Determining Fateby MoonMoonStargazerChaptersPinkie's LieA Snowy Day's DreamThe Truth is TwistedThe Pink Fades OffEpilogue: The Letter of a Thousand WordsPinkie's Lie"Hey, Pinkie Pie, I can’t wait to go over to your sweet party later! What time is it at!?” Rainbow Dash yelled from across the field. She took the ball up in her hoof and whacked it as hard as she could, sending it flying to Pinkie. She, naturally, jumped up to try to catch it. Instead, she was thrust back, the force of the ball hitting her hard in the chest. She coughed, trying her best to smile. “W-wow…..good...throw…..” Rainbow Dash flew down, as quickly as she could, to Pinkie. She hadn’t meant to hurt her. It was just a simple accident, right? It intrigued Dash that a ball could do so much, yet so little. Maybe it was a miracle this had happened, for it apparently had taught Dash a lesson, even though it had hurt her best friend. She would never, of course, get that answer. Helping her up, Dash grinned half-heartedly at her. “It’s your turn Pinkie. Throw it as hard as you want….” Pinkie Pie just looked up, staring Dash in the eyes. The look of evil hovered in her eyes for a couple of seconds, before the light blue in them took over and she smiled. “It’s ok, Dash! I think I’ve had enough ball throwing for the day! I have a party to plan, and you know I LOVE my parties!” Pinkie watched her as Dash just shrugged it off. She precariously stepped back, reaching for the ball. She had felt the same darkness that Pinkie had felt in that moment, and was too afraid to step near her. Oh Celestia, I’ve done it again….. It wasn’t like she had meant to. They were her friends, and she knew that; Pinkie just couldn’t shake the feeling that something had happened to her. She didn’t know when it did, buuut it did. She needed to get away from here as quickly as possible. "Oh but you can’t just leave, Pinkie. All your friends are expecting a party later, and you have to provide, right? That’s what you’re used for?" Ignoring the voice, she sat there, tears beginning to stream down her face. She had never felt a sadness like this. You truly don’t know what friendship is until you’ve lost it…. She stood up quietly, wishing there was an escape. Pinkie would have to leave, but not until this party was finished. It would be the best party she’d ever thrown, no doubt. ~~~ Everybody was gathered around the table. They were all chanting for Dash, who was busy chugging down a hard gallon of cider. “Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!” Everypony except for Pinkie was cheering. She was watching them all, mostly Dash, just smiling as she realized that the party was in full swing. Everypony was dancing, having fun, and socializing. It couldn’t be going any better! It wasn’t even time for the Coup de Grace yet, and all the ponies were hyped up on apple cider, pleasure of the Apple Family. A voice from outside called out to her, and Ms. Pie proceeded to follow it. “Hey Pinkie, you have GOT to come check this thing out! It’s funnerifically fantastic!!!” Of course, Pinkie couldn’t resist the call of fun! Bouncing her way out of the door, she stared down upon the most spectacular thing ever. It was an ultra-deluxe, super party cannon! Behind the cannon, was the wall-eyed mare, Derpy. She rarely ever actually spoke to Derpy, but everypony was her friend, and she would be no exception. Both her eyes positioned themselves opposite of one another. Her eyes watered, realizing that this would be the last anypony saw her. “Hey Pinkie, think you could help? I accidentally got something stuck in there earlier, and I need it moved out so I can give this cannon to you.” For her!?!?! She couldn’t believe it. Now she had to remove this object from the cannon! Pinkie leaned in, her head squeezing through the large hole. Not seeing anything, she tried to get her head out, but found her head to be stuck. It seemed weird at first, but then she began to laugh. This was obviously a prank! “Alright, guys, you got me! Let me out now! I wanna have some more fun!” Nobody was helping. She started to get scared, thinking she would be trapped there forever. Death would even be better than this! “Somepony, please help me! I’m stuck!!!” Derpy was trying to be reassuring, saying that she was doing her best, mumbling under her breath about some “Zecora stuff.” It was only then that Pinkie realized the cannon was cursed. Before Derpy could be warned, she pushed the cannon button, and away Pinkie went. The speed of a bullet, Pinkie was launched through the air, straight towards Canterlot Castle. The princess of the night, Princess Luna, stood guard atop the towers. As Pinkie closed in on the castle, Luna yelped, jumping down to try to save her. Realizing Pinkie was going too fast, she called on Celestia, but it was too late. Pinkie Pie was ten feet from the castle, then five, then two…. BAM! ~~~ Pinkie sat up fiercely in the bed she was lying in. “W...where am I!? Am I dead!? What just happened!?” There was a nurse pony standing over her bed. She looked down at Pinkie with a smile. “It’s alright, Ms. Pie. You’re in the psychiatric hospital. I know you may have many questions, but I advise you to wait until Doctor Sparkle gets here.” Pinkie’s eyes went wide. Twilight was HERE!? What was Twilight even doing in a hospital for crazy people? Pinkie was going crazy trying to figure out why she was in one of the beds at this hospital. Then it hit her: They thought she was a patient! Pinkie broke out in laughter at the thought. Her? Crazy? "Well, you are. You have me, didn’t you know?" There was that voice again. It had always been present in the very depths of her mind, and it made her angry that she couldn’t get rid of it. It was a mystery as to how it existed inside of her mind, or even why it wanted to talk to her specifically. Although fun during the day, Pinkie had spent countless hours of night doing research on all things voice-y in a pony’s head. Pinkie looked around. It was a plain white room, with a TV to her right. The TV blared static, and no remote was present. Closing her eyes, Pinkie had just hoped it was all a dream, but, upon opening them, had come to discover that this was all too real. Throwing off her blanket, Pinkie found that she had been covered in cuts all over her body. Had the fall really been that bad on her? She inspected every inch of herself, stopping for a few moments at her flanks. There was no cutie mark there. It was just a pink flesh of skin, bland without her special brand. It had shaped her, and now was probably going to haunt her forever. Honestly, how could a party pony be a party pony without proof that she was a party pony. All these thoughts were confusing Pinkie, who just wanted to go back home. “Now, my dear Pinkie, who says there ever was a home to go to?” She recognized that voice. “Twilight? Is that you?” The voice spoke in a sharp tone, quick and defiant. “I assure you, my dear, that my name is not Twilight. I am Dr. Sparkle. I have been assigned to you, Mrs. Pie, in hopes of treating all of your ailments. If I am correct, as usual, you are suffering from a severe case of both depression and schizophrenia. Now, we have been conducting tests to try to cure you, all of which seem to have been in vain.” Pinkie didn’t understand a word she was saying. Depression? Schizophrenia? What even were these things? Right now, did it really matter what they were? “Please, I just want to go back home with you!” “I told you, there is no home. It appears that you’ve put yourself in a state of delusion. A couple months ago, you were admitted here, apparently having suffered head trauma and, consequently, a coma.” Wait….had Pinkie really been there for two months? She couldn’t remember...in fact, she couldn’t remember anything before this “coma.” She wanted the truth. Why in Equestria was she here!? “I told you, there is no Equestria….stop living in this fantasy world of yours. Yes, I can read your thoughts. It surprises you, obviously, but I can. Now, you need to sleep.” She was NOT going to sleep. She was GOING to get out of this place. “Dr. Sparkle, I wanna know what you’ve been doing to me! Tell me RIGHT NOW!!!” Twilight just shook her head, a smug grin on her face. “And what if I don’t? Are you gonna go all Pinkamena on me?” Pinkie looked to her left, at the instrument table. She grabbed a scalpel and lunged at Twilight. Apparently she didn’t expect this, not being able to dodge in time for the knife to reach her. Twilight fell over, motionless. Pinkie walked out the door, walking the hallways. Doors of every shape and size lined up in rows along the corridor she was in. The hallways seemed endless, yet she began to walk them. All of the doors were white, and all had windows in them. She kept peeking in them, curious as to what kind of ponies were kept in a facility such as this one. Most of the ponies seemed normal, all except for one. Above the door, a label read, “Ms. Jack, the most dangerous of them all.” Pinkie slowly crept the door open, about to enter. ~~~ Pinkie sat up in her bed, back in Sugarcube Corner. Standing at the foot of her bed were all her friends, all except Twilight. The others said she was on important business. “A-am I alright? What happened to me?” She learned that she was thrust out of a cannon at top speed. Luckily, Rainbow Dash caught her just in time. That was an impossible feat, as Pinkie was two feet from hitting the stone walls of Canterlot Castle. She didn’t get much information, as a soft voice seemed to whisper in her ear, vaguely resembling Twilights’. “Sleep….” And Pinkie settled down for a long nap. Author's Note Sooo.....a new fic, eh? I can't wait to see how this turns out :) Originally, it was going to continue from