---

There was a clank as a porcelain tea-set was sat upon a saucer while the user attentively watched the pacing mare within her chambers. With a gently waving fire providing warmth in the relatively small living room the embers gave a faint cozy hue upon the distraught pony.

“I just feel as if there is something wrong with me ya know, Flutters? Her smile is so unhinged, and her words are always so baiting. I’ve never met such a party pooper in my life, and it’s gotten so much worse after Grogar.”

The paled turquoise eyes belonging to the contemplating mare fixated on her friend as the buttery pegasus replied.

“Pinkie this entity in your mind isn’t real you have to keep telling yourself that. I understand it bothers you, but if you let it keep dragging you down like this we’ll have another color-drained and flat-maned Pinkie on our hooves… and you know how much we love your perkiness.”

Fluttershy scooted over the steaming tea-cup belonging to her best friend within her circle, as the earth pony took the hint and provided herself with the soothing herbal tea.

Sipping on it tautly with her shoulders stiffened, Pinkie continued.

“Fluttershy, when I see her in the mirror she’s in chains.”

Digesting the new information Fluttershy simply gathered her thoughts the best she could. "Pinkie we've kept this a secret for years now, this is clearly getting worse, and your condition is causing you problems. I still believe we should bring this to light with everyone else and expand our circle other than you, me, and your ahem doctor.”

Nearly scattering her tea, she was able to snatch the cup before it broke on the wooden floor. "No, Fluttershy! W-We can't tell them, they'll think I'm loony! Hearing voices, seeing ponies, Twilight might hook me onto a machine, and I can't go through that I have a small bladder and she takes forever with her experiments!" Her voice was feeble and near-begging as the warm cyan eyes of the pegasus dipped her head in understanding. "-Besides, I'm Pinkie Pie, and I can handle pretty much anything! Well, except for farming unless it's on a rock farm and Maud does ninety percent of the work."

“I respect your decision Pinkie, and I’ll always be here for you.” Fluttershy affirmed before brushing a bit of mane from her muzzle. “-Just please let me know if it gets worse, I don’t want you to battle this alone.”

Nodding in agreement the little pony scooted herself off of the plush cushion and carefully threw her forehooves around her caring friend. They embraced lightly as the affectionate gesture was returned with the same force but woven with a tad bit of worry.

“I’ll figure this out Flutter Butter, don’t worry your pretty little head about it!”

---

With her teeth clamped down upon a pen Pinkie scribbled down several notes and letters to other kingdoms as required of someone of Twilight's status. The poor mare was overwhelmed with her new duties, and even with her friend's help, just the expectancy of being passed an entire kingdom kept them all on their hooves. Sure the fun was drained just a little from her day, but Pinkie knew that being a ruler of Equestria would have its pros and cons.

Even though there was a slight rod being tapped on her head from her migraine, she continued.

Paperwork was not her forte, but with Twilight being out of commission in a small little dark corner in the castle with drool seeping from her lip Pinkie was happy to oblige just this once.

She could focus on things for a little while if she tried hard enough, but eventually, she'd want to get her energy out in chaotic ways. Sometimes she had a hard time believing she wasn't related to Discord in some way, or perhaps they just liked to revel in the fun the universe could offer.

With a curled piece of mane fallen on her snout Pinkie spat out the pen and looked at her work. "With this beautifully written letter by yours truly perhaps Fancy Pants won't withdraw his investment because of Dashie's little remark earlier. Oh Dashie, sometimes you crack me up!"

With a giggle of amusement that irked a yawn out of the mare, her eyes fluttered wearily. She then glanced towards the little ticking clock that kept Twilight on schedule.

“Wowie it sure is late, I guess time really can fly when you're having fun!" Her optimistic tone was what kept the tedious chores lively and if she didn't find something entertaining out of this she would surely go mad! Well, more so than she already was. “Looks like ‘ol Pinkie’s gotta hit the hay not literally of coarse that would be rude.”

Stacking the papers the best she could without getting an earful about her organization in the morning, she withdrew from the office and crept down the dark hallways of the Canterlot castle. Most ponies didn't enjoy the beauty of night finding it eerie or somewhat creepy when met with the shadows following them from behind.

Pinkie always found peace within the dark mostly because she knew ponies didn’t fear the night but what resided within it.

That’s why she spent her time helping ponies laugh away their fears because monsters and scary things only existed in the mind… she knew that from experience.

