//------------------------------//
// Chapter 4: Physicality 
// Story: For I am of Pinkie's Mind 
// by Neon Icy Wings 
//------------------------------//

It really felt like the universe enjoyed my emotional ping pong match that had been the past, not even, twenty four hours.

I slowly turned to see Limestone crawl from her bed, seemingly annoyed as I would have been if it weren't for my, shall we say, unique position. My mind blazed with questions with such intensity it felt much like the previous day, and like the day before, answers were in short supply. I took a deep breath and simply stared at the ceiling, accepting that I most assuredly didn't have as much time to come to grips with my situation as I had before.

I quickly tried to take stock of my predicament, to better prepare myself for whatever allotted time I had ahead, when I felt a small prod in my side. I flinched, of course, you go a day or so without functioning nerves and see how you'd react. I quickly glanced in the direction of the prod to see Marble being the source. She had an expression of sympathy, I think, and gestured her head lightly in the direction of the doorway of the room.

I think I got what she meant and nodded, Marble returning the nod before heading back to whatever morning routine she had. That caused another light bout of anxiety, what with me having no idea what Pinkamena's morning checklist was or what would be expected of me.

But I didn't have the time for a 'woe is me'-athon, I had reality to face. Horrible, terrible reality.

I shifted my position and started to crawl to the bunk beds ladder, and it was with that act that I learned two things. One, ladders, or at least this ladder was at more of an extreme angle, making it less of a climb and more like glorified stairs, making it easier to traverse, quite smart for a bed design. Thing two I discovered, I didn't know how to freaking walk as a quadruped. Shit.

Despite the painful realization, which also brought along just how freaking weird it was to feel again, not to mention how weird a pony body was in general, I had no choice but to continue. No time to simply enjoy the softness of the beds blankets. A softness I took for granted in a previous life.

Ignoring my freaked out nerves and half my common sense, I tried to make my way down the ladder in the most conflicting combination of quickly and carefully. Carefully because I actually wanted to make progress, but quickly, as taking forever would cast attention on me when all I really wanted was to disappear back into the mind void.

Regardless, I took my first tentative step down the ladder and on both an instinctual and spiritual level knew it was gonna suck. I got as far as putting my second front hoof on the second rung from the top before my brain short circuited. What the hell should I do with my stinking, stubby hind legs? Not having much time to properly realize I was playing that qwop parody, immersion mode, I quickly moved my hind left leg to the first rung, moving my first front hoof forward and tried my best not to die.

One, two, three, one, four, two or so was my bumbling methodology to going down the ladder. It was actually going quite well, surprisingly. I felt like a god!

And then one of my traitorous hind hooves got caught on one of the final rungs of the ladder sending me tumbling to the floor. Ah, pain. An odd reunion indeed. I surprisingly missed you.

"Are you alright, Pinkamena?" I heard the monotone, but sort of welcome voice of Maud ask.

"Uh, y-yee-yeah, I, ah, I'm okay." I tried my best not to wince at the sound of Pinkie's voice coming from, what was at the time, my mouth. It also didn't help that it felt like I was out of practice when it came to talking in general. "I just, um, slept wrong! Yeah. Made moving feel weird. Yeah..." I bumbled as I looked up at the stoic face of Pinkie's sister.

Half of me wanted to strangle me for that topic dodge. The other half wanted an Oscar.

Didn't help that it was Maud who was judging my performance. Was I convincing? Was I obviously a body snatcher? Was I Tommy Wiseau? No one would ever know, as all I got back was, "Ah. Hopefully your body will come back under your control in time for chores. I do not want to see Pa or Ma get onto you again so soon."

Me neither, sister.

"Hopefully." I wobbly got up off the floor and onto my hooves, feeling an odd combination of too heavy and too light. "Uh, w-what do you think I should do before breakfast?" I had to fish for information, sure it was a gamble, but my inner scumbag knew I could milk the 'slept wrong' and 'yesterday has me shook' cards to great effect and get away with more than just any ol' day.

I think Maud was hit by the latter card, as something shifted in her expression, however small the change was. "You should take care of your bed mane. I doubt it would help with moving rocks today."

I nodded, as I tried my best to keep a neutral expression. "T-that's a good idea, Uh, thanks. I'm gonna go... do that." I stood there a bit awkwardly, not wanting Maud to watch me attempt to plod my way to the washroom to fix my mane, or walking in general. But, I had no choice.

I took a quiet but deep breath and let it out as a sigh. Once again I tried my 'fast but careful' tactic, and turned, thankful that Pinkie knew to brush her teeth every night. I didn't think I could get away with asking for directions in her own home. She was surprisingly too normal for that.

I absolutely refused to look back as I slowly-ish moved around my bed and through the doorway, begging to Celestia that I didn't look stupid, or could at least pass it off under the 'slept weird' card. As I slowly trod I knew I had to get the basics of walking down before everypony else shrugged off the mist of midmorning wakefulness.