different perspectives, but now it's going to be a Pinkie story! This should be interesting o-o but what is Twilight doing!? A Snowy Day's DreamPinkie awoke hours later with a massive headache. “H...uh? Guys…?” The room around her was bare. The pink walls in her room illuminated the bright sunlight that shone outside. A note was lying beside her on the bed. Picking it up, she immediately noticed Twilight’s handwriting, written in the finest cursive."To Pinkie, whenever you awake" It was odd. Her friends would never leave her side and, from what she could remember, Twilight hadn’t even been in that group of friends by her side. Pinkie shrugged it off, proceeding to open the note and read the delicate writing inside. “If you are reading this, it means that you have finally awoken. I know that you have many questions about what has happened in the last short while, but be told that, in time, all will be answered. You may have asked yourself, “Where did all my friends go?”, but I have to teach you a lesson. I told you, your friends don’t exist. What I have set up for you here is a game. All you have to do is figure out which of your worlds is the true one. Now, don’t just say, “It’s the one with my friends!” You are allowed to choose either world, but do not choose too hastily. For the time being, that is all I can divulge to you. Please, stay safe. Be creative. Oh, and don’t eat any desserts! Dr. Sparkle” So, this was a game? Pinkie loved games! This one was, for sure, going to be slightly tougher for her, but, she knew, in the end, she was going to make the right choice. In her mind, the side with her friends was always going to be the right one, but why not give the other a chance? Getting up out of bed, Pinkie felt terrible. It was as if a thousand lightning bolts had been cast down on her. Moving around caused her severe pain, but she knew walking would help her. She moved over to her window, staring out at the green gardens of Ponville. She saw Lyra, sitting in her odd position on the bench, drool sliding down her lips. She saw Roseluck, watering her plants with the specified amount of water (50 sprinkles). Around the town, love was in the air, couples sharing hay sandwiches and pets sharing kisses with their owners. The air smelled of cinnamon buns, the stench causing Pinkie to drool from the corners of her lips. It was a fresh new day, and obviously this was all a game devised by Twilight. Pinkie turned away from her window to grab the note, but quickly realized it was missing. That was weird, but after the day she had been having, it didn’t seem extraordinary to have a missing note on her hooves. Stepping outside, it felt like a new start to Pinkie. She would find her friends, and she would throw a party for them! A mystery party seemed fit for Twilight’s little game. Now it all depended on finding her friends. Her first stop would be Fluttershy’s cottage, ‘cause Pinkie knew that Fluttershy loved to hang out with her! The walk through Ponyville didn’t really seem any different than another normal day. Pinkie shared greetings with everypony she passed and put smiles on everypony’s face. Their smiles made Pinkie smile. Pinkie Pie had always had that lonely feeling. She had her friends, but it wasn’t good enough. Growing up on a rock farm didn’t seem to put much spirit in a pony these days. Pinkie always thought of Maud when bland came up. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Maud, but it wasn’t very exciting to party while she sat there, talking with her pebble. Finally arriving at Fluttershy’s cottage, Pinkie Pie didn’t bother to knock, bursting in with her streamers, per usual. “Fluttershy!!! I’m throwing a new party for you all and you’re the first to be invited!” When Pinkie didn’t get a response, she proceeded to go through each room in the house thoroughly, greeting every new door with another large party shout. Each time proved even more hopeless than the last, all the doors leading to an empty room. The only sign of life in this house was the flickering lights in the living room. [i“Where could she have gone…?” ] Pinkie questioned herself. It wasn’t like Fluttershy to stop taking care of her home, deserting her animals. Then again, it was Fluttershy. She was probably hiding off with a bear somewhere, playing a round of Go-Fish. The thought made Pinkie smile. One of her dreams had always been to communicate with animals, and the actual thought of doing it was so silly. Fluttershy was an interesting person, and Pinkie acknowledged that. As the house proved to be useless to her search, Pinkie stepped outside, the bright moonlight illuminating the white snow that had fallen. “Whoa….what just happened!? It was morning a minute ago!” Pinkie became scared. She hadn’t been in Fluttershy’s cottage for any more than 15 minutes, at the most. When was there any time for snow to fall, or even for night to come out? Was this all a joke played by Luna? She was shivering, the cold winter that had descended really kicking her in the gut. The snow did shine beautifully under the moon, but Pinkie hadn’t been prepared for cold weather, let alone snow. The wind rose to a steady force, the pink pony’s mane blowing to the south. “It’s so pretty…” Pinkie was amazed. Anything that could conjure up a flurry of spectacles such as this deserved praise. Each snowflake fell slowly, covering Ponyville in its cold warmth. The leaves dropped to the ground with each gram of snow, and Pinkie Pie just stood there, her mind wandering to memories of days past, where she had brought her sled to the tops of many hills. Riding down the toboggan, her warm scarf fluttered behind her, the slushy water splashing her in the face. No matter how much her hooves hurt, she kept pulling the sled back to the top, ready for another journey down. Her smile was hidden among the dark shadows that she stood in. Then, just like that, everything turned black, and she was back in the hospital. “Don’t you see, Ms. Pie, we can do whatever we want. We can make all of your dreams come true. You can be the biggest party planner in all of Equestria, if you want. Why do you still choose your friends over us?” For a moment, Pinkie had actually started to consider the possibilities of this place. The snowy backdrop really did seem like a dream to her. If she stayed here, could she have whatever she wanted, even her friends? Twilight stepped into the darkness of Pinkie’s room. Her mouth was neither upturned nor in a frown. Her face was expressionless. In her front left hoof, she held a remote. With each press of the remote, Pinkie felt a surge in different areas of her body. “Now, there are times when ponies don’t comply, but that rarely ever happens. Pinkie, you must understand that we control you. We can make you do whatever we want. If you decide to help us in our studies of brain activity and virtual reality, I promise you that we will not do anything to harm you nor control you.” The thought of any brainwashing kind of scared Pinkie. She would have no control over herself. Her parties would be fake! She couldn’t let that happen! Finally, Pinkie Pie stopped. “No.” Twilight looked shocked. “No!? What do you mean, no?” “I mean no, you can’t control me. No, you won’t ever get me to comply with you. I just want to know what the world outside looks like! What are you hiding from me!? Let me be free!” Twilight stepped back, her eyes in a state of terror. It seemed that nopony had ever said that to her before. Pinkie grinned, standing up on the bed once again. The look on Twilight’s face was priceless. Nothing had ever felt this good before. Pinkie jumped off of the bed, landing in front of Twilight. “And nopony, will ever, take away, my parties. Got that?” Twilight’s face went back into the mal expression that it had been before. “Yes, Ms. Pie. I completely understand. If you want answers, you’ll have to find a way to escape first.” She pressed a button on the wall, and all of a sudden, Pinkie felt tired. Her eyes drooped, her spirit dropping into her stomach. The dizzier she got, the more wobbly she became. “I...live...forever…” And then she dropped. The Truth is TwistedThe air was cool, the sun hot on the life beneath it. The leaves came down from the trees in large splashes of brown and yellow. The birds chirped harmoniously across the lands, their songs bringing joy to all who partook in them. Pinkie was asleep on the ground, covered in pine needles. Her soft snoring and slight drool attracted all the animals nearer to her, all sniffing for signs of life on the sleeping mare. When she woke up, almost all the animals from the nearby forest were licking her. “Hey! I’m not Fluttershy!! Hehe, but that kind of tickles...haha alright guys, go on. I need to get up!” Truthfully, though, Pinkie didn’t really want to get up. The pine needles were really warm, and she felt comforted underneath their blanket. If she didn’t get up, on the other hand, she would probably get way too hot under the sun. In the end, the choice was imminent. Standing up, her legs wobbled from side to side. She felt as if she had just gotten off of a roller coaster- “Hey, Mr. Narrator, what’s a roller coaster?” Roller coaster, or maybe just got done drinking one too many cups of cider. Pinkie frowned, a little agitated that she didn’t get a response to her mysterious question. Looking around, she noticed that she was in the middle of a grassy area, no town in site. A mountain towered over her on her left side, a desert lying behind her. In a quick moment, Pinkie realized she would be able to see further from the mountain, and made her way to the base. Looking up, the mountain was tall. With a snow-capped peak and rivers running to the bottom, it was obviously a few miles high, if