Bookends Part 3: Or Family Values

(We now catch up with our story’s timeline.)

“Let me get this straight,” said Dr. Bones, “you may or may not have seen your daughter killed by a falling boulder? How do you account for that?”

Cloudy Quartz was starting to tremble, she was sitting on the sofa with Trixie holding her hoof on one side, and Igneous Rock was holding the other hoof on the other.

“Doctor,” said Igneous Rock, “Cloudy told me about this when she saw it happen. We all assumed she perhaps didn’t see it clearly. She mentioned a strange looking pony was with Pinkie.”

“So please tell me what you saw, Mrs. Pie,” said the doctor.

“I was looking for my daughter to call her in for dinner. She liked to wander in the outer fields where she could daydream or whatever it was she did. I saw her from a distance by the boulders in the West Field, where we found…”

Cloudy took a deep breath, she was fighting off tears.

“She’d been warned over and over the pile was unsteady and she should stay away from it, especially when she was by herself.

I saw her with an odd looking pony, it was black in color and looked like some type of Unicorn, I could’ve sworn it had wings but none like I’d ever seen.

They appeared to be talking, there didn’t seem to be any threat involved, I think they were laughing.

All of the sudden, a boulder started to fall; there was a lot of dust with it. It was hard to see clearly. They looked up; Pinkie jumped forward and appeared as if she was pushing the other pony out of the way. I screamed in terror as the boulder smashed down. I ran as fast as I could to them. When I got close, the dust cleared and Pinkie was standing there, by herself.

I asked if she was all right and what happened to the other pony. She told me she didn’t see what happened to the other pony, she assumed they ran off while obscured by the dust.”

“I know this may sound strange,” said the doctor, “but with what’s been found, did Pinkie act any different afterwards? Even the slightest thing may be of help.”

“I can’t think of anything out of the way,” said Cloudy Quartz, “except…”

“What, Mrs. Pie.”

“I attributed it to the close brush with death, but from that day and on, Pinkie was noticeably more loving and clingy. She worked hard to please and be friendly to every pony, especially to Igneous, myself and her sisters.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Pie,” said the doctor, “I know this has been a strain on you. If you think of anything, just contact the Ponyville Police Department, and they can get a hold of me.

There’s still the question of who the pony was, especially if it was Pinkie who survived.”

Igneous walked the doctor to the door and thanked him for his sensitivity and promised if they thought of anything, they’d let him know.

Igneous then sat back down with Cloudy, Limestone, Marble and Trixie. Out of an adjoining room a pony walked in.

“Thou hearest, Sweetie?” said Cloudy Quartz.

“Yes mom,” answered Pinkie. “I’m so sorry I’ve put you, dad, Limestone, Marble and you too Trixie, through so much. And I want to thank you for all you’ve done for me.”

“That sounds final,” said Trixie, “are you hinting at something?”

“I think with all of my friends in committed relationships, the love isn’t being spread around like before. I’m weak and afraid I’ll become weaker. I‘ve lived among you all too long to go back to the old ways. And I can never go back to them. I want you all to know I do truly love you.”

“Honey, we love thee too,” said Cloudy Quartz, “thou hast been and always will be our daughter. We may’ve resisted at first, but we understood that Pinkamena gave her life for thee and thou hast basically given thy life for her.”

“Cloudy Quartz has told me who and what you are,” said Trixie, “and I know it wasn’t your fault. But I don’t understand how you could’ve so completely taken her place?

You can ask your mom. I’ve promised to be silent about this.”

“Come outside where we can talk,” said Pinkie. “The family knows, but I think it’s better if we didn’t have any distractions. You don’t need to fear me, I promise you’ll be safe.”

“Go on,” Cloudy Quartz said and smiled at Trixie , “it’ll be okay. I think thou needest to know, especially now.”

They walked outside and to the old silo that stood on the farm from when it was a cattle farm. They entered and there Trixie found it set up as a little apartment. It was Pinkie’s getaway when she needed to be with her family, now that Trixie was using Pinkie’s old room.

