"So, you gonna tell Mom and Dad?" Pinkie asked Maud once she was done vomiting into the toilet.

Maud shot Pinkie a look that almost carried a hint of emotion. "No."

Pinkie looked at Maud confused. "Why not? I mean you can't hide a baby from them. Especially when they come to visit."

"Pinkie, you know what will happen if Dad finds out. He'll cut off all support to me and insist you move back home. I graduate after this semester. The baby is due after then. Once I graduate; I'm moving in with Big Mac. It won't matter what Mom and Dad think or do after that. Until then, I don't want them to know."

"But what about Thanksgiving and Christmas? You'll be all blimpy by then."

"I'll just say I'm eating too much. But being so close to graduating, I can't risk it. Besides, I don't them, especially Dad, to have anything to do with my baby. I'm emotionally dead, Limestone is angry all the time, and Marble is shy to the point of pathology. You're the closest thing to normal we have."

Pinkie straightened up a bit in surprise. She'd been called many things in her life, but "normal" wasn't one of them. "Oh, Thanks Maud."

"I still think you're a potential serial killer though. No one can be that happy all the time and not snahhhh . . ." Maud suddenly lurched forward and started vomiting again.

Pinkie looked at her sister for a moment. Did she really say what she thought she said? Once again, "potential serial killer" was another thing nobody ever called her. How could she actually think that? Suddenly Pinkie wanted to run from the bathroom, from the house. But she backed out slowly and just walked down stairs.

"Everything ok?" Sonata asked. She could see Pinkie looked off. Shell shocked almost.

"Um, sure," Pinkie said hesitantly then added, "Do think I'm a potential serial killer?"

Sonata looked Pinkie over for a second then said, "Yeah, I can see that."

Pinkie gasped in surprise and fell back against the wall. "Really? How? Why?"

Sonata shrugged. "You're a lot like I was. And look how I turned out. With great light there's also great darkness."

"Oh," Pinkie said quietly and slumped down on the couch. First her sister and now Sonata had all said they saw something dark in her. She was always the party person, the bringer of laughter and smiles. She went out of her way to make others happy. But to hear that at least two people she cared about saw a potential monster in her made her feel empty inside.

Sonata saw Pinkie was hurt so she got up, sat beside her, and put her arm around her shoulders. Pinkie looked up slightly with an expression that was both empty, angry, sad, and pleading.

"You're a good person Pinkie. A wonderful person. You've made me laugh more in, what, a day, two, than I have in probably a hundred. Well, at least laugh at something than the pain and suffering of others. But a great soul can be turned into an evil one if the circumstances are right. For me, it was constantly being bullied. But just because it can happen doesn't mean it will happen."

"But you and Maud both saw it. How many others have seen it? And how could I not have?" Pinkie's tone was hushed and depressed.

"Maud's your sister and I lived it. So we're special cases. Besides, look at it this way, you saw that there was still goodness in me. That's something not many others would have. Don't worry, I won't let you slip like I did."

Pinkie gave a half hearted smile. "Thanks," she said but remained quiet for the rest of the night.

**************************************************************

Pinkie was walking down a long dark hall. By the feel and sound her feet made, it was a stone floor. In fact she felt it was one of those old castle hallways. There was no way to be sure though as it was pitch black. Soon a torch on the walls here and there began to appear, casting limited light but confirming her suspicions as to where she was.

Soon she came to a huge wooden door framed in rusty iron. It looked heavy and very old. The wood, although being inside, had turned grey, the grain raised and rough, with the occasional bug hole. She placed her hand on it. A strange but overwhelming fear took over her. She wanted to run but couldn't. The door slowly opened and revealed the horror that was behind it.

In this little room, she stood. It was her, Pinkie, but yet not her. Instead of her usual bushy mop of hair, it was completely straight and covered one side of her face. Her exposed eye was wide open and crazed looking. A maniacal smile could be seen on face. She was covered in blood. The remains of her friends strewn about her like discarded toys. Pinkie gasped.