not more. With a shaky step, Pinkie put a hoof on the first rock, finding it to be stable. As she ascended the mountain, the oxygen levels slowly depleted, making it harder and harder for her to breathe. About a fourth of the way up, she heard a voice. “Pinkie Pie, how did you get up there!?” She turned around and saw Rarity running towards her. Her mane was down, which was unusual since she was always so picky about her hairstyle. Running up to Pinkie, she let out one last pant, resting her whole body on top of her. Pinkie Pie looked down at Rarity with a smile. “Hey Rarity! Where’s everypony else?” Rarity looked sadly at Pinkie. Pinkie could tell that there was something wrong with her. “We’ve been searching for you, Pinkie. You’ve been missing for days! Where did you go?” Pinkie looked down, sweat slowly dripping down her cheeks. A tear fell from her eyes. She decided that it was finally time to tell her friends what was happening to her. She put a smile on her face, wiping the tear off of her lips. “Let me tell you when we’re all together, okay?” Rarity smiled back at Pinkie, a shine returning to her eyes. Rarity helped lead Pinkie off of the mountain, walking away from both the mountain and the desert. ~~~ Her friends gathered around, showering her in hugs. The journey back to Ponyville took about an hour, but it was all worth it to see her friends once again. Twilight was the first one to speak up. “So, I had a few tracking spells put out to try and find you, but they all said you weren’t even in Equestria! Where did you go, Pinkie!? We were all really worried…” Pinkie opened her mouth, but then shut it again. If she told them, would they think she was crazy? She was already sad enough...what would she do if her friends hated her…? Instead, she hastily came up with a story that told about half the truth. “I wasn’t in Equestria. I talked to Celestia and asked her to send me to a different universe for a day, where I could be alone and think. I hope I didn’t worry you too terribly, guys...I would hate myself if anything happened to you…” It was her friends’ turn to look at each other with worry. They were obviously hiding something, and Pinkie couldn’t help but ask about it. “Guys...is something wrong? Did I do something wrong?” Pinkie broke inside. She thought she had done something, or somepony had gotten hurt because of her. Her mane shrunk down, no longer puffy. All of her friends spoke in simultaneous unison. “The town is in silent chaos... “All the ponies are fighting with one another… “Without you here to help… “Nopony could smile… “And all turned to fighting…” Pinkie’s eyes went white. She had that much of an impact on Ponyville!? Was she really the reason that everypony stayed sane…? Why couldn’t her life just be normal!? For all of Pinkie’s life, people picked on her because she was so different. They all attended her parties, her being such a good party planner, but they all ignored her. The only time when she actually felt accepted was when she was with her friends, but she could never tell them the truth. She would always have to be happy for them… “Guys...why do they all depend on me to smile? Can’t they see the good things in life without me?” Now it was AppleJack’s turn to talk. “Sugarcube, they all should, but they can’t. I reckon if they just opened their eyes t’the real world, maybe everything’d be better.” Pinkie Pie looked down, shielding her eyes from her friends. She didn’t want them to see her tears. She ran out, bumping straight into a blue stallion. Looking up, he yelled at her. “Watch where you’re going!” This just made Pinkie cry even worse. She ran off, towards Twilight’s library, a trail of sparkling tears trailing behind her. Her friends chased after her, all running into the library, coming to find out that Pinkie, yet again, was gone. Twilight started to freak out. “Oh no!! She’s gone again! Send out all spells immediately! Search the vicinity! We need to find our friend!” ~~~ In another dimension, Pinkie Pie found herself strapped into a seat, a table of various tools to her side. Her stomach was slightly cut, and “Dr. Sparkle” stood in front of her, writing furiously on her clipboard. She looked up, jumping back in slight surprise at Pinkie’s awakening. “Ah, I see you’ve woken up. Well, to make this short, I’ve strapped you to this chair to conduct research on how your brain functions while in your fantasy la-” “It’s not fantasy! This place is fantasy! Just let me go!” She struggled in her chair, the straps shaking with each hard tug, yet still they prevailed in holding her. “Haha, Ms. Pie, that’s a worthless attempt. I control you. Just face it, your depression is your downfall. You’ve already shown all of your friends that you’re just a weak and pathetic pony who only does parties so she can hide the fact that she wants to die.” “Just shut up, will ya!! I’m not depressed!” In her mind, could she ever actually believe that… “Can you not see, though...your friends think you are crazy. You can’t hide your true self much longer from them, and you know that. So please, stay with us. We will accommodate to your every need, and we promise to make your life better.” Pinkie still shook her head. No matter what happened, she knew her friends would always love her. She couldn’t just abandon them because of some silly depression. She still had one final act of independence, though. This would be her last shot. “You know I can’t do that, but I do want one thing. I want to write a letter. A letter that, in the future, will be read and understood.” For a second, Twilight looked slightly puzzled. Why would Pinkie want to write a note? Who would it even be for? It didn’t really matter, because Pinkie would always choose this path in the end. “Fine, you can write your note. You can only write it on one condition. Next time you return to this world, the game is over and you must choose. Understood?” Pinkie nodded, feeling the steel braces on her hooves clank open. Dropping to the floor, she stood up straight and walked with Dr. Sparkle back down the hall that she had seen enough times already. This time was slightly different, though. This time they entered a room, labeled “Dash.” The inside walls were coated with blood. The smell was absolutely putrefying, and Rainbow Dash, wrapped in a straightjacket, sat in the center of it all. At the sound of the door opening, she turned around, her eyes wide and a smile permanently frozen on her face. She laughed as they walked in, yelling at the top of her lungs. “YOU CAN NEVER ESCAPE, PINKIE PIE!! THEY’LL FIND A WAY TO GET YOU! HAHAHAHAHA!!!” Pinkie Pie was slightly freaked out. She leaned in towards Twilight, simply asking, “What happened to Rainbow Dash?” Twilight looked solemnly towards Pinkie. “It’s a tragic story, really. She lost her job as a weather pony, so she took one at a place called the Rainbow Factory. She was so good at her job. Her job involved killing all ponies who failed their flying tests. One day, she just snapped. “She took all the staff members, and crushed them into rainbows. When we brought her in, she wouldn’t stay in the cell unless we coated the walls like you see here. She never seems to move from that one spot, but don’t be fooled. She’s the fastest pony in Equestria.” Pinkie took a mental note of that statement, looking around. “So, why are we in here?” “Since she rarely moves, we just keep office supplies in here.” She reached over with her hooves and grabbed a pen, along with a stack of papers. “Here, write your note, and afterwards, you will be immediately sent back with it. Now get back to your room. There will be food in there.” Pinkie took both supplies and walked back to her cell. So, all of her friends in here were crazy...that was predictable. This was an insane asylum, after all. Walking into her room, she shut the door behind her. She didn’t even poke a hoof at the sandwich on her bed. She just sat at the small side table and began writing furiously. She would never be forgotten, and she would make sure of that. Author's Note The story is so close to being finished! It's projected to have just one more chapter :) Then I'll be working on the other stories, which I love so much! I hope you all are enjoying this story!! The Pink Fades OffA solemn aura hung over the air as Pinkie’s friends gathered around to listen to her tale. She started at the party, and spoke all the way up to the note. She told of her depression, and of how her friends were all that she had to live for. “Pinkie, darling, we’ll always be here for you!” Rarity exclaimed, the anguish washing over her face. Pinkie smiled up at Rarity, only able to hold it for a few seconds before the large wave of sadness crept over her face once again. “Thanks guys, but you all know that I’m going to go back there in the end. She’ll make me choose. Luckily, I got a good piece of information in my last stay there.” All stared questioningly at her. She just rolled her eyes and continued. “She said that Rainbow Dash, although super insane…” Dash looked at Pinkie oddly, as if asking what she meant by that. Pinkie didn’t pay attention to the looks she was getting. “She said that Rainbow Dash was the fastest pony in all of Equestria. That means that wherever that place is, it’s still in Equestria.” Twilight jumped up, suddenly interested in the matter. “Then why couldn’t we find you!? There was nothing in my books, and I tried every spell I could think of. We were so worried, and we know that you couldn’t of just disappeared like that!” All of the ponies put their hooves to their faces, knowing that it was time for Twilight to pry every single detail out of Pinkie. “I-I don’t know, Twilight. All Dr. Sparkle said was that this world was fake, as were all of