「MMMM」: Pinkie's Story /// Chapter VIII: Three Wise Mares

Previously, on The 「Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness」: Pinkie's Story...
https://pastebin.com/TnJafh4d

>You've fallen off the train with a glass shard in your hoof
>Applejack's huddled around you, making sure that you won't die with what little medical knowledge she has
>You're not sure how, but the day's suddenly turned a whole lot worse for you
>If the both of you don't find help soon, you're both going to die stranded in the desert

------

>Back to square one, except this time, there's no doubt that you can't get back to the train
>Well, in hindsight, it could definitely be much, MUCH worse
>You don't think anything is broken (you hope), you believe that you did a number on 「Pride and Joy」 (you hope), and you think Applejack's alright (you know)
>Even if, you know, you have a glass shard in your hoof
>You're not a quick healer like the unicorns, but you can at least perform some self-surgery (as painful as it may be)
"Look away, Applejack. This'll be real quick! 「PPP」, do your magic."
>Averting her eyes, Applejack attempts to look into the distance, for possible shade, maybe even some sort of civilization
>All she sees are trees on hills amongst a barren landscape, which probably won't help much
>You? Oh, you're taking out the glass shard by making it "fall" out of your hoof
>「PPP」 isn't really a helpful ability in that aspect, but hey, what goes goes
>Except holy CRAP does it sting
>Serves you right for not using anaesthetic while taking out a glass shard in your hoof
"Ow... AJ? Have you found anything interesting?"
>"Nuthin'."
>Cursing in your head, you look at your now bleeding hoof in scorn
>If you had taken care of 「Pride and Joy」, you wouldn't have been in this mess, and look where it's gotten you
>You're probably halfway to Canterlot in the middle of nowhere with nothing but a special Earth pony and your special ability

>Sighing, you just look towards Applejack, putting your hoof on her back (not the bloody one, thankfully enough)
"Applejack, I'm sorry for getting you in this mess. I know you're not in the mood for an apology, but I've gotta say sorry sometime, right?"
>"Pinkie, Ah want you to look at me."
>Looking back, Applejack smiles, looking as if she didn't even care about the apology
>"Honesty is the best policy. 'Cause of that, Ah'm gonna tell you that it doesn't matter. What matters is that you're safe, and hopefully not gonna kick the bucket. Friends forever, right?"
>You wearily smile, nodding in total gratitude
"Friends forever. I promise you, when we get out of here, I'm gonna throw you a party, and all your family's invited!"
>"Ah'd appreciate that. But, eh, Ah gotta say, you did definitely get us into a pickle with us being in a clearing... desert? Ah'm not sure. We're definitely a far way away from home. Shoot."
>Standing up, though limping when you walk, you drape your hoof around AJ and look with her onto the horizon
>It's still daytime, thankfully, and it's definitely not blistering, so the both of you could make it home in three days
>「PPP」 could even shorten that by two days if you try hard enough
>"Hm... 「Bad Apple!!」."
>A humanoid-like figure appears next to Applejack, looking in the direction she is with its brow furrowed
>The sight of it creeps you out, it's near identical to your one except it's orange and brown and what not
>It's also extremely muscular unlike your one, but that detail doesn't matter, does it?
>What matters is that 「Bad Apple!!」 looks Celestiadamn POWERFUL
>"Do ya see anythin'?"
>The creature shakes its head, going back into its user's body after inspecting the horizon carefully
>Shit

>"Welp. Looks like we're gonna be on a little hike 'til we make it back home."
>Looking back, Applejack winces as she looks upon the cut, silently thanking the stars that you're not too injured
>Maybe you can walk your way to the nearest town if you stand alongside her? She's not sure, but she'd be happy to as long as you're safe
>"Hey, Pinkie. Are ya able to stand up? Ah'm not gonna force you to move if you're unable to."
"I can, just hold on a second! I might be hurt, but I'm not THAT hurt. Jeez, you're treating it like I'm crippled or something!"
>You might as well be crippled, being cut up with a shard in your right hoof would kill a normal pony
>But you're not a normal pony
>You are Pinkie Pie, user of 「Party Party Party」
>And you swear by all things good that you're going to get to the bottom of 「Pride and Joy」's motives, and make sure your friends won't be hurt
>Kind of hard to do that when they're a long way away from you, though
>You shakily stand up, trying to place your hoof on the ground so you don't trip
>Thankfully enough, you don't, and begin to walk towards Applejack with a reassuring smile
>If there's one thing AJ can note, it's that even in times like these, you'll always have a smile on your face
"Where do you think we should go first? This way? That way? Over there?"
>"Somewhere. We gotta find a place to rest or else we're as good as gone."
>You and AJ begin to walk towards the nearest hill, before a soft, sweet voice calls out to you both
>"Excuse me! Are you two lost?"

