A Touch of Realityby E E
Chapters
Prologue: No More Laughter
PROLOGUE: NO MORE LAUGHTER
She appeared alone, yet in her mind she could hear so many voices whispering terrible things to her. How long had it been since she'd arrived in this place? She felt as if it'd been years, years spent trying to understand and convince herself she was indeed something more than a simple clone. She told herself her name was Pinkie Pie, it was her only comfort now. Long ago she recalled feelings of hope and motivation, but those feelings had all but dissipated entirely. All that remained was a sliver of sanity which she refused to let go of unconsciously. It'd been so long that she was starting to question whether she truly was the real Pinkie Pie. She had memories and emotions so didn't that make her as real as anypony else? Or perhaps she was simply the last clone out of many and still clinging desperately to the hope she was real, wanting to reconnect with reality.
When in actual reality, it was more than likely everything she believed was only a mirage.
Maybe she was simply delusional, and her friends were never her friends.
Maybe she was meant to remain here forever, lost in her own sea of doubts.
She might as well just give up like the rest of them, and fade into the unknown.
She might as well simply, cease to exist.
But soon another feeling had emerged at that point, one of fear, and slowly that feeling began to escalate.
As she floated in this space of endless turquoise, submerged within a bottomless ocean, she started to question everything.
She thought about how she'd been lost, and nopony would remember her, nor would they care. She thought how she would never be able to think back on such memories, despite knowing they may very well not be her own. Even though the ponies in her memories were probably never friends to begin with, she cherished and loved them all the same. Yet those feelings of love began to shape into something else entirely, feelings of bitterness, anger, betrayal, and hatred. Why? Why couldn't they see!? Why couldn't they see she cared just as much as the supposedly real Pinkie Pie did? Didn't they see how hard she tried? Couldn't they see she was just as real? Couldn't they understand she was living flesh and blood, doing all she could in order to not be forced back into this desolate place? What sort of friends were they anyway, to send her back here? All she was used for was faint amusement for a short period of time. Then banished back here as if her existence had no significance whatsoever.
They left her to rot for an eternity, alone.
She didn't want that, she didn't want them to have the last laugh.
She didn't want to simply disappear without a trace and cease to exist, to be erased from the fabric of the universe.
She didn't want to be unable to produce thoughts and feelings despite how negative they currently were.
She just wanted something, anything was better than nothing, and if she gave up, she'd have absolutely nothing at all.
She cried as she continued to dwell on these thoughts, her tears were transparent and unnoticeable, but she sobbed. Her heart ached in pain and in desperation. She didn't want things to end like this, alone with nopony beside her. If she were simply meant to disappear, then what sort of cruel malevolent being would allow her the ability to feel in such a way? To give her the power to be able to connect the pieces of her fragmented world. Why, why would she be given the cutie mark of laughter if she were never meant for it? It was mocking in some ways. Why would she be given these memories of being with her friends if they were never her friends to begin with? Why would she be given all these things if they were never real, and never hers!?
She wanted to live, to laugh, to love. She wanted a future, despite what anypony else said. She wanted to strive for the same world they had, even if she wasn't meant to. She wanted at least one pony to truly remember her for who she was here and now. She wanted the world to know of her existence. As much as she felt she was meant to be a prisoner here, to never have anypony by her side, to float mindlessly in an empty space lacking any thought, she wanted that freedom and peace of mind. She'd do anything for it. She would rebel against this cold reality, and take back her existence.
She would succeed, where all her other selves had failed. Real or not, her dream would be reality.