you.” Tears swelled up in Pinkie’s eyes, the thoughts of losing her friends swarming her thoughts. “Well, Ah know that we’re not fake! Ah’m about as fake as you, if that were true!!” AppleJack proclaimed. “I know that! I know you guys are real...my problem is that I have to go there, and I have to stay there.” All of her friends gasped. Their best friend and party pony was leaving! All broke out in a fuss, telling her that she didn’t have to do that. “Girls, I really do need to do this. What I’ve been dealing with has been going on my whole life, and I’ve finally found an escape. I know you girls want to help, I really do...but you can’t This is my decision. Plus, I have something for you...all of you.” Pinkie reached in her hair, pulling out a few objects, including the letter. Of course, all her friends stared at her, wondering how she could fit so many things in her mane. One by one, she started handing them out. She started with Fluttershy. “Fluttershy, here I have a collection of all of my animal whistles. I never got a chance to finish them all for you, but I still hope you like them. “Rarity, for you I have a bow. I remember this bow, because it was the first thing you ever gave me. You thought my hair was in too much of a mess, so you gave it to me, but it fell out as soon as I put it on! “AppleJack, I could give you so many things, couldn’t I? I’ve decided that I can’t give you anything worth my life, but I can give you a new hat. I stitched it together myself…” Already, all of her friends were in tears. They all loved the gifts, but just weren’t able to open their mouths to tell her. They all just let her continue giving them her joy. “Rainbow Dash, I actually only have one thing for you. I have a ticket to the Wonderbolts show tomorrow night. There’s even a pass in there that lets you meet up with all of them. I talked to them, and they said they might consider you for their squadron.” Rainbow Dash was the only one who moved. As quick as she could, she took Pinkie up in her hooves, hugging her tightly. The tears streamed down Pinkie’s mane as she hugged back. When Dash finally let go, she took one last thing from her mane. “And Twilight, I remember the day that you came to Ponyville. You weren’t looking for friends. You were clueless as to why you were here, and I seemed like a total idiot at first. I just never got the chance to tell you that I’ve had such a great time here with you, and nopony can replace that. “For you, I brought you a book. It may not seem very special, but you dropped it on the same day when my tail was a-twitching. I was going to give it back to you, but I just had to read it. Your very first journal in Ponyville is an absolutely great read. I love all of you guys, but you can’t forget me.” Twilight stared down at the book, the tears already staining the pages inside. She couldn’t contain her happiness, and it shed itself in the form of her tears. All of her friends continued to beg her not to go, but the choice was made. She leaned in for one final hug, and all of them stood there in an embrace for almost ten minutes. When Pinkie pushed away, she took one last look at her friends. “Girls, thank you for giving me the best years of my life. I could never have survived without you, and it’s been so wonderful. Please, don’t ever give up your amazing spirits. I’ll abo able to visit you, or at least I would hope so...I love you all. Goodbye for now, my friends…” Pinkie walked out of her door, leaving all of her friends to wrap into each others’ arms. They knew that Pinkie wouldn’t be back for a long time, and they were fine with that. As long as her spirit still lived within them. ~~~ Pinkie looked up, expressionless, to Twilight. “I’m ready.” Twilight looked down at Pinkie and nodded, reminding her that Twilight was just a fantasy character. “But, on one condition…” This caused Dr. Sparkle to turn around, confused. “You have to show me what’s outside. That’s all I want. Ten minutes outside, and then I’ll go wherever you want me to go.” Dr. Sparkle did nothing but nod, continuing down the hall that Pinkie remembered so well. All the doors had been stripped of their names, as if all the patients had checked out. At the end of the hall, there stood a door, marked “Exit.” Pinkie pushed it open and walked out, her face gaping in awe at what she saw. All around her, memories of her life grew right in front of her eyes. Each new memory opened up a new feeling for Pinkie Pie. One moment she would be really sad, and the next moment jumping for joy. This was the outside, and Pinkie loved it. Once she reached the end, she turned around, taking her time to admire every last drop of refreshment these holograms projected to her. When she reached the door once again, Dr. Sparkle spoke quietly. “Pinkie, it is your time to go. You have lived a good life, and we all love you. We cannot wait to see you again someday.” Pinkie just smiled at the Twilight look-a-like. Her friends would always be the core of her memories, and the best memories she would ever have. She was ready to let go of everything. She was ready to leave. “Thank you, Ms. Sparkle. Do I just walk down the hall once again, all the way to the end?” With the approval of the nod, Pinkie began walking, the doors being replaced with streamers and balloons. The sounds coming from these rooms sounded so much like all of her parties. Her joyous tears flowed down her face, like the sweat dripping down the face of Rainbow Dash after her big race as a filly. She saw food platters, stacked high with cupcakes and various other treats. Beside these, pictures of her friends were arranged neatly, covered in signatures. Each signature was written neatly, each table of sweets decorated specifically for one of her friends. When she came upon her own table, she finally broke down in tears. Her crying just made her smile more, making her call out each of her friends’ names. Finally, she reached the door at the end of the hall. The door was labeled as “Celestia’s Kingdom.” She opened it, and a bright light overtook her. Walking in, Pinkie was blinded for a second. Looking around, she noticed she was in Equestria again, and her friends were standing there. It was her dream land. Her friends would truly be with her forever… Pinkie wasn’t going anywhere. Author's Note Only one chapter left! The epilogue! Hehe I hope you all are ready for the completion of this story! Epilogue: The Letter of a Thousand WordsThey all stood over the grave. “Here lies Pinkie Pie, the greatest party planner in Equestria. Beloved by all of her friends, her final party, indeed, was her best.” All five friends stood over these words, their tears falling silently. Each had placed a treat of their own, along with a party decoration, on the loose dirt that concealed Pinkie. For one final act of greatness, Twilight took out the book that Pinkie had given her just before leaving, beginning her eulogy. “Pinkie Pie was a friend to us all. The premier party planner in Equestria, we all adored her and the way she was able to make other ponies smile. Though we know not of why she went through with what she did,she will always be in our memories. To remember how much of an impact she had on me, personally, I will read to you all the first page of my journal here in Ponyville.” Twilight opened up the book to the first page, only to have a small, folded-up paper float to the ground. Picking it up, she saw the words “To all of my friends” neatly inscribed in pen. She opened it up, reading over the words fairly quickly. She gasped at what she read, then, instinctively, began to read it out loud. “To all of my friends, By now, you will all notice that I have taken my leave, going with Dr. Sparkle in her “asylum.” I just want to tell you that you all have had the biggest impact ever on me. Before all of you, I was not actually able to smile. The only other time that I smiled was when I saw my first rainbow, and threw my first party. All of you are amazing, and I don’t want you to mourn over me. I want you to continue spreading laughter throughout the land, fulfilling my legacy. I want to visit one day and see that there is another pony who has taken my place. You all kept me going for such a long time, and I can’t say I don’t love you all. This letter means so much to me, even if it doesn’t mean too much to you. I still have my memories, and that’s good enough for me. Thank you all for the good times. Anyhow, I’m running low on paper! I better hurry up… If you go into my room down at Sugarcube Corner, you’ll notice that I have a contraption there. It was in construction, but I’m definitely sure you lot can finish my lifelong work. It is a machine designed to fix every problem in the land. It’s called the “Smile Machine.” It’s designed to bring a smile to every single pony in Equestria. For one final time, I thank you all. You all are amazing, and you have shown me that a pony can change, even if life seems hopeless. Don’t ever forget your elements. I love you all. Thank you. Dearest friend forever, Pinkamena Diane Pie” Twilight looked up from the letter, letting it drop to the soft dirt. In front of the tombstone, they all stood around, remembering all the times that Pinkie Pie had come from absolutely nowhere, or had found a way to make everything better. Now she was taking a very long dirt nap. She lived in a fantasy world as a result from her depression, and it all led to her imminent demise. For the next few years, her friends were not able to get over their loss, no matter how hard they tried. Eventually, they all realized that Pinkie Pie was in a better place, and constantly tried to talk to her. Sometimes, they even said they could feel Pinkie Pie’s presence in the room with them, forcing them to smile. A rare time in her life, Pinkie Pie was finally at peace.
