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The next day.

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ✶✶✶⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯✶✶✶ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ✶✶✶⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

The ponies gathered together at the park for a picnic, eager to reconcile with the Pie cousins. They brought their pets, along with an array of food and drinks. As they laid out the picnic blanket, Pinkie Pie arrived first, bouncing toward them with Gummy latched onto her tail.

"Hi, girls! Ooh, the food looks yummy!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, swiping a few muffins from Applejack’s basket and stuffing them into her mouth. "Mmm, they’re crunchier than the ones me and Maud had!"

"Uh, thanks, Pinkie Pie. . ." Applejack hesitated, eyeing her half-eaten muffins. "I made them extra crunchy for you and your cousin. It’s the least we could do to, ya know, smooth things over."

"What thing?" Pinkie asked, her face scrunched in confusion.

"You know, the thing with your cousin suddenly being a unicorn?" Rainbow Dash interjected. "That’s why we’re having this picnic to show her we’re not suspicious of her anymore."

"Oooh, that thing!" Pinkie giggled, waving it off. "Don’t worry, Rainbow, it didn’t bother her at all."

"That’s a relief," Twilight Sparkle chimed in as she magically set the plates in place. "I’m glad everything between you and Pizza Pie is back to normal."

"And just in time too," Rarity added, pulling out her sketchbook. "I have some fabulous designs ready for our next project at the boutique!"

"Yeah, but first let’s focus on making sure Pizza Pie enjoys herself," Applejack suggested, glancing around. "Speaking of which, where is she? We figured you two would come here together."

"Oh, Cousin said she needed to wash up and told me to go ahead," Pinkie explained.

"I just want to thank her again for letting me look after Colours," Fluttershy murmured, as Colours, Pizza Pie’s peculiar pet, shifted hues to match the color of Fluttershy’s mane. "She’s been a joy to take care of."

"Of course!" Pinkie grinned. "Colours loves hanging out with friends other than Gummy, right Colours?" Colours blinked, her eyes moving in opposite directions before settling back.

Fluttershy smiled gently. "I’m so glad to hear it. You can come visit again anytime, Colours."

Suddenly, a burst of bright magic filled the air, accompanied by a loud pop. Thick smoke swirled around the picnic area, causing Fluttershy to squeal and hide behind Pinkie, using her tail as a shield. The smoke cleared to reveal Pizza Pie, her tail flicking through the air as if she were dismissing the spectacle she had just created.

". . . ." Pizza Pie paused, surveying the group with an unreadable expression.

"Heh," she smirked, brushing a hoof through her mane. "Sorry I’m late, girls."

"Cousin!" Pinkie Pie bounced toward her and wrapped her in a big hug. "We were just talking about you!"

"Talking? About what? How I’m supposedly better now that I’ve become a unicorn?" Pizza Pie’s voice had an edge to it, causing a brief awkward silence.

"Uh, no silly!" Pinkie giggled, trying to lighten the mood. "But you are getting really good at magic. Oh, and Twilight! Guess what? Pizza read all the spell books you lent her, and she mastered them in just one night!"

"Wait, really?" Twilight's eyes widened, clearly surprised. "I thought you said basic teleportation was still giving you trouble-"

"Not anymore," Pizza Pie interrupted, her voice cool and confident. "I perfected it last night. Those books? Honestly, they were too easy."

Twilight blinked, her surprise quickly giving way to mild unease. "Well, uh . . . Some of those spells took me a lot longer to figure out-"

Applejack cut in, sensing the rising tension. "Why don’t we all sit down and enjoy the food? Granny Smith made some apple-spiced muffins and apple pie for dessert."

"Great, more apple snacks." Pizza Pie muttered under her breath, her eyes rolling slightly.

"Beg your pardon?" Applejack turned, her brow furrowed.

"Nothing. What else is there?" Pizza Pie deflected, disinterest dripping from her voice.

"Ah, well!" Rarity piped up, offering Pizza a cup of tea. "I brought some exquisite Canterlot green tea, darling. It’s a one-of-a-kind blend. You simply must try it."

". . . . ." Pizza Pie took a cautious sip, her expression unchanging. "Tastes like hot leaf water. Just like any other tea."

Rarity's enthusiasm faltered. "Oh, well, um . . . You’re not entirely wrong, I suppose."

Fluttershy, always sensitive to the group's mood, tentatively approached Pizza Pie, Colours resting on her back. "I-I brought Colours back to you. Thank you again for letting me look after her. She had a great time playing with the other animals."

"I’m sure she did," Pizza Pie replied flatly. "Actually, why don’t you keep her for a few more days? I still need some time for myself."

Fluttershy blinked, taken aback. "Oh, I thought you’d be excited to have your pet back-"

"You take care of animals, right? Just keep her for now. I’ll get her when I needed her back."

Rainbow Dash, noticing Fluttershy’s discomfort, quickly intervened. "Hey!" she snapped, snatching Colours from Fluttershy and thrusting her toward Pizza Pie. "Fluttershy’s not your personal babysitter! Show some gratitude."

"I’ll thank her when she gives me my pet back," Pizza Pie retorted coolly, shoving Colours back to Rainbow Dash.

