//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Twilight's Secret (Pinkamena) // Story: Pinkamena's Regrets // by Violyre //------------------------------// Twilight's eyes widened in surprise as Pinkamena explained why she needed her help, where she was from, and how she couldn't remember anything really from her past except those few small memories and the one she'd just regained. It was much to take in at once, all the information Pinkamena was just revealing suddenly. As soon as she finished her long rant, taking only a few breaths, she burst into tears for the third time. "Don't worry, I'm here for you. Even if you're not a friend of mine in your old dimension, doesn't mean we can't be friends here. And I'm always there for my friends to help and support." Twilight said gently, smoothing Pinkamena's mane. Pinkamena blinked, and sighed. "Okay, I suppose you'll be able to help me. Trust, right?" "Trust." Twilight smiled and pulled Pinkamena to her feet, gently untangling the knots in her mane and pulling out bits of dirt. "So, according to your story, you used a portal to get here, correct? And you sent the real--I mean, this dimension's Pinkie to the dimension you came from?" "Yeah." Pinkamena nodded, wiping her eyes and smearing her face with more dirt. Twilight reached up and helped clean off the dirt all over Pinkamena with a levitating handkerchief. Pinkamena looked into Twilight's eyes and whispered, "Thanks." Twilight knew she meant thanks for more than just getting rid of the dirt. "Well, I've read about another dimension parallel to this one called the Outer Worlds. Does that ring a bell to you?" Pinkamena thought hard, trying to unlock any memory of the Outer Worlds. There was nothing in her memory. Something seemed to be blocking it. "I don't remember," Pinkamena admitted. "A portal...was it your first time using one? Normally there's an unexpected memory wipe when first using a portal, but if expected it can be prevented. I think I know a spell to reverse the effect though." Twilight knelt in the dirt and concentrated hard as her horn began to emanate a purple glow. Pinkamena felt a bit lightheaded, but could feel the memories returning. She remembered the battles, the atmosphere, the fires. She gasped from the sudden flow of memory, but just as she did, it all disappeared again. "Did it work?" Twilight fell over from exhaustion. "That spell takes a lot of power to execute, but is completely fail-proof!" "It--it did, but then I forgot it all again..." Pinkamena murmured. "What went wrong? I don't get it..." "It failed? But how? I did it perfectly!" Twilight panicked, her eyes widening in fear. Seeing how afraid Twilight was made Pinkamena also scared. "Was...was it something I did? Was it because I'm not from this dimension?" "No, that's not it. It works on anypony, anywhere. But...there must be something blocking you from remembering. An evil force...could it be...?" Twilight whimpered. "Wh--what evil force? You didn't tell me about any evil force against me! Is there something I should know that you're not telling me?" Pinkamena defiantly glared into Twilight's eyes, sadness becoming anger at the though of this. Twilight motioned for Pinkamena to kneel on the ground next to her as she brought herself back up into a sitting position. Pinkamena knelt. "I think...I think there's something you should know that I never told Pinkie Pie. A very dark, very important secret that Pinkie wouldn't have been able to handle. It's about the Outer Worlds. A prophecy of what it would mean if her opposite from another dimension ever switched places with Pinkie...only to be told if it ever came true. And...it has." Twilight looked into Pinkamena's eyes. "So now you're the one with the secrets?" Pinkamena shook her head exasperatedly. "Fine. You sound like I should be taking this seriously, so I will. Tell away." The purple unicorn took a deep breath and slowly released it. "Okay, here goes. Be ready for this."