Pinkie's two halves find themselves in Lordran with no memories of how they got there, but the goal to get out.
The Undead Asylum; the place where those afraid of the curse lock up the undead so that they may be forgotten, turn hollow, and hurt no one but themselves. It is a dark, foul place, but only the beginning of the journey for a few chosen undead.
So, why is Pinkie there, and how much will she, or even her other half, be able to take before they break?
“Well, what do we have here? I don’t think I’m familiar with one like you.”
Two blue eyes opened in response to the soft voice in the void. They couldn’t see anything, naturally, at least for this one. It was how she preferred it even. If she was in darkness, it meant things were good. Things were how they were supposed to be.
That left the question as to why she was being bothered. In fact, Pinkamena had been wondering that a lot recently. Or… had she been? She felt like things kept trying to pull her out, trying to make her be necessary again, but why? She hadn’t been necessary for almost twenty years now, a fact she rejoiced in.
Her head turned as the ruffling of feathers brought her attention to the intruder. How had she even gotten in here? This mind was odd, able to pull things from so many places, but getting in was near to impossible. At least… when things were good.
Pinkamena slowly pushed herself up, sitting up. Her mind processed for a moment the oddity of her appendages, before correcting itself. She had more things to worry about than hands or anthros. Besides, if she thought about it too much now, Pinkie wouldn’t, and she didn’t want to rob her of any of the joy that discovery may bring her.
Looking into the void though, she felt no joy, except an odd gleefulness reaching out to her. It had to belong to the annoyance, but maybe it would go away if she asked nicely? She was doubtful, but it was worth a shot. “Please, go. I’m not meant to be awake, and Pinkie has a busy day tomorrow, what with it being the twin’s birthday.”
A light bit of laughter forced a tight lipped smile to Pinkamena’s lips. It was good when she was able to make something happy. She so rarely could after all. Not with her attitude. However, it faded instantly as the voice said, “That was two weeks ago, and even your impressive skills couldn’t get you back there, even if you still had your skills. Or, should I say her?”
Pinkamena’s eyes drifted down, her hair drifting into her peripherals as she thought about the words. Pinkie would never have missed the twin’s birthday, not for anything. Well, unless something was threatening them, but that didn’t explain why she’d be bothered with that. Pinkie took world ending threats in stride.
Unless… “Did we do something? Did something happen to them?”
A clawed hand placed itself onto Pinkamena’s shoulder, sending chills down her spine. It didn’t help that she’d thought the being was in the entirely other direction. It was a sign that the being was right. Something was off with Pinkie’s normal abilities.
Her eyes darted over, trying to see the intruder as it whispered in her ear, but saw nothing as it said, “You did nothing. Nothing even happened to them. At least, you hope. But, tell me, do you or her really think you’ll be able to stop it? Stop that which eats at you? That which only was accelerated by trying to keep them safe? Not that you’re likely to even remember it. Not with how you look at it.”
Pinkamena opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but each line brought an orange vein of fire into her abyss. They were cracks, painful cracks, cracks that had been there recently. She didn’t know why though. What was Pinkie keeping from her? What could they not remember, and why did it hurt so much?
And then, for just a moment, a shock ran through her system. A photograph of her friends, all together, all happy, appeared. It was one of the strongest things that kept Pinkamena away. A resolute reminder of why she never had to see the light of day. Why Pinkie could continue to be as happy as she was.
And it now burned away, turning into a black circle wreathed by flickering flames. Her mouth opened up, feeling her waking up, coming out, needing to face the world for the first time in so long. This wouldn’t be short term though. It couldn’t be fixed. It…
Thump.
“Please, wake up. If you act fast, you may be able to get out still!”
Pinkie opened her eyes, looked up, and barely saw a man in armor slip away from the hole in the ceiling, his gift lying in the middle of the room.
And she smiled for the first time in weeks.
What starting class should Pinkie have? And unfortunately, magic is not an option for her to start with, as she is still an earth pony, anthro or not. For those who don’t remember, that leaves;
A) Warrior: Longsword and Heater Shield B) Knight: Broadsword, Tower Kite Shield C) Wanderer: Scimitar, Leather Shield D) Thief: Bandit’s Knife, Target Shield E) Bandit: Battle Axe, Spider Shield F) Hunter: Shortsword, Shortbow, Large Leather Shield, 30 standard arrows G) Pyromancer (the exception to magic, as any man can use pyromancy, so long as he has the flame): Hand Axe, Cracked Round Shield, Pyromancy Flame H) Deprived: Wooden Club, Plank Shield
First thing first: take stock. Pinkie had on a loose shirt, slightly baggy pants, and, most importantly, arms and legs to have those sorts of things fit better than they might on her old body. It wasn’t like the sort of human-thingies that Twilight had told her about from the world across the mirror, but instead she still had fur. On top of that, she even had hooves!
It was still quite different though. Long, a little gangly, and not quite as… firm. The muscles moved a bit more, and she quickly found out that she could make her fingers bend back, stretch, and properly hold things she might not have been able to before, like the broken sword beside her!
She scooped it up, feeling the weight in her hand. It wasn’t much, not to her at least, and a few swings reminded her of any time she helped try to make anything. Yeah, she just had to think of it like a hammer in her mouth, and the motion almost felt natural.