"What’s your deal?!" Rainbow Dash bristled, wings flaring.

"Alright, that’s enough, y’all," Applejack interjected, stepping between them. "The day’s just started. Let’s all grab a bite and settle down."

"Agreed," Twilight added, her voice calm but with a hint of urgency. "After we eat, we’ve got some fun activities planned to help Pizza Pie feel at home. How does that sound?"

"Whatever, Twilight. It better be interesting. I’m only here because Pinkie insisted."

Twilight chuckled nervously, trying to break the tension. "Well, then, everypony, let’s dig in!"

The ponies exchanged confused glances, perplexed by Pizza Pie's sudden spiteful attitude. As they ate, they observed the Pie cousins. Pinkie Pie was happily munching down dozens of muffins, but Pizza Pie hadn’t taken a single bite. She caught them staring at her, causing the ponies to quickly look away, resuming their meal under the weight of her icy glare.

After about an hour, they decided to follow through with the plan, taking turns spending time with Pizza Pie as a way of getting to know her better. Rarity volunteered to go first, excited to share her latest designs. She brought along her sewing kit, fabrics, and a few jewelry pieces to show off.

“Now, darling, I already made some draft samples that I’m sure will make you look simply fabulous! We’ll start with this one.” Rarity pointed at one of the sketches in her design pad. “Now, if you wouldn’t mind holding still for a moment while I take your measurements-”

Before Rarity could finish, Pizza Pie casually snatched the sketch pad with her magic and examined it closely. “So, you want to make me this one?” she asked, her tone neutral.

“Why yes, dear! That one took quite a bit of time to design. I hoped it would suit your gorgeous appearance.”

“*Hmmmm . . . *” Pizza Pie stared at the draft intently.

Rarity’s confidence faltered. “I-Is there something wrong, darling? If you don’t like the design, we can always—”

Before Rarity could finish her sentence, the fabrics and sewing tools floated into the air, passing over her head and swirling around Pizza Pie. Her horn glowed as she swiftly scanned through the design, piecing the fabric together in mere seconds. Within a minute, she had completed the dress.

Rarity stood frozen, her mouth agape in astonishment. “I-I don’t believe it,” she gasped, inspecting the newly crafted dress. It was flawless, each stitch perfectly aligned. “It’s so perfect! GASP! You even did a raised stem stitch. That took me months to perfect! How did you-”

“I just followed what it said in your draft,” Pizza Pie replied, shrugging.

“Y-Yes, but I was supposed to make it for you,” Rarity stammered.

“Well, if you did, it would’ve taken us months to finish,” Pizza Pie said flatly.

Rarity blinked, taken aback. “That’s a bit harsh, darling. But seeing as you’ve already made it—”

Pizza Pie slipped into the dress and summoned a mirror, barely glancing at her reflection. “Yeah, it’s nice. Can we move on now? I’m supposed to meet with Fluttershy next, right?”

“Ah, yes, of course, dear. You know, we could always do this again sometime—”

“Great!” Pizza Pie grinned sharply. “I’ll catch you later. Bye!”

With a flash of magic, Pizza Pie teleported away, leaving the dress she had made behind. Rarity picked it up, feeling a mix of mockery and confusion.

Next up was Fluttershy. The two ponies walked quietly through the woods, the peaceful environment helping to ease the awkwardness between them. Along the way, they encountered various animals, all of whom were familiar to Fluttershy.

“And this is my favorite part of the forest. You can see all the cute animals living right behind the sanctuary I helped build,” Fluttershy explained cheerfully.

“I see. Well, I heard from the others that you can talk to animals directly,” Pizza Pie said, her tone carrying a note of curiosity.

“Oh, no, not really,” Fluttershy giggled softly. “I don’t talk to them exactly. I just understand how they feel. It’s my way of connecting with them.”

Pizza Pie raised an eyebrow. “So, in short, you’re just guessing?”

Fluttershy hesitated, unsure how to answer. “Well, um . . .”

Before she could continue, a blue jay fluttered down and landed on her mane, chirping happily.

“Oh! Hello there, Mr. Blue Jay! How are you today?” Fluttershy greeted the bird warmly.

Pizza Pie watched closely. “Say, Fluttershy—”

“Oh, do you want to say hello too?” Fluttershy asked, offering the bird to Pizza Pie.

“Uh, sure. But I want to try something,” Pizza Pie said with a faint smile.

“Try something?” Fluttershy replied, puzzled.

Gently, Fluttershy placed the blue jay onto Pizza Pie’s hoof. The bird chirped, its head tilting as it looked up at her. Pizza Pie stared back into the bird’s eyes, and the atmosphere shifted. The forest around them seemed to fade, the air growing heavy and still. The bird, entranced by her gaze, began to tremble. In its mind, it saw a dark, endless abyss, and from the shadows, two enormous red eyes appeared, glaring at it with a predatory intensity.

Terrified, the bird squawked and flew away in a frantic burst of energy.

“Huh? Mr. Blue Jay? Come back!” Fluttershy called out, trying to follow it with her eyes. She turned to Pizza Pie, confused. “Wha-What happened?”

