Just after thirty minutes Pinkie finished her sketch of the most important person in her life. Rarity. Pinkie laid her pencil down and took in her drawing. It was not the best she had done, but it was something special. Pinkie erased all the unneeded pencil marks and closed her sketch pad. Pinkie cracked her knuckles and stood up stretching out her back. Her thin pink sweatshirt fit snuggly and tightly around her, half zipped up revealing her bright white tee shirt. Pinkie looked down at her sweatshirt and smiled, it was her first present made by Rarity and she loved it. She stood up and looked around the room as she adjusted her sweatshirt. It was empty and dead silent. It gave Pinkie an eerie feeling and a sense that there were more than two people in the house. Sweetie Belle was away with Rarity's mother. Pinkie shoved her hands into her pockets of her sweatshirt. Nestled in the right pocket was her ceramic bone knife. A half foot lon all together, the blade being four and a half inches long. Made from the bone of a Chimera, it could cut and slice anything that it touched. It rested lifeless in its leather sheath, Pinkie gripped the handle ready to kill if need be.

Pinkie seemlessly slipped into her Killer Instinct. Her heartbeat slowed. Her breaths steady and slow. Her mind focused. She walked past and made her way into the kitchen. It was empty, the only thing that made a noise was the clock that was on the wall. She placed careful steps and they made almost no sound even though she wore hightop knock off Converse. She sneaked her way through the kitchen, crouched and ready to pounce. She knelt to the floor and let her instinct overtake her, if she focused sometimes she could hear the heartbeats of anyone within thirty or fifty feet. Pinkie focused and her heartbeat nearly stopped and she heard the steady thump thump of Rarity's heart.

Pinkie listened closely and focused. She knew there was someone else in the house, Pinkie was very rarely wrong about these things. But not only was her Killer Instinct active but she also felt her knee get pinchy. Which meant that something dangerous and scary was going to happen. Her Pinkie Sense. An unexplainable phenomena that Pinkie has had since birth. When her Killer Instinct and her Pinkie Sense were active at the same time it did not bode well for whoever she was facing in combat or chasing down to kill. She had gained quite the reputation amongst the murderers and psychopaths in her family. She became known as Machine. When she killed she had no emotions and it did nothing to her moral compass, once she was in the zone, so to speak, she was nearly unstoppable.

Pinkie thought for a moment and then ignoring the heartbeat of her friend she heard something else. Thump......thump.....thump....thump. She found the intruder. Pinkie looked at the clock and saw that there was ten minutes left before the lassagna was ready. Pinkie pulled up her hood and said grimly to herself, "I will only need nine."

Pinkie unsheathed her blade and in a crouched position she carefully advanced, she followed the steady beating in the air. She was brought to a closed door and she opened it slowly, eliciting no sound. She looked and darkness laid before her. Pinkie sighed and advanced downwards. Pinkie reversed her dagger and readied to sneak up on someone. She slowly desended the stairs into the basement floor. Rarity used it as storage for items her mother or father left and she also used it to storage her scrapped projects. With careful and well placed steps she descended the stairs and continued on through the ebony shadows. Pinkie closed her eyes for a moment and focusing her Instinct she changed her pupils and made them slits. She saw in the darkness and found various dressers, boxes, old vanities, and book shelves in the basement. Pinkie also remembered that this used to be the old town hall and the mayor left some items in the basement.

Pinkie followed the beat of the intruder. The intruder was going to wait in the basement and wait until nightfall to come in and kill them. Not while Pinkie lived, but Pinkie had to be careful. She did not want to have any wounds, she might worry Rarity. Then Rarity would figure out that Pinkie killed someone again and then everything would spiral out of control. Pinkie focused and the intruder was hiding in the left corner of the room. Pinkie stalked over the cold wet concrete stone floor. A draft numbly chilling her.

