Power is Knowledge

It's been a long day. This is the first time I've gotten to write in the course of a day.

What happened today... was interesting to say the least.

Yesterday, after having to calm myself about the situation, I noticed that those two ponies weren't following me.  Probably a good thing, too. The rest of the day I spent scavenging for food.  Unsuccessfully.

I woke up to the sound of the town bustling. I slept late, the first time in a month or so. No nightmares. Unlike how tonight will be.

I'm getting ahead of myself. The town was bustling, as I've said, but that wasn't a big deal. It's what they were talking about that worried me.  A party.

They say that everypony was invited, but I knew that wasn't true.  I received no invitation.  Perhaps they still haven't noticed me, that I was safe. I decided to think this thought for a while.

I stopped paying attention to the town, and I just wandered.  With this existing gap in between events, I think it's time to get back on topic.

Death is a horrible business.  When I save ponies, I save them from themselves.  That means that they are retaliating against me as I do my best to keep them alive.

You see, everypony's consciousness is different.  Some are very accepting of help, and let me in no problems had.  Others avoid me like the plague. It all depends.  The last one I saved, the one run over by the manticore?  That one was actually rejecting my presence.  That meant it was very hard to keep that pony alive.

I don't understand it.  Why do they resist?  Do they know that if they do, they will die?  I think they do not, for the other side is superstition to them. They should believe now, as they have stared death in the eye and survived.

But then the question in the back of my mind rises again and asks me how I ever survived the stabbing. I couldn't have just helped myself, could I? Who was there to keep me alive?

I draw a blank when I try to answer this question. There was nopony to save me then. Perhaps it was just a stroke of luck that I survived something like that. I feel sorry for myself that I have to believe such a ridiculous thing, but it's the only explanation.

My mind is being attacked by the fact that the real world situation ties to this, so let's skip to later today. I went back to my little alleyway to find that the party that was planned for today was happening in the building on the left of it.  I was surprised. Nopony comes over to this side of the town.

As I entered my little alley when I felt myself get pulled off to the side and blindfolded. Not much of a surprise, actually. I was expecting this to happen. Foresight is my sixth sense. That is, if I didn't already have one.

I was lead over into the house, and the blindfold was removed.

"SURPRISE!"

The loud shout came from a pink pony with a curly mane. She was... how do I put it...

***

Pinkie, you've done it again!  The perfect surprise party!

I totally surprised him! Yeah, I did! Total surprise! PARTY!

***

Ah, there's the word. Predictable.  When I heard there was a party, and I knew nothing special was going on, I could only assume it would come to this.

Pinkie Pie.  Everypony knew her, even I did.  She planned parties, attended parties, and somehow got money for all the supplies for parties.  I've always wondered where.

I saw her during the winter wrap-up.  I think she was cutting up the ice.  Probably.  I just imagine her being able to skate.

***

I put so much time into planning this party!  It took forever!  I can't believe he's here!

Wait!  I don't even know him that well yet!  NO TIME FOR WRITING!

***

The pink party pony hopped over to me.

"Well? Isn't it great? I planned this party just for you!"

She was ecstatic about it all.  I was the complete opposite about it.  This party was probably the worst thing that has happened to me, and that's saying something coming from a guy who's died more time than he can remember.

I wanted to leave, but when I turned around, she was standing there.  Creepy, but not enough to make me flinch.  I've got nerves of steel, as they say.  She told me to enjoy the party a bit.

I think I recall how the conversation went.

"C'mon, Takey wakey! Enjoy the party a bit!"

"Takey... wakey...?"

"Look, look, look! I made you a cake, too! And Gummy came to party, too!"

"Gummy?"

She pointed to a little alligator... or crocodile... I can never tell the difference. It was just standing in the middle of the room.

"Yeah! Party hard, Gummy!"

I gave her this look that was supposed to mean "What the buck?", but I'm sure she misinterpreted it.  She dragged me all around, almost forcing me do all of the party activities.  I didn't like it.  Not one bit.