Her journey brought her to a vast golden door looming in the pale radiance of the moonlight as her hoof gently pushed it open. Party streamers and glitter were strung all over the carpet much to the keeper's annoyance, but they knew if they swept it up, it would magically appear the next morning. Those dang party necessities followed her everywhere, it truly wasn't her fault, even when she sneezed they would just pop out! True story!

Taking herself into the bathroom she didn't bother to turn on the light as she splashed cold water onto her face to refresh herself before crawling into bed. The cold aura spilling from the mirror gave her enough insight to know not to look up, but she was told to confront the hallucination when it so happened to summon itself.

She swallowed thickly. She hated those grating eyes she was met with every single time she allowed her mind to open those forbidden doors.

Glancing up slightly, the mirror reflected the illusion she was met with every single time her body was submerged in darkness or frustrated. The slight hum was challenging. It taunted her to avoid the pony waiting for her, but Pinkie was not so easily swayed.

Taking her chin she brought it upwards to view the little window into her subconscious.

The constricting chains that held the individual in place snaked around her hooves, her waist, and her neck as the dreadful flames trapped within her expression focused. The mare was stone-still, patient, and not interested in addressing the pony in front of her as her malicious gaze kept itself on Pinkie’s face.

“So no taunts tonight? Nothing about how I did something wrong or how I am wasting my time? Doesn't seem like you, actually, it's a bit worrying."

She was dulled, and a pale rose pink, but the coat was not staggering since it matched the same deflated personality Pinkie possessed when upset. This creature, as her therapist had explained, was an auditory hallucination and physical aspect of her insecurities— whatever that meant.

Something Pinkie couldn’t quite put her hoof on was how it was so intelligent and so— realistic.

The mare remained solemn, her face relaxed, and her lips pressed in a fine line.

“Why are you in chains?” Pinkie asked the illusion as she pressed her hooves onto the mirror and gazed into the little room containing her. “Doesn’t seem comfortable and even though you’re a big meanie pants I don’t think you deserve to be caged.”

The reverse ombre mane created a veil of protection as she hid her expression from view. The raven tips fall upon her muzzle gently. The chains shifted providing that pained clanking Pinkie hated, as she grew still once more.

“Why aren’t you talking? It isn’t like you.”

She was ignored and adequately dismissed as the misty pool that held the mare faltered before parroting Pinkie's regular face.

Left alone in the bathroom her heavy sigh went unheard as she placed her hooves back down. She then proceeded to sulk out towards her bed. Throwing herself in and pulling the cotton covers over her body, she weaseled her way into position before staring at the ceiling.

The chains were not new, so to speak. Whenever she asked the mare about them, the question was dodged, or she would dance around the subject. After the defeat of Grogar half a year ago her teasing slowly began to decline. Her expression became fogged and she seemed bothered.

The imagined pony trapped in the mirror was advanced if Pinkie put it lightly. In all the doctors she had spoken to they had dismissed her comments on how the hallucination could speak a different tongue—one Pinkie had never heard in her life.

How could her mind understand another language when she had never heard or encountered it? She had spoken some of these words to her therapist, but he had never heard of them either, and promptly deemed it gibberish.

The one in her mind and Pinkie had grown up together their size and appearance going through life side by side. What baffled Pinkie was that her mirror-bound voice was always a step forward in maturity as if she had always been an adult from the beginning.

These questions and the answers she had been given didn’t add up, and they never did. She knew the pony traveling everywhere she went wasn’t real. She also knew her mind only created her when Pinkie Pie was a child because she had a problem with her self worth.

She had tried to befriend her on several occasions even gaining her name when her mood wasn’t so mucky. It appeared that the mare adopted her original name as her own. That wasn't strange in the slightest given that she was a creation of Pinkie’s mind.

The illusion’s name was Pinkamena, and as far as Pinkie Pie could recall that was all she knew about the fantasy pony.

Her mind went into a state of dormancy since the little gears in her head had spun around too much exhausting the energy she had that night. Too many questions and brainpower could render her quite incapable of keeping herself awake, as her eyes sealed themselves, and her snores slowly filled the silence of the room.

Only when the sunlight flittering through the window happened to rest upon her face did the deafening snoring cease.

Popping up happily her shoulders rolled as she extended her limbs to provide relief from the hard sleep. She then cracked the tension from her spine after stretching. Shaking out the trademarked rat's nest of a mane she loved she slowly slipped out from her bed and threw the window open.

