Piracy

by Cozy Mark IV

First published 19th of November, 2013

When a community theater production of Gilhoof and Sullivan's 'The Ponies of Penzance' takes an odd turn, it's up to Twilight to get to the bottom of things.

When a community theater production of Gilhoof and Sullivan's 'The Ponies of Penzance' takes an odd turn, it's up to Twilight to get to the bottom of things. But when her investigation forces Luna to reveal the link between the Elements and her descent into madness as Nightmare Moon, Twilight is left facing a heartbreaking question of ethics.

Strong advisory: Pervasively dark, unsettling content!

Piracy

Piracy

by Cozy Mark IV

Disclaimer: This is a non-profit fan-made work of prose. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is the property of Hasbro. Please support the official release

Strong advisory: Pervasively dark, unsettling content!

With a triumphant yell Rainbow Dash swung her saber low over the heads of her fellow pirates causing them all to squeal and duck, some of the slower ones losing their hats in the process. Standing in the middle of the throng Scootaloo was too enamored to avoid the blade, and it swept her feathered cap from her head.

“Hey!”

A second swing with a downward arc knocked the rope free from the catch on the deck, allowing the counterweight to pull up on the rope. Rainbow took wing and had swung clean across the ship in a moment, landing on the prow with a sword flourish.

“To be, to be the Pirate King!”

Noticing her blade felt heavier than usual, she gave it another swing, dislodging Scootaloo's hat which smacked her in the face as it fell.

“Ow! Hey, whose hat is this?”

Scootaloo spoke up indignantly from where she stood, hatless, on the rear deck.

“That's my hat!”

“Watch where you're swinging that thing will ya?” Applebloom joined in.

“Hey, it's only plastic.” Rainbow replied with an unconcerned shrug. A sharp 'SMACK' from another sword held in a orange hoof made her leap clear of the deck, rubbing her flank as she looked down at Applejack below her.

“Stings a bit, doesn't it?” she asked with a smug grin.

From where she sat in the audience, Twilight rubbed her aching head and tried to remember how she had gotten herself into this.

At the time it had seemed like such a good idea. Miss Cheerilee was setting up a community-theatre performance of The Ponies of Penzance and needed a few volunteers from the community to fill some roles and help with the production. It had started off promisingly enough, but in the second week of rehearsals their teacher had come down with the pony pox, putting her out of action for the next three weeks. Twilight had stepped up and taken on the role of producer and stage manager as best she could, and for the most part things had gone well, but now they were down to only few days before opening night and the stress was starting to show.

“Okay, everyone, that was good, but remember you have to sing it louder if they're going to hear you in the back rows.”

All the children grinned happily and nodded.

“And Rainbow? I know the swords are just plastic and the script does call for some fighting and flailing about, but you have to be more careful. If you catch someone across the face you could really hurt them.”

Rainbow had settled back to the deck by now, still rubbing the wide red stripe across her haunches. “Okay, okay, I get the message... Sorry, Scoot...” she added as she flew back and sheepishly passed the hat back to her.

“All right, everyone back to your places, we'll pick up where we left off: Pipsqueak; you're in the dinghy bidding farewell to your pirate friends. Pirates; you're being loud and rowdy with your 'King'. Stage crew?”

A shy yellow head peeked out from behind the curtains. “Um... yes?”

“We've been over this scene enough for today: get us ready for the shore scene.”

“Okay.”

As Fluttershy disappeared once more, other voices could be heard from behind the curtain.

“All right, we're up next!” Silver Spoon whispered excitedly.

Diamond Tiara answered in a huff.
“I still don't know why we have to wear these ridiculous white dresses. The ones from Burghoof's are much richer than this.”

“This is set a long time ago, at the height of the Bit-ish empire.” Sweetie Belle answered irritably. “The dresses have to look right for the period!”

“Shush! All of you, they're about to start!”

The Pirate King song wrapped up with no further strife and with a little help from Rarity, Pipsqueak rowed the dingy across the stage as the 'shore' was pushed in from stage right.

The next scene had taken some work, but after weeks of practice, the actors were finally able to pull it off without bursting into laughter (though the same could not always be said for those off stage). As Frederic (Pip) asked his old nursemaid Ruth (played by Granny Smith,) if she was comely enough to marry him, Twilight had to bite her hoof to remain silent as her shoulders shook. The two of them really played off each other well, and as Pipsqueak read the line:

“Thank you, Ruth, I believe you, for I am sure you would not practice on my inexperience.” Granny Smith smiled wide enough to drop her dentures onto the stage, quickly stooping and putting them in backwards before continuing with feigned embarrassment. “Of course not, Frederic.”

There was a lot of stifled laughter from back stage as a blushing Fluttershy tried to keep them all quiet, and soon enough the scene wrapped up without either one forgetting their lines.

'Well, at least some of them are ready.' Twilight smiled as she flipped ahead in the script and the 'maidens' came prancing onto the stage led by Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. The song and dance was simple but well done, and because it was a chorus, it didn't show too much if one of the children forgot their lines. Pipsqueak made his appearance and propositioned the 'fair maidens' allowing Diamond and Silver to really show off their acting chops as they scorned him with expressions that would have wilted a cactus at twenty paces. Just as Frederic was about to give up, an angelic voice called out from behind a papier-mache boulder, and Mabel (played by Sweetie Belle,) stepped out to shame the other 'maidens' and accept Frederic's offer.

As their song ended the pirates made their reappearance and Twilight once more had to bite her hoof at the (this time unintentional) comedy. First off, the sight of Applebloom and Scootaloo in full pirate regalia trying to drag the innocent maiden Mabel (Sweetie Belle,) off to their ship was funny enough, but the real gem of the scene was always Pirate King Rainbow kissing each of the maidens, and making grossed-out faces after each one. The script had called for it, and the first fumbled attempt had left them all rolling with laughter as Rainbow spit and vowed to bring them all lip gloss and mouth wash while Diamond Tiara looked offended. After she stopped laughing the director had decided it was too good to cut and had to stay.

Finally the triumphant music played and Major General Pinkie marched onto the stage in true form sporting a pith helmet, safari outfit and a ridiculous pink mustache.

“Oooohhh, I am the very model of a modern Major General, I've information vegetable animal and mineral-”

Instead of the parasol the script called for, Pinkie had re-purposed and repainted her party cannon, and the number never seemed to finish without someone catching a blast of party streamers in the face.

“For my military knowledge, though I'm plucky and adventury, Has only been brought down to the beginning of the century.”

Pirates and maidens alike ducked as the barrel of the cannon swung in their direction, giving considerably more credence to the pirates regard for the Major General and leaving Twilight chuckling.

“Oh, men of dark and dismal fate, forego your cruel employ. Have pity on my lonely state, I am an orphan boy!”

Twilight looked to pirate Scootaloo up on stage. She had taken her aside and discussed the plot of the play before they did their first rehearsal, and Scoot had been okay with matters, but that didn't stop Twilight from feeling concerned. Scootaloo seemed to be fine despite her director's fears, and she was scowling right along with the rest of the pirates at their miserable luck in fathers of the brides.

“If he's telling a terrible story, he shall die by a death that is gory. One of the cruelest slaughters that ever were known in these waters!”

The pirates soon made their way off stage in a huff and Twilight called out;
“All right everypony, that was very good. Lets all take a break for lunch and meet back here in an hour.”

As the ponies piled out the door Twilight trotted up on stage to help Rainbow gather up the various pirate regalia that the children had left scattered about.

“Thanks for taking it easy this morning, Rainbow, I know it's easy to get carried away.”

She had the decency to blush.
“Well, yeah, I guess so. And thanks for doing the directing; after Ms. Cheerilee got sick I didn't know what we were going to do.”

Twilight smiled and rustled her wings.
“Hey, it comes with the whole princess thing, but thank you.”

By now Rainbow had her front hooves full of sabers and eye patches while Twilight had scooped up the pirate flag and was using it as a bag to put the props into. After four pint-sized swords, a plastic parrot (an early rehearsal had shown that real parrots poop,) she reached down and picked up a very realistic looking plastic skull.

“Huh. I don't remember seeing this in the prop room...”

She was no stranger to Nightmare Night props, but this one looked... different. Normally these were just cheap, molded plastic, often with the mold seam still showing, but there was something... strange about this prop.

“Hey Rainbow, do you know where this came from?” She asked, holding up the skull.

Rainbow dumped her load of props on the ship and came back around for a closer look.
“Oh yeah, I was telling Pinkie that we needed a proper skull and cross bones for the pirate ship, and she remembered seeing one in her chest of Nightmare Night props, so she brought it in today.”

Twilight hoisted her flag bag full of gear off the clean stage and paused for a closer look.
“That was really nice of her, I'm just curious where she got it...” She gave the plastic a tap, looking over the fine detail of the casting. “I've seen medical teaching aids that aren't this accurate, but it doesn’t have the usual makers mark on the side here...”

Rainbow chuckled at her nerdy friend.
“Well, if you really want to know you should just ask her. 'Major General Pinkie' is supposed to be joining us for lunch. She's probably still going over that bakers' magazine with AJ.”

With a shrug, Twilight tucked the prop into her saddle bag along with the script and followed Rainbow out back door.

***

Pinkie's pith helmet and ridiculous pink mustache made her even easier to find than usual, and as she trotted up to the table she found Applejack deep in conversation with the Major-General, a glossy magazine open before them.

“So what do you think the best design is?” Applejack asked Pinkie Pie.

“Pink glass with party streamers?”

The orange pony face-hoofed as Pinkie shrugged. “I don't know, I just thought you'd like the article.”

“What article?” Twilight asked before A.J. could reply.

