> For I am of Pinkie's Mind
>  by Neon Icy Wings
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1: A Mindful Awakening
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I don't really recall much of how it began, to be honest. At first, all I was aware of was how wrong everything was, and didn't even know what was wrong in the first place. Like that lovely feeling of being watched when you're lying in bed, but even that would be too specific. It was like I was surrounded by darkness, and while it may seem like a joke, if anyone here would understand it, it was unlike any kind of darkness I'd been in, -advanced darkness if you will- I couldn't even see the inevitable shift of my hair or my nose.

It took awhile for me to even begin to question my position at the time. Why wasn't I in bed? Where the hell was I? I didn't even question where the weight of my eyelids, or the mild background discomfort of having my eyes open for too long were.

I tried to call out into the void, and only then did I realize things were even wrong-er than I could have imagined! Not only did I not say anything, but I didn't feel all those secondary things, those organic cogs within our bodies that allow us to vocalize. I didn't feel my tongue, my jaw, or the constrictions of my vocal cords, and then, and only then, did I realize just how screwed I was. Well, for how screwed I felt at the time. You don't really know how weird it is to not feel your body, even an ache of your mind trying to make sense of it all would be comforting.

It was then that my mind, or consciousness I guess, decided that this new fangled sensation of not feeling sensations warranted the panic usually reserved for those who don't know how to swim and know when they're out of their element. The element being dirt.

So, yeah, whatever was left of my mind decided I was drowning, and sadly I was unable to commence with the celebratory thrashing and flailing that deserves to accommodate such joyous thoughts. My thoughts themselves sure made up for that though!

I tried to wail into the darkness, to scream, yell for help, damn Santa Clause for this coal black hell, something!

And then I heard it from across the void, "Hello?"

Let me just say, it is something to 'hear' without any actual ears. But, that voice was angelic to me at that moment. While I did idly wonder how it was the voice heard me, I tried my best to simply communicate. And if thinking it hard enough did the job then who cares, I thought harder than I did at my college finals. 'Hey! Ya know where... anything?'

Not my most coherent thought, but eh, not my least, and I was quite proud that my quick thought-ing pulled through when the voice responded. "Um, I can't say I know where this 'anything' is. But... I would like to know where you are. Your voice sounds kinda funny."

Hearing more than a single word that also happened to bring me out of a panic, I was actually able to listen and determine the voice to be on the higher end, maybe a bit young, but what do I know. And what did she mean my voice was funny? Bah! Trouble for later, determine position now! 'Well, I'd like to know that too. But, I can't see anything with how dark it is.'

Might I also say that communicating with thought is a very weird process, and discerning a voice for yourself is weird. As, at least for me, I never attributed my voice to my thoughts. It didn't seem to bother the voice though. "Uh, what do you mean? The sun's still out!"

That one hurt my brain. 'sun's out'? Ridiculous! Impossible! Asinine! And in some way, utterly terrifying... '... What? I-eh, don't see a sun. I don't see anything in fact... Okay, let's switch this aro-o-ound. Where are you?'

I could tell by her, at least I assumed her, tone that that had confused her but at least she complied. "Well, I'm by a river right now. Kinda dusk-ish I think?"

River? Dusk? I couldn't even hear a river! 'Well, I guess I'm blind then. But I don't hear a river, so that's odd.'

"Well, I think it must be hard to hear anything from inside my head!"

'...'

"..."

'... What. Did you. Just say?' That one killed my brain, learned necromancy, and brought my brain back just to slap it. What!

"U-uh, you're in my head? At least that's where your voice is coming from, I think. A-and if your voice is coming from my head, and that means you're in my head, maybe you can't see for some reason?"

I wouldn't admit it, not right then at least, but her logic was sound. I mean if you suddenly heard a voice in your head saying they can't see diddle, then what answer would you give? Well, my answer to her speculation was to bemoan my lack of hyperventilation ability.

'Buh-bu-but...' I'm not sure how I managed it, but I managed to thought stammer. I was in someone else's head? HOW?! That wasn't physically possible! But if the girl was right then my life was over. In a bid to try and hold on to my delusions I tried everything in my power to FEEL anything! To assure myself of something physical!

... And I failed. I couldn't feel my body, for the first time I was forced to face this fact. I mean, I had subconsciously felt and even acknowledged this fact. But to face it head on, to actually think and know that you have no body, that it isn't some wacked out drug trip or something is breaking.

I didn't even try to delude myself into thinking it was a dream, mainly because I wouldn't even think to think it was a dream if it actually was one, as per my usual dream experience I question absolutely nothing in dreams, on top of the fact I'd never had one of those dreams where you're in full control before, and it wasn't like I had any control anyway. I was a disembodied mind voice inside someone else's body!

In all honesty, don't tell anyone, I wanted to cry. What could I do? Tell the girl to tell others she had another human being in her head in the hopes they could dig me out and plop me back into my own body? We don't even have the tech yet! If it's even possible to begin with! And that would assume my body didn't just die, and just became a brain dead vegetable. AND and that's all assuming they wouldn't just ram some steel rods in her brain, pills down her throat and put her through that good ol' electroshock and call it a day. I mean I'm pretty sure they don't do shock therapy for voices in your skull, but I didn't know that then.

Unable to cry, I did the next best thing.

I shut down.

I'm not sure how long I was silent, just not thinking. Not sure how long it was until her voice brought me back... well back to acknowledging what little bit of reality I had. "... Mister and or Miss voice, are you okay?"

'No.'

"Oh... is it... is it because of me?"

I couldn't tell at the time, but there was clearly more to her voice than before. Like she was almost crestfallen about something. Either way, a part of me wanted to lay into her, to lay out exactly why I wasn't fine! But that would be counterproductive. Even in my emotionally unstable state I knew that. No matter how the whole thing played out I would need the girl on my side, and fostering anything other than amicable relations with her would make any future plans, or future in general hell on earth.

Don't get me wrong, while I believe myself to be calm enough and hardly violent, my poor consciousness, which had taken at least four gut punches, was ready for blood. But I wasn't a vampire, blood wouldn't get me anywhere fast. 'No... Not you. I am not fine because of this whole situation! Getting angry at you wouldn't do anything! Besides... You don't deserve any anger. I just... am having a bad time processing everything I guess...'

Her voice lost its crestfallen nature, and it was replaced with sympathy. I could practically feel it! I hated it. "You said you were in darkness, right? And if you're in my head maybe I can help you see or something?"

Well, hell, what was I gonna do, say no? Not like I had any ideas. 'Go for it kid, I'm outta it anyway.'

She didn't say anything, I just heard her humming or something. Like you do when you meditate or something of the like. The humming went on for a while and after second ten I was ready to resign myself to my hell, but around minute, like, eleven -or was it thirty-two?- I SAW something! It was just a blur at first but I frigging saw something! 'Eh! Eh! Kid! I see something!'

I think she hummed a bit in response, I couldn't tell I was too busy celebrating. A few moments more and I could tell a color. It was pink! Bit stereotypical color for her clothing, but at the same time I'd never seen a full pink outfit outside of Halloween, and she was giving me a bit of hope somehow so who was I to judge?

It wasn't until the pink started to become defined into a shape that I actually started to question things again. Why was she sitting like that? W-was she even sitting?

My mind just dumped away all that hope and joy to go into analysis mode. She wasn't sitting, her arms were legs. The pink wasn't clothes, it was molded straight to her body. Her eyes were frigging huge!

She was a frigging pony! But not just any pony. I recognized this pony. The pink fur, the darker pink mane, the blue eyes... That was Pinkamena Diane diddly dang Pie. As a filly. I was in the head of a pony, not of the earth I knew.

I think I 'thought' blacked out for a bit after that, again. Impossibility after impossibility taking place before my not eyes broke me again. I lose my life, my body, my home and then my whole diddly dang world!

"Voice! I, uh, can't see you! Maybe you need to do something?"

I could hardly think properly. What little cognizant thoughts I could form were surrounding the pony before me. Pinkie. Pony. Real. And I think that came through in the void, as she started to stare in my direction, an almost shocked, kinda happy expression on her mug.

"Hey! You look like me!" What?

I did?

I somehow shifted my vision down, moving my point of view for the first time, or at least finally had a point of reference to note any visual change, and saw a pink, inhuman chest and a curtain of darker pink to my visions left...

Crap. Everything was going too fast. Luckily, at least, my mind was still functional enough to remove any potential cutie mark on my, quite adult, mental image of Pinkamena. If that would even work! I wasn't a hundred percent sure what was going on, but to err on the side of caution was always something I tried to do, and I do believe cross dimensional time traversal into a fictional universe, so far as I understood it, is the time to be the most cautious, within my abilities at least.

"Huh. So I-I do. Bit bigger though." Why did I follow along with that scenario instead of correcting it? I don't really know! I was still in the mindset of: Don't piss off the Pinkie pony! Don't piss off the Pinkie pony!

Not my smartest move, but hey, you have your world and view blasted five ways from Sunday and you make infallible decisions. I can't even do that on a good day.

The little Pinkamena ran up to me through the imagination void. Man that's depressing if that was all her imagination was. Either way, she kept her happy little look with a bit less shock than before. "Wow! You're like older me. Am I gonna actually look like that in the future?"

"Uh, maybe? I think I just copied your looks. Not sure where the growth spurt came from..."

"Hmm. Well, you're still pretty!"

Flattering, truly. Still felt odd getting a compliment like that considering everything. "Hey, now! No getting narcissistic. You're too young for that."

She pouted, I could only assume mostly out of confusion, and yes, it was absolutely adorable. "Narci-n-narci-ci- whatever!" Adorable and funny. For the first time since the whole thing began I actually laughed. Well chuckled. But still, mirthfulness. Even more so when she stuck her tongue out at me. "Phtblb... Uh, what now Mena?"

Brain stop numbuh three! Give it up to brain stop numbuh three! Kinda nice to have a 'what the-' brain stop instead of one caused by utter reality shattering though. "Mena?" I finally said after a moment of silence.

Her small smile lit up once again. "Mena! You look like me, so you should have a name like me. I'll be the Pinka, and you'll be the Mena! Oh! I am Pinkamena Diane Pie by the way. Nice to meet you, Mena."

Sound logic I guess. "Uh, hi Pinkamena." But, I was annoyed she labeled me a name and didn't ask me. Just remember the mantra: Don't piss off Pinkie pony. Deflect annoyance with humor. "Do I have to be mean?"

She shook her head, god she was an adorable filly. Could melt the heart of the Grinch, the small freak had so much adora-power. "Nah."

"Ah, well, good."

I saw the filly look around the void, an inquisitive look given to the darkness. "No wonder you couldn't see anything. It is really dark." A bit of sadness entered her gaze, I saw. "It must have been so lonely. We gotta find a way for you to see."

"Yeah-ha-ha. How? Like, I guess you could try imagining your surroundings. And then run into somethin' you didn't see."

Her face scrunched up, I presumed in thought, before her face lit up, an idea apparent. "Maybe I could share my eyeballs!"

In that instant a different kind of Pinkamena flitted through my mind. Just have to remember... Okay, I was in Equestria, so at that point just about anything was possible, but hey no need to be pessimistic. "Uh, if you find a way to do that, be my guest. Not sure how you'd go about it though." It was then I saw she was now bug eyed, staring straight into the void as if to pierce the veil with her gaze alone. "Uh... What the heck are you doing?"

She groaned out a response, sounding as if she was helping that Greek myth guy push that rock up that hill... I was gonna miss a lot of Earthly things... "If... I... see hard enough!.... maybe you... will too!"

Not so sound logic. "I admire your effort, Pinks, but I don't think seein' harder is gonna-" And then I got punched by color. Almost literally for how eye searing it was! "Gah! My eyes! I don't even have eyes! What!" You see, where Pinkamena was staring poofed into existence a window that, yes, did indeed show a river, in kinda a rocky dip. Like a mini canyon. And yup, there was the sun. My eyes still hurt, but it was the best pain of my non corporeal life! Or was I technically corporeal since I was in Pinka- Not finishing that thought!

Pinkamena on the other hand, hoof, end of limb attachment, was in the exact opposite of pain and was jumping around in circles, spinning my limited world view like a record. I could only thank Celestia, my new god like figure, that she wasn't full on Pinkie yet or I swear I would have found out if the imagine-scape I was in could make barf bags. "I did it! You can see!"

Yeah! Good for you kid! Too bad her spinning was doing a number on my brain. You know that weird feeling you get in your head and stomach when in moving elevators some times? Kind of like the sibling of your stomach dropping out from ya and vertigo? That's what I was feeling looking at the world go round and round. But I didn't want to look away! Even the rock farm muted colors of that little canyon place thingy were- well I guess my sonic rainboom happy reaction that little flat maned Pinkamena will be hit with soon enough. Better be soon or tom boy filly Rainbow Dash will have an angry personality thing on her flank.

"M-might ya stop Pinks, I don't even have a stomach and I'm gettin' queasy!"

She stopped almost immediately, but I could still practically feel her jubilation. "Oh! Heh, sorry." That didn't stop her from jumping and spinning happily, she just shifted it to our little imagination plane, that didn't look nearly as void like with the pouring light of the... eye window. Yup. Still adorable.

I cracked a smile on my mental visage at her display and thought hard. What would happen now? Do I now, later, or ever tell her what I really am? Will there be a chance to go home in the future? Would I be dead? Would time flow properly between our two worlds? Would I even want to go back by the time the future hit? I had a good life back home, nothing amazing, but good. I just didn't know.

I kept my sigh within my thoughts, hoping it wouldn't reverberate around the imagination void, god it would take awhile to get used to everything. Learning all the rules. The previous questions and, at the time, uncertainties pervaded my mind and threatened to overtake me entirely, but I wouldn't let them. I employed my motto: Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. No need to lose hope! But also no need to just bet on black.

I had no idea what life being the headmate of the future Element of Laughter would bring, presuming the universe didn't shuffle things around, but I was determined! To do what, I didn't know.

Welp. My human body ain't getting any deader... or maybe it was. Either way! Time to get to work. Quest numero uno: What the hell was Pinkamena doing near a river, in a mini canyon, for seemingly no reason?
> Chapter 2: Rockballs and Rock Falls
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"Hey, Pinks?" I asked the still spinning filly, who showed no sign of stopping, presumably from the fact she was spinning in imagination land. Man, I could only imagine what her reaction would have been if she was full on Pinkie at the time.

She stopped and looked at me, which was still a strange 'new-ness' for me, and tilted her head slightly. "Yeah, Mena?"

"Uh, what were ya doing down here at the river anyway?"

The moment those words left my 'not mouth' her demeanor did a one eighty so fast I almost worried she suffered whiplash. God, seeing her lit up face of happiness dissolve into a look similar to a child who recently got a new toy that fails to distract from them accidentally having destroyed their previous favorite toy, was absolutely soul crushing. "Well... I was playing with my sister and we lost the rockball. And she didn't see where it went and blamed me for losing it... She was so angry, I-I thought if I got it back she wouldn't b-be angry with me anymore..."

Rockball? What the hell is a rockball? I mean I get it she grew up on a weird rock farm for rocks and rock accessories, and I think ate rocks but I didn't think it would- Getting off track here. "Ooookay. So, why were you looking for this... this rockball, uh, here in this little river area? May I ask?"

She looked at me with the biggest puppy dog eyes I'd ever seen, brought on only through sorrow at that. Do not die dear not heart, I still need you, need you for rockball investigations and hopefully a long life beyond. Life in either candyland or earth, or both. Either way, my heart decided not to shatter at least long enough for me to hear Pinkamena's reasoning. "W-we were playing rockball passing in the west quarry, a-and when Limestone hit it my way she fell down and I-I kicked it harder than I meant too, a-and this is the only place I could think it could have gone! I've been looking and looking and I-I-I just can't find it!"

Soul. Hurting.

Heart. Crushing.

I wasn't sure how I could properly help. Seeing was a big bonus indeed, but aside from some of those object discovery games mixed in amongst puzzles I wasn't exactly the most perceptive individual ever. But hey, two processing centers are better than one ain't that right? "Now don't you cry. I shall help you in the recovery of this rocky ball! After all, you helped me with my sight, why not put it to good use?"

Now... I won't say my motives were entirely as simple and selfless as that. Still wanted to build that there amicable relations with the pink filly. She might be trusting, but I had to live up to that trust, lest I lose it entirely too soon. I mean, I did care for her, she was second best pony back when I was human and absorbed into the show -before I was literally absorbed into the show- but, we were talking continued existence there. Wanted to avoid electroshock pill rods, or an uncooperative Pinkie pony. It's kinda like if you really loved someone, and wanted to marry them for that alone, but you couldn't deny their deep pocketed money would help your starving artist lifestyle immensely and single-handedly turn your life around. I find ignoring those occasional ingrained bits of greed, even if it simply on the side of something you would do anyway, to be a bad habit.

Either way, Pinkamena's face lit up a little with happiness and hope. Seriously, it's like I'd just promised to take down Serpent Sam Joe the kidnapping snake man who stole her family. Finding a simple rockball to mend a wound between sisters meant so much to her... And then she ran up and hugged me.

Well, as much of a hug as could be given in an imagination-scape, but still. It was touching, literally in some sense for my poor physically deprived self, even if only mentally in a way. Hugs were rare and awkward back home, but that? That was nice.

I would live up to that damn trust if it killed me. Continued -happy- existence was still a nice bonus, but I could live with protecting Pinkamena, soon to be Pinkie, Pie. That could be my preparing for the worst. I mean there were worse ways things coulda played out. I could have been stuck in Diamond Tiara's head for example. And no, I don't have any other examples. Any other pony, barring background ponies whose personalities were never defined, or I never saw defined at least, would be preferable. Discord, Sombra -learning his backstory woulda been a treat in it of itself-, god even Silver Spoon wouldn't have been as bad. Talk about narcissism!

But, back on track. Find rockball. Enjoy hug yes, but find rockball.

I returned the hug, if a bit awkwardly, and just enjoyed that little moment. After a bit I pointed towards the eye window thingy. "Alright, best we get to looking. Ya did say it was dusk-ish after all."

She let go of the hug and nodded. "Okay." She ran towards the eye window and sat down, myself quickly joining her.

As her vision started to shift around the rocky river I began to notice something... I could hear the river all of a sudden! Okay, maybe not so sudden. Could have slowly developed after the sight or something. Either way, it was nice to have another sense back, and even nicer welcome back to my hearing to be a babbling brook. I wasn't gonna question these turn of events.

I gazed around the river and its surroundings. Yes, I was looking, but it also easily doubled as a nice sight see. Might not have been that long a time inside the darkness with nothing to look at, but you never know what you have until it's gone as it goes.

Speaking of, seeing was kinda weird. Then again two processing centers through one set of eyeballs is going to suffer compatibility issues. It was almost normal in a way. I couldn't turn our head, or direction of our eyes, but I could focus on Pinkamena's peripheral vision and see things in decent definition. So long as Pinkamena looked in the general direction of something I could still focus on it as if I wasn't bound to the eyeball whims of a small filly.

"Soooo, what's the rockball look like? I'm not a rock aficionado." I didn't even have to look away from the eye window to know imagination Pinkamena gave me a look of absolute disgust, demanding me amend my post question statement. "I'm not a rock enthu-... not a rock focused pony."

The eye window showed Pinkamena's vision wander along the river, glancing side to rocky side. "Well, it's really really round. Like a ball. Kinda grey. Bit of blue."

Well, ask a stupid question.

I let my eyes take in our surroundings, trying to see a round, grey, blue rock amongst a veritable sea of rocks, in various states of roundness and grey-ness. There was the river, with random assorted rocks and pebbles here or there, there was quite a large mountainous incline on the other side of the river and a decently sized rocky slope to our right. I saw nothing rockball shaped though. 'Agh. I don't see it here. Uh, what direction is the west quarry you were playing in exactly?'

I heard her hum lightly and saw her turn a bit to our right, facing the slope. "Kinda thataway."

I hummed in return, glancing back towards the river. 'Follow along the river that way then.' I feel a twinge of paranoia, which brought on my hope that the rockball didn't roll and flow too far away. Or got lodged into the kinda mountain. That line of thinking arose to mind a specific thought. 'Uh, any time you're suppose to get home by Pinks?'

I could hear the hesitation in the words that followed that question. "U-uhm, I should have an hour left."

Should. What a lovely little word. Ripe for abuse as well, that little word. A little word acting as a warning to my logic. The sooner the better, I decided. I sharpened my vision, focusing on detail and discerning over admiring. Blegh, felt like I was nitpicking a Leonardo painting.

Not much happened for awhile. Just a little, pink filly walking along a small, little river, in search of a rockball of unknown size. Well, unknown to half of her at least. Then again, half of two hundred percent is one hundred, though that was assuming I, myself, was running at full tilt. Yeah, I should lay off the math.

The longer it took the more I began to worry about the fate of the little -I hoped little- rockball. I didn't want Pinkamena to return home empty hoofed so near, or even after, her curfew. I couldn't claim if losing a rockball warranted as serious a response Limestone had given or not, but either way, I really wanted to help Pinks get it back. If only I could pick it ou- oh, dang it.

'Pinks, stop moving will ya? I think I see it.'

Despite only moving at a light trot and holding hardly any momentum she still screeched to a stop. Upon halting in place she looked around, trying to see what I had saw. "Huh? Where? I don't see it."

I let out a sigh, equal parts frustration and exasperation, some exasperation because she turned her vision to places I couldn't have even seen. "The river, Pinks, look to the river." Why? Why would I sigh? Because in the middle of the little of the river, stream, brook, there was quite the round rock that seemed to match the color description. Under easily eight, probably more, inches of water. That little river apparently had more than meets the eye, beneath its surface. And, from the looks of it, the river had grown a tad wider than from whence we started.

"Ooooh, sediment."

'Agreed.'

Quest update, found rockball. Part two, find a way to get rockball out without drowning pink ponies. I mean, if it was eight or so inches of lake water, that would be one thing, but I wasn't about to send Pinkamena into the rocky river rapids.

I heard Pinkamena groan, mirroring my frustration as she shook her vision side to side. "Well, now how am I supposed to get that home?"

I wracked my brain, as no doubt Pinkamena was doing the same. How would we get a decently hefty rock out of a decently paced river, that held the previously mentioned rock in a nice little dip?

I drew from the greatest thinker to ever thinker, and wrapped my hoof against my forehead and repeated the sacred mantra, "Think, think, think." We could just roll up into the river and push it out, but I didn't think going home, drenched and cutting curfew so close was a good idea. '... Uh, look around a bit, see if there's anything around we can use to... I don't know, push it or leverage it out.'

And so she did. She set out her gaze across our side of the river, and the side across the not so rapid rapids. Searching for just about anything that could aid us. "Aha!" What?

It took me a second to see exactly why Pinkamena was 'aha-ing' about. The subject of such celebration was raised before my eye window. It was magnificent, it was amaz- nah it was a stick. Not even all that sturdy or long. Pinkie I was disappoint. 'Not gonna work.'

"What? Why not?"

Can you not see, dear Pinkie, that your stick be too dinky?

'Base of the idea is right enough. Use a stick to push the rock, but that stick in particular is too small to accomplish anythin'. What we really need is a branch. One that's thick enough on both ends but still light enough for you to use.'

She turned around, letting the stick fall to the ground. I saw the eye window narrow towards the slope, particularly what appeared to be a hefty branch near the top. Pinkamena moved towards the slope, and began to climb it slowly in a grueling looking process. After almost slipping on loose gravel, she pulled herself triumphantly to the top, scrambling to her hooves. Had to admit, she was a sturdy little filly.

She walked lightly over to a much bigger stick, like a large tree limb stripped of all its extraneous and fragile branches. "Think this would work?"

Could be a bit heavy, but it would probably be our best shot. 'Yeah, I guess. Hafta get across the river to push the rockball out onto the right river bank though.'

She nodded in understanding, grabbing the limb with her teeth. "Alright." With one hard tug she dislodged it from its resting place and sent it sliding down the slope. She spat and spluttered lightly, I couldn't imagine it tasted all that good.

She slid down after the limb, kinda stumbled upon landing on solid ground, but carried that momentum to the riverside, and glanced up and down the waters. "Uh, maybe we could use those?" She pointed her hoof at a few stones jutting from the river's surface.

A bit of an annoying way, the rocks weren't even in all that straight of a line, but it was better than nothing I supposed. But, 'How are ya going to get the branch over? I think you can use it to shift the rockball, but I doubt you can jump across the rocks and drag that thing with ya.'

Her eyes squinted slightly, shifting from the branch to the rocks until they settled on the opposite bank of the river. "I think I have an idea."

Well I sure didn't. What was going through her little filly mind? She trotted back over to the limb and seemed to inspect it. 'What are you-' She grabbed it with her front hooves and threw the branch up to the best of her ability, one end stuck firmly on the ground while the rest got about eighty percent upright before falling back down. But, she didn't let it meet the ground. She quickly got into position and bucked the branch with all her might.

The branch danced through the air a decent ways, and much to my surprise, cleared the river, landing with a heavy thump on the other side. 'Good air.'

"Now I just have to hop across the rocks... and I can get the rockball back." She positioned herself in front of the rocky line and tried to psych herself up. Though I could feel her trepidation as she looked on the river and its rocks.

'Don't worry, Pinks. Just take it one rock at a time. No need to rush.' I heard her take a deep breath and let it out. Calming her down quite a bit. She readied herself once again, lining up her aim and before long she leapt.

Now, the river was pretty shallow, so it wouldn't have been a travesty if we fell in, at least in a best case scenario, but then explaining the soaking wet filly would be annoying and would be a blow to Pinkamena's morale. Best to be avoided. And I think some of Pinkamena's fear was starting to hit me, as we sailed through the air, from riverbank to the first rock. Adrenalin pumping, stomach dropping...

I heard the click of hooves on stone before I properly knew if we landed or not. A bit of sway back and forth and we stopped. Pinkamena breathed a sigh of relief, I did as well, well with less actual breathing. "Okay... not that bad."

She took another breath and leapt, much more confident than the last. Boy, that was a mistake.

She made it to the second rock, but not at the same time. Her front hooves landed, but her back hooves dangled into the water. "Gah! Cold cold." She had my sympathies.

She thrashed her back hooves furiously to get fully onto the rock. She thrashed and clawed at the rock and quickly landed her left back hoof onto it, but in her rush one of the front hooves slipped off into the river, throwing her off kilter as that caused her to spin half way around with quite a bit of force, and splashing more water around her.

She groaned from the cold waters and the general frustration from the faltering. She quickly shifted her weight and rolled the rest of the way onto the rock, but what confused me was that she sat up and was rubbing one of her back hooves. 'What's the rub?'

"I hit something real hard with my hoof." That had to suck. I wondered what she hi-

Then I heard the rumbling. 'Pinkie, please tell me that that's just me.'

I saw her vision flit towards the rumbling. A single, small rock with a wet sheen finished tumbling off to the ground besides our large branch, a few smaller pebbles it dislodged following it down. Her gaze inched upwards along the pseudo mountain that rose from the riverbank we were jumping to. Her vision was greeted by the sight of larger, teetering rocks and boulders, ready to make an absolute flat cake out of both of us.

I didn't expect to face such fatal mortality so soon. I didn't even need Pinkamena's fear, which I did indeed feel, to know such terror. 'I take it back, rush!' Without sparing a moment to respond Pinkamena leapt to her hooves and made a leap for the riverbank away from the teetering tower of terror. 'Fly you fool!'

"I don't have any wings!"

We hit the bank and Pinkamena ran towards the slope, beginning to climb it by the time the horrifying sounds of crashing rock met our ears. Her vision twitched back a bit. 'Don't look back!' Of course she did anyway. Rocks were falling, certifiable boulders were rolling down and hitting down upon the river, splashing water pretty far for such a, mostly, shallow river.

All that in a split second before she turned back and scrambled with renewed vigor. Granted that could have also been my mantra in her mind's ear, 'Climb, climb, climb, climb...'

She did, bless her little, pink heart. She climbed faster than before, and made quite the great time compared to when she climbed it to get the branch. In mere moments she was up and over the slope.

Pinkamena just laid there for a while, huddled near the edge of the slope as the sounds of rock clattering into the river played out behind us. I felt her shiver, the fear persisting through whatever sense of safety the slope could have given her. God, I felt useless. I glanced over in our imaginscape, seeing her projected self mirroring her huddled, shivering physical form.

... I would earn that trust.

I sidled over slightly and draped a foreleg over her shoulders. I knew better than to ask the idiotic question of 'are you okay.' I was better than that. I would be better than that. She didn't need questions. She needed reassurance. "I'm here for you Pinks. I'm here for you." She perked up at my words, her imagined self looking towards me, and hugged me once again. I didn't miss a beat that time, and returned the hug. "Now, how about we go get that rockball?"

She looked up from our hug, confusion plain on her face. "What do you mean? It's gotta be buried by now."

I gave her a confident smile, which hid my own misgivings on the poor rockball's condition. "We have to at least look. We didn't come all this way and start a rockslide to give up now... Impossible burial notwithstanding." That seemed to bring a small smile to her face, fear having vanished for the time being.

She gave a quick nod. "I-I hope you're right... I don't want Limestone to still be angry at me." What. That little comment gave me a mental stall, but she gave her attention back to her physical body, and stood up from her huddled position.

She took a calming breath and slowly made her way to the slopes edge, like a student fearing what grade lay upon the other side of the paper. As she peered over the edge she closed her eyes, which I admit did annoy me. Just look, please, it was killing me enough as it was that my advice led to Pinkamena's first brush with death, no matter how distant it was. Just get it over with and see if Limestone would continue to be stone cold.

A breath in, a breath out, once more in, and she opened her eyes wide! Oh, thank god the rockslide missed the rockball. Honestly by quite a large margin if I was honest. A quick survey of the altered landscape revealed that the rockslide had stuffed up the river, leaving the rockball in a small puddle. 'Uh, was this river important or anything?'

I shouldn't have said that. "Oh, no... What if it is? Was? Oh no, oh no..."

Good going me, you broke the happy. 'Now don't get your tail into a tizzle, rockball first, worrying later.'

I wasn't sure as to the effectiveness of my advice, but it at least put her mind onto doing something before lamenting in horror at what we both hath wrought onto the poor little river.

She heeded my advice and slid down the slope once more, glancing at the pile of rubble as she trotted to the rockball. "That, ah, was too close." Upon closer inspection the rubble wall wasn't a complete block. While it stopped most of the flow to allow Pinkamena to easily walk around the rockball, steady, if small, streams of water were pouring between the cracks between rocks. And, ah, our poor branch that so valiantly volunteered for the rockball rescue, it was trapped like a lion underneath a pile of logs. Only a bit reversed I guess. It tried either way.

'Maybe not as close as it could have been, luckily.'

Pinkamena trotted next to the rockball and began to push against it, rather easily slipping it out of its dip. That was also the first time I got a clear look at the rockball. It was indeed quite round, not bowling ball round though. What surprised me the most was that it was basically a third of Pinkamena in size, maybe half. How on ear- well, I guess Equestria, did she kick that all the way to the river? Normal ball maybe, bu-but it was solid rock.

I guess it didn't matter in the end. At least we got the rockball back in a relatively short time. Though... the river was a big bummer.

