I am not a fortune-teller, Twilight, I am a fourth wall breaker
I am not a fortune teller, Twilight, I am a fourth wall breaker
Pinkie Pie was stirring a bowl of cake batter in Sugar Cube Corner for a very important order from the one and only and none other, Princess Celestia. It was a beautiful sunny morning and her animal companion friend Gummy was accompanying her by sitting on the counter table. Of course, he wasn't really portable or talkative. Nonetheless, Pinkie Pie loved him whether he talked or not.
''Of course I do,'' said Pinkie Pie. ''He is the most loyal and dependable of reptiles ever!''
And of course, I forgot to mention Pinkie Pie's abilities for breaking the fourth wall.
Pinkie Pie giggled. ''I guess I was just born as special to have the powers to break the conceptual barrier between any fictional work and its viewers or readers.''
Pinkie Pie, who is a fun pony and can always bring a frown upside down on every ponies' faces just by making silly faces on her own face, can break the fourth wall. She can be clever whenever she wants to but never uses it when she needs to. She talks to herself most of the time, at least that is what everypony else thinks since they don't have the same abilities as the one and only, Pinkie Pie.
She placed her spoon back on the table so she could place the bowl of cake batter inside the oven. She looked at her watch to see what the time was and how long it will take for the cake to come out. She groaned in annoyance and stretched out her pink eyelids. She looked over at her companion and tickled his belly.
''I guess I have someone to enjoy spending time with while this cake takes long to bake.''
''Pinkie Pie!''
Her ears perked up as she heard some pony call out her name. She turned around and was met by a blue earth pony with pink frosting mane. She was holding a checklist and had two foals on both of her shoulders.
''Oh,'' she said. ''I am sorry, dearie, but I need you to look after the twins while I am gone even though it is not Tuesday. I just have an urgent mail cake sending business going on right now. I am stressed out!''
Pinkie Pie smirked and waved her hoof. ''Don't worry, Mrs. Cake! I will take care of everything in here.''
She sighed in relief. ''I knew I could always count on you, Pinkie Pie.''
She hurriedly exited out of the place with her husband and pulled their carts as quick as they could to reach to their faraway destination and deliver these tasty deserts.
Pinkie Pie waved and turned around to keep an eye on the twin foals. The foals on the ground were just playing with building blocks which made her smile in awe at their cuteness and innocence. She looked at her timetable to see what she was meant to do next on this day. She could have sworn today was something important she had to do.
A lightbulb materialized on top of her head but instantly broke apart. She had forgotten to help Twilight out in her science lab as that unicorn had asked her to. She turned around to her alligator friend and looked at the twin foals on the ground.
''Hey, Gummy!'' the pink pony exclaimed. ''Do you mind if you could just foul sit Pound and Pumpkin Cake for the day? It won't take so long! I just have to go to Twilight for something! You be good now, alright?''
The alligator's only movement was a blink. Pinkie Pie took that as a yes and kissed him on the forehead. She zoomed out of the place.
She was trotting through Ponyville to go to the Golden Oak Library when she was met by so many distractions. She spotted her friend, Flower Wishes, selling flowers to her fellow customers. She went over to greet her.
''Hi, Daisy!'' she greeted. ''My, your daisies look even better than last year!''
''Aw, thank you, Pinkie Pie! Would you like one?''
''Absolutely!''
But Pinkie Pie, you need to visit Twilight at her library. Don't tell me you forgot already.
''Oh,'' she chuckled as she grabbed the flower with her mouth and ate it. ''Don't worry! I hadn't forgot one of my best friends. Now, you don't need to worry about me. I am doing absolutely fine!''
''Uh,'' Flower Wishes uttered. ''Who are you talking to?''
Pinkie Pie turned around to face her and smiled nervously. She heard lots of bickering behind her. She turned around again to see a large line complaining for her to move on. Pinkie Pie chuckled nervously and stepped a hoof away from the flower stand and zoomed off.
She was met by her other friend, Rainbow Dash, as she flew down to the ground to approach her.
''Hey, Pinkie Pie!'' she greeted. ''Where are you off to?''
