My life hasn’t been easy, far from it actually, for my whole life I think I’ve done nothing but hide my face and constantly looking over my shoulder. Always making sure no one will recognize me, always doing my best not to run into a certain pony. How long have I been doing this you might ask? Well to tell you the truth it’s only been about two years. Sure it doesn’t seem like much for other ponies, but in my case, those two years actually do make up my entire life.
The thing is I wasn’t born like traditional ponies have, instead I just sort of popped into existence thanks to a magical pond. You see I’m actually a clone, a mirror image of the pony whose face I share, and her name is Pinkie Pie. I guess you can say that’s my name too, but if I had to be honest, it hasn’t felt like that in a long time. I may look and sound like her, but if you put the two of us together in the same room, I think you’d be able to tell who’s the original.
That said I never want to be caught in the same room as her, not after what happened two years ago. You see there used to be more of us, about a few hundred or so, but when we started to wreck the town we were all herded into town hall. Well, almost all of us, by some luck I’d managed to avoid being dragged in, but I did manage to see what happened. And after seeing the first few clones get zapped back into the Mirror Pool I ran away scared. And I kept running until I was sure I was someplace where Pinkie’s face wasn’t commonly known.
That’s the short story of how I ended up living in Manehattan. To be fair it hasn’t all been bad, sure I still had to keep a sharp eye out. But with so many ponies living here it’s easy to blend into the surroundings. I managed to find a nice-ish apartment with folk who keep to themselves, and I made my money by doing some odd jobs. By some twist of fate, I managed to live a somewhat normal life, and well, I was happy.
Was
Everything I’ve tried to build for myself in the last two years was about to disappear. The normalcy, the happiness, and the thought that I could actually live a peaceful life, it was all about to end. All because I let my guard down for a few minutes. I didn’t notice when I entered the diner, and somehow I hadn’t noticed when I took a seat. But after two years of looking over my shoulder, to my horror, she was there. I don’t know what she was doing there, and frankly I didn’t care, all I knew was that I had to get out of there and fast.
So I ran, I ran and I ran until I couldn’t run anymore and then I ran some more. I needed to get as far away from her as I could. I’d spent the whole day scared in my apartment, questions like ‘did she see me?’ and ‘Are the others here too?’ constantly running through my mind. By the next morning nothing had happened so I was convinced that everything was fine. Pinkie didn’t see me which means the others wouldn’t know I was here either. I thought that I was being given another chance, that I wouldn’t have to worry and I could continue my new life. But that all changed when I checked the morning’s paper.
That was when I found out one of Pinkie’s friends had opened a shop here in Manehattan. Sure I could have just avoided that area of town, but that wasn’t the problem. My face, or rather her face was printed on the paper along with her friends. Her face was being seen by anyone who decided to read the paper. And if my luck wasn’t any worse, on the way back home, not even five minutes after having bought that paper at the corner, I was finally recognized. And it was right then that I knew my life here was over.
Which brings me to where I am today, in my apartment packing what little I have. I can’t live here anymore; I can’t risk Pinkie finding out I’m still here. I have to find somewhere else, somewhere farther, maybe even leave Equestria all together. If that’s what it’ll take to live my life, then so be it.
“My life….” I stop for a moment; I know I shouldn't be wasting any time but still I stopped. I looked around myself, for the first time really looking at what I had. For brief my time here may have been, this was still my home. And now I’m forced to run like some criminal, but my only crime is that I technically shouldn’t exist. And deep down it hurts, hurts to know that I’ll just be that one clone who got away, or at least I think I’m the only one. When you’re doing everything you can to not stand out you don’t really think about if there are more of you.
A lot good that did me huh?
Now I’m just stalling myself, so I push the pain of having to leave this all behind deep down inside me and make my way to the door. I take one last moment to look around, one last moment to remember the life I had, and I open the door. And it was at that very moment when I felt all the blood drain from my face. I was staring myself right in the face, the very face that I’d tried to avoid all my life, and she wasn’t alone. Right next to her was the Alicorn who could send me right back to the mirror pool, Twilight Sparkle.
We all stood there completely still, the only sound was a rhythmic thump, though I think that might have been my heart beat. The both looked at each other for a moment, and Pinkie raised a hoof “Um…hi-“ I slammed the door. I tried not to panic as I looked for another way out, my eyes quickly going towards the window. Problem was my apartment was on the fifth floor and I only had about three feet of blanket. My mind raced as I tried to look for another way out, but I couldn’t find one. I couldn’t leave the room, I can’t escape. After two years of running, after two years of hiding, I was backed into a corner with only one option.
I had to accept it.
I let out a sigh and opened the door, “Come in…” I said, the last thing I want is for some random pony to see what happens. Both nod their heads and walk inside, for a moment I thought that I could just run past them, but what would be the point. They already knew about me and managed to track me down, I don’t think there’s anywhere I can run now. I watch them both look around my apartment, each giving the other a glance every now and then. I didn’t want to break the silence, but I couldn’t keep quiet.
“How did you find me?” I asked. Twilight turned to me, my eyes never leaving the sight of her horn for even the slightest hint of magic.
“We sort of have this map, it calls us when there’s a problem that needs solving.” I try not to chuckle, suddenly I’m a problem that needs fixing. And some magical map basically ratted me out to the only two who could send me back to the Mirror Pool. Life can really be cruel sometimes.
“You lived here all this time,” this time it was Pinkie who asked me a question. I nodded my head, part of me wondering why they don’t just get this over with. “What was it like?” I let out a sigh as I took a seat on the floor.