I saw Pinkamena's vision flit from the rockball to the slope. 'Think you could kick the thing up there without going overboard?'

Pinkamena tilted her head before nodding. "Yeah, I can do that." She quickly got into position and gave the rockball a swift kick that easily sent the rockball up and over the slope.

Wow. Rockfarm does a filly good.

Pinkamena turned her attention back to the impromptu dam we had created. "We can't just leave the river like this. Can we?"

'I mean. We can. We just probably shouldn't. I guess we should try and dislodge one of the bigger rocks, cause a chain reaction. Less risk of getting caught by tumbling rocks.'

"I don't know." Huh? Okay, guess I was a tad shocked she didn't just agree with me from the get go. Kinda glad she didn't, I realized, I didn't want to accidentally turn Pinkie into a puppet for my uses. Damnit, I almost did the thing. I had to be on the watch for that in the future, I decided. A puppet can't laugh properly after all. Alright, that was enough being edgy to last til Pinks was a teenager, I had to get back to the matter at hoof hand.

'Alright, hit me with your idea. What should we push first?'

She trotted lightly over to the branch that was jutting from the rubble. "I think we should move this first."

'Not to undermine your decision making, but may I ask why? I'd think the rocks would be pressing down on it too hard.'

"I don't know. I just have a feeling about that branch right now."

Pinkie Sense. Stinking Pinkie Sense, it had to be! Or maybe I was overreacting to nothing. Would need to be on the lookout for Pinkie Sense development in the future. Either way, believing Pinkamena at every whim could also prove dangerous. A balance must be struck. Later. 'Well, you should trust your gut from time to time. Go for it, just be careful and don't be crushed. I don't want to see what being between a rock and the even bigger rock that is the planet would look like.'

Before I even finished she had set her teeth into the branches bark and started to pull. And she continued to pull, branch hardly moving at all. 'Think you might wanna switch targets.'

"Noh! I'ff almost goht ith!" I seriously doubted that. At least until the branch just whooshed right out of the rocks like its planet needed it. "Wah!"

The branch practically flew off to who knows where, mainly unknown because the boulders were quite angry at our branch heist and moved to make us pay. Luckily Pinkamena didn't require any prompt to shoot up the slope once more, yet again, as if she were using stairs, she had gotten so good at it.

'Ya think all these rocks coming after ya is them seeking revenge over the farm?'

She ignored my comment, rude, and looked towards the river, a smile blossoming upon her muzzle. I'd have clapped if I hadn't been busy sighing in relief. The river was flowing again, maybe not exactly as it once did, but flow it did. With more rocks jutting from its sometimes shallow waters but Pinkamena did it.

"I did it."

'Good job Pinks. Rockball acquired, river returned, and nary a scratch or splash on ya.'

"Hah, that was kind of fun." She was breathing a bit heavily. I couldn't blame her, one and a half mortal situations while in the search for a toy ball to placate an angered sister would be harsh for anyone. And proves I was, indeed, in a cartoon in my opinion.

'Welp. Should probably get the rockball a rolling. Ain't gonna be dusk much longer'

I think she yawned, I wasn't too sure. I myself may have started to become tired as well, however that works, for voice beings. "That's a good idea."

She gently rolled the rockball along with her nose, getting good distance per nose push. Other than that I didn't notice too much. I guess I was even more tired than I thought, as I just kinda ghosted a bit, not taking too much in or saying anything.

Before I knew it, we were nearing the rockfarm, a quaint little cottage all things considered. But, any admiring I was doing was interrupted by a sudden shout, "Pinkamena! Where were you?!"

I felt Pinkamena tense at the filly's shout. "U-uh, hey Limestone."

The gray filly stalked up to us, a confused glare on her face. "What were you doing? Ma was getting worried!"

Pinkamena perked up a little and pushed the rockball front and forward. "I went to find the rockball I-I lost."

I saw Limestone's face change, still a bit of a glare but something else mixed in that I couldn't quite discern. "Oh. Uh." She rubbed the back of her head with a hoof. "I guess, I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I didn't expect you to run off looking for it like that. I sort of thought you were avoiding me." Good, Limestone wasn't a complete jerk at least. Short temper but well meaning it would seem.

Pinkamena smiled at Limestone's response, glad her sister was forgiving, and even sorry. "Oh, it's alright Limestone. At least I-"

I knew what she was going to say. She had no reason not to say it. She was going to tell Limestone about me, and that was bad. I didn't know exactly why I thought it was bad, but running up to someone and saying 'Oh hey, I ran down by the river and developed a voice in my head!' would be a bad thing. Best case scenario would be Limestone thinking she broke her sister's mind.

My mind raced with worst case scenarios. Mental hospitals, Pinkamena being ostracized. Worse.

I had to do something right then and there!

And, I'll admit it. I-eeee, kinda panicked. 'Don't tell them about me!' I felt her tense again, her words fumbling as I spoke in her mind. Mistake was made, that was true. It required elaboration. 'Just not yet! Explain later, after formulating plans. Just- please, trust me on this!'

I held my non existent lungs in suspense as I waited for her to continue her sentence. Before she did Limestone interjected, "Uh, Pinkamena?"

The filly in question shook her head lightly. "Oh, sorry. I was just thinking over how I got the rockball back! Got a lot of exercise looking for it."

Limestone tilted her head, a small smile working its way onto her face. "I don't think you need so much exercise, Pinkamena, I mean you almost missed supper." She moved her head back, kinda gesturing towards the house. "Come on, let's head inside before ma burns supper out of worry."

She began towards the house, Pinkamena slowly following behind. Pinkamena turned her head away and whispered to me, worry evident in her voice, "Mena?"

'I'm sorry for shouting. I'll explain once I won't be distracting to you. Don't want to make your family worried about you.' She nodded and followed Limestone with more vigor.

As she followed I let my mind wander. I mainly pondered on what to do about the 'me' situation. How would we broach the subject of me to the Pie family? How would they take me? I would need to formulate something, if only just a response to any suspicions that might arise. If they find out about me, either by a mistake on our part or us actually telling them we would need to be able to placate any fears or worries they would have of me.

Either way, the rockfarm was my foreseeable future, and I would have to learn to live there. I would also need to find a way to make up to Pinkamena for yelling at her like that. That was rude. One less depressing thought did enter my mind as we crossed the cottage threshold: I wonder what the rest of the family would be like?
> Chapter 3: Supper Through the Eyes of Another
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

We quickly crossed the threshold of the little home, which was quite roomy on the inside. Bit dull in color though, if I was to be honest.

Limestone kept a good pace before, not really yelling, but spoke quite loudly, "Ma! Pinkamena's back!"

It only hit me then. If they all were worried about Pinka, why was Limestone the only one out there? Either that spoke to Limestone or spoke to the rest of the family. At least Marble had the excuse of being shy. At least so I thought. She was shy, right? Or was she just soft spoken? Guess I would find out.

Either way, a voice responded from a room over, "Oh, good. Make sure to wash up before we start Pinkamena."

Pinka nodded and called back, "Okay, Ma. I will be quick."

A part of me pondered as Pinkamena wandered to another section of the house, away from Limestone who went through the doorway, presumably to their dining room. Maybe it wasn't that big a deal in the end. I mean, they didn't even know what went down in that river bed. I would have to keep my- well my view through Pinkamena's eyes- open towards her parents.

Pinkamena moved passed a fireplace and murmured to me, "That is our fireplace," An astute observation for one who must have lived there her entire life, "We usually save the shelf for special things and special occasions, so it is empty most of the time." Huh, that was kinda sweet. I mean, my family had a fireplace we never used. Its mantle was a place for random items and dust.

'That's pretty nice.'

She nodded happily, like sharing a tidbit of family tradition was something of a big deal or accomplishment. Eh, if it made her happy. She made her way deeper into the house, and as she did I continued my eye search of the house. A simple, unassuming painting here, a simple, little sculpture there. I get it you're a rockfarm, no need to be 'most drab' in your yearbook. You get thrown into that running by being a rockfarm.

Pinkamena stopped in front of a door, plain as everything else, and moved to open it. Before her hoof could land on the metal knob it turned and opened, revealing a grey filly who looked utterly bored with life. "Oh. Hey Maud."

I should have known it from the outset, but Maud looked just a bit weird compared to her later adult self. I couldn't even pinpoint exactly what was off about her, demeanor aside. Maybe it was the missing clothing. Or she just was. Probably both.

Maud herself merely blinked and responded, "Good to see you Pinkamena. Limestone was worried, I think." Yup, her voice was monotone as a filly, which sounded just eerie, let me tell ya. I never even watched The Shining, but I would not want to run into two Mauds in a hotel corridor.

Damn it.

I never watched The Shining.

I think Pinkamena quirked an eyebrow at Maud's words, which I found odd. I thought Limestone being out front and asking Pinkamena where she was was a sign she cared about Pinka's well being, what with the nearing curfew cut off. Maybe Pinks wasn't that fast on the draw to potential subtext at that point or something. Or maybe I was drawing too much from nothing, I don't know.

Pinkamena tilted her head a tad to the side. "Really?"

Maud gave a light nod and started walking past us. "Yes. She was pacing back and forth a while ago. I was wondering what got into her."

Pinkamena 'hmm'ed and didn't seem to think on the matter much more. She just walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

Deciding that leaving as few potholes to fall into as possible was an intelligent move I spoke to Pinks, who was washing her hooves. 'So, Maud. What's her deal?'

She 'hmm'ed again and directed her eyes upward for some reason. "What do you mean?"

I rolled my mindscape eyes. Oh, you know, I was just wondering why she, a horse, was in the washroom. What else could it be? 'Well, she just seemed... strangely spoken.'

She bobbed her head side to side in thought as she scrubbed her hooves under the flow of water. "I guess. Maud has always spoken like that. I guess I am just used to it."

I gave a simple noise of acknowledgment and fell into a strange line of thought as Pinks was wrapping up her cleaning. Mainly, I wondered what I should wonder about. Like I said, strange, but overall not unforeseen, really. I mean, I could mull over once again about how I was stuck within a world that shouldn't even exist, without a body, while in the mind of a filly element of laughter to be. But, I think I was still in some level of shock.

Either that or my incorporeal mind was much better at compartmentalizing than I was aware of. I don't think it even really mattered. If anything it was a good thing. I didn't have the time to sit down and parcel through any issues that could have been and I only had Pinkamena for a shoulder to lean on, and no doubt she'd get crushed underneath the weight of any issues I could have.

God, I was going to require major assistance in the future.

I continued down that unproductive line of thought until Pinkamena spoke, her eyes still pointing up. "Mena?"

'Hmm?'

"Do you like my family?"

Well that's a loaded question. Like 'em? I literally hardly knew 'em. I mean, Maud should be fine, Limestone made a good first impression, I assumed Marble would be fine, but I couldn't be sure until I spent time around them. 'They seem fine. I don't see any reason not to like them.' Best not to make her worry.

She nodded a bit, not seeming to be bothered by my words. "I hope you like them. Then we can see if they like you."

I flinched within the mindscape. 'Uh, sorry, by the way.'

"Huh? Sorry about what?"

'Sorry that I yelled at you. I panicked, but that's hardly an excuse.'

I saw her eyes squint slightly, as if confused. "Oh, that is okay. But I wanted to ask. Why did you want me to keep you a secret from Limestone, or everypony?"

I sighed, partially dreading the conversation. 'Well... It's just that, uhm, ponies in your head isn't really a normal thing, I think. I don't want others treating you differently because of me.'

She stopped the faucet from running, staying oddly silent. I was about to worry I said something wrong when she spoke next. "I appr- app- I'm thankful for that, but don't you think my family would accept you?"

No, that's exactly why I said not to tell them. 'Potentially. But I'd rather wait and gauge them. Kinda seeing when the best time to spring it on them, if ever. Like I said, things like me ain't normal.'

I think she got what I meant, even back then it was kinda hard to tell. "Okay. But, I am going to look for that when. I don't want you to be lonely. I want you to be able to talk with Maud, Marble and Limestone too."

That... was kinda touching. She had a point, having only Pinks to talk to would probably get to me eventually, but at the same time, a game of telephone for any and all conversations wasn't that appealing to me. And I mean, if Pinkamena was so accepting of me, maybe the other fillies of the family would be as well. The parents I'd think would be less so. Only time would tell, I supposed. 'Maybe. I just wanna get settled in I guess. Don't want to drop such a big announcement without having a feel for them and a plan just yet. So... later. We might give it a shot later.'

That seemed to satisfy Pinkamena. At least she didn't press the matter or appeared bothered all that much by it. Good. The last thing I would need is for her to go behind my back, if such a thing were even possible at that point, and tell someone about me. Not that I expected her to do that, but still, paranoia runs unbidden from even the soundest of minds.

And a sound mind I was not, by definition of being a voice in another's head.

The conversation seemed to come to an end, and Pinkamena left the washroom, hooves cleaner than whence she came, though a part of me pondered if she was thinking about what I said. If what I said had any effect one way or another on her mind. What can I say? Paranoia runs unbidden. Or was that anxiety? Both sounds good.

We passed the dull painting. Passed the simple sculpture. Yeah, it was going to be hard to think of the Pie residence as a place to call home.

Pinkamena quickly trotted into what I assumed to be the dining room. I mean, there was a table, the lack of chairs hurt my biped sensibilities, and... There was normal food? Normal looking bread and salad and soup?

It might sound weird but that threw my whole soul for a loop, passed the broken yeti animatronic and I sorta blanked for a bit while Pinkamena took her place at the table. I didn't even take immediate notice of the other three Pie family members I'd yet to lay eyes on by then.

Yeah, it sounds silly to have your world blown away by the revelation that the Pie Family didn't appear to eat rocks, but I was still running on 'Oh, I'm in a Saturday morning cartoon show!' logic. That line of logic assumes quite a lot and only works if what you assume to happen happens.

So, if rock consumption was rather a strange joke that an actual reality of magical ponies couldn't rectify, then my poor brain asked itself, what else could have been altered? I don't know, it was sound logic to my still, probably damaged mind. My paranoia spread to the farthest reaches of possibility, wondering what else was not truth in television. How cold and harsh the world could be from beyond the tint of the camera.

All I really had was some blueprint to the world and events, so the idea that things may not be as I knew them was one less block of stability my new life had, which was one less than my mind could handle right about then. It might be common sense to assume a fictional, candy land like Equestria wouldn't be one to one when comparing it to the 'actual' Equestria, so I guess I was oh to two against the world. Maybe three.

Either way, character personalities, major episode events, and general speculation were all down the drain. Making me feel like I was in the middle of Marianas Trench without my floaties on. General presumptions still applied, if barely and only due to contractual obligations. Thank Celestia for small blessings.

It was about then my mind just sorta said, 'Screw it, worry about dictator Celestia or whatever later, family time now!' and zoned back into the conversation that was going on without me. God, I hope Pinks didn't say anything stupid.

"- and was very irresponsible of you. You could have been hurt or worse with such a stunt." Said a mature, woman's -I suppose mare's- voice in a sort of detached tone.

Ah, Pinks said something stupid. Probably mentioned the rock-alanche. How long had I blanked out for the conversation to get there that fast? Scratch that. How had Pinkamena been affected much by such words?

Oof, she hadn't taken it too well. Her gaze turned toward the table, er, deeper into the table I suppose. Man, I probably should have paid better attention. Didn't even get a glance at Pinkamena's mother. What even was her name? Never did learn that.

My 'insides' churned lightly, if only because I felt like I should have been paying better attention for Pinkamena's sake. A mental note to myself: pay better attention. Ya idiot.

Not too long after an adult stallion's voice sounded not too long after the bit of silence fell over the table, "Your actions were quite reckless Diane. While you did get it back, which is commendable, we cannot condone your hazardous methods at all. We must ask that you and your sisters come to us in such situations in the future, so you do not act rashly without such luck and get hurt."

God, I hated that tone of voice. I always loathed anyone who used that kind of tone when admonishing someone, no matter how factually right they were. I get it, try to make sure Pinkamena doesn't do that again in the off hand chance 'because it worked last time' was enough to convince her to risk things again. But the way they both spoke, so sanitized like it wasn't worth the emotion, coupled with their admonishing words hit the wrong buttons for me. Couldn't ya have at least ended the damn sentence with the praise? Let her have the ending note cushion the pain of the idea, if not downright reality of parental disappointment? Ya mustard rock.

And besides, they weren't there! They weren't there when Pinks avoided the rock slide, and lay shivering on the slope. Honestly that's what aggravated me the most. They didn't even show much emotion over all that, as if she just toppled and broke a line of rock sculptures, not almost crushed.

I was going to hate their parenting style, and perhaps outright them, wasn't I?

I grit my metaphorical teeth and didn't speak. Pinkamena didn't need me distracting her during all that. Words of reassurance later.

Pinkamena merely nodded lightly, "Yes Pa." Her eyes moving around the table a bit allowing me to see Marble's concerned face, a concern Limestone seemed to share though mixed in with something else. Awe maybe? Concern? Even Maud's impassive expression allowed for... something. I pondered if I would ever understand her face. Correction, I pondered if I would understand any face.

Speaking of faces, Marble was just adorable. And it was nice to see Pinkie's sisters at least seemingly have her back. Oh, sure they wouldn't speak out against their parents, I wouldn't expect them to, but at least they showed more concern than their freaking parents.

Things appeared to be slightly uncomfortable for a bit longer. Well, uncomfortable for the foals at least, their parents on the other hand just seemed real freakin' dandy. I couldn't tell if their impassive expressions were from emotional detachment or just how they were raised to do things. Who knows, maybe I was just an inept parental figure, but until that could be confirmed I felt free to pass judgement.

Supper was quite the quiet affair. After Pinks relayed her story and got admonished for it nobody else seemed to want to speak. I am ashamed to say I clammed up as well. I just had no idea what to say to Pinks. No idea what could make her feel better. If anything I could say would make her feel better.

Once more I found myself absorbed into my thoughts. Primarily how I wished I could taste the soup Pinka was eating. Sight and sound were the most important senses to have gotten and I was thankful to have them, but I had to admit there was a bit of anxiety that came with the lack of feeling. Seeing but not feeling the soup, not tasting it, just churned my insides. It was just wrong. It was on the same level as not being able to breath despite trying to; the expectations you've come to, well, expect but them not actually happen was honestly drowning me in mental anguish. It hurt me.

The entire supper just seemed to drag on. No talking, obviously no tv or phone to distract me, I wouldn't start talking if I could and my only distraction being the absolute lack of worth and taste of that freakin' soup was doing me no favors. It looked so good, or maybe I was beginning to suffer from 'not being able to taste anything syndrome' so badly that anything that looked at least decent was ambrosia for my eyes. Er, me through Pinkamena's eyes.

Fun fact there is nothing more stifling and awkward than complete silence in a group of people.

If I wasn't so self conscious about bothering Pinkamena I would have sighed in relief when dear Pa spoke and released us from our social prison, "Alright. I believe it is time to get ready for bed girls."

The four fillies nodded, each of them pushed their own dishes away from the table's edge and began to leave the dining room in something like a single file line. Not that I could blame them, after a dinner like that I'd want to be unassuming and 'god please dad let's just go to bed and not deal with this in the morning.' too.

Suddenly my father being passive and not all that 'there', despite being there, wasn't so bad.

I merely hoped that the first impressions weren't the be all end all of the parents. I wouldn't hold my breath, but I was more hoping for Pinka's sake than my own. While I wasn't above lying to her, I would prefer to have a greater chance for honesty if at all possible.

Even then I felt a bit torn. Torn between not thinking about those 'certain things' and not knowing what the god damn I was going to do or should do while attempting to set up chess master tricks for the future to net myself a non painful existence. I did feel a tad blessed to be honest. At least I wasn't ported to the Naruto-verse or anything. I preferred not dying, thank you very much. Or being subjected to any of the other gajillion horrors most anime worlds had to offer should one live in them like little Hotel Californias. Mainly 'cause death was never quite the end in most of them.

On other hand -hoof I suppose- I still had to contend with Equestria's own craziness, such as demon centaurs of soul sucking doom, shape shifting love eating bugs, whatever the hell was in the Everfree -the Blanks somehow still occupying space in my worries somehow-, and heck, I could see little Billy goat necromancer Grogar Gruff shuffling around somewhere in the bowels of Equestria or beyond, biding time to kick my tush in when I least expect, like a jerk.

By Celestia's horn, the Storm King was gonna be a thing wasn't he?

Damnit.

I never watched the Movie. Either of em! And I owned the Blu-rays too.

My brain started to hurt again, from both the thoughts of home and the ever expanding future worries that refused to let me rest, so I decided to retire from chess mastering. Ever.

Not much happened between my, what? Third, fourth foray into mental tangents. God, I was going to need to do better.

Limestone had brushed her teeth, or at least that's best I could guess as Maud left right after Lime got back. All the while the sisters were making sure their beds, two bunk beds, were ready and nice for sleeping. Nice and practical. From what I could tell Pinka and Marble shared one bunk while Maud and Limestone shared the other.

I could have sworn Limestone was looking our way but Pinks was too intent on her bed to notice the feeling of being watched, or perhaps she was avoiding her gaze, after that dinner I could have bought just about anything. Either way Maud came back and Pinkamena climbed down from her bed and walked down the hall back towards the washroom.

As she walked I heard her almost whisper, "Mena?"

'Yeah, Pinks?'

"Was getting the rockball back really that bad?"

Jesus, that should never be a question asked. 'Of course not! While... they weren't completely wrong, you did a good! It was a good thing to get the rockball back. If anything it was out of nowhere shenanigans that were to blame.'

Pinkamena nodded and she entered the washroom. Before she started brushing her teeth, as expected, she muttered, "I am sorry Mena. Supper is usually better than that..."

I made a simple noise of agreement as she began to brush her teeth. 'We'll just have to get better at things I suppose. Cause as far as I'm concerned you did nothing wrong. Maybe a bit of tempting fate but you could hardly control that.'

Pinka answered with a noncommittal noise, not like I could blame her. Mustard rock killed any kind of conversational emotion. I didn't sign up for this.

We didn't speak further while she finished brushing and headed back to the bunk bed room.

Marble headed out for her round of teeth care while Pinkamena went back to tending to her upper bunk and before I knew it Limestone was standing in front of the lamp on the set of drawers between the beds. "Night Maud, Marble, Pinkamena."

Everypony else echoed the sentiment, even Marble, surprisingly.

I mulled it over for a moment before murmuring , 'Good night...'

As the light went out and the sound of Limestone's hooves clopping towards her bed I felt strange. For the first time since I found myself in Pinkamena's head I felt like an invader. Like I didn't belong at all or was a parasite. As that thought lodged itself into my mind, I'm sure if I had a physical body I would have paled. Was I a threat to Pinkamena? Was I taking any sort of toll, physical or mental?

Sure, I thought, multiple personalities existed, but what would the cost be if a full mind was shunted into another living thing?

I was knocked from my paranoia as I heard a quiet hum from Pinkamena.

I turned to the young filly within our shared mindscape, who appeared agitated. I was confused and quirked an eyebrow at the young mental filly. "Uh, you... want to talk?" I guessed.

She nodded her head, keeping her annoyed look and I simply wondered ho-

I slapped my nonphysical form, which honestly felt worse due to the lack of feeling, and groaned that it took me that long to think of the solution. "You know. You could just think what you want to say, real hard at me like you did... well you."

Her eyes went wide at the revelation, like an archangel floated down on wings of ivory to deliver the truth of candy land or something. She went full concentration mode and managed to speak a bit. "This... is... kinda... we-rd."

You'd think it would be easy, but I guess there's a big enough difference between lightly pondering your words and deliberately sending them somewhere that wasn't your mouth. "Welcome to my world. It's your head." At least that put a small smile on her face. "But, I do believe you should be heading to bed." Her smile vanished and she seemed to want to say something in response when I cut her off, "Not because I don't want to talk to you Pinks! Just that I don't think bedtime is a good time to try learning this. Besides with the chaotic evening you had you could use a restful sleep." That at least seemed to pacify her immediate complaint. "And besides," I said, leaning towards her, "We can work on our mental communications tomorrow and TOMORROW night stay up later chattin'. How's that sound?"

She thought on my proposal for a moment or two before nodding her head. "Oak key... O-KAY." She corrected her mental pronunciation, seeming happy with herself. "N-Ight M-Men-a."

With that her little mental self sat down and seemed fine letting sleep slowly take her. I waited a moment to let her get all cozy and half asleep, smiling a bit myself. "Night Pinkie Pie."

With Pinks' eyes closed all I had was one, practically already, asleep filly and the infinite void of the mind as well as a question.

Could I sleep? Dream?

I was almost gripped by fear at the thought. What would happen to me if I did dream? I didn't have a body, I was by all accounts merely a phantom of the mind. If I fell asleep and didn't wake up you couldn't shake me awake. If I dreamed, would I dream Pinkie's dreams or would our dreams interact? Would I even dream?

Only one way to find out, I thought.

I closed my not eyes and tried to get comfortable a little ways from Pinkie's mental self, no need to make it awkward. I tried my best to let the dark of sleep take me and simply hoped I would wake up again, either there with Pinkie or home in my body.

To my tired surprise, sleep did eventually begin to overcome me and I thought one last hope before I blanked out for the night: I hoped that the world would be kind in the morning and let me and Pinkie rest.

I didn't dream. Either that or I forgot like usual. I wondered if Pinkie's dreams were nice, if she did dream. Honestly, upon retrospect I was glad for my formless sleep. That thanks was overlooked the next morning...

"Girls! It is time to get up. Time to do chores."

Pinkie's dad's voice rang through the room and I could have sworn I heard Limestone grumble from the sudden awakening. I myself groaned and shifted, feeling the cloth wrapped around me

I could fee-

My breath immediately hitched-

I breathe.

My eyes snapped open and the ceiling above Pinkie's bed greeted me. That and strands of straight pink hair. The void nowhere in sight.

Any rest I got from the night before went up in the flames of stress from only five seconds of being awake. New record, yay...

Any rest I got from the night before went up in the flames of stress from only five seconds of being awake. New record, yay...
> Chapter 4: Physicality
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It really felt like the universe enjoyed my emotional ping pong match that had been the past, not even, twenty four hours.

I slowly turned to see Limestone crawl from her bed, seemingly annoyed as I would have been if it weren't for my, shall we say, unique position. My mind blazed with questions with such intensity it felt much like the previous day, and like the day before, answers were in short supply. I took a deep breath and simply stared at the ceiling, accepting that I most assuredly didn't have as much time to come to grips with my situation as I had before.

I quickly tried to take stock of my predicament, to better prepare myself for whatever allotted time I had ahead, when I felt a small prod in my side. I flinched, of course, you go a day or so without functioning nerves and see how you'd react. I quickly glanced in the direction of the prod to see Marble being the source. She had an expression of sympathy, I think, and gestured her head lightly in the direction of the doorway of the room.

I think I got what she meant and nodded, Marble returning the nod before heading back to whatever morning routine she had. That caused another light bout of anxiety, what with me having no idea what Pinkamena's morning checklist was or what would be expected of me.

But I didn't have the time for a 'woe is me'-athon, I had reality to face. Horrible, terrible reality.

I shifted my position and started to crawl to the bunk beds ladder, and it was with that act that I learned two things. One, ladders, or at least this ladder was at more of an extreme angle, making it less of a climb and more like glorified stairs, making it easier to traverse, quite smart for a bed design. Thing two I discovered, I didn't know how to freaking walk as a quadruped. Shit.

Despite the painful realization, which also brought along just how freaking weird it was to feel again, not to mention how weird a pony body was in general, I had no choice but to continue. No time to simply enjoy the softness of the beds blankets. A softness I took for granted in a previous life.

Ignoring my freaked out nerves and half my common sense, I tried to make my way down the ladder in the most conflicting combination of quickly and carefully. Carefully because I actually wanted to make progress, but quickly, as taking forever would cast attention on me when all I really wanted was to disappear back into the mind void.

Regardless, I took my first tentative step down the ladder and on both an instinctual and spiritual level knew it was gonna suck. I got as far as putting my second front hoof on the second rung from the top before my brain short circuited. What the hell should I do with my stinking, stubby hind legs? Not having much time to properly realize I was playing that qwop parody, immersion mode, I quickly moved my hind left leg to the first rung, moving my first front hoof forward and tried my best not to die.

One, two, three, one, four, two or so was my bumbling methodology to going down the ladder. It was actually going quite well, surprisingly. I felt like a god!

And then one of my traitorous hind hooves got caught on one of the final rungs of the ladder sending me tumbling to the floor. Ah, pain. An odd reunion indeed. I surprisingly missed you.

"Are you alright, Pinkamena?" I heard the monotone, but sort of welcome voice of Maud ask.

"Uh, y-yee-yeah, I, ah, I'm okay." I tried my best not to wince at the sound of Pinkie's voice coming from, what was at the time, my mouth. It also didn't help that it felt like I was out of practice when it came to talking in general. "I just, um, slept wrong! Yeah. Made moving feel weird. Yeah..." I bumbled as I looked up at the stoic face of Pinkie's sister.

Half of me wanted to strangle me for that topic dodge. The other half wanted an Oscar.

Didn't help that it was Maud who was judging my performance. Was I convincing? Was I obviously a body snatcher? Was I Tommy Wiseau? No one would ever know, as all I got back was, "Ah. Hopefully your body will come back under your control in time for chores. I do not want to see Pa or Ma get onto you again so soon."

Me neither, sister.

"Hopefully." I wobbly got up off the floor and onto my hooves, feeling an odd combination of too heavy and too light. "Uh, w-what do you think I should do before breakfast?" I had to fish for information, sure it was a gamble, but my inner scumbag knew I could milk the 'slept wrong' and 'yesterday has me shook' cards to great effect and get away with more than just any ol' day.

I think Maud was hit by the latter card, as something shifted in her expression, however small the change was. "You should take care of your bed mane. I doubt it would help with moving rocks today."

I nodded, as I tried my best to keep a neutral expression. "T-that's a good idea, Uh, thanks. I'm gonna go... do that." I stood there a bit awkwardly, not wanting Maud to watch me attempt to plod my way to the washroom to fix my mane, or walking in general. But, I had no choice.

I took a quiet but deep breath and let it out as a sigh. Once again I tried my 'fast but careful' tactic, and turned, thankful that Pinkie knew to brush her teeth every night. I didn't think I could get away with asking for directions in her own home. She was surprisingly too normal for that.

I absolutely refused to look back as I slowly-ish moved around my bed and through the doorway, begging to Celestia that I didn't look stupid, or could at least pass it off under the 'slept weird' card. As I slowly trod I knew I had to get the basics of walking down before everypony else shrugged off the mist of midmorning wakefulness.

Someone walking weird in the morning can be brushed off. Walking weird at dinner calls for an exorcism.

Luckily, I was unimpeded on my journey to the washroom and got there faster than I thought I would. Another boon was that nopony else occupied it, allowing me a brief moment of respite. Yet another small miracle was finding Pinkie's hairbrush was extraordinarily easy to find, what with Pinkie -and by extension me- being the only one with pink hair.

Brush in hoof, I clumsily set to tidying my mane. My hand eye coordination was already only okay, so being dexterous with the new limbs was going to be a challenge, but necessary, especially if Pinkie was going to disappear like that in the future. If she hadn't disappeared for good...

