Has soon he left her mind, he rushed out of the room and locked It.
In his mind war, Mane thrashed the place where he was like a ravenous tornado, in a battle in his mind.
Fusing opposite mindsets was a dangerous operation, and It was his first time doing it to somepony else.
The final result can be very random, mainly for a mare like her.

He could hear her struggle in muffled screams, and was clear she was rolling on the floor.

"Better leave her alone for some moments..."

He headed through the underground hall, exploring every room, but these weren't the ones he was looking for.
Each one was pretty much the same apparatus, tools, knifes, blood spills, and from time to time, skeletons.
How could she live in there? Besides that, how does her system relays on pony meat?
Maybe a desperate move to survive, since she had problems in the outside world. And with that, got used to It.

The electricity was stolen from outside, clearly, and the water condition was poor.
The furniture was old and half destroyed, as if It was salvaged from a dump.

Conditions to live in that place were poor, and the money she used to get was expended in more knifes and other materials, besides being used to make a better life.

More he explored, more used he got. The mutilated bodies had less effect in his guts, only the smell, of rotten flesh, rust, murky water, among other disgusting things.

Finally, he found her bedroom.
It was small, a light bulb was all the light there and It was almost in It's end. The bed was a old mattress in a wooden frame and rough pillow. Next to It, a butcher knife.
The walls were wood and concrete put together.
In a wall there were pictures of her and her family.
Mom, Dad, her and 3 sisters. The way she talked to them were by letters, delivered to a fake address and picked up later.
And the process to send back was the same, she sends with the fake address. Clever.

The wall behind him, where the door was situated, made out of old concrete was all written on in blood.
Messages more likely to herself.
"Control yourself"
"What have I done?"
"Help!"

He quickly recognized those were messages from her other mindset, in a urge of help if anypony would find that place, and those.
"Seems I did my part then... and after that, I think I can persuade her..."

Mane leaved the room, and the fussing in the room stopped.
Time to go check.

He walked silent to the door, and he couldn't hear anything.
She could be dead, or worse, the fusion could have gone wrong.
Going back to one of the other rooms, he picks a knife with his magic and returns to the door. It was time to face It.
He would have to stab her if she would attack him. No way he would go through that nightmare again.
There was enough problems in his life, but killing her would bring more to him on his head.
That would make three nightmares he would see every night.

The stallion took a deep breath and putted the knife right in front of him.
He unlocked the door, opened it and she wasn't there.

Baffled in confusion, he walked inside looking for her.
And with a door banging behind him, she jumped at his back in a surprise tackle.
He lost control of the knife with It ending on the other side of the room, while struggling to take her out of him.

He rolls on the floor and she jumps away.
She was there, looking at him. Just looking...

Both of them stayed in their positions.
She simply sited and kept looking.

"Are you... gonna kill me? Or at least try?"

"Um... that would be rude."

"I see... how do you feel?"

"Different... It's been years since last time."

She walked towards him, while Mane gets back in his hoofs.
She didn't change outside. It kept the beauty that makes the stallion's nervous.
Her eyes show a look of gratitude and happiness.

"Can you still... stand up?"

"How?"

"You know, in two hooves."

She posed has requested, making her slightly taller than Mane. And by surprise, advancing at him, delivering a hug.
He blushed... completely red on his cheeks. The unexpected factor was beyond huge.
With his head against her pink chest, he sniffs her pinkish coat, and the smell made him drowsy, in a way he couldn't explain, but It was strangely attractive.
It reminded him of the days when he was in Canterlot, and every time he had the chance, to go to the royal gardens to smell the flowers, and the mare's essence was like a rose.

Such impact made him hug her against him, while he kept sniffing her coat heavily and louder.
She quickly shoved him with a loud slap.

"HEY!! WE BARELY KNOW EACH OTHER!" - And her eyes showed anger. Showing the fusion gone completely well. She had control in her feelings.

"Erm... sorry..?" - He apologized with a red cheeck.

"...It's alright..." - And she showed mercy and some happiness.

"Everything went well has expected! Fuck yeah!"

"So, now what..?"

"I'm the one who ask It now. First... I would like to know your name."

"I guess... It's safe to say now." - She was confused, lost because of what she gone through a hour ago - "You first! Please!"

"Alright... I'm Mane. Mane Shaker. Pleased to meet you."

"My turn I guess..." - Took her a while - "Do you promise not to laugh?"

"Why would I?"

"It's a ridiculous name."

"I think mine is even more. Come on! I told mine first like you asked."

"*gulp*... P... Pinkamena... Diane Pie..."

A flame was born inside his chest. Again, something he couldn't explain, but It was nice.

"It's... It's a cute name!"

"No It isn't."

"Why you think so?"

"Everypony has their name related to their functions or cutie marks! I have 3 damn balloons in my ass!!"

Mane burst in laugh with that sentence, and Pinkamena kept a septic look.

"Then tell me! What does "Mane Shaker" stand for?"

"Well... I once went to a concert... you know, metal. And... I started bagging my head in a way others never saw. So I found myself guiding the headbang of everypony in every part and every concert I went."

"Ok..." - An awkward look in her face.

"But my cutie mark, an iron cross, has other meaning. Besides being a symbol in metal music, It's also a symbol of gangs, and... war."

"Can you tell me the part of "war"?"

His pupils shrunk, with his head swirling in his past. Pinkamena could read in his eyes.
"It's ok... I understand... I did horrible things too. You don't have to share."

"No no! Thank you... but I'm not a warmonger or anything like that."

"Oh. You participated into one?"

"No."

"So you were part of a gang?"

"No!"

-"Then what!"

"It's a thing from somepony strangely related to me!"

"Ah! Hereditary?"

"Kind of... but It's not related to me, besides the music part."

"I see..."

"There's something I wanna ask you, um..."

"Pinkamena."

"Thank you, Pinkamena."

"I would be glad to help you out, after what you have done for me."

"I don't think It's an easy question, but... can I live here with you?"

- "Wait what?! This place barely has condition!"

"I can help."

"Ok... well... I don't think that fills my gratitude."

"Oh?"

"I'll join your personal cause. This world needs to be better. I want to help you. I want It to be a better place for us, the others and my family... do you have a family?"

Mane looked into her eyes, no expression. He bit his lower lip to hold the sadness inside.
He couldn't show he was weak. If he wanted to be accepted by her.

"I'm sorry..."

"Yes... I don't have."

"That's so bad..." - She shared her sadness - "Do you AT LEAST have a... past?"

"Of course I fucking do!" - his mood changed to an irritated one very quickly, as if the simple question was an insult towards him.

"I didn't mean to offend. Is It that bad?"

"Yes!"

"I won't ask then..."

"Thank you..."

They walked outside the room, and went together to every other room. Analyzed and talked.
Both would have a quest ahead. Cleaning, reconstruction, etc...

"We need resources."

"No problem. I have contacts." - Said Pinkamena with confidence.

"I have some too... but they are scattered around the country."

"That's even better. We can get different stuff!"

"The problem is getting in contact with them. It's hard when the Royal Guard is on you."

"That makes us two."

"I don't think so. The outside world only knows you for your doing. They don't have a single idea how you look like!"

"You think so?"

"We need to organize ourselves..."

They went back to the big room were they were at.
Mane and Pinkamena faced each other, into each other's eyes.

"Do you feel It..?"

"I think so."

"That what I thought..."

They looked at the wooden table and the broken chains. The tables with the different materials.
First mortal enemies, now new friends... the world is a strange place for those two, but even more strange were events like those.

"You know what, Mane..?"

"Hmm..?" - He looked at her.

"I think this is the start of an everlasting friendship..."