"何?!"
>"What in tarnation—?!"
>「Party Party Party」 and 「Bad Apple!!」 appear between you and Applejack respectively, ready to lay a beatdown on the potential enemy...
>Except, well, that can't be right, because said enemy jumps a few meters back (you're not exaggerating), covering itself with its wings
>Wings?
>It must be a pegasus, it doesn't even look like a griffin (thankfully enough)
>"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I just saw you two by the path, and I thought it would have been nice of me to help you two! I'm sorry!"
>The pegasus shudders, breathing nervously in total fear of your reactions, which is kind of weird
>All you two did was turn around and summon your "special helpers", and there's no way they could have seen them
>Right?
>Taking the initiative, you decide to put away 「PPP」 and make amends with the jittery flyer, before you notice one detail
"Are you... crying?"
>Looking up in embarrassment, the newcomer furiously shakes her head with a mighty glare
>"Me? No way."
"I see tears. You're totally crying! What's the matter? We didn't mean to scare you, we were just surprised!"
>"I'm NOT crying! I... do this out of impulse, okay? E-Everyone does it!"
>Something seems off to you about her, not even Fluttershy is this emotional about meeting people
>You were about to prod more about her, before your trusty cowpony whistles in your direction
>"Pinkie, lay offa' her. We don't have time to be bickering when she's offerin' help."

>Shaking her head, 「Bad Apple!!」 goes away and the pegasus is significantly more calmer now than she was before
>Before Applejack talks to her, you're going to do a quick look over her features so you can observe if she's enemy material or not
>You've seen the comic books, nine times out of ten the lime-green people are bad guys
>Let's see
>Emerald fur, crystal blue eyes (almost like yours), mint green hair with a blue headband, and a golden tail
>Doesn't seem too much of a threat, but you have to say that the golden tail clashes with the rest of the design
>You think she could be a valuable ally, but in your current situation, you're gonna have to be wary of any pony you see
>Almost anyone could backstab you and hurt you on the way back home, and only Celestia knows what could happen to Applejack
>Speaking of, she's disregarding any sense of safety and walking towards the mysterious pony, offering a hoof to it
>"Sugarcube, Ah'm sorry about how we're actin'. We've, uh... had a bit of a rough day today, and we'd appreciate any aid we could get."
"APPLEJACK! We don't even KNOW her!"
>"And none of us knew each other before Rainbow Dash did that Sonic Rainboom-thing, yet we're good friends today. Pinkie, Ah trust my gut, and my gut says that she's not bad. Maybe you should trust yours every once in a while."
"I do! It's just... you know... 「Pride and Joy」 and all of those things really isn't..."
>"Pinkie, Ah'm tellin' you, it's not that bad. Ah've never gotten far in anythin' without takin' risks, and Ah ain't stoppin' now. End of story."
>Sighing, AJ looks back onto the pegasus, who's wiping her eyes from the anxiety she had experienced
>It still rubs you the wrong way, particularly from how outlandish she seems to be
>And if any kind of silliness rubs YOU the wrong way, you know something's serious
>Your bloody hoof jerks out and your ear flops, your Pinkie Sense acting up

"Gah! Sorry, sorry..."
>The pegasus looks up, gasping at the cuts over your body and the wound in your hoof
>"No way! What happened to you? That's not like something I've ever seen before, even after living here for ages and ages!"
"It's nothing! Really, it's only just a scratch. I'll be right as rain before you know it!"
>"Pinkie, Ah swear."
"Fine, fine. I fell off a train while fighting someone and now everything hurts. Chin up, it doesn't hurt THAT bad!"
>The pegasus wipes her eyes one last time, walking towards you and inspecting the damage clearly
>"Hmmm... One pit, and what looks like twenty valleys. This seems like something I can patch up."
>Hoisting you up, the pony begins to hold you and walk you towards one of the hills, AJ by your side
>"I guess I should introduce myself so none of us feel like we're walkin' on sunshine! I'm Windy Lilac! You're Pinkie Pie, and she's Applejack, right?"
"Yeah! Um... I think the right wording's 'walking on thin ice', Windy."
>"Call me Lilac. Tomato, tomato, let's focus on getting you some help!"
>The pony, now known as Windy Lilac, looks off into the distance, staring intently at a hill with a weird-looking tree on it
>Strange, you never saw this on the map
>AJ, not quite comfortable with the tension in the air, strikes up a conversation with the new "friend"
>"So, uh, Lilac! What brought you around the train tracks during this fine afternoon? Heh, time flies, don't it?"
>Lilac tilts her head, looking at Applejack with a funny expression
>"What's a 'time'? Is it that sun in the sky or something?"
>So not only is she overly-emotional, she doesn't even know what time is?
>She's super suspicious, but maybe she naturally spaces out
>This is a complete and total mystery

