//------------------------------// // Right Here at the Clubhoooouuuuuuse! // Story: The Cutie Mark Crusaders Bring About the Apocalypse // by BronyWriter //------------------------------// The ride to Canterlot had been faster than then the six friends had remembered. Having said that, they couldn't really trust their memories at that point, could they? That was the conclusion that TwiPie had come to during the ride back to Ponyville. Each passing moment meant that she was more Pinkie Pie than Twilight Sparkle at that point, and she was finding it harder and harder to think straight. She kept trying to focus on finding the Elements, but to her surprise, her mind kept wandering to...cupcakes? She shook her head. No, she had to think about the Elements of...a good party! NO! "TwiPie, are you alright?" asked AppleShy. "Yeah, I've never seen Pinkie Pie look so...serious and deep in thought," said RainbowJack. "I'm fine, it's just that Pinkie's memories are starting to take over!" said TwiPie. "Yeah, about that," said PinkieDash. "I'm finding it harder and harder to remember my own memories as Pinkie Pie. Granny Pie said that I had what the super-smart scientists called an...an..." "An Eidetic Memory?" offered TwiPie. PinkieDash shrugged. "I guess so," she said. TwiPie looked deep in thought. "If Pinkie does have an Eidetic Memory, then that means that she can remember pretty much everything that goes into her head." "Which would make a lot of sense when ya think about it," said AppleShy. TwiPie nodded. "Right, it would be how I remember everypony's birthday and what happened yesterday oh my gosh do you remember when we were fighting Discord and I was all gray? Wasn't that super hilarious and--" RariLight clamped a hoof over TwiPie's mouth. "Focus, darling," she said. TwiPie opened her mouth and closed it again before she groaned and rubbed her temples. "The process is speeding up," she said grimly. "How long do you think before we're all changed completely?" asked FlutteRity. TwiPie shrugged. "How much of you is left as it is?" asked TwiPie. The other five shrugged. "Okay, what did Applejack have for breakfast this morning?" "Toast and apple slices," said RainbowJack. TwiPie nodded. "Our long-term memory is being replaced faster," she said. "I'd give us about an hour before we're the other one." "Is that such a bad thing?" asked RariLight. "Nopony, ourselves included, will even know the difference!" TwiPie sighed. "I guess it goes back to Discord's riddle: will the real Twilight Sparkle be gone when Pinkie Pie's mind takes over?" The ponies all looked at each other uncomfortably. Would their real selves be gone once the identity of the other took over? After a few more minutes, the train reached the Ponyville station and the six disembarked. "Quick, to the clubhouse!" said AppleShy. To everypony's surprise, AppleShy suddenly shrank back and looked at the ground uncomfortably. "I mean...uh, if that's aright with you...I guess." TwiPie rolled her eyes and RariLight used her magic to push AppleShy forward. "Come on, we have to get moving!" said RariLight. "Rarity's right, darling," said FlutteRity. "We have to stop my sister and her friends!" TwiPie didn't even have the mental capacity to continue making a big deal out of their changes. She began...bouncing towards the clubhouse. Wait...bouncing!? With a yelp, she felt her hooves leave the ground as she began bouncing up and down. "Help me!" she said as she continued to bounce forward. "Oh come on sugar cube," said RainbowJack. "You know that Pinkie Pie moves almost exclusively by bouncing!" TwiPie groaned and simply decided to go with it. She continued bouncing towards Sweet Apple Acres, hoping that she could make it to the Elements of Harmony. As she bounced, she could feel her memories slowly fading away, being forcibly replaced by Pinkie Pie's. Her memories of her third birthday party were replaced by memories of Pinkie Pie getting a new rock hammer for her third birthday party. She was surprised to see how sharp the memories were. She attributed that to Pinkie's photographic memory. She tried to stop focusing on her rapidly dissolving identity. She needed to focus on the Elements. She had to focus on the Elements. Behind