of my mind, floating aimlessly as time lost its meaning. I sighed, thinking, wondering...hoping that you were ok. I heard a voice...a mare's...one I know I've heard before "Bruised, broken, and cut up too?! Dear Pinkie Pie, what has happened to you?" Blackness entered my white plain of peace, and for a split-second I felt hooves wrap around me and pull me up. When I awoke, the first thing I smelled was some kind of herbal substance, along with the smell of daisies and some kind of other potent, sweet smell. I opened my eyes slowly, groaning and putting a hoof to my forehead. I looked about slowly, seeing various bottles and jars hanging from the ceiling from ropes, masks and other small trinkets lining the walls. I knew in an instant where I was, and the sound of clopsteps and her voice confirmed it "Save your strength, and your breath, you nearly succumbed to a nasty death." Zecora smiled as she gently put a hoof on my forehead and whispered "Your fever's gone, this is good, you had me in such a frightful mood!" I started to sit up but winced, gasping out in pain as Zecora put a hoof on my back and gently eased me up "Be careful now my dear Pink mare, or else your bandages may tear! A lot of blood you seemed to lack, so take it easy and lie back!" I sighed, laying back slowly and looking down at the bandages that were wrapped around my middle, splotches of blood staining them in a few places. I looked over towards the zebra mare and groaned "H...how long have I been out?" Zecora put a hoof to her own chin and thought for a moment, looking down at me after a moment and saying "I almost lost track, your future was bleak, I'd say you've been here for one week" I nodded, sighing and looking towards the ceiling. I mumbled towards her "And...the orb?" Zecora frowned heavily when I mentioned the dark artifact and she stepped aside, pointing over towards the other side of her hut "The dark sphere, which I have stored, sits over there, inside my ward" I looked over weakly, noticing the orb had been wrapped with yellowish cloth and covered with some sort of leafy herb. I was about to ask what they were when the door burst open and a feathered creature came huffing into the room, a large pile of firewood on its back. A familiar, snobby voice carried over from the door "Hey Cora'! Brought your wood, wasn't any problem at all for me." I turned my head upwards so I could see, and gulped. It was Gilda. The griffon looked over with a bit of surprise after she dropped the firewood in a pile and blinked for a moment. When she finally spoke, it was with a tone of half spite and half confusion "What the hell is SHE doing here?" Zecora shook a hoof angrily at Gilda and half shouted "Gilda your anger you must divert, for dear Pinkie Pie has been gravely hurt! She has fallen under a darkened spell, so it is up to us to make her well!" Gilda shrugged, heading over and looking up and down my body and whistling "Damn Pinks, you took a beating...what roughed you up this bad?" I sat up again, forcing myself forward even though my middle roared in pain and pointed towards the covered orb. I winced as I spoke, trying to push through the fiery pain "That...ow! That thing over there...it's dangerous...I need to f- OW! I need to find a way to get rid of it...I saw visions of where it may have come from...and I need to make it there as fast as I can!" Zecora shook her head and frowned, pointing a hoof at me "But Pinkie Pie you are still too ill, you haven't the means, only the will!" I shook my head out of anger and shouted "Forget about me! If I don't destroy that orb, EVERYTHING that me and my friends fought and died for will be all for nothing!" Gilda and Zecora looked at each other for a moment before the griffon turned her head back and muttered "Fought...and died for? What's going on?" I put my hooves to my face and groaned, looking up and shouting "Look, I don't have time to explain ok?! Gilda, you need to take me north, maybe around Stalliongrad or so, you can explain to Zecora what happened when you get back, ok!? FORGET about how I look or feel right now, I may be good as dead anyways. Please...consider it a last request, ok?!" Zecora looked towards Gilda for an answer, and for a moment the griffon sighed, bowing her head and pondering. Finally, she looked up at me and muttered "Alright...but I better get answers..." ~~~ It taken a few good hours, but eventually I was stable enough and situated in just the right spot on Gilda's back to make a one-way trip to Stalliongrad. The orb was placed carefully into saddlebags that hung over Gilda's back, and with a few potions and specific directions from Zecora, we were off. The ride was quiet for awhile, and my wounds were aching. I knew I was dying, slowly maybe, but still dying. I was only running on visions the Orb had shown me, perhaps it was trying to get home...or luring me into a trap. It didn't really matter at this point...I didn't know if The Entity had been defeated...I didn't know if anypony was still alive...I didn't know anything. The quiet seemed to be too much for Gilda as she suddenly spoke up "So...what's going on? Why are we heading to an uncool place like Stalliongrad, and why are you all beat up?" I sighed, looking off towards my right, into the far horizon of the mountains as I told her over the course of maybe half an hour, all that had