"Good morning, Canterlot!" She said in a bubbly tone as her voice carried throughout the lands rather loudly and unwanted.

Unfortunately, someone didn't like their new alarm clock.

“It is seven in the morning go back to sleep Pinkie! No one likes it when you do that!”

Flattening her ears sheepishly she cringed when hearing the braying tone of her beloved friend Dashie. The scolding was taken with a grain of salt. She should have known Rainbow Dash didn’t like morning ponies since she was not one herself.

“Sorry!” Pinkie replied, gently closing her window and stepping off.

There was a knock at the door as a masculine voice addressed her from outside. “Miss. Pie, your presence is requested by Princess Twilight.”

"Oh, goodie!" Pinkie trumpeted already beaming when opening the door. "Just tell me where to go and I'll hippity-hoppity right on over!"

The pearl coated palace guard gestured towards the library where she should have assumed Twilight would be residing in.

“Alrighty, thank ya, Mr. Guard Sir!" She responded before giving his exposed mane under his helm a decent rubbing. "Don't work too hard today even the guards have to relax sometimes!"

He allowed the contact, but his face remained stern as Pinkie galloped cheerily towards the little plain of peace Twilight ruled over. The pounds of books she guarded and the words within them were what made her castle, not the roof currently over her head, and it was where she went to relax. The candlelight was soft as it flickered over the worn pages of the books the students were studying, but Twilight Sparkle was not with them.

Tapping her chin, she decided to join this little game of hide and seek. Her eyes scanned around the double-decker library and caught sight of violet wings tucked tightly to their sides.

The obsessive mumbling and marks of pencil on paper was enough to lull Pinkie’s attention to them, and the quiet curses confirmed her suspicions.

Bouncing into view, Pinkie blared her victory. “Found you!”

Twilight made a sound of alarm as her wings fluttered quite unexpectedly. She calmed her thundering heart before resting her stare on the grinning pony in front of her.

“Pinkie for Celestia’s sake, please don’t do that!”

Snorting back a giggle she nodded her head. “Okie-Dokie-Lokie!”

The Alicorn rubbed the stress from her face before sliding over a paper with a free hoof and sighing in defeat. “Pinkie did you happen to write the official Equestria apology letter, which I said needed to be written by me no matter what?”

“Might have, why? Did it exceed your expectations? I am quite the charmer!”

Twilight’s face was struggling with frustration as she took a minute to gather herself before addressing the oblivious pony before her.

"First of all, Pinkie, I thank you for showing concern about my mental state for the past few weeks, but you need to understand slipping this letter into papers to be delivered without my consent could have been disastrous. I know you were trying to keep me from worrying and avoid my stress getting higher, but if this letter had gotten out, the results would have been… catastrophic."

“Is that a kind of meteor?” Pinkie Pie inquired, leaning in interest.

“What? No, catastrophic means bad, Pinkie.”

“Oh, those two words sound kinda space-like.”

The vein beginning to pop out of Twilight’s neck was starting to become visible as she pressed her hooves together and rested her chin upon them.

“Pinkie if I didn’t catch this, Fancy Pants would have taken your letter as an insult. You cannot call him as you put it, ‘a grumpy version of Rarity' and expect him to address us back without hostility. These kinds of letters require a certain… type of personality, which you haven't practiced as much as I, and therefore you should just leave this kind of work to me, alright?"

“Sorry Twi, I just really wanted to help.” Pinkie muttered in a deflated tone, as her hoof dragged itself across the marble flooring. “You’re right I’m not really cut out for serious jobs, I goof off too much and really should leave the ruling fun to you.”

Quickly reversing the damage beginning to take its toll Twilight scrambled to find her wording. “No Pinkie, there is a time and place for everything. I believe there is a great job somewhere for you to do, why don’t you go find Applejack and help her taste the food for the upcoming event.”

She gave a forced smile. She felt better seeing her friend buy it and relax her tensed muscles before departing with a bounce. "Okie-dokie will do! I have been pretty hungry, and my sugar tank is getting low, ya know?"

Sure hiding her true feelings from her friends was not wise of her, but they had too much going on to worry about her genuine emotions. It didn't bother her when she had to shove her hurt down to the pit of her stomach, but she understood what Twilight was saying.

Yeah perhaps writing all those fun little lines in the letter was not needed and Fancy Pants might have a few words to say about it.

