The Collective

“Alright,” Twilight said, “let’s do this!”

“Err...” Rainbow Dash looked skeptical. “Twilight, how serious are you about this? I thought you were just joking.”

“Ah.” Twilight shrugged, somewhat unsure of that herself. “Well, if it doesn’t work, then I’d say it was a joke. If it does-”

“But you don’t expect it to work.”

“Of course not.” Twilight giggled. “But if it does, then I doubt anyone of us will think of it as a joke afterwards. Oh, and, if anypony wants to come clean right now, then that might make us, well, think more favorably of her. Depending on the circumstances.”

Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Do you expect an imposter to simply reveal herself?”

“But sure, why not?” Pinkie Pie was sitting on the library floor, holding her front hooves inches apart from one-another. “If there’s a meanie-deanie meanie-pie hidden between us, she should better give up before we... get her!” She squashed them together.

“Erm...” Twilight blinked. “Exactly. Who wants first?”

“Oh! Oh!”

“Yes, Pinkie?”

“Applejack should go first!”

The farmpony turned her head, seeming surprised. “Why?”

“Well,” Pinkie Pie said, “since it’s unlikely that anything happens, we should make sure that it’s fun either way! This is like a play, and a good play is the most fun if it increases in tension, so we should start with the pony least likely to hide something!”

“Aw, that’s nice of you, sugar.” With a smile, Applejack strolled forward. “Sure. Go ahead.”

Twilight nodded, lowering her head. A stream of purple energy surged from her horn, enveloping the orange mare in its shroud. Moments later, it faded.

“Applejack is... Applejack!”

“Ohh!”

Twilight laughed, and so did most of the others. Even Fluttershy let out a small giggle.

“Alright. Pinkie, who’s next?”

“Hm...” Pinkie pivoted around, examining everypony thoughtfully.

“Rainbow Dash!”

Twilight nodded. “Reasonable.”

“What?” Rainbow Dash seemed taken aback. “You’re saying I’m less likely to be an evil monster than Fluttershy?”

“I’d say so, yes.”

“Uh-huh. Sorry, Dashie.”

“Not even close, darling.”

“Meh.”

“It’s not a competition, Rainbow Dash.” Twilight tilted her horn, erupting another surge of magic. Moments before it hit the pegasus, she suddenly felt a twinge of concern. But before it could grow, the test was already over.

“Nothing behind our favorite flier!”

“Nothing but awesomeness,” Rainbow corrected her.

“... sure.” Twilight snickered. “Okay, next I think should be-”

“You!”

“Huh?”

“Yeah,” Rainbow agreed, “you’re really not that scary, Twilight.”

“Rainbow Dash, this really isn’t a com-”

“How would you even test her?” Rarity interrupted.

“She would test herself! Duh.”

“Does that not defeat the point? If she was an imposter...”

“Well, uhm.” Fluttershy spoke up. “Do we know that, if there is someone, she would know that she’s hiding? Maybe she’s been tricked by somepony else.”

Several heads turned to Twilight, who shrugged. “I guess.”

“Go ahead then!”

“Alright, alright! I’m doing it.”

This time, there was no denying it.

Twilight actually felt afraid.

It was of course ridiculous. There were no memory gaps in her life, no weird inconsistencies or whatever would be indicative of an imposter... but that didn’t stop her heart from beating faster and faster as she cast the spell, the purple stream now circling around herself, until-

“Huh. I have to say, for a moment I was afraid myself.”

“Rarity’s next!”

“Uhm.” Twilight threw a look around, but nopony else seemed to have found her part particularly exciting.

Meh. Well.

“Twilight, if you really found something, it would not hurt me, would it?”

Pinkie Pie gasped. “Ohhh, Rarity is eeee-”

“I am no such thing. I merely want to be sure of the rules of our little experiment.”

“It wouldn’t hurt you,” Twilight said truthfully. “Well, unless your true form isn’t capable of existing on itself, then I guess it could.”

“Mh. Very well.”

“Something’s about to haaappen...” Pinkie Pie shrieked, her hooves clutching onto the lithe frame of the athlete standing beside her.

“Relax, Pinks. Nothing this pony turns into that I can’t deal with.”

“Hmpf. We shall see. Twilight?”

But Twilight was already casting the spell, directing the stream at the fashionista... it swirled around her, unraveling magic that would uncover every deception, every disguise.

As it turned out, Rarity was just Rarity.

“See?”

“Ohhhh....” Pinkie Pie loosened her grip around the athletic pegasus, giving Rarity a hug instead. “I’m glad you’re not evil!”

“I am too,” Rarity responded, in a voice which revealed to Twilight that she wasn’t the only one who had begun to doubt shortly before the revelation.

“Well...” Pinkie gave the fashionista a nuzzle, before stepping forward herself. “I’m next.”

“You?” Rainbow pointed an accusing hoof at Fluttershy. “Are you telling me that she is the most dangerous out of us?”

“Of course! She lives beside the forest! She’s always alone! She could’ve been replaced by a changeling any day of the week and we wouldn’t notice!”

“Um, I’m really not-”

“And she’s so shy! It all makes sense if she’s hiding something!”

“I’d thought you’d be last,” Twilight said musingly, “but those are good points. Alright.” She made a gesture for Pinkie to come closer, who complied with a giggle.