Pinkie's Lie"Hey, Pinkie Pie, I can’t wait to go over to your sweet party later! What time is it at!?” Rainbow Dash yelled from across the field. She took the ball up in her hoof and whacked it as hard as she could, sending it flying to Pinkie. She, naturally, jumped up to try to catch it. Instead, she was thrust back, the force of the ball hitting her hard in the chest. She coughed, trying her best to smile. “W-wow…..good...throw…..” Rainbow Dash flew down, as quickly as she could, to Pinkie. She hadn’t meant to hurt her. It was just a simple accident, right? It intrigued Dash that a ball could do so much, yet so little. Maybe it was a miracle this had happened, for it apparently had taught Dash a lesson, even though it had hurt her best friend. She would never, of course, get that answer. Helping her up, Dash grinned half-heartedly at her. “It’s your turn Pinkie. Throw it as hard as you want….” Pinkie Pie just looked up, staring Dash in the eyes. The look of evil hovered in her eyes for a couple of seconds, before the light blue in them took over and she smiled. “It’s ok, Dash! I think I’ve had enough ball throwing for the day! I have a party to plan, and you know I LOVE my parties!” Pinkie watched her as Dash just shrugged it off. She precariously stepped back, reaching for the ball. She had felt the same darkness that Pinkie had felt in that moment, and was too afraid to step near her. Oh Celestia, I’ve done it again….. It wasn’t like she had meant to. They were her friends, and she knew that; Pinkie just couldn’t shake the feeling that something had happened to her. She didn’t know when it did, buuut it did. She needed to get away from here as quickly as possible. "Oh but you can’t just leave, Pinkie. All your friends are expecting a party later, and you have to provide, right? That’s what you’re used for?" Ignoring the voice, she sat there, tears beginning to stream down her face. She had never felt a sadness like this. You truly don’t know what friendship is until you’ve lost it…. She stood up quietly, wishing there was an escape. Pinkie would have to leave, but not until this party was finished. It would be the best party she’d ever thrown, no doubt. ~~~ Everybody was gathered around the table. They were all chanting for Dash, who was busy chugging down a hard gallon of cider. “Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!” Everypony except for Pinkie was cheering. She was watching them all, mostly Dash, just smiling as she realized that the party was in full swing. Everypony was dancing, having fun, and socializing. It couldn’t be going any better! It wasn’t even time for the Coup de Grace yet, and all the ponies were hyped up on apple cider, pleasure of the Apple Family. A voice from outside called out to her, and Ms. Pie proceeded to follow it. “Hey Pinkie, you have GOT to come check this thing out! It’s funnerifically fantastic!!!” Of course, Pinkie couldn’t resist the call of fun! Bouncing her way out of the door, she stared down upon the most spectacular thing ever. It was an ultra-deluxe, super party cannon! Behind the cannon, was the wall-eyed mare, Derpy. She rarely ever actually spoke to Derpy, but everypony was her friend, and she would be no exception. Both her eyes positioned themselves opposite of one another. Her eyes watered, realizing that this would be the last anypony saw her. “Hey Pinkie, think you could help? I accidentally got something stuck in there earlier, and I need it moved out so I can give this cannon to you.” For her!?!?! She couldn’t believe it. Now she had to remove this object from the cannon! Pinkie leaned in, her head squeezing through the large hole. Not seeing anything, she tried to get her head out, but found her head to be stuck. It seemed weird at first, but then she began to laugh. This was obviously a prank! “Alright, guys, you got me! Let me out now! I wanna have some more fun!” Nobody was helping. She started to get scared, thinking she would be trapped there forever. Death would even be better than this! “Somepony, please help me! I’m stuck!!!” Derpy was trying to be reassuring, saying that she was doing her best, mumbling under her breath about some “Zecora stuff.” It was only then that Pinkie realized the cannon was cursed. Before Derpy could be warned, she pushed the cannon button, and away Pinkie went. The speed of a bullet, Pinkie was launched through the air, straight towards Canterlot Castle. The princess of the night, Princess Luna, stood guard atop the towers. As Pinkie closed in on the castle, Luna yelped, jumping down to try to save her. Realizing Pinkie was going too fast, she called on Celestia, but it was too late. Pinkie Pie was ten feet from the castle, then five, then two…. BAM! ~~~ Pinkie sat up fiercely in the bed she was lying in. “W...where am I!? Am I dead!? What just happened!?” There was a nurse pony standing over her bed. She looked down at Pinkie with a smile. “It’s alright, Ms. Pie. You’re in the psychiatric hospital. I know you may have many questions, but I advise you to wait until Doctor Sparkle gets here.” Pinkie’s eyes went wide. Twilight was HERE!? What was Twilight even doing in a hospital for crazy people? Pinkie was going crazy trying to figure out why she was in one of the beds at this hospital. Then it hit her: They thought she was a patient! Pinkie broke out in laughter at the thought. Her? Crazy? "Well, you are. You have me, didn’t you know?" There was that voice again. It had always been present in the very depths of her mind, and it made her angry that she couldn’t get rid of it. It was a mystery as to how it existed inside of her mind, or even why it wanted to talk to her specifically. Although fun during the day, Pinkie had spent countless hours of night doing research on all things voice-y in a pony’s head. Pinkie looked around. It was a plain white room, with a TV to her right. The TV blared static, and no remote was present. Closing her eyes, Pinkie had just hoped it was all a dream, but, upon opening them, had come to discover that this was all too real. Throwing off her blanket, Pinkie found that she had been covered in cuts all over her body. Had the fall really been that bad on her? She inspected every inch of herself, stopping for a few moments at her flanks. There was no cutie mark there. It was just a pink flesh of skin, bland without her special brand. It had shaped her, and now was probably going to haunt her forever. Honestly, how could a party pony be a party pony without proof that she was a party pony. All these thoughts were confusing Pinkie, who just wanted to go back home. “Now, my dear Pinkie, who says there ever was a home to go to?” She recognized that voice. “Twilight? Is that you?” The voice spoke in a sharp tone, quick and defiant. “I assure you, my dear, that my name is not Twilight. I am Dr. Sparkle. I have been assigned to you, Mrs. Pie, in hopes of treating all of your ailments. If I am correct, as usual, you are suffering from a severe case of both depression and schizophrenia. Now, we have been conducting tests to try to cure you, all of which seem to have been in vain.” Pinkie didn’t understand a word she was saying. Depression? Schizophrenia? What even were these things? Right now, did it really matter what they were? “Please, I just want to go back home with you!” “I told you, there is no home. It appears that you’ve put yourself in a state of delusion. A couple months ago, you were admitted here, apparently having suffered head trauma and, consequently, a coma.” Wait….had Pinkie really been there for two months? She couldn’t remember...in fact, she couldn’t remember anything before this “coma.” She wanted the truth. Why in Equestria was she here!? “I told you, there is no Equestria….stop living in this fantasy world of yours. Yes, I can read your thoughts. It surprises you, obviously, but I can. Now, you need to sleep.” She was NOT going to sleep. She was GOING to get out of this place. “Dr. Sparkle, I wanna know what you’ve been doing to me! Tell me RIGHT NOW!!!” Twilight just shook her head, a smug grin on her face. “And what if I don’t? Are you gonna go all Pinkamena on me?” Pinkie looked to her left, at the instrument table. She grabbed a scalpel and lunged at Twilight. Apparently she didn’t expect this, not being able to dodge in time for the knife to reach her. Twilight fell over, motionless. Pinkie walked out the door, walking the hallways. Doors of every shape and size lined up in rows along the corridor she was in. The hallways seemed endless, yet she began to walk them. All of the doors were white, and all had windows in them. She kept peeking in them, curious as to what kind of ponies were kept in a facility such as this one. Most of the ponies seemed normal, all except for one. Above the door, a label read, “Ms. Jack, the most dangerous of them all.” Pinkie slowly crept the door open, about to enter. ~~~ Pinkie sat up in her bed, back in Sugarcube Corner. Standing at the foot of her bed were all her friends, all except Twilight. The others said she was on important business. “A-am I alright? What happened to me?” She learned that she was thrust out of a cannon at top speed. Luckily, Rainbow Dash caught her just in time. That was an impossible feat, as Pinkie was two feet from hitting the stone walls of Canterlot Castle. She didn’t get much information, as a soft voice seemed to whisper in her ear, vaguely resembling Twilights’. “Sleep….” And Pinkie settled down for a long nap. Author's Note Sooo.....a new fic, eh? I can't wait to see how this turns out :) Originally, it was going to continue from different perspectives, but now it's going to be a Pinkie story! This should be interesting o-o but what is Twilight doing!?
