//------------------------------// // ROUND 2: Pinkie Pie // Story: Know your Mare // by overlord-flinx //------------------------------// Silence. That's all there was to greet the springy spry mare standing in the light. "Hellooooooo? Anyone there?" Hello Pinkie Pie... "Hey disembodied-voice-that-seems-familiar-but-I-can't-put-my-hoof-on guy!" Nice to see you... "Nice to hear you. So, uh, you gonna do the opening thing?" Not today... ...I thought we'd do something a little different if that's fine... "Ooooooh, that sounds fun. But wait... didn't you have some new friends helping you now? That's what Soarin' said when he was buying my pies." Oh yes... ...but I thought it would be nice for old friends to catch up... "I like catching up." Good... Now... I thought it would be a little more fun if we skipped the show entirely... "Skip the show? Are you loco in the coco?" Some say that... ...but why not...? Think of how fun it'll be... You'll be the first and maybe last pony to ever have this done here... Come on... Think of the viewers... "Well I do like makin' the viewers smile." Me too... So let's start... "Righty-o!" You see... ...I was washing around in-- Well... It doesn't matter where I was... What matters is is that I found a book all about you... "A book about me? I bet it's exciting!" Oh yes... It's a thrilling experience to read... It's a little fan-story called "Cupcakes"... ...Wanna see...? "Sure!" Pinkie chirped. Just then, a dark covered book plopped before her, opened to the first few pages. Pinkie's eyes scanned across the pages, her lips curled in an excited grin. However, slowly her eyes furrowed under her brow and her grin became more unsure. Something wrong Pinkie...? It's a thrilling read... ...Isn't it...? "Huh? Oh... yeah. Really well written..." Keep going... ...you're getting to my favorite part... Pinkie had the look as if she didn't want to, but she was compelled to return to the book. Gradually, the pages began to flip faster and faster, allowing the Earth pony to keep going. But with each passing word, Pinkie grew more ill. You don't look so good... Should I call your friends...? "No-no-no-no! It's fine, it's fine." Oh parish the thought... ...I'll go right ahead and call your best friends... Starting with -Rocky- was it...? "Huh?" Or maybe Mr. Turnip... ...you can always rely on him... "That? Oh, I was just a little out of it that day." As apposed to any other day...? "I am a little loopy day after day--" Loopy doesn't describe insanity, Pinkie... "Do you mind if I leave? This isn't really--" --that funny...? I'm sure getting a laugh... "Yeah. You're getting a laugh. But that doesn't mean it's funny... funny is for everyone." Because being funny brings a smile...? "Yup. And making all my friends smile--" --Is your favorite thing... Right...? "Yeah." Because it makes you happy... "Bingo." So you only make people happy... ...because it makes you happy... "Uh-no? It's just that when I make people happy, it makes me happy." So you keep doing it... "I--" Back on your Rock Farm... ...did you make your mom and dad happy...? "When I worked it made them happy." And did that make you happy...? "A little..." So now you only make people happy because of your desire to feel good...? "Hey--" You said it... ...and if you didn't smile... ...your life would be pointless... "I never--" There's one thing that makes me happy, and makes my whole life worthwhile... ...and that's when I talk to my friends and get them to smile... Sounds rather selfish to me... ...but that's what we are Pinkie... ...Greedy... Our joy is to get emotions out of people... ...We're selfish... "Sel...fish...?" I think you're starting to know yourself... Pinkie Pie... Pinkie only shook her head and walked out of the light, her head hanging low and life from her hair slowly deflating. ...There was no fun in that... ...That almost felt... ...Tasteless... ...Bah! To Tartarus with this boring psycho mumbo-jumbo! Hey... ...what'd I miss? You and me are going rouge. Going rogue? Going rogue. Does that mean...? Yes... ...aye-aye Cap'n Chaos. Off to have some fun my confused Trottingham amigo! Should we tell-- No... Let's let those two figure it out on their own... So it's a secret? But fun...