Someone walking weird in the morning can be brushed off. Walking weird at dinner calls for an exorcism.

Luckily, I was unimpeded on my journey to the washroom and got there faster than I thought I would. Another boon was that nopony else occupied it, allowing me a brief moment of respite. Yet another small miracle was finding Pinkie's hairbrush was extraordinarily easy to find, what with Pinkie -and by extension me- being the only one with pink hair.

Brush in hoof, I clumsily set to tidying my mane. My hand eye coordination was already only okay, so being dexterous with the new limbs was going to be a challenge, but necessary, especially if Pinkie was going to disappear like that in the future. If she hadn't disappeared for good...

I shook my head. I couldn't think that. Pinkie wasn't gone for good. She couldn't be. There's no way I could take her place as the Element of Laughter. Well... maybe I could. I did have a decent decade and a half or so to live and grow in her stead, to warp myself into her intended image and lose myself in the role, but I didn't want to. It would be one thing to awaken as Pinkie and be forced to live as her, but I met her, talked with her, she was made real in my mind. How could I live a life I knew wasn't my own with a true smile?

With one last tug I felt the final knot in my mane give way and opened my eyes to stare myself in the mirror.

Baby blue eyes stared back, eyes that were embedded in a young face I couldn't believe was me in some capacity. A face that wasn't me in a much larger capacity.

I groaned and shook my head, that was enough reflection for a while.

I set the brush back in its place and turned to face the washroom door. It looked far bigger than any door I'd seen before, for some reason, heavier too. I took a deep breath and pushed it open. Nopony was around. I was beginning to find that less of a blessing and more of a tension builder.

My brain wanted to ponder on the what ifs of being found out, due to that tension, but I squashed that line of thought. Less think-y, more do-y. If only to avoid my own paranoia.

The hallway I walked down felt a lot more menacing somehow, and as I was heading back to the dinner table -breakfast table I suppose- I tried to let the tension fade from my shoulders and try to fall into character for however long it took for Pinkie to resurface. Which sucked. I was never an actor, well, beyond age twelve at least. Robin Hood with wooden spoons for swords was my forte, not pseudo depressed pink ponies.

The door frame to the fabled meal room lay before me, a quickly looming aura of fate infused within its wood.

It didn't help that I lacked a good frame of reference for pre-Ponyville era Pinkie Pie. How was she supposed to act? Louder than Marble? Quieter than Limestone? How happy or down was she supposed to be? The day before was a poor example of how Pinkie would normally act, so I knew exactly how to act to compensate.

I'd act bland, boring and average. Or die trying. I wasn't too keen on my odds on that split though.

As I passed through the frame, resigned to my fate, I spied dear mother setting the table. It took me a bit of will power to refrain from falling into my 'there is no rock soup' panic coma, but the... hay bacon? Hay bacon. The hay bacon looked quite nice and smelled quite good as well. For hay. As I ran through those thoughts I figured not surviving off rock soup for years was an adequate concession in return for possible timeline deviation.

Mother turned to face me, a neutral expression ever present. "Ah, Pinkamena. Did you sleep well?"

That most profound of conversation starters. "Uh, the sleep itself was fine, but, uh, I think I slept a bit wrong. Had, uhm, a slow start this morning."

Her expression changed to what I'd call contemplative, and even a bit soft, but still detached, looking to my eyes. "Hopefully you will feel better dear. If you still feel off during chores just tell us and we will help you work through it."

Not the worst response in the world, I suppose. I gave a small smile of supposed appreciation, and I mean small. Couldn't risk giving off poofy mane Pinkie vibes. Normality, be the background pony, not the displaced twenty something pretending to be their daughter.

Ma returned my smile with a light one of her own as she turned back to setting the table for breakfast. Decent interaction. No idea what to do next though.

I had the urge to offer my services and help with breakfast in some way, but I both still held some apprehension towards Mother, and I didn't want to risk ruining breakfast with my lack of coordination. It was a miracle I finagled my way around the house as it was.

Awkwardly, I took the same place at the table as Pinkamena did the previous night and was once more torn. Which was more out of place, staying silent or making conversation?

Luckily I was saved from that particular conundrum as Limestone walked into the dining room. God, she looked like I felt to some degree. Less paranoia and anxiety but definitely that tired.

She walked in like walking death, offering a morning greeting to the both of us, "Morning Ma, morning Pinkamena."

"Morning Limestone." Me and Ma echoed each other.

Ma continued, "How was your sleep Limestone?"

If it weren't for my unique position as an unwitting body snatcher I would swear Limestone was worse off than me. I take it back, walking death is too kind for how she looked. She somehow looked worse than she did rolling out of bed. "Ugh, slept like Tartarus."

