Pinkie sat perfectly still. She had to. If she moved, she'd never get to see her friends again, so staying still was beyond important.
Zap! Twilight let loose a brilliant ray of judgement soaring past Pinkie. She couldn't see what it had actually done. She had to look at the wall of drying paint. She could feel sweat trickling. What would happen if she was zapped with that? She had to trust Twilight. She had to trust herself...
Why? Pinkie thought back to what had caused the mess in the first place. She had selfishly wanted to get all the fun that her friends could offer, and that meant being in more than one place at a time. It seemed like such an obvious and harmless solution to the problem. More than one Pinkie meant multiplying the fun, or so she had thought...
Zap Zap! Two more rays flew out into the crowd. Pinkie could see out of the corner of her eyes a bright flash but she couldn't see the colors or shape of whatever happened. She heard uncomfortable sounds. Was Twilight hurting the other Pinkies? The idea made her a little sad, but she had to focus. She had to...
The bolts of arcane fury were all around her, but she was focused, locked on that wall. Then it happened. She felt a tremendous ripple run through her, and she had a vision. While her eyes remained on the wall, her mind's eye wandered suddenly. She could see the day from another perspective. She was bouncing around excitedly, trying to help with a barn.
She wasn't trying to be in the way. She just thought the ponies involved weren't having any fun at all and she didn't like that. If she could help, maybe they'd get back to having fun! Oh, it fell over. Maybe they had time for fun now?
Pinkie blinked, but remained focused on the wall even as the memories that had flooded her sank into her.
It happened again. She was being led into a building with promises of fun. She had to look at this wall for the fun to start. She tried so hard, but her friend distracted her and she got zapowed by Twilight. She was so proud she remembered that name. She tried so hard to do it right, but in the end, she failed. It didn't even matter. She was sent away, crying.
Pinkie could feel moisture building in her eyes. Why was she feeling what each of them felt? Vision after vision came to her. A short time after each clone was banished, their memories became hers. Their imperfect vision of friendship came with it. Each was so deeply passionate, just a little off. Pinkie found herself correcting and comforting them as best she could internally, even if that was silly. They were only memories, they could not be comforted.
But that's what friends try to do. Pinkie was a friend.
"Pinkie?"
She heard the voice, but couldn't tell who had said it.
"Pinkie?!" A chorus of voices called out.
"It must not be her," reported a pony, Pinkie couldn't tell which, she was lost in her own world.
Twilight zapped her.
She was dead.
Discorporated into rapidly flowing magic, Pinkie's very essence whisked away to the mirror pool that had started the entire mess.
She opened her eyes with a loud gasp. She was in a field of stars. Where was she? Wasn't she going to that pool? This didn't look like a pool at all.
"I had not expected you," came a maternal voice, caring, if a little confused. "I know of you best from Twilight's letters." Celestia stepped free of the ether, fading into being. "Pinkie Pie, we will grow to know one another much better now. I apologize for not noticing far sooner."
Pinkie raised a hoof to wave at Celestia excitedly. "Hiya! Where are we?" She looked around at the countless stars.
"This is a very special place." Celestia turned and began leading the way down a path. "I had planned for Twilight to one day walk it, but do not speak to her of that. It's a secret."
"Secret, got it," Pinkie swore even as she did the special Pinkie Swear as she walked. A few lonely images hung around them, showing the times that Celestia had either been present for, or must have heard of from Twilight. She saw herself emerging from the bakery, tired but satisfied. That was the time she learned how to babysit.
She saw the time she taught Twilight that sometimes faith was enough. And there was the time she tried to have fun with a dragon. That didn't work as well as she'd hoped. The picture of her making a mess at the gala was especially vivid. Celestia smiled at it as the two walked past it sedately.
"You have a power in you. I was not there, nor did I orchestrate it. For Twilight, I hope to be able to explain it to her. For you... I need you to tell me what happened."
Pinkie tilted her head quizzically. "I made a bunch of clones and messed up everypony's day and they made us all stare at drying paint." She explained what she felt as they were banished, and how she had been ultimately banished herself.
Celestia gave a stiff nod. "A grave mistake has been made, but from it, something grand emerges. Pinkie Pie, are you ready to step forward?"
Pinkie blinked with building confusion. "Aren't I already doing that?"
Celestia gave a patient smile. "I mean a step much larger than that." Pinkie hopped forward. "In your life, not with your legs. This will be disorienting, but it must be done for you to return."
That caught Pinkie's attention. "If it means I can be with my friends again, sign me up." She sat down on her haunches and sat up tall. "Ready!"
