The Lost Pie

by Crescent Cloud

Chapter Two: Uncertain Start

Since I wasn’t yet familiar with the lay of the land which was now my home (through the ethereal process of coming into being, I only retained the knowledge that it was called Equestria), I had to find a map to determine where I would start my new life. I wasn’t sure at first where to find one, but I happened to come across a map and stationery store not far away from the Golden Oaks Library where Twilight lived. I saw a beautiful map on display in the store window. I must have studied that map for twenty minutes straight – another task one would hardly expect of the real Pinkie Pie. But I wasn’t the real Pinkie Pie, and I would live my own life as a new pony.

But where would I go? There were so many interesting places in Equestria to move to: Canterlot, Appleloosa, Winnieapolis, Baltimare, Las Pegasus; it was overwhelming at first. I couldn’t go to Cloudsdale because I wasn’t a Pegasus, and I didn’t think the Crystal Empire seemed practical (though it was gorgeous!). Then I saw it, the place I knew I had to go: Manehattan. I can’t quite explain it – maybe rack it up to Pinkie Sense – but I knew once I spotted it on the map that I had to make my way to the big city of Manehattan. What would I do once I got there? I didn’t know, but I was confident I would figure it out.

Once the decision was made, I had to get to the only mode of transport I could think of to get me to the city: The Friendship Express. The problem is, so many ponies along the way to the train station would recognize me, and that could get really complicated really fast, so I had to use my best stealth abilities to get there undetected. Luckily, I am still Pinkie Pie in many ways, so I have some creative methods of getting through and around crowds that I retained. Y’know, things like hiding in a bush or under a rock, or wearing ingenious disguises, not to mention my astonishing ability to appear just about anywhere at any moment when the situation suits me. It must be a special earth pony thing, and I think the Pie family is especially gifted at it.

Anyway, I made it to the train station and started looking for the schedule to see when the next trip to Manehattan would be. Sadly, I found that I would have to wait another couple of hours. I knew I certainly couldn’t just hang out at the train station that long just looking like Pinkie Pie, so I had to quickly figure out a more long-term solution to my “blending in” problem. Again, it’s a good thing I’m Pinkie Pie, because the ponies at the nearby clothing store didn’t find anything in the least unusual about me walking in and purchasing a hat, trench coat, and sunglasses. In fact, they seemed almost too un-fazed by it. I didn’t particularly care, though, because I had places to get to and a new life to live.

After getting comfortably inconspicuous in my new clothes, I made my way into the heart of the busy train station, found a table where I likely wouldn’t be noticed, and sat there thinking for a while about my journey, and about myself. I couldn’t figure out why I was so different from the Pinkie Pie original, or the rest of the cavorting chaotic clones for that matter. Was I somehow special?

Just then, in the thick of my musings, Twilight Sparkle herself just happened to walk close enough to pause at the peripheral glance of pink under my getup, and said, far too loudly for comfort, “Pinkie?”

I nearly jumped to the ceiling (which, knowing Pinkie, I could probably literally do), and turned to her saying, “Oh......hey Twilight, fancy seeing you here.”

Understandably, she looked confused, and said, “Yeah, so, um...what are you doing at the train station? Are you going somewhere?”

I decided to channel my inner silliness to appear as authentically Pinkie-like as I could, “Um, maybe......but, I could ask you the same question!”

“I’m actually going back for a short visit to the Crystal Empire. It seems there’s a meeting with some dignitary ponies from Saddle Arabia that demands my presence. So...where are you going?”

“Um...” The seconds that passed between that utterance and my actual response to her felt like hours, “I’m going to the rock farm to help my family. They wrote and said they needed an extra pony to move and grind down some big rocks, and they thought I would make the job a lot easier, seeing as how I grew up there and am really good with working with rocks, y’know...” There was another pause after this, during which Twilight just looked at me, still seeming confused, that also felt unbearably long, before she finally spoke again:

“Oh, okay, I didn’t know you helped your family out with things like that sometimes. Well, have fun...I guess.” She gave me an awkward grin, and then said she had best be going since her train was coming soon for the Crystal Empire. Thank goodness, too, because I didn’t want to risk having a long interaction with her while waiting for our trains. I breathed a loud sigh of relief, and then sat back down. I honestly hadn’t remembered getting up, but I suppose I unconsciously did out of shock and worry.

That’s when I realized that there was another difference between me and the clones: I actually remembered my friends. Well, Pinkie’s friends. Even though the real Pinkie Pie is the one who is back at home with her friends, I could remember just about everything she could, at least enough to know all about Twilight, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Applejack, not to mention Mr. and Mrs. Cake, the baby cakes, and Gummy. Then I also realized I remembered my - I mean Pinkie’s – family. Mom and Dad, Limestone, Marble, and Maud – I would never see them again. I would have to try to find my own identity, and I would have to give them up to do it.

I was lost deeply in these thoughts when I heard the announcer at the station calling for boarding on the Manehattan train. I paused for a moment, wondering if it was worth it, if maybe it might be best if Twilight sent me back after all. But I had come this far, so I decided I would carry on and find out what I could make of myself in the city. It would be hard at first, but if I was going to do it, I had to accept the sacrifices that came with it. After all, sometimes the biggest gain comes after great loss.

Comments

[Yoshifan30]

Aww poor clone pinkie pie she so confused and depressed and she was thinking of going back to the mirror pool but she really don't want to give up