Gathering all the Pinkie Pie clones together was not dissimilar to herding cats, but eventually the task was completed, all of them finally being persuaded to assemble inside Town Hall. It took a few more minutes to get their attention before Twilight commanded them to sit, whereupon they dutifully followed said instruction.
"You all have been brought here to take a test," Twilight stated before the assembled group of pink ponies, who allowed a collective groan escape their mouths. "Don't worry, it's a very simple one. Whoever lasts the longest gets to stay here. Your test is ... watching paint dry!"
With that, the cloth draped over a large canvas, freshly painted a shade of purple was removed. "Ready, get set, go!" the lavender unicorn commanded. The assembled group leaned forward, looks of determination set on their faces.
One by one they were eliminated as each one took turns distracting the others, the lavender unicorn blasting them with her magic to send them on a one-way trip back to the mirror pool. At long last there were just two left sitting, staring intently at the purple canvas, the paint on it having all but dried owing to the amount of time that had elapsed.
"Ugh! I can't take this anymore!" Rainbow exclaimed in exasperation. A thought struck her at this point. "Somepony's making balloon animals!" the aviatrix exclaimed in an attempt to distract one of the two remaining pink ponies.
One of them frowned for a split-second before asking, "What? Where?" before she was zapped by the librarian, her form whisked away to the mirror pool where she shared the fate of the others.
"Okay, Pinkie, you can look away from that canvas now. You're the last one left," Twilight sighed in relief.
"You mean I passed?" asked Pinkie Pie as she echoed her friend's sigh of relief.
"Yep, you're the last one left sitting, so you must be the real Pinkie Pie," the lavender unicorn affirmed.
"I knew I had to be me! I couldn't let my friends down! At least, I think I'm me ... I hope," the pink pony stated with a small degree of uncertainty.
"Um, Twi, are you sure she's the right one?" asked Spike, giving her a somewhat quizzical glance.
"I sure hope so, Spike, for my sake. I would never forgive myself if I sent the real Pinkie Pie back," she replied, sharing the same worried look with her dragon.
"Well, I'm glad that's over," Rainbow stated. "All those Pinkie clones wore me out. I'm gonna go off and take a nap now." The cyan pegasus took off for the sky and found herself a nice cozy cloud to sleep on.
"Pinkie, darling, I'm pleased to know you managed to make it through that! I'll be catching up with you later," Rarity smiled warmly before trotting back to her boutique.
"Seeya later, Pinkie," Applejack said as she bid a warm good-bye before heading back to her farm.
"Take care," Fluttershy added before she left for her cottage.
"I'm headed back to the library, Pinkie. I have a friendship report to send off to the Princess. I suggest you head back to your place to get some rest, you look like you need it," the librarian offered softly.
"Okie dokie lokie, that sounds like a good idea!" the pink pony chirped as she bounded her way back to the bakery.
Spike climbed onto Twilight's back as she began her trot back to the library. The two of them continued their earlier discussion about whether or not the last remaining Pinkie Pie was the real one or one of the clones. Eventually their discussion tailed off as they ate dinner. The librarian wrote her friendship report and had her assistant send it off before she pulled a book off one of the shelves to do further research on the Mirror Pool.
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The following morning was another beautiful day in Ponyville. The sky was clear, the sun beginning its trek across the sky. Pinkie Pie woke up a little later than usual, though not late enough to be that much of a concern to the Cakes, who were busy baking sweets for the morning rush of ponies on their way to work for the day. She took care of her morning routine, noticing it seemed to take a little more out of her than she thought normal. She trotted down the stairs, her hoofsteps seeming to be a little heavier than she thought they should be. Her coat seemed to have faded just a little.
"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Cake!" Pinkie chimed happily as she entered the kitchen.
"Morning, Pinkie," they replied warmly. Mrs. Cake seemed to notice a slight change in the pink pony's coat but didn't bring it up, as she felt such a matter was of little significance. "Did you have fun yesterday?"
"Ooh, yes, lots!" she replied. "We had a test to see who could watch paint dry for the longest amount of time and I won!"
"Watching paint dry doesn't sound like lots of fun, dear."
"I'll have to admit it was a little scary, watching the other Pinkies get zapped and sent away -- for a moment near the end, I thought I was going to be the one sent back, but Rainbow Dash stepped in and saved me! I'm so happy to be here! I hope I can stay for a long time!"