She crept up to an empty wardrobe. She held her weapon close to her and she concentrated. She used all the mental strength she could to keep Pinkamena away. She kept her underneath herself and remained that way. Faster than lightning itself, Pinkie charged around the corner of the wardrobe and readied her bone knife to strike. She found the intruder unfocused and in the very corner of the basement. The intruder wore tight fitting clothes and a large shawl. Pinkie snarled as she thought of the fact that this guy had the nerve of attempting to kill her, and more importantly want to kill Rarity. The intruder turned and saw a flash of pink and too close for comfort he unsheathed his weapon and deflected the blow, narrowly.

Pinkie grew angry as her first blow was deflected away, she was getting a little rusty. Pinkie quickly went for another strike and slashed the intruders chest. The intruder almost screamed in pain, Pinkie took the moment of shock and gagged his mouth with his own shawl. She stuffed the rather thick cloth in his mouth and then pushed him over. Pinkie watched as the intruder fell to the ground, stunned at what happened to him. Pinkie gripped the tight shirt of the intruder and smashed his head hard against a vanity mirror nearby. A fatl blow but not one to kill or to fall unconscious. Pinkie brought the intruder to his knees and removed the hooded shawl.

Pinkie recognized the face. It belonged to her younger cousin, Berry Pie. An aspiring murderer from last Pinkie saw him. Didn't pay off if she could find him. Pinkie growled, "I don't know who dishonored our family most. Me or you."

Berry's face was bruised and blood dripped from his mouth. Berry coughed and answered twisting Pinkie's arms and releasing her vice like grips, "Yeah...But I do know who's more pathetic."

Pinkie did not reel back in the pain. She drew her knife again and took a blow at Berry. The amatuer killer glanced the blow away. Pinkie growled once more, "What are you doing here?!"

Pinkie thrusted her knife and attempted to gut the pathetic worthless maggot she called a relative. But once again glanced away harmlessly from Berry. Berry responded in the midst of a counterattack, "To tell you that this is useless. You are a killer. That is what you were born to do. Return with us and we might let your little friend live."

Pinkie snapped. She punched Berry right in the jaw, and slammed her forehead against the bridge of his nose. Her head butt broke skin and cartilage in his nose. Pinkie threatened, "You leave Rarity out of this!"

Pinkie grabbed his throat and lifted him against the wall, she went to stab him but he caught her wrist trying his best to resist against Pinkie's vengeful strength. Berry grunted, "You....it is over anyway....for you."

Pinkie memorized those words and pushed against her cousin's strength. She mustered all the strength she could and felt her back twitch. Pinkie smiled at that fact and said with defiance in her voice, "No. Because it's my lucky day."

Pinkie shoved her bone knife deep within Berry's stomach. Berry twitched and writhed over Pinkie. Pinkie increased her grip and crushed his windpipe. No screams. No cries. Just a limp body. Pinkie picked up the shawl and wiped off her blade. She wrapped up the body and stuffed it inside one of the wardrobes. Blood stained her hands. Once more she had killed someone. But this was a conscious kill, she knew this person meant harm and she did what she did to protect her and Rarity. It did not stop her from remembering the screams for mercy and cries for their family from the countless number of her victims. Pinkie shoved the feelings deep inside herself and sheathed her knife. And proceeded calmly upstairs with her hands in her pockets.

Pinkie smiled to herself as she asended the stairs, "Eight minutes."

Rarity slowly sauntered her way through her house and found herself in her kitchen once more. She stepped into the kitchen and nearly jumped out of her shoes. Pinkie stood there leaning against the countertop. Rarity stopped in her tracks to the stove and said, "Darling. You really have to stop doing that to people."

Pinkie chuckled and said, "I thought it was pretty funny."

Rarity smiled at the joke and proceeded to the lassagna. She held in her hands potholders and opened the stove. She knelt down and a wall of heat rushed up to her. She moved her head to the side and let the wall of heat rush to her. Rarity grabbed the sides of the pan and pulled it out. She lifted the oven door up with her foot and shut it with a quick bump with her hip. Rarity then set on the counter and looked at it. It still had its tin foil over top of it. Rarity lifted the tin foil a bit to sneak a peek at what she had just made. She saw the cooked thin layer of cheese over the red sauce and the noodles underneath that. Rarity smiled and said, "Magnifique. Now we let it rest and cool off. Don't want to destroy our taste buds. Did you set the table?"

