//------------------------------//
// Genie assisted chapter 
// Story: What if all you believed was a lie? 
// by Renodil 
//------------------------------//

Today started like any other for the young pony known as Celestial Mage. He was spending a lazy Saturday morning lounging in his house. He had just finished breakfast and was now engrossed in a book, his favorite pastime. His sister Apple Bloom was out running errands, leaving him alone to enjoy his solitude.

Once they had finished their respective tasks, Celestial decided to relax on the sofa and rest from his morning's work, since it was the weekend and they didn't have to go to school. He picked up his book again and resumed reading.

One reading session later, Celestial was fearful that what he had read may be true. It turned out that in the past, other stories that he had read had actually happened in this world. 

"AJ, I'm gonna go visit Pinkie Pie. I'll be back soon," Celestial called out.

"Alrighty, see ya later, y'all," Applejack replied.

Celestial left the house and walked towards Pinkie Pie's bakery. He needed to talk to someone about the book he had just read, and Pinkie Pie was always a good listener. As he walked, Celestial couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off.

When he arrived at Sugar Cube Corner, Pinkie was managing the register. "Hiya Tial. What can I do for ya? Wanna cupcake? Or maybe a donut? A fritter? A danish? A muffin? A sundae? A chimy cherry mmph mm mmm," she said with her mouth full of hoof.

Tial put his hoof in her mouth to stop her from speaking. "Pinkie, I'm not here to eat anything," he said sternly.

Pinkie swallowed her food and asked, "So, what brings ya here?"

Tial explained, "Well, Anon visited me at the farm earlier today and he brought me this story he found on fimfiction that I want you to look at."

Pinkie's eyes briefly flickered with a look of dread, so brief that anypony who didn't know Pinkie as well as I did would have missed it. That look was one I knew well. Dread. But she quickly regained her cheerful smile. "Oooo, it's about me. Oh, I can't wait to read it. And I will just as soon as I'm off from work."

Tial interrupted her and said, "Pinkie, I need to ask you something about this book."

"Don't spoil the ending! A story's no fun to read if you already know how it ends," Pinkie said.

"I didn't say anything about the ending. I only said that I needed to ask you something about the book," Tial replied.

"Well, how am I supposed to answer anything about the book if I haven't read it yet? Unless ya wanna ask me the color of it or the title or who the author is. Which would be kinda silly since you brought me the book and obviously already read it," Pinkie said.

"PINKIE!" Tial shouted.

Pinkie finished with the customer and said innocently, "Yes?"

"I know you already know full well the contents of this book. So stop pretending like you don't," Tial said.

Pinkie looked confused. "But I honestly don't," she said.

Another customer entered, and Pinkie attended to them. "But I'll tell ya what. I'll read it first chance I get, then we can discuss it. We'll have a little book club meeting with just the two of us. But right now, I'm really busy, so run along now," she said.

Tial left the store feeling frustrated. He knew Pinkie was hiding something, and he was determined to find out what it was. He teleported to her room and began searching for the Jack Daniels. He found some bottles, but they were only sodas. He thought back to the story and tried to come up with something else to try.

Just then, the door opened, and he froze. He relaxed when he saw that it was Mrs. Cake. "Celestial? What are you doing in Pinkie's room?" she asked.

Tial quickly thought up an excuse. "I thought I left my box of crayons here when I was over here yesterday coloring with the cake twins."

Mrs. Cake asked, "Well, did you manage to find them?"

"Unfortunately, no, but that's okay. I'll just get some new ones," I said with a shrug.

"All right, dear. Well, if you'll excuse me, I need to begin cleaning the room."

"Sure thing." I started to leave, but then a thought occurred to me.

"Hey, uh, Mrs. Cake?"

"Yes, dear?"

"I was just wondering. You don't happen to have some bottles of something that contains alcohol around here, do ya? And I don't mean hard cider."

She eyed me with a mixture of surprise and curiosity as she asked, "Why in the name of Celestia would you ask me about anything like that? You're not planning on drinking, are you?"

"N-no! It's just there's this story I read, and I want to confirm if it's true or not. That's all."