“Not like I’m gonna need it of course.” Pinkie threw the stunted weapon behind her as she leapt up, part of the layer of dust on her peeling off, with the rest following after as she patted herself down. “I know this is only a four star hotel, but you would have thought the maids would still have the decency to come by every once in a while.”
She waited a moment for a response, but only the echo of her own voice and the sounds of something stomping nearby met her joke. Pinkie simply shrugged it off. The pink mare normally made jokes to herself, and if she really thought it was a winner, she could always tell Fluttershy later and get her to smile. “Or…”
Pinkie’s eyes swiveled over to the sleeping body beside her. Something appeared to be glowing on it, attracting her to whatever may be on it. After a moment warring with herself, Pinkie reached out to it. Maybe it had the key to her cell, and she could get them both out then!
Pillage corpse.
Pinkie’s face paled as she heard the words in her mind, a key and a ring appeared in her hands. She instinctively knew that the key would let her out, while the words Old Witch’s Ring came to mind from the oddly warm band of metal in her palm.
And she knew the man on the ground wouldn’t- “Haha… he. Nice joke, sense. I’ll just keep these warm until I he wakes up.”
She kept her eyes down as she unlocked the door, striding through the dimly lit corridor that led out of her cell. It was a mean joke, and normally her little abilities refrained from doing such things to her. Instead they liked to warn her about actually funny things, like pushing Twilight and her on an adventure that lit her friend’s mane on fire. That was a good o- “Ah!”
Pinkie tripped over her feet as she accidentally stepped forward, putting herself over a pool of water. It wasn’t by any means the first time Pinkie had fallen to somewhere because of being distracted, and like the rest, since she was alone, she shut her eyes, focused, and-
Splash!
Pinkie blinked, her body hurting a little bit from crashing into the shallow pool, her face not having flattened like it should upon such an impact. Or, for that matter, her gravity having turned off like she had wanted.
She was starting to think she gave up more than the ability to gallop for hands, and that the deal may not have been even.
After getting herself out of the water, squeezing her hair to wring out the water, Pinkie playfully raised her fist to the sky. “I’ll get you, whoever you are who did this!”
And again, no response came, even from the pink man in the corner of the room. There was only silence here, and the first chills of her position set in. Or, it was the water.
“W-well, maybe I won’t if you tell me where I am.” She waited a moment, listening for a response, before weakly saying, “Please?”
She stood there, wet, cold, and beginning to feel a nagging feeling of… something. Something she couldn’t remember, but it was important. It was why she was here, and why she was a- ’Maybe that nice man is waiting for you ahead?’
Pinkie looked up, the black cracks in her vision slowly fading away. “Y-you’re right brain. I have a new friend waiting for me, and the two of us can get back to Equestria, easy peasy. Yeah… that’s what I’ll do.”
Her movements were slowed now as she moved from the platform. She didn’t even consider talking to the sad, little being in the corner of the room. It hadn’t noticed her, so it probably wanted to be left alone. That was all. She would give it its privacy.
She forced her way up the ladder, the one part of her equine anatomy causing issues, as hooves don’t grip rungs very well. At least, not yet. She could feel some of her old ability to cling with them, so maybe with time she wouldn’t have to just pull herself up.
Fortunately, when she got to the top and looked forward, her pain eased slightly as the flame she saw in the middle of the courtyard called to her. It was small, licking at the base of a sword that was stuck in the ashes of an almost dead fire, but she bet she could bring it back to life. She didn’t know how she would, but she could. She knew it.
And, as her and touched the sword, and she sat at the fire that slowly made it’s way up the blade, sparks of the new flame circling around her, she felt at ease for the first time since she’d gotten here. The tension in her muscles faded, her mind cleared, and she was content, even if just for a moment.
Standing from it, Pinkie knew she could make it. She charged up the steps ahead of her, forcing the giant doors open before her. They wouldn’t stop her, not when she could see through them to another set of doors. Doors she bet led out. She just had to run to them and-
She barely stopped in time, looking up as a huge demon fell from the rooftop. It was easily ten times her size, with a brown, red-ish tinge covering most of its body. It had a white belly, sure, but she doubted it was anything more than it having not been touched by the flames of whatever level of Tarturus it came from. Its meaty thighs, four times as thick as her whole body, bent to cushion the impact of the fall. While its arms, small for a creature of its size, wielded a brutal axe that covered half the width of the great hall she stood in.
It wasn’t fluffy like Cerburus, or anything else that she had fought. Its skin was rough, jagged, bumpy, and drool slid from its jaws. It looked hungry as it stared at her, and Pinkie’s mind short circuited for a moment. The cracks were coming back. She couldn’t fight this thing, not on her own…
Pinkamena blinked from within her cage, having felt every alarm go off in her other’s head. It was indeed terrifying, but she could feel Pinkie getting ready to fight it. Was she insane? They would die, and that’d be it. No continues, no more games…
Her eyes darted, trying to find something. If she could find a solution, like she did to Pinkie’s breakdown only a few minutes ago, she wouldn’t need to come out, and she wouldn’t have to worry about how she would get back in. Yes, if she found a solution… ’There!’