She began to move her hooves clawing at this empty space, it felt as if she were climbing a mountain. Her muscles strained, and refused to comply with her wishes. Everything tightened up, and this world refused to let her go. It was as if she were being told that this wasn't meant to be, that she was making a mistake. It was as if this world was an entity in itself, attempting to do everything in its power to stop her, to hold her down, to pull her further down into the bottomless depths. But as the pain coursing through her was obviously apparent, so was that look of defiance on her face. She pushed and pushed, swimming, paddling upward with all her might. Soon it felt as if this form of gravity had tripled, and she were sinking even further down, but she continued, and inch by inch she made her way up. She didn't see anything, no end to this quest of her's. For all she knew, there was no end, no surface, no escape. But she tried to reach it still, she clung onto her thoughts and emotions for motivation, she rejected all despair.
She remained true to her conviction and feelings of vindication, and she continued to rise.
Memories of her friends and the precious moments they shared together continued to haunt her as she did this. Memories of their laughter soon became scorn, as such happy times drove her for all the wrong reasons. Her anger fueled her passion for justice, and as she clawed her way up, she let off a mute scream, not caring for this water which surrounded her and simply doing anything she could to boost her momentum. There was a light now which'd emerged overhead, and she constantly clawed towards it for it was her first real sign of progress. And finally, the more she wanted it, the more she told herself she'd do anything to escape this twisted form of reality, and she managed to break the surface of this maddening pool. She'd escaped her prison.
For the first time in what felt like ages, she could taste the air, and feel the exposure.
She could feel the cold winds wrap around her plump body, which now felt heavier and more ripe, full of life. Every movement she made felt different, and there was a slight stinging sensation in her eyes as she'd glanced around the area. She was in the cave, the same cave she'd been forced to return to. She breathed heavily, unable to contain her gratitude, her anxiousness, and her satisfaction at the fact that she'd actually returned to reality. She paddled at the water hurriedly, still a little paranoid she'd sink back into the mirror pool as she touched upon the rocky hard ground at the far end. She climbed out, before shaking herself off in order to remove the water from her coat. Afterwords she glanced back down at the surface of the mirror pool somewhat, still suspended in disbelief, she stared for a good long while. She then noticed she had no reflection......
Pinkie's heart ached in response to this, but she buried that sense of doubt and sorrow beneath a pile of more positive emotions. She was just grateful to be out of that pool, she was grateful to actually feel alive again. She grabbed hold of a portion of her drenched mane and tied it into a pony tail before shaking her head to give it some fluff. She lowered her hind legs to sit, before looking around again, now a little conflicted on what she should do. It was her anger that'd got her out in the first place, her drive to succeed and her spitefulness towards her old friends, but now she was having second thoughts. Was her bitterness worth risking being returned to the mirror pool? But at that moment Pinkie also reminded herself of what it was like to be trapped in that pool. She reminded herself once again of others whom been trapped, forever doomed to wander in that torturous reality.
No, she would voice her concerns. She would be silenced no longer.
She gave herself a reaffirming nod. She would never allow this sort of method to be used again, her life was no different from theirs.
Now, all she had to do was escape this place.
Pinkie made her way up towards the exit of the cave, or at least, the entrance and exit, only to find that her path had been blocked by a large boulder. For good reason this worried her, and her expression sunk as she shook her head. "No, no no no! This isn't good! This is not good..not good not good!" She began pacing heavily once again as she pressed herself up against the boulder. She was now filled with dread again. How cruel of fate, to allow her to escape only to trap her once again. Pinkie backed up from the boulder however, glaring at it angrily. She wouldn't allow herself to be trapped like this! Not after having been cooped up for so long already! She charged, slamming her body into the boulder full force "Ngh!" Of course she'd immediately stumbled back before staggering in discomfort and slouching down tiredly. But she prepared herself again for another attempt.
After a brief moment of rest, she charged again, but once again producing another failure. She repeated the process though, continuously she charged and charged. Each time she did so, she'd become more beaten, but she wouldn't allow herself to give up. She continued to no end, constantly telling herself that she'd do anything to make it out. And like when she'd managed to escape the mirror pool, once again, it was as if her mere wishful thinking had managed the impossible. In the next attempt by Pinkie, she'd simply phased through the boulder as if it weren't even there. She rolled and tumbled through the dirt skidding face first against the grass outside the cave. She laid there for some time, before blinking a bit soon afterwords and glancing up momentarily at the beautiful night sky. She looked back at the boulder, seeing that it was still in place. Pinkie smiled at the boulder, "Thank you!"