There was a bed against the wall, Pinkie had Trixie sit on it.

“Pinkie,” said Trixie, “if the family all knew about you. Why bring the police in when I found the body?”

“You weren’t in on the details,” said Pinkie, “if they didn’t follow proper procedures and it turned out you weren’t trustworthy, it could’ve been messy for all involved. You can’t blame us at least after our past interactions, at least before this morning.”

Trixie nodded her head, she was truly ashamed of how she’d interacted with Pinkie and her friends, not to mention Ponyville, in the past. Especially after the affection Pinkie was ready to share earlier. The thought of the kiss that morning did bring a smile.

“However, I’m so glad you’ve turned out to be a much better pony than I had first assumed, I hope you’ll consider me a friend, at least.”

“I thank you and all the Pie’s for giving me a chance to prove myself,” said Trixie having a kindly look in her eyes. “I’m really trying not to be the pony I once was.”

Pinkie had such a pleasant look on her face Trixie felt like there was the type of honest acceptance and affection that no other pony had ever given her. They paused just looking into each other’s eyes. Trixie saw something that she’d only seen once in anypony’s eyes before, and it was this same pony and only this morning. It was a look of forgiveness, and a true caring about her and her feelings It felt so nice.

Then Pinkie’s expression changed, and she took a deep breath.

“But as to the reason we’re out here,” said Pinkie.

Pinkie then looked oddly at Trixie, as if she was looking into Trixie’s very soul. There was a green flash that surrounded Pinkie, almost like a curtain being raised. Where Pinkie stood a moment ago, there stood a Changeling. Trixie had heard about them from what most ponies had heard from the attempted invasion Pinkie and her friends had help stop.

The descriptions didn’t do justice.

But with what Trixie had just learned from the Pies, and seeing the way this pony acted, she didn’t fear nor was she revolted. She felt something for the pony which transcended the outside. That in itself was a far departure from the way Trixie knew she would have reacted in the past.

Then there was another green flash and there stood another Trixie.

Trixie gasped.

“Trixie,” said the Changeling, and in Trixie’s own voice, “in this form I could pass as you to your own mother. That is until she asked personal questions about your earlier life.

We’re able to do a more complete change to include your memories and even personality if at the moment of change; we’re in physical contact with you. That’s how we can take the place of a loved one so convincingly and fool their partner so we can steal the love.

When Pinkamena pushed me out of the way of the boulder, I was startled and as a defensive reflex reaction, I took her form along with her thoughts and memories up to that point.”

There was another green flash and Pinkie was now there. She went over and sat close by Trixie.

“I was about to flee, hearing her mother approaching. But then I could feel the little filly was more concerned about my safety than her own. I felt the memories of her family life, the love and caring for and by the family unit. I knew if they discovered the little filly was killed, they’d be devastated.

I had to break it to them slowly, at first they were enraged and wanted to lash out at me. But when they realized that I could’ve ran off at anytime but chose to stay, they started to rethink the situation. Especially when they realized that memory for memory, thought for thought and with the full personality absorbed, I was every bit Pinkamena, as if she lived on in me.

In a very real manner, she does. And the longer I’m this way, in her form, maintaining her memories and merging them with my own, the more Pinkamena and I are one.

I think having me there made the loss actually easier…

It still hurt…

Even me.

And to the Pie’s I’ve never ever tried to make-believe that I was the real Pinkamena. That’s why they started to call me ‘Pinkie’.

As mom said, Pinkamena gave her life for mine, so I decided that I needed to give my life for her. Now I’ve been Pinkie longer that my previous self. If thrown out by family and friends, I’d still keep the form of Pinkie. I’m Pinkie and Pinkie is me.”

Trixie just looked at Pinkie; there were tears in Trixie’s eyes. She knew how shallow her own life had been, nothing but a show off and a liar. Now here sat a pony who had given up everything. Her people, family and even herself, in a gesture of total selflessness. She was now ready to face the consequences of all her friend’s changes in life situations. Trixie knew Changelings existed on love and they could be parasitic by tricking the ponies around them. But this one was loving and honest enough not to trick anypony.