Pinkie’s eyes swiveled to the side, spotting an open door. If she could get there, she would be safe, as that door looked barely large enough for her, let alone this colossal monster. Yes, that would do until she got with her new friend and they could make a plan.
She sprang forward, her legs pumping as fast they could. She wasn’t exactly used to running on her legs though, and felt herself starting to be thrown off balance. Her hooves were the problem, as they acted as a wide platform to launch herself from, much like when she was a horse, but her center of gravity was much higher, and she found herself diving forward, her instincts kicking in as she got ready to tumble like she did for any fall she saw coming.
And then, the demon’s first swing came down. Pinkie couldn’t change her direction, as she was still in the middle of her roll, about to come in contact with the ground again as the axe came closer and closer to her. She shut her eyes, bracing for impact as her hands touched the ground and she began to roll.
And nothing. She simply kept going, and the axe never touched her.
Pinkie blinked a few times, her head trying to comprehend what had just happened, before the demon’s loud, harsh roar reminded her of what she was doing. She was back on her hooves in an instant, and this time focused entirely on the running. If she continued in a straight line she would-
She slammed into the right wall of the little hallway at full force, her body shaking from the impact. Much to her surprise though, she figured she must have still had some of her natural defense in order not to have broken something.
Pinkie backed up, her vision swimming for another moment, before her back touched cold bars. A glance over her shoulder showed the demon in its room, just standing there now, with a barrier between her and it. Well, her, it, and any part of this place she knew.
“Not that that’s a problem for a Pie! These stones have to lead somewhere, and I’m gonna find where!” She grinned, feeling her spirits lift at the declaration, until she heard a grunt from behind her. A reminder of what was in this land. “And hopefully it doesn’t lead me to another one of those.”
Still, Pinkie Pie wasn’t in as bad of spirits as she had been before. She was getting a handle on her body, she still had a goal, and it appeared that she had some special abilities, even if they weren’t her old ones. All in all, things could be worse, especially since she saw another one of the weird pink guys that seemed to populate this place, and this one even seemed to actually react to her being there. “Hi!”
Twang.
Her eyes tracked the arrow surprisingly well, watching the long, white shaft make its way to her. A quick side step was all it took to avoid, but… “Hey, that’s very rude, mister. Now, why don’t you put that-”
She rolled, akin to what she’d accidentally done back with the demon, avoiding the next arrow with a simple ease. Looking up though, she saw it already nocking another arrow. It looked almost like her, what with being a thin, gangly, pink thing, but it wasn’t anywhere nearly as friendly, and the narrow hallway would made getting to him even harder so they could actually talk. ’If I even want to talk to the meanie head still.’
Pillage Corpse.
Pinkie glanced to her left, spotting another sleeping body that had a white glow coming off of its chest. Oddly enough, despite claiming to have something to borrow, it appeared to be about as naked as the day it was born. “So what could-”
Pain. A sudden pain in her shoulder that made her freeze more by the fact that she hadn’t seen it coming, rather than the damage that she could tell it did. Instinct forced her into the room with beside the corpse, with Pinkie only now even noticing the side room that gave cover from her annoying friend.
She glanced at the arrow in her shoulder, surprised that the use of those muscles didn’t bring even more pain with it. Pinkie figured it was part of this world’s magic, and the arrow responded quickly, it suddenly fading away being a fairly big ‘yes’.
“He really shouldn’t do that to strangers, no matter how creepy this place is.” Pinkie rubbed her shoulder, the pain already gone in everything but her mind, before turning to the body. It was still just sitting there, a white, ghostly light coming from its chest. She didn’t want to have to borrow from another sleeping person, but it did help her if she thought of this guy as a friend of the archer.
She reached out to it, doing as she had back in the cell, and seeing a cracked, wooden shield, a simple hand axe, something called a pyromancer’s flame, and a fireball cross her eyes… but she didn’t feel like they were anywhere on her. She began to pat herself down, before her eyes widened.
Pinkie reached up, and, with a delighted squeal, pulled the shield out of her hair. Apparently not all of her abilities were gone after all. Next she pulled out the hand axe, rolling her eyes at the weapon, before causing it to seemingly vanish. She didn’t need to hurt anyone after all.
And then, there was the flame she pulled out. It sparked with life as the curious magic seemed to imbed itself into her palm. It flooded her with warmth, immediately attaching itself to her as its home. Pinkie smiled at it, happy to have such a kind power to call a friend. She even felt like she could harne-
Boom!
Pinkie blinked, her face black for a moment before she shook her head and cleared it away. From what she had seen, she had just erupted in a giant ball of fire, and could tell she no longer could use the flame in her palm. At least, not for something like that again. “Still, you’d make an awesome party trick with that, wouldn’t you?”
The flame lightly danced around Pinkie’s palm, as if delighted at the thought. However, Pinkie then heard the clang of a metal arrowhead against stone, and with a sigh brought her shield up. She would at least be able to protect herself until she got to it now.
And so thud after thud, step after step, Pinkie got ever closer to the creature, with only light pangs of pain running down her arm with each arrow that slammed into her shield before dissolving away. It wasn’t his fault though. This was a scary place, and she just needed to show him that everything was a-okay.
Before she could say that to him though, he ran off again, fleeing into a side path that was at the top of the corridor. To say the very least, Pinkie was getting a little tired of this, especially as she wasn’t even holding a weapon. She came completely in peace!
