「MMMM」: Pinkie's Story /// Chapter IX: 「Black Side Mountain」

Previously, on The 「Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness」: Pinkie's Story...
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"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."

--------

>You are Pinkie Pie, the Element of Laughter, and the user of ability-turned-Paradox 「Party Party Party」
>And apparently your mother is a Rock Pony, which confuses you to no end
>What exactly is a Rock Pony, anyway? Is she talking about her as a rock farmer? You're not going to tolerate any ill comments on your mother
>You haven't seen her in a while, actually
>Might do some good to visit her sometime
>But that doesn't matter when Blaze and Lilac are hushed, muttering and whispering to each other

>Amongst the whisperings are phrases like "Terra might be mortified to see another one" and "Cloudy Quartz is this pony's mom?"
>You didn't think that your mother being Cloudy would spark so much interest among these two, no one knows too much about the rock farm
>AJ moves up to you, tapping you on the shoulder slowly
"What's up?"
>"Ah think we might need to get out, Pinkie. We already got what we needed, and it has to be at least one in the afternoon, so we can make it to Canterlot if we try hard enough."
>"No, you aren't. We're gonna ask you some questions."
>Surprisingly, Lilac is the one that denies you both leaving, a hard look on her face
>For some reason, you feel as if she's not happy by the prospect of you leaving the cave
>Blaze nods as well, moving towards an empty bed and opening the mattress within
>Another pony is there, staring up at Blaze with a fearful expression
>From what you can tell, they have a reddish mane, and a tangerine tail, with a brown coat and freckles on her muzzle
>You know, you haven't quite taken a look at their cutie marks yet, so you ought to take a looksie really quick
>Lilac has a blue flower with five petals, sharp and thin, almost in perfect symmetry
>From what you can see, the pony under the bed has a little Earth on it, blue and green
>But if there's one thing you don't understand, it's that Blaze has no cutie mark on her at all
>Or is her cutie mark the same as the color of her coat? You've never heard of that happen before
>"I heard everything, Blaze. The Rock Ponies are alive? A-Are they going to hurt us? I can't let them hurt us!"
>"Stay calm, Terra. You can even stand next to us to make sure they won't if you want."
>Slowly, "Terra" moves out from under the mattress and moves towards the centre of the cave to join the interrogation
"Guys? What's with all the commotion? I don't even KNOW what a 'rock pony' is!"

>The whole group sans Applejack stares down at you, said pony actually getting close to you to make sure you don't get hurt
>Which is nice, but you nudge her and motion her to the side
"Jackie, I can handle this myself. Place a lil' bit of trust in your good friend, Ponka Po!"
>"Pinkie, this could turn out ugly! Ah don't wanna get down 'n dirty with three other ponies who already know how to rumble!"
>"We're not barbarians, 'Applejack'. If Terra and Lilac get rowdy, I can just tell them to reel it back. All we want is answers."
>Blaze moves up front, Lilac moving straight behind her in faux confidence, believing she can stare you down
>The silence is palpable, the water flowing not fitting the current tension in the atmosphere
>All you had wanted was to take the Cake's creation to Canterlot, but no, you just HAD to get thrown off by Pony Joe and get sent here
>Well, it looks like you're going to have to play a game of twenty questions with three suspicious ponies and a friend of yours
>Blaze begins to speak, filling the room and pushing away the silence at last
>"First question. Do you know what race Cloudy Quartz is?"
"An Earth Pony, of course! She told me herself!"
>The three look to each other in shock and worry, looking back to you after a few seconds pass
>"Second question. How did you gain your Paradox?"
"Hm... I don't know, actually! I guess I always had it, but I remember using it as early as I got my cutie mark!"
>"Alright. Applejack, how did you get YOUR Paradox?"
>"Shoot, Ah... Ah guess when Ah came back to the farm? Ah was plenty strong before Ah left, so mah 'Paradox' is just a manifestation-thingy of mah strength."
>Terra's seemed to have calmed down, just looking at you from time to time anxiously
>Blaze, however, seems as determined as ever
>"Last question. What species do you think YOU are?"