I shook my head. I couldn't think that. Pinkie wasn't gone for good. She couldn't be. There's no way I could take her place as the Element of Laughter. Well... maybe I could. I did have a decent decade and a half or so to live and grow in her stead, to warp myself into her intended image and lose myself in the role, but I didn't want to. It would be one thing to awaken as Pinkie and be forced to live as her, but I met her, talked with her, she was made real in my mind. How could I live a life I knew wasn't my own with a true smile?

With one last tug I felt the final knot in my mane give way and opened my eyes to stare myself in the mirror.

Baby blue eyes stared back, eyes that were embedded in a young face I couldn't believe was me in some capacity. A face that wasn't me in a much larger capacity.

I groaned and shook my head, that was enough reflection for a while.

I set the brush back in its place and turned to face the washroom door. It looked far bigger than any door I'd seen before, for some reason, heavier too. I took a deep breath and pushed it open. Nopony was around. I was beginning to find that less of a blessing and more of a tension builder.

My brain wanted to ponder on the what ifs of being found out, due to that tension, but I squashed that line of thought. Less think-y, more do-y. If only to avoid my own paranoia.

The hallway I walked down felt a lot more menacing somehow, and as I was heading back to the dinner table -breakfast table I suppose- I tried to let the tension fade from my shoulders and try to fall into character for however long it took for Pinkie to resurface. Which sucked. I was never an actor, well, beyond age twelve at least. Robin Hood with wooden spoons for swords was my forte, not pseudo depressed pink ponies.

The door frame to the fabled meal room lay before me, a quickly looming aura of fate infused within its wood.

It didn't help that I lacked a good frame of reference for pre-Ponyville era Pinkie Pie. How was she supposed to act? Louder than Marble? Quieter than Limestone? How happy or down was she supposed to be? The day before was a poor example of how Pinkie would normally act, so I knew exactly how to act to compensate.

I'd act bland, boring and average. Or die trying. I wasn't too keen on my odds on that split though.

As I passed through the frame, resigned to my fate, I spied dear mother setting the table. It took me a bit of will power to refrain from falling into my 'there is no rock soup' panic coma, but the... hay bacon? Hay bacon. The hay bacon looked quite nice and smelled quite good as well. For hay. As I ran through those thoughts I figured not surviving off rock soup for years was an adequate concession in return for possible timeline deviation.

Mother turned to face me, a neutral expression ever present. "Ah, Pinkamena. Did you sleep well?"

That most profound of conversation starters. "Uh, the sleep itself was fine, but, uh, I think I slept a bit wrong. Had, uhm, a slow start this morning."

Her expression changed to what I'd call contemplative, and even a bit soft, but still detached, looking to my eyes. "Hopefully you will feel better dear. If you still feel off during chores just tell us and we will help you work through it."

Not the worst response in the world, I suppose. I gave a small smile of supposed appreciation, and I mean small. Couldn't risk giving off poofy mane Pinkie vibes. Normality, be the background pony, not the displaced twenty something pretending to be their daughter.

Ma returned my smile with a light one of her own as she turned back to setting the table for breakfast. Decent interaction. No idea what to do next though.

I had the urge to offer my services and help with breakfast in some way, but I both still held some apprehension towards Mother, and I didn't want to risk ruining breakfast with my lack of coordination. It was a miracle I finagled my way around the house as it was.

Awkwardly, I took the same place at the table as Pinkamena did the previous night and was once more torn. Which was more out of place, staying silent or making conversation?

Luckily I was saved from that particular conundrum as Limestone walked into the dining room. God, she looked like I felt to some degree. Less paranoia and anxiety but definitely that tired.

She walked in like walking death, offering a morning greeting to the both of us, "Morning Ma, morning Pinkamena."

"Morning Limestone." Me and Ma echoed each other.

Ma continued, "How was your sleep Limestone?"

If it weren't for my unique position as an unwitting body snatcher I would swear Limestone was worse off than me. I take it back, walking death is too kind for how she looked. She somehow looked worse than she did rolling out of bed. "Ugh, slept like Tartarus."

Mother turned her eyes, which held admonishing annoyance I'd call it, towards Lime. "Limestone." She said, warning-ly, "I would ask you to not use such language."

Limestone appeared to hold in an eye roll and turned to me. I offered a sympathetic shrug, at least I thought it was sympathetic. I mean, Tartarus was a place that actually existed. Then again, it was a high security prison so it might not be common knowledge. But still. Who were we to judge her expression of poor sleep?

It wasn't long until Maud and Marble joined us at the table as well, with Father exiting what I believed to be the kitchen, carrying a large plate of pancakes. Large enough for each of us to have a decent take.

Nice.

Breakfast was a quiet affair, overall. Marble and Maud didn't really add anything beyond typical morning hellos, though even Maud's resting nothing face did little to belay the, sometimes split second, stares and glances she threw my way during our meal. I admit, it set me on edge slightly, if only because she witnessed my morning struggle. Which left me questioning, was she worried over her sister having a tough morning tumble, or her sister not acting herself?

Father reminded us of our morning goals and chores as some sort of time wasting mechanic for the meal. They were simple, I was sure, but when you're told 'move the most northern rocks from the eastern field to the northern field' I'd imagine most would be rather confuddled. Oh, sure, I've done my fair share of camping in that section of life I hardly remembered at all, but even with a northern heading I couldn't tell you east from west.

Not to mention the instructions were like telling someone to make a souffle.

As Father trailed off from his, honestly lackluster instructions, I had the distinct feeling I was gonna learn.

Learn east to west I mean, not the souffle. Then again, I was Pinkie Pie. Guess I was going to learn how to make a souffle after all. Eventually. If I didn't muck anything up.

But, yeah, breakfast was quick. Too quick. Even if my dear little family didn't elevate the dining experience, the food itself was good. Hay bacon. Hell yeah.

In no time, me, the sisters and Father stood outside the cottage. Limestone looked loads better, proving breakfast to indeed be important. Marble and Maud looked fine, as before, Maud looked like she didn't even change from the day previous, Marble looked a bit better than Limestone, but I still missed how she looked like the morning played havoc with her when she poked me that morning. Made me wonder how I fared in comparison.

"Alright," Father started, "like I said, I want you four to take the east field and start moving the rocks, if any of you should need anything I will be in the west field and your mother will join me shortly. Understood?"

The four of us nodded. Father nodded back and went on his way while Limestone turned and started walking in the opposite direction. Maud quickly followed, leaving me and Marble marching behind, side by side.

As we made our way to our destination, Limestone leading the Pie pack, I was still filled with worry. What was expected of Pinkamena? Did the sisters have a set way of doing things? What was even the proper way of doing things period? With Marble next to me I could ask, if I dare.

Did I dare to dare?

"So, uhm, how do you think this... all will go?" I dared.

Marble glanced my way, only an ounce of surprise held within it, overwhelmed by what appeared to be understanding. Then, she spoke for the first time, at least to me. Her voice was soft and nice to listen to, and she said much more than I expected, at least compared to my knowledge of her canon counterpart. "Oh, I don't think it will be that bad, Pinkamena. Moving the rocks is not that bad. Slow and boring perhaps, but simple enough."

I nodded lightly and turned back to where Limestone was leading us. uncertainty churning within me. "I hope so..."

I felt Marble move in closer to me and the light brush of her shoulder against mine. A touching gesture, truly. Would have been more touching if I wasn't an impostor. I gave a small smile anyway. Wouldn't be a good impostor if I didn't.

We arrived at where we were meant to be. At least I assumed. It looked like every other stretch of land around the house. Dirt, rocks, more rocks. How Limestone knew it was the spot was beyond me.

All in all it was a slow and oddly stressful affair. It was just moving rocks! But all the while I couldn't help but feel I was inferior to the Pie sisters when it came to the task at hand. Whether it be in quality of rock, quantity of rock, size of rock or overall speed, I was outclassed. And yet, none of them seemed to hold it against me. I wasn't sure if I liked that anymore than the alternative. No reaction gave me nothing to work with, nothing to glean.

I honestly don't know how much time passed me by, just moving rocks, big and small. Well, mostly small.

Sweat poured down my face, the coat of a pony letting the beads glide across the surface onto the ground. A symbol to my hard work, that I wasn't even sure if it was meant to be that hard.

I moved to start moving yet another less than rockball sized rock when an important thought struck me, a thought I was shocked didn't come sooner. One that shook me to my core.

I wasn't wearing pants.

Before I could even begin to deal with my thoughts of undress, an eerie feeling came over me as a voice sounded clear, and near. Too near. Too clear. 'Awwhah... Wow... That was the best sleep...'

Pinkie?! "Pinks," I whispered. That got her attention.

'Huh? Mena? What's going on?'

"That's what I want to know." I resumed pushing the rock as I whispered. As glad as I was to have Pinkie back, all confirmed like, talking to oneself would be too attention drawing at that point in time.

'Wait, wait. Are you doing chores? Did you take over my body?!' Not gonna lie, that bit of shock, borderline accusatory tone hurt. But, I couldn't focus on emotions yet.

"I was just as shocked as you when I woke up in control. Learning how to walk with Maud staring me down? Not fun."

'H-how did this happen?' Question of the day, soon to be out done by another question if Murphy had anything to say about it.

"I- ay-ay-yi, I don't know! You just went poof and I've been doing my best to not draw attention to myself if I could help it."

Pinkie's tone changed to something more curious and confused when she next spoke, 'Uh, Mena? Why aren't you doing that mental talking thingy we did last night.'

From the mouth of babes, as they say. If it weren't for the fact I was in Pinkie's body I would have bashed my face into the ground at my own ineptitude. How could I forget the communication breakthrough?

I tried my best to project my words through our mental space, hell, even 'seeing' the void and window was something difficult when piloting the body. How the hell did little filly Pinkie manage it so fast? 'All righ-, than-e-s for re-re,' I couldn't think of another word for reminding and projecting my thoughts coherently was harder than expected, had to butcher the word beyond repair sadly, 'Re-mend-in me. I hat- it.'

'Uhm, you're welcome? But... how do we swap back?'

'Bel-eve me, I wo-ood like to know tha- as mu-sh as yo-oo.'

Something grabbed my shoulder, causing me to jump, though luckily(?) I didn't scream or yell. Pinkie did though, so it was a split attack on my senses in some sense.

My jump caused my rock to roll away into a few other rocks, which was as good a resting place as any, if my heart wasn't racing I could have acknowledged that. I spun around to see Limestone having been the one to jump start my heart, her expression showing more worry than anything.

"O-oh, Limestone. Y-you startled me." I said as I tried to catch my breath.

She winced slightly at my words, further cementing my like for the sister. "Ah, sorry Pinkamena. I was just... I just wanted to check up on you. It's just, after yesterday and this morning I... I-I just wanted to make sure you were okay, after it all."

Okay, wow. Wasn't expecting that level of care from Limestone. Once again, it was heartwarming, even more so that Pinkie was with me to see it. Even if I was an impostor, having Pinkie there made it more... legitimate.

'Aw, Lime...'

"Y-yeah, yeah. I'm okay. Maybe not perfect, but okay." I gave a small smile, to try and convey how okay I was.

I think she even bought it if the small smile she returned meant anything.

"Good. Good." Limestone looked to turn away before seeming to remember something. "Oh, right, Pa told me lunch will be served soon. So... don't take too long, okay?"

I nodded in acknowledgement and Limestone began plodding away. As she did so Pinkie spoke up again, 'Thanks Mena.'

I turned, pretending to examine where the rock rolled, 'What do you mean?' Simple words were coming more naturally to me, which was nice. It seemed to ease some tension, like I was making progress on something.

'Thanks for not making them worry.'

Ah. I wouldn't say it, but I never did know how much my acting came from the will to save my own hide and how much came from wanting to protect Pinkie. It all just seemed logical steps, one after another. No need to complicate what could be simple. 'Was j-st doin' what made sense.'

With no real reason to stick around by my not so lonesome, I started to make my way back to the house. On the way Pinkie had some questions over the things she missed. Mainly breakfast.

'What did we have for breakfast Mena?'

I suppressed a sigh, my mind wanting to reject the question for reasons I do not know, and answered anyway, 'Panca-ay-kes and hay ba-cone. Hay ba-bacon was nice.'

Why was it called hay bacon? Shouldn't it just be bacon since ponies wouldn't make meat bacon in the first place? Or is it derived from a carnivore society's culinary creation done up for a pony palate?

'Aw... I love hay bacon.' She sounded shockingly bothered by that, at least by my standards. Then again I was the one who got to eat the hay bacon.

The walk was nice, in silence of the physical kind with a healthy back and forth on tasty breakfast treats within the mental plane. At least I was learning how to speak good within our shared mental imagine-scape.

Our conversation dwindled down as we neared the house, and I had to admit the place was growing on me. Visually at least.

As I was about to turn the corner of the house to the side with the front door Maud suddenly came around instead.

Might as well be sociable I supposed. "Hey, Maud. How'd chores go for you?"

An odd silence followed which gave me time to notice something was off. What that something was I couldn't tell, but just looking into the impassive face of Maud I could tell there was something underneath, but what Maud was thinking was impossible to tell.

A few moments more passed on and I made to continue, to break the silence when Maud did it for me. In the worst way possible, that continued my emotional ping pong match, straight into match point.

And it wasn't in my favor.

"You're not Pinkamena."
> Chapter 5: Change of Mind
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

My world slowed down at Maud's accusation. To anyone else it would seem like an inane statement. A child being silly. But, being a voice inside another's head, that was currently in the driver's seat, I felt like I was a child caught with a hoof in the cookie jar of murder. By another child. A scary child.

You are not Pinkamena.

Who knew three words and a name could cause such tumultuous emotions in oneself.

How the hell did she find me out? Or, at least, how did she take my few slip ups and difficulties to mean body snatcher? She was just a kid, wasn't she?

'W-what does she mean? You're me, why would she say that?' Somehow Pinkie was faster on the draw and did not help my already taxed mind with that question slash sorta statement.

I blinked from the shock. Didn't sputter though, but I did gape a little, like a fish. "Wha- uh, what did- what do you mean?"

Maud's face, for the first time I could easily discern what she was feeling behind that mask of stone. Her eyes were angry, mouth turned down in a frown. A small frown. The fury of an older sibling worried about the younger. Oh. "You're not Pinkamena. I don't know how, but I know you're not my sister."

My heartbeat decided to call up Guinness because it beat the record Limestone helped it set not that long ago, while my brain was torn between stalling completely and going into overload. As if my body itself were fighting against me in its own way. "I-I- what?"

"Pinkamena would not act like you did this morning. You just brushed it off. And this whole morning you have just felt wrong. Felt completely different than her. Even though I know it shouldn't be possible I just know you aren't her. Who are you and what have you done with my sister?"

So many little things I could absorb from those sentences. At least if I wasn't in emotional and mental turmoil. I think Pinkie was saying something, but Maud's direct accusation sent my mind spinning. She obviously didn't go to the parents, but that could change, depending on what I said. What I wanted to say.

What should I say? What could I say?

Between Pinkie's formless words, me trying to keep a decent composure and Maud's penance stare...

I was at the end of my rope.

And I just...

Fell.





Pinkamena Diane Pie's small body lurched forward towards the ground, as if fainting. Her sister, Maud, let her mask of calm, sisterly fury drop in favor of dull surprise that couldn't begin to show how much she truly worried about her sibling. She rushed forward and stabilized her sister, worry over the pony, or thing, whatever it was her gut had told her that was impersonating her, vanished amidst worry for her sister's immediate well being. "Pinkie?"

She didn't say anything for a few moments, instead, panting from whatever just happened. Whatever it was, Maud knew Pinkamena stood before her, which eased her worries a bit, and flared a worry about where the whatever it was moved to.

Only a moment more and Pinkamena's head shot up, an angry glare upon her face, angrier than Maud had ever seen her before. "Why did you do that?!" That threw Maud for a loop.

She blinked and shook her head lightly. "What." When she chose to confront the not Pinkamena she didn't expect that.

Pinkamena shook her own head, teeth grinding together. "She isn't responding! She's right here but she isn't responding..."

Maud blinked slowly, uncertain how to take what Pinkamena said. "What. Do you mean 'not responding'?"

"Mena! In my head, she hasn't done this- well maybe a little but not like that."

Maud didn't know what to think. Her sister was right in front of her, that she knew, but she was saying things she didn't really understand. She wanted to understand. For Pinkamena's sake. "Pinkamena, what is Mena?"

Pinkamena looked up again, less anger, more desperation. "She-" A horrible feeling came over the pink pony. A memory. A memory of standing in front of the house, Limestone in front of her, Mena yelling. The only time the pony inside her head yelled like that.

Maud's eyes narrowed, even if it looked more like a twitch, into a look of care. "Pinkamena... Mena. Who is this Mena? Please, tell me what is going on. I want to help." An odd plea to hear from a monotone voice, but even Pinkie amidst her worry could feel the truth in those words.

Pinkamena groaned in frustration. Torn between trusting Maud or obliging Mena's fear.

"Mena, she-she appeared i-in my head yesterday. She's been helping me and nice, but... but scared. She's scared of being known." Pinkamena said, while averting her eyes from her sister. Maud felt more confused than before and merely gestured for her sister to continue. "Mena said- she said that she w-wasn't normal, that ponies in your h-head weren't normal." Her anger was almost entirely washed away by her worry, and even fear.

Maud's breath hitched as Pinkamena spoke. Her sister had a voice in her head. It was such an abstract concept for the young filly. One that only served to further her worry. "Pinkamena, how do you know you can trust her?"

Pinkamena glanced side to side, seeming to become more jittery as her faith in Mena was questioned. "I-i-t-it's just- she's me. She's kinda not me, but she's me. She... just doesn't feel like she's bad."

Maud almost wanted to sigh, her sister seemed fine, even if the thought of voices in her head disturbed the young filly. "Are you okay?"

Pinkamena looked back to Maud, her overall mood more leveled thanks to the conversation. "Y-yeah, I'm okay. Just worried about Mena." She fidgeted in place, as if unsure about something. "I... I-I'm going to try and get Mena to-to come back." She said, almost warily.

Maud breathed deeply and shook her head expression, not giving away how she felt about her sister's decision. "Be safe, Pinkamena." To any other it would be an emotionless statement, a formality at best, to Pinkamena, though, it was a warm statement of a sibling standing by their own.

Pinkamena nodded and sat down upon the ground, closing her eyes as she did so, focusing on the place she and Mena shared. With her focus she saw Mena, just sitting in the void, her eyes practically blank in a state of untold fear as she stared at the window to the physical world, but otherwise appearing unresponsive. "Mena?"

The young filly walked up to her older self and pushed against her. "Mena. Wake up. Maud won't hurt you I promise." She pushed harder still, Mena not looking, or even twitching, as if Pinkamena wasn't even there. "It's! O! Kay!" Pinkamena shoved with all her little might, sending Mena toppling to the ground. Bringing her back to the present.

As she hit the ground Mena thrashed in confusion. "What?! What was-?!"

Pinkamena quickly grabbed her into a tight hug. Not even taking note of the lack of feeling, too focused on wanting to comfort Mena. "It's okay Mena... It's okay."

Mena's thrashing slowed, and if she could she would have been panting from her emotional state. "Pinkie? Wha-what happened? I-I-I- Maud was-"

Pinkamena squeezed the panicking voice in an attempt to comfort her. "Mena, Maud isn't going to hurt you, she wouldn't!"

Mena's eyes widened, worrying Pinkamena that she might panic even more. If Mena was capable of breathing she would have hyperventilated, but being unable to do so her mind was left to wander. She had failed, others would know, Pinkie's immediate future would be put into jeopardy all because she couldn't play a convincing enough-

The continued line of thinking was cut off by Pinkie gently placing a hoof on Mena's shoulder, as much as she could anyway. "Mena..."

Mena's eyes glanced down and focused on Pinkamena, her face twisted by the churning ocean that was her emotions. After a moment she spoke, if a bit hesitantly. "Are... are you sure she won't...?"

Pinkamena gave something of a timid smile, her faith in her sister pushing back her worry of how Mena might act. "She cares about me. After we tell her that you are kind of me, I'm sure she will care about you just as much."

The older Pinkamena shut her eyes with a grimace, struggling against her deeply ingrained fear of being discovered, clashing against Maud's already knowing of her existence and Pinkamena's urging.

She ground her teeth together from the mental tear, the act hardly doing anything for the voice what with the lack of feeling within the void. Her face twisted even further as her emotional ocean crashed against her mental walls. "Grr!" Oh, how she wanted to feel air enter her lungs, for a deep breath to ground herself. Or to disappear, disappearing sounded good too.

Mena shook her head as a replacement to calming breathing. "I'll... I'll hear her out. I'll hear her out."

The younger one held onto her smile and nodded. "Okay." Her smile faded into a confused frown as a thought entered her mind, "But, how did we swap?"

That question stalled Mena's thought process. "I... ugh, I don't know. Wait, did- how did you take over after-after I...?"

Pinkamena shrugged her shoulders, not any more aware than her companion. "I don't know. You just stopped responding and I was in control again. You should just try really hard. Like I did with my eyeballs."

That brought Mena out of her negativity, replacing it momentarily by a chuckle at the absurd, but not unfounded suggestion. "Heh, maybe." Sadly, it didn't last too long, much to Mena's chagrin, "Well, guess I should get on with it then, huh?" As Pinkamena nodded again she let out an airless sigh and stood up proper, "Alrighty then. Wish me luck?"

Pinkamena's timid smile returned. "Of course. I trust you and Maud will work it out."

Mena looked less than convinced but went on anyway, staring into the darkened eye window. "Here goes nothing. I guess."

She closed her own eyes and tried to will herself into control. A difficult task as her fear of facing Maud pushed against it, but as a moment passed by, and then another she felt the heat of the sun and the wind on her face and the world rushing towards her face.





I focused my vision as best I could, my mind swirling from the swap. I idly wondered why the ground stopped approaching for a moment before I could actually begin to feel my nerves functioning again. Before I felt a hoof steadying me, keeping me from face planting the earth.

I glanced up and saw Maud's face, her eyes burning with less sibling fury, but her eyes did not calm me. Not that blamed her. "Thanks."

"I was protecting my sister's face from being scraped up by the ground." God-! That neutral voice was terrible for my needs at that moment.

"Yeah, well, it's the same face." I steadied my footing -hoofing?- to be able to stand on my own, nodding to show my thanks further. "So. I'm guessing you wanna ask some questions to the not-so disembodied voice?" I was honestly a bit surprised by my lack of stuttering. Maybe I was too tired or just mentally resigned to my fate.

I think Maud gave her own version of a scowl, but without worried, sisterly fury fueling her, her facial muscles returned to doing the bare minimum. "What are you, really?"

I felt my eye twitch, not fond of being called a 'what.' I was also suspicious of Pinkie's silence, but I had the make it or break it conversation in front of me. No time to dwell.

But, once again, I was torn on what to say. The truth about being an alien, ripped from their body and deposited in your baby sister's head, or the simple lie of being a voice. Wasn't too much of a lie, come to think about it.

In under a second I made my choice. "The million bit question, ain't it?" I sighed and shook my head, trying to walk the line of lie and truth, "Wish I knew myself. I just popped into existence yesterday, random tidbits of information lodged in my not brain, that I'm almost certain Pinkamena doesn't know. The world was dark, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't feel. It was like my own little slice of tartarus."

Milk the sympathy, obliterate questions with sympathy. "But then... Pinkamena spoke to me. She gave me a form, oddly enough an older appearing version of herself. She gave me a name, she gave me sight. It's only fair that I try and protect her."

Maud tilted her head slightly."Protect her, yet you stayed silent and took control of her body? Why didn't you tell our parents about yourself?"

I had to resist the urge to grimace, it would have been inappropriate anyways. "I don't even know how we swapped in the first place, I didn't even know that was a thing! But, I do know I'm not normal. I'm not so deluded as to believe anything else. And ponies tend to act rather... untoward to such things, especially when they care a lot. To put it simply..." I gave Maud my most serious stare in an attempt to impress upon her the weight of the information I was giving her, "I wanted to make sure Pinkamena didn't get any so called 'treatments' to get rid of things like me. I won't lie, I do fear for my own continued being, but I-I care about Pinkie. I don't want to see her h-urt, I... hah I'm just not that good at that part yet I guess."

Huh, my voice actually cracked, and not because of Pinkie's body's age. Didn't help that I almost flinched at the inexplicable feeling in my chest as I spoke as well. Like my heart clenched or something. My-my breath also felt a bit too thin. I didn't understand it and put it aside for later.

Pinkie made it a bit hard to put it aside, as she spoke up slightly. 'Mena...' I don't know exactly what she meant by her tone. I think she was touched though.

Once more Maud's face was impossible to gauge and she tortured me with silence for some reason. Well, tortured probably wasn't accurate. I had to admit I appreciated the small pause to regain my composure, however slight my losing it was.

Thankfully she didn't wait too long before she spoke to me. "You really care about Pinkie."

My head shot up -I hadn't even realized my head had dipped during my little speech- and I had no doubt hope sparkled within my eyes. I bobbed my head lightly in confirmation, wondering where everything was going.

Luckily she didn't make me wait again, and she extended a foreleg. "I'm Maud. Nice to meet you."

Not sure how much I believed that, but hey! Progress! I smiled and sort of awkwardly shook her hoof. "M-Mena." I wanted to tack on something like 'glad to be accepted' or 'nice to meet you too' but I dreaded ticking her off again, instead my paranoia spoke, "Uhm, shouldn't we head in? I-I don't think we want anypony asking questions."

Maud simply stared at me, making me a tad uncomfortable. "You don't want to tell our parents still?"

I shook my head vehemently. "No no no... I-I'm not normal. I don't want to put Pinkamena at risk. I don't want anypony to look at her differently because of me."

Finally, she nodded at my words, causing me to hope that I had gotten through to her. "Alright. Let's head in. Lunch is probably ready by now." Aaaaand she just got up and started on her way around the corner. I shrugged it off in the moment, merely glad to have gotten through being found out without imminent pain and misery brought on by well meaning care.

I followed quickly after the gray filly, a piece of me idly noting how close I came to losing something akin to a philosophical debate with a child.

'See Mena? I told you Maud would listen.' It was a little embarrassing to be shown up by Pinkie. As a filly at least. Being more emotionally volatile than her didn't sit well with me either. Something to worry about in the future, I thought.

Lunch went about as expected. Oddly, nopony asked where the two of us were. Maybe two sisters chatting it up away from prying ears wasn't unheard of. Maud didn't glance my way nearly as much as she did before. Well, our way I suppose, since Pinkie was awake. Complaining that she couldn't taste the sandwiches Mother made for us. I would have switched with her, but seeing your daughter or sister nearly faint time and time again was not on my Christmas list.

They were damn good sandwiches. Guess pony taste buds would make my meatless life more survivable. I was still determined to research seafood, though.

Lunch seemed to fly by even though I knew a decent amount of time had to have passed. The sun even moved quite a bit. Granted, Celestia shenanigans couldn't be ruled out, but my faith in my paranoia wasn't what it used to be, and what it used to be was hanging off a cliff with a Shakespearean villain of a brother giving a witty one liner.

Needless to say, my faith in my gut was not great.

Anyway, Father was somewhere between not upset and pleased by our progress. Which way it leaned more, I'll never know.

"Alright, with how progress is going I would like two of you to come help me and your mother with the west field while the other two of you finish up the east field."

Before anyone could get a word in edgewise, Maud's hoof shot up. "Pinkamena and I will take the east field."

So that's what being shanghaied was like. I guess it was preferable to pretending to be Pinkie for another long stretch of time. Suffice to say, I nodded in agreement with Maud's dual volunteering.

Father nodded once, showing his approval. "Good. Limestone, Marble, with me. I want us all to come back in about four hours. Let us get to work girls."

Nopony objected and we were on our way. Limestone and Marble trotting along the parents while Maud, Pinkie and I made our way to finish what we started. In more ways than one potentially.

We made it to where we left everything, and Maud went about moving rocks like lunch never happened. "So, do you have any, you know, questions for or about me?"

"Not really."

Okay, wasn't expecting that. I thought Pinkie was meant to be the weird one. "Allllllright then?"

'She's already warming up to you.' Didn't feel like it, but 'kay.

With that, I too went to work. Maud and I shifting rocks hither and so together in a calm silence. At first it was sort of awkward to me, but over time it started to feel, well, less awkward.

Since Maud was content to work in silence, Pinkie more than made up for it by chattering away in our head. 'How has your day been Mena?'

I chose to have this conversation solely through thought. Practice makes perfect and all that. 'De-cent en-ough I sup-pose. Though, I was worr-ied over the prob-ility of be-ing caught. Then Maud caught me. That was not fun, but to be hon-est I am glad she did.'

'Oh? Why's that?'

'It just feels like it has taken some weight off my shoulders' I felt like I was getting the hang of it. It was mentally consuming to have to properly plan out my mental words as opposed to the mental spaghetti that was more normal thoughts. I never really thought how jumbled and cryptic my thoughts were before, it was like trying to explain a feeling, but I was getting there.

I didn't dare to try and visualize Pinkie while I worked, it was hard enough to talk and work at the same time, but I could practically hear the smile on Pinkie's face when she spoke next. 'I'm glad you feel better, Mena.'

That felt nice.

A little while later, after moving more rocks, I made a decision. "I'm going to swap with Pinkamena now."

'Why?'
"Why?"

The twin questions hit me in unison, causing a strange inner and outer audio mash. "Hey, I'm not used to having control of the body, and Pinkamena is probably just too polite to ask or demand it back. Besides, far be it from me to deprive you two of some sisterly bonding. And besides number two, we should probably get better control of the swapping to smooth out the process. After you caught me off guard like that and all."

Maud paused for a moment, probably thinking over my words. Before promptly going back to work. I assumed her silence meant understanding. I assumed.

I nodded and sat down. "Ready Pinks?"

'I-I guess?' Better than nothing.

"Alright. Here we go."

I tried to withdraw from the body, to leave it empty for Pinkie to take control.

It was freaking weird.

I focused on our mental-scape, to step away from the eye window to allow the little filly to take my place. It was like the further I stepped away the more I felt the nerves fade and numb, not totally, but enough to feel my will seep away from the controls as it were. It unnerved me on multiple levels and made me worry how Pinkie had taken the nerveless feeling of the imagine-scape.

I shivered at the overall sensation and glanced over to the filly who was walking towards the eye window. "Yeesh, how did you stay silent when you did that? The sleep swap was one thing but earlier when you snapped it out of it, that had to suck."

She stopped for a moment and turned to me with a small smile. "I didn't want to bother you back there. It wasn't important at the time."

I stared at her blankly, not too sure what to think of that. "Well, in the future tell me. I can't really do my job of protecting you if I don't know what bothers you." I gave her a smile to match hers. "We're in this together, Pinks. Don't forget that, alright?"

Her smile vanished for a moment before returning. "Thanks Mena." She turned to face the eye window and I could feel my connection to the body sever, signifying Pinkie taking control.

And yup, we almost face planted again. Who knew being a voice inside somebody's head would be so complicated?

I heard Maud's voice call out to us, "Are you alright Pinkamena?"