“It's from the latest issue of 'Food Manufacturing' magazine.” Applejack explained as she handed it to her. “They had an article on how cider sales can be helped by a good bottle design, or hurt by a bad one.”

“Food Manufacturing?” Twilight raised an eyebrow as she lifted the magazine and began leafing through it.

“It's actually kind a neat: 'How pure is your applesauce? We dive deep into three major brands to get you the truth.' and 'New, Bakers Brand egg tester! How did your coop ever get along without it?'”

Twilight leafed through the pages as Applejack turned back around to welcome Rarity and Fluttershy to their table.

'New high powered mixers... Apple and fruit sorting machinery... Sanitation and washdown pressure washers for food-safe environments... Plastic cake conveyors... All stainless steel bakers' tables... Wow, this is almost fifty percent ads...' she thought with some annoyance as she looked for the 'send to' address and found that the Griffonian magazine had apparently been mailed to the Cake's bakery.

The server interrupted her thoughts and after placing their orders the group was soon chatting and laughing about the days rehearsal and the prospect of opening night.

“I can't wait to perform this in front of everypony! It's going to be so awesome!”

Rarity returned her grin. “Well, we have been working on it quite hard. I'm just looking forward to seeing my little Sweetie Belle playing the lead role with that adorable Pipsqueak.”

“He is kinda' adorable, specially when he and Granny are playin' off each other. You know she's actually been practicin' dropping her dentures?”

“I just hope she doesn't do it at meal times...” Fluttershy replied with a grimace.

“You, me, an' Applebloom too. We made 'er quit that after the visit from our snooty cousins in the Orange family.” The farm pony grinned widely. “Those snooty Manehattanites never looked so shocked in all the time I've known 'em.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow at this. “Applejack, that's not nice... or sanitary...”

There was another disruption as their food arrived, and Twilight used the opportunity to pull the prop skull from her saddle bags.

“Hey, does anyone know where this came from?”

“Oh, I know, I know!”

Twilight regarded Pinkie with a level gaze. “Yes, Pinkie?”

“I found that in my chest of Nightmare Night supplies from last fall; Rainbow said the pirates should have at least one skull and cross bones, so I went looking, and brought it in for her.”

“That's very thoughtful of you. Do you remember where you got it? It's clearly plastic, but the casting quality is really good.”

Rainbow just laughed good-naturedly.
“Only an egghead like you would notice the prop quality in a play like this.”

Twilght frowned a little as Pinkie answered;
“I think it must have gotten mixed in there by mistake. It was kind of crazy when we were pulling down the decorations last year and I wound up mixing some of the decorations together. I think some of my chicken costume is still in Derpy's closet...” She looked thoughtful for a moment. “But if you really want to know you should just show it to Exie, her store sells almost every kind of Nightmare Night decoration you could think of.”

Twilight thought back to the mare in question and swallowed hard. 'Well, the answers can't always be in the library...'

***

When they had played through the last scene and the kids had been sent home, Twilight went in search of the red haired mare in the black stockings, and after asking around, caught up with her on the way back from the market.

“Hey Exie, mind if I ask for your help on something?”

While she did raise an eyebrow, the small earth pony nodded. “Uh, sure. What's up?”

Twilight fished the plastic skull out of her saddle bag and held it out for her to examine. “I'm just trying to figure out where this came from. Its a really high quality reproduction, almost like a medical prop, but Doc-Co always puts their logo right here on the side of the jaw.” She pointed at the blank spot in the plastic.

“Uh... I'm not sure I want to know how you know all that...” The tan pony replied, her eyebrow only going higher.

Twilight sighed. “I studied at Princess Celestia's school for gifted unicorns since I was a little filly. They don't just teach history and magic you know, we were expected to learn basic anatomy and biology too.”

Exie continued to stare at her.

“Aaaand there was this time I accidentally turned the anatomy skeleton's head into an orange and had to scramble all night to find a replacement before the professor noticed...” she added sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head with a hoof.

Her red mane stirred as she shook her head to clear it. “Uh, okay then.” As she turned her attention to the prop a smile slowly spread across her face. “Oh wow... Yeah, I know this make. You've got expensive taste, Twi.”

Twilight cocked her head to one side in confusion.

“This is a top of the line skull by 'Crazy Ax Productions', they cost a fortune, and for good reason too; Each one is hoof cast. If I remember right, I think there's some running joke about them, but they're so expensive we don't even carry them in the store. Special order only.”

“Hmm... they don't put their label on anywhere?”

Exie laughed. “Well not on the outside, it would ruin the effect. Come on, we're nearly back at my place, and I keep business cards for all the vendors we use. If you really want to know the details you can write them for a catalog or something.”

***

Back at the library, 'Crazy Ax' turned out to be a name picked after a regrettable incident involving the company owner's ex-coltfriend, some medical grade pharmaceuticals, and a firepony's ax.

“Yeesh,” Twilight muttered to herself. “If half of this is true, that mare is completely crazy...”

She looked across from the newspaper archives where she was reading to the skull sitting on the table where she had left it.

“This is kind of silly; it is just a toy after all...”

As she gazed at it, hairs on the back of her neck seemed to tingle again, a feeling she got whenever she stared at it too long. There were no spells or magic of any kind on the prop, it was just a hunk of cast plastic. But for some reason she couldn't explain, something about it gave her the shivers...

“I'll... I'll just write them a letter. Tell them I admire their work and ask for some details. That should put my mind to rest.”

She tucked the skull onto a shelf next to Hamlet by Hoofspeare and sat down to write the short letter as Spike wandered by.

“Writing to Princess Celestia?”

She frowned. “No, just a... project I'm working on. I'll have to send this one by post.”

The little dragon looked concerned.

“Is it anything you need help with?”

She smiled up at him from the table. “No, but thank you for asking. I'll be done in a few minutes.”

With a last scratch of quill she tucked the letter into an envelope, sealed it and took it outside to the mailbox for tomorrow morning's pickup.

***

The next day marked the last full day before opening night, and to everyone's relief the show was finally starting to fall into place. Pirate King Rainbow made it through the first half without smacking anypony, and Scootaloo and Applebloom were really settling into their roles as loud and rowdy pirates.

“All right everypony, great work! Now, the next scene takes place in the garden. maidens? Pinkie? Take your places please.

The stage lights came up gradually to the sound of a pony sobbing on the garden bench. Major-General Pinkie sat in her night gown as the maidens swarmed around her, but this was one scene they had always had trouble with before. The only two ponies who could cry on cue, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, were already on stage with the maidens and despite her best efforts Pinkie had never been able to carry it off.

Today was very different.

Pinkie looked distraught, and when she spoke there was no mistaking the pain in her voice. The Major-General was supposed to liven right up after explaining her sadness at betraying her duty and pretending to be an orphan to escape the soft-hearted pirates, but as the scene played on Pinkie only seemed to get worse until she gave up her lines altogether and just broke down crying.

“Okay! Uh, lets take a fifteen minute break and come back to this.” Twilight shouted as she made her way quickly up onto the stage and took Pinkie in her hooves. As the others left the stage, some with an concerned backward glance, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Rarity and Applejack all hurried on stage and hugged their sobbing friend.

“Pinkie, Pinkie what's wrong? What happened?”

Tears had left two trails through her makeup, and as she looked up at Fluttershy she cringed visibly and seemed to shrink in on herself. Fluttershy had no idea what was going on, but she took Pinkie in her hooves and hugged her tight.

“Hey, hey now. It'll be okay Pinkie, we're here for you.”

When Pinkie finally brought her head up the others were shocked at her look of anguish and loss. She took Fluttershy in a fierce hug and squeezed her as though she might fly away if she didn't hold on tight. “I'm sorry... I'm so so sorry, Fluttershy!”

They all looked at each other in confusion as Pinkie sobbed her heart out into Fluttershy's shoulder and the startled pony did her best to comfort their friend.

It took a lot longer than fifteen minutes to calm her down, but eventually she was able to talk again.

“I... I was trying the acting trick that Rarity taught me and...” she sniffled as they all turned to look wide eyed at Rarity.

“I... I was only trying to help!” Rarity replied, looking as shocked as the rest of them. “She asked me how to cry on stage, and I just told her to remember something sad... perhaps a memory from the past... I had no idea...”

Applejack put a hoof around the sniffling pony as she asked with some trepidation “What in the world did you remember sugar cube?”

Pinkie shuddered and turned to hug Applejack tightly.

“I... I've had nightmares...”

They all waited patiently as Applejack stroked her mane.

“Hey, its okay now. We won't let anything happen to you.”

Fresh tears ran as she began crying again. “No, you don't understand. It wasn't something bad happening to me...” Pinkie buried her face in Applejack's shoulder. “It... It was like Nightmare Rarity...”

The look of fear on Rarity's face was mirrored on the other four as they all remembered that dark night not so long ago. A freshly reformed Luna had ultimately faced her fears and aided them in freeing Rarity from the dark dreams that had taken her. The same darkness that had turned her into Nightmare Moon, and it was that act of courage that had restored Luna's flowing mane.

Pinkie continued between sobs “When you were Nightmare Rarity, you hurt other ponies... it was like that, only so much worse!”

“Y'all did make sure ya got them nightmares that second time, right?” Applejack asked, eyes wide.

Twilight and Rarity were both shaken, but on this they could agree.

“Yes, we did. Those nightmares will never harm anypony ever again.”

“Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice and we'll scour the moon and kingdom for two weeks with the entire army and blood hounds looking for any trace of your foggy flank.” Twilight amended with a determined scowl. “The nightmare that infected Princess Luna and later Rarity is dead and gone.”

“There now, you heard them; that nightmare can't hurt anypony now.” Applejack consoled her.

