-PINKIE PIE’S MINDSCAPE-

Conflict echoes out on the grassy fields of the dream-like realm as both Harmony and Pinkie Pie combat against the pink mare’s mocking imitations. A trio of pink blurs and a singular stream of golden light zooms across the battlefield. In addition, discomforting laughter was let loose by the GrimDarks present.

Harmony was currently locked in combat with Pinkamena Diane Pie, or simply Diane. This GrimDark hails from a world where the Element Bearers seemingly abandoned the pink mare; causing her to snap as a killer pony was the result, born from vengeance. Bathed in blood.

“You fight pretty well for a fairy pony!” Diane exclaims as she dodges multiple rays of multicolored energy that were let loose by The Empress’s horn. Explosions roaring out all the while, “You know, I ripped the wings off some fairy ponies back in my world. They’re way easier to tear off than pegasi wings, that’s for sure!”

The Empress simply ignores the mare’s words as she continues to fire her trio of beams. The rays threatened to scorch the pink pony should even one of them manage to make contact. However, the mindscape itself wasn’t as fortunate as its scorched planes replaced the once lushful grassland. All caused by the missing rays of Harmony’s attack.

As she continues to zip about, Diane comments:

“You seem to be working at half capacity, Empress,” She dodges the trio of rays that practically danced all around her, “I recommend a little blue pill for your performance issues!”

“Your mockery will not ‘suade me, GrimDark,” Harmony responds, forming a smirk, “And you can keep your pill. Oblivion satisfies this plot very well, thank you very much.”

“Ohoho! Kinky!” Diane exclaims as she dodges one more attack before spinning around and kicking off the land with her hind legs. The force of the maneuver not only shatters the earth but also sends her shooting towards The Empress with frightening velocity.

Harmony halts her ranged attacks and takes on a combative pose, lowering herself to the floor as if to pounce onto the encroaching GrimDark. A series of giggling could be heard approaching The Empress, followed by a shattering shockwave as the two crashed into one another in a contest of physical might.

They struggle against one another, gritting their teeth in effort, as their forehooves pressed against each other. In addition, they were currently reared up on their hind legs which began to dig into the earth with every passing second. Their muscles flexed within their feminine, yet well-toned forms. Then, in an impressive display of physical might, the earth between the two combatants began to tear apart from their struggle as a large canyon formed between them.

The two leaps backward in tandem and land on the opposite sides of the newly formed tear in the earth, “Impressive. What my beloved told me about you GrimDarks is indeed true,” Harmony said.

Diane smirks devilishly, “And I’m not even one of the more powerful GrimDarks. I mean, sure, I’m strong and all. But let me tell you, Empress, there are those in the GrimDark that even you would be wise to fear.”

Harmony narrows her eyes, “You are all the same, overconfident monsters who think they’re unstoppable! And yet, each and every one of you has fallen time and time again.”

Diane smirks, “That’s pretty funny coming from the vengeful Empress who committed near genocide! Yeah, that’s right, Abaddon told us that sweet story!” The GrimDark retorts as she tries to fish out an emotional reaction to take advantage of. However, she instead gets a rather unusual reaction as a river of tears begins to pour down Harmony’s still stoic and combative expression.

“I will always carry my sins with me. All of which I truly regret to this very day,” Harmony responds with a determined but pained tone, “Recently, I’ve even caused great harm to a filly who doesn’t deserve her current status here on Equus. A plan of mine backfired on us, and she paid the ultimate price. I did it to try and save this world from Ocram, but now an innocent life has been turned into a new infection.”

The GrimDark raises an eyebrow, “Is there a point to all of this? Are you telling me your fucking obituary, Empress?”

Harmony could only chuckle in response with closed eyes as a series of lights starts to creep through the skies of the dream-like realm. It looked as if the rays of the sun itself were shining down upon them. Diane looked upward with mild curiosity, but The Empress opens her eyes and comments:

“Tell me, GrimDark, did Abaddon ever tell you what happens when you fight me in the day?”