Pinkie nodded and got to her hooves. "Yeah... It's just weird."

That seemed to satisfy Maud, who once again went back to work without a word.

I will admit, I did want some swapping practice away from prying eyes, but I was also sick of moving rocks. Even then, sitting in the void watching Pinkie shove rocks around I felt the phantom fatigue linger over my not body. As if being in control I suffered some sort of mental strain due to being in control. Applications of that briefly flit through my mind, but I forced them away.

I had to meditate, to create contingency plans. I couldn't afford to be caught off guard like that again. Luckily Maud was always a bit weird, so the remaining two sisters shouldn't be as confrontational. I hoped. Still, I needed to be mentally prepared. It was foolish of me to simply go catatonic like that.

I had to do better.

I would do better.

I had to.

Luckily I had plenty of time and opportunity to meditate and think. Pinkie was occupied by her job and Maud wasn't interested in interrogating me or bothering Pinkie, so I wasn't interrupted.

It still went too fast though. The hours went by and soon Maud and Pinkie were walking side by side back to the house as the sun inched its way to the horizon. "I'm tired." Pinkie moaned.

Maud didn't turn or blink, but I could almost feel her sisterly compassion in her monotone, emotionless words, "I'm sure Ma will have something good ready for supper when we get there."

"Hmm, that is true. Still tired."

Maud actually turned at that one. "You better make sure to sleep well tonight then. You wouldn't want to fall asleep or accidentally swap during school tomorrow."

It was like Maud confronting me all over again.

An owl muttering the word 'skull' flashed in my mind's eye.

The one thing I truly hated back home. The one thing I thought I was free from back to haunt me.

God. Damn. School.

We were on a rock farm in the middle of freaking nowhere for Celestia's sake! Where the hell was this school anyway?!
> Chapter 6: Fool School
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I felt like I had to have done something in a previous life to cause such a conga line of stress. I mean, seriously? School? If I had lungs within the void I would have let out a sigh for at least one small mercy though. I didn't end up in filly Twilight's head. I did not want to think about such a scenario for too long. Anti social, studious, know it all unicorn would have driven me insane with information overload, I just knew it. If she didn't try to self diagnose herself first.

If multiverse theory was sound, pondered the human who fell into a cartoon character's head, then some poor sucker woulda been filly Twilight's mental guardian. Or torture victim. Maybe. I didn't know how the universe actually functioned. They sure as hell didn't teach that in school.

School.

I tried to keep my composure. I had been losing control of it a bit too much for my liking, and besides, what good was I to Pinkie if I couldn't control my emotions? Anyway, I asked Pinkie a question, 'Pinkie, What exactly is your school like?'

Pinkie quirked her head in a bit of confusion, I assumed. "You don't know about school?" Maud glanced over to Pinkie, but didn't say anything.

'I know the concept of school, but specifics elude me. I may be good, but I'm not that good.'

I saw Pinkie's vision nod in understanding, granted what she thought she understood I would never know. Young minds are impossible. "That makes sense." She then turned to Maud who honestly looked bored with life. Was it a mental discipline, some kind of muscle problem? "Mena was asking what school is like."

I almost didn't notice the lightest, neigh imperceptible tilt of the head Maud gave in response to Pinkie. She faced forward again and started to give us a monotone lecture about school. My favorite.... "We live close to the town of Rockville. It is home to a large grouping of family businesses, so lots of foals are busy learning their family's work. To get foals traditional schooling everypony in Rockville get together and come up with days in the week where foals can get proper schooling."

That was... kinda weird. I never heard of that kind of system before, but then again I never lived in a small community before. Or an alternate universe small community made up of cartoon ponies with eclectic technology, culture and... everything. Maud continued, "This is done to help parents focus on work while their foals get proper teaching from a reliable source."

I guess that made sense. Some. A little. Slight. 'I suppose that would work. A bit unorthodox, but I lack information to judge properly.' But... I was curious about one thing.

I don't think Pinkie understood everything I said, but I think she got the gist. "Mena said a big word in there, but she said she got that."

I didn't wait for Maud's response, not like I could interrupt her, my knowledge of the world was obviously lacking and that wouldn't do. To do better, I would require to know more. 'How big is Rockville?'

Pinkie's vision quirked to the side, as if uncertain. "Uh, I... don't know. Maud? How big is Rockville?"

Maud didn't visibly acknowledge the question, but I could tell she was thinking on it. Was Rockville smaller than Ponyville, bigger? I knew Maud wouldn't know what a Ponyville was- come to think of it I didn't even know how big Ponyville was to judge myself. Darn cartoon perspective, always changing and shifting. Didn't help that Ponyville, at times, felt like it was a community of fifty ponies and a dozen clones each.

"I do not know." Maud said, much to my disappointment.

What a lot of knowers not we were.

'Eh, I guess I'll get to see it myself soon enough.' I hated that. 'Uh, tell Maud thank you for me please.'

"Mena says thank you, Maud."

She gave the mildest sign of acknowledgement, it felt nice, like I was actually part of existence.

In retrospect, Maud finding out first, or more preferably being the only one to find out, was a blessing. She didn't ask that many questions, she, hopefully, had decent intelligence and beyond scaring me to hell, had been chill as hell. And would probably kill me should anything happen to Pinkie under my watch, and I was half way sure she'd find a way to leave Pinkie without a scratch in the process.

I would rather spit on Celestia's flank than risk Maud's wrath, thank you very much. Seeing myself as that rock she obliterated in the OG timeline didn't help me any, sure helped Maud's perceived threat level, though.

I was scared of a literal child. Discord find my plight amusing and preserve me.

We walked back to the house in a nice, comfortable silence, even Pinkie was too tired to hold much of a conversation after the school talk, and Maud was her ever kind of paranoia inducing brand of quiet. I didn't mind it at all. Those few moments I had to myself when the sisters were moving rocks weren't all that productive and I fully blamed myself. I was never one for planning, let alone planning under such bizarre circumstances.

I just had no idea what to think. What to plan for. I guess it still hadn't fully sunk in what I was in store for. Ten to fifteen years before the prospect of Twilight marching into Ponyville would even be a thing, and that was assuming I didn't horribly eviscerate the timeline in the time being, if the timeline was predetermined at all and if the things I was familiar with were the ones set in stone.

That was another thing, I was always too busy dreading to actually try and plan for anything. Didn't help that the closest thing to plan for was homework, and good ol' Pavlov would be proud, because my brain always seemed to turn off at the mere idea of studying.

... Please horse god, don't let me accidentally turn Pinkie into Twilight two point oh.

It wasn't even that much of a joke, a few subtle nudges here, a suggestion there and even those who weren't at such a malleable age could be sufficiently altered. Needless to say, I was not happy with my potential for control. I worried about that enough when I was human, so being a voice in another's head did nothing to soothe me.

We quickly made it home and supper was obviously underway if not already hot on the table before we even passed the door. When we gathered around said table I saw that Maud wasn't quite the right pony to gauge how tired work makes you, as Marble and Lime looked absolutely exhausted. Either working with the parents was a much more draining experience, or Maud was simply above and beyond us mere mortals.

Once again, supper was a quiet affair. Pinkie was glad to get her fill of seemingly delicious food, and her sisters were glad to indulge in soup and sandwiches. Mother and Father looked like they were talking about something business related. Or something, I was still in 'school sucks' mode so anything remotely mentally taxing was put squarely on my ignore list. I knew I should probably pay some level of attention, but I was mentally fatigued, and really, how important would Rockfarm statistics or Lime and Marble's performance reviews be to me anyways? Pinkie was destined to be a party pony baker, not a rock farmer. And screw you Murphy, I would rather die than let you take that joy away from my charge.

Bed time rolled around at a surprising pace. Limestone and Marble were too tired to want to converse. Which was fine by me, a dreamless sleep or whatever to rejuvenate me sounded good at the time. I figured it would be nice, and wash away my ever present paranoia. Worrying about when or if Maud would spill the beans to somebody was not a happy carousal to be on.

The boring niceties of bed time prep went as expected, and soon enough Pinkie was lying in bed, soon to await the dawn. And school.

As she laid there she turned her focus inward, towards me, evident by her mental-scape self beginning to move again. "Hey, Pinkie."

"Hi, Mena." We just sorta sat there for a while. I figured Pinkie was just enjoying the comfort of her bed for a bit, which I totally respected. The silence didn't last of course, when she asked me a question I was sort of expecting, "Mena, do you like Maud?"

It was inevitable for that question to come up, especially since Maud confronted me and became, at the very least, not antagonistic. I could understand it, wanting me to get along with her family. "I guess. I mean after she stopped seeing me as something to save you from she was nice."

I think Pinkie was made somewhat happy by that and it hurt my heart. We didn't get to see much of Pinkie back before the Rainboom, but boy howdy it couldn't come fast enough. Pinkie was meant to be full of energy, bubbly and bright. Considering she held me so closely, for some reason, me accepting and being decently happy to be in one of her sisters' confidence should have sent her over the moon.

Another thing that didn't sit well with me, one that I was too various levels of frazzled to realize before was the quality of Pinkie's smiles. Her smiles were always small, and were always sad looking. I'm sure she wasn't actually sad, I sure god hoped not, but her happy just didn't look happy.

Like a muted sun.

Still, I was glad to inject some sort of happiness into her pre-Rainboom life. It was better than nothing. "So, you excited for school tomorrow?"

"No... school is boring most of the time. History is nice, but Mr. Chalk doesn't cover it that often."

Same kid. History was always a treat, at least until the test came around. Sorta like book reports. Great books made boring by the looming doom of writing. "History is fun. But if this Chalk guy doesn't cover history much what does he cover?"

Pinks gave me a forlorn look. "Math."

"You have my sympathies."

It wasn't too much longer until Pinkie eventually started to drift off, aided by the days work and I would quickly follow. I felt in an odd way as I drifted off myself. Like a weight was lifted slightly off my shoulders that Maud knew about my existence and wasn't hostile. I felt like some sort of equilibrium had been attained.

For the first time since I was thrown into Equestria, I felt some semblance of peace, and fell to sleep. And surprisingly, I actually dreamed. I'm not quite sure what about, as like most of my dreams, I couldn't remember much of it, if anything at all. All I remembered from that one was an assortment of colors, white, I think, and yellow with a splash of purple, but the one thing I clearly remembered was that it was a pleasant dream. I was thankful for that.

I was not quite thankful for what I awoke to, however.

God, diddly, damn math.

Yeah, I was the one who slept in. It was very disorienting. Like getting kidnapped in the middle of the night and awakening in an unfamiliar place. Granted, the scratching of pencils and just general atmosphere of a school room was familiar to me, as familiar as a fly buzzing.

What I saw was Pinkie scribbling away at math questions and equations that only served to hurt my brain. I groaned, both because math, but also due to a further obstacle rearing its head, one you'd think I would have thought about during my paranoid ramblings. 'Hey, Pinkie.'

'Mena. You were asleep for so long.' She luckily didn't jump like I did before, managing to continue her math quest with hardly a pause even if her surprise was clear to me.

'Yeah, we really need to synchronize better. But that will have to wait, 'cause I just learned something, I can't read.'

If I wasn't just waking up I probably would have been more freaked out, but it makes sense. The letters were alien, much like the show showed, or so my memory thought at least, and to me, completely illegible. The fact 'English' was the spoken language was a further blessing though. Imagine if I fell into Russian Equestria. In Soviet Equestria pony body fall into YOU!

At least Pinkie took it well. 'You can't read?!' Perfectly calm.

'Hey, I thought my general knowledge would be better than this, but apparently I was mistaken. Mathematics and the concept of physics seemed to take precedence over being able to read.' I wasn't sure if I was just tired or if I was becoming calm enough to be snarky. I wasn't sure if Pinkie was going do to be a bit more snarky or sassy. But, boy was she going to be at the rate I was going.

'Uhm, I guess we'll have to teach you some time.' A given, my liege.

Considering I couldn't read, the more intricate math questions alluded me more than usual, so Pinkie only occasionally consulted with me for when she got stuck on, well the more intricate questions, which took a bit of time considering A, I hate math and B, not being able to read meant I had no forewarning for them, so really it didn't save us much time.

Luckily Pinkie wasn't doing too badly, but since I was the judge that could only mean she was doing terrible.

It was a simple yet mind numbing experience. Question after question of mathematics that would hardly come in handy for really anything. Then again if my school said 'Hey, make sure you're good at math or you'll suffer it twice when helping a small child horse with their schoolwork' then I might have done better. Might.

'If Miss Butter Kite had a yard that was fifteen meters wide by twenty meters long and had a porch that was three meters long by four meters wide, and she wanted to extend her porch by three meters, what would be the new area of her yard?'

Well, if I was Miss Butter I would just measure out the area I'd wish to extend and see if the general space left was to my liking. Honestly, beyond a handful of occupations who would need to learn these?

My brain wasn't wired for such torment. I deeply wished I at least had scratch paper for jotting down the billion and a half equations in intricate detail only to get them wrong.

Guess the American school system got the last laugh on me in that area. I really wouldn't have a calculator on me everyday under such conditions. Too bad they sucked at teaching math so I guess it was even.

It wasn't much longer until an earth pony stallion, somehow being a dull, boring white that seemed to absorb all light around him, called out, "Alright class, time for lunch and recess, please be back here by one thirty." He sounded like a tool.

I was more than happy to get out of the school room, especially as Chalky started scritching and scratching away at the chalkboard again, also known as the worst sound in the world. Seriously, somepony invest in a white board dear god. Luckily, Pinkie, much like the rest of the class, gathered up their saddlebags and high tailed it out of there. The thing that I found the most odd when we got out was that there wasn't a playground and the foals were just walking into town. The honor system must be a freaking Pinkie Promise to these kids. Then again, small town.

I idly noted that most of the foals were of darker or basic colors, much like Pinkie's family. Greys, browns or at least darker shades of any color beyond, what few that were blessed with interesting colors were also darker shades of coat and mane. It was a far cry from most anywhere else in Equestria if the show was to be trusted.

Another thing I noticed was everypony already separated into their predetermined little groups. I wasn't sure how accurate Ponyville's school size was, or if it was actually that size, but Pinkie's class seemed similar at least, a bit over a dozen foals, but less than twenty five. If my terrible math was to be trusted. Oddly enough the Pie sisters flocked together and none of the other foals really tried to bother them at all, too busy finding their own preferred posse.

The Pie sisters quickly congregated without so much as a word and started moving through the town, destination unknown, at least to me. As we moved I was finally able to take in the town. It was pretty basic, wooden or stone buildings that were hardly uniform were everywhere. Though a few buildings stood out, mainly a few that towered over the buildings we were passing by, those towering ones seeming to be nearer the center of town, at least if my estimations were decent enough.

The most eye catching was like a mini skyscraper mixed with something like a gothic cathedral, bell tower and all. What should have been something clashed with the quaint little rock village atmosphere blended in while dominating the scene. May it provide sanctuary from the fires of math.

The silence started to get to me, so I decided to converse with Pinkie, 'So, where are we going now?'

'Lunch.'

Don't you be sassy with me, that's my job. 'This will be the first time I've had a meal that wasn't Ma's. What kind are we gonna get?'

'Just a little diner.'

Ya don't say, and here I was expecting a five stars establishment ran by that there Gordon Ramsey pony.

Either way, rather quickly, the Pie sisters found their way to an unassuming dining place that didn't look half bad and entered it, if anything it reminded me of a diner my family always went to when we visited my grandparents place out and away from my hometown. So, at least it was homely. Home...

Too bad Pinkie was in control of the taste buds, because the hay-burgers and hay-fries she and her sisters ordered looked oddly nice, but c'est la vie. I was sure I would enjoy such foods eventually.

As they ate they actually conversed, which was something I saw them rarely do at meals. If it was something that they just didn't do at home or if I just arrived at an anomalous time. Either way, I listened.

Limestone took a bite out of her own meal and spoke to the table at large, "So, how do you three think you did with the math this time?"

Maud, of course, didn't really react, but did respond, "I believe I did well enough."

Marble sighed and shook her head, before both she and Limestone turned towards Pinkie with odd looks on their faces. Maud wasn't as obvious but I still felt her attention on us as well. Limestone tentatively took a bite of hay fry before addressing Pinkie directly, "And uh, how did you do Pinkamena?"

Pinkie averted her eyes slightly, but quickly looked back to her sister. "Um, I-I think I did better this time. At least it feels like it." She mentally added on to that, directed towards me, 'Thanks Mena.'

Marble and Limestone looked happy for their sister, though it made me wonder why they singled her out. I felt like I was missing something, but eh, happy family, and I was happy to help. It isn't really cheating if you have two fools in one head doing the problems, right?

The sisters chatted away after that, Maud throwing in her own thought here or there, Marble a bit less so, and Pinkie only occasionally as well, with Limestone, while by no means a motor mouth, carried the conversation almost by herself for her less talkative sisters. The topics weren't that interesting. Rocks, Mr. Chalk's school work, rocks, Rockville's not even juicy gossip, rocks. At least it allowed me time to decompress from all that infernal math.

It felt like it was all too soon when the Pie posse started moving back towards the schoolhouse, and I took the opportunity to better absorb the town. I'd only spend a decent chunk of life there, so what the hell.

Yup, still not uniform, but it gave it a quaint feeling. The buildings were simple and looked cozy, heck even the wooden ones looked like they could withstand an earthquake. If they actually could was another mat-

"Augh!"

"Oof!"

What?

Pinkie's vision snapped to the scene. Really wasn't much of a scene. Limestone was sprawled on the ground rubbing her forehead while a silver maned, gray colt was fishing around for the thick rimmed glasses I presumed belonged to him. While Maud and Marble were checking on Limestone, glasses colt's own buddies, a light brown colt and a light grey filly, were helping Glasses with his, well, glasses. It was like Velma searching for her glasses after the door gag.

Limestone glared as Glasses finally pushed his glasses back in front of his eyes. "Hey! Watch where you're going, Frame!"

Gah bah dah, did I seriously guess his name through sheer obviousness? I sincerely hoped his full name pointed towards painting, or framing others for a crime. Else his parents were begging for an eyesight restricted child. Anyway, one of Frame's friends, the filly seemed ready to retort but Frame spoke first, oddly politely at that, "Apologies Limestone. I took that corner too quickly."

Limestone got to her hooves and kept glaring, if a bit less harshly than before. "Yeah, well, look where you're going next time. I don't want your parents getting onto me about breaking your glasses or something."

I was overall amused by the scene before me. Seeing any kind of interaction that wasn't just the Pie family was an interesting sight at the least. Extra interesting by the fact the only pony present at the little road corner who had much of a presence in the show was Maud, Frame and his friends obviously didn't exist, heck Rockville itself wasn't even in the show and Limestone and Marble weren't there too much either.

Oh god, was I living a spin off?

Suddenly feeling like I was living a Truman show ripoff, my attention withdrew from the somewhat strange back and forth before me. It was an odd feeling to tell the truth, to feel like I could have somehow become a fictional creation, or perhaps had always been a fictional creation. The major idea that plagued my thoughts somewhat brought me back to the start in a way: Was the world I was flung into a less sanitized reality that ran parallel to the show, or would my every move be watched and judged by home viewers and a rabid fandom all from a TV or computer screen?

God, if the point of view was from mine the show was shit out of luck for that there TV-Y rating. They could maybe keep it from Pinkie's perspective, but still. If I was still in episode one this was kind of a dreary first episode, and I have no idea how I'd fit into a "Friendship is Magic: Foal Years," type show. "Watch Rarity face her early fashion disasters! Twilight learning to deal with her new baby dragon brother! Dash's early flying failures and successes! Pinkie's traumatic mental health situation!" Not exactly the tagline for a cartoon show, fanfic sure, but then again, the world of entertainment wasn't exactly sane when I left. The odd thing was it was exactly the kind of show I'd watch. Maybe

Was I a bug or a feature? Was everything the unedited events that a show would be based on, or the show itself? The bard said it himself: All the world's a stage, mayhaps I just found myself onto a different one on the same lot. Like Hercules stumbling onto Xena.

Or a comic book crossover. Somehow I found that comparison degrading.

Either way, I was left with a new paranoia: That a poor underpaid writer would be told to throw some stumbling blocks in the way of the mental one of the cast for drama's sake.

Cartoon, comic, or average reality, where I found myself was my reality and while I did concede that I would constantly suffer an unhealthy dose of existential crisis, not helped by ninety nine percent improbable spin off of which a really unhelpful part of my mind wondered who would voice me in such a production.

Over the course of my zoning out that one part of my mind was trying to drag me back to Pay Attention Land. That ever helpful part of the brain that tells you "You want to go for a walk then go," then you never go, "If you want to get good at drawing start drawing," then you never draw, "If you want to play that video game then play it," then you never play it. Oh, that ever lovely part of the mind that says, "Your friends keep telling you to do it, I keep on telling you to do it, YOU keep on telling yourself to do it. Just do it!" Then you giggle at the Shia Labeouf that pops into your brain and waste away in front of Youtube, because Netflix would take too much effort.

As I came back to reality to see the Pie sisters and Frame and friends walking back to the School, but with a noticeable gap between the two groups, a more relevant worry inked through my mind. Well, less worry and more pondering. If I was in a cartoon then at least my potential killing of Pinkie was lessened, which meant Maud's wrath would be further away than before.

To try and distract myself from my imagination, which I lamented I never sold out and created trip worthy stories, I tried to converse with the Pinkie of the Pie. 'So. Those three just normal schoolmates of yours?'

Despite my being silent for quite some time she wasn't caught off guard like she was during my math awakening. 'Yeah. Frame, Folder and Sharp are okay.'

'Do... you know anything about them?'

'No.' Well, it was a silly question wasn't it?

'So-o-o-o I guess you just come to school, do school and leave without much gettin' to know anypony?'

'Yup.'

I didn't have the heart to ask for the names of other foals beyond the three, so I was doomed to a silent walk back to math hell. I was not naive enough to so much as hope the subject would be different. Fate would most definitely find it amusing to have a day of math and only math.

I still wondered why the Pie sisters and Frame's posse had the noticeable gap. Maybe the Pie sisters were singled out and avoided or it was typical school stuff, where everyone kept to themselves and their own out of fear of social awkwardness. Couldn't blame them really. They were just awkward...

How old are these fools? Come to think of it, the show didn't really qualify anybody's age from what I recalled, just anomalous and vague ranges. Cutie Mark Crusaders were, like, middle schoolers, Mane Six were late teen-early twenties and then there was Granny Smith. Not a single age and only a few birthdays were ever made known to even exist.

Hey! Silver lining! I get to know Rainbow Dash's actual birthday! And yes everypony else's, but best pony came first.

No offense to my unwitting vessel.

Silver medal for the silver conga linin- Crap. I didn't know Pinkie's birthday either.

Oh, dear math! Please come and distract my useless line of thoughts.

Wasn't much of a joke either, as the school building was quickly approaching with its promise of calculus as my little silent ponies were marching on. Add in some snapping and they might even appear a bit intimidating. More so than their teacher by any rate.

Sadly the math saving would have to wait as dear Frame spoke up. "Drat. We are too early."

Pinkie's vision shifted to Frame to see what he was talking about, and lo and behold the convenient clock with its little pointy hands pointing most definitely not one thirty. One ten ain't too far off though.

Limestone groaned, more put off by the time difference than I was. "Ugh. While we wait, Frame, anything interesting happen in town?"

The filly of Frame's group -I realized while I knew their names I didn't know who was who- tilted her head. "Oh, yeah. You wouldn't have heard."

If I had muscles my eye would be twitching. I did not like the bush beating that was going around. It was like opening up with, 'can I ask a question,' instead of asking the diddly damn question. Get to the question chopper!

There was general intrigue among the Pie sisters. Maud not showing it at all, Pinkie I could only assume a basic look of interest, Marble looked mildly worried while Lime quirked an eyebrow. "What happened?"

The three foals moved in a bit closer, which weirded me out a bit. It was like they were afraid the walls had ears and would snitch on them. Frame's colt buddy leaned in towards the sisters, and didn't really whisper but definitely spoke lower than normal, "Well, something happened regarding Rockhard."

Limestone scoffed at the mention of the name. "Rockhard? That literal nothing jerk that can't even scam Petri out of her lunch money without his buddies? What did he do? Fall through somepony's window?"

The three young ponies shared a look that implied something of greater depth, and Frame was next to speak. "Nopony seems to know. Except... something bad had to have happened. Me, Folder and Sharp just saw what had to be half the local guard run past us a few days ago. But, nopony is saying what actually happened."

Well, that all sounded ominous. Local delinquent, possible wannabe gang leader type either made a mistake or a power play. What that play was eluded me, and apparently everyone else.

Either way, Frame's words seemed to worry the sisters, so much so Maud decided to speak. "What could he have done to warrant such silence?"

"Are you talking about Rockhard?" Suddenly a new voice spoke to the group, drawing the eyes of the group. It was another filly, and she had to be second to Pinkie when it came to bright coats in Rockville, what with her dark green, unsaturated coat. Being the one out of the know, I did not know who she was, but by the quick glances between the other foals, I guessed that the filly was stepping outside expectations by talking to them.

Limestone was the one to answer the filly. "Uh, yeah. Frame was just telling us about what they saw and heard about it all. They haven't heard much." She tilted her head, "Have you heard something?"

The filly fidgeted slightly before responding. "No, I-I didn't hear anything." Everypony seemed to deflate at that, disappointed by the response. At least for the split second before she continued, "But I did see something..." That certainly caught everypony's attention, with Folder or Sharp, whoever the other filly was, gesturing for her to continue. She nodded and almost hesitantly went on, "W-well, almost everyday I walk by this same house where miss Rockfell lives. Uh, no relation. Every time I walk past, she's always there tending to her garden, but... a few day I was walking past, but she wasn't there and her front door was bucked in."

That didn't sound good, guess the Rockhard hard knock decided to move up to robbery.

Hopefully it was just robbery.

The reactions among the two groups were divided into two camps, some pretty angry by the break in, the rest were shocked and a bit scared. Understandable, really. I wouldn't have been pleased to have a break in gang in my neighborhood, either.

Wait. I live here. For all intents and purposes I did have a break in gang right down the road.

Crap.

The thought that the conversation wasn't really foal friendly went through my mind as Limestone responded. "Ugh, Rockhard broke into her house? I thought he was just an overgrown bully."

There was a series of nods from everypony, except for the newest addition to our little powwow, who only looked worse as she muttered, "I don't think it was just a break in."

Shit. I both did and did not want to hear whatever came next, but I wasn't in control of the ears at the time, so I didn't really get a say.

The filly of fifty fifty naming gulped from whatever feelings such ominous words could induce. "W-what was it then?"

The other filly shook her head, almost violently, as if to keep her mind at bay. "I don't know! I haven't seen Miss Rockfell since and Ma and Pa wouldn't tell me anything. But... but I think they know... whatever happened."

Much like a Grue, nothing was scarier than what you didn't know and laid in the dark. Which also didn't help that I didn't really want to know, but my paranoid imagination was still going to torture me with possibility.

The colt of fifty fifty naming also seemed to be at war with his imagination. "I-it could still just be a break in. Right?"

Even Maud was visibly... something. She felt something regarding the situation and it appeared negative. Reading her face was like reading a language I never heard of before. "If it were a break in there would be more talk about it. Whatever happened, the older ponies must want to keep it from us for some reason." Which basically all but confirmed one of two possibilities I didn't want to entertain.

"All right everypony, school is resuming soon, so file in!" Chalky was too slow on the draw for my taste. Sure we got the info, but with the looks everypony in the little group we formed had, I wasn't sure it was actually good that we did. Even if it did keep us from the info getting cut off.

As we filed back into the classroom I was sure of one thing then: There was no way in hell I was in a cartoon show. One paranoia dead only to be replaced by another: The world was probably a mix of cartoon logic and cold hard reality. Which meant if I was supremely unlucky I wouldn't be the only one liable to be the death of Pinkie Pie. And they might just be nearer than I would have hoped. A Rockville Horror Picture Show stood before me and there wasn't enough Tim Curry for my liking.
> Chapter 7: Shades of Gray, Rock Roll Away
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yup. More math. But it was distracting enough for me, and probably more so for the foals. On the one hand, they were kids, so it's possible their minds didn't jump to the darkest night possibility like my overthinking mind, but on the other hoof, at least some of them were quite intelligent, and well, kids could pick up on things. I just hoped we were being a bunch of cynics.

At the very least Pinkie hadn't asked me for my thoughts on it, instead choosing to focus on the mind numbing math before us. Fine by me, as I didn't know how I would answer. Twould I lie, or tell the truth? Lie about the truth, I mean, not the math.

Pinkie translated what I couldn't read, at my behest, if only because I wouldn't trust a math question with a cousin thrice removed who I never even met before. Still, the math wasn't abhorrent. Yet. Math always became monstrous at some point. Trigonometry.

These thoughts blazed through my mind as Pinkie scratched out the answer to yet another question, like many of the foals were doing. One colt was even writing down his answers as he held his sheet of paper to the wall.

Yeah, one thing that my tired brain begrudgingly accepted in favor to save brain power for the maths, was that the class room wasn't as typical as I first thought, at least by my silly human standards. There were about three large desks, two in the middle of the room in a row towards the chalk board and what I supposed was an extra pushed against the wall. Other than that, there was just the chalk board and a supply shelf for extra paper and pencils.

And despite there being ample desk space our dear teach was happy to let the foals mill about, so writing against the wall, or on the ground like Pinkie was, was perfectly fine, and to be honest, I sorta approved? Like, if it helped the kids focus a bit better, I didn't see a problem.

I mean, come on, Equestria is a place where the Princess's personal student gets shipped off to a little hamlet to learn the magic of friendship. Unorthodox teaching methods reach all the way to the crown, and that's a few heads above the average pony.

At the very least it was a welcome change of pace, and if that kept Pinkie from thinking on certain darkness, then I had to thank math a little.

Time flowed like a river of molasses inside that class room, and I didn't even have a watch or cliche school room clock to properly gauge my perception. Whether it was in my head, if it was in Pinkie's head or if time was enjoying math being the preferable alternate for once in my life, I would never know.

The strangest thing was when the math-athon ended. Couple together the weird conversation before the math and the fact I didn't even know how we got here, what with the Pinkie facilitated not-sleep walking and it was just a very odd experience.

Mr. Chalk spoke to the class at large, "Alright class! Time is up, and time to go home. Make sure to put your name on your paper and leave it on my desk before you leave."

If I had to give Chalk boy one thing, it had to be that his classroom had a nice atmosphere, and he ran it with calm ease. Now, that was based on one measly morning and part of an afternoon, but that's more than some of my teachers could manage. Looking at you Jerry. I still refuse to buy an Ipad for your programming class, even when Ipads don't exist.

All the little fillies and colts did as told, and a few hasty scrawls filled the air, Pinkie included in that. Though a few were already prepared and were already placing their papers on the white stallion's desk, the rest of class following quickly after.

As the class started to file out, the Pie sisters already having grouped up, doing the same, Mr. Chalk called out to the retreating ponies, "Have a good day class! See you soon!"

A few of the young ponies echoed the sentiments back, Marble included, if quietly, and we once again were outside, and I for one was completely lost. I mean, it's not like we had freaking cars. I didn't even know which way our rock farm was.