A Snowy Day's DreamPinkie awoke hours later with a massive headache. “H...uh? Guys…?” The room around her was bare. The pink walls in her room illuminated the bright sunlight that shone outside. A note was lying beside her on the bed. Picking it up, she immediately noticed Twilight’s handwriting, written in the finest cursive."To Pinkie, whenever you awake" It was odd. Her friends would never leave her side and, from what she could remember, Twilight hadn’t even been in that group of friends by her side. Pinkie shrugged it off, proceeding to open the note and read the delicate writing inside. “If you are reading this, it means that you have finally awoken. I know that you have many questions about what has happened in the last short while, but be told that, in time, all will be answered. You may have asked yourself, “Where did all my friends go?”, but I have to teach you a lesson. I told you, your friends don’t exist. What I have set up for you here is a game. All you have to do is figure out which of your worlds is the true one. Now, don’t just say, “It’s the one with my friends!” You are allowed to choose either world, but do not choose too hastily. For the time being, that is all I can divulge to you. Please, stay safe. Be creative. Oh, and don’t eat any desserts! Dr. Sparkle” So, this was a game? Pinkie loved games! This one was, for sure, going to be slightly tougher for her, but, she knew, in the end, she was going to make the right choice. In her mind, the side with her friends was always going to be the right one, but why not give the other a chance? Getting up out of bed, Pinkie felt terrible. It was as if a thousand lightning bolts had been cast down on her. Moving around caused her severe pain, but she knew walking would help her. She moved over to her window, staring out at the green gardens of Ponville. She saw Lyra, sitting in her odd position on the bench, drool sliding down her lips. She saw Roseluck, watering her plants with the specified amount of water (50 sprinkles). Around the town, love was in the air, couples sharing hay sandwiches and pets sharing kisses with their owners. The air smelled of cinnamon buns, the stench causing Pinkie to drool from the corners of her lips. It was a fresh new day, and obviously this was all a game devised by Twilight. Pinkie turned away from her window to grab the note, but quickly realized it was missing. That was weird, but after the day she had been having, it didn’t seem extraordinary to have a missing note on her hooves. Stepping outside, it felt like a new start to Pinkie. She would find her friends, and she would throw a party for them! A mystery party seemed fit for Twilight’s little game. Now it all depended on finding her friends. Her first stop would be Fluttershy’s cottage, ‘cause Pinkie knew that Fluttershy loved to hang out with her! The walk through Ponyville didn’t really seem any different than another normal day. Pinkie shared greetings with everypony she passed and put smiles on everypony’s face. Their smiles made Pinkie smile. Pinkie Pie had always had that lonely feeling. She had her friends, but it wasn’t good enough. Growing up on a rock farm didn’t seem to put much spirit in a pony these days. Pinkie always thought of Maud when bland came up. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Maud, but it wasn’t very exciting to party while she sat there, talking with her pebble. Finally arriving at Fluttershy’s cottage, Pinkie Pie didn’t bother to knock, bursting in with her streamers, per usual. “Fluttershy!!! I’m throwing a new party for you all and you’re the first to be invited!” When Pinkie didn’t get a response, she proceeded to go through each room in the house thoroughly, greeting every new door with another large party shout. Each time proved even more hopeless than the last, all the doors leading to an empty room. The only sign of life in this house was the flickering lights in the living room. [i“Where could she have gone…?” ] Pinkie questioned herself. It wasn’t like Fluttershy to stop taking care of her home, deserting her animals. Then again, it was Fluttershy. She was probably hiding off with a bear somewhere, playing a round of Go-Fish. The thought made Pinkie smile. One of her dreams had always been to communicate with animals, and the actual thought of doing it was so silly. Fluttershy was an interesting person, and Pinkie acknowledged that. As the house proved to be useless to her search, Pinkie stepped outside, the bright moonlight illuminating the white snow that had fallen. “Whoa….what just happened!? It was morning a minute ago!” Pinkie became scared. She hadn’t been in Fluttershy’s cottage for any more than 15 minutes, at the most. When was there any time for snow to fall, or even for night to come out? Was this all a joke played by Luna? She was shivering, the cold winter that had descended really kicking her in the gut. The snow did shine beautifully under the moon, but Pinkie hadn’t been prepared for cold weather, let alone snow. The wind rose to a steady force, the pink pony’s mane blowing to the south. “It’s so pretty…” Pinkie was amazed. Anything that could conjure up a flurry of spectacles such as this deserved praise. Each snowflake fell slowly, covering Ponyville in its cold warmth. The leaves dropped to the ground with each gram of snow, and Pinkie Pie just stood there, her mind wandering to memories of days past, where she had brought her sled to the tops of many hills. Riding down the toboggan, her warm scarf fluttered behind her, the slushy water splashing her in the face. No matter how much her hooves hurt, she kept pulling the sled back to the top, ready for another journey down. Her smile was hidden among the dark shadows that she stood in. Then, just like that, everything turned black, and she was back in the hospital. “Don’t you see, Ms. Pie, we can do whatever we want. We can make all of your dreams come true. You can be the biggest party planner in all of Equestria, if you want. Why do you still choose your friends over us?” For a moment, Pinkie had actually started to consider the possibilities of this place. The snowy backdrop really did seem like a dream to her. If she stayed here, could she have whatever she wanted, even her friends? Twilight stepped into the darkness of Pinkie’s room. Her mouth was neither upturned nor in a frown. Her face was expressionless. In her front left hoof, she held a remote. With each press of the remote, Pinkie felt a surge in different areas of her body. “Now, there are times when ponies don’t comply, but that rarely ever happens. Pinkie, you must understand that we control you. We can make you do whatever we want. If you decide to help us in our studies of brain activity and virtual reality, I promise you that we will not do anything to harm you nor control you.” The thought of any brainwashing kind of scared Pinkie. She would have no control over herself. Her parties would be fake! She couldn’t let that happen! Finally, Pinkie Pie stopped. “No.” Twilight looked shocked. “No!? What do you mean, no?” “I mean no, you can’t control me. No, you won’t ever get me to comply with you. I just want to know what the world outside looks like! What are you hiding from me!? Let me be free!” Twilight stepped back, her eyes in a state of terror. It seemed that nopony had ever said that to her before. Pinkie grinned, standing up on the bed once again. The look on Twilight’s face was priceless. Nothing had ever felt this good before. Pinkie jumped off of the bed, landing in front of Twilight. “And nopony, will ever, take away, my parties. Got that?” Twilight’s face went back into the mal expression that it had been before. “Yes, Ms. Pie. I completely understand. If you want answers, you’ll have to find a way to escape first.” She pressed a button on the wall, and all of a sudden, Pinkie felt tired. Her eyes drooped, her spirit dropping into her stomach. The dizzier she got, the more wobbly she became. “I...live...forever…” And then she dropped.
The Truth is TwistedThe air was cool, the sun hot on the life beneath it. The leaves came down from the trees in large splashes of brown and yellow. The birds chirped harmoniously across the lands, their songs bringing joy to all who partook in them. Pinkie was asleep on the ground, covered in pine needles. Her soft snoring and slight drool attracted all the animals nearer to her, all sniffing for signs of life on the sleeping mare. When she woke up, almost all the animals from the nearby forest were licking her. “Hey! I’m not Fluttershy!! Hehe, but that kind of tickles...haha alright guys, go on. I need to get up!” Truthfully, though, Pinkie didn’t really want to get up. The pine needles were really warm, and she felt comforted underneath their blanket. If she didn’t get up, on the other hand, she would probably get way too hot under the sun. In the end, the choice was imminent. Standing up, her legs wobbled from side to side. She felt as if she had just gotten off of a roller coaster- “Hey, Mr. Narrator, what’s a roller coaster?” Roller coaster, or maybe just got done drinking one too many cups of cider. Pinkie frowned, a little agitated that she didn’t get a response to her mysterious question. Looking around, she noticed that she was in the middle of a grassy area, no town in site. A mountain towered over her on her left side, a desert lying behind her. In a quick moment, Pinkie realized she would be able to see further from the mountain, and made her way to the base. Looking up, the mountain was tall. With a snow-capped peak and rivers running to the bottom, it was obviously a few miles high, if not more. With a shaky step, Pinkie put a hoof on the first rock, finding it