Pinkie sniffled again. “I... I know that... and I've only had dreams like that a couple of times, I normally sleep like a log.” She managed a weak smile that quickly faded. “But seeing what I'd done to Fluttershy...” She turned to look pleadingly at the shocked yellow pegasus. “You told me I was a bad pony! A very bad pony! You told me I had wake up, but I was so scared that I couldn't!”

Twilight stepped in and comforted the shivering pony. “Hey, it's okay, Pinkie. We all know you would never hurt anypony, it was just a dream, and dreams can't hurt you.”

The others who had been through the same battle with the lunar nightmare were all giving her credulous looks and with a sputter she amended herself. “I mean in the dream. A nightmare can only hurt your feelings, it can't really harm you in a dream.” She thought for a moment. “Like the dream where you're falling? If you fall and fall and hit the ground it doesn't actually hurt you, you just wake up, and the dream is over. You never hurt Fluttershy and you were never in any danger, it was all just a dream.”

Pinkie slowly let go of Applejack and turned back to hug Fluttershy again. “I know... It... It was just really scary... I don't normally think about it, but when I needed to cry for the stage I kind of pulled it all back up again...”

Rarity stepped up to nuzzle her. “Well I think I gave you some bad advice then. Don't worry about trying to cry on stage, it isn't important, and you're a fine actress as you are.”

Pinkie looked up at her with something closer to her usual joyful smile. “You really mean it?”

Applejack laughed. “Course we do sugar cube, you're the funniest Major-General I've ever seen.”

“Same here.” Twilight amended. “Just promise us you won't try that again, okay? None of us want to see you sad.”

“Oh!” Pinkie exclaimed as she pulled them all into a group hug “I love you girls!”

“We love you too, Pinkie Pie.”

***

The rest of the performance went off without a hitch, and the entire cast wrapped up the 'we love our Princess' scene before the regal Celestia (played by the biggest and most embarrassed pony they had – Big Macintosh) appeared in a flowing white dress and pardoned them all with a mighty 'Eyup!'.

The admiring clop of hooves drew everypony's attention to the back row;
“Bravo! Very well done, very well done indeed!”

Miss Cheerilee was back! They stage was empty of pirates and maidens in a moment, leaving only the smiling grownups behind as the children ran to see their teacher. When the commotion had ebbed enough for her to be heard over the ruckus she continued. “That was amazing, thank you so much, all of you, for turning this into such a fine production. I'm very proud of you all!”

Rainbow had flown over to hover above the children and asked in bemusement. “Were you back here the entire time?”

The smirk she got back was answer enough.

***

It was after sunset when Twilight made it home to the Golden Oaks Library once more, and though she was tired, the day had been quite satisfying. Miss Cheerilee would be attending opening night tomorrow and the children couldn't have been more excited. Everypony had their lines down, and there was every reason to believe they would pull off a sterling performance that would have the whole town laughing along.

As she opened the door the warm light streamed out into the night, temporarily blinding her so that she actually tripped over the package by the door. Dusting herself off, she found a modest package with a letter bearing the logo 'Crazy Ax Productions'.

'Remind Spike; packages go on the table.' she thought to herself as she carried the box over and set it down. The letter opened easily, and she read the by line with interest; Spooky Shivers -Proprietor

Princess Twilight Sparkle,

Thank you for your kind letter, it's always flattering when somepony takes the time to really appreciate the effort and dedication we put into every product we sell. The molded skull you have is the only high accuracy one we, or for that matter, anyone in this industry makes, and it has a special place in all our hearts:

My dear grandmother was a major figure in my younger days, and it was she who taught me the fun of a good scare. I'll never forget the first time I came to her house on Nightmare Night; the porch light was on but the rest of the house was dark, and as the other children and I walked through the plastic grave stones in her yard and climbed the steps, the porch light flickered and went out. We knocked but got no answer, and it was only as we stood there wondering what to do that we heard the groans... She had dug actual holes in her yard, dressed some of the older children as zombies, and as we watched in shock, real zombies rose out of her lawn and soon had us cornered on the porch. I remember giving one good scream before the scarecrow on the lawn chair behind us started chuckling. It was grandma, and she told the zombie ponies to come in for a hot cider break, inviting us kids along as well. Some of the other parents got mad at her, but I was enraptured!

My parents had dressed me in a pretty pretty princess dress with fluffy blue ruffles, and I had been dreading Nightmare Night for months, but that night, Grandma showed me how much fun it could be, even for a little mare like me. With her help, I was soon out of my princess dress, and covered in mud and gore like all the other zombies! – I had to hide under the porch because there weren't any 'graves' free, but I managed to find a little hole in the planking to reach up through. I'll never forget the girly scream that brat Filthy Rich gave when I grabbed him by the hoof and tried to pull him down.

I started my company young, and as it grew from a prop shop in my childhood play house to the back room of an apartment, to a small shop on the corner, grandma was there to lend advice or a helping hoof the whole way. All good things come to an end though, and when she finally passed on, she singled me out for a very important task that was something like her last prank on all the stodgy rich relatives who had come for the reading of her will. She knew that we didn't have any really accurate skull molds despite the work of some very talented artists, and she asked in her will that a professional cast be made of her skull before burial so that she could help me out one last time, and continue to scare the willies out of us for years to come.

Of course the relatives were aghast, though apparently not offended enough to turn down the other contents of her will, but the business was doing well by that point, and I didn't mind. It took some looking to find a expert willing to carry out the task, but when it was done we had our first, high accuracy mold of a Nightmare Night skull, courtesy of Granny. Now whenever I'm out on that special night and see a skull grinning at me from some haunted house, it always makes me smile to know that grandma isn't really so far away.

In response to your kind letter I have enclosed one of said props at no charge. I hope it brings you the same smiles it does for me.

Sincerely,

Spooky Shivers -Proprietor
Crazy Ax Productions

Twilight let the letter fall to the table as she shook her head in consternation. 'I was right, that mare is completely crazy.'

Knowing the (admittedly bizarre) origin story of the prop somehow made the whole thing seem more normal, and reaching out with her magic she opened the box and pulled the skull out to set it on the table.

'It really was kind of a cute story after all.' She sighed. 'Now all I have to do is figure out where to put a couple of spooky grandpony skull castings so they don't clash with the décor and get Rarity on my tail.'

She thought about it, then selected the other skull and Hamlet, placing the book between the two skulls on the top shelf, before turning and cleaning up the packaging. There was a clattering of dishes from the kitchen as Spike put the last of them back in their places and made his way back out to the library proper.

“Hey Twilight, I didn't hear you come in. How was the last big rehearsal?”

“It went really well, and Miss Cheerilee came back today! She's going to be there for opening night tomorrow, and everyone's excited about it. I know you've seen a few bits and pieces of the rehearsals, but I was really hoping you could come out with me tomorrow, you know, meet the actors over lunch, see the finishing touches... You could even wear your suit and be an usher that night if you wanted to.”

His eyes lit up at that as he pictured himself in his suit escorting the lovely Rarity back-stage for... whatever it was she did there. “I'd love to come, Twilight. I'll get breakfast ready for you first thing tomorrow and then we can go.”

She gave him an appreciative nuzzle. “Thank you Spike, I think you'll enjoy this show.”

“It'll be my pleasure.” He replied, images of Rarity still trotting through his mind. He shook his head to clear it. “By the way, did you get an answer back on that project you were working on last night?”

Twilight smiled. “Yes, though I really wish you wouldn't leave packages in the doorway for me to trip over.” Spike blushed slightly as she continued. “I was just curious about one of the props,” She said, indicating the skulls on the top shelf “So I wrote to the company that made it.”

Spike followed her gaze and grinned. “And they sent you a different skull to be bookends! That's really nice of them.”

Her tail twitched involuntarily as she corrected him. “You mean a duplicate prop to be bookends.”

He snorted. “No, look at them; they're different sizes.”

The hair on the back of her neck was suddenly standing up of its own accord.

“You get the best presents now that you're a princess.” The little dragon gave a yawn before climbing the stairs to his room. “Oh well, see you in the morning.”

Twilight stood staring at the skulls for almost a minute after he had gone.

One of them was smaller.

This wasn't the same prop!

She lifted them both down with her magic, hoping she was wrong, but as she studied them closely, more discrepancies appeared. The new prop showed signs of age – there were missing teeth that had been replaced with implants, the bone was thinner with age, but the casting was otherwise smooth and unblemished. The one from her set however... It was obviously younger, the bone plates thicker and of a somewhat different shape.

It was then that she noticed the surface differences...

Where the grandpony's skull was smooth, the other skull had thin lines scattered about it in little patches as though someone were making hash marks to count something. In some places, holes had been turned, apparently with a small drill, and there were scuff and abrasion marks too, especially above the forehead.

All this could have been brushed aside as tampering but for one thing.

The drill holes and some of the hash marks had rounded edges!

Twilight shivered violently as the implications of that sank in; This skull had partially healed!

There was only one non medical company who could possibly have made this, and while they may have started with grandma, it was pretty clear they hadn't stopped there. Spooky Shivers apparently had some dark secrets and was arrogantly flaunting them for everyone to see!

Twilight rushed to her desk and began writing.

Princess, I apologize for the lateness of the hour, but I need your help and guidance immediately! Please come to the Golden Oaks Library as soon as you possibly can.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

She was about to call for Spike, but a quick glance at the clock held her tongue. Her mind indexed back through all the spells she knew and settled on one that would get the scroll to the princess almost as quickly as Spike could. There was a soft 'pop' as the scroll vanished, and Twilight began nervously pacing around the room as she wondered what in the world she was going to do.