''Uh,'' she uttered as she tried to function her brain. The author groaned in annoyance and slapped herself on the face. She forgot, didn't she? Pinkie Pie, you are supposed to go to Twilight's library!
She gasped as realisation had struck her. ''Right!''
She zoomed away from her friend and burst the door of the library open. She zoomed downstairs to the science lab and was met by a purple unicorn wearing glasses and reading a book.
''Twilight!'' she took a deep breath as she tried to say something.
''I...am...finally...here...!'' She collapsed on a pile of books.
''Ah!'' Twilight exclaimed, levitating her glasses away and closing the book. ''There you are, Pinkie! I was looking everywhere for you. Now, do you care to sit down on this chair?''
She gestured over to a chair that sort of made Pinkie Pie think of those chairs from the dentist or the hospital. She bit her lip nervously in response. What if she is sick? What if Twilight is experimenting diseases on her? Why else would she ask her to sit on the strange looking funny chair. She still remembered the time when she was three and it was her first time to visit the dentist for a check up. They pulled out her tooth and she yelled out in agony that could have been heard from all across Canterlot. Pinkie Pie shook her head in response.
''Why not?'' Twilight asked as she studied the expression on her friends face and saw the signs she was showing which indicated anxiety. Her ears were tingling and flopping. Her legs were shaking and droopy. Her teeth were clattering nervously. The unicorn raised an eyebrow at this movement.
''What is bothering you?'' she asked in concern. ''I just asked for you to sit down so I could try some experiments on you and find out about this 'fourth wall' thing.''
Pinkie Pie's ear perked up. ''Is that it? Well, you don't need to do an experiment on me! You can just talk to me about it!''
Twilight raised an eyebrow. ''That could be a lot easier. Oh, alright. Do what you must.''
Pinkie Pie cleared up her throat. ''A fourth wall is a...hey, wait a minute! I thought you would know what that is as you are intelligent and read books a lot! And didn't you break the fourth wall so that you could give me back my mouth when Trixie had that alicorn amulet?''
''I...I don't know what you are inferring at,'' she replied with a confused look. ''Although, please do continue.''
''Very well, then,'' Pinkie Pie said, clearing up her throat for the very last time. ''A fourth wall is an imaginary wall that separates the story from the real world. For example, we are currently in a story right now! Although, only someponies, or people, have that unique magical special ability. I, Pinkie Pie, have that special ability, that is why you often see me talking about strange things that don't relate at what we are talking about because you don't have the same special ability like me!''
''I still don't get what you mean,'' said Twilight, scratching her head in confusion. ''So what you are saying is that we are in a some sort of story but you are the only one that knows that?''
''Exactly!'' Pinkie Pie exclaimed. ''You are quite the pony to be catching up so fast. Allow me to do the demonstration for fourth wall breaking.'' She cleared up her throat. ''Hello, author! What a lovely day it is, don't you think?''
Why, yes. It is a lovely day, Pinkie Pie.
Pinkie Pie giggled. Twilight simply raised up an eyebrow in confusion.
''You are confused still,'' she said. ''Not to worry! There are still plenty of other examples for me to say! Breaking the fourth wall is an interesting way to get audiences to connect with characters. Whether if it is in a drama or comedy, when a character stops to address the audience, a connection is made.''
''I still don't understand,'' Twilight replied. ''Does all these things you pull out of nowhere, such as your party cannon, include breaking the fourth wall?''
''Nope,'' Pinkie Pie simply answered. ''That is called breaking the laws of physics! That is also my favourite thing to do! The fourth wall is just an imaginary wall that only some characters in a story can know it is there, of course they can't really see or touch it. I am pretty sure Discord can also break the fourth wall dimension, as well!''
Twilight groaned in annoyance. Her head would always start to ache whenever Pinkie Pie would give out a long lecture. I guess she would know how it feels when she pulls out a lecture to other ponies. Pinkie Pie giggled at the author's words.
Twilight raised an eyebrow. ''What are you giggling at?''
''I can see that your head is hurting due to this lecture of fourth wall breaking,'' she stated. ''Do you want me to get a glass of water for you?''
