The Shape of Madness [Pinkie Hexagon one-shot]

>Day hexagon in Equestria.

>Every time you blink.

>Every time you try to sleep.

>There they are.

>Spinning.

>You look up at the sun.

>As it sears your retinas, you imagine you can see the little triangle spinning around it, dodging the oncoming madness.

>So fast...

>So spinny...

>The shapes...They're coming for you--

>Something waves in front of your face.

>”Hey! Anon! Nony-poo! A-non-a-long-a-ding-dong!” Pinkie Pie yells, her pink hoof flying in front of your face.

“Buh? Oh...Hex- hey, Pinkie. What's up?”

>There are blinding spots in your eyes. Pinkie cocks her head to the side.

>”What were you staring at? The sun?”

>You stare blankly at the mare.

“I guess. Just spaced out a little,” you say, almost slurring your words.

>She's looking at your hand.

>”Why're you tapping your fingers like that?”

>You look down. Your index and middle fingers tap against the park bench upon which you are seated, as if trying to control something.

“I dunno...”

>Now conscious of your peculiar behavior, you reign in your rogue digits and sit up straight.

>Pinkie leans on you.

>Her poofy mane is in your face, but you don't mind. It smells like cotton candy and honey.

>”Did you get your magic box working, Nonykins?” she asks, looking up at you and resting her head on your shoulder.

>The image flashes in your mind's eye again.

>The bright screen.

>The flashing lights.

>The spinning...oh God, the spinning...

“Yeah. Got it working. Yes. Working.”

1/

 

>Pinkie shakes you a little bit.

>”You're doing it again, Mousy,” she says, pouting slightly.

>You snap back to attention.

“Right, sorry. Yeah, I got it working finally. Took me all night.”

>”Well, that explains why you look so raggedy! C'mon! I know what will pick you up!”

>She pulls you by the sleeve off the bench with a rabid gleam in her eye.

>”Mrs. Cake's special super-duper chocolate coffee coffee cake!” the pink mare cries in excitement.

“Alright,” you say, pulling yourself together. “Let's go, then.”

>Pinkie's smile looks like it's going to split her head in half.

>”Yay! Follow me! I'll get you an extra special super slice!” she yells, bounding off down the street.

>You follow after her, picking up your pace slowly from a shuffle to a jog, to a run, to a dead-sprint to keep up with her.

>As you dodge ponies and market stalls, you feel a vague sense of familiarity wash over you.

>Your eyes go wide and the world starts to shift into neon hues. Just as you'd swear you can hear techno music playing, you collide with a produce cart and go flying.

>”Nony-poo! Are you alright?” Pinkie yells, zipping back to you.

“Ten thirty six...” you mumble.

>”What?”

“Er, nothing. Let's go?”

>Pinkie knots her brow.

>”Okie dokie...”

2/

 

>Five minutes later.

>Pinkie wasn't kidding about getting you a special slice of cake.

>Before you lies a veritable mountain of chocolate and frosting.

>The parry pony stares at her own slice with a look of furious hunger before devouring it in a flurry of terrifying bites.

>You think you see her jaw unhinge like a snake's at one point...

>She watches intently as you eat your cake. It's fantastic. Perfectly moist, with a rich chocolate and coffee flavor. You finish the baked wonder in under a minute and feel strangely refreshed.

>Pinkie looks to be excited again.

>”Was it good? Do you feel better now?”

>You nod, smiling.

>She grins and bounces into you, wrapping her hooves around you.

>”Oh, goodie! I knew you needed a pick-me-up!” As she comes back down and releases you, she looks around quickly.

>”So what do you want to do now? Go to Applejack's? She's putting up a new silo today- OOH! Or Rainbow Dash is practicing her new spin move! OOH! OR, Fluttershy is having her bi-weekly....” her voice fades in your mind.

>Spin move...

>Spin...

>The spinning never ends...

>Until it does...

>Then all is lo--

>”Nony!” Pinkie says loudly. “You did it again!”

“Sorry. How about we do that thing at Applejack's place? That sounds...stable.”

>Pinkie looks at you with scrutiny. You avoid her gaze.

>”Okay!” she says with new enthusiasm.

>You follow the mare up the hill to Sweet Apple Acres.

3/

 

>That night.

>Pinkie falls asleep in your arms on the couch, the book you were reading with her lying open on the coffee table.