"Earth Pony. Why are you asking?"
>Uncomfortably, Terra steps forward, looking through you with a petrified gaze
>"Because Cloudy Quartz is... well, WAS a friend of our fathers here. She's a Rock Pony, and she did some things that we didn't approve of. If you're her daughter, then does that make you a Rock Pony, too?"
"What IS a Rock Pony? I am... well, I WAS a rock FARMER, if that's what you're talking about."
>Lilac hums, grabbing your attention
>"They're like a pony... but made out of rock, I guess? All I know is that they sleep for a long time and hate mangoes. They LOOK like normal ponies, too!"
>Oh shit, you don't like mangoes all too much either
>But you don't sleep for a long time, you at least get eight hours of sleep and then that's it
"Well... I don't like mangoes, but I don't sleep THAT long. Maybe you're thinking of one of my sisters?"
>Piping up, Blaze stands in front of Lilac again, prompting Lilac to roll her eyes and move away
>"Limestone and Maud? Perhaps. I know that Maud is one for sure, since Quartz spoke so highly of her Rock status. Ugh. The rock puns were just unbearable..."
"Did she use the rock puns to 「Rock Your World!!」?"
>Silence befalls the caverns as the joke sets in, causing Lilac to laugh and Terra to softly smile
>Blaze, however, isn't nearly as amused as the other two are, pointing towards the caverns with a snarl
>"Get out. That joke was horrible. Of ALL the traits she had to pass to you, it was the mango hate and the jokes?"
"What man-goes around, comes around!"
>Lilac howls with laughter, hitting the ground with all her force, with Terra attempting to calm her down
>"QUIET!"
>The room hushes down, Blaze looking at you with a hard, cold expression, leaving no room for discussion
>Kind of like a rock
>"We've got our answers out of you. Don't tell anyone about this place. Get out."

"Okie-dokie!"
>Happily, you prance out with AJ behind you (yeah, remember her?), thinking about ways to get home
>You and AJ could get to a little settlement somewhere if you both ran hard enough, 「Bad Apple!!」's stamina combined with 「PPP」's powers could definitely help shorten the distance
>Well, you WOULD be getting to work on getting home, right before Lilac jumps in front of you, putting her hooves out
>"Hold on a second! So... you aren't a Rock Pony, but you have a Paradox? Haven't you been to Luna's Chasm?"
"Nope! I've only been to the castle! It was kinda dark and dirty."
>"Then... how did you get it?"
"I already answered you! I dunno! I could ask Mom, if you want!"
>"But how can you get it if you're not a Rock Pony OR come from Luna's Chasm? Blaze, if she's not a Rock Pony OR come from Luna's Chasm, something else might be granting these Paradoxes! We have to check it out! Mom might be one of 'em!"
>Blaze hesitates, looking at both you and her uncertainly
>She's probably wondering why she has to go as well, since no one will be looking after the cave
>Terra nudges her by the side, smiling softly and looking back at the cave
>"Blaze, we can both move the rock in the entrance and then follow Pinkie down where she needs to go. This cave will be fine."
>"Flame. Yes, but... With the descendant of a Rock Pony? Of Cloudy Quartz, no less? It's a recipe for disaster! Don't you remember what happened to us before?"
>"Things change in twenty years, Flame. I'm telling you, Pinkie doesn't sound that bad."
>"But... Fine. Fine! We'll go with her and see where Cloudy Quartz is, interrogate where the rest of the Rock Ponies are, but I swear..."
>"Stay calm. She won't let us get hurt... Lilac, that is."
>You clop your hooves on the ground, looking towards the entrance
>It's one in the evening, and you'd like to make a move on getting home

>As you and the other ponies make it on the way out, Lilac uses what she calls her Paradox to move the rock back to its original place
>Blaze looks uncomfortable, looking as if she hasn't seen the sun in years
>Terra looks tired, smiling as if she could drop asleep at any moment, almost like Fluttershy
>Lilac looks like she's going to go on the adventure of her life, smiling giddily
>Applejack looks off into the distance, seeing the Canterlot mountain standing high and mighty
>"Hey, Pinkie. Ah just need to know, when does the train come by, again?"
"Hm..."
>「PPP」 reaches into hammerspace and pulls out a timetable conveniently, allowing you to look at the time of departure
>You look under the section that reads "Ponyville-Canterlot", and hum to yourself
"Let's take a looksie..."
PONYVILLE-CANTERLOT DEPATURE TIMES
Monday: 7AM-11AM Tuesday
Tuesday: 12PM-6PM Wednesday
Wednesday: 8AM-12PM Thursday
Thursday: 1PM-7PM Friday
Friday: 6AM-10AM Saturday
Saturday: 11AM-5PM Sunday
Sunday: 6PM-12AM Monday
>It seems simple enough, but then you remember you've forgotten what the date is
>You're ashamed that you managed to forget something as simple as the date, but it could be worse
"What's the date today?"
>Applejack thinks for a second, before looking at you nervously
>"Um... Monday? Ah've kind of forgotten, to be completely honest with ya."
>Lilac looks at the sun and laughs, drawing all the attention in the group to her
>"It's Monday! I heard the train coming while it was... Hm... quarter-to-eleven!"

