I huffed and puffed in my seat as I tried to regain some of the breath I lost from my panic attack. The five Mares plus that Traitor Pinkie had only just left a few minutes ago and yet it still felt like my heart was beating a million times in a second.
Soon the train started to roll, and I let out a relieved sigh before catching myself. This was no time to relax. They could still be hunting her. Could still be trying to make her disappear.
Wanting to do something I rummaged through the saddlebags to find something to entertain myself with. They had my name on them so why wouldn’t I look inside? Rummaging in the bags produced a pair of binoculars, a tray of confetti, an endless number of cupcakes and pies, a book, a mustache, a bag of bits, and a party on a pear tree.
“Wow, we sure pack a lot of stuff.” Eventually, after a nice lunch of cupcakes and a slice of pie, I put away the rest of the things and instead opened the book. It looked old and dusty and not nearly as fun as the picture book from before, but it was something to do.
“The Mirror pool”
Put in a description of the mirror pool.
Many legions and myths have been derived from this most curious of pools. A tiny little lake full of water that is so reflective, it mirrors everything it sees. Whether the liquid within the pool is actually composed of water is up for debate since the mirror pool has been lost to known society for many generations. Many theories have been parlayed about its exitance. Some say it was created when a great evil was smiteed and its body melted to create the cool liquid. Others believe it is a gateway to an alternate plane of reality. And others just blive it is simple shiny water.
But there are a few things among the legions that mystics can agree upon.
The first of which is that the mirror pool can be used to create a reflected clone of yourself and whatever you are holding. These concentrations of pure magic are merely just that. Constructs with some limited intelligence that will follow their prime directive. They are hardly important. One story of ancient times depicted how a hundred clones with the directive to Defend, were placed upon a cities walls to be sacrificed instead of the fair mares and stations that were truly alive.
These beings are made purely of hardened magic and should not be given any more thought than a conjured teacup. However strict management is necessary least the magic within go wild.
A second discovery is that the mirror pool is often depicted as being very magically dense. Any unicorn with a smidgen of sensing power has written down how the pool overflows with power. A single drink capable of filling even an Alicorns plentiful reserves. However, as the potency of the Magical water was far too high. Resulting in a spontaneous combustion of subjects affected after the Magical coils were overburdened. Such an effect normally occurs one hour after injections. Making it the last resort for would-be heroes. Dilution of the Water with other sources was unsuccessful and all magic would dissipate the moment a foreign substance was introduced.
However, all of this is speculation based upon the stories we have left after the Dark Times.
As I read threw away the book on the mirror poll, my poufy and slightly wet hair began to deflate with each page until it was just a straight mess. That would be the last and only day my mane would ever be poufy like that again. Big far tears rolled off my eyes as I sniffled into the seat.
“Is… Is that all I am. Just some reflection of a mare that wanted to have so much FUN she jumped into the pool to have more of it? Then what am I really? Am I even a Pony? What makes a Pony? Is it FUN? No, I think it’s a little more than that. Because the book said I’m just a reflection and not a real Pony. But then what makes a pony? I’m a pony I think. I hurt when I get an Ouchy. I feel, Don’t I? Am I even A Pinky Pie anymore?”
Rolling out of the cushioned seat I walked out of the plush hallway and empty rows over to the bathroom, mostly to clean up the still-wet coat and frazzled hair.
I turned on the light in the bathroom and stared at the Mare in the mirror.
I huffed in confused exasperation before looking away. “Irony, Me a reflection looking at my own reflection.” Gathering the courage to look into the bathroom mirror I opened my eyes to properly take myself in. I knew what pinky pie was supposed to look like. I was her, all my sisters where she and the traitor were her as well. But the mare that looked back at me from the mirror didn’t really look like Pinky pie.
The laundry bucket I fell in must have contained Bleach or some other chemical because my coloration was a disaster. Most of the pink had turned to a light rosy white with a few pink smears here and there overlaid by what looked like a solid white coat. My main was stuck to her head and looked like I had just taken a dip in a swamp. It was no wonder that the conductor looked so confused when she bought her ticket.
Her face had two pinkish lines that looked like fangs across her lips and one eye was circled in heavy pink while the other was white as snow. Down her neck were waves of white fur with pinkish patches. Somehow her hindquarters were now red with white patches and her top hooves were snow white. And her cutie mark. The thing that defined a pony, was warped and changed. Instead of three little balloons and streamers, the mark had melded into a sort of Angry frowning face with multi-colored lips.
Shaking herself in the mirror, the New image helping her feel a tad bit better. Now that she didn’t look like Every other pinky Pie in existence she could blissfully pretend that she wasn’t just some magical construct recklessly created by a silly mare in a fit of stupidity.
“No. I won’t forget!’ She screamed at the ceiling “I am a real reflection of Pinkamieana Dian Pie and…. And…. What? I’m not her.”She was a pinkie and yet not the original pinkie. So did that mean that she didn’t have to be like the original? Or did being a reflection of the original mean she should act even more like a pinkie was supposed to act? Unless being a pinkie who’s a reflection of a pinkie was a sign she should go her own way? Or…
Exasperated she huffed into the mirror.
“Let's just get to Canterlot first then I can clean myself up and go from there.” The scattered memories of events she was never part of and things she never learned jumbled about in her brain resulting in a mild headache. Rubbing her head, she picked up the nearest newspaper and headed back to her seat. There was nothing she could do about the bleaching to her coat and she was only able to fix up her main a little so that she didn’t look like a swamp monster.