"Well, we need your help in here, so if you're ready, we've got quite a bit to do," Carrot Cake stated somewhat flatly. The two rushed back and forth, their hectic schedule a notice to the pink pony that her assistance was desperately needed. She got busy and helped them out as much as she could, though after the morning rush, she was exhausted and needed to rest.
"Uh, Pinkie, are you okay? You don't usually run out of steam this early in the day," Mrs. Cake noted, some concern in her voice.
"Oh, sorry about that, Mrs. Cake! I guess I had a little too much fun yesterday or maybe I didn't get enough sleep! Just let me rest for a little bit -- I promise I'll be back up to full speed in no time!"
"Okay, dear, but if you need a little more rest, please let us know. We're here for you if you need us," she offered warmly.
"Thank you, Mrs. Cake! Maybe I just need a little food to get my energy back up," Pinkie mused. She helped herself to a cupcake, taking a few moments to savor the taste. Her strength somewhat restored, she continued to assist the bakers for the rest of the day, though after each rush, the effort took quite a bit more out of her than she thought. She retired early for the night, her reserves nearly depleted as a result of the work she had done.
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The following morning found Pinkie a little worse for wear -- her coat had faded a little more and getting up out of bed proved to be a little more difficult for her. Her hooves seemed to be heavier than before, but she soldiered on as best she could. Her day in the bakery proved to be even more tiring than yesterday, the pink pony having to rest several times to recover her strength.
Her fatigue was fairly noticeable and both Carrot and Cup Cake commented on this, showing definite concern for the pink pony. They encouraged her to get some more rest, hoping that would solve the problem. The two decided that one should head over to the library to inform Twilight of Pinkie's condition, hoping she might be able to find a cure. They discussed this matter over dinner and decided to sleep on the matter, hoping that perhaps a good night's rest would have the pink pony back to her usual perky self.
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The next morning was greeted by dark grey overcast skies with a steady cold rain falling. Pinkie awoke late, her fatigue seeming to be even greater than before.
"I know I slept well last night, but I feel like I haven't slept at all!" she complained aloud, the only audience for her complaint being her pet alligator. "I don't know about you, Gummy, but I could use some more rest! But I gotta help out in the kitchen again!"
She rose to her hooves, but doing so took quite a bit of effort. She trudged towards the door and slowly made her way downstairs. Her coat had faded to the point where it was quite noticeable -- this fading had spread to her mane and tail. Even her eyes seemed to have lost their sparkle, their blueness seeming to have faded down to a darker shade. Morning rush was already over by the time she made it to the kitchen.
"Morning, Mr. and Mrs. Cake," she stated, the flat tone of her voice speaking volumes about her state of fatigue.
"Pinkie! You don't look so good," Carrot Cake stated, showing quite a bit of concern over her state. "Cup, can you go to the library right now? I'll cover the store as best I can until you return."
"Yes, of course, dear. I just hope Twilight has some answers for this. Pinkie, please go back upstairs and lay down -- you really need some more rest," Mrs. Cake advised, though her expression of concern matched her husband's. She hurried her pace to the library, hoping to catch the lavender unicorn. The pink pony waved good-bye, then offered a thanks to Carrot, then trudged back upstairs to climb into her bed.
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At the library, Twilight was met at her door by the blue earth pony. "Twilight, dear, have you checked up on Pinkie lately? She doesn't seem to be doing very well."
"Mrs. Cake? What's going on with her? What's happening?"
"She's not as pink as she normally is -- and she tires out so easily! I have no idea why, but -- she woke up this morning and came downstairs, but -- it's like she has no energy! I thought that if she got some rest, she'd be okay, but ... it seems like rest isn't doing her any good! Please come with me -- I know you're her friend! I hope you can find out what's wrong with her."
"I hope so too, Mrs. Cake. Spike! Grab those books I've been studying! We're going to the bakery to check on Pinkie!"
"I've got 'em, Twi!" the little drake replied, stuffing a few books into the librarian's saddlebags, dragging them on the floor behind him. "These books are really heavy, Twi," he complained.
"There's no time for that, Spike! We've got to get going!" the librarian exclaimed as she levitated her saddlebags onto her back. Her dragon assistant scampered onto her back she she closed up the library for the day, hanging a "Closed Until Tomorrow" sign on the door.