***

The knock at the door came less than ten minutes later, but it felt like a lot longer. She flung the door open with her magic and her face registering surprise as Princess Luna stepped into the room and quickly closed the door behind her.

“Princess Luna?”

“Yes Twilight, it is well after dark and my good sister has retired for the night. If need be, I can summon her aid, but I had hopped I could assist you with whatever troubles you.”

Twilight nodded. “I'm just glad you're here. I've found something really frightening and I need your help. I really don't know what to do here...”

“Of course. What have you found?”

Over the next few minutes Twilight went over everything that had happened; finding the prop, writing the company, getting the letter, and now finding the two skulls to be from completely different ponies. The princess of the night showed mounting alarm as she finished her story.

“So someone at 'Crazy Ax Productions' is a murderer, and from the looks of it, they did horrible things to their victim before he died!” Twilight shuddered again at the thought of what it would take to make marks like those faded ones in the molded skull. “Something is terribly wrong Luna, and I need your help!”

Luna sat silent for a moment, her shock written plainly across her face.

“This is serious indeed, I understand completely why you called me here. I am on good terms with the Canterlot chief of police, and with luck, he can put me in touch with his Manehattan contacts. It appears I have a busy night ahead of me.” She stood, took the skulls from the table top and made her way to the door.

“Is... Is there anything else I can do to help?”

Pausing at the door she turned back. “Just please keep quiet about this until we have the culprit in hoof. We do not want to reveal that we know.” Her scowl softened a bit as she continued. “And please, get some rest, Twilight. You look exhausted.”

Twilight yawned as she spoke, glancing over at the clock to see that it was already past midnight.

“I... I'll try princess, but after this I'm not sure I'll be able to...”

***

After a lot more worrying and pacing she did eventually get to sleep, though her rest was troubled as she tossed and turned most of the night. It seemed a very long time indeed, but eventually her mind finally calmed and in the early morning she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

When the purple alicorn woke the next morning she lay on her back for some minutes just trying to clear the cobwebs from her mind as the warm sunlight poured through the window.

'Wait... sunlight...?'

With a start, she jumped to her hooves as she realized what time it had to be. Spike's basket was already empty, and she paused just long enough to run a comb through her mane before charging down the stairs. A daisy sandwich had been left out on the table, but Spike was nowhere in sight.

“Spike? I'm sorry I overslept!” She called out as she wolfed down the food and poked her head into the kitchen, only to find it empty.

A loud knock on the front door drew her attention and as she turned and opened the door Luna stepped into the room, her tired expression less than reassuring.

“Luna, I didn't expect to see you back so soon! Did you find out anything?”

“Yes, Twilight. I have been busy this past night, but I now know what has happened.” The princess closed the door behind her and took a seat by the wall, her exhausted expression not lifting. After a few moments, Twilight couldn't wait any longer.

“Well? What happened? Who was it that did this and have you caught them?!”

The princess of the night hung her head. “I fear you will not like what I have to say.”

She didn't like the sound of that. “You mean she got away?”

Luna sighed, but raised her head to look levelly at Twilight. “We have to let the culprit go. It is a matter of Equestrian security.”

Twilight's mouth hung open in shock. “WHAT?!”

“I am sorry Twilight, it is a deal with Tartarus, but we have no choice in this matter. The price for justice is simply too high.”

There was total silence for three shocked seconds before Twilight exploded.

“What in the world are you talking about?! You're saying that this pony tortured and murdered somepony and now you know who it is, but you have to let them go?!” Luna's simply nodded, and this only fueled her anger. “And what in Star Swirl's beard does Spooky Shivers have to do with Equestrian security?!”

For the first time since she walked in the door, the princess's face registered surprise.

“Nothing at all. Twilight, the culprit is Pinkamena Diane Pie.”

The library was dead silent as the two mares stared at one another.

Then Twilight giggled.

She couldn't help it, the idea of her friend doing something like this was just too ridiculous to contemplate, and after a quick scan to make sure she wasn't speaking to a changeling, Twilight laughed.

“Okay, Luna, I don't know what you're driving at, but that was pretty funny. I've known Pinkie Pie for almost three years now, and I know her well. She's a good pony and a wonderful friend; there is no way she could even think of doing something like this.”

“And I did not say she had.” Luna replied evenly. “I said the culprit was Pinkamena Diane Pie.”

Twilight's smile gradually faded as she tried to parse this new information and Luna continued. “Multiple personality disorder. Pinkie has two separate and distinct personalities, one you know, and one you really do not want to know. The mare you know is unaware of her sinister half, and therefore innocent, unaccountable for her actions.”

“Luna... please tell me this is some kind of joke...” Twilight asked in a flat voice that threatened to crack.

“I am sorry Twilight, but I cannot. Pinkamena Diane Pie did torture and murder that mare, the one of whom's skull you found the casting of. Just as the side of her that you know is full of light and joy, so her other half is it's opposite.”
Luna sighed and hung her head once more. “And now you can see why she must remain free and happy. The Elements of Harmony are one of Equestria's greatest protections, and without them... without her, we are vulnerable.”

Twilight's mind was spinning. This just couldn't be true! Pinkie was her friend and they had spent so much time together; surely she would have noticed if she was one half of a murdering sociopath... wouldn't she?

“You're... you're really serious, aren't you...”

Luna merely nodded.

Twilight closed her eyes and took a deep shuddering breath.

“Then we have to help her. We need to get her into treatment at once. The Broadhoof asylum isn't too far from here, and if what you're saying is true then we need to get Pinkie there as quickly as we can. We still have to tell the victim’s family,” she winced visibly at the thought, “but first we have to make sure she doesn't hurt anypony else.”

Twilight had begun pacing once more as her mind struggled to work through what Luna was telling her. The first steps, the to-do list, that she could handle... The larger truth... what Pinkie had done... With an effort she forced it to the back of her mind. She couldn't deal with that right now, not when her friend needed her.
“I'd better write the letter to Broadhoof. They'll need to know we're coming.”

“I'm afraid it isn't that simple.”

Twilight just stared at her, half of her mind busy elsewhere. “You have a different institution in mind?”

The seconds ticked by, and the continuing silence pulled her back from her thoughts to look up a Luna. She had thought she looked tired before, a natural consequence of staying up into the morning, but now as she looked again she she could see the dark circles under her eyes... her expression wasn't just tired, she looked haggard, as though she had just been through some terrible ordeal.

“Luna? Are you okay?...”

“I am sorry Twilight, but there is nothing Broadhoof could do for your friend. They can treat a great many mental ills, but they would be useless to Pinkie because her personality split was not natural -it was brought on... by us. By the Elements of Harmony.”

Twilight just stared speechlessly once more as Luna continued. “Didn't you ever wonder about their history? In just the last three years you have already used them twice, and tried to use them several more times in defense of those you love. Did you really think that the last thousand years passed without any need for them?”

Twilight took a step back. “But... I thought Princess Celestia defended-”

Luna's laugh was bitter. “Oh yes, you thought that my sister defended the entire kingdom by herself for a thousand years, and didn't even need the elements? After how she fared against a single changeling, you really think so?”
The Elements are an incredible force for good, but they come at a high price. You understand Newtonian physics Twilight; for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The same is true of the magic of good and evil. Every time the Elements are used, an equal and opposite force is created, and that darkness must have someplace to go. Among your element bearers, that place is Pinkie Pie. Using them once split her into two, and using them again gave Pinkamena Diane Pie the strength to start a life of her own.”

Twilight stared a her in shock. “You knew... all this? And you let us keep using them?! But if the force of evil gets stronger every time they're used, then if we keep using them, sooner or later she's going to lose it and-”

Twilight's mouth hung open as her brain put the missing pieces together.

“Exactly. You have seen this before. When the evil became too great for me to bear it overwhelmed me. My own split personality took complete control, and you have met this personality before, though you may not realize it. I became a creature of true evil, and my sister had little choice -either kill me, or banish me so that the evil would gradually fade away. After a thousand years my evil alter ego had faded, breaking down into a whole race of 'nightmare' spirits that still would not give up control of my body. The Nightmare Moon and Nightmare Rarity you faced are but a pale shadow of the true darkness that broke free a thousand years ago.

My sister and I had used the Elements time and again, but we did not have any escape valve for the rapidly building evil, and as a result it nearly ended us all. Rather than deal with the guilt over what we had done, my sister blamed me... and after a thousand years, that lie has become the truth in her eyes.”

This new revelation left Twilight gaping, but two words suck in her mind, and wouldn't be dismissed. “Escape valve? You mean what she did to that poor pony...?!”

“Served to dissipate the evil within her, thus keeping your friend safe.”

Twilight felt like her head was spinning end over end as she tried to parse what her Princess was saying. “You mean every time we use the elements, it makes Pinkie worse, and the only way to undo it is to let her murder somepony?! Luna, have you lost your mind?!”

Luna stood and walked towards the retreating princess. “I think I should show you. It will be clearer this way.”

***

The pair flashed into existence on top of a grassy hill overlooking the valley of Ponyville. The warm morning sun illuminated the tiny town below and cast flickers of light from the gilded towers of Canterlot on the distant mountain. Spread out before them were five headstones set in a neat row, the grass already covering them as though they had always been there. There was a sense of peace about this place; a soft breeze rustled the grass and bird song could be heard in the trees further down the hill.

All of this Twilight took in, but her mind still struggled to grasp the obvious meaning before her.

After a minute of respectful silence Luna spoke.

“This is the cost we have paid. The price in life exchanged for Equestria's safety these last three years.”

“Five...”

“Life is a precious gift, not to be treated lightly... I have done what I can to preserve life.”

“Five ponies...”

“I know it is hard for you, but I felt you needed to see this to truly understand.”

