For anyone wondering what I'm doing... I'm staring at my hoof. No, really. I'm staring at the underside of my hoof, trying to make out as many details as possible. While I have previously chosen to ignore the issue of how ponies hold things, since I had no idea how I would even go about deducing it. Then, out of the blue, I had a revelation, one I am currently trying to confirm. It was completely unexpected, but I suddenly had a theory of my own on how ponies were able to hold things with their hooves. Why slippery things slipped in their grasp and why friction still applied. The popular theory was of course some kind of force the ponies could apply through their hooves, counter arguments being that things being 'slippery' wouldn't matter in that case, which we had been proven multiple times that it did matter if things were or weren't 'slippery'.

No, my theory takes it all into consideration, it only has one single flaw... It can't be applied to all ponies. My theory is simple; it's called adhesion, like a gecko's footpads enable attractive van der Waals' forces between the β-keratin lamellae/setae/spatulae structures and the surface. These van der Waals interactions involve no fluids; in theory, a boot made of synthetic setae would adhere as easily to the surface of the International Space Station as it would to a living-room wall, although adhesion varies with humidity, therefore taking into account 'slippery' things. And my theory was as simple as asking myself, what if pony's hooves built off of the same principal?

Now, before you question me being able to pull forth all this Wikipedia knowledge straight out of my head. I was fairly interested in this stuff once I found out about it, and since I became a clone, I've have no problem remembering things I really drilled into my skull. While at the same time having trouble recalling other things from my time as a human, that I was less passionate about. I guess there's some kind of trade off there.

However, the flaw in this wonderful theory of mine is that not all ponies have fur covered hooves. An easy example would be Big Mac, where you can clearly see that he has no red fur covering them since they're black. I of course got curious if mine would have been black as well if mine weren't covered, and I got some terrible mental pictures of waxing them up to take a look, but I'd rather save myself the pain and awkward explaining that would entail.

Having thought about this for long enough, I decide I'd simply have to ask for a clarification on the matter from Twilight later on as well as discuss my theory on adhesive hoof hair. If I'm onto something I'll have solved one of the many mysteries of the world of ponies that has for so long eluded humans back home...

Well, at least the bronies.

I got up from my spot on the grass, slightly startling Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie in the process. They had decided to join me for a relaxing time in the park, after Pinkie had gotten rid of her excessive energy by running around and having fun with some of the foals who had been there. Apparently, I had also missed the many butterflies that had landed on us while we were relaxing, meaning I released a wave of butterflies who flew in all directions as I got up. Pinkie got up while Fluttershy went back to relaxing on the grass.

"Oh, are we going somewhere? Maybe we can go see what Rainbow is up to?" Pinkie asked me. Looking up at Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy decided to answer for me.

"Pinkie, you know Rainbow isn't in Ponyville today. She's visiting her parents." Fluttershy reminded her.

"Oh, I forgot about that." The hyper mare replied sheepishly, a slight blush of embarrassment adoring her cheeks for a brief moment. It was rather cute. I was glad I wasn't here as a human, I would most likely have seen them all as something from the uncanny valley, based on how human faces now could be found in there whenever I thought back on my memories. Even my former face was creepy. I suppress a shudder as I respond.

"No, I was thinking Twilight might have returned. I was thinking I could go by the library and see if she's back. I'd rather get it all over with as fast as possible, so I don't have to keep worrying about my cutie mark." I explain.

Pinkie simply nodded before looking back to Fluttershy. "Are you coming as well Fluttersy?" Pinkie Pie asked.

Fluttershy softly shook her head. "No, I have to go feed everyone back home soon, I'll just be relaxing here for a while longer. Um, if that's alright with you..." Fluttershy declines the invitation by being her usual self.

"Alright, if my time with Twilight doesn't take as long, perhaps I could come by and help out?" I asked, earning a smile from Fluttershy.

"I'd love that." She replies as she once again lies down and relaxes, I nod before Pinkie Pie and I leave the park, both of us waving her goodbye. Yeah, magical pony balance isn't easily beaten by gravity, luckily enough. I have even seen ponies keep their balance on only two hooves. I also know that our legs aren't entirely like the ones ponies or horses from Earth have, since ponies can essentially 'stand up' on their hind hooves and they fully support the weight of the whole body. Something I ended up deciding not to worry about in the end, since I've already grown accustomed to this body and know my limitations. Well, most of them.

Pinkie is bouncing forwards while I'm content with just trotting. I am beginning to think that Pinkie's diet is partly responsible for her behavior but I shake my head at that. Had I not been going towards Twilight's right now, I'd probably be bouncing forth as well. Many of the ponies we pass wave or smile at us in acknowledgement. I answer most of the gestures by nodding while Pinkie's shouts hellos and waves back. Her antics make me smile for most of the walk towards the library.

I'm glad Pinkie is coming with me. The closer we get to the library, the more I just want to do something else. But having Pinkie near me reminds me of the Pinkie promise she had made Twilight make and it calms me down.

To think I'm this scared of Twilight, even when I've seen her in a much more favorable light beforehoof. Guess it's true what they say, it's not always the dream you thought it would be when meeting your heroes.