……….

Moments before:

Pinkie Pie was currently contending with Rocket to Insanity, or Rocket as she came to call her, as the duo clashed their Phaseblades against one another. Pinkie with her Blue Phaseblade, and Rocket with their Red Phaseblade.

A ‘sksh’ sound would emit from the energy-based weaponry as each combatant clashed their blades against the other. In a flurry of attacks, and with high-speed movement, the two mares would rear up on their hindlegs as Rocket seemed to wear a black cloak as she comments:

“Come to the dark side, Pinkie Pie! We can be so much more together! We can bring about our own peace to countless worlds!”

“Only a meanie deals in absolute,” The party pony responds, struggling against her opponent’s phaseblade with a white cloak, “But I will do what I must!”

The two mares turn towards you, the readers/audience, “Have fun with that reference!” They shout in unison before turning back to each other with gritted teeth.

They once again swung their blades against their opponent on their hind legs, using their forehooves to grip their weaponry. Sideways, upward motions, the duo tries to slash away at each other, only to have their attack blocked by the opposing mare’s blade. Rocket suddenly hops high into the air and flips over Pinkie Pie with amazing acrobatics, while also striking at the mare in the process.

Pinkie turns with the mare who flips over her while also blocking the Red Phaseblade with her weapon. As Rocket lands on the opposite side of the party pony, she extends her right forehoof and seemingly chokes her opponent with an invisible force.

As Pinkie struggles within the invisible grasp, her Blue Phaseblade dropping to the ground, Rocket says:

“Neat trick, huh? Something I picked up from Abaddon. It totally acts just like the force choke.”

The party pony continues to struggle, gasping for the air that was being squeezed out of her by the second.

“What’s wrong, Pinkie? Can’t save yourself?” Rocket questions mockingly. “No big sister, friends, or mommy here to help you now. You see, THIS is what you are. A pathetic, party-loving moron who’s capable of so much more,” The mockery of Pinkie Pie grits her teeth in disdain, “But you hold it all back with this foolish facade of friendship and parties!”

However, Rocket failed to take something into consideration as Pinkie Pie conjured forth another blade from her inventory: Vein Burster. In one swift motion, the party pony swings the blade with her left forehoof, causing Rocket to jump backward in order to dodge.

This action drops Pinkie onto the earth below as she takes in a breath of air.

……….

Incidentally, and outside of the mindscape; within Athena’s domain, all of Pinkie Pie’s friends and loved ones were relieved to see that her breathing had returned to normal.

“What did ya’ do, Rarity?” Applejack questions.

“N-nothing, darling,” Rarity responds with confusion, “I was about to perform CPR on the dearie, but she seems to be doing just fine now.”

A moment of silence overtakes everyone present, Shroom caressing the pink pony’s mane, but Rainbow Dash begins to snicker before saying:

“You were totally about to kiss-”

“Finish that sentence, and I’ll be the one to stab you this time… darling.”

……….

Back in Pinkie Pie’s mindscape, the party pony was now standing before her opponent once more. However, a thought came to her as she takes on a saddened expression and asks:

“What happened between you and Dashie?”

Rocket’s eyes seemed to flinch in a sense of anger, “Why the buck do you care?” She questions.

“Because Dashie was clearly important to you, enough to drive you into whatever this is,” Pinkie Pie emphasizes by pointing a forehoof towards Rocket, “You’re such a meanie now!”

Rocket grits her teeth, “None of your business, you weakli-”

“It IS my business!” Pinkie interjects. “I can see that you’re hurting deep inside, and I want to-”

“Ugh! You sound just like the Twilight in my world!” Rocket interjects. “Let me guess, ‘you want to help me?’” She quotes mockingly, then scuffs, “Please, you can’t help what’s already done! Rainbow Dash, MY Rainbow Dash, is gone! She went insane as I beat her silly and sent her to Tartarus, an inmate in an asylum. Good riddance to her!”

“Stop it! Don’t say that!” Pinkie shouts, stomping her right hindleg, “Dashie still means the world to you, doesn’t she?”

