Pinkies Torment

Pinkamena, we're going back to Ponyville.  I have some parties to plan and I'm going to need your body.

"Okay, Pinkie."

When we get there I'll let you see Fluttershy!  Isn't that nice of me?  I'm such a generous host.  I should be named Pinkie 'the generous host party' Pie.

"Yes, Pinkie."  I'm walking back to Ponyville.  I have no reason to rush this, I have enough food in my saddle bags to last me the trip.  I'm so tired of the fighting inside me that I'm willing to do the unthinkable.  I'm going to talk to Twilight and ask her for help and listen to her science.

I look around town and the ponies are down since I left and they are so excited to see me.  They think I'm Pinkie.  They smile and shout her name excitedly and before I know it dozens of ponies are looking at me expecting something fun.  I guess I'll humor them the best I can, they are expecting something.  I smile as big as I can and spin my mane around a couple times and jump around screaming and whooping and riling them up.  I pull out my last two apples and take a bite of one with a huge smile and toss it to a filly in the crowd then do a back flip.  They're so easily entertained.

I  trot happily away with a few following and back to Sugarcube Corner and trot in.  The Cakes are almost shocked to see me as I slam the door shut and lock it behind me.  "Pinkie?!  Oh, we're so glad to see you're safe and well.  You scared the whole town when you went missing!  We thought the worse had happened."  Mr. Cake said with worry in his voice but relief in his face.  I can't smile at him or Mrs. Cake, all I feel is fear and worry about what Pinkie will do if I let her have my body again.

"Please, get Twilight here.  I need her help or I'm going to die."  They look at me with fear and then each other.

"What do you mean dear?"  Mrs. Cake asks me.  What do I tell her?  How do I convince her, or, should I just ignore her and get Twilight myself.  I don't know how much longer I can keep Pinkie at bay anymore.  I look at them with those Pinkie puppy eyes and whimper.  I can see Mrs. Cake's heart melt and she trots to the kitchen and I hear the door open.

"Mr. Cake, can I have something to eat?"  He looks at me like I'm a fool for asking.  He turns and goes into the kitchen while the several ponies have turned into two dozen, screaming her name.  Pinkie, Pinkie, Pinkie.  She really did hold this community in the base of her hoof.

After I eat some real food and half a cake with fresh juice I go to my old room.  It's just like I left it except the balloons are deflated and some streamers have fallen from the cheap tape we buy to hold them up.  I lay on my bed and look at the ceiling and slowly feel sleep gripping me.  NO, I won't let her have control, not now when I'm so close.  I hear hoof steps galloping through the house.  Twilight must be here, I can feel her magic from a few hundred feet away.  Changelings have the oddest powers.

The door is surrounded by a purple aura then opens just as Twilight gallops in to the bedside.  Her horn is mostly grown back and focusing magic the way it should.  I can taste the confused anger and worry from her.  "Twilight, before you start threatening or rambling I have to say yes, I am Pinkamena.  Your spell worked wonders for me and I was able to see the world for a while.  It was amazing, but, she got out.  She has true control of my body and life when I sleep.  I sleep for six hours every two days, I feel terrible."

"So, what do you want from me?  You think I'm boring and too into science, which I'll agree too sometimes, but I know what I'm talking about and what I'm doing.  Want me to recast the spell for you so you can disappear until you need me again?  Because I'm not going to be your warden."

"I know you have a spell that can banish her.  Use it on me."  Her horn stops glowing and she looks at me concerned.  I don't like the taste of concern.  It's like hot lemonade; Ick.  Luna, just let her start blabbing already, I could use the distraction.

"No, I won't use it."  That's all she says.  No long winded story or explanation.  I sit up and move my mane out of my eyes and look at her.  She's serious.

"Why?  I'll be free to live the life that was stolen from me."

"Because, the spell will banish one of you, I can't control which one.  It's a rare spell made for expert psychologists, it can't be used freely."

"Then, get a professional to do it."

"They'll say the same thing, Pinkamena.  Its the nature of the spell.  They cast it and help whichever personality remains cope with life alone."

"So, either you get the Pinkie you know back and life in the city and world returns to how it was, or you get me.  A depressed mare with emotional issues and scars that won't heal without time and that's," I stop and sigh, "Maybe you should just get her back.  I don't have a place in this world and probably never would have to begin with.  Just a rock farmer from a family of rock farmers."

"Pinkie, I mean Pinkamena, that's not true.  Everypony has a place in the world.  You may not have chosen this path but you can make a new one.  I think that we should all get together and talk about this, as a family of friends."

"Fine, whatever.  I've said my piece and I've made peace with the decision."

"OH, oh!  Me too!  I've made pieces of cake and pie too.  I'll share if you let me win!"  Great, Pinkie's here and talking.  This isn't going to get annoying in about three sentences.

"Oh, hi Pinkie?  It's me, Twilight.  How are you?"

"You mean since you put me in time out and I couldn't do anything for three months and was all bored and not having fun at all and there was this party she looked at and it was SOOO fun but she walked past it like it was just, meh, and I was like 'go back!' but she couldn't hear me and I cried for days.  Since then? I've been good.  Thanks for asking.  I walk to the mirror and look into it to see my reflection and I see her.  Bright pink and curly hair and that smile that makes my nauseous.  That's who I can talk to and not feel like a fool yelling at the air.

"You're welcome, Pinkie," I say blandly.  I can't tolerate her energy on the best of days, now we're arguing with the same mouth in front of others.  "Pinkie, let's just have her cast the spell.  I think if we do this spell there's a 50/50 either way and that way one of us will be out of the others' misery."

"You may think it's misery but *I** love my life and what I've done.  It's making others happy and that makes me happy which makes them happy and then I get happy so then-*"

"OKAY, stop Pinkie, Pinkamena.  You two aren't solving this by arguing.  I don't think I should cast the spell without the others present."

I look at that annoying mare and I feel so frustrated with her answer.  "What difference will it make?  Either way you'll do it and one of us will be here.  I can deliver desserts as good as any other pony and I can still live here, if they'll let me.  Cast the spell, Twilight."

"Yeah, I wanna be the party pony forever, not a sad little mopey dopey that can't have fun."

"That's not me, I never had a chance to live thanks to you."  I shout at the mirror and her smile fades as she looks at me.

"I am sorry Pinkamena.  I didn't plan for this to happen.  My existence was simple before I became one with you: Take others' powers and eventually return them to Discord.  I would have simply entered you and killed you then moved on, but that day fate had other plans.  I couldn't leave you.  I tried, believe me I did.  But, the changeling I had devoured had powers I couldn't control and when I felt your joy it made me want more.

I threw that first party and got a cutie mark, then I just. Kept. Doing it.  If you weren't always there I'd have forgotten I was... whatever I was, years ago.  If this is a chance for one of us to live then I say we take it."

"That's the first time you've apologized in all these years.  Twilight, let's do this."

"I'm sorry, Twilight says as she looks at us and her horn glows.  Brighter and brighter and I see her eyes turning white as she shuts them.  A bright light eminates from her horn at us.  It hurts and my brain feels like it's burning.  I clasp my hooves to my head and scream as the world goes dark.

I open my eyes and see my friends around me.  I'm back in the hospital, that sterile smell and whiteness all around.  I take in a deep breath and look at them.  I feel quiet in my head.  "Thanks, Twilight," I say as I smile at her.

My life as a mare begins today.