Pinkie rose to her hooves, before constantly staring up at the sky. She took in all the sweet soothing ambiance which surrounded her with a gratified smile. And as she smiled up at the sky, she also cried silently as she felt the tears roll down her cheeks. She felt different now, different from the way her memories portrayed her. She now saw this world in a different light from before.
"Why, Pinkie Pie, it was you then? This is quite the surprise!"
Pinkie's eyes widened as she immediately glanced in the voice's direction with curiosity.
There she saw standing with a basket of many diverse flowers, would be a zebra.
The zebra cocked her head to the right with a saddened expression, "I had thought you'd left these troubles behind? Please let yourself rewind and recall, just what'd happened the last time, you'd let such lonely emotions cloud your mind."
Pinkie smirked during that particular moment, before glaring at the zebra, remembering her name. "You're....Zecora! Oh goodies!"
This caused Zecora's eyes to widen. "Pinkie Pie are you alright?" She backed away some, "You are acting quite strange tonight."
Pinkie Pie chuckled playfully before approaching the mare slowly, "Oh, I'm just fine Zecora!....I need a place to stay if that's okay?"
Zecora raised a brow slowly at the mare. "Y-Yes...uhm, of course this is fine. But Pinkie Pie-"
Pinkie immediately pressed her hoof against Zecora's muzzle gently. "Shhhhh....Please Zecora, pretty pretty please, don't make things any more weird! I just want to stay by you for now, there's nopony else I want around."
Zecora fell silent as she just stared Pinkie Pie in the eyes in puzzlement. "You....You're not Pinkie Pie...."
Suddenly Pinkie's brow twitched as her pupils dilated. "What did you just say?"
Zecora winced, "Of course this simply cannot be a coincidence! Do you truly believe me that dense!? The forest echoed with a disturbed cry, there was something disrupting the peace, I dare not think why. For now that you're here before me, I see that it is you, whose responsible for this troubling story. For why do you think I am here tonight, in such a place at such a time!? You have done what the others could not. You are a clone! Not, who I once thought!"
Zecora dropped her basket and backed away from the mare a bit, before glaring at her angrily. "I cannot question fate brought me here today. I must right your wrongs, and send you on your way. You disrupt the balance this forest once held, you do not belong in this world, you're no better than a chaotic illusion or spell." Zecora stomped a hoof, "Return to the pool, now!"
Pinkie Pie gasped, before scrunching her face up angrily, turning red. She threw her head back before scoffing, "MAKE ME, DUMMY!"
Zecora then attempted grabbing hold of the mare, only to phase through her in an instant. As she'd arrived behind Pinkie's flank, she felt a sudden kick and buck hit her own rear end as she ended up on the ground with a mouth full of grass and dirt.
Pinkie Pie then moved in a stride with each trot. "I don't have to go back and I don't wanna! I live in this world now, and there's nothing you or anypony can do to stop me! S-So...So...go back to your little hut! I didn't wanna be friends with you anyway!" She also ensured to knock over Zecora's basket of flowers for extra insult, as she hurriedly made her way further into Everfree Forest.
Zecora coughed, scraping off her tongue of dirt and grass with a hoof. She glanced back momentarily to see Pinkie's departing figure fading in the distance. It was only safe to assume she'd probably be heading for Ponyville, which worried Zecora to say the least. Her expression sunk as she lowered her head a little, "Oh Pinkie Pie, these are rules to which you must abide!!!"
