//------------------------------// // Echoes // Story: Two Sides of The Same Coin // by Psicosis //------------------------------// “Twilight Twilight Twilight!” shouted the pink pony with excitement. “I can’t believe you're here already, we should hold a party!” The candyfloss mare was now bouncing excitedly around Twilight. “Calm down Pinkie, I’m only back from Canterlot. I just want to get to the library and sleep.” Twilight stepped off the train platform and started heading towards her home, the sun’s blistering heat only making her exhaustion worse. “Oh that’s no problem, we can hold a welcome back party tomorrow!” said Pinkie, jumping enthusiastically beside her tired friend. “Fine Pinkie, lets do it tomorrow, that sounds great.” groaned Twilight, walking past Sugarcube Corner.  “Hey Pinks, leave her be. Ah’m sure the old girl is real tired now” said an orange earth pony walking towards them with four other mares. “Sorry we’re late! Rarity over here just had to look perfect.” sighed Applejack while staring at a purple curly haired unicorn. “Well one must always look beautiful for their friends” said Rarity, looking distastefully at Applejack’s muddy coat from working the farm all day long. Applejack was about to argue back until a yellow pegasus interrupted them. “Um, girls, shouldn’t we be welcoming Twilight back? I mean if that’s okay with you.” “You’re right Fluttershy, how was Canterlot Twilight?” asked a cyan pony just flying a little above the others. “Oh it was alright nothing too fancy. I was just catching up with Princess Celestia. I even got to speak with Princess Luna a few times.” said Twilight, lost in the memories of her experience. “Oh that sounds simply divine darling, do tell us all about it once you’ve rested up.” said Rarity now walking beside Twilight. “I’m gonna get started on your party straight away in the morning, I can’t wait!” giggled Pinkie Pie, now giddy with excitement. “That sounds great Pinkie but girls, I’m real tired and need to sleep so can we please leave all this till tomorrow?”  “Not a problem sugarcube now go get some rest, we will see ya tomorrow at the big party.” said Applejack, feeling sympathy for her. “Alrighty! I’ll see everypony at mine tomorrow! Be there by seven o'clock!” shouted the pink pony, watching everypony walk away towards their homes. The party pony started her signature bounce towards her home and began thinking about how great tomorrow was going to be. ‘Ohhhhh tomorrow is going to be fantastic! We’re gonna have punch, dance the night away and play my favorite game pin the tail on the pony! The girls are gonna have so much fun , I’m gonna make this my best party yet!’ The earth pony, lost in her thoughts, arrived at her home and went inside. She quickly ran to her room, which had a lot of party decorations stored inside. Banners, streamers and balloons could be found all over the room. Her walls were a bright pink, just like her coat, and her bed in the corner was made of wood. She spotted her pet alligator sitting in the middle of room and quickly ran over to pick him up. “Oh Gummy we’re gonna have a party tomorrow! With lots of cake, games and most importantly our friends!” shouted Pinkie Pie, now swinging the green alligator around in her hooves. She walked over to her bedroom window and looked out too see Princess Luna’s moon high in the sky. “We really should be getting to bed. After all, we have a party to set up in the morning!” She jumped into her bed, snuggling into the sky blue blankets and placing Gummy right next to her. “Nighty night Gummy”, and with that she drifted off to sleep. “Where am I?” Pinkie looked around her and all she could see was black clouds and darkness. The grass underneath her hooves turned a horrible yellow, the flowers all withered and dead. “Oh you know very well where you are..” said a voice, but Pinkie couldn’t see who had spoken. “Who’s there!?” shouted the earth pony, fear beginning to overcome her. “Who are you!? Twilight? Fluttershy? Girls is that you?” “You don’t remember me... How could you forget me? After all we’re more alike than you think!” hissed the voice. Pinkie woke up in her bed, sweat dripping off her forehead. “What?... What was I dreaming about?” She quickly got out of her bed and walked to the window to see the sun had already risen above Ponyville. “Oh yes the party!” She ran downstairs to get started on the decorations for the party, the dream out of her mind already. She started hanging up streamers, banners, and balloons. She had just put the cake in the oven when the door suddenly knocked. ‘Huh? There shouldn’t be anyone here till seven, it’s only five thirty’. She ran to the door and swung it open to reveal a cyan pegasus standing there. “Dashie, what are you doing here? The party doesn’t start yet?” said Pinkie, surprised. “I know, but I figured you could use a little wing power to help get the decorations up” said Rainbow, walking past Pinkie to get a better look at the place. “Oh well it appears you already have everything up Pinkie!” Rainbow was taken back at all the decorations. “Oh well, you could hang the banners outside and around the house. I obviously can’t reach up there!” said Pinkie, now poking her head outside and looking at the sky. “Not a problem, I will get right on that!” Rainbow grabbed the banners and flew outside to start putting them up. While Rainbow was busy fixing the banners outside, Pinkie took the cake out of the oven. It was nicely baked, she started decorating it with frosting and candles. She put the frosting on it to spell ‘Welcome home Twilight!’. Some time passed and eventually seven o’clock rolled around. Rainbow Dash was sitting slumped in a chair inside taking a well deserved break from putting the banners until the door suddenly knocked. “Oh! The other guests have arrived!” Pinkie was now jumping with excitement, and pulled the door open to be greeted by four other ponies. “Hey girls, come on in! Help yourself to anything you want!” The four ponies walked in each greeting the pink pony as they walked past her. She started up the music and passed out all the food. The party was beginning to look really good; just like a traditional Pinkie Pie party. “Is everypony enjoying themselves?” shouted Pinkie Pie over the music, everypony yelled back in unison “Of course we are, your parties are always the best!” Pinkie went to go join in on the dancing, she jumped in between Twilight and Rarity and started to dance. Hurt them.... Make them bleed... “What?” said Pinkie in surprise. Everypony stopped dancing and looked at Pinkie. “Sorry, what darling?” Rarity asked with curiosity in her voice. “Huh? I could've sworn some pony was talking to me.”  “No Pinkie, no pony said anything” murmured Twilight, now staring at her friend with concern. “Well its kinda a good thing we stopped, its getting late and we really should be going!” Twilight stared at the clock. It now read twelve thirty. “Oh wow, is that really the time? I must be going, a girl does need her beauty sleep!” gasped Rarity, now heading for the exit. “Oh alright then, I guess I will see you all tomorrow, right?” said Pinkie Pie, a little disappointed that the party was ending. They all started heading towards the exit and exchanged goodbyes. Twilight thanking her for a long time for such an amazing party in her honor, and by the time the goodbyes were exchanged it was one o’clock. Pinkie Pie closed the door and went straight to her room, leaving the clean up till tomorrow. Exhaustion now taking over, her body she climb into bed preparing to drift off to her dreams. She hugged her pet alligator and laid her head down on her pillow ,just waiting on sleep to take her. She opened her eyes to find nothing but an altered version of Ponyville, her family and friends lying bleeding in the flames of their homes. Now destroyed and wrecked. “What happened! What’s going on!?” shouted the pink pony, panic overtaking her. “What do mean what happened? You did this, do you not remember?” whispered a familiar voice. “I didn’t do this and who are you!?”  “Oh you know me better than anyone else does, how can you not remember me?” whispered the voice.  “Please just tell me who you are...” Fear started to enter her heart. “FOOL, I AM YOU!” screeched the voice, echoing all over Ponyville. “I am you and everything to do with you. I am your true self. I am Pinkamena Diane Pie.”