Twilight exploded. “YOU'VE LET HER MURDER FIVE PONIES AND YOU THINK THAT'S OKAY?!”

Luna just stood still as she responded.

“No Twilight. We did not.”

“But... you mean you found out too late?!”

Luna shook her head. “Twilight, do you not remember the mirror pond?”

The pieces all fell into place with such force that she felt as though the ground beneath her had shifted. The mirror pond... The magical lake that could produce clones or duplicates or whatever you wanted to call them...

“You... You've been creating ponies for her to murder?!” Luna simply nodded again with that same tired look. “You... you monster! HOW COULD YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS?!”

Anger flashed in Luna's eyes as she stepped closer, looming over the princess. “I could ask the same of you Twilight. I value life. When we discovered what was happening here I did everything I could to keep the loss of life to a minimum. In all this time I have only permitted Pinkamena these five lives! How many dozens have died at your horn?!”

“None!” Twilight shouted as she backed up a pace. “I've never killed anyone!”

“Oh really.” Luna practically spat. “Are you so quick to forget your massacre at the town hall?”

Her voice has quite suddenly become a quiet squeak. “Massacre?”

“Yes Twilight. Pinkie had created dozens of close approximations of herself, but rather than find them homes or send them abroad you murdered every last one of them SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY HAD BECOME AN INCONVENIENCE TO YOU!”

Twilight was trying to back away, but Luna continued to follow after her. “But... I just sent them back to the pond!”

“Yes. You did. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, and water to still water.” Luna growled as Twilight tried to shrink in on herself.

“But... I...” She took one more step back and found her flank pressed against the cool stone inscribed with the simple words. 'Here lies one who gave their life in defense of Equestria.'

“And you were so very clean about it too, you didn't even leave us anything to bury!” Luna snarled at her. “Do you have any idea how hard I have worked... what I have had to do to keep all of you safe, while still preserving life?”

“But!... I never meant to!...”

And with that she broke down and cried, the tears rolling down her cheeks as she pleaded “I'm sorry, princess! I didn't know!”

Luna continued to glare at her as she sat down and buried her head in her hooves to muffle her sobs. The cool stone still pressed against her side.

Five. Luna had helped her friend to murder five ponies... But how many had she killed? It was such a stressful day she hadn't even made a list or counted or anything... It was at least two dozen... Two dozen innocent lives on her hooves...

As Twilight continued to cry, Luna's scowl slowly softened. After a minute or so she took a deep breath, sighed, and with a supreme effort of will pushed her anger from her mind.

Twilight felt a soft warmth against her side as Luna lay down next to her and covered her shaking body with her wing.
“I am sorry Twilight. I know you did not know what you were doing. It is just... hard... to accept accusations here. You do not know what I have had to do to keep the cost of life to only five.”

Twilight sobbed again and wrapped her hooves tightly around Luna.

“I'm sorry, Princess! I'm so, so sorry!”

The sight of the purple alicorn sobbing openly and begging her forgiveness tore at her heart, and Luna took Twilight tightly in her embrace as tears left two fresh trails on her deep blue face.

“There, there now Twilight, I am sorry I yelled. You know I am your friend, and only want what is best.”

It took almost twenty minutes for her to calm down again and she was content to just hold onto Luna for some time, trying to shut out the world and the truth of what she'd done.

After a long time she finally spoke quietly.

“We can't use them again. I had no idea the cost in lives that the Elements had taken, but regardless of what I've done,” She sniffled and tried not to sob again at the multiple murders of her friend, “we have to stop.”

Luna nuzzled her tenderly before she spoke sadly. “Twilight, do you have any idea how many ponies were killed during the last thousand years? How many mothers lost their children and husbands? How many foals filled our orphanages? There were close shaves beyond count, and my sister did not win all of them. The cost to use the elements is high, but the cost of not using them is so much higher.”

“But we have to-”

“You have heard me tell you what has happened, but I do not believe you understand what you have already averted.” Luna interrupted. “I was possessed by that evil for a very long time, and I know better than most the fate that would have befallen Equestria had you not used the elements.”

Her horn began to glow with a cold blue light. “I will show you what I mean.”

Twilight looked up through moist eyes to see the blue horn descending towards her own. She didn't have time to move before Luna's horn made contact and the world around her faded out.

“This is what would have happened had you not used the elements.”

The memory played out behind her eyes as her body twitched. The light breeze blowing across the grass suddenly felt so deathly cold she felt as though frost were forming on her coat. More minutes past, and as the memory of Nightmare Moon played on, her body began to shiver in the warm morning sun.

There was an audible 'snap!' as Luna cut off the memory, and when her horn pulled away Twilight's eyes widened in shock.

“That is why we must continue to use the Elements.”

Twilight was still staring straight ahead at nothing, shivering in the warm breeze.

“I am sorry that you must know this, Twilight. The truth is seldom easy, but you must understand what you have already done for Equestria.”

Twilight had begun to shiver violently now but her eyes never wavered from the haunting image that lingered before her.

“Cold...”

Luna paused to look at the princess.

“It's so cold...”

Luna reached out a hoof and gently stroked Twilight's mane breaking her out of the trance with a start, and she looked around at the warm summer morning in disbelief. Luna gently extended her wing over the shivering pony and held her close as she recovered.

It took some time, but at length Twilight seemed to finally warm up under Luna's wing, but her voice bore the weight of incredible sadness as she spoke.

“I think I understand now... If we hadn't used the Elements against Nightmare Moon...” She shuddered again as the image of their faces returned to her unbidden.
“It's a deal with Tartarus itself, but I understand now.”

Twilight's haunted expression was very similar to Luna's, and now that she finally understood, she also knew what she had to do.

“I need to write a letter.” Luna looked down at her, mildly surprised. “I have to put this into words so no one else needs to go through... this.” She gestured shakily to the headstones before her. “If Rarity or Applejack ever found out, this would break their hearts... If Pinkie ever found out...” She shuddered and wrapped her tail around herself. “I'm not sure she could live with this.”

Luna concentrated and called forth a quill and paper, passing them to Twilight and leaving her to her self appointed task. The wind whispered through the soft grass as Luna lay beside Twilight, her wing extended over the smaller pony as she scribbled away on the parchment intently and the sun rose higher in the sky.

***

Several drafts and an hour later Twilight gave her quill a final flick and scrolled the letter up in her magic passing it across to Luna who took it and stood up.

“Thank you Twilight, this letter in your own words will be an invaluable tool to turn aside questioning ponies so we might keep our... terrible secret. This means a great deal and I will not forget it.”

Luna's horn lit, and with a flash of deep blue the world shifted as they teleported. As her eyes adjusted, Twilight could see they were standing in a brightly lit room with a smoothly polished floor dotted here and there with the odd table or furniture, all of which seemed to be of industrial manufacture. Luna led the way forward toward a stainless display cabinet in which a hoofful of lockets hung on on thin gold chains.

“Where are we?” Twilight asked as she wrinkled her nose at the faintly antiseptic smell.

“In a cavern without entrance or exit, deep below the streets of Canterlot.” There was a note of fear in her voice as she continued “We still haven't figured out how she gets in and out of here...”

Twilight's eyes widened. “You mean this is where...?!”

Luna nodded as she opened the cabinet and lifted the first locket out with her magic. “I designed these recorder lockets so she could re-live the events as often as she liked. It was not pleasant, but she desires pain, and in this way she can satisfy her need without as much loss of life.”

The locket opened as it floated out and as soon as it touched Twilight her world faded once more as the memories of that first time played back before her eyes.

-!-

Rainbow Dash lay on the table before her, or at least most of her did. The smell of death and decomposition hung heavy in the air and she could feel her grin was so wide it actually ached. A profound sense of satisfaction flowed through her as she raised her bloody hoof and selected a new knife.

“No! please! Don't-”

Rainbow's own scream cut her off as the fresh knife bit into blue flesh, and a feeling of joy coursed through her veins.

-!-

Twilight reeled as the locket was lifted away and her reality snapped back into place. Her stomach gave an involuntary heave and she became violently ill right where she stood.

“That was her first time with anything besides animals, though you would not have known it from the smell. She has a fixation on a particular species of dwarf primate she found in some dark corner of the Everfee,” Luna stated as she hung the locket labeled 'Cupcakes' back on its stand. "She had realized that that the water of the mirror pond could be made portable with the addition of a simple hand mirror, and she had used it to create a crude copy of your friend. We have come a long way since that day. She has the very best sanitation supplies Griffonia can provide, and through modification of her mirror, I have greatly reduced her wasteful consumption of life.” She lifted out another locket and placed it in contact with Twilight's skin before she could object.

-!-

Pinkamena sat at a stainless steel desk upon which was laid a plank of wood. She could hear someone crying behind her and with a careful motion she made certain that the broad headed roofing nails driven through the squirrel's limbs were still fixed solidly into the board, and that the mirror above her gave a clear view of everything she did.

“Now, a proper pelt starts with a cut from here...”

The little creature squealed in agony as a piercing shriek came from behind her, her own grin growing larger as the yellow pegasus threw herself against the bars for the hundredth time.

“Please! Please stop! I'll do anything, just please please don't hurt him anymore!” She sobbed as she clutched the bars with her bruised and battered hooves.

Her grin grew larger as she set down a potion of healing on the table beside the bleeding squirrel. “You know what to do Fluttershy.”

In the mirror she could clearly see the terror in her victim's eyes as she looked back to the table covered in straps waiting at the back of her cell.

“I know I've shown you how to strap yourself down...”