her, RariLight stumbled on the road and fell face first into the dirt. "Are you okay?" asked TwiPie. "I'm fine, let's just keep going," said RariLight in...Twilight's voice. "Rarity, you just spoke in my voice!" RariLight frowned. "No, you just spoke in my voice, Pinkie Pie," said RariLight. "How did you do that!?" "Are you alright sugar cube?" asked RainbowJack in...Applejack's voice. "Discord musta really done a number on ya if you suddenly got Twilight's voice. "Okay, Pinkie Pie talking in Twilight's voice is weird and all, but we have to keep moving!" said PinkieDash in Rainbow's voice. PinkieDash took to the air and pointed in the direction of the clubhouse. "Come on, let's go get the Elements!" TwiPie stared at her friends in horror. That was it, they had all completely transformed into the other pony. They didn't even know that they had been another pony in the first place. In their minds, they had always been the pony that they were now. TwiPie collapsed on the ground and her friends walked up to her with concerned looks on their faces. "Come on sugar cube," said RainbowJack...no, Applejack now. "We gotta keep movin'." "I...I...I..." she put a hoof over her mouth as her voice went from the voice she had always had to a high pitched sugary one. "Oh no!" she said. "Pinkie, what's wrong?" asked Twilight. "Pinkie Pie!" said TwiPie, reaching out to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow looked at her confusedly. "Uh...you're Pinkie Pie, remember?" she said. TwiPie fought the memory change. She couldn't just become Pinkie Pie, she had to be Twilight! She was always Twilight, she had to stay Twilight! The Elements would fix this! The Elements would fix this and she could be totally Twilight again she just had to...she completely passed out. Her friends gasped in surprise and they rushed over to her. "Pinkie Pie! Pinkie can you hear me!?" said Rainbow Dash who was cradling TwiPie's head in her hooves. TwiPie twitched for a brief moment before her eyes fluttered open. "HI guys, what's wrong?" asked TwiPie as she slowly stood up. "You were actin' all funny just now!" said Applejack. "You just passed out for a moment there." "Yeah and you called me 'Pinkie Pie'," said Rainbow Dash. TwiPie giggled. "Aw, well that's silly!" she said. "I'm the only Pinkie Pie there is!" Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad that's over with. Come on, let's go get the Elements!" "Okie dokie loki!" said Pinkie Pie happily. * * * * The Cutie Mark Crusaders fired up their horns and teleported as far as they could towards Ponyville. They knew that their power could get them close, but not in the town itself. No, they needed to have the book with them for that kind of power. When they appeared, they saw that they appeared only about a mile away from the own itself. "We're almost there, girls. I can see Twilight's library in the distance!" said Apple Bloom. "Well what are we waiting for? Let's go get out book!" said Scootaloo. * * * * The six friends burst into the remains of Sweet Apple Acres, hoping that the clubhouse was still intact. To their utter shock, the clubhouse was not only still standing, but in perfect condition. "I knew my sister was good at buildin' stuff but wow, I didn't think she was that good," said Applejack. "I think other forces might be at play here Applejack," said Rarity. "Something's protecting this, I think that much is certain." "Look, it doesn't matter if the clubhouse is still standing," said Rainbow Dash. "What matters is that the Elements are inside!" "Rainbow's right," said Twilight. "We have to focus on the Elements right now, they're our only chance!" At this, Rainbow flew directly towards the clubhouse and looked inside. "YES!" she said with a loud whoop. "Are they in there?" asked Applejack. "Are they ever!" said Rainbow Dash who exited the clubhouse carrying the Elements. "And look what else I found in there too!" The other five gasped as Rainbow Dash put the book on the ground. "It's the book! How did it get here!?" asked Twilight. "Discord did it," said a voice behind them. The six wheeled around and to their horror, they saw the Cutie Mark Crusaders standing behind them. "Thanks for the book Rainbow; we've been lookin' for that."