>You're not sure how Lilac managed to tell the time in such a way, but you've done much weirder
>Calling attention to herself, Applejack begins heading towards the mountain while whistling a tune
>"Hey, everypony! Quit gawkin' at the Sun and get a move on! We've only got a few hours before the Moon comes out, and Ah hear the desert ain't the best place to be in at night!"
"Coming, AJ!"
>You gallop towards her, savoring the fact that your hoof is fully healed
>Thank Celestia for the waters in that cave, you bet you'd be crippled if you didn't find it
>As you reach her, the other three fall back and talk to themselves, thinking about if it's a good idea to go
>You don't care too much, you've been dying to see who the culprit was for eating the cake and all that
>You're kind of bothered on what might happen when you get to Canterlot, actually
>Who knows if Twilight and the others got there alive? Who knows what the three back there might do to modern, sophisticated society?
>You mean, you're no fancy, up-tight pony (the Grand Galloping Gala would say that much), but those three look out of touch
>They don't even use the right euphemisms in speech
>"She took it all like a fly stuck to honey..."
>You heard Lilac say that and it baffles you how badly they can mangle Equestrian language
>"Pinkie, what do ya think might happen when we get to Canterlot? Five bits says that the 「MMMM」 won."
"I dunno, Applejack. I'm just concerned on what Donut Joe might have done to the others. 「Pride and Joy」 is a real powerful Paradox."
>"Don't ya worry none, sugarcube. Ah'm sure that they'll be happy to see us back. The Cakes sure as heck will be, too!"
>You smile, nudging AJ in the rib as you keep on heading forward to the mountain
"You know how to cheer me up, AJ! Let's get to Canterlot and take the 「Last Train Home」 if we can."

>"You 'n Ah will take first class. We've gotta lotta' things to talk about when we go home. Granny Smith will be sure as heck surprised to find out you have an ability!"
"And so will the rock farmers! What are we, cousins?"
>Laughing, the two of you keep heading towards the mountain while the three keep gossiping
>You could have sworn you heard something about Cloudy doing something bad, but you doubt it
>Still, a pang of guilt erupts within you as you think of your earlier actions
>Especially with the danger you put the rest of the girls in, there's no possible way that's safe
>Thinking out loud, you don't notice that the rest of the group have caught up with you
>By the by, Lilac looks a bit more serious than usual, Blaze looks especially cold (huehuehue), and Terra is marginally more frightened than earlier
"Still, I hope Twilight's okay. She looked really mad when we got to pinning down Mulia as the culprit."
>"Pinkie, Ah'm tellin' ya, you have to let go. We're friends, aren't we? Just let it go and you'll be more than fine."
"You're right, but... Fine. I'll try and look forward. I'll throw a huge party for everyone when we get back home!"
>Blaze taps you on the side (almost frightening you, admittedly), causing you to look back
>"Pinkie. Where are we going? Does Cloudy live here?"
"You've... never been to Canterlot before?"
>"Canterlot? This was always 「Black Mountain Side」 to us. It was always black whenever... well, IF we ever left the cave. Why's it called Canterlot?"
"I don't know. It's just a rocky name, if you ask me."
>"I am sick of that rock pun schist—great, now you've got me doing it!"
"Hey, that's not very gneiss!"
>Lilac stays quiet, trying not to crack a smile and focusing on the mountain ahead as Terra stays close to her silently