The knife descended again eliciting another squeal from the squirrel and an agonized scream from behind her. She carefully peeled the skin from the furry rodent's legs, taking pains not to cut too deep, and drawing deep enjoyment from the music that filled the room. As she pinned down the skin with push pins and moved up towards the tiny arms Fluttershy's voice broke her out of her thoughts.

“Please stop! I've done it! I'll do anything, just please don't hurt him anymore!”

She turned slowly to see the pegasus had indeed strapped herself down to the table, and with the push of a button all the remaining fasteners pulled tight, dooming her to her choice. Pinkamena took the bottle of potion and carefully applied it to the squirrel's exposed muscles and bones, watching in amusement as the skin grew back before her eyes, still red, inflamed and hairless.

“Thanks Fluttershy! Now your friend will get to live a little longer, and I get to hear your screams!” She replied excitedly as she turned around and pulled a 'Fluttershy suit' from the vat of chemicals in which it was curing. “As soon as this is done, I'll be able to wear your skin just like a costume... Who knows what I might get up to with this...”

A pathetic whimper was her only answer as she unlocked the cell door and stepped inside, the knife in one hoof, the potion in the other. “Now then, Rarity says a lady should always have at least two of any good outfit, so that means we get to do this again!”

As Pinkamena loomed over the yellow pegasus, she managed to squeak out a terrified; “Please don't! Please!”

“Now then, shall I start with your face or your naughty bits?” She giggled “It's good to get the delicate parts out of the way when I'm still fresh!”

-!-

Reality reasserted itself once more and Luna had to hold Twilight upright as her legs buckled under her, her stomach still trying to relieve itself of breakfast. No words would form, and her tears fell as Luna spoke again.

“It took considerable effort, but I made it clear the cost should she need another life too soon. She bartered. The clones her mirror made were not quite the same as the originals, just as those from the mirror pond were not exact copies. Pinkamina desired authenticity, while I desperately wanted to keep the loss of life to a minimum. We struck a deal; I would modify her mirror to produce exact duplicates, indistinguishable from the originals if she would make each one last longer. Fluttershy was the first of these. Pinkamena waited nearly six months before she came back for more.”

The second locket was hung up on its peg as a third locket 'Fantine' touched the gasping princess, plunging her back into a Pinkamena's world.

-!-

The sight of the pony sprawled on the floor warmed her heart as she looked out through Pinkamena's eyes once more. The light blue pony's apron was torn and filthy, her once round frame a fraction of its former girth. Pinkamena observed with pleasure that every one of her ribs could now be clearly seen, and even her coat was beginning to thin and fall out from prolonged starvation.

The cage door stood wide open, but after so many months the earth pony could no longer lift herself off the floor, let alone think of escape from this hellscape.

“Well now, it's time for the daily question... who get's to eat today?”

Pumpkin Cake was cradled lovingly in her arms as Pinkamena stooped down and stroked her mothers balding mane. Though her eyes were dark and sunken, there was no mistaking the terror in them as Mrs. Cake coughed out. “Sh... she does.”

“Oh, that's so sweet of you.” Pinkamena replied with obvious delight as she petted the sleeping foal, putting her tenderly back in her cradle.

“Now, who's going to give me a tooth this week?”

Her mouth was red and inflamed, many of her teeth already missing as she struggled to cough out her response.

“I... I will.”

Pinkamena relished the feeling as she stepped back to the cradle and gently slipped the pliers into the sleeping foals mouth, her smile widening as she began suckling on them.

“Are you sure? After all, she's only just getting her baby teeth, and they'll grow back...”

There was no mistaking the desperation in her parched voice as she lay on the floor pleading.

“No... Please take mine... Please...”

Her grin grew still larger as she tucked Pumpkin back under the blanket and advanced on her mother.

“Just...”

Pinkamena paused above her and waited.

The pain made her voice crack as tears ran down her cheeks “I just don't... want to wake her...”

Without missing a beat she produced a noose and held it before the starving pony who with difficulty managed to raise her head from the floor. Pinkamena slipped the rope around her neck and yanked it tight, watching in delight as the mare's body flopped and gasped for air.

“We'll have that off in just a minute, but first, let's see about that tooth!” She said gleefully as she bent down, pliers in hoof.

-!-

Reality snapping back around her felt like being dunked in ice water, and Twilight's whole body shook violently, Luna's magic the only thing keeping her upright as her mind struggled not to shut down altogether.

Luna shuddered as well as she hung up the third locket and brought out the fourth. “I make it a point not to ask what Pinkamena does with these ponies. Burying the remains is quite hard enough without knowing any more.”

Twilight tried to cry out but the next locket made contact before she could utter a word.

-!-

She watched through Pinkamena's eyes as she tended to some kind of medical equipment under the table, adjusting oxygen flow and checking the filters. As she stood up, her smile returned, the difficulty of keeping the heart/lung machine working made entirely worth while by pony before her.

Well what was left at least.

The head of a pony was sewn onto an upholstered board, its neck terminating in a collection of tubes and hoses that ran under the table to the machines that pumped, filtered, and oxygenated its blood. The pony hadn't had a liver in quite some time now, and with all its hair fallen out, the skin had taken on a sickly yellow look where it wasn't covered in scars or bandages.

With a wide grin Pinkamena addressed the head before her, giggling with joy as it looked up at her.

“How many days has it been now?”

The pony's head struggled to mouth the words, but without lungs no sound came out, though Pinkamena didn't seem to mind.

“That's right!” She produced a scalpel and moved around to a point on the side of it's head where four vertical lines had been freshly carved, grabbing hold and carefully, slowly, crossing the four check marks with her knife while the pony's mouth opened wide in a silent scream.

-!-

There was nothing left to vomit, but her stomach refused to listen! Luna continued to hold her up as her body shook and shuddered, no longer under her control.

“Pinkamena may be of Tartarus itself, but she can be reasoned with. She has been able to get along with fewer and fewer lives as time has gone by, her evil weakening as we allow it to escape. I have seen less and less of her in past months and she will soon be submerged within Pinkie once more, at least until the next time the Elements are needed.”

Twilight barely heard what Luna had said and the fifth and final locket made contact before she realized it.

-!-

The sight before her made Pinkamena glow with pride. After months and months of effort she was finally starting to master the finer points of magic, and now her art project was showing real promise.

The figure that stood before her had once been an orange earth pony, but it was hard to say what she really was now. The thick trunk of a sickly looking apple tree grew out of her side and back, its roots spreading out beneath her skin, and a few branches with green leaves growing out above it. The grow lamps setup around the creature supplied light for the tree, and with great care, Pinkamena inserted a tube down Applejack's throat and poured the day's ration of water into her.

As she removed the tube once more, the one remaining good eye opened and looked beseechingly at her, a few mumbled groans coming out of her throat as she pleaded for help. The tree was obviously not doing well, but regular infusions of magic had helped its roots to grow through her neck, breaking through the skin on the right side of her face and dangling down past her pried open mouth.

“Oh don't be like that Applejack.” She grinned as she picked up her magic wand and carefully gave the tree another infusion of magic, greening its leaves somewhat. “The apples you produce will be unlike anything ever tasted before!”

The orange body before her spasmed violently as the roots grew a fraction larger, piercing deeper into her spine and body with unbelievable agony. Even this slight movement tore at both tree and pony, and Pinkamena smiled at the gurgling that might have been a scream.

“Now now, none of that!” She chided as she stroked the pony's distended belly. “You'll hurt the baby...”

-!-

Twilight came back to reality screaming, her eyes wide, staring straight ahead. The princess slowly lowered her to the floor, a haunted expression on her face.

“And now as you have no doubt figured out, the time has come for me to leave you. Please know that you will not be forgotten.”

The hair on the back of Twilight's neck stood up straight as she tried to stop heaving long enough to process what was being said. Luna took a step back and the lights failed, plunging them both into absolute darkness.

“Goodbye, Twilight.”

Twilight frantically spun around, only to find that her hooves hadn't moved from their place on the floor, and she strained her ankles painfully as she fell in a heap.

“Wait! Princess!”

Her horn had already begun to light when there was a flash of movement beside her and her world went white with pain. Her scream reverberated in the darkness, but her mind refused to processing what the hollow clattering noise had been.

Twilight tried struggled to her hooves which still seemed fixed to the floor, and attempted to light up the room.

Nothing happened.

'No no no no no! She couldn't be here! Luna couldn't have left me here!'

A small sound on her right made her flair her wings out, trying to make contact with something as she strained to pull her hooves free from the floor.

There was nothing there.

After a long stretch of silence Twilight called out to the darkness in a frightened voice.

“Hello?”

A rush of wind announced a presence on her right side, and intense stabbing pain shot through her wing in several places making her scream again.

“It's okay!” she called out as the pain ebbed to several dull aches “I'm not here to harm you!”

Without warning, pain blossomed through her left wing like a bolt of electricity, and she nearly collapsed as she screamed in shock and pain.

The darkness did not reply, and to her horror she realized that she could feel her wings laying limp against her sides... unmoving.

Silence...

Darkness...

All alone...

Twilight's breath was coming in little gasps as she hyperventilated and struggled to light the room with her horn. Something ahead of her caught her attention, as though somepony was only inches from her face... watching her in the blackness...

“BOO!”

Twilight gave a yell and toppled over as the lights snapped back on with a blinding intensity that hurt her eyes. There before her stood Pinkamena wearing night vision goggles and a warm smile, a scalpel in her right hoof.

Twilight lay on the floor gasping in pain as her hooves had not moved, straining her ankles painfully as she fell.

“Oh, Twilight, no no no...” Pinkamena said with obvious concern as she pulled up her goggles and helped Twilight to stand. “Here, hold on while I get something for you.”
Pinkamena fetched a sling and slid it under Twilight's barrel, tying it off overhead to support her.