Pinkie Pie trotted merrily and rapidly through the forest. She didn't acknowledge any of the troubles Zecora presented before her, her mind was elsewhere and she was lost in her own sense of joy. She phased through anything which came before her, before she'd even broke off into a series of rapid bounces. She bounced happily up and down, before doing a midair spin and spreading her hooves as she'd actually chuckled as she touched upon the ground masterfully. "Nope, nope nope nope! SORRY!" No, this sense of freedom she wouldn't give up for the world or anypony. Not in a million years.
Zecora groaned before hurrying over to her basket of flowers. "Oh, she's like a stubborn child! A stubborn little clone!"
Meanwhile in Ponyville, some ponies stood on the edge of Everfree Forest, looking upon it curiously.
One of the ponies tilted her head to the right, before commenting, "Is it supposed to be doing that?"
Another of the ponies shrugged at her before adding on, "Beats me! It's Everfree Forest, it does all sorts of weird things!"
And on the edge of Everfree, one could see shimmering and flickering trees, almost as if they were illusions of the real thing.
Chapter 1: I am real, I am here...
Chapter 1: I AM REAL, I AM HERE...
I am real.
Pinkie attempted to block out Zecora's words in her mind as she'd just continued sprinting through the Everfree Forest. The world surrounding her could only remind her of a hurricane, as the very forest began to shimmer and distort in reaction to her mere presence. The words in her mind rang out like a storm, and she gritted her teeth and closed her eyes in reaction to the sense of disarray that coursed through her mind. Despite what was happening, despite what Zecora said, she had to be the real Pinkie. Her memories were no different and they were nothing less special, and she couldn't let anypony else tell her otherwise. Pinkie Pie blazed down the dirt path, kicking up grime with each hoof trot. The world around her started to blur, as she repeated the words to herself continuously. I am here...I am real...I am here...I am real...I am here...
Pinkie Pie kicked back on her hooves as her world slowed down, and she felt for a second reality had paused. For a single second she could see the image of the zebra pursuing her as she glanced back to confirm the heart wrenching sight. It caused her to boil with rage, and regret all the same. Zecora still hadn't given up her pitiful chase after her. And as the two made eye contact with one another, Pinkie could only regard Zecora with a leering stare, while the zebra squinted back at Pinkie in reaction. They could feel it, the simple action of acknowledging one another spoke a thousand words. Zecora wasn't going to let this Pinkie leave this forest, and Pinkie knew full well, she wasn't going to give in. Zecora was threatening her one chance at freedom. Pinkie Pie turned her body then to face the zebra head on as she went from a lingering stare to a frightening glare. She cried out to her then in a ferocious defiant yell.
Zecora flinched before halting herself, kicking back on her hooves skidding on the dirt path.
Pinkie Pie however tackled the zebra on, as they'd tumbled and rolled over into the grass.
They'd held on tight to one another, as Zecora was eventually on her back and she simply pressed her hooves against this Pinkie's face desperately. But Pinkie ensured to hold on tight, she ensured to stay close, to press against the zebra and not let go. No matter what Zecora did to get her off, this pink little clone was doing all she could to stay attached to her. Zecora's annoyance only steadily rose as she scowled lightly at the mare, "C-Can't you see? What your presence could mean?" Zecora attempted to motion over towards the forest trees which appeared to simply fade in and out of existence like mere mirages. Zecora felt as if their world were becoming the essence of a watercolor painting from how distorted it all looked. "Can't...You understand, P-Pinkie?"
Pinkie's bangs hung down over her eyes as she said simply, "I'm right here you dummy."
Zecora's eyes widened then, as she just looked up at the mare, and felt the light moist droplets touch upon her face.