The now familiar sense of nervousness and excitement dwelt up inside her as she tilted her horn, erupting the purple stream. It had been a good idea, really. Nothing would come off it, but-

And then her heart froze.

And everything became real.

“There is something,” she heard herself say, and immediately, the hushed voices from Applejack and Rainbow Dash died down. Everyone stared at Pinkie, but they could not see her any more than Twilight could. The magic was doing its work, and her form was hidden behind a purple maelstrom of mana.

Until it faded.

And something slid up her throat.

And her eyes crawled out of their sockets.

And there was a bump as Fluttershy’s unconscious body hit the ground.

And as she swallowed her mouth was filled with the taste of vomit.

And there was another bump as Rainbow Dash followed.

Sagged, papery fur. Sunken eyes, sitting deep inside their caves. A flat, sparse black mane over a brown coat. And old. So old. Whoever this was, she was incredibly, unfathomably old.

And she was an earth pony.

“Ahhh...” The brown mare coughed, coughed. “This is... unfortunate.” Her voice sounded weak, raspy, pale, and as old as her body.

There was choking and a splashing sound from behind her, and with a glimpse, Twilight saw that Rarity had been the source.

“Why...” Twilight whispered, feeling tears in her eyes. “Why...”

“I did not... know. I have... erased my memories.”

“So it was all a lie?”

In the midst of the word ’lie’, the door burst open. A unicorn mare and a stallion ran inside, and the aged imposter moved faster than Twilight had ever seen anyone move before. The stallion was sent crashing against the entrance wall, and the mare was uppercutted and collapsed into a lump on the ground. Then she spun around, and a hoof was brought to the stallion’s head, fulfilling an unknown purpose. Then, all strength disappeared from her body, and as she turned back to Twilight, she was once again feeble and weak.

“None of it... was a lie. I told you... Pinkie Pie had no idea... everything... she did was honest.” A cough. “These two... they won’t remember... if you allow me... to turn back.”

“Turn back?” Rarity’s shocked voice came from behind her, Twilight had the right sense of closing the door. “You want to be... Pinkie again?”

“They’re both breathin’, Twilight.” Applejack had checked the unconscious bodies, her voice trembling. “They’ll be fine.”

“Allow me... to turn back... and everything goes back to normal... only you know... a dark secret about your pink friend...”

“Why?” Twilight asked again, unable to say anything else.

There was a choking laugh. “Have you ever... heard anypony say that... immortality is a curse... because you’d get bored?” And another cough. “It is... a lie. Nothing... but a lie. I am... older than your princesses... older than... anyone in Equestria... I have traveled worlds... and yet I would never... ever give up my life. Just look... at how much I can still enjoy... life...” Cough. “... as Pinkie Pie... that is all I want... and don’t be fooled...” Cough. Cough. “... this body... those two... just stupid mistakes I made... but they can all be fixed... just need some time... can spend that time as Pinkie... not dangerous... she will remember who she really is... in rare moments when it is needed... and forget moments later... she’ll keep... all of you safe... and herself... and those two out of trouble...” Cough. “... and once it’s time... I’ll leave you alone... get a replacement... for the element... and I didn’t... steal anyone’s life... check her history... once I’ve turned back.” Cough. Cough. Cough. Cough. “Just let me... turn back... please... we can talk more... even once I’ve turned... will remember... if necessary...”

Twilight’s frantic gaze flipped between her and the two unconscious bodies in her own library, before she had the good sense of closing the door.

She still felt sick, afraid, confused, and clueless as to what she should do.

“I have never... hurt anyone... without reason... I might not look pretty... but I’m a good pony... let me turn, Twilight... before it gets more... complicated.”

“Are more ponies comin’ for ya?”

“Others... would probably need longer... was mostly these two...” Cough. Cough. “... no real threat to me... swear I’m not... putting any of you in danger.”

“After what I’ve just seen, I can believe that much.” Rarity’s voice sounded reserved, reminding Twilight of the mess she had made only minutes earlier, some of which was now sticking to the stallion’s mane. “Let her turn, Twilight. What else can we do?”

“An’ those two?” Applejack pointed towards the two unconscious ponies.

“Won’t... remember... just put them outside... and the problem is solved... just clean the mess... first.”

Twilight nodded. A simple spell got the vomit out of his gray mane, then she opened the door and sped over to the entrance. A quick look outside revealed nothing, so she floated both bodies out on the street, bringing about five yards between them and the library’s door before she closed it.

“Turn, then,” she said in a broken voice. Everything, as long as she didn’t have to stare at her figure anymore.

“You may want to...” Cough. Cough. Cough. Cough. Cough. “... block... the vision... it will be better... for your sensitivities.”

A cold chill ran down Twilight’s neck, but she complied. A tilt of her horn erupted dark swirling streams of magic around the brown pony. She kept them up for the better part of ten seconds, until all of them heard a familiar voice...

“Wooo, this looks scary from the inside!”

Biting her lip, Twilight waited a bit longer before she dropped it.

As the spell faded, Pinkie Pie entered their sight.

“So am I normal? Huuh?” She bounced, but it was interrupted halfway through the air.

“Uhm,” she said, “uhm. Twilight, why are Flutters and Dashie sleeping?”

“Is that vomit?!?”