She gave me a pointed look, saying, "This wouldn't be something like needing to see our basement to give you peace of mind about something involving Pinkie and cupcakes, would it?"

I nodded, and she said, "Well, to answer your question. No, Mr. Cake and I don't imbibe hard alcohol except during the holidays. And it's only apple cider."

I looked crestfallen as I replied, "Oh. Okay then." I turned to leave.

"However," she began as I turned back. Also at that moment, Pinkie happened to be approaching the room and upon hearing us stopped short of the door and listened intently.

"There was this one time that involved Pinkie, I'm sad to say. We found her heavily inebriated here in her room. We tried talking to the poor mare to find out what was wrong, but all she would say is we wouldn't understand or believe her. Although we tried to plead with her that we loved her and to promise to keep an open mind about anything she told us, she would only say that it was super duper ultra megally impossible to believe and that we would think she was crazy."

Pay dirt. I thought to myself. "When did this incident occur?"

"Last week."

LAST WEEK!?

"Thank you for your time, Mrs. Cake."

"Of course, dear. Anytime."

As I was leaving, I ran right into Pinkie Pie. She looked at me for a minute and then went around me to the door.

"Mrs. Cake. Celestial and I need to talk. Right now. So, would you please take over the register for a few minutes?" She looked at Pinkie and then at me, and then a dawning realization appeared on her face.

"Of course." She headed out the door but whispered to me, "Perhaps you can help her where Mr. Cake and I couldn't."

I hoped so, I thought. Entering the room, I closed the door as Pinkie motioned for me to sit next to her on the bed.

"It's true, isn't it?" She nodded glumly. "Yes, it is. I didn't want you to find out. I tried super duper hard to try to avoid this, but you just couldn't leave it alone."

She started to tear up and sniffle. "Pinkie, ever since my first day here, you've known that I came from earth. That I have intimate knowledge of fimfiction. You knew that I was the only pony you could have confided in, that would believe you. Why? WHY didn't you tell me? You didn't have to keep bearing this alone."

On the verge of tears, she sobbed, "Because that's not how it's written."

"Not how it's... Oh no. No no no no. NO!" Crying now, she nodded glumly at me as realization sank in.

"NO! I refuse to accept it. There's no possible way that I could be f-f-." I couldn't finish that thought.

"But you are!" She cried in anguish. "I tried so hard to keep this from you. I really did. I wanted to change the story so much, but I couldn't. I'm so sorry."

Crying myself now, "B-but I don't want to be fictional. It can't be... can't..." My crying died down as I reflected on everything that had happened to me since the day that I first awoke in this world.

"No. I have to be fictional. It's the only way this makes sense. The incredible adventures that I've had are just too extraordinary to be real. Aren't they?"

She nodded, holding me close as I began crying again. "Then what was the point of it all? None of what I did really happened. I never helped earth at all. I didn't make a difference. Why? WHY!? Why did I have to go through all of that?"

We both shared a good cry as she cuddled me close and I cried into her chest. Sniffing, I asked, "So, what happens now? Is this it? Is my story over? Is this how it all ends? Will I-sobs- die now? Will all -sob- of us?"

She lifted my head gently with her hoof, looking me in the eyes. "No! As long as people continue to read our stories, we'll be alive within them. In their hearts and their minds. As long as they think of us, we have life. And as people continue to write our stories, we'll continue to have many more amazing adventures. I promise. This is not the end. It never will be."

"Do you Pinkie Pie promise?"

Smiling, she went through the motions, "Cross my heart and hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye." I smiled a little through my tears.

"How about we go downstairs, and I'll treat you to a slice of the MMMM?"

I smiled bigger as I hopped down from the bed and began to follow her out, but then I paused.

"Hey, you. Yes, I'm talking to you who's reading this. I just wanted to say thank you for reading our stories and making us live. And to the one writing this, thank you for giving me some wonderful and fun adventures. And I just want to ask you all. Please don't forget us. Please don't let us die."

With that said, we headed out the door and down the stairs. I had a yummy MMMM to eat.