“No!” Rocket shouts as she lunges forth with her Red Phaseblade. Pinkie Pie prepares to block by raising her Vein Burster as their weapons clash against one another. “I don’t give a buck about her!” Rocket shouts, struggling against Pinkie’s might.

However, something was very different about this struggle… something that Pinkie Pie noticed right away, but her counterpart was oblivious to it. With gritted teeth from holding back Rocket’s blade with her own, the party pony takes on a face of sadness and says:

“You still care for her…”

“No! I don’t, shut your mouth right now!”

“How can you not see it?!”

“See what?!”

A tear escapes from Pinkie Pie’s eyes, “Y-you’re crying, Rocket…”

As was pointed out, and to the shock of even its owner, a trail of tears was indeed strolling down Rocket’s face. Her anger and hatred had seemingly caused her to be ignorant of the dampness that was now present on her face, on both cheeks.

The two break their struggle and hops a short distance away from each other. Rocket’s tears were still flowing down her face, but anger fills her voice as she shouts:

“What did you do to me?!”

“I didn’t do anything!” Pinkie responds. “What’s happening here is obvious, you do still care about Dashie. But I want to know just how much she meant to you, Rocket!”

The GrimDark wipes her tears away with her right forehoof, “You want to know what she meant to me?” She places her hoof back onto the earth, “Everything!”

Pinkie Pie’s ears perk up in response, “What do you mean?”

“Rainbow Dash was so much more to me than just a friend… I wanted her to be my special somepony!” Rocket shouts with a tone mixed with rage and if Pinkie didn’t know any better, sadness. “I LOVED her! I invited her over to try out a new cupcake I made with all my heart and soul poured into it! I was trying to court her!”

After shouting her answer, Rocket begins to breathe heavily as pain and torment become etched onto her features. With a sympathetic expression, Pinkie Pie says:

“I’m sorry if she rejected you... But that’s no reason to-”

“It went beyond just ‘rejecting me’, Pinkie,” A scornful response interjects, “She tried to kill me! She claimed that I was there to murder her! Why the buck would I do that?!”

“S-so… that’s why I attacked Rainbow, or, why you used me to…” Pinkie Pie responds in realization. “The rage I felt… It was your rage.”

“She stabbed me multiple times… shattering my heart in more ways than one. Dashie didn’t even give me time to explain myself, or even prove my innocence,” Rocket responds, closing her eyes afterward, “I was hospitalized soon after that happened. It was a miracle that I even lived,” She opens her eyes and smiles devilishly, “A miracle indeed… for you see, Pinkie, Abaddon came to me in that hospital bed. He saved my life on that day, and made me see my true greatness.”

……….

Present:

A sudden surge of light erupts from nearby, and the rays of the sun, or a sun, cuts off any further conversation between Pinkie Pie and Rocket to Insanity. They could see an equine figure rise up into the sky as Harmony’s voice starts to echo throughout the mindscape:

“Begone from my daughter’s mind, GrimDarks! I will no longer tolerate your presence here!” In a shocking display, The Empress’s equine form seems to shed itself completely as a new being now floated high above.

Pinkie Pie looked on in amazement, eyes wide open and her mouth hung agape. “Whoa… momma looks so different now, and so pretty!” She shouts.

The truest form of The Empress crosses her arms as she builds up an incredible amount of power and light.

Another pink mare streams into being and stands next to Rocket, “Rocket, we’ve gotta go!” Diane exclaims. “Let’s meet up with the others and Abaddon. Our time here in that buffoon’s mind is up.”

Overhearing this, Pinkie Pie tears her gaze away from her mother and looks back towards her two counterparts. She extends her right forehoof and says:

“Wait, please! Let’s talk this out together!”

“The time for talk is over, Pinkie,” Diane responds as she and Rocket slowly start to fade away in a mist of darkness, “The time for action is upon us all.”

“We’ll meet again very soon, you foolish mare,” Rocket comments. “Oh, and tell your Dashie that I’d love to mingle with her sometime.”