>Ignoring AJ's question, Lilac picks up the pace, forcing you to limp as quickly as you can towards the hill
>Celestiadamn she's going fast, but that's to be expected from all pegasi, especially ones with "wind" in their name
>"We'll be there soon, so don't worry about your hoof!"
>As you silently wish you were a pegasus too so you could fly instead of walking, you think back on the possible culprit for who destroyed the 「MMMM」
>"But Pinkie," you hear can the reader say
>"Why are you thinking about that now when you're so far away from the train?"
>Because you'd like to have a little talk with the smart guy who destroyed your pride and joy
>Blergh
>That phrase leaves a bad taste in your mouth now, possibly even worse than the mangoes do
>Maybe Donut Joe was the one that had destroyed the cake
>The next time you see him, you're sure as heck not going to hold back on giving him a piece of your mind
>"We're here!"
>Nani?
>In amidst your rambling, you all reach the bottom of the hill, right next to a huge rock
>Cosy
>"Now, if the two of you could give me a second, I'll get this finished faster than a running snail!"
>Alright now that's just pushing it, that's not even a euphemism
>What happened next, however, pushed that complaint well out of the way
>"By the 「Wind Beneath My Wings」, I command you to move out of the way... Please!"
>And, lo and behold, the rock moves out of the way
>Does this pegasus have superpowers too?

>"There we go, everybody! Follow me and maybe we can help you with your valleys!"
>"We"? "Valleys"?
>This is beginning to creep you out, no normal pony actually uses those terms for cuts and wounds
>Unless this is a town that no one's ever talked about before and is super-duper spooky?
>For some reason, an image of Applebloom flashes through your mind
>It must just be a fleeting memory of some kind, it totally mustn't be too important
>Behind the rock is a cave, a fire at the end of it with a three beds (two empty, and one that seems to be full) and some medical supplies
>What's really interesting is just how spacious it is, almost as big as a barn, maybe even bigger
>The waterfalls look especially calming with the glint of the fire illuminating every little nook and crevice
>It's surprising that there's only what seems to be three people living here, it looks like many more could fit here
>Right before you open your mouth to compliment the atmosphere, Lilac shouts into the cave, waking the single occupant in the bed
>"Guess who's back!"
>"LILAC! AT LEAST HAVE THE DECENCY TO KNOCK ON THE ROCK FIRST BEFORE COMING IN!"
>"But this was important! I managed to find some newcomers!"
>"I don't care! I was having a great dream, and then YOU had to come in unannounced, and blah blah blah..."
>As the two begin to bicker over how rude it was to barge in unannounced, AJ walks next to you and begins whispering, clearly as unnerved as you are
>Which is a complete turn from her acceptance of their hospitality before, but it's good that she finally came around
>"Pinkie, Ah think they're a bit cuckoo."
"I KNOW they're a bit cuckoo, Applejack. I was trying to tell you that before!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z0qUTFVrhQ
>Lilac and the other pony stop arguing, clearly exhausted from today despite not really doing anything
>Silence fills the room, the waterfalls within the cave gushing and filling the cave with a calm ambience
>Well, you're not really one for silence and all that, so you better break the tension quickly before things get TOO awkward
"Ahem!"
>The two mares look toward you, Lilac looking surprised, while the other one looks concerned
>"Lilac? Who did you bring with you? You know we can't let anyone in or else we'll be in danger."
>"They need HELP, Blaze. There's twenty valleys and a pit on the pink one, and I haven't even seen the orange one's injuries yet! Come on, let's just give them a chance before we send them off!"
>"My name isn't Blaze, it's Flame! Fine! We'll check out the wounds and then send them off."
>The pony gets out of her bed, walking over towards you and AJ with a frustrated expression
>If there's one thing you notice about the mare, it's that they're not a pegasus like Lilac, instead an Earth Pony
>They have a red coat, green eyes, freckles on their face, and a brown mane, which fits their name, you suppose
>For now you may as well call them "Blaze" as "Flame" sounds kind of weak
"Hey! Um, how are you going to help us?"
>AJ takes a backseat, looking towards the cave entrance as Blaze walks up to you
>"You'll see. If the pit and the valleys are bad enough, you might even be able to take Terra's bed for the night and stay 'til the morning."
>The mare inspects the cuts fiercely, almost staring a hole through them before pointing to the side towards a waterfall
>A pool of clear water is sitting at the bottom of it, enough to hold one pony in it