>She snores ever so softly, nuzzling up to you and hugging you ever tighter as she dreams.

>You sit, wide awake, staring at the wall.

>After a few minutes, you worm your way out of Pinkie's cuddling and walk to the kitchen.

>The tiles on the floor are in a honeycomb pattern, you notice.

>As you stare at the floor in the low light of the moon, the sides start to shift and move.

>They start, slowly, to spi--

>NO.

>You slap yourself and pour a glass of water. Returning to the couch, you sit down once more. Pinkie immediately latches onto you in her sleep, happily sighing to herself.

>It isn't long, however, until you feel the urge return.

>You turn reluctantly and look towards the room with your 'magic box,' the laptop computer that you've finally managed to get working here.

>It calls you.

>The most super.

>The Madness Without End.

>The Whirlpool of Shape and Time.

>You rise from the couch and walk to the computer room.

>The laptop powers on with a cheerful tune and casts its bright blue light into the house.

>No resisting it now. You drag your finger along the track pad and ready your spin-fingers.

>Then, behind you, in a weary and confused voice, “Nonykins?”

>Pinkie stares in wonder at the screen.

>”What's that?”

4/

 

>Six days later.

>You're just coming home from a weekend in Canterlot.

>The last few days have been blissfully shape-free.

>Ever since Pinkie came up on you with the computer, you've been able to resist its call.

>You walk into the house.

>Silence.

>That's odd.

>Usually Pinkie has tackled you by now.

“Pinkie? Baby? You here?” you call out.

>There's some incomprehensible grunt from--

>Oh God, no.

>You charge in as you hear techno music growing louder.

>She's sitting in front of the computer, frantically tapping at the keys with her hooves.

>There's a hauntingly trance-like expression on her face.

“...Pinkie?”

>”You must spin...Spin to survive...beat the clock...”

>She doesn't move except to hit the controls.

>”It called me. Last night. I heard it. In my dreams,” she mumbles, never looking away from the screen.

“Pinkie, look at me.”

>”Can't. I see all things. I can see through time, now. All that is and will be. In the hexagons. Waiting. I have to watch. Have to spin.”

>You lean in to try and pull her away from the computer, but are repelled by the smell of her mane.

>It's like gasoline and burning tires...

“You were fine when I left. How did you-- you smell like you've not bathed in weeks! How is that even possible!?” you cry, nose burning.

>”Time is irrelevant. The shapes transcend all. I can see dead kings, Nony.”

“It's been THREE DAYS.”

>”For you, yes.” You don't like how calm she sounds. “For me, eternity is stretched ahead; all past lies behind.”

>The mare freezes when the triangle finally collides with a falling hexagon.

5/

 

>Before you can react, she's hit the 'retry' button.

“Pinkie, please stop...”

>”Can't stop. Won't stop. Have to spin. Have to hexagon.”

>You realize what you must do.

>To make this right.

>To keep her from a terrible, geometric fate.

>You run to the toolshed.

>Pinkie is still sitting before the screen when you return with the sledgehammer.

>She only flinches finally when you bring it crashing down on the computer, sending scraps of silicon flying around the room.

>After a few seconds of vacant blinking, she recoils, nearly falling off the chair.

>You catch the mare and lift her up in your arms.

>Her mane bounces around while she scratches her head.

>”Wh- huh? What happened-- Nony! Your box! It's broken! How di-- OOMPH!”

>You squeeze Pinkie with all your might.

“Thank God I'm not too late. The hexagons...they consume you.”

>”I could see everything...in the shapes...the spinning...” she whimpers.

“I know...I know...It's over now. They can't get us anymore.”

>Pinkie shivers and looks up at you, panicked.

>”Wait!”

“What? You didn't tell anyone about the hexagons, did you?”

>”I- I mentioned it to Twilight...”

>There's a loud knock at the door. Twilight's voice rings through the wood.

>”Pinkie Pie!~ Pinkie Pie!~”

>You watch in horror as the librarian stalks around to the window, looking manic.

>”I recreated the magic box you told me about...Hexagonest, Pinkie Pie. Hexagonest! Thirty three seventeen, Pinkie! The secrets of the ancients are made manifest to me!”

>Everything is spinning.

>The shapes have you.

>They always have.

>The hexagons are truth.

>The hexagons are life.

>All is lost...

6/6