How to be Happy

by Leafdoggy

Epilogue: Pinkie and Pinkamena

Pinkamena was sitting at the table in Fluttershy’s kitchen. Her hoof was tapping the table. Another hoof tapping the floor. An empty plate sat in front of her, cleaned of her breakfast, and across from her Pinkie Pie was still poking at her food. Pinkamena looked down at her legs and traced the pattern on one with a hoof, a habit she’d picked up during the last few days that she turned to whenever she was getting restless.

Pinkie took a small-ish bite out of a waffle and let the rest fall back onto her plate.

Pinkamena sighed. She slapped a hoof down on the table just hard enough to make the plates clink.

“Pinkie, knock it off.”

“Huh?” Pinkie jumped in her seat and looked up. “What?”

“Quit it!”

“Quit what?”

“Moping!” Pinkamena let out an exaggerated groan and leaned on the table seriously. “You’ve looked all sad for days now and I’m sick of it.”

Pinkie gave her a blank stare. “Do I look sad?”

“Ugh, yeah! You didn’t even go outside yesterday.”

“I had nowhere to go.”

“You’re Pinkie Pie, since when do you need a reason to do things? What are you even moping about, anyway?”

“I dunno,” Pinkie said. “I didn’t realize I was moping.”

Pinkamena rolled her eyes. “C’mon. Tell me.”

“I…” Pinkie frowned pitifully. “I’m gonna miss you. We only just met and now you’re going away.”

“I’m not dying. You’ll still see me.”

“Yeah, but…” Pinkie crossed her legs in front of her chest. “I don’t know. It just feels weird. I feel like I’m being a bad big sister.”

“We’re the same age.” Pinkamena shook her head. “Whatever. Look, Pinkie, you’re fine. You might not know me as well as you want, but you gotta know I love you, right?”

“Yeah, but I should know you better! I get that it’s hard for everypony else, but I should know you, right?”

Pinkamena thought for a moment. She pursed her lips and furrowed her brow. Then she stood up. “C’mon.”

Pinkie blinked. “Huh?”

“I said c’mon! We’re going out.”

Pinkie got up slowly. “Okay… Where are we—”

“Out! I don’t know.” Pinkamena walked towards the front door, grabbed her scarf from a hat rack and wrapped it around her neck. “Somewhere that isn’t you being cooped up inside all day.”

Pinkie plodded after her uneasily. “But why? What are we doing?”

“We’re having fun,” Pinkamena said. “Look, we haven’t scheduled a day for our sisters thing, right? Let’s do it today.”

“But I don’t have any plans,” Pinkie protested. “I haven’t thought up any traditions or games or—”

Pinkamena opened the door and shoved Pinkie outside. She shut the door heavily after herself. “Let’s figure it out.”

The morning air was crisp and cool. Dewdrops sprinkled the grass that led down the hill in front of Fluttershy’s house. When the door shut, a flock of birds took off from somewhere nearby and briefly blotted out the sun above them. It was cool enough outside to make Pinkamena glad for the scarf, but not so chilly that Pinkie was uncomfortable. The air was just cold enough to be a jolt to the system, and it woke them both up completely.

Unable to protest any further, Pinkie followed Pinkamena into town. They had no destination, and they were in no hurry, so they wound up just wandering the streets. Some ponies who passed them by gave them strange, confused glances, and some even stopped to ask why there were two Pinkies, but by this point, much of the town had been informed of the new addition to the Pie family. Pinkamena greeted all these friendly faces with a smile, a genuine one, and basked in the smiles she got back. Smiles that, finally, felt like they were meant for her, and not Pinkie.

“I wish you didn’t have to go tomorrow,” Pinkie said at one point.

“I know,” Pinkamena replied. “I need this, though. It’ll be good for me.”

“But the Crystal Empire is so far away!”

“That’s the whole point! Not a lot of ponies there know you super well.”

Pinkie frowned. “Are you gonna be okay all on your own?”

“We were fine moving out as a filly,” Pinkamena told her. “Quit worrying.”

“I know, I just—”

Pinkamena drifted to the side and bumped into Pinkie. “Quit it!”

“Okay, okay. Just… Promise you’ll come to me if you need anything, okay?”

“Of course,” Pinkamena said. “Pinkie promise.”

“Pinkamena promise?”

“That too.”

Author's Note:

There we have it! Just a short little epilogue. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! I know it might feel somewhat early to end it, but if I do write about Pinkamena in the Crystal Empire, I think it'll be different enough in tone and structure to warrant being a separate story. For now, just be happy she's happy.

If you've got any feedback or even criticisms, I'd love to hear them. I'm always looking for input.

If you're interested in more, consider checking out my other stuff! Notably, I have several other stories in this universe, if that's up your alley. Alternatively, my next story is gonna be a whole new thing, not connected to this universe at all, and it's starting today! Check that out here, and have a wonderful day! ^w^

Comments

[Copper Cogwheel]

I'm gonna have to go through the rest of your stories later...
This was EXCEPTIONALLY cool.
Hopefully we'll see more of your stripey pony creation, she's strangely relatable for a magically constructed pink equine.

[Leafdoggy]

10261434
Thank you! ^w^ It's always nice to hear comments like this.

And yeah, Pinkamena rules. She shows up a little towards the end of Daybreak but not a whole lot, I sadly haven't gotten around to a whole lotta exploration of her character. If I end up doing the story I was planning to do next she'll show up more, though, cuz it'll have a lotta the Pie family.

[Ali della Morte]

This was a great story. I loved it. Do you plan on doing a sequel?

[Leafdoggy]

10323747
Thanks! This story's definitely on the list of ones I wanna make a follow-up to if I get back to writing fanfics at some point. (idk when/if that'll happen though, cuz I'm currently writing a book)

[Starlight Nova]

10330723
If you do, then could you please shoot me a PM? Also, what's the book about?

[oblivion2k]

I feel like the pool didn't just split Pinkie into happy/sad, but it also seemed like Pinkamena got Pinkie's spontaneity. It's a little concerning how bored and lifeless Pinkie was after the split. Would definitely like to read more on that topic in a sequel.

I'm a little surprised that the story went this direction and they didn't merge somehow in the end, but looking back on the rest of the stories in this universe I shouldn't have been surprised at all. You radically change ponies as you're creating this universe and it makes for an awesome story every time.

[AceFurryTrash]

11622736
I'm really glad they didn't merge, the idea of trying to find your own identity, as it's a great concept for this. I also appreciate that Pinkie could feel sad. They are two complete ponies, and I think Pinkie, without having all her melancholy in a separate personality, just became more normal and didn't know how to handle it. The epilogue showed the start of Pinkie Pie learning how to be happy again.