As we approach the library however, we start to overhear Twilight talking, a tone close to panic in her voice. Looking at each other, Pinkie and I immediately set off in a gallop towards the library. While I am afraid of Twilight to a certain degree, I'm also afraid for her. Reaching the library, Pinkie throws the door open, causing the door to hit the wall at full force. I become somewhat concerned about how much more abuse either the door or the wall would be able to take. I make a mental note to set down a rubber doorstop between the two sometime in the future.

"Twilight, are you alright?" Pinkie questions as we trot inside and see what looks like a crime scene accompanied with Twilight walking around the room muttering to herself: "It's gone, it's gone." That is, until we suddenly barged in.

"Pinkie! Oh thank Celestia you're here. Please, tell me you simply borrowed the book containing "The Legend of The Mirror Pond" when you were in here earlier today without asking." Twilight begs with pleading eyes.

Both me and Pinkie simply blink at her statement.

"Uh, Twilight. Pinkie has been with me the whole day, and none of us have been to the library today, before now that is. Also, why would Pinkie borrow a book without asking?" I question, wondering where this was all coming from.

"That's not true." Twilight says before turning towards Pinkie. "Pinkie Pie, you were in here earlier when I was going to get more quills with Spike, you were looking for a book on bathmophobia to help Diane." Twilight states, causing me to remember the first few days after discovering my fear of descending stairs.

"Twilight, what's bathmophobia?" Pinkie Pie asks, while I realize something.

"Wait, didn't you say I was suffering from climacophobia and not... whatever you just said?" I ask, making Twilight facehoof.

"Yes, I said you had climacophobia, a fear of stairs, fear of climbing stairs and a fear of falling down stairs. But when Pinkie Pie was in earlier today, she said she was going to look into books on bathmophobia, which is the fear of stairs or steep slopes. She said she might find something in there." Twilight explains.

"But Twilight, I've been with Diane all day, and I didn't even know there was a phobia for baths." Pinkie states, missing the explanation by a mile. I'm guessing she simply tuned it out like she does sometimes, and like always, simply goes on like nothing happened. Well, as long as it works for her I guess.

While Twilight growls in frustration, I try to contain my chuckles. But since something obviously is making Twilight panic, perhaps it would be best to get to the bottom of it rather sooner than later.

"Why are you asking Twilight?" I question, hoping it's nothing.

"I'm asking, because, once I came back home, all the books on bathmophobia were left completely untouched, and the book with "The Legend of The Mirror Pond" was missing from my room. And Pinkie Pie was the only one who visited the library while I was gone." Twilight informs me.

Blinking in surprise, I decide to ask the obvious question.

"Are you sure it was Pinkie Pie? And if so, how can you know she's the only pony to have visited while you were gone?" I ask.

"Yes, I'm sure. I was there, and the entrance to the library has a spell that tags how many times it opens and closes, it even lets me know when." Twilight explains. As she does, Pinkie immediately begins opening and closing the door, which now appears to be a toy, since it's enchanted.

"Pinkie stop that!" Twilight says with a frustrated voice, trying to stop her by using her magic to hold the door in place.

Meanwhile, I consider the possibilities. Somepony, seems to have come to the library. Twilight believes it to have been Pinkie Pie, but Pinkie was with me the whole day. Twilight might possibly be considering this to be a joke made by Pinkie Pie and I, but I know it isn't. For now, I should consider the book stolen since it was taken from Twilight's room. The culprit can somehow either use magic to disguise themselves, like a changeling would, or already look like me and Pinkie like a...

I trail off as fear spreads through me. It's not possible, but if it's not then-

"Twilight..." I ask, making her turn her head to look at me as she's holding the door in place with the rest of her body.

"Did the town hall have carpets when we were all watching paint dry?" I ask.

"Yes, it did. But what does that matter?" Twilight asks back.

I swallow my panic down before I answer.

"Well, did anypony ever check under the carpets when looking for Pinkie clones?" I ask, dreading the answer.

"Of course not, why would anypony look under a carpet when looking for Pinkie... Pie... clones...!" Twilight trails off as I see her realize what it is I'm implying. The pony who came in earlier, pretending to be Pinkie Pie wasn't her, or me. It wasn't a prank, but a cunning deception. We have an evil Pinkie clone on the loose.

A white pony could be seen leaving one of the more ominous stores located somewhere out of the way in Canterlot. The white pony, having dyed both her mane and coat had just spent some of her last bits on buying everything she would need for getting her hooves on her next target. Everything from regular saddlebags, to more questionable items like magically saturated chloroform.

She felt the Alicorn amulet pulse in agreement from the depths of her now styled mane. Yet, now came the hard part. While finding a victim was easy, finding a pony strong enough to survive both what she had planned, and to do so without attracting attention was a bit harder.

The previously pink pony decided that she would think about the how, after she had figured out the who. Since there would be no point to plan ahead, if she didn't know where or when she would have to strike. Perhaps she could plan better if she took a break in the park, surely there would be enough ponies coming through there to find the perfect victim?

Author's Notes:

First off, let us all thank the wonderful Acarcion for proofreading this chapter, and hopefully continuing to help me out further in the future.

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Yes, I am well aware that there were in fact no carpets in the town hall during the "Too many Pinkie Pies" episode. AU tag folks, AU tag. One little, close to insignificant change that turns out being important, just for my convenience. Yay.

An evil clone is loose...

I think it would have had a bit more impact, had we not been following the evil clone from the beginning. And next time, we'll find out about the... "blood draining" part. Joy...

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So, comments?