'So, what now Pinka?' I asked my headmate.

'We go home.' Thank you Sherlock for your boundless information. How do you go on to solve a train mystery?

'Yeah... how long does it take to get home? 'Cause, you know, I was asleep longer than you.' I really wanted to know the time frame of getting back to the Rock Farm. Sort of like when you're lost in the woods and want to know the way to the nearest path and a clown is behind you.

'Oh, not too long.' I take it back, I want to be in Twilight's head, she'd know down to the inch and second the distance and length of time it would take.

Personally, I found the fact dear Mother and Father allowed their daughters to walk to and from school, alone, quite a distance, to be quite irresponsible. Oh, I could definitely see Father breaking a fool in half if they did anything, seeing as he helped spawn Pinkie and Maud who are capable of crazy things, but it's the principle of the thing. Though, I would freely admit the Rockhard conversation was still inking back into my thoughts and might have added some more... tangible paranoia to my paranoia stew.

"Limestone?" Dear Marble spoke up, as a shining light to save my wandering mind from the dark, "Should we ask Ma and Pa about the Rockhard thing?" Oh, screw you Marble, let me ignore things that are probably important in peace.

Limestone herself seemed to share my bother at the question, might have been for different reasons, but eh, solidarity. "I don't know. I mean, I think we should, but if the other's parents didn't tell them anything I don't think Ma or Pa would if they even know anything."

Marble seemed a bit down from the question, I could only guess she felt like she was hiding something from her parents, which was fair enough. Maud however seemed more aligned with Limestone's thinking. "I think we should wait and bring it up if it becomes relevant." Oh, Maud, even if you were to be the death of me, how I adore you when our thoughts align.

Oddly, Pinkie was the hardest to read during the conversation. I couldn't read her face, as our little mindscape, I realized, always seemed more obscured when we didn't focus on it. On top of not seeing her face, she didn't really say anything, merely a noncommittal hum.

I really did not enjoy not knowing what was going on in Pinkie's head, considering I lived there. Not knowing travel times, not knowing her thoughts of topic bringing up-ing. All in all I felt quite useless as a fly on the wall. Doubly so because my mind, back when I had a body to call my own, would ramble and think in my head all the time. Then again, my mind was still rather ramble-y and Pinkie didn't complain. Mind magic duckery, how doth thou work?

I did end my thought chain on a pleasant note: I would not have to worry about that when Pinkie becomes the one true party maniac. It was then I decided to enjoy my peaceful, quiet time inside the mind, as such days were surely numbered.

The group fell into a relative quiet as they ventured down the path even further and longer than I had thought. I couldn't count time for a stale biscuit so my random guess of how long it took to get back to the farm was thirty minutes. If you put a gun to my head, or whatever Equestrian equivalent was, and demanded how long it took with a five minute margin of error I would be cosplaying Epsilon while Pinkie played Washington.

It was a sight for sore eyes, the rockfarm. Like a rock itself, it felt like a stable place of rest for the short time I've spent there and the foreseeable future I'd be spending. At least compared to 'A Skip from Tartarus' Ponyville.

As if Pinkie Sense ran in the family, dear Father came out of the home to greet the girls despite obviously not looking out any of the windows, "Hello, girls. How was school?"

Most everyone groaned, because math, Maud answered for the group, "Mr. Chalk taught us math today."

I think I saw a flicker of genuine confusion flash across Father's face at that information, which was honestly hilarious. "I know he loves math, but I will have to talk to him about moderation at the next meeting. Anyway, your Mother has prepared some snacks for you all. We will be entrusting you four with a harvest this evening, so relax while you can."

And with that bombshell, to me anyway, he led us into the house. I didn't get a good look at the sister's reaction to the news, but I sure had lots of thoughts on the matter. How the hell do you harvest rocks? I get it, rocks do grow, I think, like stalactites and stalagmites growing up or down. Yeah, I was not cut out for rockfarming, or geology. Thank you Pinkie for getting into baking and parties. At least if I don't screw something up like keeping Pinkie inside when the Rainboom happens.

Well, hither or dither, parties or rocks, I was going to learn the rocky road of rock harvests, even if the light shattering color nuke happened within a week. Buckle up Pinkamena, welcome to the ride of your life as you switched lanes into another dimension.

A dimension with decent snacks, even if I was not in control of the mouth to actually taste the buttery rock rolls dear Mother had made for the sisters, they still looked delicious and like rocks, so I didn't know what to think anymore. Guess baking flowed in the family like a chocolate fountain.

One thing I appreciated was that Maud seemed to have, maybe not warmed up to me, but at the very least came to accept my existence. She hadn't really said anything or glance Pinkie and my way all that much. It eased my anxiety, that's for sure.

Not like rock harvests though, that spiked my anxiety like party drinks. But, hey, I wasn't in control for the rock harvest event itself, but that didn't mean I was going to rest on my laurels. I was going to have to work the rocks in the future, there was no question about that, and I'd be thrown in a cage in hell with a goat if I was going to just let Pinkamena do it alone. I helped her with math, I'd help her with rocks.

As for the snacking, it was nice and quiet. I don't know, somehow Maud knowing and seemingly accepting me eased the odd silence. Maybe I was just buying into some sort of stockholm syndrome. In the end I guess it didn't really matter since my kidnapper was the universe.

After the delightful snacking was over, dear Father led us outside to begin the harvest of rocks, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't interested in what exactly went on with a harvest. Though, I suppose I could just have wanted something magical or unnatural to happen. Not seeing so much as a spiral of a unicorn in the supposed 'magical land' does things to you man.

Oddly enough, as we were walking along to wherever father was taking us, the sisters weren't complaining or even rolling their eyes. If anything they looked a little excited even. And by that I mean Marble looked more nervous than she was on the walk back, Limestone looked a bit more determined, or angry, than before, Maud was Maud and Pinkie was, once again, an unknown. I didn't think she was super tense, she didn't appear jittery at least, so I was resigned to hearing her inner thoughts once things began.

Unless the harvest was more mundane than the math, but I doubted that.

Dear Father led us to a stretch of land that contained interesting rocks of various shapes and sizes I did not believe was entirely natural. Considering there was what appeared to be a slightly rough, but otherwise completely fine circular pillar, I guessed I spotted the elusive earth pony magic at work. Or the fruits of said work.

Slow earth bending.

"Alright, girls. Your Mother and I believe you are ready to take on more responsibility with the rocks. We want you four to move as many ready rocks, boulders, geodes and slabs as you can manage, back to the drop off near home. Your Mother and I will attend to the preparation of a special order we have gotten. Should anything arise, please come get either me or your Mother to help."

How does one special order rocks? Like, building materials maybe? But, slabs wouldn't be out in random nowhere would they?

I would have asked Pinkie, but I doubt she'd know much more than me, and having her ask her Father at that moment would have just been awkward.

Either way, the sisters nodded and Dear Father went off to prepare the satanic building materials Chrysalis ordered or something, while the Pie squad prepared to set to work.

"Ugh, I didn't think Pa would make us move this much." Limestone lamented. I agreed with the filly, the only reason I didn't think the task was unreasonable was because there were four of them. But still, that's some back breaking work for such young ponyos.

"I am sure Pa wouldn't have given us more than he thought we could handle." Maud oh so helpfully chimed in.

Marble did not look eased by Maud's deduction however, "B-but, what if he's wrong?"

Well, I don't know what to tell ya Marble. But this is Equestria. Bad things happen because the plot demands, and sadly I lost the script like John Boyega and it's a dimension to the left now.

Silly little jokes known only to me aside, the combined worry of Marble and Limestone did nothing good for my nerves. Sure, transdimensional travel and mental transplantation should have been higher on my list, but something as little as obligation always shot my anxiety through the roof.

I wasn't even in control of the body and I feared failure on my part.

Either way, we stood in front of a valley of rock, including a rough pillar that was not quite yet a man. And nopony moved. I guess I was not the only one overcome with the nerves.

Pinkie glanced our vision towards our sisters and asked, "So, where do we start?" Seemingly just as slightly baffled as the rest of us.

With a shrug of her shoulders Limestone led us onward deeper into the subtly wacky world of earth pony rocks. I swear one looked like an eye and was staring at me. Not Pinkie. Me.

And 'we' set work.

Oh, so.

Very.

Slowly.

I mean, when Pinkie and I were moving rocks before, for whatever purpose Father could divine, we moved some decently sized rocks, but what we faced in that field was just ridiculous by comparison. The rocks seemed heavier and more lopsided, one was roughly shaped like the heaviest weighted die I ever saw, except I had never seen a weighted twenty sided die before. Then there was the wonky looking thing that somewhat resembled a half pipe. Even the rocks have destined professions in Equestria.

There wasn't anything impossible in the field per se, it was like cloud watching but with rocks. Rough shapes that could entirely be natural, if it were not for the fact so many of them were right next to one another.

'These rocks are weird.' I thought talked towards Pinkie.

'What do you mean Mena?'

'I don't know, I just think a rock in the near shape of a duck is weird to find lying around.' I didn't trust the duck rock. It was like any other rock, with a thin neck and rough duck like head. Even as we were a decent ways away, I swore I could see its beady little singular eye staring somewhere, with devious plotting within.

Pinkie paused her task of pushing quite the sizable rock to find my words odd, and when she finally replied I swore I could detect the faintest bits of annoyance upon her thoughts, 'It's just a rock...' That's what everyone says, and then Tom's rock army comes to get them.

Shrugging off my probably unjustified paranoia, Pinkie set back to work. And it really was as boring as it sounds. Even the stares of the duck rock quickly became dull. Why? It was just moving rocks. Maud moved the most un-round rock of the lot, having to alternate between flipping it onto another flat side and shoving it along as its edges dug into the dirt, while Marble and Limestone suffered something similar as they dragged quite the rectangle of rock into the distance. I guess they found the slabs.

I swear Maud was actually emoting. Her face pinched and twisted while toiling against the hard rocks, maybe not emoting as much as say Limestone or Marble, but hey. At least I knew she wasn't a robot, even if she seemingly had the strength and stamina to qualify as one. Seriously, I think she moved at least three equally cumbersome boulders since I last looked, if the mini trenches being formed were any indication. And almost fell off quite the cliff. Ramp. Thingy. It almost felt like the sisters were determined to get as many of the rocks away from it as possible before tired brains made mistakes. Which led to the almost falling. You know, after more than just a slight thought, a rock farm of such a caliber is actually quite dangerous.

It was these moments of geometric pain that Pa and Ma probably had some rock moving carts or wheelbarrow thingies lying around somewhere, and I think at least Maud and Limestone had similar thoughts, though Maud was more of a hunch than anything. Now why wouldn't they just go get the move thingies then, you ask? Simple, then they'd have to admit they didn't bring them.

I too was enveloped by the anxiety of being the first to bring it up, I did not ask Pinkie about such a thing, lest she be the first one to bring it up. But, I was getting bored from the rocks, so I decided to poke the working Pinka. 'So, compared to normal rock harvesting, how hard is this?'

'Hard,' The Pinka groaned, a twinge of venom on that thought. Obviously, I ask the best questions.

In the end, nopony went for a wheelbarrow or any kind of wheeled contraption and the Pie sisters just. Kept. Moving. Rocks.

And amongst moving rocks, Pinkie was starting to get... aggravated.

Yeah, while I was more occupied by the mind numbing moving of rocks and the weird shapes therein, I think Pinkie was judging herself to her sister's standard, which was Marble and Limestone working together quite frequently and Maud being, well, Maud. And I swear up an' down, on my very much possible grave back home that the only reason I didn't notice earlier was because Pinkie wasn't being mentally talkative and I wasn't used to reading her in other ways.

The first sign, that I noticed at least, was when she growled at quite the mountain of a rock, which I suppose was somewhat justified, as her mane was drenched with sweat by that point and my sense of time was crippled beyond belief, so who knows how long they'd been moving rocks.

I had a real big feeling in the back of my mind some kind of doozy would follow my question, but boredom is a lot like adrenaline, it makes you dumb. 'Uhm, what's wrong Pinks?'

For the record, I do regret asking that question.

As whatever barrier was keeping Pinkie from spilling the emotions over promptly snapped away, letting a tidal wave of emotion to crash upon me into silence. Yeah, I was wondering where all Pinkie's thoughts were, and my best guess was that she was repressing them harder than I do.

Of course as they were subconscious thoughts only recently brought up from being ignored I, being quite the inexperienced mind-spirit parasite, had an impossible time parsing what the thoughts even contained.

'What's wrong?'

And then I learned, the tidal wave hadn't happened yet, and it wasn't anywhere close to a tidal wave, it was much much worse.

It's hard to properly explain... anything that followed. It's like the mindscape exploded, giving me what had to be the worst migraine I ever had. It was so bad I instinctively clutched at my head, not only to try and pressuring the pain away, but to also try and block out the typhoon of pure, near intangible thought.

It was like Pinkie found the Mirror Pool early and the clones stepped into her brain purely to relay her deepest annoyances, all at once, at a volume I never thought possible and poured directly into my ears as a liquid, only every other word was taken randomly from the thought as a whole. I couldn't even react, really, it was just so sudden. Pair my inexperience of mind duckery along with Pinkie not being her later bundle of emotional bungee cords and I was left off balance, confused and maybe even mildly shell shocked.

To be quite honest I'm not sure how long I was 'out' as it were, due to the pain in the not my brain. The only reason I came back to the land of the living was because the thoughts abruptly stopped, probably aided by Limestone giving out a guttural, yet worried, roar, "PINKAMENA?!" Which was kind of funny given her small stature and squeaky voice. Hey, don't blame me for finding it funny, my being was still ringing.

Funny as it was, I still had the sense to try and see what was- Why is the mini mountain rock rolling at mach speed?!

Yes, I tuned back into reality and got the lovely picture of Pinkie running, quite impressively, after the previously growled at rock. Impressive because I only slightly exaggerated it's speed, and Pinkie was right on its tail, but I wanted to know one thing: 'How did it get this fast?!'

'I don't know! I only gave it a light kick!' Fair, honestly.

At least Pinkie was gaining on it, surprisingly, and Limestone wasn't far behind, combine that with the fact none of the other rocks were being so much as scratched and I'd say things were going pretty we- and there's the half pipe. Yeah, the pretty rough halfpipe looking construct was right in the path of the giant rock rolling around at the speed of obvious. Pinkie and Limestone seemed to notice as well, as they dug their hooves into the ground to drag to a halt.

While all three of us watched the giant rock roll up the half pipe and into the air quite a ways I heard Limestone groan, "Please crash into the ground and stop rolling..." Oh, poor, silly Limestone.

The giant rock did a sick 360 to the power of too many and landed it like a pro, turning the tables as it bore down on us.

Life is only cruel and would never be that kind, Limestone.

"Run!" Said Captain 'Obvious' Limestone, as the two of us with legs turned literal tail and ran, as Tom, as I've come to call that mother luckler, tried his darndest to crush them, and I was getting real tired of rocks trying to kill me and my charge.

As Pinkie and Limey both ran for their heinies I could actually see Marble and Maud for a split second. Marble looked completely distraught and Maud looked completely done. Or at least I think that's what their faces conveyed, as we rushed right on past them in the blink of an eye, and I had no idea where we were running to until the cliff of almost falling came into view, and hallelujah it was right in our line of running.

Not too soon after I noticed it Limestone spoke up over the rumble of once certain death, "Lose it behind the cliff!" Never before had I heard such anger and fear packed together so neatly.

Pinkie was too winded to answer, but her thoughts seemed to mirror my own. Mainly, 'I don't wanna die,' and as soon as they were able, they both jumped over the ramp, cliff thing's edge and pressed themselves against the cliff wall and ground in pure fear. Luckily, or unluckily, depending on your foresight, the giant rock practically flew off the cliff and a decent ways into the distance.

Pinkie and Limestone, upon seeing such a sight, both relaxed and let out deep breaths, Limestone grinding out some words to boot, "I- hah, hate this part- hoh, of the farm..."

I concu-

And then we heard the scream of, "WOAH!" that could only have come from Mother, and the tell tale crash of something fragile, and probably expensive, getting absolutely obliterated by Tom the mountain boulder.

Pinkie let out a light sob, which Limestone heard if her next words were any indication, "FUCKING ROCK!"

I concur small, salty for all the right reasons, horse child, I concur.





Before we knew it all four of the Pie sisters were much closer to home, moving smaller rocks, and an actual wheelbarrow cart thingy was in play. And everyone was miserable. Limestone had a face of dull anger, Marble just looked completely drained and almost mirrored Limestone, Maud was mostly the same and Dear Father also looked quite tired as he oversaw the reassignment.

Pinkie did not take it well. Whatever fire burned within her earlier to set the rock into motion at such incredible speed had been snuffed out at the result. The result, if Maud was correct, was Ma and Pa's rock sculpture order getting smash to smithereens. Nopony appreciated Maud's hypothesis. Marble had screamed a muffled scream, Limestone taught me some new profanity and Pinkie sobbed even more.

And I was feeling ever more like a worthless crap. I wanted to ease Pinkie's pain a bit, because whoo boy was she not good at that moment, but I just didn't have the damn words. Never good with words, but I wasn't going to just sit by and not try.

'We'll get through this.'

"Hmm?" Pinkie hummed in confusion, 'But I messed up...'

I nodded within the mindscape, 'We made mistakes. But, we'll learn from it.'

'How am I supposed to learn from not being as strong as Maud? As fast as Marble?'

I shrugged. 'We'll exercise. Grow some muscle, maybe do some acrobatics for reflexes? Mistakes aren't for dwelling, they're for overcoming.'

I'm not sure how much my words helped, but her head wasn't as low as it was before. That was better than nothing, at least.

What felt like only a few minutes of nosing rocks around and wheelbarrow-ing a bell rang from the house, catching everybody's attention. Limestone stretched and even Father cracked his neck and most everybody headed for the door. Except Maud, who walked up to us when we weren't looking. "Are you going inside, Pinkie? Mena?"

Pinkie seemed torn between appreciative and awkward, at least from an insider's perspective. "Ah, um, I think we'll stay out a little longer. Move a few more rocks."

Maud nodded, seemingly understanding Pinkie better than me. "Don't stay out too late." And so it was just me and Pinkie.

'Any reason to staying out?'

"Mmm, I just need a little bit to myself."

'Fair.'

She nosed a few more rocks into a pile and she sorta just stood there for a few moments, either looking at the house, or the sky above the house, either way, her mood seemed to become at least decently better.

"Sorry for blowing up at you Mena."

'Eh, it happens to the best of us. Think nothing of it.'

A bit more time of admiring, well, whatever time of day or evening it was went by before she spoke again, "Thanks Mena."

I wasn't exactly sure why she thanked me, but I wasn't about to question it, 'No problem Pinkie.'

Looking over the grey skies of the rock farm, I got the feeling it really wouldn't be that bad a place to literally start a new life. Half life. Sure almost getting squished by giant Toms and the lack of a shouty reprimand somehow being worse to the near silent treatment, aside, it really wasn't that bad. Sure, I'd miss my family, select group of friends and my fledgling dreams back home, but getting into a position to get back home would just be more pain than it's worth, I figured.

Gotta get taken seriously, have to tear open the fabric of reality, prove to people I'm not dead, re-traumatize my family, risk the US of A manifesting destiny in Equestria. Really, by the time I could go back, I probably wouldn't want to. Plus it'd just kill Pinkie and I couldn't do that to her.

And then the horizon exploded. I almost had a heart attack it happened so fast. If I had a heart. One moment it was grey skies with some clouds, the next it was a line of rainbow blowing away the grey and giving way to a much brighter blue, honestly making me question the time of day, again. Then there was the wind and the sound, it really was like a bomb went off. How the hell the rest of the Pie family could miss it I would never know. How the hell Rainbow wasn't mush from that was a question for later.

What I did know was, Pinkamena as she was, was no more and the rise of Pinkie Pie Premier Party Pony was near. As I stared from within the mindscape, through Pinkie's eyes I could even see the happy sparkles from the other side after witnessing such a spectacular display, and honestly I was little different.

"Wow..."
'Whoa...'

Already, I could hear the gears in her head turning on how to share the experience with her family, and while I knew the little peace and quiet I had inside Pinkie's mind was about to end, the inky blackness of the mindscape already giving way to much more color than there was before, Pinkie was happy, and I'd be damned if I'd be bothered by that.
> Chapter 8: The Premier of the Party Pony
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pinkie really was enveloped by the rainbow the boom left behind, and I couldn't agree more. It was oddly beautiful, a bright blue sky, rainbow passing by, framing the rock farm in a wonderful moment that, sadly, passed all too soon. Almost as quick, but much, much more quiet than it began, the rainbow faded from sight.

"Ah!" Pinkie, truly Pinkie that time, exclaimed, "Limestone, Maud and Marble- everypony would have loved to see that!"

If they lived near Rockville then yeah, a little color would definitely spice things up. The sky was so blue it made me realize how droll the sky I thought as 'normal' really was. Aaaaand now I'm imagining a world where Pinkie was color blind. Why brain?

Ignoring such silly thoughts I turned my attention back to Pinkie, trying to ignore the distracting colors in my peripheral vision within the mindscape, "Well, maybe we should do something special for them? To try and share a speck of that with them somehow?" I didn't want to just spell it out for her, it was her cutie mark, it was her achievement, but I figured a few gentle nudges couldn't hurt.

And boy howdy did her brain running on skittles power run fast, because not even two seconds later she jumped into the air, with a smile clearly on her face, even from my point of view. "I got it!" She almost shouted, and made a beeline straight for the nearby silo. Not too sure why a rockfarm needs a silo. Knowing Equestria, the Pie's farm was once an actual farm that sucked so much they thought rocks were food.

She nearly crashed through the Silo door in her excitement, and I wasn't really sure what I was expecting. Granted I wasn't not surprised by a load of boxes and containers, the stove top oven was a little out of place though.

"Pinkie, why is there an oven inside of a silo?" I asked as I tried to ignore the ever growing color inside the mindscape.

"Uh, I don't know. I think Ma said she had a feeling we'd need it someday or something."

No idea who keeps an extra oven on hoof, foresight or no. Guess that explains how Pinkie could cook without alerting her family. Unless they sleep like rocks, which would be fitting.

"Alright, oven aside for now, what do ya have in mind to... do whatever it is you plan on doing?" I word very good yes, thank you.

"I'm looking for Granny Pie's boxes." Pinkie responded.

That gave me pause. I completely forgot about Granny Pie. Did she even appear in the show? My inner fan awoke for the first time since I landed in Equestria. Imma get some hidden Lore! Yey.

"What's in Granny Pie's boxes that would be so important?" I asked Pinkie who was busy nosing between different boxes. And let me just say, going through other ponies' belongings hurt my soul. Back home I would always double and triple check things out of fear of retaliation for failure, so Pinkie's cavalier attitude was playing havoc on me. The only reason I wasn't losing my shit was because I knew -or at least had a pretty good assumption- that everything would go fine.

She pushed a heavier box across the floor to get a look at a handful more, "Granny always knows how to make me and my sisters feel better. If anything could be a bit like those colors to share with my family, it would belong to Granny Pie!"

Pinkie's words just had me intrigued as to how Granny Pie fit into the family. Maybe a Pinkie Pie happens every other generation? It would have to, Equestria wouldn't survive two Pinkie Pies, if one wasn't crippled by age. Needless to say, I did not count. I hoped. Oh, the things I could do if the secrets of Pinkie Pie were unlocked to me...

Pinkie continued to push, nose and move boxes until she let out an announcement of discovery, "Aha!" And opened the box, both excitedly and with quite a bit of care. Inside the box was indeed a lot of color, what appeared to be streamers, and some kind of tarps resided within the box. But, what stood out the most in the box was a thin book, placed at the very top of the box's contents like a holy text on a pedestal.

Pinkie took the book out reverently, her smile seeming to permeate her entire body. It was, as everything was, written in the lucky charms language, but the cover more than told the story within its pages. "This is Granny Pie's cookbook!" I felt Pinkie's smile shift away, and guessed she adopted a small look of confusion considering her next words, "Why in the world would Ma and Pa keep this in a dusty old box?"

"Jealousy?"

Pinkie laughed at that, mission complete. "Pfft! Nah. I'm sure they have a good reason. Like keeping it here for ME to find it."

Wa-was that a joke? Or was Pinkie becoming anomalous at an expedient pace? The question merely had me dread looking away from Pinkie's gaze to face whatever hellscape Pinkie's colorfully affected mind had become. "Crazier things have happened, I suppose. Like an explosion of color beyond the laws of science's comprehension."

Pinkie let out a giggle, which warmed my dead heart, "I guess that's true!" Her expression had to have changed again as she spoke once more, "But... how am I supposed to share the color with a cookbook? Just... cook things?"

Pinkie, please, don't give me the opportunity to ruin your Cutie Mark moment, because I somehow will find a way despite best efforts. "Well, maybe the cook book is only a piece of the puzzle? Liiiiike how a rainbow is made up of multiple colors you need multiple things to share its color with your family?"

"Huh, yeah! You're right Mena, I can't just do something simple, I have to do something, something super." Her voice became somewhat resolute as she moved the box to the side, searching for a different box. The next box she opened had what appeared to be bags of deflated balloons. Just deflated balloons. Like, more balloons than I had ever seen in my life, balloons.

Even Pinkie was amazed by the sheer number and color of them as well. "There's so many of 'em! What are they?"

Hah-bah-gah, how doth thou not knoweth the wonders of balloons? If the Rainboom hadn't come already I would say it hadn't come fast enough. "Those be balloons. You fill them with helium and they float, fill them with your own breath if you just want them inflated."

Pinkie hummed. "What are they for?"

I blinked, not quite used to explaining the function of balloons. "Well, they're just pretty, bouncy, lively. Good for parties."

Pinkie let out a light gasp at the knowledge. "I love these already."

Pinkie continued searching and just more and more party supplies came up, like bags of confetti, bags of flour and then the very weird. Eggs that were somehow fresh, somehow, it said so on the packaging, 'somehow fresh eggs' and a freaking can of helium. The flour and eggs were courtesy of Ma, can of helium courtesy of Granny Pie.

The more I heard of Granny Pie the more I was scared of her. And Ma come to think of it.

There was a lot inside that silo, and the more Pinkie dug into it the more I think she was getting the idea in her head to put it all to good use. Not all was party related, as there were wooden boards, some pick axes, and other such things. And after what must have been an hour of scrounging, occasional me informing Pinkie on the basics of party utensils and overall getting the lay of the land, Pinkie was ready. "Mena. I know exactly what I'm going to do."

"Take over the world?"

"I am going to throw a party!"

Hell, yeah, small pink horse. Hell, yeah.

Pinkie was quick to set to work, unimportant boxes were strategically placed, wooden boards laid atop them and colored tarps atop the boards as makeshift tables. Streamers placed nicely about to liven up the upper sight lines, while the balloons were set aside for the moment. I intervened, my paranoia would not allow me to allow Pinkie to fill up the balloons hours early and risk them being a pathetic sight. No. I would not.

Then came the biggest hurdle of the party setting upping night.

The silo had pretty much all the ingredients typically needed for party based confections, and Granny Pie's cookbook would be an invaluable boon, but Pinkie seemed to be dragging her hooves a bit.

"Pinks? What's the matter?"

She stopped her intermittent page flipping through Granny's cookbook and let out a mild whine. "I-I just don't know if I can do this right."

I briefly pondered why the sudden emotional downturn before remembering why she was out later than her family, why she saw the Rainboom in the first place. Though, that also had me asking 'why hadn't her family noticed her missing' but that was neither here nor there.

What was important in the moment was giving Pinkie the encouragement needed to prepare proper party pastries. Pinkie kept flipping pages as I wracked my brain. I once again lamented my lack of real social skills, as I doubted my half baked rambling would help in such a situation.

An idea came to my mind, a mixture of old world meme-ery brought forth from my rambling mind that was, funnily enough, kind of related to the situation at hand and or hoof.

I 'breathed' a sigh as it were, the idea bringing a tinge of embarrassment to me, but, it was for Pinkie...

"It's a piece of cake to bake a pretty cake..." I said, so reluctantly there's no way it would be described as singing.

Pinkie perked up, probably surprised by my words. "What?"

"If the way is hazy, ya gotta do the cooking by the book." At least I started to hold some sort of tune, even if it was pretty bare.

"Okay?" Pinkie was obviously still confused, but took my words in stride, flipping towards the cake section of the cook book.

"You know you can't be lazy. Never use a messy recipe,"

"Why?"

"The cake will end up crazy."

"Oh."

"If you do the cooking by the book, then you'll have a... cake." At least halfway through I was kinda getting into it, but sorta trailed off by the end. Give me a break, I was always self conscious of my singing, and having a different 'not' voice, and an audience, didn't help.

"Huh. I guess that makes sense." She said, seeming to settle for a simple, but tasty looking cake. "Nice singing Mena."

I was sure if I had a body my face would have heated up from such a simple compliment. I rubbed the back of my head, glancing back into the mindscape a bit, but didn't internalize it too much. It oddly faded into shadows a ways out which was interesting. "Oh, it was, uh, pretty bad."

"Nah." Nah? Well, I guess I couldn't argue with that.

Whether my inter dimensional song plagiarism gave her the encouragement she needed or merely distracted her from her worries, I did not know. What I did know was Pinkie and I were baking a cake and it was going much better than Pinkie was, probably, thinking. My guess was she just needed a push to get started. Huh, that reminded me of me. Didn't feel like doing something, ever, but once I actually started I could do it.

I must forge Pinkie into being not me.

What I didn't really realize, having squirmed so much while Pinkie did the real reading, I didn't realize just how complicated the cake we were baking was; a multilayered cake of epic proportions. Well, epic by my standards. Single pan brownies were my most advanced baking experience.

Somehow Pinkie managed to dash through the cake bake like a real pro. At least no ingredients were harmed for experimentation.

After the cake was finished, frosted and towering above us, the decorations were hung, the tables set, the cake baked, there was even some punch mix hidden in the silo, for some reason. That seemed to be a recurring theme with the Pie family, 'for some reason.' But, I wasn't going to question it. Sorry, future Twilight, I'm not saving you from your foolish actions, I'm not in your head, curb thy enthusiasm.

Things were going swimmingly, Pinkie and I tried out the helium for setting up the balloons and everything. But, Pinkie thought something was off with the atmosphere.

"It just feels like we're missing something." Pinkie said, almost sounding like a scientist trying to solve the secrets of the universe. And considering she's the Element of Laughter to be, I guess that isn't too far off point.

"What could we be missing? We have food, punch, decorations out the wazoo, and tables that weren't even tables when we got here. What on Earth could we be missing?" Seriously, considering Pinkie probably didn't come in here often, if ever, it was shocking the transformation it went through.

"I don't know. But, this just feels like a silo still. There can't be a party in just a silo." Kid, you hardly even knew what a party was... however long ago it was. You can't speak on proper party protocol.

"Alright, sure, it still feels like a silo, now what are we gonna do about it? Because barring painting this entire place or hiring a band on the shortest of notices, we ain't changing much here."