As of late, her "help" was actually making everything worse. Ever since she had become a ruler of Equestria, her status was kind of overlooked since she couldn't match the responsibility her friends took on so willingly. She was more impatient than Rainbow Dash when it came to sitting and formally greeting royalty. She usually got the stink eye when welcoming them with a cannonball of streamers and a storm of musical instruments.

Yeah… Twilight was not very happy about that one.

Perhaps she could redeem herself by assisting with the Gala this year and the biggest one yet since the retirement of Celestia and Luna. Since the throne was given to Twilight and her friends, there were very high expectations as Rarity had explained. Sponsors and allying kingdoms were going to attend to keep their ties secure with Equestria, and according to everyone, this had to go perfect.

Making her way outside the little country mare was busy addressing the caterers who all had a specific job to do. Even though Applejack was a hard-working pony she learned her lesson a long time ago about tackling issues too big to handle alone.

“Morn’ Pinkie, just havin' a bit of a talk with the others 'bout what to expect and whatnot." Applejack reported, tipping her Stetson towards her friend before letting her approach. “With griffons, dragons, and changelings comin’ to the Gala we’ve gotta up our game with thuh food being delivered and cooked.”

“Yeeeeah, dragons might not like what I have in mind… but I can still get them to try it right?" Pinkie replied with a questionable tone in Jackie's direction hoping she'd catch on to what she was poking at.

"Nah, ah don't think that's a good idea. Dragons' ave quite a temper, they are more stubborn than a greased pig at thuh fair.”

“Well they are totally missing out, but I get your point.” Pinkie said, before tossing her hooves onto a table at her left and breathing in the fresh scent of desserts. “Ooo, looks like I’m just in time for the royal tasting!”

Slipping out her tongue, she was promptly pulled back by clamped teeth on her tail. "Hold awn there missy last time ya were thuh taste tester ya ate thuh whole buffet!”

Applejack made a valid point. With a disapproving mumble, she curled her tongue back into her mouth and left the delicious cakes be. Fluttering her lips, she brought her muzzle toward Applejack to where they could lock eyes.

“Come on AJ, you’ve gotta have something fun for me to do… please!”

The sparkling eyes she used when wanting something always made her victim bashful as Applejack stepped away to avoid the death trap. The farmer made a nasally sigh as she pushed her lips to the side and contemplated on how to please Pinkie.

“Ah guess ya can gather some of them fancy herbs here in Canterlot, ah’m gonna need them if I don’t want Rarity barkin’ at me.”

Nodding her head vigorously she wasted no time in fetching what was required for the food variation. Her un-pony-like speed blew the hat from Applejack’s golden mane. It was never really explained how Pinkie was so fast but she’d bet her bits on the sugar she consumed.

Prancing with a tune being whistled from her puckered lips she suddenly skidded to a stop when realizing she didn't know what "herbs" Applejack needed. As a baker, she didn't need all these leaves and swirly decorations that ponies didn't eat but put on their plate to make it more appealing. Why would anyone want to stare at something they didn't want to eat?

She could go all the way back and ask AJ, but bothering the earth pony about something like this probably would just make her frustrated. Clearly the ponies working the stands would know what she needed and that was probably why Applejack left the little details out.

Or perhaps because she didn't know herself since it was Canterlot territory.

Shrugging to herself, she made her way out of the castle before being nodded off by the guards and allowed outside of the gated community. The streets were bustling and the blended voices of a dozen unicorns meshed to create the well-known congestion of what was the city life.

Spotting a stand with something that looked like herbs and spices bottled up in a jar, she approached the stallion craning his neck upwards in superior status.

“Umm hello Sir, sorry to bother you, but are these herbs fancy? Ya know the kinda fancy where you throw some on a plate and charge a thousand bits for it, regardless of the food quality?”

He sniffed before shooing her away with a flicking hoof. “Shoo commoner, your presence is degrading my appeal. You have the smell of the vagabond among you and I doubt you could afford even a speck of my spices.”

Leaning onto the stand she gave her winning smile. “Well if you want me to leave you should just ask nicely! I’ll be on my way as soon as a knab some special herbs from ya.”

“Do you have the required bits? I don’t haggle.” He said abrasively, bringing his attention towards the prices listed above. “This is my price, no lower. Now pay or get lost.”

Humming curiously to herself she chewed the inside of her lip. “That’s a bit expensive don’t you think? I mean I understand this is Canterlot, but those prices will put me on the street real quick!”