Managing to clean her main a little she was only able to get it to straighten out instead of her normal bouncy locks.
She sat down back on to her seat only to be startled by the conductor asking, “Hello miss, may I see your ticket?” She flew up a good foot off the seat before calming down and looking at the stallion. “Sorry miss, I didn’t mean to startle you. I just got to stamp your ticket then I’ll be on my way. The names Steam Punke by the way” Nodding to the large stallion she dug around in the saddlebags.
Said tickets started to fall onto the ground. It must have gotten loose when she jumped.
Steam bend down and picked up the ticket and gave it an affirm stamp before hoofing it back.
“Here you go, Yesterday's paper too. You should defiantly read threw page five, it has a nice expose on the Elements of Harmony. I know they’re not as well known outside the Canterlot Nobility and their own small town but it’s always nice to read about another group of heroes running around. I especially like that piece about Pinky pie.” Steam never noticed how the mare in front of him froze in place, letting the ticket slip out of her hoof and into the next seat over. “It was nice meeting you miss….”
I didn’t really know what to tell him, so I just went with the first thing that came to my head “Dian” It was technically Pinky Pies middle name, but no one ever used it and it was unique, like her.
“That’s a lovely name miss. Well, I must get going. We’ll arrive in Canterlot in an hour or so. Have a nice evening.” Dian mechanically nodded and let steam be on his way. He still had the wrest of the train to ticket and they were all in different carts.
As soon as steam closed the door to her compartment Dian ripped into the Newspaper. A sense of unease overcoming her as she realized that getting away from Pinky pie #1 and her Genocidal friends might be harder then she thought.
Dian reads threw the articles explaining the Elements Exploits.
We are all aware of that terrible night of the summer sun celebration last summer eve. A day where we were to celebrate the new dawn was quickly turned upon its head with the arrival or the Evil and Vile nightmare moon. A being reported to have ambitions of blotting out the sun and casting eternal night over the realm. Thankfully she was stoped in no small part to six extraordinary mares.
Twilight Sparkle, Rarity Bell, Apple Jack, Pinkie Pie, Flutter Sky and last but certainly not least Rainbow Dash.
Now known as the Elements of harmony.
While little is know about these mares in equestrian proper they are a constant source of gossip and intrigue among the Canterlot nobility. Seeing as they now hold the reigns to one of equestrians most powerful weapons, the Elements of Haromy. See page 4 for a full description of the Elements.
However, this reported believes that the public has a right to know at least a little about the types of ponies that can control this weapon fueled by love and friendship. For a full week, he has listened, investigated and talked to these young mares. And he was pleasantly surprised.
Each of these mares was very different ponies with a wide verity of interests and talents. Rarity with her beauty and boutique. Fluttershy and her love of animals. Rainbow dash and her stunts, Twilight and her magic, Applejack and her orchard and Pinky pie. The premiere party planer for ponyville.
All of the mares while still young and growing have a solid friendship that made it impossible to not notice them. This Reported believes that they will soon be known across all of Equestria once they hit their stride.
Dian shredded the paper in a fit of annoyed rage. The picture of her tormentors almost mocking her. “Just great, if my coat or mane ever go back to how they were then anyone in Equestria could recognize me. Why did Pinky 1 have to be Famous? Couldn’t she ,I don’t know, be a rock farmer?
For the rest of the train trip, Dian looked out of the window of the train car and watched as the land sped by. Her mind clouded with doubts and confusion about her future. Before she knew it, the train had stopped. Jolting herself out of her self-destructive thoughts she exited the train. Tipping her head and giving a small smile to Steam as he ushered the ponies out the train.
It was very late in the day. The sun was still up but only just barely, even now a few stars began to shine, and you could just make out the beginnings of the moons cresting over the horizon.
I wondered if I would like the moon. It would technically be my first time seeing it. Heck, as long as it didn’t involve cart riding then everything would be my first time.
The city was pretty and shiny. It held so many new things and the urge to start jumping around and have FUN! was coming on.
Taking a deep breath, I stopped myself from doing just that. FUN is what got everyone else popped by that purple horned pony.
Those Horns. Dian shivered at the idea that the Purple Horned pony would jump out at any moment and pop her like a balloon. “No, I’ll never let that happen to me. Everyone else is gone but I’m still here.” She whispered to herself.
Canterlot was a very clean City. Even the parts that weren’t overlooked by the castle where pristine. More than once she saw a passing pony, even the ones who looked very fancy, pick up a piece of litter and throw it into a trash can or right a crooked board. It was like the whole city tried to be as clean and nice-looking as possible. It was very different from the small dirty town she came from.
Following one of the streets, I walked aimlessly. With no real idea where I wanted to go, I just followed the small crowds and looked for inspiration. My tiny brain was exhausted from everything that happened and before I knew it I found myself walking on the soft grass of the local Canterlot Park.
There were a lot of people that had stared at her while she walked. She thought for a bit that she might have been spotted and was going to get POPed to. But when she passed by a shiny reflective window she put the pieces together. She looked like a mess. And in this city the ponies HATED mess.
She was just so tired, and her eyes were beginning to droop. Not knowing any better she walked over to a nice tree surrounded by bushes. She laid my head down on the soft grass and closed her eyes.
The next thing she knew she was hurtling down the small hill and into the ice-cold water below!