happened to me over the past few years, from Trottington to The Entity. When I finished Gilda whistled, taking a moment to look back at me and say "Wow, you've gone through some shit huh? I figured you'd be too care-free and happy to deal with anything like that...no offense." I shook my head and smiled, saying back "None taken...besides, we both seem to be acting differently then what we use to be like, how'd you end up with Zecora and why'd you start acting so...so..." "Unbitchy?" Gilda offered, making me nod a little. Gilda sighed and turned her head back forward, muttering "Well it wasn't easy...I was pretty mad that day Dash told me to bounce the fuck out. I went to the Everfree forest, trying to blow off steam...when a Manticore attacked me. Now I'm pretty badass in a fight...but that Manticore got lucky, tore my left wing up pretty bad. I passed out from the pain and blood loss...and when I woke up, I was in Zecora's hut. She was...nice, I guess. Took some time getting used to, but we eventually found some common ground. I offered to help her around the hut as payment for her caring of me, and she offered some...behavioral lessons. Apparently when she little lived in Hoofrika, she wasn't only a healer...but a school teacher as well. Never would have guessed..." I smiled a little in nodded, the both of us falling into silence as we neared the Celestian border of South Equestria. However, the instant we passed over, Gilda's saddlebags had suddenly caught fire, and we both gave panicked shouts of surprise. We dove, heading down to the ground as fast as we could. The bags were giving free however, and for a moment it looked like the orb was going to fall out. I shot my hooves out and caught the orb just before it fell, my bandages tearing a little and my lungs hurling out a high shriek of "OW!!!" Gilda touched down, turning her head and shouting "Pinkie, you ok?!" I nodded weakly and clambered off, nearly falling into the snow upon landing. I picked up the orb and turned to Gilda, speaking in a weak tone "Gilda...I think this is as far as you can take me...I don't want the orb to throw us anymore surprises...you go on and head back." Gilda looked at me with concern and muttered "You sure...you're gonna be ok?" I nodded and she sighed, looking towards the direction we were heading in and saying "Should be...another thirty to forty minutes towards the main road to Stalliongrad, and about another hour on foot to the gates. You be careful...ok?" I nodded again and thanked her, sitting back on my haunches to watch her take off with a loud 'WHOOSH!'. It was an hour later that I found myself upon the roads, stumbling all over the place. I had tied the orb to my back with strands of the yellow cloth that had frayed, but my bandages were taking a turn for the worst. Blood dripped from me slowly, creating a dotted trail of red behind me. I didn't even notice the orb starting to glow, my mind trying to convince my body to keep going, that the gates were just ahead. A loud flash erupted from the orb and in the next instant I found myself facedown in the snow. I groaned, the snow under me starting to stain with the color of blood, and as I looked up, I gasped. A set of four, dark pink hooves were standing in front of me, and as I looked farther up, my eyes grew wider and my mouth more open in shock. I was standing...in front of myself. It was me, a poofy-haired, grinning Pinkie Pie. I stuttered, my mind still trying to grasp what was going on, terrified that I might have been losing my mind from so much blood loss and fatigue. I didn't have much time to think on this however, as the other me reared up on her back hooves and brought her front ones down with a heavy 'TWHACK' atop my head. That was thing I remember before I woke up here in the hospital...mumbling incoherent words and sentences until eventually...the permanent blackness found me. *** Scootaloo listened in wonder as Pinkie explained to her what had happened, whispering after she was done "So...the orb...took out your dark side? Or...something like that?" Pinkie sighed, looking over towards the wall with a weak look on her face and mumbling quietly "I don't know...I don't have the answers...not yet. The orb is using...that me...to run about and keep everypony away from the manor...it's trying to stay hidden. It knows that The Entity is probably dead or waiting to come back for it, so the orb is trying to keep itself safe I'd wager. Scootaloo...as long as that other me is walking around...I can't move...I can't breathe...I'm the only one who knows where to take the orb back to...everypony I try to explain it to ends up not understanding me for some reason. The Entity's magic is still trapped in that orb...and we need to get it back..." Scootaloo nodded and tilted her head to the side, asking "What do I do?" Pinkie laid her head back, shuddering a little and whispering "You need to kill...the other me. Kill Pinkamena...and then f..find a way i......n..into the..ma..mans..mansion...." She started to mumble too low for Scootaloo to hear, her eyes drooping and her EKG slowing back down. Scootaloo felt tears brim in her eyes as her mother closed her own eyes and fell back into her darkened coma. The orange mare gave her mother a tight hug, minding her bandages and whispering "I'll be back...I promise...I won't ever...EVER...abandon you again."