Pinkie Pie continued, pressing her own to hooves into Zecora's torso, keeping her pinned. "Can't you feel my coat? My warmth? My desperation? I am right here you big dummy! I've always been here! Y-You really are an evil enchantress." She paused, as she glared down at Zecora, sobbing profoundly from beneath her mane as her face was scrunched up in a manner she didn't feel too keen of making public. She sobbed, as her hooves trembled pressing against the zebra. "All I want to do is smile again. But I can't without remembering what Twilight did, what you all did! You all took that away! But I am here! I've come back. After so long, I came back to you silly, but to you I'm not real, no matter what I say I'll always be different. I am just a mirage." Pinkie continued to press her hooves further into the zebra's chest, soon moving up to her neck, glaring at her. "I'm nothing at all. Just a problem."
Zecora struggled to move and speak, as she began to kick her hind legs up in an attempt at removing Pinkie from atop of her. She wheezed, as her eyes widened as she gasped for air. "P-Pinkieee~....I can't-"
Pinkie's pupils were locked on the zebra as she'd expressed nothing obvious. There was only a lingering stare yet again.
Zecora attempted to press against the mare now, only to find her hooves phasing through Pinkie as if she truly were a simple mirage. It was as if she weren't there yet still pressing against her, an impossible action. Pinkie still kept her held down.
Pinkie raised a hoof, as she'd spoke out yet again, "I won't ever go back, not even for any of you!" And she swung as hard as she could, releasing all of her rage and frustration in a fearsome blow against the zebra, immediately rendering Zecora unconscious. Pinkie however, was struck by the action far worse than the zebra herself, as she trembled not long afterwords. She removed herself then from atop of Zecora, and just scurried back, before crawling to the outside of a tree trunk, and curling up into a ball and covering her head with her hooves. She'd felt disgusted, and for good reason. She resorted to violence, to actually harming Zecora. It caused her to weep, for despite her cries for acknowledgement of her identity, she knew inside that violence could never be an answer, yet that's what she chose, and that's what she saw as the only answer. She contradicted herself, and that, told her exactly what she never wanted to her. Her actions spoke louder than words, and she wanted to simply sit here, and attempt regaining her thoughts. Pinkie knew she had one of two choices.
Stay here, and despite the consequences strive to live in this new world, or return to her old one. At that moment an image flashed in Pinkie's mind, a horrifying recollection of all the Pinkie's she'd witnessed curled up as they sunk further down into the deep crystalline blue. Pinkie Pie shook her head, as she sluggishly rose to all four hooves and then wiped her face. She attempted to give a cheery smile to Zecora as the zebra laid there, and she winked at her with a light hoof gesture, "N-Now don't you move okay? I pinkie promise everything will be alright once I explain to everypony. T-They'll understand." She chuckled nervously, before turning and immediately bursting off into a trot further down the dirt path towards Ponyville. They have to understand...
Pinkie's heart raced, thumping beneath her chest with each trot. Her stamina was endless when in pursuit of the reward she craved. She just kept trotting, trotting, and trotting. She couldn't get over what she'd done to Zecora, but it'd all be fine if she could only tell Twilight and the others of her situation. That she was the real Pinkie Pie, that despite their beliefs she deserved their friendship and a second chance to prove it. A chance to prove that what they did was evil and wrong, even for all the other Pinkies. They didn't see what she did, the turmoil they'd gone through, each and every one of them as they were now no more than lifeless shells forever submerged in that pool of false existence. She wouldn't have any of it! They would hear her out whether they liked it or not. Yet despite how angry Pinkie was, she could never forget the positive memories either. She could never bring herself to hate Twilight or the others fully for what they'd decided.
Further in the distance, she could see the familiar path coming to an end. She saw the light shine between the trees.
Pinkie Pie shook her head, as she picked up her pace. It was at this point it actually felt as if the good outweighed the bad. She couldn't stop herself from getting swelled up with excitement, anxiousness to see her dearest friends after what felt like so many years. Perhaps she could forgive them, she couldn't stay mad at them forever. She'd talk to them. They'd understand why she'd returned in such a manner. It didn't matter if there was some other Pinkie, she was the real Pinkie, and she'd prove it. The memories only continued to stack like a deck of cards, endlessly, fluidly, each and every happy memory and experience she'd had with Twilight and the others, only for the final image to be that final flash she'd witnessed as Twilight sent her back to the pool for failing her test. And as she'd reached that light, she screamed in both excitement, anger, contempt, regret, and desperation all at the same time, Twilight's name. And the light of her world faded away. As a new world came into view.