Pinkie saw the look on Trixie’s face, and being a Changeling, she was attuned to other pony’s feelings. She reached out and took Trixie’s hoof and held it. To her delight, Trixie didn’t resist.

When Pinkie took her hoof, Trixie’s first thought was to pull it away. After all, hoof holding, in most circumstances, was a juvenile courting ritual she’d never given any real thought to. But there was something more to it in this context. She could tell Pinkie was reaching out to her in more than just a physical way. She was trusting Trixie at a level nopony had ever done. Pinkie was showing Trixie that her feelings were appreciated, welcomed and trusted.

Something in Trixie was starting to move again in her heart, it was what she’d first noticed earlier this morning.

“If you exist on love,” said Trixie, “how’s it you’re becoming weak? Your family still loves you. And I’m sure your friends still love you.”

“The way we normally work is we take the place of a loved one and absorb the love directed at us while fooling the host. But we can also survive with absorbing indirect love from a number of family members and friends. But as my close friends have now other ponies to give their intense love to, there’s less and less for me to absorb. I’ve discovered as time went by that I can handle food and it does help, but only so far.”

“Don’t you think your friends would understand if you were to tell them the truth?” asked Trixie.

“I want to believe they’d accept me,” said Pinkie, “but there’s the chance they might not, they might even hate me.

What you ponies probably don’t know is as much as love gives us strength, hate, directed at us, weakens us. It could kill me.”

The look on Pinkie’s face was if she was looking at everything from a far off;

“But I do believe I finally need to let them know the truth. They really are my friends and I owe it to them, even if it does end their friendship, especially after my weakness was discovered at Sweet Apple Acres. They love me, and I do truly love them.”

Trixie could feel a slight tremble in Pinkie’s hoof. She didn’t need to be a Changeling to feel the fear that Pinkie was feeling.

She truly was in fear for her life.

Trixie now understood what the conflict with Pinkie was. Not only had this Changeling nobly given up everything for the Pie family, but also now she was ready to face the possibility of the loss of her own life out of respect for her friends.

“Pinkie,” said Trixie, “I don’t believe I’ve met a more brave and noble pony ever. If you want, I’ll go with you to support you when you do decide to tell your friends. I won’t let you stand alone.”

The two just looked at each other; there was a warm and honest smile of gratitude on Pinkie’s face.

Trixie had never felt anything like this in the past, not at this level. She put her forelegs around Pinkie, pulled Pinkie close and kissed her deeply, Pinkie’s forelegs wrapped around Trixie as well. It was better than the time in Pinkie’s room.

After a few moments, Pinkie pushed Trixie back gently.

“You can’t begin to understand how much I appreciate what you’re offering, now and before,” said Pinkie, “but are you sure you want to do this, with me? Now you know what I really am?”

The green flash appeared and there in Trixie’s forelegs was the Changeling;

“This is the real me and always will be,” said the Changeling, there was sadness but also the smallest look of hope on her face.

“What do you feel from me right now?” asked Trixie looking into the Changeling’s large green eyes.

The Changeling closed her eyes and felt what Trixie was sending. It was warm and refreshing. But most of all, she could feel it was genuine and freely being given to her. The emotion was more powerful than anything she could’ve deceived out of another pony.

When fooling a pony after taking the place of a loved one, the love they absorb is still an indirect love. It is love directed at the true loved one and not the Changeling. So there’s never the full emotion available to the Changeling. But this was different. It was the honest feelings of love. Love for the real her. A smile spread on her face. It was more powerful than she’d ever known was possible.

Trixie drew the Changeling to her again and continued the kiss. Then gently lay the Changeling back on the bed and continued to give her more love than Trixie had ever given anypony.

The Changeling broke the kiss, smiled and said;

“If you don’t mind…”

There was a green flash as she changed back to Pinkie;

“After all these years, I really am more comfortable like this.”

Trixie giggled, Pinkie joined the mirth, truly Pinkie style.

Then the two continued to kiss and eventually, made love all night.