/What's up, guys? Man, I really gotta stop promising quicker updates. I never follow through. But anyway, I do have a new chapter for you guys! Hurrah!/
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Twilight it determined to get Pinkie back. The others seem just as willing, but I don't think I am. I know it sounds horrible, but I really don't like this Pinkie. I hate her. I hate who she's become. I held on so long because I thought there was still a chance she'd come back to us while we were looking for Rainbow Dash. I thought for sur the real Pinkie would return after we'd found her. But now? Now I'm convinced that as long as I'm around, there's no chance of that. I'm the one who made her this way, after all. I used the Stare on her and I need to pay the price. I make my decision.
"Um... Twilight?" I ask.
"Yes, Fluttershy?"
"Maybe a few of us should stay behind. Just so that, if you all get captured there'll be a back-up team ready to come get you."
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." Scootaloo backs me up and Applebloom nods. The three of us can stay behind just in case and the rest of you will go get Pinkie."
My, they were quick to support me. I wonder if there's any reason for that. Twilight seems to consider this option a moment, then turns a questioning gaze to Sunset Shimmer, who shakes her head.
"We're going up against an army of terrorists," she says. "We need all the strength we can get if there's going to be any chance of success."
Twilight turns back to me and shrugs. "There you have it."
I sigh, but continue following. Who made Sunset Shimmer the boss, anyway? The last time I checked, she was a power-crazy monster who stole Twilight's crown and tried to destroy Equestria, but now we're supposed to follow her every order? But I suppose if Twilight trusts her, I do, too.
Cadence bends down and lets Applebloom and Scootaloo climb on her back. After a moment she invites Rainbow, too, who accepts reluctantly, and Cadence takes to the sky. I follow suit, leaving Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Sunset, and Spike stranded on the ground, Spike riding on Sunset's back.
"What about the others?" I ask.
"We'll fly low enough for them to see us. They'll be able to use us as a beacon to lead them through the brush to Canterlot Castle." Cadence explains.
"Where Pinkie Pie is..." Applebloom mutters. Scootaloo nudges her.
There's something awfully strange about the way those two fillies are acting. They must be hiding something...
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We fly until nightfall, when our only guide is the stars and those left on the ground can no longer see us. Cadence slows in her flight and returns to the ground. I do, as well.
"We'll rest here for the night," she says. "Even General Gilda can't be so inhumane that she'd leave us only one day to save Pinkie."
We all agree and hunker down for the night. Oh, I hope to Celestia that Cadence is right. Gilda may be mean, but I don't think she'd be that horrible. Even though she did brainwash Rainbow Dash and use her to try to kill us. And killed Trixie and Zecora as well as the princesses. And drove Discord to lock himself down in Tartarus because even he didn't think we had a chance of winning this war. My blood begins to boil. My teeth chatter. My mind races through all the horrid possibilities. I shake with fear. I can't stay quiet anymore. If we don't keep moving, something awful will happen to Pinkie, I just know it. I jump to my hooves.
"Girls!" I shout. "And Spike."
"Fluttershy, go back to sleep," Spike murmurs.
"No! We can't stop for the night, we need to get to Canterlot now before they do something awful to Pinkie Pie!"
"There's nothing they could do, Fluttershy." Sunset rolls over and makes eye contact with me. "If they kill her now, they lose their potential surrender. Plus I'm here, so they can't brainwash her."
"What did they do to Flash Sentry?"
A moment passes. Sunset Shimmer's head shoots.
"Sweet Celestia, you're right!" She cries. "C'mon everybody, we have to keep going!"
"How are we supposed to see?" Applejack asks.
"Sunset and I will shine lights on Cadence and Fluttershy from above. Fluttershy's right, we have to keep going." Twilight says.
She and Sunset shine lights from their horns on Cadence and I as we take to the sky again. Fortunately, pegasi have excellent night vision, so we have little trouble seeing. I breathe a sigh of relief as we fly over the woods. Everything will be okay. We should make it to Canterlot by morning and be able to save Pinkie Pie. Nothing bad will happen. Hopefully this is a sign for our luck to come. Hopefully this means we'll be able to beat General Gilda and end the war for good, like Scootaloo always talks about.