The lavender unicorn and blue earth pony discussed Pinkie's condition further, the librarian silently hoping she hadn't made a terrible mistake when she sent the clones back to the mirror pool. Her expression was one of deep consternation as she dreaded the possibility of sending her mentor a very disappointing letter. The rain had slackened up a bit, but the skies were still a dreary grey, seeming to complement the somber situation.
The two arrived at the bakery a short time later and they made their way upstairs to Pinkie's room, accompanied by Mr. Cake. Twilight knocked on the door.
"Come in," the pink pony stated flatly. She had pulled the cover over her in an attempt to keep warm. As they entered, she offered a weak smile. "Twilight, thank Celestia you've come. I don't know what's wrong, but I seem to be really tired -- I slept all night, but I feel so weak."
The librarian was stunned to see Pinkie so pale. "Has this affected your whole body?" she asked. Pinkie nodded weakly. "Um, I'm not sure what's going on -- let me check through my books here." Twilight removed the books from her saddlebags and began searching through them in an attempt to find some answers, but came up with nothing.
"Can you help me, Twiley?" asked the baker.
"I need to do some more research, Pinkie. These books don't have anything useful in them. I may have to write a letter to the Princess to see if she might know something," she mused. "If anything, I suggest you get some more rest. If your condition worsens, we may have to take you to the hospital."
"Okay, but please hurry. I feel so weak! I don't even feel hungry!"
"Just rest, Pinkie. I hope you're feeling better in the morning," Twilight offered warmly.
"Me too, Twiley," she replied, her voice sounding very flat. She laid back down from her sitting position and fell asleep once again as Twilight and Spike left, Mrs. Cake following them downstairs before rejoining her husband in the kitchen.
"She's not looking good at all, Twi," Spike observed, a great deal of concern in his voice. "Maybe you ought to send that letter now."
"Let's give her another night's rest, Spike. We'll stop by first thing tomorrow morning and check up on her. If her condition worsens, we'll have to take her to the hospital. Then we send a letter to Princess Celestia, okay?"
"Okay, Twi, but I hope she gets well soon! I hate seeing her like this! I almost wish we had all those others still here -- they might have been a nuisance, but we still had the fun Pinkie around," the drake stated rather despondently.
"I know, Spike, I know. I just hope the Princess will forgive me for what I've done -- thinking about it is starting to make me feel sick to my stomach," the librarian noted, her tone sounding just as downbeat as her assistant's. Twilight retrieved her books and saddlebags, offering the pink party pony a warm good-bye, promising to see her again in the morning before leaving the bakery with Spike riding on her back. Their trek back to the library was a rather somber one as neither of them spoke a word all the way back. Twilight's dreams that night were troubled as her conscience bothered her about her decision to banish the clones to the mirror pool.
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The next morning arrived to find the weather had deteriorated once again, a driving rain storm with wind howling making the journey to the bakery that much more difficult and arduous. Twilight and Spike persisted through the nasty weather, the trek to the bakery taking more than a half-hour. A sign on the door gave them slight pause.
"Closed until further notice? Spike, we'd better find out what's wrong," the librarian stated with deep concern. She knocked hard on the door and was greeted by a rather haggard looking Carrot Cake. He appeared to have gotten little or no sleep the previous night.
"Twilight? Please come in, Pinkie's in bad shape," he stated, his voice almost trembling with his emotion. The librarian entered, Spike still on her back and closed the door.
"What's happened?" she asked.
"You'd better come up and have a look," he replied. "Probably be best if you saw for yourself."
They made their way upstairs to Pinkie's room and entered without knocking. Twilight gasped when she saw what had happened to her once-pink friend. Her coat had faded completely to white, her mane and tail a dull grey, her eyes completely black. Her cutie marks had faded to dull-grey outlines of the balloons with strings attached.
"Pinkie, it's me, Twilight -- you don't look too good. I think we'd better get you to the hospital ASAP."
"Uh, Twiley -- I don't know how much longer I'm gonna last," she replied weakly. It took some effort for her to turn her head in the librarian's direction. Her completely black eyes unnerved the others, sending a shiver down their spines.
"Hold on, Pinkie, we're going to get you to the hospital. Mr. Cake, are there any more covers for her? I want to make sure she's kept warm for this trip. The weather's not cooperating -- do you have a cart we can use?"
"I'll take care of that, Twilight, just give me a few moments," the yellow stallion replied. "Meet me in the main room downstairs, I should have those covers for you when you get there. I have a cart you can use, but it doesn't have a cover on it."