Luckily, when she caught up with him this time, yet again in a stone corridor, though this one was far worse lit, and closed in from the top on the two of them, he didn’t run. He didn’t stop either, which was plenty annoying, but he would definitely hear her now.
Pinkie glanced over her shield, smiling broadly at the pained being. She could now see just how frail it looked, its skin taut over its bones. She could count his ribs, see his funny bone, and his eyes… they held very little laughter in them, if any. Still, that wouldn’t stop her from trying.
“Um, knock knock?”
Thud.
“Oh, I get it, not a fan of those. I can get that. Well, how about this. A unicorn, an earth pony, and a pegasus all walk into a bar. Celestia says ‘Maybe you three should watch where you’re going!’”
Thud.
“D-Don’t you get it, because Celestia is an alicorn, while the three literally walked into the b-”
Thud.
“Okay, fair point, you’re not from Equestria. It’d be hard for you to get that one. Oh, I know, a classic!”
Thud.
“Will you- No, Pinkie, just stay calm. Besides, he has to laugh at this one. It’s a classic after all!”
Thud.
“...Okay, s-so why did the chicken cross the road?”
The thing nocked its next arrow,
“Togettotheotherside!”
pulled back,
“It’sfunnybecauseyouthinkit’ll besomething-”
Thud. Smack!
“Will you stop i-” Pinkie’s eyes widened as a gout of flame erupted from her palm, encasing the things skull as it let a wail of pain and stepped back. With its next step it fell, and Pinkie watched as a few, small, white sprites made their way to her, and filled her soul meter that she now noticed in the bottom right of her vision.
Pinkie blinked a few times, putting the flame away, or trying to, but finding herself holding the axe again. When she tried to put it away, the flame that made her- The axe came right back, and it could have just as easily-
She began to run, the voice in her mind telling her to get to her new friend. If she could get there, everything would be okay. She could cry about the corpses she kept seeing, have a heart to heart, feel like she’s at home, ignore the fog, and everything would be-
Pinkie never saw the iron ball as it smashed into her. She rolled back, flung by it, and feeling brickwork rain on her as the ball crashed through the wall behind her. This one hurt. It hurt a lot in fact. Nothing was broken, sure, but Pinkie knew she was possibly in danger now. If she got behind the new hole the ball made though, maybe she would be safe. Maybe things would be-
She blinked, at first not believing what she saw. He was there, finally. The same, armored face that had let her out of that horrible cell. The one she’d been looking for, and he was just lying there on his own pile of rubble, the light above him streaming down like rays from Celestia.
Pinkie scrambled to him, grabbing his hand as she smiled again, ready to finally be with another person, be able to tell jokes, and…
Blood. His hand was bloody, a jagged gash went across his breastplate that oozed out more blood, and from how she could hear his breath, it came in slowly. The knight looked at her, and she could tell how tired he was by his voice, even if it sounded happy. “Oh, good. One of you did indeed make it out. That… That’s good.”
Pinkie tried to say something, but she couldn’t. The black cracks were everywhere. They called to times long past, and yet also to come. Called to what lay within. She just needed to hear something good again.
“D-don’t worry, you don’t need to say anything. Just… I want you to hear me out, please. I did what I did for a reason, but it will all be for naught if no one knows why but me.”
Pinkie shook her head, clinging to the nice voice, and denying what some of the words truly meant.
“Good. Now, in my family, there is a prophecy that a chosen undead shall escape from the Asylum in the north, and then ring a great bell in order to lift the curse of all undead. So, when I found myself here, I tried to release as many as I could, until that foul beast got me.”
He breathed in, ragged and hard. It was almost uncomfortable to listen to, bu Pinkie just kept telling herself that it would be okay. She would even get something soon to help them both, and then everything would be okay.
The knight brought out a small, orange flask from his pocket, holding it up. “N-now, take this. It’s an Estus Flask, an undead favorite. It should be able to heal any wounds you get, so keep it near.”
Pinkie moved to give him the flask back, but he seemed to almost read her mind. “No, don’t waste it like that. I-I never was the chosen one, and I’ve been trying to fix this for so long that I can feel it coming soon. Hollowing. If… If that happens, I’ll even attack you, so please, before… before that happens…”
He took one more, long breath, and, with his final exhale whispered, “Get out of here.”
Pinkie didn’t stare at him. Pinkie didn’t watch as his souls came into her. Pinkie didn’t grip the Estus Flask with all her might as two tear tracks came down her face, in equal parts sorrow and fear.
No, Pinkamena was the one left to do that, now all alone in the asylum that not even Pinkie could smile at. She didn’t know what to do. She never knew what to do. She just had worked on a rock farm, never even earning her cutie mark before Pinkie took her rightful place as the owner. What was she supposed to do?
Pinkamena glanced back to the body of what was supposed to be their friend, staring at it for a long moment before finally taking a sharp breath in. She was wrong. She knew what she needed to do. She needed to get out of this damned place, get back to Equestria, and get Pinkie back, hopefully before than. Yes, that would work, and if she made sure to do nothing that would upset Pinkie, show that she could be in this world, she would get her out faster.
Or, so she hoped at least.
