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"No! Not my Dashie!"

Was I dreaming? This isn't real! First Fluttershy, and now Dashie, too! It's all because of the smiles, isn't it? I never liked those smiles, not one bit! Starlight is just a stupid liar, liar, pants on fire! How could they be truly happy without their cutie marks? I NEED to party! You'll never take me alive, Ms. Starlight Meanie Pants!

After a looooong time, I finally got to see poor Dashie again, but with her mane all messed up. It was all in a bun, and she was all gray! You call that fashion? You all are crazy!

"Pinkie," Dashie said to me. "I don't like to see you sad, please join us, and you'll be happy again!"

"I'LL NEVER FALL FOR THE SMILES!" I yelled. "You may have taken Dashie and Fluttershy, Starlight Glimmer, but you'll never take me!"

"Take her with Sugar Belle." Starlight commanded Dash. "Yes, Starlight Glimmer," she replied.

Sugar Belle? What does she want with me? Ooh! Maybe she has a super-top-secret escape plan for me and my friends! Then we can bust out of here, and get our cutie marks back!

Aww....Sugar Belle doesn't seem like she's in the mood for that. She's just over there with some muffins...MUFFINS?

NO. WAY! I am NOT eating those disgusting things again! I've eaten cardboard tastier than than stuff! But if Dashie follows me...then I can snap her out of it!

We walked over to the table where the muffins were, and we all sat down together. I immediately called out to Dashie.

"Dash!" I wailed. "COME BACK TO ME!"

"Pinkie," she replied, her voice raspier and quieter than usual. "I'm fine. I'm happy." Then her mark thingy glowed for a long time, and I got angry.

"How did you even become equal?" I asked.

"Fluttershy had shown me the light," said Dash. "And now, you can join us, too."

"NO!"

"Oh, um...excuse me."

Sugar Belle!

"Would you like any muffins, Pinkie Pie? Starlight told me to make them just for you and Rainbow Dash."

Dang it.

"Oh, um..sure!" I lied. If I'm going t get out of here, I might as well stay to talk Dash out of it.

"So, uh, Dash..." I started the conversation nervously. "Isn't Cloudsdale such a nice place? With all the pretty clouds, and pegasi-"

"This is my home now, Pinkie," Dash said. "I'm not leaving."

"But...Dashie!"

"Even if you leave, I stay. But, you'll laugh a lot more than you used to when you become equal."

WHAT? I won't believe those lies! I would never laugh when I'm equal.

My mark suddenly started to glow a faint black. I let out a small chuckle.

Or...would I?

"See, Pinkie?" Dash said happily. "You can laugh, even when your equal. You like fun, right? Well, being equal is the most fun thing to do in the whole world. I'm so very happy here, Pinkie Pie. More happy than you could ever imagine. Won't you join me? Won't you laugh with me?"

Yes, Dash.....let's laugh together...

NO! I mustn't!

But, I like to laugh with her. My mark glowed again. I took a bite out of one of the muffins.

They were delicious! My mark kept glowing, and I took another bite after another, these were better than my own baking! Maybe they didn't taste so bad because I was equal? I...guess this is..okay?

But I won't!

Then, Dash started to chuckle. And I laughed along with her.

Then we kept laughing.

And laughing.....

And laughing until our marks glowed the most in all of the village.

Hey, being equal is fun! I get to laugh as much as I want, and nopony judges me for it! They just laugh along with me! I took a bite out of my last muffin, then, I noticed my mane.

"Your mane.." I pointed a hoof at Dash's bun. "It's so pretty!"

"Would you like your mane fixed?" Dash asked.

"You bet!"

I was so exited about almost everything! Everypony here just laughs along with me, and when my mark glows, I feel super-duper happy! Being equal is the most fun thing ever!

When I arrived to Starlight, she gestured me to enter her cottage, and proceeded to cut my mane to match the other ponies.

"You look amazing, Pinkie!" said Starlight. "And you do look ever so excited as well."

I was! My mark glowed again. I felt like the most happiest pony in all of Equestria! And even better, I get to be with Dashie, so we can laugh all day long! I'm so happy I got my mark removed. Being equal is so exciting! I can't wait to tell Twilight!

"Hold on, there," Starlight snapped me out of my excitement. "You need some rest, first. Your cottage is finished."

A brand new cottage, just for me? Wow! These ponies are the nicest! I want to live here for the rest of my life!

Wait just a minute...

THE SMILES! AND MY FRIENDS!

How could I have forgotten? Rainbow Dash was just trying to get me to join those freaks! But I WONT FALL FOR IT! I'll have a talk with Starlight Meanie Pants right about NOW!

"Hey...Starlight..." I asked.

"Yes, Pinkie?"

"LISTEN TO ME YOU LIAR BACKSTABBER MEANIEPANTS! I WONT FALL FOR ANY OF THOSE smiles OF YOURS! YOU MAY MAKE ME LAUGH WITH MY BEST FRIEND, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN I'LL JOIN YOUR CREEPY LITTLE CLUB! I DON'T CARE IF YOU PUT ME BACK WITH MY FRIENDS, BUT I. WONT. JOIN. YOU!"

Starlight just stared.

.....Did it work?

"Well, Miss Pie," she said. "Looks like we're going to have to do this the hard way, I'm afraid." she lit up her horn with an aura.

WAIT! NO! PUT ME BACK IN THE CHAMBER! PUT ME BACK IN THE CHAMBER!

"You can't brainwash me! But...maybe I can brainwash you!"

Yes...confuse her! Wait..no! She's still doing her magic...what is she doing, anyway?

I wonder if the others are okay.

To excel is to fail.

Choose equality as your special talent.

What? Did that voice just sound in my head? But I can't hear it from all the way in Starlight's cottage! She must be up to something. She's using her magic to play that voice in my head! But I won't join you, Meanie Pants!

Be your best by not being your best.

Starlight's magic stopped.

And the voice kept going around in my head.

Are you loyal to your friends, Pinkie?

We miss you so much!

Dashie? And, Fluttershy? Now their voices are in my head! Oh, no...

"I trust you'll stay with us, if your friends need you to?" Starlight asked.

"No...never!" But I knew it was just too hard to fight it back. My mark kept glowing greatly, and it wasn't going to stop anytime soon, same for the voices.

"Don't you love your new mane, Pinkie?"asked Starlight.

"N...yes....no!"

"I thought you loved to laugh, Pinkie."

Join us, Pinkie Pie!

NO!

"And you can have all the parties your heart desires, once the rest of your friends join us, too. Don't you love to party?"

Please, Pinkie!

I want to see you!

I'm so lonely when it's just me and Fluttershy!

Stop it, Dashie.

Free yourself from your cutie mark.

In sameness, there is peace.

Difference is frustration.

Can't.....think...of...anything else....

Pinkie, we miss you so much!

I give up.

I just can't fight it anymore.

I don't like it here, but I can't do anything else about it.

I'm....sorry....Twilight....

"Shall we show your friends how much happier you are, Pinkie?'

"Of course, Starlight Glimmer!" I grinned. But I wasn't happy. I hate being forced to smile. It's not right.

"Pinkie...no!"

Twilight! I wanted to say I wasn't one of them, but I can't. That mark....that voice...they won't let me do it. I'm so sorry.

"Yes, Twilight! Join us! I'm very happy!" I lied.

I'm sorry.

You just gotta learn to smile through the tears, Pinkie.

Smile through the tears.