Pinkie seemed a bit dejected at that, which kinda made me feel like an ass. A sarcastic ass. I got so caught up in helping Pinkie's party I got distracted from helping Pinkie as Pinkie. Human or voice in a head, I still needed to learn to just shut up sometimes.

Well, that's how I felt until Pinkie perked up right quick with an exclamation. "That's it!" She shouted, before barreling towards the one corner we had yet to scavenge, bringing confusion to my mind.

"What's it? We got everything except for the impossible don't we?"

"Nope!" Pinkie joyfully exclaimed, "It's been so long I almost forgot Granny left it here."

"Just how much did Granny leave here? Does she come around so often it's just easier for her to have it all packed away?"

Pinkie groaned as she shifted another box away from whatever it was she was digging for. "She comes around a lot." She paused her box moving and gazed at nothing in particular, wistfully. "Granny Pie is great."

I hummed in response. "I hope I get to meet her someday."

"Oh, you'll love her! Granny Pie is the absolute best! And only the absolute best have this!" In an attempt at flair she kicked the final box, only for it to barely budge. "Uhm. One second." She struggled to push the final box, somehow ending up more suspenseful for the final reveal of... whatever it was. Pinkie groaned one last time as the box was safely moved out of the way, though she still glared angrily-ish at it. "What in Equestria is in this thing anyway?" She hopped up onto another box to get to the opening, and threw open the doorway to the box's glorious contents!

It was rocks. Bog standard rocks. You've been outside lately? Then you've seen those rocks. Why was the question of the day, and even Pinkie had enough shenanigans from the rock box, simply closing it up without acknowledging its silly insides. Instead she strategically made sure whatever it was was out of sight. I could practically feel her excitement, to the point I almost felt like shaking myself. "Wanna guess what it is, Mena?"

"Pinkie, I am terrible at guessing games. So I'm going to say Princess Celestia's long lost cousin Ted."

That sent Pinkie almost tumbling forward from attempting to contain her mirth. "No, silly!" She jumped and turned around to face the all important whatever it was. "That!"

I hummed in surprise. Mainly because I wasn't really surprised all things considered. "Well, I guess we have our band." By the way, who keeps a record player at the back of a silo?


—


Things only got harder after we found Granny's record player. Not because it was actually more difficult, things were pretty much entirely set up, sweets cooked, balloons floated about, streamers strewn, and Granny's record player played on a solemn dirge that did nothing for my nerves, though it was accurate to the mood. Waiting for Pinkie's family to wake up and find the party was quite the nerve wracking time.

Such anxiety lanced through our shared being I didn't know who it belonged to at that point.

"Pinkie?" She merely hummed in response, sitting, back to the wall, next to the silo door. "Can we change the music, please? This song, while very good, I do admit, it is really grating on my nerves."

"Oh, sorry Mena. I-I, was lost in thought." The filly said as she trotted over to the player and began swapping records.

"It's no problem. It's just with waiting for the others to come in, not knowing what their reaction will be... I'm just on edge."

Pinkie gave a comforting smile that was even evident on her mental scape twin. "Heh, I am too. It's just so... exciting. Putting the party together was a lot of fun. I just hope my family will like it as much as I do."

Crap. I injected my doubt into things. Course correction required. "Ey. Don't let those doubts get you doubtful. Just 'cause there's an edge doesn't mean ya have to jump, ya know?"

Pinkie quirked an eyebrow as she placed her new chosen record onto the player. "Uh, no. I don't."

"Well, that's probably for the best."

Pinkie set the needle down and the record player burst to life, throwing out a far more upbeat tune, more fitting to a party.

"This is better."

"Much better." The music really did do wonders, all things considered. It didn't really ease my worries, but it did help the atmosphere.

I just hated the anxiety that came with anticipation. Any sort of engagement that I needed to plan for always had me stressed. Even something like helping Pinkie Pie in a ninety nine percent guaranteed success of a party had me sweating bullets.

"Pinkamena Diane Pie, is that you?" Sounded dear Mother from outside.

I upgraded my sweating bullets into sweating a full on forty gun salute.

"Well... Remember the big rainbow explosion. Remember the Rainboom."

Somehow Pinkie managed to replace her anxiety -or was it my anxiety?- with intense joy at sharing that happy moment with her family. She ran to the silo door and threw it open. "Ma! I need you and dad and my sisters in here! Quick!" And she quickly shut the door as she positioned herself in front of the cake we had cooked by the book.

If I had a body to die in, the suspense would be killing me.

The family entered the silo soon after, everypony immensely shocked at the display before them. Even Maud had her eyes wider than usual.

"Surprise! Do ya like it? It's called a party!" Pinkie exclaimed. I could practically feel the anxiety seeping back in near the end.

God, carve my non-existent heart out with a spoon, their expressions were not comforting. Really, the main ones I focused on were Ma and Pa. I was unable to tell if their quivering lips were getting over the shock into happiness, or delirium felt at all the stuff Pinkie poured into the festivities.

Even Pinkie started to feel dejected by their reaction. "Oh... you don't like it..." And she turned away in sadness.

I will fucking cut-

Pinkie looked back just in time to see Ma and Pa's expressions fully embrace the joy of the scene, smiling widely. Pinkie's own smile returned with gusto as she rushed towards them. "You do like it! I'm so happy!"

While it really did nothing for me, I flopped onto the floor of our mindscape, completely exhausted by the stress the party's preparations threw onto me. I was greeted by a far more colorful approximation of the rock farm. Like I saw earlier, it ended some distance away, fading into the familiar darkness of the mind, an oddly mundane sight compared to what I was expecting. Granted, the mindscape would surely become more crazy as Pinkie attains her eldritch powers, but I'd take what I could get.

I glanced back to reality to see Pinkie and the family happily dancing. Dancingly if you will. Apparently dear Mother and Father chose to forego questioning Pinkie on the whys and hows. Honestly it was a little scary seeing Father not monotone in expression, and Mother was honestly cutting loose with her dance moves. Maybe life was just mundane and this burst of life restored them to energy years passed.

Really, I was just relieved that I didn't ruin things. My mere presence was fact enough things could change. Unless I was in the show itself and was just really good at staying hidden and didn't change anything. Not too sure what I'd change, as that all was years away, but still, deserved some thought I supposed.

I shrugged my mental form, distantly wishing I could feel the release of tension from my shoulders. A thing to wait for when Pinkie lets me have control again sometime, I supposed.

As I looked closer I noticed that Mother was a lot less reserved than Father was. I couldn't tell if that was because Mother enjoyed the party more, or if Maud took after Father more than anything. Limestone and Marble were enjoying the punch as well, bringing joy to me at least.

"Pinkie," Maud said, sounding actually intrigued, "You got your cutie mark."

"What?!" Pinkie practically gasped, and glanced to her flank in a way that most definitely had to look like she broke her neck. Even from the inside I could tell Pinkie's eyes glinted with such joy it made my heart swell. All because of a picture of three little balloons. "My cutie mark... YAY!" And she damn near jumped halfway to the ceiling before landing on the table behind us.

Dear Mother spoke next, looking overjoyed herself, "I think I know just the thing! Hold on everypony." She dashed over to one of the uncovered boxes and pulled at a freaking camera. How the hell did we miss that? Ma trotted over and set up the camera. "Get ready everypony!"

Everypony did indeed get ready, Limestone and Marble not wanting to be left out climbed onto the table behind us, Ma and Pa on either side, even Maud was smiling up, and because it was a timer we didn't have much time to pose, but honestly, I was too engulfed into the happy atmosphere to care about a getting a perfect picture.

I happily gazed through Pinkie's eyes from within our homier mindscape, and as the picture flash went off, I had to say, I would miss my home, but for a forced life to live, I could live with this.

The party raged on, maybe a little awkwardly, considering nopony in the silo probably ever even went to a party before, but the entire thing had heart. I just loved absorbing the atmosphere.

"Ah, Pinkie," Father said, bringing my attention back to Pinkie's immediate surroundings, "May I ask what possessed you to do this? As delightful as it is."

Pinkie only slightly got taken out of the party attitude, after all, feeling like the center of negativity is never nice. "Well... after I ruined everything by kicking the rock-"

Dear Father interrupted Pinkie's explanation. "Just so you know dear, you did not ruin anything."

'What.'
"What?"

He nodded at my statement and her question. "Yesterday was simply meant to be about easing you and your sisters into the harder and harsher aspects of rock farming, though I suppose I should have made that more clear."

"B-but, the rock went flying a-and the crashing sound!"

Dear Father simply nodded again. "I caught it."

'And I shall reiterate: What.' Pinkie simply appeared to stare in shock at Father, which, yeah. I, too, would share such a look if somepony told me 'oh yeah, flying rock at gajillion miles per hour? I just caught it.' Freakity, fucking what, Papa?

"It did take me by some surprise, but with a tickle at the back of my skull, I knew something was amiss, so I caught it. Did push me a bit hard into some of the sculptures, but I've had bigger and faster rocks roll my way. Even if I missed, the sculptures it would have crushed weren't the most important in the world. Hmm, I'll have to thank your mother on that front, said she had a feeling we should set aside a sculpting job for another time."

Eldritch vibes going off like crazy, I just wanted to change the subject, 'Soooooo... maybe tell him about the boom rainbow thingy?'

Pinkie jolted slightly, probably thrown off almost as much as me. "Ah. Right. B-but, that wasn't the only reason I threw this party!" Pinkie exclaimed as she started bouncing in place, "I saw the most-the most fantabulous thing yesterday, right after everypony went inside! It was a huge ex-PLOSION of color. Like a rainbow went and exploded! It was so pretty and cool and wondtabulous that I just had to do something to share at least a little bit of its color with all of you."

Pa blinked slowly at his daughter, I could only wonder what it was that flew threw his mind. "Well, I would say you were pulling my leg but... explains the sudden shift well enough I guess." I think I saw a twitch travel across his face for a moment, "Did you say yesterday?"

"Yup!" Said the happy Pinka.

The twitch redoubled and lasted an extra moment. "Pinkamena? In the future, please inform me or your mother of your whereabouts."

Pinkie blinked lightly but nodded. "Okie dokie."

Damn. No Lokie.

Pa nodded at Pinkie's nodding and began moving towards Ma at one of the other tables. "Good."

'All in all, I'd call the party a success.'

"Yup." The Pinka agreed, and happily helped herself to some of our by the book cooked cake.

"Hey! Pinkamena." Said Limestone, venturing toward us. God, I was so conditioned to Pinkie being Pinkie that hearing her called by her full name just kept throwing me off. Pinkie turned towards the cake blocking sister, and look Marble followed Limestone over, Limestone saying, "This-this is really cool Pinkamena." Marble nodded in agreement, a relatively large smile on face.

Pinkie's own smile grew at her sisters' enjoyment, nodding happily, slightly bouncing with her nods. She didn't really reply, more like, affirmative giggles.

Limestone took a happy look around. "This is just what I needed after yesterday." Marble followed Limestone's gaze, not adding anything to the conversation, but generally being happily adorable. I did not mind this. Limestone looked back to Pinkie, and I had to say, I just wasn't used to Limestone looking happy. "Thanks Pinkie."

D'awww.

With thanks said, both Limestone and Marble moving to a different table. "Wanna try the drink stuff?"

"I think it's called punch."

Filly's gonna learn one way or another the terminology of parties. I could only imagine the sheer amount that awaited in the future.

Pinkie gladly set to cutting out a piece of our glorious cake, and gazed upon it like it was the greatest treasure. But... before taking a bite, she paused, frowned lightly and whispered to me. "Hey, Mena?"

I quirked my non-physical form. "Yeah Pinkie?"

"You have the first bite." And then the world went tea kettle over pot, until I had to catch Pink-my head from falling into the slice of cake.

I shook my head, the sudden shift into control being disorienting to the max. Going from zero nerve endings to all the nerve endings is always a shock. I felt my eye twitch, after all, I didn't expect experiencing the party first hand. Didn't even know Pinkie could do that. Though, I looked down at the slice of cake and I could feel my expression soften. I quickly took a bite out of the slice and savored the flavour.

While I had never been a big cake fan, in that moment, it was fantastic. It had only been, what, three, four days? But it felt a lot longer than that. There was no way I was ever getting home, I just knew that would haunt me in various ways over time, I wouldn't really be able to have my own life, and in many ways I wouldn't have a moment to myself ever again. But right there, with that cake. I could take it a day at a time.

'How does it taste, Mena?' Pinkie mentally asked me.

'Fantastic...' I sent back only to be greeted by joyful, mental giggles.

I felt a small nudge on my shoulder and turned to see Maud. "Oh, hey Maud."

She had visibly returned to normal, what that meant on the inside I had no idea. "Hi Mena."

I did not question her abilities. I knew what the future held for me in Pinkie alone, so I wasn't chancing it. "So... how are you enjoying the party?" I 'heard' Pinkie approve of my line of questioning.

"It is good." Walked into that one I did. I tentatively took another bite of the delicious cake during the awkward silence that followed before she said anything else. "I noticed you didn't come in last night."

Another thing not to question, but it did give me something to question all the same. "Actually, why did nopony come looking for u- me? I was out here since you all went inside yesterday."

"I believe everypony thought you went to bed early. Probably not feeling hungry after yesterday."

I quirked my head slightly. "And why didn't you check on Pinkie if you knew?"

I saw Maud's lips twitch up slightly. "Because I knew you'd look out for her."

That really warmed my heart and made me smile as well. "Oh, uh, would you like some cake Maud?"

She looked to the towering cake and I could practically see the cogs in her head turning. "I... guess a small slice."

My smile widened and turned my focus inward. 'Hey, Pinkie, do YOU want some cake?'

'Do I?!'

The party continued, a happy experience, and Pinkie practically glowed throughout the whole thing. It was a real fun time. At least for a while.

Ma spoke up over the party. "Well, this was a real nice surprise Pinkie. But, I think it's about time we got back to work."

Pinkie, Limestone and Marble groaned in disappointment, and I think Maud agreed with them. As did I. At least until Pa hummed for a moment. "Hmm, actually, I believe the girls could do with a day off." Ma looked a little confused while the foals perked up at Pa's words. "Yes, that would be for the best. I could have handled yesterday better, and I can not bring myself to make Pinkie work after getting her cutie mark as such. So you girls go and play if you like. Celebrate a bit more beyond this party, I suppose."

Ma looked like she almost wanted to argue, if only a little bit, but shrugged with a small smile in the end. "Go and play dears. Your father and I will clean up the silo for you all."

Marble let out a sigh of relief, Limestone seemed to fist pump with a small 'yes', Marble nodded with intent, scaring me, and Pinkie whooped for joy. "Yay! Come on girls! Let's go enjoy our day off."

And so Pinkie happily bounced out of the silo, her sisters following her, maybe not as happy as Pinkie, but happy all the same, all of them looking forward to their free day. I could also count myself among them. Though I had to admit, I was a little anxious as to how the new, fully formed Pinkie Pie would act out in the wild. And I had to admit, I had a strange feeling something awaited me out there, playing outside the silo. I just couldn't put my finger on it.

For all my paranoia, I was paranoid I wouldn't be able to avoid it. That and I was paranoid I'd miss out on some of the fun if I worried too much.
> Chapter 9: Mena Will, Pinkie Will, Rock Farm
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The foals ran happily from the silo.


Even Maud expressed some sort of joy from the movement, despite it not reaching her face, which was the opposite for Limestone, who moved more reservedly though had a much more obvious smile upon her face. As Pinkie bounced and her sisters followed through the, once again gray, rockfarm, I couldn't help but wonder what the hell we would do for the rest of the day. I never had the opportunity for socialization when human, video games notwithstanding, so general social activity was quite new to me. I supposed if I survived long enough I would have the magic shared with me.

'Hey, Pinks? Since you all have the day off, whatcha gonna do with it?' I asked.

Pinkie hummed in thought before turning to her sisters, bouncing still. "Hey, anypony know what we should do now?"

A look of contemplation overtook Marble, Limestone looked constipated, and fucking guess how Maud looked.

Maud blinked and said, "We could go rock gazing."

The look Limestone gave her was hilarious, as if Maud had suggested reviewing homework. "I saw enough rocks yesterday."

Maud returned Limestone's gaze with her monotone stare. "It probably wasn't the amount, but how you looked at them."

I swear I saw Limestone's eye twitch, seemingly thoroughly done with the hardly started conversation.

The twitches sort of scared me, so I decided to try something. No need for the sisters to tear each other apart, and well, I was the adult in the- the giant bland field of dirt and rocks. ‘Uh, Pinkie, what ever happened to that rockball thing from the river?’ I said ‘something’, not the smartest thing.

Pinkie flopped her head side to side as she processed my, probably odd and out of nowhere, question. “Hey, yeah? Where is the rockball?”

I thought I saw something flicker behind Limestone’s eyes, some sort of thought process brought on by Pinkie’s words, which, really, were just repackaged ‘my’ brand words. "We're going to Holder's Boulder. Follow me." Nopony objected to the order, or even looked like they wanted to.

The trek was short, Pinkie occasionally adding a bounce to her steps which her sisters barely took note of. Thinking over it, they really were taking the hair and personality shift in stride all things considered. Though, they could just be assuming Pinkie is just hyped over her new cutie mark and not a literal shift of mind. That will only grow if I manage to not fuck up.

I did my best to ignore the break in gang literally down the street back at Rockville.

After the short jaunt the sisters stood in front of the Boulder of Holder. I forgot if that thing had an actual backstory or reason to exist, but damn was it big. Limestone walked up to Holder’s Big Boulder, seemed to pat it I guess and then held up quite the familiar rock. I didn’t know how I recognized it honestly.

“Hmm, yup. That is the rockball I almost lost. I completely forgot to put it back after fishing it out of the stream.” Pinkie said, as if we didn’t narrowly avoid rocky death at the watery hell hole.

Limestone nodded as she turned to face the rest of the group. “Yeah, I made sure to put it back here. Eventually. Since Maud wants to look at rocks, I want to kick rocks and Pinkie wants the ball, let’s play rockball. Any complaints?” The way she finished her question honestly made it sound more like a threat.

Her sisters didn’t seem to mind the tone as Maud shook her head, Pinkie happily denied complaints and Marble didn’t seem to mind much either. “None.”

“Alright,” Limestone said, “To the field.” Ominous, Lime, ominous. As if the entire place wasn’t multiple fields.

Yet another silent walk, this time to the middle of relative nowhere ensued, though Pinkie seemed to be distracted by something. Less bouncing and almost seemed like she had to remind herself to follow Limestone. ‘Uh, what’s up, Pinks?’ I asked.

‘I don’t know.’ Pinkie replied, ‘My right fetlock feels funny.’

I felt like I should know what the hell a fetlock was, but that was neither here nor there I supposed. ‘Well, I guess don’t go too crazy? And if it goes from ‘funny’ to a more negative feeling, tell your sisters?’

Pinkie hummed in agreement, I assumed, as she tried her best to ignore her fetlock. I swear, I knew what that was…

Not long after we found ourselves, well, a field. I noted that I really should try and memorize the layout of the farm.

Limestone surveyed the land before her, as if appraising its worthiness to live. Seriously, how does a small filly just passively death glare?

Limestone turned to her sisters, holding aloft the rockball. “Normal rules?”

Everypony nodded, while I could only ponder, ‘What are the rules?”

‘Normal rockball rules.” Pinkie helpfully replied. Quite honestly it would have been more helpful if she didn’t respond but we’re in that room now.

My eternal agony of unanswered questions raged while the four fillies spread out in the field, preparing for the coming rock war. Following that thought I could only imagine that wars had been waged over rocks.

I watched through Pinkie’s eyes as she eagerly glanced between her sisters who have made something of a diamond shape between the four of them. Marble scuffed at the ground, seeming anxious at the coming game but not without a look of anticipation. Maud stood quite still, waiting with emotions hidden from all but the most observant.

Limestone however looked demonically giddy. She lightly juggled the rockball in one hoof, before rearing back with a yell. “Play ball!” And she threw the ball towards Maud with what seemed like incredible strength that shocked me. Not shocked she had the strength, but rather she’d use that strength in a simple game between sisters.

Maud didn’t even flinch as the ball flew towards her. She didn’t quite catch it, so much as she punched the freaking rock right in the ground, causing a plume of dust. She then spun on a dime and kicked it about as hard as Limestone threw it, this time sending it flying towards Marble.

The seemingly meek sister looked at the flying ball head on. Well, head on until she quickly turned and hip checked the high speed rock with her flank, stopping the rock in its tracks, causing it to just fall to the ground. I didn’t know how to feel about that. I supposed that Earth ponies were made quite sturdy all things considered.

Marble picked up the ball and seemed to wobble a little as she lined up her aim, at Pinkie and me, and let it fly, not as fast as Limestone’s throw, but nothing to sniff at either. A part of me pondered if ancient pony wars did not have catapults but instead really strong earth ponies.

Pinkie kept her eye on the flying ball, at least until something went through her mind. ‘Ooh, ooh! I have an idea.’ Pinkie thought to me, and I didn’t even have the time to worry what she was thinking, as the actual feeling of nerves rushed me. Rushed me much like the rock that rocketed into my face.

‘Oh! I’m sorry Mena!’ My negligent charge thought to me, and all I could manage at first was a disgruntled groan. Having nerves again I was able to at least know Pinkie’s fetlock stopped feeling weird. Or the face pain overpowered all.

“Oi! Pinkamena! You okay?!” Limestone yelled at me from her position, her voice gruff, almost angry, but behind the gruff I could hear the distinct emotion of worry. I guess I was getting used to their inflections or something.

I clumsily wrenched the rock from my face, happy to note my face didn’t feel out of place and no red stains on the rock were present. “I’m okay! I got the rock!” I responded, faking naive happiness as I held the rock aloft, and almost dropped it. And decidedly did my best to avoid looking at the sister’s reactions. I did what I could to balance the rock in hoof, vaguely wondering if I knew how to properly hold things as a pony, and with a mostly graceless heave, threw the rock in Limestone’s direction.

The rock tumbled in the air, at an almost alarming speed -I obviously did not know Pinkie’s strength- before it hit the ground and rolled at Limestone with its impressive speed. She darted towards the rolling ball and yelled, “Ah! That’s dirty!” And she freaking headbutted the rock into the air and kicked it spiraling toward poor, poor Marble.

And yet, poor Marble stood unflinching as she caught and redirected the spinning rock right into the ground with a small crash. Without skipping a beat she moved back and kicked the rock towards Maud, once again at modest speed.

Maud easily caught the rock in one hoof, absorbing all the kinetic force with ease and placed it on the ground with a disturbing amount of ease. She looked towards Pinkie, at Me, and seemed to hesitate on kicking the rock. It wasn’t a long pause, it might not have been noticeable to most really, but I could have sworn it took her an extra beat to absolutely smack the rock in my direction.

Considering I last caught that rock with my face I had to do my best not to tremble, also not helped by Pinkie’s silence during the game. Then again if I caused someone’s face to be smashed with a rock due to poor communication I too would be speechless.

I shook my head and kept my eye on the flying rock. All in all, I believe I overthought things. As soon as the rock got near me, I didn’t even try to catch it. I just punched it at Marble on instinct.

‘Whoa! Good hit Mena!’ Pinkie cheered me on.

I’m sorry Marble.

My inner pain of subjecting poor Marble to my inelegant violence of a rock pass only increased as I saw Marble, a look of simple dread on her face as she tried to keep up with the rocketing rock that was about to fly beyond her reach. She attempted to jump and catch the rogue rock, only for it to pass through her hooves and absolutely crash behind her.

I felt mortified.

Despite my churning soul Pinkie was cheering on the inside, and Limestone gave a yell of support. “Nice one Pinkamena! Point to Pinks.”

First blood, and yet all I felt was my still stinging face. At least I knew then how the rock ended up in the water so far away to begin with.

Marble quickly scampered after the rock, while I decided that was enough excitement for a minute, and unceremoniously tossed Pinkie back into control. I didn’t really think about the process, which was probably for the best. ‘I scored a point. Your turn.’

Now, it wasn’t that it wasn’t fun, it was fun! But when that fun is undercut by just a constant barrage of firsts and worries, well, it becomes a tad bit less fun. Not knowing Pinkie’s strength, discovering the others’ strengths, not knowing the rules- Just being thrust into something without time to prepare really threw me so off kilter I didn’t even know what to think. I need time to process shit damnit.

I mean, sure, I probably should have said something to Pinkie under the line of thought of ‘perchance may we not jeopardize our ruse with uncoordinated times of enjoyment?’ But… Pinkie was having so much FUN. I didn’t want to undercut her fun too, like mine was. Why, it was her cutie mark achieving day and everything. Who was I to potentially ruin her big day with my feelings? Who was I-

Then the rush of nerves shouted again, with another fucking rock in my face. Limestone took it well, while it wasn’t a shout, I still was able to hear her slightly muffled annoyance. “Fucking rock.”

Oh, how did I concur.

That’s sorta how it went for quite some time, only I started to catch on to Pinkie’s gifted ability to swap on the fly like that. When I finally managed to not get hit in the face I realized the rush of nerves and loss of balance did still exist on my end. Gaining a body is weird. Ping pong with a body. But, I only got splatted in the face with the rockball three more times! Which pissed me off to Lucifer’s funeral. At least I scored a point each time, although I think Marble was starting to think she should get points for headshots, but wasn’t willing to say so out loud.

It was more back and forth, Limestone and Maud scarily bashing the rock out of the air like nothing, while Marble preferred catching and I alternated catching and just punching the rock like Chris Redfield, more catching towards the end though. Didn’t want to compress Pinkie’s leg or something with all the rock punching. If that’s even a thing. I prefer paranoia to, ‘oh I could have prevented that,’ hindsight.

As I started to pay more attention to the game at hoof, if only out of fear for low flying rocks, Pinkie was as energetic as expected, practically bouncing into the air to catch rocks that probably should have flown clear over her. All in all, she didn’t even seem to notice the fact our face had been smashed with a rock multiple times. I supposed she was hardier than I gave her credit for. When I was in charge of the body I started to feel the strain, the soreness of activity and the weight of our limbs.

Eventually the game began to wind down, Limestone’s voice was sort of hoarse from her point yelling, Marble looked tired, but happy, and Maud, well she didn’t look tired, but she seemed tired. If that makes sense. Even Pinkie was getting a bit slow from all her jumping, and I wondered if swapping between the two of us drained anything. If the day's activities were anything to go by, I was sure we’d find out in the future.

Wait, Pinkie and I didn’t sleep at all the previous night…

Through Pinkie’s tired eyes I looked to the sky and saw the sun was setting. How long was the party, the game and just what? Well, at least Pinkie was going to get much needed rest soon.

Either way, Limestone soon called the game off, and, get this, Marble won. I still don’t quite know how that happened, but she probably deserved it. She did get the most headshots after all.

“Alright,” The hoarse Limestone almost whispered, as she picked up the ever battered rockball, “I think, I think that’s enough for today.”

It was an odd feeling, well, not feeling the tiredness as Pinkie was in control. Going in and out of bodily control and feeling is a bit, just, I don’t even. Thinking about it honestly ‘hurt’ more than just accepting it and moving on.

Marble sighed, a mixture of fatigue and contentment, as she moved back towards Limestone. Maud herself looked practically no different, a bit of sweat and dirt aside. “That was enjoyable.”

Marble nodded in agreement, almost as if she wanted to nod harder but was shackled by exhaustion, “Y-yeah, it was fun.”

Seeing Marble’s tired smile brought one to my own mental form. Just seeing the sisters’ dynamic and sisterly bond was ever so slightly worth the rocks to the face. Sure, it was Pinkie’s body but I owned the nerves at the time of impact.

Limestone coughed lightly, apparently her tiny vocal chords not used to constant bellowing. “Well, we, we should probably head back.” She glanced to the rock in her grasp, and I noticed a small smile creep on to her muzzle. “We should do this again sometime.”

Heartwarming with a side of fear of face pain. Ah, worth it.

The sisters seemed to agree to head back after that, only stopping by Holder’s Big Boulder to drop off the rockball. The walk was a bit slow, even Pinkie no longer bounced, content to keep her hooves on the ground for the time being.

The sister squad entered home once more, and the sound of the door opening summoned Father it seemed, as he peaked around the doorway to the dining room. “Ah, perfect timing girls. Wash up, dinner will be ready in a minute.” And then he ducked back in. Huh, he kinda made it sound like he was helping with dinner. Neat.

At the prospect of dinner the sisters seemed relieved, like they almost forgot about food, and a hot meal around the corner was just the thing to help push on the relaxation. In no time flat the girls cleaned themselves up and prepared for a meal. I really wondered what it would be. I had only been there a few days, and most of my diet back home had been meat based, so beyond the obvious hay and flower food choices, I was quite stumped.

Soon after everypony had situated around the table, Mother and Father brought out a veritable feast. A platter of ingredients so everypony could make their own sandwich, which actually sounded refreshing, cheese stuffed bread rolls and even some kind of pie. Fitting, that last one.

Pinkie let out a gasp at the sight of the pie. “Is that…?”

Her mother chuckled as she set it down on the table. “Granny Pie’s special pecan pie. Yes. I figured since you earned your cutie mark, Pinkamena, that you deserved something extra special. Especially after throwing us a party already.” Her voice was warm, proud.

‘Wow, uh, gee.’ I said, shocked by her parents’ actions for reasons I couldn’t quite tell.

Ma placed a slice of the pie in front of Pinkie. Truth be told, I never had homemade pecan pie, so I lamented not being able to smell the freshly made pie. It looked so good, and Pinkie seemed to agree if the sound she made, of delight and anticipation, were any indication.

That’s when Pinkie had an idea, a truly monstrous, devious idea. ‘Hmm…’

‘Pinkie I swear to-!’ And then I had to catch myself before Pinkie’s head bounced off the table. Luckily nopony seemed to notice, but I was in a torrent of emotions. Kinda livid all things considered, but mostly ashamed. I didn’t like the idea of taking the first bite of the pie from Pinkie. It just seemed… wrong. But I couldn’t rebuke her at all, ruin the happy moment, put Pinkie on the spot. I simply smiled, and really beyond the annoyance I kinda did appreciate it. Whether I was deluding myself or sincere I couldn’t quite tell.

In the torrential emotions I somehow managed to pick up a fork and take a bite of the pie. Godly. Just absolutely terrific. My annoyances and anxieties melted away amidst the sweet flavor of the pecan pie. I would need to have a talk with Pinkie about the bodyswapping later. Maybe. But for the moment, I could let it slide.

I made sure not to eat all of the pie, so Pinkie could enjoy some herself. It was made for her after all. The sandwiches were good too.

Once I swapped with Pinkie again I was able to properly look at the rest of the family. Marble was absolutely enraptured by the pie, Limestone seemed to not want to let on how much she liked it, and was failing. Maud, as always, was Maud.

Really, the whole day was great. Even if the party planning was kinda stressful. I had to sing. Not the best. But, with the familial support, the rockball game, and just everything. It was great.

Eventually dinner wound down, Pinkie was, like, ready to crash I think. She was up for god knows how long. An unhealthy long I surmise. Sleep could not come soon enough. Luckily, in no time flat, Pinkie flopped onto her bed. “Ah… I’m sore all over.” She complained.

Maud looked up at us, and said, “You did spend all night moving heavy objects. I am surprised you’re only tired now.”