“If you don’t have enough move along.”

Pouting benevolently she was curious about the stallion’s hostility. “Is some pony having a bad day? Come on, talk to Auntie Pinkie, my whole purpose is to turn frowns upside down!”

"Fine if you must know, with the Gala approaching my stock has been low, and I do not have the time to gather the required crops to make my spices. Ponies are buying left and right too quickly for me to replenish and I cannot leave my stand or I lose customers who go to rivals."

Pinkie’s face brightened. “Why don’t I go fetch the ingredients you need! I wouldn’t mind, I have lots of time!”

His sagged lip corners perked up just slightly. "You know that would be quite helpful if you succeed in bringing them from the farm just outside of Canterlot I will gladly give you some jars to keep for your assistance."

"That farm?" Pinkie asked, pointing towards the clover fields in the west that was just beyond the thickened forest. "Sure, shouldn't take me long at all! I'll be back before you can say floccinaucinihilipilification!”

He reeled back in complete disarray. “Is… is that really a word? H-How did you pronounce it?”

“I just did, and I should be back before you figure out how to pronounce it too!”

The stallion squinted before muttering to himself. “Flo..nau... no that’s not right… flonihi… how is this a word?”

Worked like a charm every time.

Taking her leave, she departed to travel into the gloomy forest and the tundra made of vines and marsh. Not long after she began to blend with the shadows. The cobblestone streets started to shrivel into gravel and the ponies wandering the streets thinned until the buildings became shortened trees. Her stroll went uneventful as she entered the forests at the bottom of the mountain the kingdom rested upon, and the sun provided light through the holes in the leaves.

Her hooves knocked on pebbles and as she brushed vines from her face she followed the signs and road paved out towards the farm away from the city. This was the most popular farm she could guess since it supplied most of the consumers that needed crops.

The melody of the singing birds and running creeks was peaceful as she continued to take turns further down the path. Swinging her head with boisterous singing to amuse herself she stopped dancing and whistling when peering at a large hole on the side of the vacant road. Her ears dropped as the darkness inside the crater gave her shivers even though it was obviously some kind of construction work.

Something about it though… was chilling.

Being the intelligent pony she was she decided to approach the potentially harmful ditch and examine it because she was puzzled with its presence. Crouching onto her belly she casually crept close to the twenty-foot cavern and looked over the edge.

Her throat constricted when viewing how deep it was and wondered why it was there.

She knew if she fell in it she could get really hurt so it baffled her why Canterlot didn't put some kind of railing around it or something.

Is this a tunnel? Pinkie pondered, continuously staring into the void.

What she didn’t expect was something to stare back!

A tangerine light appeared from below. A thin casing rolled over a blackened slit that belonged to something not very happy. Now Pinkie loved making ponies smile, but whatever this thing was didn’t exactly want to be amused.

There was a rumble so strong Pinkie was forced to retreat from the ditch for fear of falling in, as she threw her hooves around a boulder to keep herself still! The underground shockwave got progressively worse as the creature under her began to surface, and with the trembling ground, it was foolish to assume she could run.

It burst free from the root-bound dirt! The elder trees that had stood at the base of Canterlot for centuries were upturned with an explosion of splinters and spraying wood. The mossy teeth of the snake-like creature were exposed from under its scaled lip, as its muzzle locked onto the arguably tasty pony cowering beneath it.

It had no arms, or legs, or wings… it was an animal Pinkie had never seen before! With an armored belly, and a horn mounted from its nose it was a very odd-looking beast that ascended from the ground and rivaled the towering trees.

Thrashing its head with a stentorian roar the noise ripped the leaves from the trees as its rotting breath drifted over Pinkie making her gag!

“Please don’t eat me, I promise I am about ninety percent lard! You don’t want something chewy… right?” Pinkie begged, her body trembling, as its large head lowered to view the pony at its mercy. “I'm not tasty I swear! You’ll get a gag reflex!”

The nostrils of the creature curled with smoke as its nightmarish ink-black scales sparkled in the exposed sun. Suddenly out of the blue it began inhaling deeply.

Clutching her rock even more firmly she held on for dear life as its nose sucked in air and then ceased when its curiosity was fulfilled. Withdrawing in a perplexed frown its face became animated with many emotions before growing extremely still.

Tipping its head Pinkie was surprised when it made a sound.

“Yiz yorraeq xa qnua?” The creature growled, its aggression slipping from its expression as the belly of the beast began to slip back into its hole. “Xuq iq iz.”