I decided I had enough, and went to go check and see if the punch was spiked.  Confound these ponies... they drive me to drink.  I was going to pick up the ladle when Pinkie popped out of the punch bowl.

"Hey, Takey wakey! Didn’t see you standing there! You enjoying the party?"

I sighed and knew it was over. My life was finally going to end, and this party pony was going to be the one to end it out of sheer annoyance.  That's saying a lot coming from a pony like me.  I don't know why, but her one question then made me uncork my feelings like a champagne bottle.

"Pinkiemena Dianne Pie," I said, "this party is not making me feel good in any way.  The games, the cake, the punch, and everypony here combined will not change my mood. I'm leaving."

She seemed to be in both shock and awe of me.  I didn't wait for her reaction to such a statement.  I simply up and left the place before anypony else could see what I had done.

***

But... but... the surprise and... and the... the games...

Where did I go wrong? Were there not enough balloons? Did he not like the games?

Was my party really... not fun?

I don't... I don't understand... I couldn't make him happy... I feel like crying...

***

The party plan, for all it was worth, was ended and off the table as soon as I saw Pinkie's mane deflate.  Double Take was harsh, I knew that much, but to get to her head like that was... cruel, and very much uncalled for. However, not all is lost. This pony has feeling like all the rest of us.  He'll come back because of his own guilt.

As for now, though, the girls and I are trying to cheer up Pinkie.  She seems to be taking the whole thing really hard.

That's not what concerns me the most.  What really makes me worried is Double Take himself.  Is he just a cruel pony, one nopony should ever try to be friends with, or was this... something else?  I can't tell, and without his notes, it makes things just that much harder.

But then there's the scariest part...

***

I knew Pinkie Pie's full name. How the hell did I know Pinkie's full name???

I have never known Pinkie.  Never.  A pony like her couldn't have known a pony like me.  For buck's sake, I grew up in a small town near Fillyapolis!  I didn't know anypony named Pinkiemena!  What the buck is going on here???

My power must be out of control!  But... but how?  This has never, I repeat, never happened before!  Bucking hell, where is my all-knowing side when I need him?!

***

After quite the pep talk from Applejack, Pinkie got back to her usual self... slowly, but surely.  The party was probably a bad idea in the first place... it probably doesn't bring friends together, anyway...

Hold on... what did I just say?

The party wasn't... that wasn't what brought us six together! It was the Elements! Wait a minute, wait just one minute now... does he know?!  Is he like Luna, a good pony's mind trapped in a bad pony's body?  Or was that the other way around?  He could be just the same.  I'll never know until I see those notes!

So many more theories, I can't even begin to put them all in place... this is astounding the number of possible things that could be this pony's true nature.  I'll have to make a list.  In the meantime, I should really help with the party cleanup... bad memories won't clear away themselves.

***

I didn't mean to do what I did in there, it's just... I knew it was a ploy from the beginning.

This Twilight pony is trying to get to me through my emotions, and she's done a helluva job so far.  The crying, the drama, and the guilt that should be building up in my stomach any minute now... it was and is all part of her plan for me to tell her what I know. But I must remain resilient if I am to get through this!  I must learn how to channel these emotions to someplace other than my mind. I can't let them get to me. Emotions are only annoying, persistent distractions.

I have to stop writing and contemplate how tomorrow should go.  I have a lot to catch up on with the truth, and I have to find out what the hell my powers are doing when I know something I clearly couldn't have known.  Thus, I end my writings here.

***

Twi said I gotta write something about today. Not sure why, but she's been having everypony else do it, too.  Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, even Fluttershy's in one this one.  So here I go.

Today, I talked Pinkie out of the whole situation with that pony they call Double Take, tellin' her it ain't her fault, and that he was just bein' mean.  She feels better now, but something's got to be done about that pony.  It's too late to smack some sense into him today, but tomorrow... he better be ready for learnin' one heck of a lesson from all this.

That lesson is for him to never, ever hurt my friends feelings again.