Mother turned her eyes, which held admonishing annoyance I'd call it, towards Lime. "Limestone." She said, warning-ly, "I would ask you to not use such language."

Limestone appeared to hold in an eye roll and turned to me. I offered a sympathetic shrug, at least I thought it was sympathetic. I mean, Tartarus was a place that actually existed. Then again, it was a high security prison so it might not be common knowledge. But still. Who were we to judge her expression of poor sleep?

It wasn't long until Maud and Marble joined us at the table as well, with Father exiting what I believed to be the kitchen, carrying a large plate of pancakes. Large enough for each of us to have a decent take.

Nice.

Breakfast was a quiet affair, overall. Marble and Maud didn't really add anything beyond typical morning hellos, though even Maud's resting nothing face did little to belay the, sometimes split second, stares and glances she threw my way during our meal. I admit, it set me on edge slightly, if only because she witnessed my morning struggle. Which left me questioning, was she worried over her sister having a tough morning tumble, or her sister not acting herself?

Father reminded us of our morning goals and chores as some sort of time wasting mechanic for the meal. They were simple, I was sure, but when you're told 'move the most northern rocks from the eastern field to the northern field' I'd imagine most would be rather confuddled. Oh, sure, I've done my fair share of camping in that section of life I hardly remembered at all, but even with a northern heading I couldn't tell you east from west.

Not to mention the instructions were like telling someone to make a souffle.

As Father trailed off from his, honestly lackluster instructions, I had the distinct feeling I was gonna learn.

Learn east to west I mean, not the souffle. Then again, I was Pinkie Pie. Guess I was going to learn how to make a souffle after all. Eventually. If I didn't muck anything up.

But, yeah, breakfast was quick. Too quick. Even if my dear little family didn't elevate the dining experience, the food itself was good. Hay bacon. Hell yeah.

In no time, me, the sisters and Father stood outside the cottage. Limestone looked loads better, proving breakfast to indeed be important. Marble and Maud looked fine, as before, Maud looked like she didn't even change from the day previous, Marble looked a bit better than Limestone, but I still missed how she looked like the morning played havoc with her when she poked me that morning. Made me wonder how I fared in comparison.

"Alright," Father started, "like I said, I want you four to take the east field and start moving the rocks, if any of you should need anything I will be in the west field and your mother will join me shortly. Understood?"

The four of us nodded. Father nodded back and went on his way while Limestone turned and started walking in the opposite direction. Maud quickly followed, leaving me and Marble marching behind, side by side.

As we made our way to our destination, Limestone leading the Pie pack, I was still filled with worry. What was expected of Pinkamena? Did the sisters have a set way of doing things? What was even the proper way of doing things period? With Marble next to me I could ask, if I dare.

Did I dare to dare?

"So, uhm, how do you think this... all will go?" I dared.

Marble glanced my way, only an ounce of surprise held within it, overwhelmed by what appeared to be understanding. Then, she spoke for the first time, at least to me. Her voice was soft and nice to listen to, and she said much more than I expected, at least compared to my knowledge of her canon counterpart. "Oh, I don't think it will be that bad, Pinkamena. Moving the rocks is not that bad. Slow and boring perhaps, but simple enough."

I nodded lightly and turned back to where Limestone was leading us. uncertainty churning within me. "I hope so..."

I felt Marble move in closer to me and the light brush of her shoulder against mine. A touching gesture, truly. Would have been more touching if I wasn't an impostor. I gave a small smile anyway. Wouldn't be a good impostor if I didn't.

We arrived at where we were meant to be. At least I assumed. It looked like every other stretch of land around the house. Dirt, rocks, more rocks. How Limestone knew it was the spot was beyond me.

All in all it was a slow and oddly stressful affair. It was just moving rocks! But all the while I couldn't help but feel I was inferior to the Pie sisters when it came to the task at hand. Whether it be in quality of rock, quantity of rock, size of rock or overall speed, I was outclassed. And yet, none of them seemed to hold it against me. I wasn't sure if I liked that anymore than the alternative. No reaction gave me nothing to work with, nothing to glean.

I honestly don't know how much time passed me by, just moving rocks, big and small. Well, mostly small.

Sweat poured down my face, the coat of a pony letting the beads glide across the surface onto the ground. A symbol to my hard work, that I wasn't even sure if it was meant to be that hard.

I moved to start moving yet another less than rockball sized rock when an important thought struck me, a thought I was shocked didn't come sooner. One that shook me to my core.

I wasn't wearing pants.

Before I could even begin to deal with my thoughts of undress, an eerie feeling came over me as a voice sounded clear, and near. Too near. Too clear. 'Awwhah... Wow... That was the best sleep...'

Pinkie?! "Pinks," I whispered. That got her attention.

'Huh? Mena? What's going on?'