Hey, a pony can dream, can't she?
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My eyes suddenly snap open. I'm still airborne, and so is Cadence, but her eyes are closed, her mouth is hanging open, and she's breathing slowly and deeply. Is she... Was I... Sleep flying? I gasp and turn sharply towards Cadence. I near her slowly and whisper into her ear; "Wake up."
Her eyes open and she slowly comes to the same realization as me. We swoop down (Carefully, of course, she's still carrying Rainbow Dash and the fillies) and locate the grounded half of our party. They're all leaned against each other, fast asleep. I start to worry. The sun is rising, and with it all possibilities of what they've done to Pinkie Pie. I begin hyperventilating.
"Fluttershy!" Cadence whispers gently. "It's okay. We're alright. Look."
She gestures upwards. Directly above us is the mountain city of Canterlot. My breathing slows gradually and I calm down. I should have never gotten my hopes up.
"What do we do?" I ask.
"Let's drop the Rainbow and the fillies of here and pick one mare to wake. I suggest Sunset Shimmer."
I nod. We gingerly let Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Rainbow Dash down and wake Sunset. She climbs onto Cadence's back after an explanation and the three of us fly up.
"We'll go in through the balcony," Sunset says. "Gilda leaves it unguarded during dawn."
Cadence and I touch down on the balcony and step into the adjoining room. We sneak through and to the door, which Sunset quietly with her magic. We're met immediately by two stallions who grab us, gag us, and drag us down to the throne room. Gilda sits in waiting, pinkie Pie by her side. Her eyes are tired and bloodshot. Her flat mane is frazzled. She doesn't even register our entrance. We're dropped at Gilda's claws. She rises from her seat and circles us like a hungry hawk.
"Well well well." She snarls, venom dripping from her voice. "If it isn't the traitor pony!"
She grabs Sunset's face and pulls it close to hers.
"I was never on your side!" Sunset hisses, spitting at Gilda.
"That's it'll be the most fun to watch you die. Isn't that right, Pinkie Pie?"
Pinkie nods almost robotically. Tears fill my eyes. We're too late. I know we are. I never though they'd get to her so fast. I thought for sur they'd give us more time. Of course, Cadence sees me wither and catches eye contact with me, shooting me a face that whispers determination. I take a slow breath and screw up my face to look tough. Gilda leans down, face-to-face with me. I try to just stare right through her and not cry.
"Aww, who thinks she's so tough and strong?" She mocks me in baby-talk. "I can hear your heartbeat, loser. It's about to burst from your chest you're so scared."
My teeth chatter behind tightly closed lips. I don't say a word. Gilda lets me go and Sunset edges to my side. She stands close to me as Gilda approaches Cadence. I can almost hear her brain working. Her eyes shift from Pinkie to me, back to Pinkie, and again. Cadence stands to meet Gilda herself and unfurls her wings, taking a threatening stance.
"Where's your little protege, oh demoted one?" Gilda asks, a smirk stretching across her face.
"You'll never get to Twilight, and you'll never win this war." Cadence speaks defiantly. "You won't be keeping Pinkamena, either."
"Oh, really?' Gilda smirks. "Last time I checked, you all seemed pretty eager to get rid of her."
"Is that what your told her?" Sunset demands, leaving my side.
"I told her nothing but the truth. She wouldn't even be here if it weren't for those little hoodlums you've been looking after."
"The Crusaders..." Cadence breathes.
I gasp. They... Traded Pinkie Pie to the terrorists? I can't imagine why they would ever do that! Anger quickly quickly replaces my fear. I grit my teeth, get to my hooves, and approach Gilda.
"What did you promise in exchange for Pinkie Pie?" I growl.
"Information." Gilda shines her claws on her breast feathers, as though she hasn't got a care in the world.
"And did you give them any?"
"They should be by any minute to collect what they've been promised."
I huff in anger and stalk down the steps towards the door. I'm going to give those two fillies a piece of my mind!
"Fluttershy, stop!" Cadence calls. "We'll speak to the Crusaders later. Pinkie Pie is the priority right now."