As soon as the event was presented it vanished leaving Pinkie abandoned in a graveyard of murdered trees and mounds of uprooted dirt. Her heaving breaths did not stop, however, but the tremors and smell of rotting flesh did.

There was a crunch of leaves from behind her as something responded to another with lividness. “How could you lose it? It’s a five-thousand-pound wyrm that lives in a cave how in Equestria could it just slip past you!”

“I’m sorry Limestone! I told you something set him off, he’s hunting!”

Her ears flicked. In no way could that possibly be her arrogant sister Limestone and the quiet little baby sister Marble coming her way… she was definitely hearing voices now.

Her condition must really be getting worse.

It seems as if Celestia herself was playing with her for when the sunlight touched the opalish gray fur and the stony expression she was raised with, she knew her mind was not playing tricks. Marble was hiding behind her older and more aggressive eldest sister as they both glared at the damage made in front of the hiding pink pony.

“Look at this mess do you know how hard it’s going to be to hide all this Marble?” Limestone said curtly as she flicked the younger sister’s muzzle. “Not just that but we’ve got to coax that little devil back to the rock farm!”

“He can tunnel under Equestria in just a few hours, but why did he come here?”

Pinkie wheezed loudly and Limestone jumped just about thirty feet in the air! The bristly hairs on her back smoothed when noticing where the sound came from.

“Pinkie? What in Equestria are you doing out here?” Her sister demanded, scooting closer to the hyperventilating mare who was clutching her chest.

Her hoof shook in the direction of the hole. “S-Something huge and… and slimy popped out of that ditch, it was gonna eat me!”

Both of her kin blinked at each other before Limestone dismissed Pinkie’s claim with a blown raspberry.

“Ha, yeah that’s a good one. Nah that can’t be right, you see we were the ones who dug this hole.. and we umm… well needed to dig a hole because…”

She looked towards Marble who shook her head in rejection as Limestone continued to think of an excuse which Pinkie was not buying.

"Okay what in fudge-covered bananas is going on? I'm not crazy, or at least not enough to go to the nuthouse, and I heard you two talking about it! I can swear to Celestia I heard you call it a worm!"

“Wyrm.” Marble corrected softly as Limestone slammed into her shoulder with her own. “I-I mean, worm… worm! I have no idea what you’re talking about!”

“You two are acting strange, and I’m going to get to the bottom of it as long as it’s not as deep as that ditch because it is reaaaaally deep.” Pinkie Pie said hoarsely as her legs wobbled from the adrenaline suppressing from her body. “Start talking because I know you didn’t dig that hole!”

"Don't presume to know my activities! I do have a life outside the farm, you know!" The earth pony with a guttural voice shouted as Pinkie gave her a quizzical look.

“-And that would be digging holes all the way in Canterlot?”

“Yes!”

“Why?”

“Because I am trying to find something under the earth! You do understand we dig up rocks for a living and so the best pony they could hire was me.”

“Oh, and what are you trying to find?” Pinkie asked with a coy smile as Limestone began to get flustered and overwhelmed by the questions being asked.

“I just told you… rocks!”

"Well, you didn't just find rocks you found a whole can of crazy in that ditch! You know what it is and won't tell me! We're family we don't hide things from each other I promise I’ll get you out of trouble if you brought it here by accident.”

“There isn’t a dang worm… or whatever you thought we said! You’re hallucinating and spent too much time staring at papers! You’re going mad in that castle making up things like this and blaming us for lying, how dare you!”

Clamming up at Limestone's barbaric stare she backed away from her sister who was intent on placing the blame on Pinkie's mind. Even though the Pie family knew very little of her condition they knew she would talk to entities that weren't there or stare into the mirror for hours at a time. The little jab at the hallucination problem she had cut deep. The low blow drained her of any will to keep the argument up as she sat dejectedly on her rump.

“I… I would never want to hurt your feelings Limestone… but I swear… I saw something come out of that hole and knock down those trees!”

Limestone shook her head. “We knocked down those trees and uprooted the ground so we could dig better they were already there.”

“B-But… but…”

"Indeed, we did." An emotionless tone confirmed as a thick sweater appeared tagging along a large wheelbarrow filled with chunky rocks. "We were hired to make rock sculptures for the Gala. It is hard to make ends meet, and we take any jobs that are given to us. We didn't want to bother you with such a laboring job so we left you to attend your duties with Twilight."