to be stable. As she ascended the mountain, the oxygen levels slowly depleted, making it harder and harder for her to breathe. About a fourth of the way up, she heard a voice. “Pinkie Pie, how did you get up there!?” She turned around and saw Rarity running towards her. Her mane was down, which was unusual since she was always so picky about her hairstyle. Running up to Pinkie, she let out one last pant, resting her whole body on top of her. Pinkie Pie looked down at Rarity with a smile. “Hey Rarity! Where’s everypony else?” Rarity looked sadly at Pinkie. Pinkie could tell that there was something wrong with her. “We’ve been searching for you, Pinkie. You’ve been missing for days! Where did you go?” Pinkie looked down, sweat slowly dripping down her cheeks. A tear fell from her eyes. She decided that it was finally time to tell her friends what was happening to her. She put a smile on her face, wiping the tear off of her lips. “Let me tell you when we’re all together, okay?” Rarity smiled back at Pinkie, a shine returning to her eyes. Rarity helped lead Pinkie off of the mountain, walking away from both the mountain and the desert. ~~~ Her friends gathered around, showering her in hugs. The journey back to Ponyville took about an hour, but it was all worth it to see her friends once again. Twilight was the first one to speak up. “So, I had a few tracking spells put out to try and find you, but they all said you weren’t even in Equestria! Where did you go, Pinkie!? We were all really worried…” Pinkie opened her mouth, but then shut it again. If she told them, would they think she was crazy? She was already sad enough...what would she do if her friends hated her…? Instead, she hastily came up with a story that told about half the truth. “I wasn’t in Equestria. I talked to Celestia and asked her to send me to a different universe for a day, where I could be alone and think. I hope I didn’t worry you too terribly, guys...I would hate myself if anything happened to you…” It was her friends’ turn to look at each other with worry. They were obviously hiding something, and Pinkie couldn’t help but ask about it. “Guys...is something wrong? Did I do something wrong?” Pinkie broke inside. She thought she had done something, or somepony had gotten hurt because of her. Her mane shrunk down, no longer puffy. All of her friends spoke in simultaneous unison. “The town is in silent chaos... “All the ponies are fighting with one another… “Without you here to help… “Nopony could smile… “And all turned to fighting…” Pinkie’s eyes went white. She had that much of an impact on Ponyville!? Was she really the reason that everypony stayed sane…? Why couldn’t her life just be normal!? For all of Pinkie’s life, people picked on her because she was so different. They all attended her parties, her being such a good party planner, but they all ignored her. The only time when she actually felt accepted was when she was with her friends, but she could never tell them the truth. She would always have to be happy for them… “Guys...why do they all depend on me to smile? Can’t they see the good things in life without me?” Now it was AppleJack’s turn to talk. “Sugarcube, they all should, but they can’t. I reckon if they just opened their eyes t’the real world, maybe everything’d be better.” Pinkie Pie looked down, shielding her eyes from her friends. She didn’t want them to see her tears. She ran out, bumping straight into a blue stallion. Looking up, he yelled at her. “Watch where you’re going!” This just made Pinkie cry even worse. She ran off, towards Twilight’s library, a trail of sparkling tears trailing behind her. Her friends chased after her, all running into the library, coming to find out that Pinkie, yet again, was gone. Twilight started to freak out. “Oh no!! She’s gone again! Send out all spells immediately! Search the vicinity! We need to find our friend!” ~~~ In another dimension, Pinkie Pie found herself strapped into a seat, a table of various tools to her side. Her stomach was slightly cut, and “Dr. Sparkle” stood in front of her, writing furiously on her clipboard. She looked up, jumping back in slight surprise at Pinkie’s awakening. “Ah, I see you’ve woken up. Well, to make this short, I’ve strapped you to this chair to conduct research on how your brain functions while in your fantasy la-” “It’s not fantasy! This place is fantasy! Just let me go!” She struggled in her chair, the straps shaking with each hard tug, yet still they prevailed in holding her. “Haha, Ms. Pie, that’s a worthless attempt. I control you. Just face it, your depression is your downfall. You’ve already shown all of your friends that you’re just a weak and pathetic pony who only does parties so she can hide the fact that she wants to die.” “Just shut up, will ya!! I’m not depressed!” In her mind, could she ever actually believe that… “Can you not see, though...your friends think you are crazy. You can’t hide your true self much longer from them, and you know that. So please, stay with us. We will accommodate to your every need, and we promise to make your life better.” Pinkie still shook her head. No matter what happened, she knew her friends would always love her. She couldn’t just abandon them because of some silly depression. She still had one final act of independence, though. This would be her last shot. “You know I can’t do that, but I do want one thing. I want to write a letter. A letter that, in the future, will be read and understood.” For a second, Twilight looked slightly puzzled. Why would Pinkie want to write a note? Who would it even be for? It didn’t really matter, because Pinkie would always choose this path in the end. “Fine, you can write your note. You can only write it on one condition. Next time you return to this world, the game is over and you must choose. Understood?” Pinkie nodded, feeling the steel braces on her hooves clank open. Dropping to the floor, she stood up straight and walked with Dr. Sparkle back down the hall that she had seen enough times already. This time was slightly different, though. This time they entered a room, labeled “Dash.” The inside walls were coated with blood. The smell was absolutely putrefying, and Rainbow Dash, wrapped in a straightjacket, sat in the center of it all. At the sound of the door opening, she turned around, her eyes wide and a smile permanently frozen on her face. She laughed as they walked in, yelling at the top of her lungs. “YOU CAN NEVER ESCAPE, PINKIE PIE!! THEY’LL FIND A WAY TO GET YOU! HAHAHAHAHA!!!” Pinkie Pie was slightly freaked out. She leaned in towards Twilight, simply asking, “What happened to Rainbow Dash?” Twilight looked solemnly towards Pinkie. “It’s a tragic story, really. She lost her job as a weather pony, so she took one at a place called the Rainbow Factory. She was so good at her job. Her job involved killing all ponies who failed their flying tests. One day, she just snapped. “She took all the staff members, and crushed them into rainbows. When we brought her in, she wouldn’t stay in the cell unless we coated the walls like you see here. She never seems to move from that one spot, but don’t be fooled. She’s the fastest pony in Equestria.” Pinkie took a mental note of that statement, looking around. “So, why are we in here?” “Since she rarely moves, we just keep office supplies in here.” She reached over with her hooves and grabbed a pen, along with a stack of papers. “Here, write your note, and afterwards, you will be immediately sent back with it. Now get back to your room. There will be food in there.” Pinkie took both supplies and walked back to her cell. So, all of her friends in here were crazy...that was predictable. This was an insane asylum, after all. Walking into her room, she shut the door behind her. She didn’t even poke a hoof at the sandwich on her bed. She just sat at the small side table and began writing furiously. She would never be forgotten, and she would make sure of that. Author's Note The story is so close to being finished! It's projected to have just one more chapter :) Then I'll be working on the other stories, which I love so much! I hope you all are enjoying this story!!
The Pink Fades OffA solemn aura hung over the air as Pinkie’s friends gathered around to listen to her tale. She started at the party, and spoke all the way up to the note. She told of her depression, and of how her friends were all that she had to live for. “Pinkie, darling, we’ll always be here for you!” Rarity exclaimed, the anguish washing over her face. Pinkie smiled up at Rarity, only able to hold it for a few seconds before the large wave of sadness crept over her face once again. “Thanks guys, but you all know that I’m going to go back there in the end. She’ll make me choose. Luckily, I got a good piece of information in my last stay there.” All stared questioningly at her. She just rolled her eyes and continued. “She said that Rainbow Dash, although super insane…” Dash looked at Pinkie oddly, as if asking what she meant by that. Pinkie didn’t pay attention to the looks she was getting. “She said that Rainbow Dash was the fastest pony in all of Equestria. That means that wherever that place is, it’s still in Equestria.” Twilight jumped up, suddenly interested in the matter. “Then why couldn’t we find you!? There was nothing in my books, and I tried every spell I could think of. We were so worried, and we know that you couldn’t of just disappeared like that!” All of the ponies put their hooves to their faces, knowing that it was time for Twilight to pry every single detail out of Pinkie. “I-I don’t know, Twilight. All Dr. Sparkle said was that this world was fake, as were all of you.” Tears swelled up in Pinkie’s eyes, the thoughts of losing her friends