"She wouldn't be the priority if those girls hadn't sold her out!" I yell.
Gilda rolls her eyes and turns to Pinkie Pie, who stands up.
"Apprehend the prisoner," She says.
In a blur of dark pink, I've suddenly been tackled by Pinkie. She has me pinned to the castle floor. I try to get back up, but I'm not strong enough. I cry out her name in a desperate attempt to get through to her.
"Kill her." Gilda orders.
For a moment, Pinkie hesitates. In that short, fleeting moment, I think I see some of the real Pinkie shining through. It almost looks like her mane is just about to inflate. Then it goes completely flat again. She grits her teeth and lunges at me. Sunset Shimmer runs toward us, lighting up her horn. A blue aura surrounds me, circling me, and seeps through my body. I can no longer control my own body. I can't even think. Both my mind and vision go entirely blank. I hear screaming and feel myself being hit and myself hitting presumably Pinkie, but I can't do anything. I have no concept of time, only the pain I feel.
Suddenly, though, I regain control. My vision comes back and I manage to take a step of my own free will. Sunset Shimmer is lying on the ground, covered in bruises and bleeding from the top of her head. As a drop of blood trickles down my cheek I realize that her injuries exactly match my own. I limp towards Pinkie Pie, who lies on her stomach, bandages ripped and blood pooling out all around her. I panic and speed to her side, laying her head on me.
"Hey, Fluttershy." She coughs.
"Hi, Pinkamena," I say, choking back tears.
"You can call me Pinkie, Fluttershy."
Gilda groans and signals for her guards to leave the doors.
"You ponies are so lame. Take her, I don't care. She's useless now."
Sunset helps me pick up Pinkie and we retreat with Cadence before Gilda has the chance to change her mind. When we make it out of the castle, Sunset and I lay Pinkie back down.
"You're sure this is what you want, Pinkie Pie?" Sunset asks softly.
"Yes." Pinkie Pie nods. The poof is slowly yet surely returning to her mane. "We agreed on this."
"Agreed on what?" I ask, tears streaming down my face.
Sunset sits down with me and explains that she and Pinkie overheard the Crusaders talking about the deal they had made with Gilda the other night, and decided to make their own plan.
"Pinkie knew that Gilda would likely try to brainwash her," She says. "So she said she would pretend to join them when they did. Then we would come to save her, Gilda would use us to test Pinkie's loyalty, and I would fight back."
"I told her..." Pinkie coughs, blood trickling from her mouth. "I told her not to hold back. I w-wanted to die."
I gasp softly, choking through my tears.
"But when Gilda told you to kill me-" I whisper.
"Sunset used her magic to take control of your body and fight back for you," Cadence continues.
"It wasn't supposed to go that way, but it worked. I'm sorry, Fluttershy."
"It's okay, it's okay..." I wipe my tears with my wing and lean down into Pinkie Pie's chest.
She holds onto me, pulling me closer to her. She smiles softly, the poof in her mane almost entirely returned.
"Don't leave me, Pinkie..." I whisper, immediately realizing the hypocrisy of my words.
"Everything's alright, Fluttershy." Pinkie murmurs. "Everything's just... Hunky dory."
Pinkie kisses my forehead.
"Please..." I beg.
"Keep everypony smiling for me, okay?"
"I promise."
"Good."
One last breath escape her lungs, and then I can't feel her moving anymore. I stay clinging to her body as the sun reaches its peak in the sky. Soon enough, though, I do get up and wipe my eyes. Sunset helps me step forward.
"Are you alright?" She asks.
I nod. We return to our resting spot, where the others have woken up. Applebloom and Scootaloo are nowhere to be found.
"What happened? Where's Pinkie Pie?" Twilight asks, running to us.
"Have y'all seen my sister anywhere?" Applejack demands.
"Girls..." Cadence steps forward. "We have some bad news."
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/Oh boy, guys, aren't I just the worst? It hurt to kill off Pinkie Pie, it really did. I hope I did her justice, though. I wanted to redeem her before having her die, so I hope I did it well./