''How,'' she started to say. ''How did you read my mind?''
She giggled and patted her on the head. ''Oh, Twilight. You still need a lot to learn. I can read every line you are saying, it is not called reading your mind, silly. I am not a fortune-teller, I am a fourth wall breaker.''
''Hey, Twilight!'' a dragon called as he crashed the door open from up the stairs. ''Have you seen my broom? And uh...what are you doing?'' He raised an eyebrow in confusion.
''Never mind that, Spike,'' said Twilight, rolling out her eyes. ''The broom is right next to the entrance door.''
''Great! Thanks!'' he exclaimed, running out the door after shutting it closed again.
''Okay Twilight,'' Pinkie carried on. ''The fourth wall is a some sort of barrier between the audience and the story. Basically, the character inside the story can hear the narration and everything. They know there is an audience watching them and sometimes if they like, they talk to them! I generally love that! I talk to the audience all the time!''
''We are inside a story?'' Twilight was trying to catch on with her friends explanation, although it was still a bit confusing to her. But it is normal for her to get confused because she doesn't have that special ability. She looked around the room to see if there was any cameras or a wall.
Pinkie Pie giggled. ''Twilight, Twilight, Twilight, the fourth wall is imaginary, as I previously mentioned, so you can't see or touch it, not even I can, but I can only hear the narration.'' She paused for a moment to think about it. ''Huh. Author, can you give ponies these abilities? Just for a moment so that Twilight here could understand.''
I can't, Pinkie.
Pinkie Pie frowned. ''Oh well, that is too bad. Anyways, do you want me to say other examples? If I can even think of anymore.'' She turned to her friend who gave a slight nod. Pinkie Pie smiled in response and carried on. ''Very well then, the breaking of the fourth wall tend to work better with main characters that have a lot of charisma. What do I mean by that? It means that I have special magnetic charm. Again, it means to have enthusiasm and stuff.''
Twilight scratched her head. ''I am slowly getting there. I read a book about this 'fourth wall' and it says something about keeping performers from recognizing or directly addressing their audience. Who are the performers? Are we the performers?'' She looked at her friend who gave a simple nod and carried on. ''But then how do we not know that we are performing?''
''That is the thing,'' she stated. ''We are in a story but only one pony would know that they are. I guess it is just an miracle.'' She sighed in exhaustion. ''Wow. All of this explanation has gotten me exhausted.'' She wiped away a sweat from her brow.
Twilight flinched an eyebrow. ''You only? I am frustrated by this! I am supposed to be smart but...!'' She slouched onto a pile of books and mumbled.
Pinkie Pie patted her on the back. ''There, there, how about we head down to Sugar Cube Corner and get a snack from all of this exhausting explanation? I have to check on Gummy to see if he is doing his job with handling the twin foals.''
Twilight groaned. ''Alright. Snacks it is.''
At Sugar Cube Corner...
Pinkie Pie gasped as she stepped into the bakery with her purple unicorn friend, Twilight. The place was in a horrible mess. There was blue paint splattered against the walls, cake batter was on the floor, toys were scattered across the floor.
''Gummy!'' the pink pony yelled. ''I thought you were supposed to be looking after this place! Mrs. Cake left me in charge so now what will she say or think about this?'' She gasped in horror. ''And what happened to the cake I was making specially for Princess Celestia?''
She pouted on the floor. Twilight patted her on the back.
''It is okay,'' she assured her. ''We can just clean this up in no time! Or the whole room...'' She cracked a weak smile and felt her stomach rumbling due to starvation.
Pinkie Pie bounced back up. ''Cleaning first, eating last!''
Twilight's weak smile faded and groaned in annoyance. Pinkie Pie got two different sized brooms out of nowhere and handed one over to her friend. She placed one small broom inside her animal companion's mouth. Pinkie Pie got out a broom from her poofy pink fluffy mane and got to sweeping.
In the meanwhile, Pinkie Pie started to explain the fourth wall again to enlighten up the mood.
''So,'' she said. ''The fourth wall is an invisible force field between the fictional world and the audience. We are currently in a fictional world right now. You see everything we are doing right now is...''