>"Soak your hooves in there for a while. All the pain should go away and it'll heal quickly."
"Water you talking about? I'm not a smart pony, but I'm sure that's not gonna heal me at all as quickly as you say!"
>The red mare sighs, just turning around and going back to her bed
>"A pun? Seriously? Just go in the water and swim for a bit. This mountain's got a Paradox that'll help anyone that sits in its waters."
"A 'Paradox'? What's that?"
>Lilac butts in as Blaze opens her mouth, excitedly babbling what a Paradox is
>"It's a super-duper complicated problem no one can answer!"
>Blaze can't help but chuckle, laying on the bed and beginning to nod off
>"Not THAT kind of paradox, you dimwit. What she means is... Well, you'll see for yourself. Just go in the water."
>Well, you might as well listen to her and swim in the pool
>You jump in, not caring that you splashed Applejack and Blaze is now wide awake
>Looking closely at it, you notice there's a mural of some sort of symbol at the bottom of the pool
>It's got a dot at the top and an "M" at the bottom, with a weird circle thing around it
>Hey, something tingly's happening to your hooves
>Raising them out of the water, you notice that the cuts and the huge wound has been completely healed
>This is the breaking point for you, because the two mares seem to be hiding more than they say they are
"Now hold on just one second, missy! What's going on? I've never seen any kind of magic like this before, not even by Twilight! Just what are you hiding from me?"
>Lilac flinches, tears pooling in her eyes
>Her mood swings must be taking effect right now
>"D-Don't you know what a Paradox is? B-But... But you had one before! I saw you and Applejack with one!"
>"Lilac, you saw them do WHAT?!"

"Huh? Are you referring to 「PPP」? Is... Is that what a 'Paradox' is?"
>Lilac's still crying, probably afraid that she might have done something wrong
>"Y-Yeah! That's what a Paradox is! I didn't think you had them since me and Blaze live right next to where you get them!"
>Blaze sits straight up, looking towards you in total shock
>"You have a Paradox too? But no one else went through Luna's Chasm!"
"What? Huh? What are you guys even talking about?"
>Leaping off the bed, Blaze sprints towards you and grabs you by the shoulders
>"I thought that me, Lilac, and Terra were the only ones to have Paradoxes! Who are you?!"
"Pinkie Pie!"
>"...Cloudy Quartz' daughter?"
>Wait, what did she just say? How does she know your family?
"Yeah, she's my mom! Why're you asking?"
>Blaze looks shocked, before glancing over at Lilac, who's equally as amazed
>So creatures like 「PPP」 are called "Paradoxes", then?
>You learn something new everyday
>But there's no time for pondering what your ability's called when Blaze walks toward Lilac
>"Lilac, the Rock Ponies are still alive."

><=To=Be=Continued====

UNDOCUMENTED LANDMARKS AROUND EQUESTRIA #1

"「Crimson Cave」 and the 「Rivers of Babylon」"

A long, long time ago, back when Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were working together to keep the balance of the Sun and the Moon, the railroad between Ponyville and Canterlot was mostly deserted. It was hot and humid even with the pegasi controlling the weather, and if you took a train, it was advised you wear light clothing to avoid chances of heatstroke.

However, there were a few ponies who had the bright idea to make a home around that area.

In the tunnel on the way to Canterlot, if you strayed far off enough on the path, you would see a gigantic rock who only the toughest of ponies could move. Behind that rock was an amazing cavern, with glowing gemstones, and the clearest water you could find in Equestria. It would make a fine home for ponies and dragons alike. And, of course, a small community of ponies lived there, growing food around the rock and sustaining off of that.

There was one thing quite peculiar about the cave. The waters were reported to have great healing properties, which could heal any disease, from the common flu to the Cutie Pox. The locals within the cave called the waters the 「Rivers of Babylon」.

Eventually, as Princess Luna made the transition to Nightmare Moon, the community was slowly forgotten as Celestia made the area cooler and made the land more fertile; no one could see the cave unless they had a good eye, and even if they did stray off the path, the rock was fixed in place, unable to be moved as easily as it was before. The community went from fifty to twenty when Princess Luna came back, and dwindled to ten when Discord came back.

The population of 「Crimson Cave」 is now three. Windy Lilac, Burning Blaze (though she prefers to be called Fiery Flame), and Terra Daisy. They swore never to leave the cave so they can guard it, but two mares by the name of Pinkie Pie and Applejack might just force them to give that up...