“There, that's better. Oh! And we need the wing props too!”

Humming to herself, she trotted off to a closet and returned pushing two rolling tables.

Twilight was at once confused and terrified by Pinkamena's behavior. Her looks, her expressions, her tone of voice; they were all exactly like the Pinkie Pie she knew, and had it not been for her straight mane, she wasn't sure she could tell them apart! All the memories contained in the lockets had been seen through Pinkamena's eyes, and as the pink pony carefully slid one cart under her unresponsive right wing, she saw that she was already wearing another locket, this one in the closed/recording position.

Twilight tried to tuck her wing back against her, but it just spasmed slightly as Pinkamena stretched it out and put it on the cart.

“What have you done to my wings!?”

“Nothing serious silly, I just cut the tendons so you can't get all flappy and smacky.” She answered with a happy grin. “And the screws I put in during orientation work the same way!”

Twilight looked down and realized she wasn't kidding; All four of her hooves had long sharp screws drilled up through them from underneath that protruded out the top of each hoof!

“It was totally worth it to build that catch board,” Pinkamena continued happily “Luna really hates giving the orientation” she gestured to the lockets “But I convinced her that fewer injuries at the beginning mean less loss of life overall. Everypony wins!”

Twilight was hyperventilating so hard she was starting to see stars. “You're insane!”

“Oh oh! I have that one!” Pinkamena responded as she pulled out a word checkoff list. “I N S A N E. Great!” She turned around and planted her hoof on something that rolled out from underneath her, sending her to the ground in a heap, and with mounting horror Twilight realized why her spells had stopped working.

“My horn! You cut off my horn!”

Pinkamena frowned slightly. “And tripped over it. Sloppy sloppy sloppy. This needs to go over here.” She replied as she picked up the severed bone and placed it on the table next to her night vision goggles.
She turned back to regard Twilight critically, noting the sweat and vomit staining her coat. “Now then, lets get you cleaned up.” She continued as she rolled the Gryphonian sanitizing pressure washer over and turned it on, quoting Luna's words “A dirty workspace shows disrespect to both the work and the worker.”

With quick efficiency Pinkamena fetched a wet washcloth and carefully wiped Twilight's face and coat clean, and as she worked, Twilight tried to form a plan, or at least a coherent sentence. She already had the answer to 'what are you going to do to me?' and she shivered as Pinkamena finished up and used the power washer to spray the floor clean.

“There, everything feel okay? Not too hot or cold?”

Despite her fear, Twilight tried to stand up straight as she confronted her captor.

“You can't do this to me. My friends will come for me!”

Pinkamena gave her a disappointed glance as she wheeled the pressure washer back into place.

“Really Twilight? How can you be so smart and yet still so thick?”

Ice formed around her heart as she slowly shook her head. “No... I'm not-”

“Yes, you are a clone.” Pinkamena deadpanned. She paused and looked thoughtful. “Or are you a duplicate? Or a copy perhaps?” She shrugged. “It guess it doesn't matter. I copied you last night with the mirror Luna improved: one of you woke up this morning and left with Spike, the other woke later and gets to stay and play with me!”

A sliver of hope dawned on her as she protested. “But... what if I'm the original?”

Pinkamena shrugged again. “You might be. I just left you both in the bed and made you invisible to each other for a few hours. I have no idea which one you are, but since Luna improved the mirror pond process,” she gestured to a small hand mirror with a rippling surface that hung on the wall, “it really doesn't matter. Even Celestia wouldn't be able to tell who's who. Bad day to sleep in, I suppose.”

Twilight mind was a jumbled mess of confusion as she stood in place panting while Pinkamena reached into a tool box and pulled out a magic wand.
“I really should thank you for coming back, and for all help you gave me on the research. You're so good at it! And thanks to all your help and training, I'm really getting to be good with this.”

So saying, Pinkamena lit the wand in her hoof, plugged the sink and turned on the cold water.

“How!? How can you do magic?! You're an earth pony!”

Pinkamena smiled. “Looks like somepony has some reading to catch up on! I'll leave you the notes to go over if you're good, but it's really not hard. We all have magic in us, and a unicorn's horn will work well for anyone with a bit of training; the wood coating on the wand is just to avoid bad questions.”

Twilight just gaped, the pain in her wings forgotten as she tried to process this.

“And now that you've come back, I get to make another one! Oh, this is going to be such fun! The last time you were here you had all kinds of good ideas, and we didn't get to try them all the first time.”

'The last time!?!Then that skull casting... the head on the stand... was me?!'

“I... I would never help you do something so evil!”

With a flick of her wand, Pinkamena shut off the tap and lifted a sphere of water from the large stainless sink, levitating it over to Twilight.

“Wait, what are you-”

The sphere shot forward and completely submerged her head. As the icy water made contact with her face, she fought the urge to take a deep breath in. Not that it helped. The icy water poured down her nose and ran down the back of her throat and her entire body thrashed as she began to drown. Her eyes snapped open and she fought desperately for breath, her lungs burning as they slowly filled with water, while everything she had screamed that she was dying!

Abruptly, the water withdrew and she took a deep, desperate breath of air, then began coughing up half a lung full of water. The panic of drowning was not easily shed, and she could feel her heart pounding as she tried to get enough precious air.

“I'm not evil silly, I'm just the personification of the opposite forces created when you used the Elements.” Pinkamena answered pleasantly as she held the water up.

Twilight was still gasping, but managed to answer; “You are evil!” She broke down coughing again. “You're torturing me!”

Pinkamena giggled and put a hoof to her muzzle. “Oh Twilight, waterboarding isn't torture, the law even says so!”

The ball of icy water plunged over her head once more and began pouring down her nose as her scream bubbled out. She actually managed to hold the water back for a couple of seconds by screaming, but then it came back, flooding her sinuses and running down into her lungs as she flopped and choked. Her mind was gone; she needed air, she was drowning! Her blurred vision began to fade as Twilight died, her body drowning on dry land.

With a gesture, Pinkamena released the water, letting it splash to the floor. Twilight remained motionless for several seconds, then with a mighty cough, she sputtered and choked, trying simultaneously to gasp for breath and vomit up water.

“And as to your other point, I'm not evil, I'm just Pinkie Pie's opposite.” She smiled as she watched Twilight choke and gasp. “Evil implies a lust for power, like what happened the last time Luna brought one of me into the world. That one was tainted by living on the moon with her for a thousand years, and by the time you met it, it really wasn't anything like me.”

Twilight managed to raise her head while still choking to look in consternation at the pink pony before her.

“I just want everyone to feel pain; to scream, or at least to suffer. I even wrote a song about it!” she paused to look expectantly at Twilight, but got only more coughing in response. “Hmff. Fine.”

She looked thoughtful for a moment, then pulled a rolling chalkboard out of nowhere and began sketching. “Anyway, the whole concept of 'good' or 'evil' is based around what's good for the society. Something that helps the society, like working together, making your friends smile, that gets labeled and rewarded as 'good' because the society does better when that happens.
"Now normally, killing and torturing are 'bad' because they cause harm to society, and it's easy to see why, even for me,” she finished in a tone of 'well duh'.

“And that's why I came up with this great new way!” she said, gesturing to the hand mirror on the wall. “I get to have my screams, and I don't do any harm to society!”

Twilight had finally caught enough of her breath to speak, and though she wasn't sure it was wise she tried anyway.

“But you killed those ponies! You're going to kill me!”

Pinkamena wagged a hoof back and forth before her. “Ah, ah, ah. Not true! Murder and torture can only exist as 'good' or 'bad' in a society of originals. This?” She gestured to the terrified pony before her. “This is just piracy.”

Pinkamena trotted over and began drying Twilight with a soft towel, taking care to get all the moisture out of her coat before moving on. “There now, can't have you catching pneumonia, now, can we?”

Twilight shuddered as Pinkamena touched her. “You... you don't want me to get sick?”

“Well, yeah, silly, getting sick just makes ponies frown, and then they die. I'm after screams, and for that you have to be healthy!”

Humming to herself, she carried the wet towel over and hung it up on a drying line, before turning and addressing what appeared to be a blank wall.

“I learned that early on. Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night because your little one was crying? Something about a nightmare? Monsters under the bed or in the closet?”

Twilight didn't know who Pinkamena was talking to, but she had the awful feeling somebody could hear her.

The pink pony giggled and tossed a tiny bald monkey's paw from hoof to hoof, checking the time on the 'Big Bird' watch it still wore before she continued: “And then when you get there everything seemed just fine? I should thank all of you who didn't believe them. I can't always get back right away, and sometimes they want to start screaming early, before we get back to this side, especially now that Luna improved the mirror. The new, accurate copies seem to figure it out a lot quicker...”

Twilight had no idea what was going on, and as Pinkamena turned back to her she seemed to change topics once more.

“It is kind of strange being me, but I've done what I can to help Equestria too.” Twilight followed her pointed hoof to what she had mistaken as two stained glass wings. “Didn't you ever wonder how they knew the changelings were coming? That naughty queen of theirs went and kept her part a secret though, so I couldn't tell the Princess what I didn't know.”

She seemed genuinely disappointed by this, and Twilight dared a question.

“But... why should you care?”

When Pinkamena turned back to her a gentle sadness was written across her face.

“Oh Twilight, I need to have you back more often, you're the only one yet who's understood.”

When she didn't reply, Pinkamena continued.

“I really am the same Pinkie you know in nearly every way. I can enjoy the memories Pinkie Pie has of her friends, but... Its difficult for me to have friends of my own... even if I still would like them...”

Twilight's jaw hung open for a long time.

“You want to have friends?”