“Maud?” Pinkie asked as her dear sister slowly blinked in response.

“Yes?” She replied.

“I… I can’t be this messed up. How could I imagine something so real looking? I…I-”

“You’re working too hard, you need to rest and rejuvenate your energy. It happens to the best of us Pinkie, even Limestone starts seeing things when stressed out.”

“I do no-” She grunted as Marble stepped on her hoof.

“Go take a hot bath with some lavender tonight it works wonders little sis.” Marble suggested with a frown that seemed evasive as she shuffled away from Pinkie. “I-I mean if you have time.”

“We will come to visit as soon as the job is done, for now, we need to get back to work." Maud said with a look that was toneless but provided a secretive signal.

Pinkie knew something was going on, there had to be.

Pulling the cart along behind her, Limestone and Marble trailed behind without a word. They buried themselves deeper into the heart of the forest without a sound leaving Pinkie alone to her thoughts. Catching something glitter from the rocks within the cart, Pinkie's suspicions only grew.

Since when did rocks molt?

---

Kicking in frustration she did a little dance to express her sole anger. The situation at hoof was utterly ridiculous! Her muttered insults towards her sisters continued to rain down upon the unfortunate road she walked upon.

“Do they think I’m that naïve? I’m Pinkie Pie, I am never fooled by dumb-dummy lies like that!” Pinkie Pie fumed as the scuff marks from her hoof left a permanent mark of her rage onto the dirt. “Well, I mean there was that one time… and that other time… and then that pie scandal that happened for years, but other than that I can’t be fooled!”

With the trail of steam billowing from her ears she pushed open the gates to the castle without addressing the guards and stomping unhappily into whatever room she came across. Suddenly a thundering call of her name caused her to freeze in her tracks as powerful hooves caught up to her within seconds.

“Pinkie what in the hay? Ah’ve been tryin’ tah find ya for three hours now! I needed them herbs by tonight, but by the hour I had ‘nough time tah spare everythin’ was sold out!”

Cringing at her forgetfulness she sucked in air through her teeth before turning to stare into the crossed expression AJ had.

“Okay listen, something really weird is going on and I was walking through the forest… and… and the reason I forgot, no… just get Twilight you need to see-”

"Honestly Pinkie now is not the time to make excuses on why ya got distracted! The Gala is tomorrow night and Twi is stressin’ her mane to pieces while you just up and gone made it worse for me! Where am I gonna get these herbs to please them fancy ponies? This was important, dagnabbit!”

“I didn’t mean to, Applejack there is a worm loose!”

Rubbing her muzzle in agitation the earth pony withheld the fury in her voice for Pinkie's sake. "Ah work with worms daily Pinkie and ah promise ya they aren't no trouble, but what will be trouble is that my only job for the Gala is now in critical danger!”

“AJ I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s fine Pinkie, It’s fine ah’ll be fine. Just go on over to your room for thuh night.” The farmer said with a scalding tone. Even though she tried to conceal her worry and anger she didn’t do a very good job of it. “Night, ah’ll see ya in the morning.”

Tipping her hat respectfully even after their spat Applejack departed without any more words coming from her mouth.

Sulking woefully at how horrible things were going she decided she couldn't ruin anything else if she were to retire to her room for the night as Applejack had said. So for twenty long minutes of stumbling through the empty castle she made her way to her room that was still untouched with held-back tears in her eyes.

She wasn’t imagining what she saw, it was impossible! It had to be!

Pushing open the door and soundly locking it behind her, she went to the little observation mirror provided for her when trying on her Gala dress. Sitting in front of it she harshly wiped the tears stuck to her cheeks. She curled her tail around her and tapped on the mirror.

There was no response as her mouse-like voice called out to the only one she could rely on when she was alone.

“P-Pinkamena… can I talk to you?”

Sure it probably was not wise to talk to the voice in your head. Or the one that would put you down with every word from her mouth, but she was lonely and needed advice. This would backfire horribly on her, but when she was this heavy-hearted and confused she couldn’t bear to be alone or it would destroy her.

The mirror still reflected the decaying colors of her coat and the misty eyes of hers, but Pinkamena did not appear.

“….Please?”

It rippled gently, giving her the option to gaze in the nefarious fog that surrounded the caged animal deep within her mind. The mare's neon-pink-like mane appeared first before those strange scarlet eyes softly emitted a glow from beyond the glass.