Pinkie groaned in response, “But I felt fine until the rockball game.”

‘To be fair, I really should have noted the passage of time more. Sorry about that.’

‘It’s okay, Mena. I wouldn’t change a thing about today.’ I wasn’t sure how I felt about that at the time.

Maud simply blinked at first. “Then it’s even better, I would hate to see fatigue creep on you.”

“Haaaa, Imma get some sleep now. Night Maud.” Pinkie said, closing her eyes.

I was about to tell Pinkie she didn’t take cover under her bed sheets, but a moment later Pinkie cracked her eyes open, the corner of a bed sheet slightly in view. “Good night Pinkie.” Maud whispered.

I swore I could feel Pinkie smile at that. ‘Night Mena.’

I smiled myself, ‘Night Pinka.’ And once again I tried my best to not think on the logistics of being part of a brain yet trying to sleep.

I couldn’t tell exactly when I fell asleep, but this time I could remember a dream. It made about as much sense as my dreams back home. Normally they would be odd, sometimes based on immediate happenings in my life, but always wrong.

This one was no exception. I distinctly recall the world being made of white clouds, rushing winds, a perpetual sun raining golden light onto pony me and a pegasus, creating a sort of purple tint to everything in a really beautiful way. Buildings were clouds, streets were clouds, but not like pegasus buildings from the show. They were odd, not that dream me noticed.

I simply seemed to vent to this obscure pegasus. I didn’t remember anything specific about what, but I did recall feeling safe, secure. Like I was in the presence of a long time friend who wouldn’t judge me. I just felt safe. That’s about when dream me cried, I think, again, not sure about what, the whole thing was like watching a silent movie without subtitles, or I simply didn’t remember the audio track. Amidst dream me’s crying the pegasus hugged me. That was nice, at least until a group of Pyramid Heads in cop uniforms initiated a car chase with monster truck bumper cars. It somehow didn’t feel that jarring in the moment.

And then we woke up. Yeah, pretty accurate to my dreaming and sleeping experience back home.

It was nice to wake up together, really. Pinkie yawned, and seemed to work on auto pilot, climbing down the ladder stairs as the morning grumblings of her sisters sounded around. Honestly I felt lucky and unlucky. Lucky in that I didn’t have to suffer the morning obligations, unlucky in that I didn’t get to experience that nice morning, post sleep stretch that feels kinda sore but very satisfying. Well, I supposed there would be more mornings in the future.

I decided to initiate morning contact as Pinkie sort of stumbled down the hall. ‘Morning Pinkie.’

‘Morning Mena.’ Pinkie sleepily responded. I guessed she really did use all her energy yesterday. And yesterday’s yesterday night. ‘Ya sleep well?’

‘Eh, you know. Dreams.’

‘Dreams good.’

‘Indeed.’

She finished her stumbling to the bathroom for her morning routine, like brushing that nightmare of a mane, still bundled all up in its bushy ball, as seen in the mirror. I honestly had no idea how to healthily care for the beast. Well, at least it wasn’t my- ‘Mena…’ Pinkie whined, signaling my doom. ‘Could you take over morning stuff for a bit? Me tired.’ Technically the Me here would be Me, Mena, and I doubted swapping would fix the tiredness.

As much as it annoyed me that Pinkie was continuing the bodyswap ping pong, I wanted to reward the kindness of actually asking this time. ‘Ah, sure, why not?’

‘Thanks ya, Mena.’ Pinkie said, probably wanting to sound more excited but being too tired to. Understandable.

I braced and accepted the flood of fatigue, and yup, was it something. No wonder the supernatural pinkster was worn out. It was not a pleasant feeling at all. Almost as unpleasant as when the bushy ball unraveled itself into a perfect curtain despite me not touching the damn thing.

My eye twitched, both from the unhealthy sleep pattern we’d established and the hair situation. I don’t think Pinkie even noticed. ‘Huh, wow Mena. You work fast!’ No she did not, but some of her energy seemed to come back now that she was no longer bogged down by the body.

With my work done by itself and not feeling as nice as such an occurrence should, I exited the bathroom, where Limestone tiredly stood, waiting her turn. She blinked in surprise, not expecting me to leave so soon. “What? How did you fix your mane that fast Pinks?”

I looked at her, feeling my eye twitch again. “Idunevenknow.” I mumbled, walking past her.

She quirked her head and seemed to shrug, too tired to deal with my bullshit. And oh how did I concur.
> Chapter 10: A Little Pushy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


To say the morning didn’t start all that great would be an understatement.


Granted, it was probably due to my perspective on things, plus just anomalous feelings that just are. It was mainly from the limp pink mane that swayed into view as I walked towards the smell of breakfast. It was a sign that even more things were out of my control, especially as Pinkie seemed trigger happy with the driver swapping. Maybe I had control issues, but I felt that was just a little bit warranted considering all of everything rode on Pinkie living a nice happy life. Which was inching up the difficulty rating a bit too quickly for my liking.

Now, instead of just fearing social interaction, I had to fear ponies noticing, or worse, Pinkie being put on the spot and being seen as weird. She didn’t even seem to care what would happen, just throwing me onto the spot. I would need to adapt to secure her happiness better. And my sanity, but that was secondary, really.

I gently trotted into the kitchen, Mother, ever the early riser among a family of early risers it seemed, was practically already done making a great breakfast. Pancakes, various toast, just a wonderful spread. The existence of such delightful food before my eyes put my mind at ease, temporarily forcing my problems away. Plot for the future, yes, but taking time to enjoy a breakfast didn’t seem like a bad idea.

I yawned, put at ease among the food. “Morning Ma.”

“Good morning Pinkamena.” Mother said, sounding like some of yesterday’s happiness flowed into the morning. It was nice. As was the nice sight and smell of breakfast.

‘Wow, breakfast looks really good.’ Pinkie said in our mindscape.

‘Huh,’ I thought, continuing when Pinkie hummed for me to do so, ‘I feel like that should remind me of something.’ You know, like some kind of reverse Deja Vu, where something feels like you should get Deja Vu.

Pinkie giggled, ‘Oh, you’re probably still tired from yesterday.’

Maybe, maybe. I took my seat and pretty soon after Limestone sat by me. “Morning, Pinks.”

“Hmm, morning.”

Limestone began to help herself to what food was already there, and I decided to follow suit. She seemed to have a good head on her shoulders, so why not? As I helped myself to some toast I heard Limestone making those noises one makes when wanting to say something but not sure if one should. I turned to her, munching on the toast, tilting my head. “So, what was that about Pinkamena?”

Welp, there went a non stressful breakfast. I blinked, not quite sure how to put it. Might as well claim a warlock did it. “I don’t really know.” I said, glancing towards the mane, “You think getting a cutie mark could give a mane magic powers?”

Limestone blinked, obviously not expecting that answer. “Uh, maybe? Ma, can cutie marks give magic to ponies?”

Mother tilted her head in thought before bringing over a tray of pancakes and placing it on the table. “I have heard of cutie marks doing strange things from time to time, but I am no expert. Though, usually they just represent what a pony does best. A core of what makes them them, even if that’s not how cutie mark specialists would put it.”

That seemed to satisfy Limestone for the moment, as she gruffly shrugged and grabbed a pancake. “Eh, that’s cool.”

I felt the sudden urge to engage with my not sibling, and so threw out a joke. “Maybe your cutie mark will let you just destroy rocks like no tomorrow.”

That brought a devious grin to Limestone’s face, as Pinkie giggled within our mind. “Oh, now that would rock.”

Okay, that genuinely got a chuckle out of me. Stress-less breakfast confirmed. At least until Pinkie spoke up. ‘Hey, hey Mena, can I taste some of the pancakes?’ She asked, joy clear in her tone.

Oh-ho-ho-ho no, no, I was not being put on the spot this early by whatever freak magic would inevitably inflate Pinkie’s mane into a perfect flowing, bouncy ball of cotton candy. Maybe if I had a better gauge of Pinkie’s improvisational skills when being put on the spot, but until then… I didn’t even know. ‘Uh, sorry Pinks, but I don’t think that’s a good idea.’ It also didn’t help that my right eyebrow decided to ache for no reason. Felt kinda familiar actually.

Pinkie gave a light whine of disappointment. ‘Aw… Why not?’

God, the sadness, albeit quite minor, still cut at my heart. I didn’t like disappointing Pinkie, but I also would hate to damn her to a bad future of my own creation. ‘I just. I just think our mane will do a weird thing again if we did. I don’t want to put you on the spot like that. Not until we know more about our control swapping, okay?’

She gave a morose mental sigh and said, ‘Okay…’ Most obviously not feeling okay.

I felt terrible again. ‘Uhm, you can dominate lunch or dinner later?’

She gave a light hum of thought before the answer, ‘Hmm, okay! Ma makes great lunches.’

Disappointment averted, now to survive the rest of the day.

Eventually Maud, Marble and Father all joined us in the glory of breakfast. Also eventually, Maud asked Father what the plan for the day was. “Today, I think the girls can handle one of the east fields. I think some of those rocks are ready, and it shouldn’t be terribly hard on them.” Ready for what? Earth pony whimsy? Granted it probably existed, but I was certain the girls did not have said whimsy. If anything Pinkie’s whimsy went into the Pinkie Sense, which I awaited with dread and interest in equal measure.

In the end I decided to shrug it off. More than likely Pinkie would want to jump in to break up the monotony of being brain bound, so I probably didn’t need to know anything. Yet, at least. I simply ate my delicious breakfast. The pain would come, but that was later.

And of course later came.

Father led the four of us to the east, of course. He himself dragging along a wheelbarrow type device against the near whipping winds that seemed to blow through the farm that day. It was like a box on wheels at least. The wheelbarrow thing, not the wind. I didn’t recognize anything, for whatever that was worth, the dust being kicked up not helping any. The rocks were kinda medium sized, by my estimation. At least when compared to the monstrous field that held Tom sculpture smasher, and the baby field we got after that. No duck rock at least. It knew I knew, and it knew its place. There was one that looked like a mini tower of Sauron, but eh, wasn’t a duck.

I followed Father, and started to wonder what it was like to travel like Pinkie, so I threw in a hop or two every few steps. The hops strained my sore muscles, but did help inject a bit of life into my steps. It felt nice. For some reason. Pinkie seemed to make a game out of my hops, humming in time with them, creating a discordant tune.

The wheelbarrow slowly came to a halt and Father detached himself from it. “These rocks should be well within your range. If anything comes up feel free to get me or your mother, alright?” I felt like he emphasized that, and really, I couldn’t blame him.

After that Father left us with the rocks. Limestone shrugged her shoulders and said, “Welp, let’s get to work girls.” And thus, we set to work.



‘You sure you don’t want me to help Mena?’ Pinkie asked.

I simply rolled another rock into a decently sized pile next to the wheelbarrow. While I loathed physical work for long periods of time, the possibility of the mane flipping to life in front of somepony lingered in my mind. Like a fish named Jim. Swore I heard that before. ‘I just don’t know how I’d handle it if our mane actually does change about now and if it was seen by somepony.’ Pinkie grumbled slightly, the boredom of the mind finally catching up with her. I would admit I appreciated her restraint when it came to taking over her body. Quick to throw me into control, slow to yank that control back, it seemed.

I looked down at the pile of rocks that had been gathered, a few bigger rocks having been added by one of the others. I could only assume Maud from the size. It looked like a Maud type of rock. Giving a sigh, I decided to go ahead and toss the rocks into the ‘barrow. No point in making a tiny crumbly mountain to an obnoxious degree. As I heaved one of the rocks with a groan, Pinkie sounded like she had an idea. Fear gripped me. ‘Weeeell, I don’t see my sisters nearby. We could swap and if my mane springs to life I can make the perfect excuse.’

The rock clattered against the wheelbarrow’s metal and I scrunched up my face in thought. It was a bit mean to keep Pinkie locked in her own mind, I supposed. And a simple glance about proved she was right, her sisters visible, but only so much with the dusty winds on top of the distance. Finally I rolled my eyes. ‘Alright, Pinks. Fair’s fair. You can take over.’

She squealed in delight, which did bring a smile to my face. ‘Ah, thanks Mena!’ And by golly gosh did she take over. It was like whiplash to me and was honestly scary how quickly she’d gotten the hang of swapping like that.

When I finally reoriented my inner mind vision, sure enough the curtain of pink that had been whipping about in the wind was gone, presumably into a seeming tangled mess that somehow doubled as a presentable hairstyle. Pinkie rolled her shoulders, and I could only imagine the smile on her face as she took up where I left off with putting rocks into their wheeled box.

Pinkie was mostly on her own after that, rolling the medium sized rocks to the ‘barrow in a not so neat little pile. We seemed to time things neatly so Marble, Limestone and Maud would roll in and throw in the rocks while Pinkie was out rolling rocks to her pile. That left the two of us mostly alone, and Pinkie was getting a tad bored with just work.

“Blagh.” She complained as she spat a smaller rock into the ‘barrow.

‘Monotony getting to ya?’ I asked.

She grunted a yes and began to march off to repeat the process. “Yeah. It’s just, so… samey! Back and forth, drop off rock, pick up rock.” She punctuated her little rant by picking up a rock that looked like a D20. I didn’t know what to put out there and gave a mental shrug only for Pinkie to happily gasp, “I know! What if we played a game?”

‘Uh, how would we play a game?’

She happily trotted to a nearby rock and rolled it about slightly. “We’ll swap! I’ll take this rock back, then we take turns running from the cart to bring the best rocks back as quickly as possible!”

Sounded stressful, but what the hell, ‘Well, it’s something to do.’

“Yeah-ha! I’ll run this back, then we’ll play.” She rolled the rock onto her head, more than likely her poofy mane, and made decent time on her way back to the wheelbarrow.

Once the rock was dumped with a clunk into the ‘barrow, Pinkie fidgeted in excitement over making a new game I suppose. “Okay, okay. How should we do this?”

Why ask me? It seemed like she had a good idea earlier. ‘Well, you said swap and take rocks back fast, so we could start there?’

“Oh, right.” And then the ground was rushing towards my quickly falling face when Pinkie threw me into control. ‘You start.’ My impulsive charge doth said.

I caught myself before my face became rocky road and rolled my eyes. “Welp, let’s see how well I do.”

Taking a deep breath I charged off from the wheelbarrow. Of course, when setting out with even the slightest amount of pressure everything decides to collude against you.

Not by the power of odd, probably magical in origin, mind shenanigans did my face meet the ground, but rather the most minute of pebbles. I slipped upon it in my rush and skid to a halt a decent distance away. I think Pinkie said something, but my spite levels were rising. Victory would be mine in this secret game between myself and a child.

Tearing my face from the rocky road, I tore back onto my path to find the prettiest, bestest rock for the wheeled bucket. I kept my head on a swivel, both to find a rock that would help in our nebulous game with hardly any rules, and looking out for malicious pebbles that would dare to trip me again.

My hooves beat the ground until something caught my eye. I put the breaks on, sliding to a near stop before running to the right. It seemed a little unassuming, the rock that held my gaze, but it was a nice size, and damn near round and smooth. ‘Ooh, that’s a good one.’ Pinkie said. I trusted her enough to not lie to me. Or at least not lie during a game in such a petty way. I gave the rock a quick once over before lifting it to my back and started my trek back to the bucket. As much as I wanted to just book it back, the round one would probably just keep going without end if it fell at any decent speed from my back.

It was a slower go getting back to the bucket, but I figured I made good time when I plopped the round rock to clatter against its brothers inside the wheelbarrow. A thought came to me as I watched it rumble to a halt in its new metal prison. “So, I assume we’re just… winging it? For fun? ‘Cause we didn’t time anything there.”

‘Oh. Yeah, just for fun. Feeling it out. I think.’ Eh, worked for me. I relaxed my body and let Pinkie take control of it again. My transition from body to mind being a much more calm procedure than the opposite.

Pinkie quickly stretched her newly acquired old body and did a quick jog in place. “Okey dokey! Here I goey!” She wasted no time in charging off, obviously learning from my face plant as she didn’t crash into the earth. Granted, that could be she bounced more than I did. Maybe.

In what felt like no time flat she found a box shaped rock, quickly looked it over and flung it onto her mane before bouncing back to the bucket. All in all, her rock capturing felt just smoother than mine as she headbutted the rock into the pile of rocks.

‘Nice job Pinks. I think you get bonus points for grace there.’

“Aw!” Pinkie said, kinda bashfully and happily. “I think bonus points should be rewarded for sheer determination.”

I chuckled within our mindscape, ‘Two judges judging each other far too kind. Ha, I guess we’re both winners.’

“Best kind of winning! Hmm, okay, let’s go again.”

Whatever verse, same as the first, my face rushed towards the ground with a burst of nerves. With practiced fumbling I caught myself. I flipped my now curtain mane slightly as I brought my head back up, only to see Limestone with a rock in her mouth.

I didn’t know what to really do there, I was partially freaking out I think, while Limestone dropped the rock into the bucket and analyzed me. “Hmm, I guess your cutie mark DID magic your mane some.”

I nodded a bit and glanced at said mane. “Yeah. Kinda weird getting used to it.”

Limestone looked a bit tired, but in decent spirits now that my heart was slowing down from the hammering I didn’t notice it had raised to. “Kinda neat.”

Honestly, I could agree with that. “Yup, neat.” Feeling a little awkward I decided to divert attention. “Wanna play the game I was playing?”

She quirked her brow at my sudden question. “By yourself?”

“Yeah,” I nodded, “I run, find a rock I think is suitable and run it back, and, uh,” I couldn’t quite say fruitlessly compare times and finesse between myself and Pinkie, so I found the middle ground, “I… try and beat my time and how good my rock is each run. Wanna play?”

Pinkie highly agreed with roping Limestone into our game, so I had to be doing something right.”Ooh, ooh, good idea Mena.”

Her face went through a handful of emotions. At first not being impressed, then a little confused, before finally ending on ‘screw it why not.’ “That sounds better than just mindlessly walking back and forth.”

I pretended to perk up. “Alrighty, wanna start right now?” Limestone gave a light shrug, so I nodded and continued, “Okay, okay, o-on the count of three.” I readied myself to begin sprinting, “One, two, three!” And I dashed away, hearing Limestone do the same in a different direction.



That went on for quite awhile, Limestone and I running back and forth, and eventually I think I even saw Marble and Maud doing the same. Pinkie and I swapped pretty frequently and before I knew it the bucket was filled with decently sized and nice looking rocks and the sun was slowly lowering its way down the sky. Honestly, it wasn’t bad. The game, while a little silly and vague, was fun, and seeing the sisters play it, share quick moments throughout, it was nice.

Eventually the game, much like our rock collecting, came to an end. I wiped my brow after dropping my final rock into the bucket. I turned to see Maud look over the mountain of rocks, seemingly in contemplation. “Who is going to bring the wheelbarrow back?”

Limestone rolled her shoulders and approached the bucket. “Eh, you and Pinkamena head home. Marble and I will drag this back.”

Maud nodded and started walking while Marble blinked for a moment, but didn’t protest. I quickly followed after Maud. As we walked Maud was being Maud, so things felt awkward when they were probably fine. We just walked, hearing Limestone instruct Marble on how to strap the two of them to the bucket properly fading in the distance.

We walked in silence for awhile, Pinkie didn’t seem to mind it too much, lots of running around probably put a dent in her enthusiasm, magic cutie mark crack or no. I wanted to talk, though. No idea what, and starting conversations is just difficult and awkward.

Eventually, however, Maud decided to speak. “How was your day, Mena?”

I honestly didn’t know how to respond at first. “I, I don’t really know. Fine I guess? Things just feel kinda weird.”

‘Mena?’

Maud turned to my direction slightly. “Do you want to talk about it?”

I didn’t really, but I knew Pinkie wouldn’t rest until I gave some answer, even if I didn’t fully comprehend my own feelings. “It’s just, just odd. Feeling like this. Pretending to be Pinkie. Appearing so suddenly and feeling like I don’t even have time to think. I-it’s just, hard to process. I guess.”

We continued to walk in silence for a few moments, even Pinkie didn’t seem to have anything to say. It remained that way until Maud once again decided to talk. “I appreciate you looking after Pinkamena.”

I shrugged off the praise, it’s what any sane person would do, and not worth anything really. “Just doing what anypony else would.”

“No.”

I think I felt my eye twitch. “What do you mean ‘no’?”

She turned to me again with her monotone expression. “Not just anypony would do what you are doing. You have put Pinkie and my family first quite a lot the past few days. I have a feeling you will continue to do that, so no. You aren’t just any other pony.” She finished and turned away again, seemingly not about to continue.

Blinking in confusion, I had to delve deeper, I didn’t know what the hell she was talking about. “Th-then, what am I?” I asked, feeling my voice crack.

Maud didn’t even turn to me that time. “You’re Mena.”

Wish someone would tell me what the fuck that meant one of these days.



The rest of the day was well enough. Limestone cursed the Bucket, dinner was nice, sleep was had, and of course the dawn promised pain. School beckoned once more, and I could not dread it more. Pinkie also wasn’t looking forward to it either.

We both dreaded it for separate reasons, of course. She, because after gaining her new energy, and with her previous experience with Mr Chalk’s class, just did not want to deal with math. Likewise, I was afraid Pinkie would have a lapse, and toss me into the driver’s seat without thinking. In front of a full class. It was purely the mane thing, if the mane didn’t swap like it did I’d be fine, but doing math with tons of eyes on me is not my ideal way of spending my time.

And it was not helped by Pinkie joining Limestone in on some light groaning about math. I didn’t know if it was Pinkie’s new energy giving way to verbal complaining or if her tolerance for math plummeted since last school day.

‘Hey, Pinkie?’

‘Yeah, Mena?’

I hesitated for a moment before heading forward with my words, ‘If you could, could you not throw me into control in front of other ponies? At least ponies who aren’t part of the family for now?’

Pinkie seemed to think it over, and while seeming like she didn’t understand my reasons, gave a mental shrug and assented, ‘Alright Mena.’

As we walked there, Pinkie occasionally bouncing, Limestone groaning, Maud being Maud and Marble just seeming tired, I was prepping myself to battle the inevitable. I mean, I could constantly remind Pinkie not to do it in a panicked flurry, but the little voices of anxiety said not to. Granted the little voice also said to not remind people of anything ever lest they spite me. A smaller voice, one hidden behind the anxiety said to trust Pinkie, that she’d pull through.

Even with my knowledge, even with the time I spent with her, knowing how much she cared, she was still a foal, a child. Can’t expect perfection there.

Anxieties battled fears as I peered through Pinkie’s eyes. Rockville came into view far too quickly, the school house even faster. I swallowed my fears as much as I could, I needed to keep a clear head for the day ahead.

The sisters entered the school house, and it seemed that they were one of the latest to arrive, still one time, just later than the majority of the class. I supposed that was reasonable, they had a ways to walk and all.

The four sisters gave their hellos to Mr Chalk. Mr. Chalk turned from his light scribbling on the whiteboard to smile at the greeting foals. “Ah, good timing girls, we-” He cut off while looking at Pinkie, an even wider smile adorning his face. “Ah! Congratulations on acquiring your Cutie Mark, Pinkamena!”

That got the rest of the class to turn and stare, most giving their own congratulations. Pinkie giggled at the attention. “Oh, thank you! It just came outta nowhere.” That’s an understatement.

Folder also gave Pinkie a small congratulations, and Frame simply gave a small nod. I thought that was nice.

Mild interruption over, the four set about placing themselves in seats and waited for Mr Chalk to begin. I think every living thing in that school was on the same wavelength, sans Chalk himself. He was going to throw math at us. Especially with the math equations scribbled onto the board at the front of the class. My fears of being thrown into control, mane poofing into a curtain, merely grew as the abomination of math spoke.

“Alright class,” The white stallion said, standing ominously in front of his formulas of doom, “Today I figured we would do something fun.” The entire class seemed to draw back from that. Mr Chalk seemed to have expected that, as he smiled and drew down one of those roll-y tapestry things in front of the chalkboard, which held images of places and ponies I couldn’t quite recognize. “Today we’re doing some history!”

Quite a few young ponies laughed in joy at that proclamation. I heard Marble sigh happily and Limestone grumble, “Thank Celestia.” It honestly felt like those student ponies hadn’t had something other than math for years. I could see that being a fact.

The lesson was a bit underwhelming, really. Mr Chalk mostly covered the founding of Equestria, you know, Clover the Clever, Hurricane, Platinum, Smart Cookie, just a bit less Hearth Warming and more, ‘That’s how Equestria was made,’ while focusing on historical tidbits. But, hey, no math.

Despite being a retread for me, for the most part, it was still interesting, but with more gritty realism. Like the funny yet ironic fact that there was a minor, in comparison, civil war at Equestria’s founding. Some ponies refused to accept Windigoes as fact and refused to come together with the other pony races to found Equestria… So they got together with similarly minded racists of other pony races to destroy Equestria so they could go back to hating each other. Yup, even in violent historical pasts, ponies can be freaking stupid.

It was fun at least, too bad it went by in a flash and early morning suddenly became lunch break time. And right as Commander Hurricane was sword fighting a unicorn who was wielding ten swords at once. It felt like I blinked and history became a fever dream, and then it was time for lunch.

The sisters enjoyed the same food as last time as they spoke about the miraculous non math morning. The only thing that slightly bothered me was I couldn’t quite tell if the relief was born of actual only math being taught or if it was cartoon exaggeration sneaking in.

“That was fun, wasn’t it?” Marble asked her sisters around the table.

Maud was Maud and simply turned and said, “I am fascinated by how Puddinghead apparently broke apart such a large boulder midair. I think I will ask Father about it later.”

Everyone acted like that was perfectly normal. Limestone tilted her head back and forth. “It was interesting. Still, if Puddinghead could punch a rock apart, why did snow take ‘em out?”

Pinkie shrugged as she sipped from her cup. “It was a lotta lotta snow.”

“It’s still snow…” Honestly, Limestone just sounded lost, as if her poor young mind couldn’t imagine the proper amount of snow. Granted, it was magic hate snow, so I'd give her a pass. Limestone thought for a moment, “Hurricane was cool, if a bit of a hothead.”

Pinkie shrugged with a smile, “I liked Puddinghead! He was so-o-o-o funny!”

Limestone scoffed lightly, “Out of all the leaders, he’s barely better than Platinum was.”

Pinkie seemed to take that personally, it seemed, “If Hurricane was so cool, then how come Pansy was one of the ones to save the day?”

Limestone looked heated and ready to respond when Marble interjected into the brewing argument, “The unicorns were neat.”

That threw the argument out the window as Limestone thought and Pinkie was next ponder. “Are there any unicorns in Rockville?” Pinkie asked.

Limestone and Marble looked confused while Maud looked like Maud and said, “Not to my knowledge.”

“Huh, I wonder why. Maybe unicorns don’t like rocks?” Pinkie asked, rhetorically.

There was a lull in the conversation, the sisters deciding to focus more on eating, at least for a moment. After a bit of eating Marble tilted her head. “Do you think Mr. Chalk will do more history, or will he spring math on us again?”

Limestone glared at her hayburger and growled. “Probably math.”

Another moment of silence appeared before Maud spoke. “I don’t mind the math.”

Pinkie groaned slightly, “I really hope it isn’t more math.” Before healing the mental wounds of math with more soda. The perfect cure all.

Marble spoke next gently, “I think I’d like math more if we didn’t have it every time.”

That got a unanimous agreement from the gathered Pies.

The meal flew by quickly after that, the hope of more history upon the air as the foals gathered once more in the torture room of math. It was actually kinda electrifying. As if the crushing weight of math hid neatly around the corner, but we were all hoping it was more history.

“Alright class,” Said Mr Chalk, “I think we’ll start again with one of my favorite things. A quiz!” The entire class seemed to deflate, anticipating the worst, “A history quiz!”

The class didn’t exactly erupt, but there were sighs of relief and smiles abound. Chalk started handing -hoofing?- out quiz forms that, from what little I could glean, was a simple thing that seemed like a gentle recap of the history Chalk had laid out to the kids. Really, it was quite merciful of the stallion. Pinkie at least seemed to really enjoy it.

Rather quickly, the quiz was eaten up, even if it looked like time flew by during the quiz. Sadly, all good times must end.
Mr Chalk glanced at the time and hummed as the final foals began to wrap up their quizzes, “Hmm, very good class, very good. Well, since we seem to have some time,” He said, pulling on the roll-y tapestry thing to roll it up, revealing the chalkboard of doom once more, “Let’s finish today with a little bit of math!”

The horror was palpable, the foals groaned, lamenting the once upon good times that were just this morning, but were now gone.

Mr Chalk handed out blank pieces of paper, simply instructing the kids to note down their work and answers. Normally, this wouldn’t be a big deal, but I could feel Pinkie’s stress spike upon Mr Chalk’s impromptu math of doom.

We all sat in relative silence, and Pinkie had barely begun. She made a few steps into one of the problems before stopping, thinking hard. I will be honest, the sudden leap of math upon me, plus my relative rust on doing any sort of math left me mostly useless to begin with. But letters added to math always threw me. And with one last scratch of the pencil Pinkie wrenched a little. ‘Agh!’ Pinkie mentally screamed.

I tried to speak, ‘Pink-’, Was all I got out before she shoved me into control, accompanied by a curtain of pink to the left of my vision.

I wanted to curl up and die, as the eyeballs of various foals bore into me. I tried my best to ignore it, to ignore the squirming, worm-like feeling in my guts, to appear as if it was perfectly normal for manes to shift and warp like that. It was hard to focus on anything other than the sound of blood rushing through my ears though. It made it hard to maintain my attention on the numbers. And the letters.

The world tuned out around me as I whittled away at the math. I didn’t want to hear anything, I didn’t want to see anything, I just wanted to smash this math into dust and slither back into my mind hole and lock the world away.

Quite honestly, I lost track of time in midst of my attempts to forget all but the numbers before me. I don’t know if Pinkie said anything, I don’t know if Mr Chalk said anything, I didn’t care if anyone said anything, I just noted down what numbers made sense and tossed Pinkie back into control. I think I heard a quick, ‘Thanks Mena!’  Which left me unsure of how to feel.

I sorta hid from the world after that, like posting art to twitter and refusing to look at the site for hours. Except that it was to avoid not seeing anything, whereas for this I just wanted to close my eyes, teleport to tomorrow and wipe this moment for the face of history. Were it so easy.

Static rang in my not ears of the mindscape, time was wobbly and uncertain. I wanted to process what happened, such a small and simple thing, probably not even important, me being a giant blubbering baby. But knowing and feeling were two different sections of the brain, and sometimes they didn’t sync together seamlessly.

Yeah, I wasn’t sure how long I was like that. I glanced back to the real world and saw the sisters walking home, Pinkie seemingly unaware of my tiny breakdown, which I was mildly thankful for. I chose to ignore it again, the real world I mean. I didn’t need to walk, so I got to super sulk.

At least until some time later when something loud enough broke through the static. I grumbly paid attention to reality again and… Limestone was arguing with Pinkie?

I didn’t really get it. I searched our surroundings and it seemed we had made it home and it was just Limestone and Pinkie at the side of the house yelling about something, but I hadn’t caught anything, what with the not static still ringing in my not ears.