And just as she'd cried out, before she even entered Ponyville's actual premises, there stood an alicorn.
Twilight Sparkle stood before this Pinkie Pie only some distance away, accompanied on her left by Princess Celestia, and Discord.
The alicorn blocked the path to Ponyville, and surprisingly everything was quiet, almost as if the entire world was deserted. Occasionally the sound of the blowing wind would break the silence, but Pinkie paid no mind to it.
Pinkie's expression was stunned as she could hardly believe it, "T-Twilight!..." She appeared hopeful, staggering in her approach.
Princess Twilight however cut her off almost immediately, causing her to freeze with the words, "This is the clone princess?"
Pinkie flinched, raising her hoof in front of herself almost in a defensive gesture due to the sting of her sudden proclamation.
Princess Celestia nodded, "Yes Twilight, I'm certain of it. She isn't the real Pinkie. She must've found a way out of the mirror pool."
Discord flicked his claw, "You best hurry Celestia, this little clone sure has caused quite the disturbance aha."
As the three regarded the stunned Pinkie, the world around the pink mare only continued to react negatively to her presence.
Pinkie Pie glanced at all three, and particularly at Discord with wide confused eyes. "D-Discord?...What's he doing here? What're-...You're an alicorn now Twilight?" Pinkie eyed Twilight's wings for a good long while, perpetually horrified by the aspect of how much she'd missed since her departure. She regarded Twilight with guilt, and eyes which could only symbolize absolute innate grief. "H-How long have I been gone?" Pinkie Pie was desperate, and she didn't even acknowledge the fact they'd called her a clone. She only wanted answers for now. She was desperate for answers. Her heart felt wrenched at the sight, the sight of Twilight having moved on with her life so much. Pinkie felt as if she were left behind completely, and she couldn't get over it. She raised her hoof at Twilight. "T-Twilight?...Why're you here to meet me? W-Where's everypony else?"
As they all stood near this open field on this beautiful day, Twilight acted as if this were just another small issue. She found this clone's actions in particular a bit more disturbing due to how emotional she was, but the fact of the matter was she was a clone. Twilight just closed her eyes as her horn started to glow and she approached Pinkie casually. She sighed momentarily, before glancing at the clone with a frown. "I'm sorry about this, it looks like you really believe you're the real Pinkie. But you've gotta go back to the mirror pool now, don't worry, it'll be over quick. A memory wipe on a clone shouldn't be too hard either."
Pinkie immediately backed away, "W-Wait...Twilight, it's me, P-Pinkie Pie! W-We're bestest of friends!" She gave Twilight a hopeful, pitiful grin with wide paranoid eyes as she'd trembled. "Can't you see Twilight? It's me? I'm back!"
The sight of it didn't cause Twilight to deter from her actions. "I'm sorry, but you're not Pinkie Pie. I made sure of it."
Pinkie Pie sunk, lowering her frame before shaking her head at Twilight. "T-Twilight..please, pretty please? Please! Don't send me back! I-It's Discord isn't it!? He's tricking you, just like he did a long time ago! Y-You'd rather trust him than me!? Twilight, I can't go back! W-Where's Applejack, R-Rainbow Dash? Where is everypony!? Just one chance Twilight, p-please? Let me explain!"
Princess Celestia closed her eyes with a saddened expression. "Such a tragic situation. She's far too emotional for a mirage."
Discord crossed his arms and raised a brow, "Almost as if she actually is a real pony hm? How amusing!"
Twilight just raised a brow at Pinkie with a saddened expression, "Your rambling little clone, Pinkie doesn't even act like this.."