Pinkamena smiled shyly. “Well, yes, I would... In fact you and I actually became close last time... quite close indeed...” She sighed and her face fell as Twilight looked on in amazement. “But I also want you to scream, and even with someone as bright as you, it's hard to stay friends.”

“But!... You!...”

“That's why I'm okay with all of this” She gestured to the room around them quietly “I know where I come from, and I know if I get enough screams... if I use up too much of the negative energies that created me, then eventually... I can sleep...”

Twilight just stared as she trotted slowly forward and continued softly.

“And maybe then... maybe then I can go to a better place... a place were I can make ponies scream and still be their friends... A place where I can be happy with the only one who ever loved me...”

Pinkamena leaned in and an placed a loving kiss on her muzzle as Twilight's eyes widened.

When she finally drew back, a shy smile still on her face, Twilight was still struggling to deal with all this.

“But... If you want friends, why don't you join us? If you really are the same Pinkie I know, you would stop this!”

Pinkamena sighed and her face fell.

“So you're asking me to change who I am. To abandon what created me... the most important values I have...”

The feeling of disappointing her friend was strangely strong, but she kept going. “Well, yes... Discord and Nightmare Moon did...”

“Twilight, Discord is a glorified child, and Nightmare Moon was a hostage.” she replied in the same voice one uses to tell a beloved child that the Easter Bunny isn't real. “Making ponies scream is who I am, Twilight... It's what brings me joy. You've seen the lengths I've gone to to fit in... But asking me to give up the core of what makes me who I am?”Pinkamena actually shivered and her head drooped as she whispered “I can't do it, Twilight... You don't understand what it is you're asking.”

For the first time since this all began, Twilight felt something other than just fear and pain. She leaned forward and gently nuzzled Pinkamena's cheek. “You won't ever know until you try...”

Pinkamena only seemed to sag further. “You're wrong, Twilight. I can't change this any more than you can change who you are... I just... can't.”

Twilight felt the first rays of hope breaking through as she replied. “Of course I could. If I had to do it, I could change myself, and so can you.”

Pinkamena raised her head and stared unblinking into Twilight's eyes as she stated in deadly earnest. “I'll bet you your life that you can't.”

Twilight pulled away in alarm from her flat, hopeless expression as Pinkamena continued. “I will bet you my life as well. It's easy to talk of change, but I will bet both our lives that you cannot. I won't give you enough time to escape and damage society, but I'll give you enough time to change... if you can.”

The silence lasted another moment, then Pinkamena's face took on the happy smile she knew so well.

“But enough of that, let get on to the screams!”

Cold dread filled Twilight's heart, but instead of the sink, this time Pinkamena fetched a cart of surgical tools from under the counter, and with a swift gesture, drove a large syringe into Twilight's withers making her wince.

“There, that will keep you from going all fainty; can't have you passing out when there's screaming to do!”

She withdrew the needle and Twilight could already feel her heart racing, and every nerve standing at attention as the magical stimulant increased her sensitivity.

“I already have all the Fluttershy suits I need, but I never got around to getting a Twilight suit!” She smiled as she selected a skinning knife.

“Wait, no! Stop! Pinkie, don't-”

As the knife bit in, her mind evaporated from the pain. She screamed, and Pinkamena smiled as she worked her way up her hind leg. Any normal pony would have been unconscious or dead from shock in minutes, but Pinkamena's special brew kept her awake and screaming as the blade carefully separated skin from underlying muscle.

In a few minutes her left leg was completely bare, the skin neatly removed and hanging off as Pinkamena carefully applied the healing potion while Twilight gasped.

“I've missed this Twilight, and I've missed you.” She sighed contentedly “And now I can start on your tail and work down!”

Twilight's eyes clamped shut as she begged. “Please no! I can't take the pain! Please stop Pinkie! Please!"

The knife blade which was poised above her tail... stopped.

Twilight panted, her eyes still squeezed tightly closed against the coming agony, but after several seconds more, nothing happened, and Twilight continued to plead.

“Please no more... please Pinkie... I can't scream anymore... please...”

It was the sound of a strangled sob that finally made her open her eyes and look behind her.

Pinkie.

It was Pinkie standing behind her now; the poofy hair left no doubt.

And she was sobbing!

The bloody knife was still in her right hoof, and there was no mistaking what she had woken to find herself doing.

'I won't give you enough time to escape and damage society, but I'll give you enough time to change... if you can.'

Pinkamena had left! This was her chance! She could live, she could survive and escape this place!...

If she could convince her best friend to kill herself...

If she could change...

Pinkie was sobbing openly now as she spoke. “I'm so sorry Twilight! I'm so so sorry!”

As Twilight watched in shock and terror, Pinkie brought the bloody knife up to her own throat.

“Have to wake up... Fluttershy told me how... I just have to do it and I'll wake up...”

***

The afternoon had stretched on into evening, and there was still no sign of her. Twilight knew all too well Pinkie's predilection for randomness, but this was really pushing it! She wasn't at home, the Cakes hadn't seen her since the morning rush ended, and now as the lights went down on the crowded theater the show's director was getting desperate.

“Pour, oh pour the pirate sherry, fill, oh fill the pirate glass. And to make us more than merry, let the pirate bumper pass.”

The little pirates made a fine show of sloshing their grape juice, and for the hundredth time Twilight wondered how she was going to get grape juice stains out of hardwood. As Fluttershy trotted by Twilight flagged her down to whisper in her ear.

“Have they found her yet?! The show has started, and you're the only one who knows her lines!”

The look of mounting fear on Fluttershy's face left no doubt about her feelings.

“I can't Twilight! If I went up on stage I would just...” She trailed off with a squeak and tried to hide behind her mane.

“I know, I know! But I'm really getting worried now! This isn't like her; Pinkie wouldn't just run off like this!”

The play continued with Pipsqueak and Granny Smith playing their roles to the uproarious laughter of the audience, and soon 'Frederic' was on the beach propositioning the 'maidens'.

“We're almost out of time! Fluttershy, we need to get you into costume now!”

The yellow pegasus protested and tried to flee, only to be intercepted by 'Pirate King' Rainbow who dragged her into a dressing room and slammed the door behind them.

Seeing that there was little more she could do, Twilight sought out Rarity in hopes of news.

“I'm sorry Twilight, I've asked everyone to keep an eye out for her, but no one has seen anything yet.” She answered in pained tones. “Is Fluttershy going to be able to do it?”

An irritated voice from overhead made them both look up as Pirate King Rainbow flew for the stage.
“I've done all I can, it's up to her now.”

Twilight could hear the commotion on stage as the Pirates set upon the maidens.

“Too late!”

“Ha Ha!”

“To late!”

“Ha Ha!”

Rarity and Twilight watched with their hearts in their throats from behind the curtain as the final moments ticked away.

“Hold, monsters! Ere your pirate caravanserai proceed, against our will, to wed us all, just bear in mind that we are Wards in Chancery, and father is a Major-General!”

Pirate Scootaloo leaned consperitorially towards the audience. “We'd better pause, or danger may befall, their father is a Major-General.”

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon looked down their noses at the pirates as they led the 'maidens'

“Yes, Yes; He is a Major-General!”

The stage remained empty.

Diamond Tiara looked irritable as she glared at the other 'maidens'

“Yes, Yes He is a Major-General!”

Nothing happened.

Applejack nearly bowled Twilight over as she came through the door, her whisper suddenly very loud in the silence from the stage.

“Fluttershy just bolted out the back! Were in the world is Pinkie!?”

Twilight closed her eyes, took a deep breath and picked up the empty pith helmet from the stand by the stage.

“I'll do it. Wish me luck girls...”

Form the stage, an irate little voice called out;

“Yes, Yes He is a Major-General!”

Twilight stepped out onto the stage, and as she sang the opening line, a gust of wind seemed to whip the pith helmet from her head as Major-General Pinkie flew past her in full costume, bowling over the maidens as she slid to the edge of the stage;

“Oooohhh, I am the very model of a modern Major General, I've information vegetable animal and mineral-”

***

The rest of the play went off without a hitch, and by the time it was over, Applejack had managed to track Fluttershy down and as the audience applauded, Pinkie dragged the yellow pegasus on stage for a bow of her own under the 'backstage' category.

After a great deal of shaking hooves and congratulations, Twilight and Spike gathered the other five friends together for the after party at the nearby cafe and with the performance behind them, their nerves finally began to relax.

It wasn't long before Applejack brought up the subject of Pinkie's near absence.

“Now I know you got a few quirks Pinkie, but what in tarnation were you thinkin' bein' that late? You nearly gave poor Fluttershy a heart attack!”

Pinkie blushed and put down her mug of cider as she answered.

“I... I kind of slept in.”

“Till seven o’clock at night!?”

Pinkie's face fell as she stared into her drink.

“Yeah... I had that nightmare again...”

All her friends shared a look of concern as she looked at Twilight with a pained expression.

“I dreamed you were all alone, and in pain, and that I was hurting you... and I was so scared.”

Twilight put a hoof around her withers and waited patiently for her to continue.

“But then... Just when I was going to wake myself up, you stopped me.” She said, her voice warming as she looked into Twilight's eyes. “You said it was okay, that it was just a dream. You told me to just wait a moment, and I would wake up, and everything would be okay... and you told me that you loved me very much.”

The others all gathered around in a group hug as she sighed. “I love you girls.”

Rainbow, on the top of the hug squeezed her wacky friend. “We love you too, Pinkie.”

Author's Notes:

Who is really worse, the one who kills dozens in ignorance to prevent annoyance or the one who kills five on purpose to save all her other friends?

Are you sure?

I have no answer, but I do have a healthy fear of anyone who thinks this question has an easy answer.