Celestia reached out and took hold of that burning new friendship that lurked within Pinkie's chest. "Think of all the friends you have ever made," she beckoned as Pinkie began to rise.
That was a command Pinkie gladly obeyed. She thought of each and every pony in Ponyville, from her bestest of best friends to those she just liked smiling at. She thought of their birthdays and things they liked and didn't like. She thought of how she could make them happier.
The magic slammed into her with a rush of alien sensations. Everything was changing. Everything was white. Everything was gone.
Back in Ponyville, the Mane 5 was gathered around the not Pinkie, celebrating her return. The clone bobbed her head. "I had to keep looking. I didn't want to lose any of you!"
A bright blinding light appeared in the sky and came towards them in a speeding rush. It slowed as it approached the ground, touched it gently as all the ponies in sight gaped at it.
The light faded away, little magic balloons floating up and away from the spot to reveal Pinkie. She rose from where she had appeared on her belly and pink wings stretched out to either side.
Rarity glanced towards Twilight. "Please tell me there's an explanation for this."
Twilight's jaw worked wordlessly a moment before she recovered. "I... don't know." She stepped towards the Pinkie alicorn cautiously. "Pinkie? But... if you're Pinkie, who--" She turned to see the other Pinkie already vanishing into the distance at an amazing pace. "Oh..."
Pinkie curled a wing into view. "Huh, never had one of these before." The other wing crept into view. "Oh! I have two! Even better!" She bounced up and down in place excitedly. "Hi everypony!"
Rainbow zoomed up to her friend. "Look at you! This is amazing." She measured Pinkie's wings. "Good span. We'll make an awesome flyer out of you."
Rarity reached up and gently felt over Pinkie's new pink horn, examining the spiral with wide eyes. "But, this means..."
Descending from the sky at a far more controlled rate than the pink meteor that had arrived first, Celestia approached. "Be calm, everypony. Everything is alright."
Twilight turned quickly to her mentor before bowing as many others did.
Pinkie's bow was the one Celestia refuted. She reached and gently nudged Pinkie back to her hooves. "There is no need for that. We are peers now. Pinkie Pie, you are a princess."
"Me?" Pinkie pointed at herself. "I'm just a baker, and a party planner."
"And, a princess." Celestia nodded with certainty.
All the other ponies turned to Pinkie and began giving her bows and prostrations.
Pinkie wasn't sure how she felt about that. "I want friends, not subjects. Cut that out!"
Twilight righted herself. "Like it or not, you are a princess now."
"That doesn't mean I have to be a stuffy one." She stuck out her tongue.
"I should imagine not," agreed Celestia. "It will take time, but you will discover your place. For now, we must plan a coronation for you. All of Equestria deserves to know they have a new princess."
Twilight put a hoof over her chest. "Pinkie, I don't know how this happened, but it has. You'll need a mentor to learn how to use your horn, and I would be honored to help a friend."
Rarity bobbed her head. "Please, darling, ask me anything and I'll be happy to help."
Rainbow flew around Pinkie. "You know you don't even have to ask. I'm making a flyer out of you, like it or not, so be ready."
Pinkie giggled loudly. "I have the bestest friends around." She reared up and threw her forehooves wide. "Group hug?" And she got it, pulling all her dearest friends tight. "Now, uh, Celestia?"
She perked an ear at Pinkie.
"I can still be a baker, right?"
"For now, there should be no harm in it." Celestia's eyes wandered over the crowd. "You must learn your new place. Until that is so, there is no harm. Cadance was a babysitter before she had a throne to sit on. I see little harm in baking."
"And party planning," reminded Pinkie with a grin.
"And that," she conceded with a smile. "I have a coronation to plan." Celestia rose into the air.
"Wait!" Pinkie thrust a hoof into the air. "A coronation is a kind of party, just with more rules. Let me help! What kinda party planner would I be if I didn't help with a party this big?!"
Celestia knew that their newest princess would make things... interesting. She found herself enjoying what the future would bring. "I would be honored to have your assistance. Come, let's face this new chapter of your life together."
"As friends," added Pinkie with a big grin.
"I would like that."
Applejack shook her head a little. "Guess we're all headed out then. C'mon girls, let's support Pinkie."
A chorus of affirmative cheers rang out and everypony scattered to get their things and get ready for the journey to Canterlot.
They had a princess to crown, and a friend to support.
Author's Note
Written as the monthly one shot for Daremo, one of my lovely patron supporters. Like it? Hate it? Lemme know either way.
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