Pinkie Pie clung onto Twilight's coat then, still trembling as she looked up at her. "T-Twilight! I want to go back home, I want to see everypony, I want to go back to Ponyville and Sugarcube Corner! Please? Can't I go see everypony? I want us to be friends again! I don't want to be left behind anymore!" Pinkie's eyes watered as she lowered her head, and just began huffing profoundly, almost as if she were about to throw up as her clench on the mare weakened in her sudden reactive panic. "Oh...Why?..Why have I missed so much? What did I do wrong? I, I made everypony smile, all I wanted to do was make everypony happy...."
Twilight Sparkle just glanced down at Pinkie pitifully with a frown. "Please, speak no more of this. Look around you Pinkie, look at what you've done." Surrounding them, the edge of Everfree Forest was already reacting to Pinkie's continuous presence, flickering in and out of existence, appearing as a mere image fading only to reappear a few seconds later, twisting and distorting even in some areas as the effects only continued to spread. Twilight squinted a bit as she'd even seen this Pinkie flicker every so often. She continued, "This has to be done. I'm sorry but you're not the real Pinkie, you never were. There was never anything for you to catch up to, your memories are just fragments of the real thing, the real Pinkie is with us, she's been evacuated deeper into Ponyville along with the others until we could figure out just what was happening. And I don't plan to let your false memories endanger everypony."
The words froze Pinkie yet again, and she just looked down at the grass while keeping her hooves clenched to Twilight for a few seconds more, just suspended in disbelief. Eventually her face darkened as she'd let her hooves sluggishly drop down to the grass. So that's how it was then? She didn't even matter. Her words didn't even phase Twilight, they'd never mattered. She'd been destined to go back to the pool the moment she'd escaped. She rose to all fours hooves, as Twilight only saw this as an act of giving up. So the alicorn backed up as her horn started to glow and she focused it on the mare. Pinkie's mane covered her face yet again but Twilight could tell how hollow the mare appeared as she stood there, submissively, not saying another word.
Twilight was hesitant for a minute, before shaking her head. "I'm sorry it has to be this way, mirror Pinkie." And then Twilight released her spell as she sent it hurdling towards Pinkie's frame, the same spell that'd sent her back the first time.
Pinkie Pie stood there, looking upon the spell with an expression of defeat. "Y-Yep, me to..." And with a raise and a smack of her hoof, Pinkie Pie smacked away Twilight's spell, sending it hurdling in an opposing direction in the distance. And it was then, she glared at Twilight with a cold ferocious, and defiant stare. She said no other words, as a pink magical aura bordered her body.
Twilight cocked a brow at Pinkie immediately, awestruck and unable to make sense of what she just saw. "...!?"
Princess Celestia and Discord whom also believed the matter to be settled, suddenly raised their heads in unison. They all looked upon the scene, processing it for the next second before Princess Celestia immediately reacted with haste. "T-Twilight, it was an act the entire time dear! We've been tricked! She was never in any danger and she knew it, get away from her!"
Twilight stood there frozen, petrified by Pinkie's lingering glare.
As Princess Celestia shouted, attempted to knock her student out of it, "Twilight!"
Discord burst into laughter, "Bahahahaha! Oh now this is excellent!" Discord rose to the air, flicking his claw. Immediately surrounding Pinkie's perimeter would be a stream of flowing golden ropes and twizzlers, attempting to wrap themselves around the mare and hold her into place. "Well! I mean, it waaaaas excellent, but the show has reached its short unfortunate end."
Pinkie Pie just looked up to the sky, letting off a screeching cry as the ropes and twizzlers melted away all around her.
Discord blinked a bit, before placing his paw and claw on his hips, "H-Heeeey! Wait just a darn minute! That's cheating!" But the actions caused the draconequus to squint a bit to, as he'd appeared a little troubled by what he just saw. "Ah..."
Twilight was now frantic as she let off another spell at Pinkie Pie, hoping to return her to the pool.
