The Wild Laughter of Stone

by dah884

Chapter 4: Ego and Id

Luna found herself walking through an ocean of darkness. Going deeper and deeper towards what she could tell was Pinkie. As she drew near she could hear voices the words in distinguishable.

The scene she came upon troubled her greatly. There in the middle of a black void was Pinkie and pacing around her was a shadowy creature. Its features were like flames its form fluid and shifting, but feline in nature. Wrapped around its limb and torso was chain glowing a bright pink. The chains seemed to be emanating from Pinkie…

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!” laughed the dark creature.

“But, they are my friends,” exclaimed Pinkie.

“That’s just it. So were they.” Luna became aware of several presences appearing out of nowhere. She could not distinguish what their forms were and they were shrouded in darkness, but they were there. They were watching her, they were judging her, and they found her wanting.

It waved a limb at the forms. “Chrysalis showed more love to Shining Armor then all of them combined, and I don’t mean while she was pretending to be Cadenza.” Luna could practically feel their disappointment and disdain. It was as if she was the world lowest insect and she dared to show herself to these things. Luna idly wonder if this was how some of the common ponies felt while dealing with the nobility.

“They used and betrayed you. They hurt you.” The chains holding the creature dimmed and Pinkie shrank. “HAHAHA! It’s funny these chains,” it held up a limb to look at said chains, “took a millennia of madness to bind me and look how weak they’ve become after only a few minutes of truth.”

Realizing the monster was attempting to escape Pinkie’s hold on it Luna decided to make herself known. “Hold monster, leave her alone.” Luna yelled not noticing Pinkie wincing. The monster merely turned to face Luna, the smirk on it’s face sending a chill down her spine. “Ah! You’re just in time Princess!” The way it said her title making Luna feel dirty.

Luna’s cutting retort never came as she found herself unable to speak or even move. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at the monster.

“Ah, I see you’ve started to realize your situation.” It’s smirk turning into a mocking grin. “This isn’t your precious realm, or even the port to it, but the inner recess of the mind itself.” It gloated.

Luna’s eyes widened in horror as she realized just how deep she had gone to find Pinkie, and how much trouble she really was in. This wasn’t some dark beast trying to destroy Equestria and Pinkie trying to hold it a bay. This was Pinkie’s Ego restraining her feral fueled Id.

It had been millennia since Luna had seen an Id like this. An Id that wanted to lash out at everyone and everything. She shivered at what went into creating an Id like that.

“Leave her alone, she’s my friend,” Ego declared.

Id’s smirk grew more malevolent. “Yes she is. And, just like them,” she indicated the forms, “she has betrayed you.”

“What?” Shouted Ego and Luna at the same time. Or, Luna would have if she could.

“Oh, you don’t remember?” Id snidely replied. “When we were trapped. When we were surrounded by darkness. When we cried for someone, anyone to help us.” Id shouted the last part.

Luna’s eyes widened in shock as memory came to her. A memory lost, a memory forgotten, a memory buried. A filly hurt, alone, and scared. A kindred spirit calling out for help. Her head lowered in shame.

“And when we lent her some of our power to find us, to help us, what did she do?” Id snared. “What did she do?” Id demanded.

Ego could not answer. But, the pained look on her face was answer enough.

“She took it, and tried to bring forth eternal night. She tried to destroy the world and worse she tried to kill her own sister. HER OWN SISTER!!!” screamed Id pointing a limb at Luna accusingly. “She broke her promise, both of them.”

Ego shrank and the chains dimmed once more.

Luna remembered the rush of power and how she felt like she could do anything, take on anyone. Then the dark thoughts came and she was swept away. The next thing she truly remembers is her sister embracing her and forgiving her in the ruins of their castle.

“Oh but we were rescued weren’t we?” Id smirked. A pony with a Persian bluish gray coat and a grayish blue violet mane began to appear.

Ego grew a little and the chains glowed brightly.

“And, you learned to play the helpless damsel well, just like her!” A flash of blue streaked across one of the formless figures. “Being saved makes you feel wanted, doesn’t it.” Id’s smirk grew toothy. “And, you know how much saving someone makes you feel needed.”

Ego deflated and light from the chains darkened.

“How many times have you been saved? How many times did you need to be saved?” Id taunted. “That boulder, the one your ‘sister’ saved you from. Does she know you could break it with a single touch?”