Pinkamena slowly poked her head out from behind the wall, taking in what was there. Up the stairs was one of the pink things that lived around here. From how they behaved, she guessed they might be hollows. She could relate, if she was honest, but they still posed a problem, as he would be in the way of her getting through.
On the other hand, when she glanced through the bars to her right, she could see the courtyard they had been at before, including the small bonfire that laid there. It called to her, and she could feel the pyromancy flame on her hand glow at the sight of it. How to get there wasn’t really clear though, and she had another problem to deal with.
Her attention back to the hollow, and the door behind him, she thought back to the archer. He hadn’t been fast by any means, and his movements were clumsy, unlike a practical contortionist like her. Yeah… yeah that could work.
Pinkemena launched herself from behind the wall, charging up the stairs at the hollow. A quick step to the side as it swung at her with its broken sword, and she was at the door, the key she needed already out.
Stepping through that, she saw… light. The outside. The sky was cloudy, gloomy, and fitting all things considered. The cold breeze that blew through her reminded her of the wounds Pinkie had taken, forcing her to wince as she stepped forward, dodging another swipe.
She wasn’t really thinking at this point, but just processing as she took a sip from the Estus Flask. It was oddly spicy, with a hint of orange in it which sent waves of warmth and energy through her. She could feel her body mending, the cuts closing, and like she could actually take a hit. Not that she wanted to fight. In fact, she thought as she glanced back at the edge of the ramparts, she would jump off if it wouldn’t probably kill her.
No, she had to keep going, dodging more hollows as she tried to get by. Duck a sword, squeeze past an arrow to get by a broken wall, and dash through the fog that led in before they got too clo-
Pinkamena blinked, able to feel the fog wall behind her. She couldn’t go through it now. She couldn’t go anywhere, she assumed. Not this time, which was a problem when a giant demon was staring straight at her.
Think Pinkamena. Pinkie Pie isn’t coming out if you screw up here. You’re just going to die. What are my options? What can I do? Do I…
A brief sigh escaped Pinkamena as she looked down from her balcony. The demon had noticed her now, and was probably getting ready to jump up here. Then she would either get smashed, or be down there, where she would also be smashed. There simply wasn’t a way out. At least, one Pinkie would approve of.
It’s a monster though, so even if it’s a life, it keeps us alive.
For a moment, the flame in her hand turned black, just as she stepped off of the balcony. She fell, aiming directly for the demon’s head. Her fingers tightened around the axe in her hand, before letting it go. It wouldn’t be useful here. It just wasn’t the right tool.
She landed, her feet and weight pushing it off balance. If she wasn’t the acrobat she was, she would have easily fallen right off. Pinkamena was going off instinct though, her eyes shut as she focused. This was a big rock. In order to get the chore done, it had to be broken, no matter how pretty, special, or al…
Pinkamena grit her teeth, unable to finish the thought as she raised her left hand, and shoved it through the demon’s eye socket, the heat on her arm growing by the second. Even though she lacked any uses of her pyromancy at the moment, she could still do this.
When the deed was done, and smoke drifted from the demon’s head, the two fell to the ground. Or, more so, the demon fell and Pinkamena was thrown, crashing along the ground as she slowed down.
She didn’t care though. Not right now. Not about the key she just got, or the weird thing called Humanity that was supposedly in her hair. No, she merely stared at her now bloody palm, trying to figure out just what she had done.
What they’d done.
One out of necessity, but far more brutal because of it, and another out of pain and frustration, ending it in a moment of anger. Which one was worse didn’t matter to her now, not by any means. No, there was something far more important.
Could she do it again, and how often would both of them have to do this to get home?
What should Pinkamena seek or put trust into first?
Pinkamena slowly pushed off of the ground, standing on unsteady hooves. Sitting here wasn’t going to do her any good, not when this wasn’t going to get her home.
Home… Pinkamena blinked a few tears away, staring at the masonry. It was well done, but was heavily damaged, probably because of the demon, and a bit more stress could easily shatter the poor stone. All the more reason to find my way back.
She slowly trudged forward, each step slowly becoming more confident. The body of the demon had disappeared, much to her joy. It hadn’t been pleasant to look at, and the thought of it possibly moving while she was this tired made her stomach tie itself into knots.
By the time she inserted the Pilgrim’s key into the large door, a mirror of the one that led into this room, she had pushed the thoughts out. Pinkie would come out in time, but until then, she had to work. She had to push herself, and find a way to be happy, and nothing was going to stop her.
Pinkamena’s hooves strode over the ground, heading up the hill as her hair blew into her face. The wind was fierce up here, threatening to blow her over, but she wasn’t about to allow that happen. Forward was her path, and nothing would stop her…
At least, if there was anywhere to go.
Pinkamena blinked as she stared at her hooves, one having threatened to go over the cliff she found herself at. Looking back didn’t show any other way to go, and she hadn’t seen any other ways out. Maybe if she climbed along the ramparts? No, there were too many enemies, and she didn’t want to scare Pinkie more by just going into more combat.
Tears stung her eyes, making her oblivious to the noise of flapping wings. By the time she noticed the crow that was five times her size, its talons already hooked over her arms, and she let out a scream of terror as she was taken away from the Asylum.