Pinkie Pie only knocked it away again as she glared at Twilight. Twilight could only be fearful of that alien expression. She'd never seen Pinkie Pie look so serious, so dangerous, so frightening. It'd even caused her to back away, as she raised a hoof in a defensive manner. "P-Pinkie?..." Her head was thrown out of the loop, and she felt powerless despite her talents.
Princess Celestia came between the two, as she then squinted at the Pinkie Pie. "I understand your frustrations you mirror Pinkie, but you're not going anywhere. You're going back to the pool, here and now, there is no other way." And Princess Celestia herself cast the very same spell as she sent it hurdling a third time towards the mare, confidently and defiantly, while guarding Twilight.
But Pinkie Pie wouldn't have any of it, as the mare simply raised her hoof and pulling down and wrapping around her hoof she'd have a whip made up of bubbled text letters stating FimFiction, as she sent that whip crackling against the spell, and sending it in yet another opposing direction towards Discord with an angered scowl. "You pinkie promised....Twilight..."
Discord immediately scurried back in the air, "H-Hey wait wait wait a second! I'm no clone!" And the draconequus immediately disappeared in a ball of smoke and reappeared out of the path of the spell before glancing back at it. "Whew!"
Pinkie Pie chuckled a bit, before using her hoof to scoot back her bangs and regard Princess Celestia with a smirk. "I'm going to be a part of your lives whether you like it or not princess. You sillies have annoyed me enough, I'm done fighting for my right to exist. I'm not going anywhere, ever. I am real, I am here, and I'll always remain here...forever." And with a swipe of her hoof, Pinkie's wings spread, as like shards of glass the shape of her angelic wings pieced themselves together and came into existence flawlessly, appearing no different from the wings of any other pegasi. And Pinkie rose for the skies then. "You've chosen rules over our friendship Twilight, you've broken the biggest pinkie promise of all! I will no longer beg or cry, I'll be my own pony." Pinkie however, could never bring herself to hurt Twilight still, and she knew it. "I won't ever disappear again, Twilight."
Pinkie Pie looked off into the distance of Ponyville, the life she'd never be a part of again. The past she had no right to. She looked down longingly at Twilight, Princess Celestia, and even Discord for Discord represented just how much things had changed since she left. Pinkie continued to flap her wings, as she then began to commit herself to an action which only continued to leave Princess Celestia, Twilight, even Discord, awestruck and in disbelief. Pinkie Pie was using magic now, as forming between her two front hooves would be a rift, which as she spread those two very same hooves, caused the rift to open and spread. And in the image of the rift, Princess Celestia saw the heart of Ponyville. "And I will see the others whether you like it not Twilight. Bye."
Princess Celestia immediately burst to the skies as she'd charged Pinkie without saying a word, reacting on impulse in order to stop Pinkie from disappearing and going to Ponyville. But as she'd made contact with the mare, she'd only phased through her entire body, as if Pinkie was never there to begin with. And Pinkie just glanced back at her momentarily, before throwing her head back in instantaneous chuckles, "Ahahahaha!" Pinkie once again used her hoof to scoot her bangs back yet again as a few strands of pink hung over her head in a fashionable manner, and she double checked her ponytail to ensure it was tight as if she wanted them to be able to tell the difference. Pinkie smirked yet again, "Sorry princess, hmhm, you can't catch onto my pranks just yet silly. Well, I think I've got a date with the others, maybe one of them will have enough pinkie sense to understand."
Twilight cried out to Pinkie Pie then, "P-PINKIE! WAIT! PLEASE, don't go looking for the others!"
Pinkie gritted her teeth for a second, before proceeding through the portal. Before she regarded Twilight for only a quick second, revealing a horribly pained expression Pinkie wore on her face as she faded through the portal. Her words were straightforward and she said them without hesitation, "H-How?...How could you ask me that Twilight? After all this?" And she was gone.