Diane sat on the bed, feeling more drained than exhausted. Was there really a difference, she wondered. Drained verses exhausted… When a normal pony was exhausted, they just wanted to sleep. But she was drained right now… She was empty. Sleep wouldn’t help her become full again.

Her ears twitched as she heard Doctor Silver speaking. She tuned in, realizing she had zoned out again. “I’m sorry, doctor, what was that last bit?”

The doctor stopped mid-sentence. “I… You weren’t listening, were you?” She shook her head slowly. No point in not being honest. Not when Honesty is dead, after all… “Very well. As I said earlier, you’ve been through quite a lot, Pinkamena.”

“Please, doctor, that’s a mouth full. Call me Diane if you must. Or just whatever feels most comfortable at the time.”

“Very well, Diane. Now, you have been flipping between these two… ‘realities’ for quite some time. For about a year now, it’s been hard to get you to see anything else. You’ve been so caught up in your fantasies of Alicorns and Chaos and even a… Crystal Kingdom, if memory serves. These wild fantasies are all made up, and all of them are made to support your illusion. Yes, your friends were the elements of harmony, but when they died, all of the elements fluxed.”

“Fluxed?” Pinkie sat up straighter on the bed, her eyes curious. Though, had the doctor known her before the accident, he would’ve seen that they were not the eyes she had once had. These eyes were full of pain – the kind that you can’t suffer from quietly. Yet, somehow, Diane managed to hold back all of her tears. No point in making him suffer because of me… that wouldn’t be very Kind, now would it?

“Yes. Each element disappeared and found a new host – another Element Bearer, if you will. The only one that has not changed is Laughter, which you still retain.” Pinkie nodded, understanding. “Now, this past year has been a bit of trial and error… I’ll need to ask you some questions about this ‘other world’.”

Pinkie sighed, lying back on the bed. She wished she could end this now. She wished she could go back to her illusion and smile. She just wanted to smile with her friends. But they aren’t my friends. I’m betraying who they really are now, aren’t I? No, I need to stay Loyal to the ponies who stuck with me, the ones who were REALLY there for me, and not an illusion. “Very well. Ask away.”

“How long has it been since you saw your family in that world?”

Pinkie sat up, startled by the question. She opened her mouth to speak, but she could hardly find the words. “I… I can’t remember the last time I saw them. I saw Maud, but it wasn’t a long visit…”

The doctor nodded. “You see, your family was too real for you to handle. If they had visited you each day in the fake world, then it would’ve fallen apart much sooner. Their concerned faces would block out the smiles, so to say.” Pinkie nodded, realizing that made some sort of perverse sense. “Next question. Has there been anything strange in that world, such as colors dulling or anything not quite making sense?”

Pinkie thought about it for a moment. There had been something strange… “There was a cupcake that I ate that didn’t have any flavor. It was like I was eating nothingness. It was horrible.”

The doctor nodded again, jotting it down on his clipboard. “That would be the world beginning to collapse. The cupcake was imaginary, and since the world was beginning to collapse around you, the cupcake’s flavor was finally showing it’s true colors – that is to say, none at all.” Pinkie thought about that. It made more sense than anypony making a cupcake that tasted like nothing. “Last question. Would you like to see your family?”

Pinkie gasped. “My… My family.” The doctor nodded. “Yes, please!”

“I’m afraid that only your sisters could make the trip this time. Something about your father and mother needing to rotate the rocks to the south fields.”

Pinkie felt the first smile she had felt in a long time begin to form on her face. That sounded like her parents. She realized dimly how her face stretched to form the shape of a smile. She realized how good it felt to do that again. It’s almost like Magic. “Please, are my sisters here right now?”

The Doctor smiled and nodded. He opened the door and talked to the nurse outside. Within minutes, her sisters were there. Pinkie felt tears in her eyes, but these were tears long forgotten from her face – These were tears of love and joy. Her sisters even came with gifts for her, like a warm blanket. They took time out of farming just to make sure I was okay… They even brought me gifts… How Generous my family really is… Pinkie smiled as she realized how wonderful her family was. It was almost like having friends again.

“Pinkie, I’m so glad you’re okay!” Blinkie hugged her tightly, crying. “The Doctor told us you had had a breakthrough, that you might stay this time!”

Pinkie was overloaded with emotion. She hadn’t seen Blinkie in so long in… that other world. “Y-Yeah, I’m starting to get a bit better, I-I think.”

“Pinkie.” Pinkie looked at her sister Maud, smiling. She looked overjoyed, more than Pinkie had ever seen – A small smile actually touched her lips. Maud reached into her bag and pulled out a rock candy necklace. Pinkie felt a spark inside her, looking at it. “I made you one for every day you’ve been here. I only brought one today. The rest are at home.”

Pinkie smiled brighter, more tears streaming down her face. After all this pain, her family was there to comfort her. Not everything was lost. “T-t-thank you very much, Maud…”

Pinkie felt a small tap on her shoulder. She turned, and was suddenly engulfed by a hoof-sewn blanket. She was surrounded by warm fuzz as the blanket wrapped around her. She peeked out of the blanket to see her oldest sister, Inkie, watching her with tired looking eyes. But a smile still rested on her face. “Hello, sister. Glad to see you’re awake.”

Pinkie smiled softly, the warmth around her not totally from the blanket. “Glad to see you.” Pinkie reached out and hugged her sisters tightly, all of them joining in the group hug. It was the most comfortable she had felt in this world for a long time.

She smiled. She felt… happy. And then she laughed, a bright pure laugh, nuzzling her sisters. “I love you all, so much. Thank you.”

Doctor Silver Tongue smiled brightly. Pinkie was starting to heal. The Princess would want to know about this. As he thought a bit longer, his smile left his face. It wouldn’t stay this happy for long, he realized. Not when she realized what she would have to do to stay in this world.

Not when she realized she would have to make a permanent sacrifice.

Author's Note

w< Next chapter!~