Rarity turned to Pinkie to get her answer Pinkie quickly adjusted herself and replied, "Huh? Oh uh yes I did."

Rarity raised an eyebrow at that quick movement and said, "Okay...um...lets see...oh, can you show me what you drew if you did that?"

It was something that they did. Pinkie would draw something and she would show it to Rarity, it helped keep Pinkie's mind off of...troubled thoughts. Pinkie blushed and rubbed the back of her neck and said, "Well...ah....I don't....I don't know if you'll like this one."

Rarity was caught off guard and she replied, "Oh? And why would I not like it?"

"Well...."

"How will you know I won't like it when I haven't even seen it yet?" Rarity said with a shrug. She was not mad but she was a little disappointed with her trying to hide something. Pinkie finally rubbed the tip of her shoe against the floor and said, "Okay. But don't get mad. Promise?"

"I swear."

"Pinkie promise?"

"Cross my heart and hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye." Rarity recited the very sacred words of a Pinkie Promise. Once you made a Pinkie Promise you have to do it. It's like selling your soul to the devil but much MUCH cheaper. And you keep your soul. Rarity walked on into the living room and took a comfortable seat on her couch. Pinkie was close behind her and sat next to her. Not right next to her. There was an entire coushin between them. Rarity huffed agitatedly, "How am I supposed to see your masterpiece if you are that far away?"

Pinkie rested the pad in her lap and said nothing as Rarity scooched and settled right up against Pinkie. Pinkie was very warm and Rarity liked the feeling it was like snuggling up against a hearth, she wrapped her arms loosely around Pinkie and rested her head on Pinkie's shoulder. Rarity said with great enthusiasm, "Come now darling lets not stand on ceremony. Show me your masterpiece."

With a slight blush on her cheeks she flipped through the various drawings she has down over the years. All of them she knew and knew by heart at just a glance. Rarity was good at that. Pinkie finally found the drawing.

Rarity looked at it and had a shocked face, her mouth agape. There were no words to describe; Not enough words to describe. She cycled through her vocabulary to find something to say but she came up short. She found nothing clever. Pinkie asked, "Do you like it?"

There was a bit of an edge in Pinkie's voice. Subtle but Rarity now knew why she was nervous. It came to her understanding that artists needed to be careful drawing someone they knew without a medium to go off of. But this. Everything was just....perfect. It amazed Rarity. Rarity said barely containing her excitement, "Its. The. Best. Possible. Thing. I love it!"

"So you're not mad?"

"No. Not in the slightest darling," Rarity mused, "Why would I ever be mad at something you would draw? You are amazing at what you do."

Rarity saw the slight blush return. Pinkie said moving her gaze away, "Thanks Rarity."

There was silence in what she said. Rarity looked over at Pinkie. Rarity carefully pulled the hood to Pinkie's handstitched sweatshirt down. She slowly pulled it down and revealed Pinkie's hair. It was long and went down to the bottom of her neck. A good chunk of her hair was combed over to the right side. Rarity ran her hand through Pinkie's straight hair. It was very soft to the touch and had the same texture as a cat. Pinkie looked at Rarity with icy blue eyes, her most defining feature and perhaps the most beautiful feature about her. Not that she was unattractive, Rarity was sure she received plenty of attention from capable gentlemen. But it was her eyes that was the brightest thing about her. They almost glowed, stark different from the dark colors she wore. Her skin was a slightly darker shade and caused Pinkie's eyes to pop. Pinkie had very youthful features, soft and innocent features. Even though she was the same age if not older than Rarity. She continued to run her hand through Pinkie's dark pink hair. Pinkie looked at Rarity and asked with a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, "What are you doing?"

Rarity gently smiled and said, "Just combing out a few knots."

Rarity concentrated hard and floating down the stairs was a comb. Rarity held out her hand not taking her eyes off of Pinkie's hair. The brush floated into her fingers and she gently gripped the comb and continued to comb Pinkie's hair. Rarity was far from a beauty expert but she knew more than the average person. She knew the ins and outs of hair, makeup, and various other things. She needed to know, being a lady and all.