"I'm sorry," her other self said sweetly. "But I've run out of play things at the moment."

"WHO ARE YOU?!" Pinkie screamed.

"I'm you silly," the other her laughed. "I'm the real you. I'm Diane. The one you always secretly feared. The one whose voice you try so hard to tune out with all that noise. Come. We kind find new meat." She started walking toward Pinkie, her hand, holding a blood cleaver, slowly rising.

"No, NO! YOU'RE NOT ME! YOU CAN'T BE ME!" Pinkie screamed in terror as Diane came closer.

"I am you. And so I'll be the only you." Diane raised the cleaver high, still smiling and brought it down on Pinkie.

Pinkie screamed. She was surrounded again by darkness. But it didn't feel like she was in the castle anymore. There was something soft under her and something soft covering her legs. She then realized she had her eyes closed. Slowly she forced herself to open them and saw she was in her bedroom. It had all been a nightmare.

The door to her bedroom opened up and Maud and Sonata came rushing in. "Are you ok?" They both asked.

Pinkie shook her head. "I saw what you two saw, in me, my monster."

Maud came over, sat on Pinkie's bed and hugged her. "I'm sorry Pinkie, I shouldn't have said anything. I was sick and feeling hormonal."

Sonata also came over and hugged Pinkie. "I'm sorry too. It seems even when I don't want to, I hurt people." Sonata felt horrible and could feel herself choking up.

"It's ok. Both of you. It'll be alright." Pinkie tried to smile and succeeded slightly.

"No it's not," said Maud. "I'll stay here with you."

"No, it's ok. Besides, you may have to blech again."

"Are you sure?"

Pinkie nodded her head.

"Can I stay Pinkie?" Sonata asked.

"Ok."

Maud looked at the two girls but said nothing. Gay or not, it wasn't her place to judge. And if it made Pinkie feel better to have Sonata with her, then why or even how could she oppose. Maud kissed her sister on the forehead and left. Sonata crawled in bed beside Pinkie and Pinkie laid back down.

"Now I know how you feel, with the nightmares and all," Pinkie said quietly.

"Yeah, it's a total bummer," Sonata responded.

Both girls looked at the ceiling, not sure what to say next if anything. Sonata felt like she should say something but wasn't sure what.

"Pinkie?"

"Yes?"

"I don't know. I want to say something to make you not afraid of yourself. I want you not to fear and to be happy again. I don't know what that would be. I've never been good with words. Singing, but that was the gem. And that made people hate each other. I can make people feel bad, but I can't make them feel good."

Without looking, Pinkie reached out and took Sonata's hand. "It's ok. The fact that you're trying makes me feel better."

"Well, if nothing else, your nightmares are from what you think you might do. Mine are from things I have done."

"But that's your past. Mine is my possible future."

"No, I won't allow it."

"Thank you."

**********************************************************************

Applejack laid in her bed. The same bed only hours before, she and Chip had surrendered their virtue to each other. It was a strange feeling. She felt different but not sure how. She just wished he was here now. Not to do anything else with; but just to hold and be held by. When she was around him, she felt a calm and peace she couldn't describe. Also she thought he could calm her down a bit after the news she was going to be an aunt.

She went to turn out her light when she saw something outside. A tiny star burning brighter than the rest. Soon it began to grow bigger and bigger as if it was getting closer. In fact it was getting closer. In fact it was coming straight for her.

Mesmerized, she didn't move. The light came into her room and surrounded her. In it she heard what sounded like a chorus of female voices saying, "Arise Earth Mother, The Lover and Lady."

Apple felt a surge of power race through and then nothing. The light was all gone and she was still lying in her bed. A small smile crossed her lips. How often in life do you lose your virginity and discover your magical title all in one night?

Author's Notes:

Trying a slightly different approach with these chapters. Instead of devoting one chapter to one character and her development, I'm weaving together multiple narratives at once. That way, maybe you'll get a better sense of the timeline.