Ego got smaller…

“Or when the changelings came. You knew there was something off with Cadence, but you let it play out. You could have taken every single one of those bugs in the city single hoofed, literally.” Id accused. “Even when Celestia fell you could have taken Chrysalis before she even knew what hit her, but you didn’t.”

The lights growing darker…

“When Tirek had the power of all of Equestria instead of putting him in his place, what did you do?” Id sneered. “You let him use you as a bargaining chip against your friend. You didn't need to rely on that chest.” Id spat.

And smaller…

“And then there was Discord. The fool. One little push more, just one and we would have shown him what true chaos is.” Id laughed. “The Lord of Chaos and Spirit of Disharmony, ha. He bends it to his will true. But, it is your will. You are its Goddess. It follows you around like a stray puppy looking for a treat. We didn’t need the Elements to deal with the fool of an usurper.”

And darker…

Until. “Now let me free and I’ll make sure none of them get the chance to hurt you again.” Id said cruelly.

“no…”

“What was that?” Id turned surprised.

“I said no,” Ego stated simply. “They are my friends and I will not allow you or anyone else to hurt them. EVER!” With her last statement Ego grew larger than Id and the light off the chains became blinding.

“If you‘re too much of a coward to face the truth, then,” the Id faced Luna. “She shall keep her promise and sever as the instrument of my release.”

“NOOO!” shouted Pinkie as she tried to tackle Luna to safety. Luna for her part had realized that she could not move or speak once more, and so was helpless when Pinkie’s Id attacked.

---

Back in Reality things took a turn for the worst…

It started with a spark of black lightning crackling across Luna’s horn. The event didn’t go unnoticed by the to alicorns, but before they could react a black ethereal chain launched out and rapped itself around Pinkie’s barrel. A moment later they were engulfed in a sphere of moonless midnight.

Twilight being the first to act fired the dispelling magic. The sphere acting as if it had a will of its own reflected the arcane energies back at Twilight throwing her into a nearby bookshelf.

Celestia stood there, jaw firm and a deep sorrow in her eyes. The horror of the fact that, without the Elements of Harmony and the failure of the magic to dispel the connection, she would have to kill her own sister to save everyone else. Her fears were confirmed as the sphere dissipated to reveal Nightmare Moon.

However, before any actions could be taken, Pinkie merely swiped her hoof. The Nightmare shroud was shredded as Luna was flung bodily into another bookcase. All eyes turned to Pinkie as the remnants of the shadow encircled and consumed her taking on an almost flame like quality. As her eyes flared white with power, the black flames took on a semi-feline shape. In the eyes, a predator like gleam shown despite being pupil-less.

Twilight, who had been disorientated from the rebounding of her own spell and had seen the effects of Pinkie’s last swipe, looked up to see a raised hoof aimed at her, but still could not think straight. She turned her head with eyes shut and, awaited the inevitable. But, the strike did not come.

Looking at the hoof again she saw that it was wrapped in the same ethereal chains from earlier, but a familiar pink color.

“Release me!” screamed the flames in a distorted roar. “I must destroy them before they can betray us!”

In the confusion Twilight had glanced around the room. Her mentor seemed as conflicted and confused as she was. Fluttershy half curled in on herself, half prepared to jump in to save her friend. Rarity and Applejack were both having to restrain Rainbow Dash, who thou conflicted on what was going on was ready to stop it one way or another. Applejack seemed to be holding herself back as well. Spike was helping Rarity and Applejack, but occasionally wringing his claws and looking over at Twilight. And, Luna was unconscious and possibly injured.

Just as her assessment of the room was finishing a second chain, in the same pink as the one that saved her, rapped around Pinkie’s barrel. Seeming to be yanked both outward and inward at the same time the flames disappeared with an audible pop like a balloon. Pinkie fell lifelessly to the floor.

Panic gripped Twilight’s heart, only to be replaced with worry, as she noticed Pinkie shed silent tears.

Comments

[Theanonymous1]

I cant believe I missed this for months. This has one of the more interesting crossovers with Ranma on this site, and I can't wait for a possible continuation.

[HB_DS2013]

Pinkie knows the Neko-Ken?

[HB_DS2013]

Pinkie knows the Neko-Ken?

[dah884]

8281385
aww, one more time and you would have summoned it.

anyways i was wondering if any one would catch on to that, because that means i have a glaring plot hole in the the form of white furry demon named Opal. (smiles evilly) but, hey Pinkie's basically a Schrodinger's cat.

sorry for the delay family stuff back in Nov. hope to get next few chapters out by Aug., Sept. the latest.

p.s. i apologizes for what's to come.