======+++++======
Pinkamena sighed as she flew through another cloud, at this point having lost the novelty of her airline. The crow was nice, sure, as it hadn’t dropped her yet, but she couldn’t talk to birds, so calling it crow friend just felt about as hollow as she was. Still, while Pinkie had been high in the sky before, she’d never truly flown, so this was kind of nice.
Maybe it will bring me to Equestria? I doubt that. It’s a crow, a bird renowned for being troublesome, and an omen of bad things to come. In fact…
For a moment, Pinkamena wasn’t in the sky, but in an a wooden house, staring at a bedroom. A mare cried in the corner while a stallion stood tall, taking another, much older mare’s berating. What was she yelling about? Why was she here?
A scream and flash of fire broke her out of the trance. Something was wrong, and she could feel Pinkie panicking in the back of her mind, asking a hundred questions. Pinkamena’s eyes scanned the landscape coming before her, desperately looking for something to soothe her true self. Anything to make her forget about the vision.
And then, breaking through the clouds, both sides forgot about the vision, their breaths taken away by what they saw before them. It wasn’t perfectly beautiful like the landscapes in Equestria, but that was perhaps why it stunned them so.
Below them, and coming closer, was Firelink Shrine. The name filling their mind filled them with a touch of warmth, of hope, and a promise of a home. A place they could call their own until they left. It was made up of almost two terraced steps, small, decrepit walls coming in two half circles, one above the other. Pinkamena’s quick eyes caught the stairs leading further down, and a set of bars on the lower part that would hide something in the ground beneath the top half.
And there? She saw a man in blue armor, sitting upon a fallen column, his back to a much grander set of ruins that led up to what looked like a grand cathedral. In front of him though was a sword stuck into the ground with ashes surrounding it. The hilt called to Pinkamena, drawing her closer to it.
The crow then took one more beat of its wings, carrying her just past, towards a room within the small, but more whole ruins. There it dropped her, with a touch more momentum than might be wanted, and…
Splat!
Pinkamena groaned, feeling herself spread eagle into the stone wall which meant that either someone had a very mean sense of humor in this world, or some of Pinkie’s cartoon physics still worked, especially since this would kill most people. She could fidget though, slowly getting her limbs out of the crevices they had created. The only problem with trying to free herself of course would be when she-
Crash!
Pinkamena blinked at the sounds of shattered pottery falling around her, feeling an odd catharsis from the noise. Even better, when she saw that there were more pots around her, a lick of flame appeared in her eyes as she thought about breaking it too. Yeah, that could be a lot of fun, even if it meant nothing.
“Oh, are you alright? Normally our visitors land over there, rather than here. It could be a sign…”
Pinkamena looked up, seeing the man who had a hand to his chin. He had short, yellow hair, leather armor that covered his arms and chest, leading into small plates of banded leather that covered his legs in a sort of skirt. Of course, she probably shouldn’t say that, especially since in his other hand he held a morningstar, its spikes shining in the sun.
Still, he had offered to help her, so he could be a friend. Another lick of flame came to her eyes, much bolder this time as she pushed herself up. “I, um, think so. I, uh,” Pinkamena bit into her lip, wishing she knew how to talk to anyone, but the man smiled, relieving her of the need.
“Not many who come here can speak well, but you at least seem to be brighter than many. At the very least, prettier.” The man gave her a firm smile, shutting his eyes as his yellowed teeth showed. He then held out his hand to her. “Of course, I could not act on any such thoughts, for I am a cleric of Thorolund, my name is Petrus, and my lady would be quite crossed if she heard I courted an undead.”
And, with the kind words, a nice joke, and a firm handshake, fire swept over Pinkamena’s vision and her hair sprang to life.
Pinkie beamed at him, turning the firm, but small handshake into a wild and chaotic one. “Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Petrus. My name is Pinkie Pie, and if it means not attempting to make you break your vows, I promise I shall find something more modest than this sinful tunic!”
Petrus laughed at the peculiar girl who held an arm to the sky, the other covering her chest. Yes, indeed, this had to be a sign. “I thank you for the favor, but please do not discomfort yourself too much just for me.”
Pinkie Pie shook her head. “Tis be no trouble at all, monsieur cleric. Besides, a bit better armor might help me, um…” She swallowed hard, glancing to the axe on her belt. Equestria was waiting for her, but she didn’t kill. Cracks of black began to form in her vision, before a soothing voice cooed to her, ’They’re monsters. Hollows and demons. They’ll understand when you get home.’
And with that, Pinkie squared her shoulder. The voice was right. It would hurt, it would be rough, but she, she would… She looked back to Petrus, taking in a sharp breath as she forced a smile on her face, even as tears threatened to come down her face. “S-So, it was nice to m-meet you, friend, but I’m trying to get home, s-so I need to be going… somewhere.”
Petrus frowned as he saw the poor girl’s hair begin to lower. Sure, she looked odd, possibly like a small demon, but no demon acted like her. Sought friendship with clerics like this one so happily did. No, he would not abandon her, even if she was undead and covered in odd, pink hair. Not when he could save this wandering soul.
He stepped forward, wrapping his free hand around Pinkie and holding her close. “I promise you, young one, that I can already see the Way of the White within you, and it shines so bright that I doubt you shall fail. If ever you need my help,” he backed up, showing her single copper coin, “just ask, and I may be able to provide you with some things that may help you with your travels.”