“It was…okay, I guess.” I said “No one bothers you when you’re just another pony in the crowed. A lot of events happen here that I can watch from the sidelines.” I shouldn't be smiling right now, but I couldn’t help myself. I hadn’t really thought much about the life I did have since I was so focused on trying not to be found. I guess some small part of me is still that party pony who wants to have a good time every now and then.
“What about friends?” she continued “Have you made any friends?” I was about to say no, it’s hard to make friends when you look like someone else. But that would be a lie, in my two years in this city there was one pony.
“I…she works in a library not far from here.” I said “I never thought I’d try making friends, given I look like you, no offence.” She waved a dismissive hoof and I continue. “She can’t see very well, so I didn’t have to be afraid of her noticing who I was. I feel a small sting in my heart, in all adrenalin I’d felt these last few days I’d forgotten.
“We had plans for a girl’s night out on the weekend.” I gave off a dry chuckle “I guess I’m going to miss it.” I sniffle a little, tears starting to run down my cheeks as the reality of this all finally starts to hit me. I try to stop myself it only seemed to make things worse. But can you blame me? In a few minutes I’ll basically cease to exist. I couldn’t see through the tear, constantly trying to wipe them away only for more to come. Because of this I hadn’t noticed something moving until it was too late, and I felt something warm around me.
I let out a small gasp to see it was Pinkie, holding my tightly in her arms. “It must have been hard, having to hide all this time.” The tears started to flow harder now.
“It was.”
“I’m so, so sorry.” I sob loudly this time.
“Me….me too.” I finally accept her hug, having avoided her for so long, it felt nice to share at least one friendly moment with her. Even if it may be the only one I’ll ever get.
“You’re not like the other clones were,” said Twilight “Do you have any idea why?” I take a moment to calm myself, I never really questioned that myself either.
“When we first came out of the Mirror Pool we didn’t have much of a thought process. The only thing on our mind was what Pinkie wanted when she made the first batch of us. To have fun, it was all we could think about so it was all we could do. That was why your plan worked back then, the clones couldn’t get that one thought out of their head so they couldn’t stay focused.” But that doesn’t really explain how I was any different, does it?
Eventually Pinkie let go and I was able to turn towards Twilight “I guess for me it happened when I saw what happened. Suddenly the fun was over, and I was finally able to think about something else.” Twilight rubbed her chin, thinking over what I’d just said I guess. Hard to say what she was thinking, or really why she cared at all.
“So from that day you just started to live your life, forming your own identity.” Twilight started to pace around me, needless to say I was growing a little nervous. “It’s amazing, I’ve only really known you for a few minutes and yet I can’t see a hint of Pinkie in you. The words you use, the way you speak, even your body language. If it wasn’t because of your appearance I wouldn’t have known, you were her clone.”
“Um…thanks?” I guess it was a compliment, though I can’t be sure.
“But…” there’s always a but “That doesn’t change the fact that you still look like her. And I’m sorry to say, but we can’t have two Pinkie’s running around.” I gulp slightly and stand up, I guess it was finally time.
“I understand.” Twilight looked to Pinkie who nods her head. She started to build the magic in her horn, my nerves starting to get the better of me.
“Does…does it hurt?”
“You won’t feel a thing, I promise.” I guess that was good, couldn’t want my last moment to be a painful one. I take in a deep breath and close my eyes, just waiting for any signs that the spell had been cast. Soon I heard the magic surge and something hit me, just like she said it didn’t hurt, actually it kind of tingled in a good way. And then, darkness, nothing around me, no sound to be heard. I’d always tried not to think of what it’d be like to be sent back into the Mirror Pool, but I never would have guessed it would be like this.
Wonder what I’m gonna do now, well, I guess I’ll have nothing else to do but figure that out. For what it’s worth I guess I can think of the life I had, however brief. But I guess I was never meant to have it, this is where I really belong.
“You can open your eyes now.” I let out a gasp as I did just that, Pinkie and Twilight were still in front of me, we were still in my apartment.
“W-wait, what?” I asked in confusion, “I don’t, w-why am I still here, did the spell-“ I stop and place a hoof to my throat. Something was off, “M-my voice.” It was different than before, sweeter but also slightly lower in pitch. Twilight and Pinkie smiled, the former levitating a mirror into my sights. The reflection almost caused my eyes to bulge out of their sockets. I dashed to it placing my hooves on the glass, it had to be a trick, right?
“M-my mane, my coat, my horn.” I pause for a second focused on my forehead “I have a horn?!” It was all different, from my colors to my mane style. I looked to Twilight “I don’t understand, I thought you were going to send my back to the Mirror Pool.” Twilight walked up to me and placed a hoof on my shoulder.
“I used that spell way back then to send her clones back to the Mirror Pool. But you aren’t a clone, are you?” we turn to look at the mirror again “You’re became somepony else, somepony with her own thoughts, her own feelings, and her own life, does that sound like a clone to you?” I keep looking at the reflection, my reflection. For the first time I can look into a mirror and feel that I’m looking at myself, not someone else.
“What happens now?” I ask, they went through the trouble of changing my appearance so they had to have a reason, right?
“A few things actually, starting with getting you some legal documents, but that won’t take long. All we really need to do it register your new name.” I can’t believe it, all those years of fear, the months of trying to build my new life. And now I was being given a chance to be my own pony, to be someone other than Pinkie’s clone. I felt that at any moment now I’d wake up, that this was all just some dream, but I didn’t.
“And after that we can throw you a ‘I’m my own pony!” party!” Pinkie said hopping in joy. She and Twilight then made their way to the door, stopping short to look back at me. “Ready to really start living your life?” Pinkie asked extending a hoof at me. I looked down at it for a moment and smiled, tears of joy starting to stream down my face. I took her hoof and followed them out the door.
It looks like I’ll get to enjoy that girl’s night after all.