swarming her thoughts. “Well, Ah know that we’re not fake! Ah’m about as fake as you, if that were true!!” AppleJack proclaimed. “I know that! I know you guys are real...my problem is that I have to go there, and I have to stay there.” All of her friends gasped. Their best friend and party pony was leaving! All broke out in a fuss, telling her that she didn’t have to do that. “Girls, I really do need to do this. What I’ve been dealing with has been going on my whole life, and I’ve finally found an escape. I know you girls want to help, I really do...but you can’t This is my decision. Plus, I have something for you...all of you.” Pinkie reached in her hair, pulling out a few objects, including the letter. Of course, all her friends stared at her, wondering how she could fit so many things in her mane. One by one, she started handing them out. She started with Fluttershy. “Fluttershy, here I have a collection of all of my animal whistles. I never got a chance to finish them all for you, but I still hope you like them. “Rarity, for you I have a bow. I remember this bow, because it was the first thing you ever gave me. You thought my hair was in too much of a mess, so you gave it to me, but it fell out as soon as I put it on! “AppleJack, I could give you so many things, couldn’t I? I’ve decided that I can’t give you anything worth my life, but I can give you a new hat. I stitched it together myself…” Already, all of her friends were in tears. They all loved the gifts, but just weren’t able to open their mouths to tell her. They all just let her continue giving them her joy. “Rainbow Dash, I actually only have one thing for you. I have a ticket to the Wonderbolts show tomorrow night. There’s even a pass in there that lets you meet up with all of them. I talked to them, and they said they might consider you for their squadron.” Rainbow Dash was the only one who moved. As quick as she could, she took Pinkie up in her hooves, hugging her tightly. The tears streamed down Pinkie’s mane as she hugged back. When Dash finally let go, she took one last thing from her mane. “And Twilight, I remember the day that you came to Ponyville. You weren’t looking for friends. You were clueless as to why you were here, and I seemed like a total idiot at first. I just never got the chance to tell you that I’ve had such a great time here with you, and nopony can replace that. “For you, I brought you a book. It may not seem very special, but you dropped it on the same day when my tail was a-twitching. I was going to give it back to you, but I just had to read it. Your very first journal in Ponyville is an absolutely great read. I love all of you guys, but you can’t forget me.” Twilight stared down at the book, the tears already staining the pages inside. She couldn’t contain her happiness, and it shed itself in the form of her tears. All of her friends continued to beg her not to go, but the choice was made. She leaned in for one final hug, and all of them stood there in an embrace for almost ten minutes. When Pinkie pushed away, she took one last look at her friends. “Girls, thank you for giving me the best years of my life. I could never have survived without you, and it’s been so wonderful. Please, don’t ever give up your amazing spirits. I’ll abo able to visit you, or at least I would hope so...I love you all. Goodbye for now, my friends…” Pinkie walked out of her door, leaving all of her friends to wrap into each others’ arms. They knew that Pinkie wouldn’t be back for a long time, and they were fine with that. As long as her spirit still lived within them. ~~~ Pinkie looked up, expressionless, to Twilight. “I’m ready.” Twilight looked down at Pinkie and nodded, reminding her that Twilight was just a fantasy character. “But, on one condition…” This caused Dr. Sparkle to turn around, confused. “You have to show me what’s outside. That’s all I want. Ten minutes outside, and then I’ll go wherever you want me to go.” Dr. Sparkle did nothing but nod, continuing down the hall that Pinkie remembered so well. All the doors had been stripped of their names, as if all the patients had checked out. At the end of the hall, there stood a door, marked “Exit.” Pinkie pushed it open and walked out, her face gaping in awe at what she saw. All around her, memories of her life grew right in front of her eyes. Each new memory opened up a new feeling for Pinkie Pie. One moment she would be really sad, and the next moment jumping for joy. This was the outside, and Pinkie loved it. Once she reached the end, she turned around, taking her time to admire every last drop of refreshment these holograms projected to her. When she reached the door once again, Dr. Sparkle spoke quietly. “Pinkie, it is your time to go. You have lived a good life, and we all love you. We cannot wait to see you again someday.” Pinkie just smiled at the Twilight look-a-like. Her friends would always be the core of her memories, and the best memories she would ever have. She was ready to let go of everything. She was ready to leave. “Thank you, Ms. Sparkle. Do I just walk down the hall once again, all the way to the end?” With the approval of the nod, Pinkie began walking, the doors being replaced with streamers and balloons. The sounds coming from these rooms sounded so much like all of her parties. Her joyous tears flowed down her face, like the sweat dripping down the face of Rainbow Dash after her big race as a filly. She saw food platters, stacked high with cupcakes and various other treats. Beside these, pictures of her friends were arranged neatly, covered in signatures. Each signature was written neatly, each table of sweets decorated specifically for one of her friends. When she came upon her own table, she finally broke down in tears. Her crying just made her smile more, making her call out each of her friends’ names. Finally, she reached the door at the end of the hall. The door was labeled as “Celestia’s Kingdom.” She opened it, and a bright light overtook her. Walking in, Pinkie was blinded for a second. Looking around, she noticed she was in Equestria again, and her friends were standing there. It was her dream land. Her friends would truly be with her forever… Pinkie wasn’t going anywhere. Author's Note Only one chapter left! The epilogue! Hehe I hope you all are ready for the completion of this story!
Epilogue: The Letter of a Thousand WordsThey all stood over the grave. “Here lies Pinkie Pie, the greatest party planner in Equestria. Beloved by all of her friends, her final party, indeed, was her best.” All five friends stood over these words, their tears falling silently. Each had placed a treat of their own, along with a party decoration, on the loose dirt that concealed Pinkie. For one final act of greatness, Twilight took out the book that Pinkie had given her just before leaving, beginning her eulogy. “Pinkie Pie was a friend to us all. The premier party planner in Equestria, we all adored her and the way she was able to make other ponies smile. Though we know not of why she went through with what she did,she will always be in our memories. To remember how much of an impact she had on me, personally, I will read to you all the first page of my journal here in Ponyville.” Twilight opened up the book to the first page, only to have a small, folded-up paper float to the ground. Picking it up, she saw the words “To all of my friends” neatly inscribed in pen. She opened it up, reading over the words fairly quickly. She gasped at what she read, then, instinctively, began to read it out loud. “To all of my friends, By now, you will all notice that I have taken my leave, going with Dr. Sparkle in her “asylum.” I just want to tell you that you all have had the biggest impact ever on me. Before all of you, I was not actually able to smile. The only other time that I smiled was when I saw my first rainbow, and threw my first party. All of you are amazing, and I don’t want you to mourn over me. I want you to continue spreading laughter throughout the land, fulfilling my legacy. I want to visit one day and see that there is another pony who has taken my place. You all kept me going for such a long time, and I can’t say I don’t love you all. This letter means so much to me, even if it doesn’t mean too much to you. I still have my memories, and that’s good enough for me. Thank you all for the good times. Anyhow, I’m running low on paper! I better hurry up… If you go into my room down at Sugarcube Corner, you’ll notice that I have a contraption there. It was in construction, but I’m definitely sure you lot can finish my lifelong work. It is a machine designed to fix every problem in the land. It’s called the “Smile Machine.” It’s designed to bring a smile to every single pony in Equestria. For one final time, I thank you all. You all are amazing, and you have shown me that a pony can change, even if life seems hopeless. Don’t ever forget your elements. I love you all. Thank you. Dearest friend forever, Pinkamena Diane Pie” Twilight looked up from the letter, letting it drop to the soft dirt. In front of the tombstone, they all stood around, remembering all the times that Pinkie Pie had come from absolutely nowhere, or had found a way to make everything better. Now she was taking a very long dirt nap. She lived in a fantasy world as a result from her depression, and it all led to her imminent demise. For the next few years, her friends were not able to get over their loss, no matter how hard they tried. Eventually, they all realized that Pinkie Pie was in a better place, and constantly tried to talk to her. Sometimes, they even said they could feel Pinkie Pie’s presence in the room with them, forcing them to smile. A rare time in her life, Pinkie Pie was finally at peace.