As Rarity continued to brush Pinkie's hair, Pinkie asked, "So. Where's your dad? I've only ever seen your mom and your sister."

Rarity stopped mid brush and felt the question hit her right in the diaphragm. She was caught so off guard from the question. Rarity had not thought about her father in six years. Rarity explained in a darkened tone, "Hopefully. Still in prison."

Pinkie said to herself, "I'm sorry I asked..."

Rarity dropped her dark mood and immediately said apologetically, "No no. You did not do anything darling. You merely asked a question about something I have not thought about for nine years."

Rarity continued to brush Pinkie's hair. Ready for anymore questions like the last one. Pinkie asked in a careful tone, "What was he sent to prison for?"

Rarity gulped down a lump in her throat and said as she continued brushing Pinkie's hair, "...Domestic violence, assault, resisting arrest, and....(cough)...attempted murder."

There was a cold silence that filled the room. Rarity's blood felt cold under her skin. Just thinking about that horrible man. Rarity choked back her emotion and said, "I remember the night vividly. I was tasked with tucking in Sweetie Belle. My mother was downstairs waiting for my father to return home. She might have been a kind and gentle person but if her family was endangered in any way at all, she would fix the problem herself. She confronted my father and tonight he was especially drunk. After I tucked in Sweetie Belle and went to my room I heard shouting. I went down to see what it was all about. I went down and I saw my drunken excuse of a father standing over my mother, a fresh bruise on her face. I looked at my father and I just unloaded all of my hate and anger on him. It was not the first time he had came back drunk, but it would be his last. I never shouted so loud in my life. What got was something I could...I could never forget. He struck me and he said to me as I looked up at him, "You are a pathetic waste of air and space. Of all my mistakes, you were probably the worst one. You are a good for nothing piece of shit. Nothing but a pathetic bitch." That was the only time his insults got to me. I laid there and cried. My mother though. She saw that threat and I have never seen my mother get so angry. She looked at me and said, "Get Sweetie Belle and run to the police." And that's just what I did. I...I..."

Rarity voice quavered after she explained what her father had said to her. Finally she had broke and stopped brushing. She started crying an sputtering trying to keep her emotions deep inside herself. She released it all. All those years of hate and pain, just coming out. Pinkie turned and pulled Rarity in for a friendly hug. Rarity rested her head on Pinkie's chest and continued to weep. Pinkie gently ran her hand through Rarity's hair and she said with great promise and conviction, "I might not be able to know exactly how you feel. Our situations were different. But, I know what it is like to have a cruel father. I grew up with it, I had to embrace the evil that he wore on his sleeves. I did bad things, I deserved what I got. But you."

Pinkie paused her words and grabbed Rarity's cheeks and they stared at each other. Rarity's makeup began to run with her tears. Pinkie continued, "You deserved better than that. You deserved better than him. And I want to give you something I never had."

Rarity stopped crying for a bit as she listened to her best friend. Pinkie stated, "Someone to protect you."

Rarity tightly embraced Pinkie and cried into her shoulder. As she wept into her shoulder she heard Pinkie promise, "I promise. That as long as I still breath, I will protect you from the evils of this world. No matter what."

Rarity smiled and said to Pinkie, "Thank...thank you darling."

They embraced each other for what seemed like hours. Finally Rarity stopped crying and pushed herself away and wiped her eyes clean and did her best to clean her makeup. She looked at Pinkie and said, "Shall we eat?"

Pinkie smiled and responded, "I'm starving."

Author's Notes:

Art by snelahestur. Go check em out! They actually have some good art. Took me forever to find a good sketch of Rarity though.

So, thanks for reading another chapter. The support is great. And just so we are all clear on something, all the chapter names will be named after a song. Now I am debating on whether or not I should have a link or not for the chapter. Let me just say that if you play the song the chapter references it really pops out. So, let me know what I should do with the music, I don't want you guys to open a new window everytime you want to listen to the song and read. So I'll take suggestions.