"That's what I want to know." I resumed pushing the rock as I whispered. As glad as I was to have Pinkie back, all confirmed like, talking to oneself would be too attention drawing at that point in time.

'Wait, wait. Are you doing chores? Did you take over my body?!' Not gonna lie, that bit of shock, borderline accusatory tone hurt. But, I couldn't focus on emotions yet.

"I was just as shocked as you when I woke up in control. Learning how to walk with Maud staring me down? Not fun."

'H-how did this happen?' Question of the day, soon to be out done by another question if Murphy had anything to say about it.

"I- ay-ay-yi, I don't know! You just went poof and I've been doing my best to not draw attention to myself if I could help it."

Pinkie's tone changed to something more curious and confused when she next spoke, 'Uh, Mena? Why aren't you doing that mental talking thingy we did last night.'

From the mouth of babes, as they say. If it weren't for the fact I was in Pinkie's body I would have bashed my face into the ground at my own ineptitude. How could I forget the communication breakthrough?

I tried my best to project my words through our mental space, hell, even 'seeing' the void and window was something difficult when piloting the body. How the hell did little filly Pinkie manage it so fast? 'All righ-, than-e-s for re-re,' I couldn't think of another word for reminding and projecting my thoughts coherently was harder than expected, had to butcher the word beyond repair sadly, 'Re-mend-in me. I hat- it.'

'Uhm, you're welcome? But... how do we swap back?'

'Bel-eve me, I wo-ood like to know tha- as mu-sh as yo-oo.'

Something grabbed my shoulder, causing me to jump, though luckily(?) I didn't scream or yell. Pinkie did though, so it was a split attack on my senses in some sense.

My jump caused my rock to roll away into a few other rocks, which was as good a resting place as any, if my heart wasn't racing I could have acknowledged that. I spun around to see Limestone having been the one to jump start my heart, her expression showing more worry than anything.

"O-oh, Limestone. Y-you startled me." I said as I tried to catch my breath.

She winced slightly at my words, further cementing my like for the sister. "Ah, sorry Pinkamena. I was just... I just wanted to check up on you. It's just, after yesterday and this morning I... I-I just wanted to make sure you were okay, after it all."

Okay, wow. Wasn't expecting that level of care from Limestone. Once again, it was heartwarming, even more so that Pinkie was with me to see it. Even if I was an impostor, having Pinkie there made it more... legitimate.

'Aw, Lime...'

"Y-yeah, yeah. I'm okay. Maybe not perfect, but okay." I gave a small smile, to try and convey how okay I was.

I think she even bought it if the small smile she returned meant anything.

"Good. Good." Limestone looked to turn away before seeming to remember something. "Oh, right, Pa told me lunch will be served soon. So... don't take too long, okay?"

I nodded in acknowledgement and Limestone began plodding away. As she did so Pinkie spoke up again, 'Thanks Mena.'

I turned, pretending to examine where the rock rolled, 'What do you mean?' Simple words were coming more naturally to me, which was nice. It seemed to ease some tension, like I was making progress on something.

'Thanks for not making them worry.'

Ah. I wouldn't say it, but I never did know how much my acting came from the will to save my own hide and how much came from wanting to protect Pinkie. It all just seemed logical steps, one after another. No need to complicate what could be simple. 'Was j-st doin' what made sense.'

With no real reason to stick around by my not so lonesome, I started to make my way back to the house. On the way Pinkie had some questions over the things she missed. Mainly breakfast.

'What did we have for breakfast Mena?'

I suppressed a sigh, my mind wanting to reject the question for reasons I do not know, and answered anyway, 'Panca-ay-kes and hay ba-cone. Hay ba-bacon was nice.'

Why was it called hay bacon? Shouldn't it just be bacon since ponies wouldn't make meat bacon in the first place? Or is it derived from a carnivore society's culinary creation done up for a pony palate?

'Aw... I love hay bacon.' She sounded shockingly bothered by that, at least by my standards. Then again I was the one who got to eat the hay bacon.

The walk was nice, in silence of the physical kind with a healthy back and forth on tasty breakfast treats within the mental plane. At least I was learning how to speak good within our shared mental imagine-scape.

Our conversation dwindled down as we neared the house, and I had to admit the place was growing on me. Visually at least.

As I was about to turn the corner of the house to the side with the front door Maud suddenly came around instead.

Might as well be sociable I supposed. "Hey, Maud. How'd chores go for you?"

An odd silence followed which gave me time to notice something was off. What that something was I couldn't tell, but just looking into the impassive face of Maud I could tell there was something underneath, but what Maud was thinking was impossible to tell.

A few moments more passed on and I made to continue, to break the silence when Maud did it for me. In the worst way possible, that continued my emotional ping pong match, straight into match point.

And it wasn't in my favor.

"You're not Pinkamena."