>You are a mile away from the mountain, the tunnel dark and dank as you approach
>You don't remember it being this dark when you came up here last time
>What you DO remember is that you'll have to walk across the railway to Canterlot on that narrow passage
>Celestiadamn technology and its need to take up less and less space, you can't fit five people on a railway
>Or can you?
>Piping up from the back, Terra raises her voice so everyone can hear
>"Are there any trains coming by at this time? We can't pass if a journey starts now."
"Nope!"
>You look as deep as you can into the tunnel, seeing nothing but black, black, and more black
>Well, you might as well get to work on getting through the other side
"Come on! Let's go to the city and then head back to Ponyville! We can meet Cloudy there as soon as we can!"
>Lilac nods, heading into the tunnel first, followed by Blaze, followed by Terra, leaving you two at the entrance
>Applejack sighs, looking in your direction
>"What do you think they need Quartz for?"
"I dunno. They keep saying things about Rock Ponies, but I don't see how that matters. Am I a Rock Pony?"
>"Ah'm not sure. When we get back to Ponyville, we can check out Twi's library and see what they have about Rock Ponies. Sounds like superstition to me, though."
"I guess so."
>You both begin walking in the tunnel behind the group, before a thought hits you, causing you to whisper to Applejack furiously
"Hey! You never told me how your ability works!"
>"Ah just use it to help me. We get quicker harvests and can do a lotta' physical work done through it. Think of it as a... whattya' call it... an assistant! Like Spike, but Ah tell it to do what Ah want it to! How does yours work?"
"Eheheh... Can we get to that later? It's a bit more complicated than Pinkie Sense, that's for sure."

"Ow."
>Five minutes later, it has now become apparent to you that you can't see shit in the tunnel
"Ow."
>You could count on your hooves how many times you bumped into the walls by accident
"Ow."
>(Nine, as a matter of fact)
"Ow."
>Make that ten
"Ow."
>Eleven
"Ow."
>Celestiadamn this is beginning to get annoying, and it sounds like Blaze agrees with her cry of frustration
>"SHADDUP! The darkness here is giving me a headache! 「Vela-Nova」!"
>A cloak of flame surrounds Blaze, illuminating the dark tunnel and frightening the Tartarus out of you
>Of all the Paradoxes you expected her to have, you didn't expect one to be so beautiful
>She almost looks like a discount Celestia with a cloak like that
>It almost makes you jealous from how it looks
"Oh my gosh! Thank you, now I can see what I'm bumping into!"
>Grunting, she just looks forward and keeps her Paradox going, providing light for everyone
>As you all keep walking through the tunnel, you begin to muse on Blaze and Lilac's Paradoxes
>Blaze has a fiery cloak, while Lilac has what you think may just be a powerful gust of wind
>Part of you wonders if Terra's Paradox is a giant rock but the thought is too hilarious to take that seriously

>Turning around the corner, you all see a light, with the railroad finally being visible
>Applejack lets out a cry of joy, running out to the end of the tunnel before skidding to a halt
>The two of you just remembered that the only way to get to Canterlot is only on the railroad, and below is a long, long fall
>Not one to turn back on signs of danger, you laugh and walk ahead of Applejack, the group lagging behind as you all get into single file
>Except for Lilac, since she can just fly
>Lucky bastard
>All of you have to be careful to stay on the planks of wood since you could fall through
>But it doesn't daunt you since you can fall through using 「PPP」 back onto the rails
>A few minutes pass and you're all next to the waterfall under the tracks, tempting you to fall in out of fear
"Hah!"
>Everyone is shocked by the sudden laugh (and you could have sworn that Terra almost fell through), but you all make it to the rock where you all can rest before going further
>Honestly, you wish you didn't have to walk for so long, it'll take you more than five hours to reach Canterlot
"Whew... How's everyone holding up? Good?"
>"All of us are doin' fine, Pinkie."
>"Speak for yourself," Blaze replies
>"My Paradox dang near burned down the railroad!"
"Nice! Then all of us should be able to head to Canterlot as quickly as we can!"
>Everyone groans, getting off their hooves and continuing the long journey to Canterlot
>All this for a cake theft
>You're going to kill Donut Joe after this, you swear

>A while after you begin walking again, you notice another tunnel up ahead, except there's another figure in it
>They seem to be muttering to themselves, before they notice you're here
>"Railroad's closed. Go back to where you came from."
"Eh? But a train just went up here earlier!"
>The figure grins and points down, at a train broken on the ground, windows crashed and carriages disjointed
>That, and a red stain coming from the bottom as well
>Wait, it can't be the same train from earlier
>Can it?
>"I know. And if Joe's any indication, you're going to be joining it too."
>A pony with an appearance similar to Joe's emerges from the tunnel, except he has braids, and no pupils in his eyes
>Ouch
>"Do you know how much money I would get if I brought proof that the Rock Ponies are still alive?"
"Enough to pay your bail fee, you dang monster! Show me what you've got!"
>Summoning 「PPP」, you dash forward towards the pony, leaving the rest of the group in the dust
>However, as the pony begins to book it with you following behind, the train disappears, with Applejack noticing immediately
>"Pinkie, stop! It's a trap! It's what he wanted you to do!"

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