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.