Pinkie Pie wanted to stop the duo, even starting to stampede towards them while shouting:

“Hold on! Rocket, Diane, don’t leave!”

Sadly, not only did the duo fade away completely, but Harmony extends her arms in either direction as a large pulse of light consumes the mindscape.

Character inventory/equipment:

Fluttershy: Statigel Armor(pony, equipped), Overloaded Blaster, Eviscerator, Crimslime Staff, Corroslime Staff, Slime Staff, Finch Staff, Snow Flinx Staff, Hornet Staff, Blood Clot Staff, Deathbringer Pickaxe, Blood Lust Cluster Axe, Healing Potion, Honey Comb(equipped), Brain Of Confusion(equipped), Mana Polarizer(equipped), Honeyed Goggles, Slime Mount, Staff Of Necrosteocytes, Purified Jam.

Rainbow Dash: Necro Armor(pony, equipped), Star Cannon, Minishark, Eviscerator, Aquatic Discharge, Bloody Rupture, Deathbringer Pickaxe, Blood Lust Cluster Axe, Healing Potion, Aero Stone(equipped), Brain Of Confusion(equipped), Bone Glove(equipped), Mana Polarizer(equipped), Victory Shard, Slime Mount.

Zecora: Crimson Armor(zebra, equipped), Dune Hopper, Sausage Maker, Beenade, Tooth Ball, Aorta, Deathbringer Pickaxe, Blood Lust Cluster Axe, Various Potions, Rocket Boots(equipped), Honey Comb(equipped), Sand Cloak(equipped), Brain Of Confusion(equipped), Bloodstained Gloves(equipped), Bone Glove(equipped), Mana Polarizer(equipped), Honeyed Goggles, Skeletron Hand.

Starlight Glimmer: Meteor Armor(pony, equipped), Space Gun, Starfury, Vein Burster, Purple Phaseblade, Deathbringer Pickaxe, Blood Lust Cluster Axe, Mana Potion, Healing Potion, Victory Shard, Rocket Boots(equipped), Aero Stone(equipped), Brain Of Confusion(equipped), Mana Polarizer(equipped), Bone Glove(equipped), Slime Mount, Book Of Skulls, Skeletron Hand.

Rarity: Meteor Armor(pony, equipped), Space Gun, Hornet Staff, Snow Flinx Staff, Ice Mirror, Blood Clot Staff, Deathbringer Pickaxe, Blood Lust Cluster Axe, Mana Potion, Angel Wings(equipped), Brain Of Confusion(equipped), Mana Polarizer(equipped), Slime Mount, Book Of Skulls, Skeletron Hand, Staff Of Necrosteocytes.

Applejack: Crimson Armor(pony, equipped), Vein Burster, Orange Phaseblade, Deathbringer Pickaxe, Blood Lust Cluster Axe, Rope, Metal Detector, Healing Potion, Angel Wings(equipped), Honey Comb(equipped), Flurry Boots(equipped), Brain Of Confusion(equipped), Mana Polarizer(equipped), Honeyed Goggles, Slime Mount, Bone Glove, Skeletron Hand.

Twilight Sparkle: Meteorite Armor(pony, equipped), Space Gun, Book Of Skulls, Deathbringer Pickaxe, Blood Lust Cluster Axe, Mana Potion, Ichor, Victory Shards, Aero Stone(equipped), Brain Of Confusion(equipped), Mana Polarizer(equipped), Slime Mount.

Pinkie Pie: Crimson Armor(pony, equipped), Vein Burster, Blue Phaseblade, Bloody Rupture x2, Aorta, Deathbringer Pickaxe, Blood Lust Cluster Axe, Metal Detector, Angel Wings(equipped), Honey Comb(equipped), Flurry Boots(equipped), Brain Of Confusion(equipped), Mana Polarizer(equipped), Bone Glove(equipped), Honeyed Goggles, Slime Mount, The Blood Butcherer, Skeletron Hand.