Pinkie nodded, and when he offered his shop, she gladly began to look at what she could buy from him.
Meanwhile, as the small demon went to work, Petrus bit into his lip, considering where to send her, as he had seen many undead come and get lost with the choices that faced them. Thinking about it, he could think of three options.
1) To the foul town the hollows have claimed, including the cathedral whose shadow he now stood in. 2) To the true resting place of the wretched undead that his lady would be coming to purge. 3) To a place of old sins, where only the ghosts of its residency now resided to watch over their watery graves.
Pinkie stepped away, holding her pretty new talisman in the hand that used to have the Pyromancy Flame. It was admittedly odd to think about putting a fire in her pocket, but as she was supposed to control it anyways, it made some sense she supposed. Besides, with it she’d be able to keep herself safe for longer along with her… ten Estus? She could have sworn she’d had maybe two left before.
She couldn’t dwell on the thought for now, as Petrus got her attention with a bit of advice. “I would suggest you head up. Not only shall it bring you to the cathedral beside us in time, but it will also have you fight the undead who have hollowed. They’re foul creatures and deserve no mercy. So, the second they attack you, strike them down with all you have, for you are doing gods’ work doing so.”
Pinkie frowned. It seemed so weird to just cut something down and claim to be being good, but on the other hand…
’Thunk.’
A tear rolled down Pinkie’s cheek as she slowly nodded. They didn’t want jokes, so she would not let them stop her from getting to those who wanted to hear her jokes, like Petrus. In fact, he deserved…
Pinkie spun around, pointing a single finger at Petrus, who now had a shield on his other arm. It was pretty, with the corners split into a pattern of blue and red, and a simply metal insignia crafted in the middle. She kind of wished she’d seen- Focus Pinkie!
She smiled at Petrus, putting her hands on her hips as she said, “Remind me that when I’m in some better clothes that I owe you a hug, got it?”
Petrus bit into his cheek, before nodding, which was enough to get the girl to leave. As she moved, springing towards the city of undead, he scolded himself for his actions. Even if she could be useful later, she was still some sort of monster. No undead ever had fur and hooves like she did, and that was dangerous.
And so, he kept his own advice firm in his mind, his knuckles turning white around his mace.
======+++++======
Four undead. All in tattered armor that would probably just be more revealing on her, so that wouldn’t be useful, and she bet once she went up the hill and attacked one of them, the rest would come to help it, and the guy with a big old shield could be a bit of a meanie. For a moment she considered switching to her explosion spell, but something in her told her that she had abandoned it, at least for now, for heal, which she was fine with. She’d rather use a friend’s spell than a stranger’s.
And besides, what she was doing? She never planned, not unless it was something Granny Pie told- “Ow!” She put a hand to the side of her head. Where had the pain come fro- “Ah!”
She stepped back from the closest undead having decided it was done waiting, slicing at her. If it had been using a real sword, it would have got her, but with only a hilt, she got away easily. She let instincts kick in as she grabbed the hand axe at her side. One cut into its shoulder, the next into its side, until back into its skull to finish it off.
Quick, clean, and hopefully as painless as she could make it. Where she’d learned to fight like this, she didn’t know, but she couldn’t care. Pinkie was in combat, and she didn’t want to let herself get touched.
That was easier said than done though, as she learned from running up to the next one, the one with a shield, her swing felt oddly heavy. Her crude weapon slammed into the iron shield, which didn’t budge and sent shocks of pain up her arm. She tried to follow up, especially as the undead put the shield to the side so it could swing its sword, but her arm refused to move.
And then she noticed the two bars in the corner of her eye. One red, the other green, with the second one just now beginning to fill back up from empty. And then, as the sword stabbed into her ribs, she saw about a fourth of the red bar disappear as she was pushed back.
Pinkie breathed heavily, holding onto her side as she grit her teeth. When she pulled her hand away though, nothing was on it. There should have at least been blood, but instead she could feel the pain ebbing away. “Another piece of this world’s magic?” She bit into her cheek, her brow furrowing, before she was reminded of what was going on by another slice through her shoulder. “Ah!”
Pinkie’s mind cleared as she backed up, her hand going to her side for the flask. It would heal her, but a glance upward, and the wrapped bundle that fell towards her made her roll back again before she brought the small, glass flask to her lips.
It was… powerful. Not delicious, though she did think that as the hot, tangy liquid passed her lips, but it was also like drinking liquid fire. It filled her body with a warmth she only now noticed was missing, and the cuts on her closed, leaving her almost unmarked.
Taking it away, she could see that the shield man stayed back, going slowly with its shield up, while one of the two on the stairs heading up had dropped down. She shot forward without another thought, not even letting the undead get a strike in as her axe found its marks.
That left two. No, one. She didn’t want to deal with the shield, not while her attacks would bounce off. The last one was just as weak as the other two though, and she would be able to get to the next level if she got through.
Yeah, that made it easier. These were just mobs in the games she would play with Sweetie and Button. Clear them to continue. Clear enough, and you beat the game and get your prize. Yeah, that would work.
And so she continued. It hurt, but like in a game, she could heal herself. She even had a UI, so why shouldn’t she treat it like that. One after another, she cut down undead, totaling to around seven, maybe more as she made her way through. Yes, this was what she had to do.