Her hooves remained positioned at her front her back slouched and the chains binding her to the floor unmoving.

“S'oq iz iq esaeu raph aem za?” The hallucination asked, tipping her head to the side to examine the free mare staring into her prison.

“Pinkamena… this is serious can you speak normally for just a few minutes and not speak that random gibberish?”

There was a spiteful laugh, but her voice emerged. "My apologies old habits die hard, my friend."

Licking her dry lips, Pinkie rested her forehead against the cold mirror. "Y-You saw the creature too, right?"

“Correct, my eyes observed the same scene as yours.”

Her voice always urged goosebumps to rise under her fur for the tone was deeper but still retaining that feminine base. As always it was bitter, acidic, and hateful, but her words never matched the voice it came from and to a bystander they would just seem kittenish.

“See I knew I saw it my sisters are lying right to my face!”

Pinkamena grinned just enough for Pinkie to catch onto it. "Now I wouldn't be brash and claim your sisters are lying, after all, I can only see what your mind allows me to see."

"What does that mean?" Pinkie asked in a strung-out warning fearful of what Pinkamena was getting at.

“I could see what you could see because your mind created it. I guess now your little imaginary friend can have a buddy in this lonesome place.”

The smirk the mare gave Pinkie nearly made her lose her cool. "I'm not crazy! I'm not insane! I know what I saw, and it was a giant worm!"

“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of calling you crazy that would be madness, my dear." Pinkamena cackled in a low growl as she shifted her confined body. "I do advise being vocal about seeing a giant worm rampaging in a forest ponies tend to get rather judgy around Canterlot."

"You're right… no pony is going to believe me." Pinkie acknowledged bleakly as she took her forehead from the glass and peered into those peculiar eyes. "Even if I were to put this aside what's even worse is that I keep making all my friends mad, I… I just want to help, but I keep being a Stinkie Pinkie.”

Quickly putting up a hoof to her mouth in astonishment Pinkamena’s eyebrows threaded themselves into a mocking look of offense.

“My, my, Pinkie… watch the language! Careful or mama Pie is going to wash your mouth out with soap!”

Giving her a glower Pinkie responded. “Will you please knock it off for a day?”

“Technically it's night time, so your request is denied.”

“Why do I even bother with you?” Pinkie asked no one in particular but was given a reply nonetheless.

"Dunno. You created me, so you must need me for something." Pinkamena taunted as she lowered her hoof with a jingle from her chains. "Perhaps I am a moral compass, or your conscious, or just an illusion you enslaved because you are lonely who knows."

“I told you, I don’t know why my mind has you in chains!”

“I would never accuse you of doing something as tyrannous as chaining up a poor defenseless mare as myself purposefully, why would you ever want to contain something as angelic as me?”

She pressed a hoof into her chest with a prideful sneer. The fangs she wielded glittered slightly before being concealed under her lip once more.

“Okay look, I just need a favor… for once in your life could you just try and be nice? Could you just try and help me out for just one day?” Pinkie begged, her eyes sopping as the tears created fog on the glass she pressed her muzzle against. “I’m really hurting and confuse and I don’t know why my sisters are acting this way!”

Humming in a deep state of consideration—her request was addressed.

“You do understand kindness is not something I practice,” Pinkamena informed with a raised eyebrow before continuing. “Nor care, or love, or patience. I do not possess any of these traits yet you still wish for me to assist you in this unknown territory?”

“Can you just try?” Pinkie pleaded as the flattening mane began to lose what made it so active and loved.

Pinkamena only wrinkled her nose.

The mirror rippled, and as the default scenery of her own tear-streaked face emerged, she pressed her forehead on the glass with a vomit of sobs.

She should have known better, but she still took the risk.

“I knew it.”

Dragging herself away from the fogged mirror she settled down on a little cot in front of a massive stained-glass window and stared at the still stars. She hated being alone, or ponies losing their patience with her and lying to her face, the list could go on and on about newfound actions that dug under her skin.

Pinkamena was not a snuggle-bug or a shoulder to cry on, in fact, she was as comfortable as barbed wire covering a cactus.

Also lit on fire.

Covering herself with half of the rug she shivered on the floor. She couldn't find enough strength or desire to crawl into her own bed. Under the watchful face of the moon and crying herself dry, she happened to find a few hours to sleep.

She wasn't looking forward to what awaited her in the morning.

Next Chapter: Chapter Two Estimated time remaining: 6 Hours