Pizza Pie shrugged nonchalantly. “I guess I scared it off.”

Fluttershy looked at her, baffled. “What did you do? All Mr. Blue Jay did was look at you.”

“Uh-huh. And I looked back,” Pizza Pie replied, sounding completely unconcerned.

Fluttershy shook her head, not understanding. “I-I don’t get it, Pizza Pie. What does that mean?”

“Who knows? Maybe it sensed danger,” Pizza Pie said, glancing away dismissively.

Fluttershy looked around, confused. “Danger? I don’t see any danger.”

She turned back to Pizza Pie, who was calmly cleaning her hoof, appearing uninterested in the entire encounter. Fluttershy scratched her head, unsure what to make of it. “S-Shall we move along then?”

“Yes, please,” Pizza Pie sighed. “All these pests watching us are starting to annoy me.”

As the two ponies continued walking through the forest, Fluttershy glanced back and noticed that the animals were acting strangely almost as if they were afraid of Pizza Pie. She also saw Pizza’s cutie mark glowing faintly, but she didn’t think much of it and kept moving forward.

A few minutes later, it was Twilight’s turn to spend time with Pizza Pie. They sat together under a tree as Twilight eagerly showed her cousin some old books from Canterlot.

“You know, Pizza Pie, I used to sit under a tree just like this when I first started reading this,” Twilight said, handing Pizza Pie one of her special books. “Little did I know, this book would change my life. Through it, I met my best friends, and together we’ve faced many challenges. And before I knew it, I became the Princess of Friendship, spreading my teachings across Equestria all thanks to this book right here.”

“Wow, that’s amazing. So this book gave you your destiny, huh?” Pizza Pie replied, sounding intrigued.

“I guess you could say that. If you look here,” Twilight flipped to a specific page, pointing to the images of the Elements of Harmony. “These are the Elements of Harmony. Each of us represents a part of these elements. Applejack represents Honesty, Rainbow Dash represents Loyalty, Rarity is Generosity, Fluttershy is Kindness, your cousin Pinkie Pie is Laughter, and as for me, I represent the Spirit of Magic.”

Pizza Pie stared closely at the page, her eyes locking onto the symbols of the Elements. “So each of you, including Pinkie Pie, are these Elements . . . That makes sense now,” she muttered, her voice becoming quieter. Her eyes narrowed, and her tone grew darker as she mumbled something to herself. “So that’s what becomes of it. . . I should’ve known.”

“Uh, what becomes of what?” Twilight asked, confused by Pizza Pie’s cryptic words.

Pizza Pie didn’t seem to hear her. Instead, she continued muttering, her voice shifting to an eerie, unfamiliar tone. “[Αυτοί οι ξένοι δεν μαθαίνουν ποτέ. Αφήνοντας ένα υπόστεγο ψεύτικης ελπίδας, μόνο για να καθυστερήσει τον θάνατο όλων των πλασμάτων. (These alicorns never learn. Leaving a shed of false hope, only to delay the demise of all creatures.)"

“Pizza Pie . . . ?” Twilight’s concern deepened as she felt a heavy presence emanating from her cousin. She cautiously reached out, placing a hoof on Pizza Pie’s shoulder. “Are you okay?-”

Suddenly, Pizza Pie grabbed Twilight’s hoof. Her eerie muttering stopped abruptly, and she turned to face Twilight, her expression now one of confusion. The dark presence vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

“Am I okay what?” Pizza Pie asked, her voice back to normal.

“Uh . . . I-” Twilight stammered, unsure of what to say.

“What’s wrong?” Pizza Pie tilted her head, giving Twilight a curious look. “It’s like you’ve seen a ghost or something.”

Twilight laughed nervously, trying to shake off her unease. “Who, me? No, no! I just thought, for a second there, you sounded . . . different, that’s all. Haha.”

“Sounded different? What do you mean?” Pizza Pie asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I, uh . . .” Twilight hesitated. “Never mind, it’s nothing. So, what do you think of the book?”

“It’s nice, but honestly, it kind of puts me to sleep just reading it.” Pizza Pie yawned and handed the book back to Twilight. “Are there any more books you want to show me? I think it’s Applejack’s turn next, right?”

Twilight quickly hid the other books behind her, forcing a smile. “Uh . . . no, that’s actually it! HA HA! And yes, I believe Applejack’s waiting for you at Sweet Apple Acres. Thanks for spending time with me, by the way.”

“Yeah, yeah, sure. Which way is that apple farm of hers again?” Pizza Pie asked casually.

“I wasn’t finished! Anyway, it means a lot to me that I could share these books-” Twilight began.

“Never mind, I see it. Later!” Pizza Pie teleported away before Twilight could finish.

“You’re welcome . . . Ughhh!!” Twilight groaned, laying back in frustration. She picked up the book and flipped to the page Pizza Pie had been reading. “(It used to be just three?) Twilight murmured, scratching her head. “Three . . . elements?”

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~ To be continued

Author's Note

Pizza pie's change slowly bothers her new friends, from her attitude to her newly discovered feats. She becomes different by the day, a shell of her formerself.