Pinkamena let the tear on her cheek fall as Pinkie left a house, and a large, red dragon landed before her. She could see what Pinkie was thinking just from seeing it, and put her head down as she knew she could do nothing about it.
Not while the rest of Pinkie’s mind was breaking and imploding.
Pinkie grinned wide at the leg, her legs tensing up as she got ready to take a skip.
1) She succeeds, grabbing the dragon’s leg. 2) She fails, falling on her face.
Pinkamena let out a long breath as she saw Pinkie fall to the cobblestones. Good, she hadn’t managed to be absolutely insane. Maybe now she would fall back? Collect her mind and realize that she was just hurting herself like this. Yes, she would not let them die.
“Wouldn’t you allow yourself to die if it meant getting Pinkie back in front?”
Pinkamena turned back, but whatever was there had gone away, the familiar rustling of feathers being the only hint towards the motion. She could feel Pinkie moving, but didn’t turn back. This voice had been back at the Asylum, and there was no way for her to know if it was friendly or not. “Please leave.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“I don’t have to!”
A small chuckle came from the being, before a long beak of metal came an inch from her face. “So brave, aren’t you? Is it because you know you’re about to die? Is it because you feel safe with Petrus? Trust me when I say your counterpart isn’t as good as ignoring the world, just like me and my best friend.”
Pinkamena stepped back, allowing the stranger to fade into the darkness, before she could feel the swords that raked Pinkie’s body. She whipped around, staring at the screen. Pinkie had killed one of four undead, but now she didn’t move. She could easily dodge out of the way, maybe even with a boob. They were too slow to stop her after all.
’Maybe death wouldn’t be that bad. Not when I want this game to just end.’
“The world is a harsh place. You learned that, but she never did. Not properly. Then again, maybe I shouldn’t be surprised that your world’s inhabitants are just as weak as this one.”
Pinkamena shut her eyes, before the ground beneath her sunk in a little. Looking down, she could see that her beautiful darkness was turning gray, before… before… “P-Pinkie, our friends are waiting for us! We can find a way back. W-we can do better.”
The cracking wouldn’t stop as Pinkamena backpedaled. Thoughts, terrifyingly familiar thoughts ran pass her. No, this couldn’t be the end. She hadn’t woken up to just die had she? To allow all of this to be loss, right?
”I can offer you a solution, if… if you want it. It won’t be easy, but it could fix all of this, and maybe even give you something I could never find for my small sprites. And… it would mean the world to me if someone would actually be happy with my gift again.”
“I’m so happy! I just hope… hope you won’t regret this, and… and maybe one day, might even call me friend.”
Pinkamena stopped, on the last of her dark platform. The looming ash ate at her pillar as she looked up. The words weren’t from the stranger. In fact, she didn’t know where they came from, or when she heard them, but they had stopped this last time.
And wanted her to be her friend.
Pinkamena raised her hoof, her body shaking.
Reject.
Her fists curled into balls.
Disgusting.
Two streams of black fire ran down from Pinkamena’s eyes.
Never should have been-
“No!” Pinkamena slammed her hoof to the darkness, the same black fire from her tears spreading out from her, restoring her void. A glance there, and a chair appeared, where she could happily recline, another look brought a table with fresh fruit for her to eat.
And one more, where she could see you died in her eyes, brought her a pony. A pony who thought she knew despair and desperation.
Pinkamena brought her fist around, smashing it into Pinkie’s cheek. The blow through the latter back. She would have gone far if not for the pillar of black that appeared to catch her, almost breaking Pinkie’s back in the process.
Pinkie’s eyes shot open as a hand shoved her up the pillar, pinning her against her. She couldn’t make out what it was she was looking at. She could see traces of pink, but so much of it was shrouded by pictures. When she tried to focus on them, they made her almost forget about the fact that she just died. That everything was over and she would never be able to make-
Pinkamena’s fist cracked across her ‘host’s’ face again as she seethed, her face feeling like it was burning off from the tears that ran down it. “No! You don’t get to think that. You aren’t the one whose wanted to die a hundred times. You’re not the one who has no one waiting for her back home. You’re not the one who’s never had a purpose except to live.”
Pinkamena let Pinkie drop, this time catching her by the throat as she brought herself inches from her sister’s face. She hated doing this, but if it meant their survival, the ability to get them home, to make anyone smile again, she would be tough with Pinkie, no matter how much of her pain it brought up.
In Pinkie’s eyes, she could only see two blazing motes of black, outlined in white.
“Now, are you ready to take this seriously?”
Pinkie swallowed hard, sniffling as she tried to think about it. It hurt so much. This place was so much harder than Equestria. It all reminded her of the rock farm…
”Finally, you’re the little ray of light I knew you always were supposed to be.”
Pinkie smiled as she remembered her Granny Pie’s smiling face, as well as the rest of her family’s joy at what she could bring them. Sure, it was always hard, but it always made it all the more worth it.
“Yes, I’ll go back.”
And she opened her eyes to being back at Firelink, blinking as Pinkamena collapsed into tears, wreathing herself in flames for how scared she was.
1) Familiarity 2) A Possible Adventure 3) Darkness