"Thank you, Mr. Cake -- I believe I can fashion a protective cover on that cart," Twilight stated, using her magic to levitate the faded mare from her bed. "Pinkie, I apologize for levitating you like this, but time is of the essence here."
"Do what you need to, Twiley," she replied, her voice sounding a little bit weaker. "Tell the others I want to see them before I go."
"Don't talk like that, Pinkie! You're not going to die!" Twilight exclaimed, exasperation and worry coloring her words. Spike ran downstairs to meet with Mr. Cake to see to the hasty arrangements and waited on Twilight and Pinkie, who appeared shortly. The baker appeared to be shivering from the cold and more blankets were gently placed on top of her. Carrot Cake led them to the back door where a cart had been wheeled. The librarian fashioned a make-shift tarp from another blanket and covered the cart with it, then placed a few blankets in the cart, gently lowering the once-pink mare in, then covering her with as many remaining blankets as could be found. Twilight pulled the cart as best she could, but the driving rain made it very difficult. Eventually they made it to the hospital.
Medical attention was quickly brought for Pinkie as she was transferred to a gurney, then wheeled to the intensive care unit. Twilight and Spike followed along, but were stopped at the entry to the ICU, the medical staff informing them that they weren't allowed in. They returned to the waiting room rather dejectedly.
"Okay, Spike, I guess we can send that letter now," the librarian stated rather sullenly. She felt a sense of shame and guilt wash over her as she recollected the memory of sending the clones back to the mirror pool, and tears began to form at the corners of her eyes as she dictated her letter to Princess Celestia. Spike sent the letter and was rather surprised to see the Solar Princess teleport directly into the waiting room.
"Twilight, my faithful student. I would appreciate you giving me a detailed description of how it is Pinkie's condition has deteriorated to its present state."
The librarian explained the situation as best she could, her emotions occasionally getting the better of her. The Alicorn wrapped a wing around her student, trying to comfort her during this trying time. As this exchange was occurring, the doctor entered the waiting room to get Twilight's attention. Seeing the Princess, he bowed deeply before making his statement.
"Your Majesty, we would appreciate it if you would come with us. We are unable to help Pinkie Pie -- we have no idea what is wrong with her. Her condition is stable, but her vital signs are weak. Twilight, she wants to talk to you as well. Follow me, please."
Princess Celestia and Twilight followed the doctor down a couple of hallways before leading them to the room Pinkie was being kept in. She had monitors attached to her and an IV to try to keep her strength up. The Alicorn tried to maintain her calm exterior, but seeing one of the Element Bearers in such bad shape took a heavy toll on her.
"Pinkie Pie -- if that is really you -- I will try to do everything I possibly can to restore you," she stated as warmly as she could, though a very faint trembling could be heard in her voice.
"Thank you, Princess -- I hope you can, I would hate to have to say a final good-bye to my friends. Twilight, were you able to find out anything that can help me?" the once-pink mare asked. Her voice was sounding even weaker than before, her coat seeming to fade down from white.
"Princess, can you bring the other Element Bearers here so we can all be here for Pinkie? I think she needs us more than ever before," the lavender unicorn pleaded. "Perhaps using the Elements of Harmony on her might work?"
"That sounds plausible, Twilight. I shall gather them and bring them here. I can only hope this works -- if not, I am not certain what can be done for her." With that, the Solar Princess teleported around Ponyville, bringing Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash to the hospital. She summoned the Elements and distributed them to their respective bearers, even giving Pinkie her necklace.
"Ah sure hope this works, for Pinkie's sake," Applejack said. "Ah cain't believe she's gotten this bad! If'n Ah had only known, Ah'd have come sooner!"
"Okay, girls, let's give it our best shot!" Twilight exclaimed, sounding a hopeful note. The ponies began levitating, their diadems glowing brightly as the harmonic magic enveloped them, then surrounded the once-pink mare. Her body glowed brightly as the others spent their magic in an attempt to restore her. They slowly returned to the floor as Pinkie descended to her bed; unfortunately, there had been no change in her condition. The diadem on Pinkie's necklace turned black, then cracked, causing Princess Celestia to gasp in surprise. She removed it with her magic, an expression of shock marring her features. The others were similarly shocked by this turn of events.
"It ... it ... didn't ... work ..." Twilight uttered softly, a look of sheer disbelief the only other expression she gave.
"Why? Why didn't it work?" asked Pinkie. "What's going to happen to me now?"