It made me feel like crap. I probably should have been there to help Pinkie during such sisterly arguments, but no, I had to go be a mopey dope. I was reminded then and there why I never wanted children. I was one on some level.

Regardless, Pinkie was my charge, I liked the world and it was just the right thing to do in this situation. You know, being a brain parasite. I shook my fake head and tried to reorient myself to listen in on the argument, to maybe help Pinkie, make up for my vanishing act and have a civil conversation about throwing me into control when I didn’t want it. I didn’t hear what Limestone had to say, with a stern expression on her face, but I did catch Pinkie’s delightful response.

“I said I don’t wanna talk about it!” Pinkie all but shouted, and a sense of dread flowed into my veins.

Without even a moment to protest, I found nerves firing, wind blowing and the ground almost charging towards my face before I caught myself and trembled in rage.

Feeling a crack somewhere inside, I shot ramrod straight with a scowl and ground out, “Alright then!” I dug into our mind a shoved Pinkie into control with a careless flow, wrenching myself from the physical world.

The static returned as I stumbled away from the center of the mindscape. I wanted away, to be gone, so I started walking. I began walking through the faux rock farm, nearing the faded blended edge that gave way to the familiar darkness that held me whence I first entered the world of Equestria. I hesitated slightly, but upon hearing Pinkie’s voice trying to break through the static, I grimaced and stepped over the faded line, and stumbled into the darkness. Not looking back, I marched, and marched, with the static as my only guide.
> Chapter 11: For I Am Me-na
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


I walked on. For how long? I didn’t care. My only companion the low buzz of static in my ears. My only guide amid the void I walked endlessly into.


The ever consuming darkness that was my second reality, that I had almost forgotten amongst the comfort of the fake, mental Rock Farm, was all around me. All I could see. Despite my searing rage that remained burning in me, I tried my best to march a straight line. Needless to say, I didn’t think anything through. Another part of me would have retorted I had thought too much for too long anyway.

Eventually, my irritation at all that was began to include the static, include the nothingness. I felt my face twitch and contort, culminating in a horrendous shout to the vacant, void heavens, as I brought my hooves harshly upon the void floor. Were it not for the understanding of the void, I could have sworn I felt something crack underneath my fury.

My eyes were screwed tight, as my not lungs oh, so wanted to heave and breathe. The urge increasing as the damnable static refused to leave, refused to alter, continuing on in its ever same unchanging drone. I growled like Mufasa and wrenched my eyes open only to be shocked.

Ponyville stood before me. Of course it wasn’t actually Ponyville, even I, enraged and irritated as I was, knew that. The sky was still void, as was the floor. But, from the void grew sparse green clumps of grass, buildings and other village iconography, all awash in fog, a wrought iron fence encircled the falsity, a rickety, yet intimidating iron gate stood open, with a circled table with two chairs standing beside the gate. As if gate guards had forsaken their post.

In my wonder the static slowly inked back into my observations, repeating its ever same loop, and I violently shook my head to no sensation, beginning my march towards the falsity. As I started to wander, I noted that technically, I had no idea what Ponyville was really like, not upon the world of physical, of three dimensional, of tangible, of real. All the same, the approximate buildings, empty and gray spoke to me somewhat, even as the static drilled into my skull.

My wandering eventually became overwhelmed by the damnable static. I wanted new noise, I wanted something ELSE.

So, I began to sing.

“Crumbling down
into a frown I once held,
thought I wore a smile,
seems the smile has been expelled.”

I vented musically, the static my orchestra, as I gazed upon the various indistinct Ponyvillian buildings. Background buildings from vague memories twisted from years of decay. The passive things that always surrounded the characters I adored, as they strolled along their stories, but never really paid much mind to. Never put even a single thought into. Except for the wonders of the town. Like the one that came into view.

A de-saturated Sugar Cube Corner appeared before me, its gingerbread pastel colors washed out, fog washing out of the ajar front door. Not really condemned, or left to rot, more like it was a memory, half baked. I scowled, words I could never speak for myself tangling into song.

“It doesn’t really matter right now
and doesn’t really matter how
but I’m fed up and I will not bow
‘til you see I’m sick of how
this is how you treat me now!”

I spoke to a charge who wasn’t there, who couldn’t hear me, speaking words I had no spine to say to her face. Words a part of me doubted I fully believed. Words another part of me thought I didn’t believe enough. I tore my gaze from the phantom bakery and marched on, though what it stood for stuck in my mind, much like the ever same static.

“I think you’ll find,
I’m losing all of my patience.
Simply on a dime,
with these tedious relations.

I can’t be me,
I have to be you!
No time to prepare.
Forced to play the parts of two!”

Hardly giving the gray Boutique a single glance, I grouched to myself, it was just a fraud after all. I started to become consumed by my verbal thoughts as my scarce few memories played over my mind’s eye. Pretending during meals, pretending during play. Absorbed into the recent memories, I let the vague memories of a place I’d never been pass me by, faded and still.

My eyes flicked to a new staple. One that clenched at my heart for some reason, one that spoke to me, though I could not decipher its words. Golden Oaks Library. A fantastical sight. A false fantasy before a real falsity.

“What role do I play
inside this great big story?
Do I get a say?
Or is it all just written for me?

It’s taking its toll now,
more than I know how.
How can I go now
if I don’t get my role?”

I mean, really. I was shoved into a Saturday Morning Cartoon Show. An intrusion upon the very reality that was before me. I knew the broad strokes of the script, I knew the waves that would wash upon the whole. Was I accounted for? Could I be anything? Was I just ink on paper? Was I something less? Were I a greater fake compared to the now piles of atoms that were once nothing more than pixels and dreams? I turned away from the Library.

“What role am I to you?
A puppet master
or fellow dancer,
there up on the stage.

Of this life I could not gauge,
this life I could not choose.
The life that I have lost,
this life that I can lose.”

I grimaced and slouched on, briefly wondering what Pinkie really thought of me. If she saw me as a person. I could hardly get a read on her, or, well, anyone-pony. Turning my eyes skyward, only to see the sky void, I couldn’t help but feel bitter. Everything happened so fast, relatively speaking. My past life went right out the window without so much as a kazoo fanfare. With how fast time had been kicking me, any day now Pinkie and I would become vigilantes, kicking criminals out the same window my life did.

If I didn’t die, or make Pinkie die, or ruin her life, or ruin the future.

My grimace turned to a scowl, and I looked away from the void sky, only to instead see the void ground. Such difference.

“Victim, victor.
truther, trickster.
A friend or a fiend.

These feelings climbing,
feelings binding.
Will wills begin to bend?”

And that’s if I go back at all. It’s not like Pinkie really knows me. I couldn’t keep up a customer service facade for even a month and I expect to last all the way to the Summer Sun Celebration and beyond? My emotional faculties weren’t built for that, not with how things were going.

I glanced from my downward gaze as I sang and wandered. Oddity shops. Food locations among the fantasy fair tent things. That Sofas and Quills place. Plasticine fakes of what might be. Real people don’t shop there. Real people don’t live there. I don’t live there.

“From whence am I?
Oh Heaven high,
or even Hell below?

I don’t have wings
or other tellings.
Should I even know?”

Had I even been a good influence? Was I a net positive to Pinkie’s life? Would she have been better if I had just faded into the black of her mind? If I did?

For a brief moment, I wondered what it would have been like, if I had been born in this world normally. Would Pinkie even have wanted to be my friend? Are we just a product of proximity?

I was broken out of my melancholy ponderings by the sight of a fountain. Never had much interaction with fountains. Seen them, never enjoyed them. Never got the chance. Don’t think I ever saw one like this, fancy statue spilling out water into a basin. Granted I would never had the opportunity to see a fountain with water frozen in time, hovering undisturbed before. But I still had never seen a fancy fountain, sat by one, played with the water. Even standing there, I still hadn’t.

I stared up at the pony statue, such glee on its stone face, and felt my grimace harden even more.

I needed to be myself. Everything that happened, what brought me here was trying too hard to not be me!

“Please bring forth the truth!

I beg of you!
I beg of me!

Will I finally get it?
Finally see it?
Finally BE!
BE myself for I am Me! ...na?”

I felt my eyes twitch erratically, could almost feel my legs shake as if they were going to give out from under me as a horrifying question came to mind and refused to leave me alone in the silence.

“What’s… my name?” I barely whispered to the illusion that surrounded me.

My head dipped without my input, forcing me to stare into the fake face of ‘myself’. Pinkie’s future body, blue eyes, a pane of straight pink mane. The only real signs that I was in there was the face appeared more gaunt, lines under my eyes, and shaking.

I couldn’t think, so I sang.

“It’s all gone so fast,
how could this pass me by?

I thought such things would last.
Have parts of me begun... to die?

Am I anything more than a lie?”

It made no sense, I wasn’t in Equestria that long, I could replay the first two episodes in my mind with decent clarity, all beats accounted for, how could I have forgotten my own godsforsaken name?

Everything was jumbled, my head felt hot, what inane lyrical waffle I had spout out came naturally before, but after the strike to my very soul, I began to stumble.

I pushed away from the fountain on unsteady legs, lungs screaming to hyperventilate as I tried to take shaky steps around the fixture.

“Will I even know
who am I-
supposed to-?
expected to-?

Who am I?
I was-?
Who I’ll turn ‘to?”

I continued to stumble, even partially falling against the fountain to stay up, before I felt something snap, again. I slammed a hoof onto the rim of the fountain as I grit my teeth, straightening back up, taking back control.

“Mena, Mena,
swirls my brain,
what feels like eternity.

Pinka, Pinka,
such a strain,
obscuring my humanity

What once was my reality.”

I jumped onto the fountain’s rim, forcing myself to move gracefully upon the edge, trying to offload whatever I could from thinking to anything else. The effect, quite limited. It failed to drive off my swirling thoughts, my forming words.

Answers, hypotheses, theories, they all eluded me as I tried to think on it all. Tried to come up with some inkling of where my memories went, what it meant to have lost them and my overall standing with reality.

Even as I spun about the fountain’s edge, I couldn’t think of anything. Again.

“Was it taken
or just forsaken
to the frantic passage of time?

Am I starting to lose my mind?
Were it ever there?

I thought I knew who I was.
I thought I knew what was real.
But if I can’t recall,
does it matter at all?

Do I?”

My lyrical pondering only delved me deeper into knowing nothing, and amid another spin I slumped down, staring into the frozen water. Such selective memory loss was troubling. That I didn’t notice was worse.

I had, more or less, accepted that I would never see my world again, but losing my immediate self was… something. Even as I sang, my mind would flicker to other aspects of Earth. Iconography, Wonders, well known history were all still there.

It was almost like using an internet search. Plenty of what everyone else knew, but nothing on you.

Aimlessly, I flicked the fountain water, droplets flying slightly only to freeze in the air after a moment. A wonderful moment drowned among problems, and lost.

“Just bring forth the truth.

The role I lost.
The die that’s cast
deep into the sky.

Am I just a vision,
voice or fission,
here inside the mind?

So much I can be.
But can I choose me
when the time comes to fly?”

Was I even real? If the Rainboom hadn’t already happened, I would have feared the possibility that I could have delusion-ed up everything about what was in the future. I mean, how much of me is me if I couldn’t even remember anything personal?

Could so many stories, ideas of things that blatantly could not exist within the world of Equestria spontaneously form without cause like this? Though, I suppose anything would try to rationalize, cling to what is ‘reality’ even in the face of reality. Layers upon walls forming a maze of ‘what should be’ to keep out ‘what is’.

“Human, Mena
both who I are,
vibrant sepia.

Truth or fiction,
peace or friction,
piling up hysteria.

Am I has been?
All I’m askin’ is
are we all we are?

I am breaking?
All I’m getting is
I don’t know what must.”

Could I just be a fractured piece of Pinkie herself? I pondered, as I let my face fall completely upon the false stone of the fountain, squashing my fake cheek on it as I gazed at the time frozen waters and its reflections.

The obvious answer would be to justify it by looking at what Pinkie would be capable of in the future, even when that future had become well and truly suspect. An expert opinion might have been nice, were it not for me not trusting the coin flip of my supposed home’s health care, and knowing jack squat about Equestria’s system. Fiction or not, fake or not, I couldn’t jeopardize things like that.

No matter potential failings, no matter what I was, Pinkie had to come first in that area. Always.

“Is it us?
Is it we?
Is it you?
Is it me?

Am I wrong?
Are you alright?
Did I snap?
Will you fight?

How’ve I been brought to this?”

I tried to ground myself, running my hoof along the water’s surface, leaving grooves, as if it were sand. The various shapes and lines started to connect into various images, like connect the dots with anomalous factors. I felt like I should remember this, as if something like this should stick out in my mind. But there was nothing. Jamais Vu.

Thinking was becoming more difficult, the splintering between obvious fact and filtered should was beginning to hurt.

Why was I even here? I already knew the answer to that one.

“Bottle breaking
from whence it’s taking.
I think that it’s done.
Was it too weak to bear?

Did it even care?
Did I?
Do you?

These bonds I tried so hard to make,
did I begin to forsake?
Will it not be strong enough?

Will I?
Will you?

As my memories turn to dust,
lost time tinkling down my hour glass.

Anxieties rule, though we can’t see,
ne’er relenting, though they should be.”

Remarkably, my fake cheek started to sting against the mind fountain, so I pushed myself up and away from the fountain’s edge. I gazed down upon the half assed doodle that had formed amongst my hoof dragging, the time frozen water creating such texture and oddity in the shape of something I couldn’t bother to play Rorschach with.

Half assed like every I ever did. Running away from my problems. Being a bad friend. Reasons be damned with no good will leverage to my forgotten name. Acting as if my emotions mattered, as if I knew anything.

But… I supposed I’d better try anyhow.

“I’ll bring forth the truth.

Fix this mess we both have laid.
Turn things back before it gets too late.

I May have lost myself.
But I can play my part,
before we fall apart.

Because I haven’t lost you… yet?”

I saw my eyes widen in my mangled reflection, before I turned, looking down the way I came. I didn’t bother to ponder whether anything had changed, if the architecture placement was logical, all I processed was the extremely faint light of the faux Rockfarm I had left behind, shining ever so slightly through the iron gate.

Would Pinkie care? Want me back? Even notice I was gone? Had a single moment burnt my only reliable bridge into cinders and I was so stupid I didn’t even notice?

I felt something hot trail down my left cheek.

How much had I hurt my only friend?

“Will she want the truth?
A war inside the mind,
is one that will last for all time.

If it comes down to the last,
if there is no second chance…

I guess I’ll turn without a peer.
Succumb to my own deepest fear.
Without a choice,
I’d choose to disappear.”

Though my legs still felt like jelly, I stood, using the fountain’s edge as a crutch, never once taking my eyes off the small light of the far away Rockfarm.

Could I fix it? Logic says no, but I had to try, right? Would Pinkie even want me to try?

No, NO. None of that. Not yet. Not until judgment is properly laid down. I-I can handle this like an adult, maybe. I could head back, maybe fix some of it before things went too far. I-surely Pinkie would… If she accepts me back, why she’d want to do some kind of party, w-w-we could bake another cake, I could shittily sing another song!

But if she doesn’t… well. I did know the answer to that one.

“While you shoulder some blame,

I can’t afford to give to hate.”

My stance became firmer, the faintest taste of certainty, true certainty, no matter what or how small gave me resolve, finally, truly grounded me. I practically could feel my mane billowing, as my lungs filled to the brim, and dare I say, a small smile crossed my stupid, stupid face.

Possibility endless, some perhaps even not bleak stood before me, as I began to trot to the possibility, until my trot became a full on gallop, my hooves carrying me past the iron gate and towards the friend I hurt, the friend I wanted to help, truly help this time.

“I refuse to fall!
I guess, well, after all...
You’re the one who gave me my name.”


As she ran, crossing the fence line of the empty Ponyville, the time frozen droplets she had kicked up, ever so gently fell, until the face of the fountain’s water was flat and undisturbed once more, and silence loomed among the foggy streets of the newly abandoned town.
> Chapter 12: The Other Side's Surprise
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


“Let’s finish today with a little bit of math!”


Immediately, Pinkie’s mood dropped. The groans of her classmates were almost drowned out by her own incredulity at Mr Chalk’s impromptu math quiz. Normally it wouldn’t be that bad, you usually come to expect math from Chalk day in and day out, but the bit of history as a palate cleanser only to be washed down with math, hooking everypony back in without warning caused her entire body to tense as Mr Chalk laid down a blank piece of paper in front of the pink foal.

It took Pinkie a few moments to even begin trying to work through the, admittedly few, math questions that were demanded of her. She roughly jotted out her math processes for the first question before her pencil drew a rough line, almost right through the paper itself. ‘Agh!’ Pinkie screamed within her shared mental realm with Mena.

She barely registered Mena saying something before shoving her headmate into control, but, wound up so much from the stress of unscheduled math distracted her in multiple ways. She panted lightly within the safety of the mindscape, metaphorical distance placed between herself and the math that ate away at her.

She took the moments she had attained to compose herself, feeling bad about throwing Mena into control without warning. She shook her mental head and resolved to make it up to Mena at some point. An idea came to her and made her grimace, she supposed Mena would get first call on any sweets and desserts for quite awhile, or really any activity her brainmate would like to take control of their body for. Pinkie sighed but stood resolved on the idea, it was only fair after all.

Really, Pinkie felt the urge to apologize for the abrupt shove right then and there, but she hesitated to interrupt Mena’s concentration on the math. She shuddered at the sight of the math problems Mena scribbled away at. She knew she herself would hate for her attention to be stolen, so she remained quiet, letting Mena work in peace.

As Mena scribbled, Pinkie thought on her friend, her sudden, odd, brain friend she couldn’t really share with too many ponies. Mena’s oddities didn’t bother Pinkie at all, really, Pinkie thought, more ponies should be odd, it made them interesting. Tilting her head, Pinkie idly wondered if everypony was already odd and she simply hadn’t noted their unique strangeness. She was sure she appeared odd herself, ever since her cutie mark she just felt so much… well, near everything really. Another reason to be thankful for Mena, she resolved.

Eventually, Mena managed to mark down the answers to the math questions and threw Pinkie into control, Pinkie idly noting her mane springing back into poof-ness, she liked that. ‘Thanks Mena!’ Pinkie mentally told her friend.

Pinkie began packing everything away, with the math completed school was going to come to a proper close soon, and she didn’t want to keep her sisters waiting. As she worked she noted that Mena was a little quiet, and that Limestone seemed to be giving her an odd look. She ignored Limestone’s look for the moment and felt the urge to probe Mena, to ask what’s wrong, but ultimately decided against it. She knew what math could do to a pony, sometimes they needed longer to recharge than others. Mena would speak when she had something to say, Pinkie thought.

Not too long after, Pinkie hopped to her sisters and they began to make their way back home. The atmosphere of the walk was rather normal, each of the sisters holding some level of annoyance over the surprise math, even Maud voicing her opinion that, “Tacking math onto the end of a bunch of history is an odd teaching tactic.”

Marble lifted her head slightly, “It did feel a little out of place.”

The sisters continued their simple conversations for the entire stretch to their home, a walk like any other, all the way until their front door was in clear view.

As they neared their home Limestone put a hoof on Pinkie’s shoulder, causing them to stop, “Maud, Marble, you go on ahead, I just want to have a small talk with Pinkamena.” Her tone was level, if anything hid behind her words, she kept a tight rein on them.

Pinkie happily nodded, “Alrighty! Like Lime said, we’ll catch up in a minute.”

Maud stared for a moment longer than normal, but eventually said, “Alright.” And continued her way inside. Marble only tilted her head lightly, but quickly followed after Maud, leaving Limestone and Pinkie alone.

Nodding her head in the direction of the house’s corner, Limestone led them to the side of the house. Pinkie opened her mouth to ask a jolly question, only to be quickly cut off, “Alright Pinkamena, what’s wrong?”

Pinkie blinked, caught off guard by Limestone’s question. She blinked twice and adopted a look of confusion. Nothing was wrong. Right? Pushing the twang of uncertainty to the side, Pinkie simply stared at her sister, “But, nothing’s wrong.”

Limestone glared at Pinkie’s response, “Really? Because that’s not what I saw during the surprise math.“

Pinkie’s brow furled, still not quite getting what Limestone was getting at, “What?”

With a harsh groan, Limestone slapped her hoof to her head, “Pinks, you looked a mix of miserable and angry. Then you just bounced back like nothing happened! Something’s going on, and you need to tell me, or I won’t be able to help!”

Pinkie’s brain worked in overtime to decipher Limestone’s words, Pinkie hated to admit it, but she was even getting a bit steamed at her sister’s insistence. Nothing was wrong! She felt perfectly fine and couldn’t even pick out the emotions Limestone spoke of. Well, maybe a little bit at the beginning before Mena took over-

Standing stock still, realization dawned upon Pinkie. They were both right, Pinkie was absolutely fine, but Limestone did see a pink pony toiling under math. In that moment Mena’s silence weighed like a billion rocks on Pinkie’s withers. Then and there Pinkie knew she needed to talk to Mena, apologize at the very least. If Limestone was right, then Pinkie feared that her act might have struck Mena harder than Pinkie first thought.

Limestone spoke up, breaking Pinkie from her revelation, “So something is wrong! Come on, don’t leave me in the dark sis! It can’t just be surprise math.” She demanded, sisterly protectiveness encroaching on her gruff voice.

Her mind jumbled and worried, Pinkie stumbled over her words, “W-well, I, uh, I don’t wanna talk about it right now, I need to go-”

“Pinkie! Please talk to me. Something’s eating at ya and I want to help!” Limestone growled.

Pinkie grumbled, desperately wanting to get away from Limestone, unable to give Mena the attention Pinkie could only imagine she needed, that she at least deserved. “Lime, I don’t wanna talk about it!”

She turned to walk away, to find some quiet place so she could focus on talking to Mena when Limestone gripped her shoulder and turned Pinkie back to face her stern expression, “Oh no you don’t! I’m your sister, and something’s wrong. It’s my job to look out for everypony, so let me look out for you!”

A limit reached, the desperation to get away from Limestone eclipsed in Pinkie’s mind, “I said I don’t wanna talk about it!” Pinkie yelled, and, acting on instinct, thrust Mena into control.

Within the mindscape, before the swap even fully finished, Pinkie realized what she had done. She clawed desperately to reverse course when two words shook her world, “Alright then!”

Instantly Pinkie was thrown violently back into control, stumbling to the ground, hardly paying attention to the real world, to Limestone scrambling about her, worried. She delved back into her own mind, fear clenching at her heart as she turned to see Mena marching away from the space the shared.

“Mena! Mena I’m sorry!” She screamed in her mind, maybe even in reality. She didn’t know. She didn’t care. Her friend, tensed at the fading edge of the mental Rock Farm, only to then continue her stride, stepping into the dark, deeper, darker. Away. Without word. “Mena! Please! I didn’t mean it, please!”

Her pleas did nothing as she herself scrambled to a stop at the fading green ground. She could only watch as her secret friend, who helped her so dear, slowly vanished amidst the black of her mind.

Tears fell freely down her cheeks as the confusion refused to cement itself into fact. Mena was gone. Gone where? Was it permanent? Would she come back? Would she forgive?

Pinkie flashed back to reality as her body vigorously shook, but not from the emotional toil, instead, from Limestone, her look of stern, angry protectiveness replaced with worry and fear. “Pinks? Pinks what’s wrong? Please.”

Pinkie tried to right herself, almost slipping back to the ground from her unstable hooves, only kept up by Limestone’s grip. “L-L-Lime? I-I think I messed u-up.”

A small, prickly memory rose from the depths of her mind, of Mena yelling at her not to tell anypony. Sure, she got along well with Maud, but what if Mena came back, only to have everypony know? Mena was already so upset. Pinkie decided then, she wouldn’t tell anypony. Well, except for Maud, she could trust Maud with it, she thought.

But her fearful contemplations were further interrupted, not only from Limestone’s continued worry, but the sound of the rest of the family, presumably having heard the raised voices, coming to investigate.

“What over rock and stone is going on out here?” Father asked, a firmness across his voice as he turned the corner of the house. Quickly followed by Mother, Maud and Marble, with Marble looking particularly worried.

Pinkie froze in the face of the question. What could she say? Her mind was still wobbled by everything that had occurred, and Limestone was still beside her. Pinkie opened her mouth, to try and lie, conjure some fabrication that could fool anypony, but found her mouth dry.

Limestone suddenly chimed in, “Sorry everypony! I, uh, I upset Pinkamena. I thought something was wrong and just wouldn’t drop it, she tripped ‘cause of me, uhm.” She looked to Pinkie, an odd look on her face, while her voice spoke in apologetics, her face held doubt, a ponderance that something was indeed wrong, but had finally dropped it, “Sorry sis.”

While still thrown off by the gravity of Mena’s departure, Pinkie seized the opportunity Limestone had presented her, “Y-yeah, just h-hit my k-knee, I-I think.” She said, trying to keep her voice under control.

Father hummed for a moment, sending a lance of fear through Pinkie, before clicking his teeth and speaking, “Well, if that’s all, please come in girls. Get cleaned up and sit down for some supper, all right?” The two sisters at the center of attention, Limestone giving a quick glance back to Pinkie before moving ahead.

Pinkie herself got unsteadily to her hooves and began to follow after when her Mother spoke, “Do keep an eye on your knee for the next few days, okay Pinkamena?”

Pinkie subdued a flinch, turning and smiling as genuine a smile she could muster, “O-okay Ma.” As she turned away, to continue her tread into the house, she barely caught her parents sharing a look that she could not decipher, with what little she saw.

The rest of the day passed awkwardly, especially as Pinkie tried her hardest to act normal. The deafening silence, the lack of Mena’s presence inside her mind, it was a constant reminder that refused to be ignored, making her facade a difficult trick.

At the very least nopony pressed the issue. Limestone left Pinkie alone save for a few guilty glances, Marble gave Pinkie mostly normal looks, though a few were more concerned than others. Maud’s periodic stares were the same as ever, though Pinkie knew they held sisterly affection and worry, worry Pinkie didn’t know how to abate.

Eventually supper passed, bedtime arrived and while Pinkie found herself unable to sleep for a few hours, staring at the wall, alone in her mind, with no sign of Mena anywhere, she too eventually fell into a fitful sleep that felt like it didn’t last.
So soon after, Pinkie awoke, well before her sisters, but couldn’t bring herself to move. No mental presence, no gruff, anxious if caring words. She was still alone. The silence she wallowed in felt like an eternity of solitude despite the breathing of her sisters’ surrounding her, and even that was soon interrupted.

Pinkie moved almost like a ghost as everypony was going about their morning routine, sliding right into the bathroom as she sought some level of isolation away from her family. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, dulled blue eyes, puffy pink mane. She felt tired.

Without a warning, the bathroom door swung open, and before Pinkie could even turn in surprise, it had shut again and a hoof gently laid on her shoulder. When Pinkie’s head finally caught up, Maud’s head swung into view, a slight look of worry on her stoic face.

Surprise abated, Pinkie turned away, back to the mirror, not saying anything. “Do you want to talk about what happened yesterday?” Maud asked, Pinkie hearing the tone of worry amid her monotone.

Pinkie sighed, “I.. I pushed Mena away.” At Maud's comforting silence, she continued, “I threw her into control for the math quiz, I didn't think about how mean that would be to her until later, and I meant to make it up to her, but. But Limestone saw how Mena was during the quiz, thought it was me and wouldn't leave me alone and I, haaaah, I threw Mena into control again without thinking. Now she's g-gone.”

The two sisters sat in silence for a while, before Maud finally spoke, “If you trust Mena, then I believe she will come back.”
Turning to her sister, Pinkie's ears perked up, “You think so?”

Maud nodded, “Then you can apologize to each other.”

Pinkie blinked and shook her head, “But, but I was-”

Maud simply, softly interrupted, “You will apologize to each other. Even if you did something wrong, crossed some boundary, Mena shouldn't have left you like that. She shouldn't make you cry.”

Her words left Pinkie feeling conflicted, she took Mena for granted and obviously caused her to leave, but she couldn't really deny, she was hurt by Mena's abandonment. Conflicted or not, Pinkie sighed and gave a small smile, “Thanks Maud.”
Maud, while maybe not smiling exactly, returned the sentiment. They stayed there a while longer, until Pinkie was ready to face an uncertain day.

Pinkie managed to hold things together through the rest of the morning, perhaps a tad less energetic than usual, a little out of it, but functional. Doing her best to give the impression that all was normal.

Breakfast passed without issue, and much like most days, Pa sent the sisters out to move more rocks. Though, what could have been meditative, or calming or at the very least boring, was instead a deafening silence, aside from the clunk and grind of rocks and dirt.

Where once there was a presence, a friend and voice to talk to, have fun with, was instead the feeling she had forgotten in the days of Mena's appearance. She vaguely recalled Mena's worries over not being normal, as she shunted a rock along with her head, and found the normality lacking. She missed her friend.

As she moved the rock along, Pinkie heard the clip clopping of hooves heading her way. She stopped, turned and tensed at the sight of an uncertain Limestone moving towards her. Limestone, to her credit, moved a little slower after Pinkie tensed, until they were a few hooves apart.

“I'm sorry,” Limestone said. Pinkie blinked and was going to speak, but Limestone continued, “I shouldn't have pushed so hard yesterday. I know something is wrong, but prying so hard only hurts things. But if you ever do want to talk about whatever it is, I'm all ears, okay?”

Blinking once more, Pinkie simply smiled, genuinely and nodded. Limestone seemed much more at ease and returned the smile. It was a small moment, a quiet moment. Pinkie silently thought to herself that if Limestone was aware of Mena, that maybe things would have turned out different, Pinkie decided that if Mena- when Mena came back, she'd talk about telling Limestone. She owed her sister that, at least.


-----------------


One day passed, and Mena did not come back, a simple day of rock work, and not much else.
A second day passed.

And a third.

On the fourth day, Pinkie woke up, had breakfast with her family and once more was set out to finish migrating the rocks over to the right field. The more days that passed, the more that Mena's absence weighed on Pinkie's mind.

She tried to keep Maud's words at the front of her mind, to not lose hope, but she didn't know. As she trudged along, rolling a rock along, she didn't even know what she'd say if Mena did come back.

Pinkie stopped and looked up, into the blue sky, recalling the wave of bright rainbow that blew away the grey clouds of that, well, less than pleasant day. Remembering the day Mena appeared in her mind, finding the rockball, her cutie mark party, the simple chats they had together. Ever since Mena came, Pinkie couldn't help but feel like her days were a little bit brighter in some way.

The more she thought about her invisible, yet truly tangible friend, she swore she could even hear her. 'Pinkie!' She blinked, she could really hear her. 'Pinkie!'

The second call caused Pinkie's eyes to go wide and turn her attention inward. Back in the mindscape, the mirror of the rockfarm she twisted towards the deep black and saw a blur of pink cross over onto the faded green of the mental ground. In no time, said blur dove and tackled Pinkie in a hug, “Pinkie I am so sorry!”

Without hesitation, Pinkie returned the hug, a mix of happiness and some flavor of sadness invaded her, “Mena! I thought you were gone! Maud said y-you'd come back, but then a f-few days went by and-”

“Wait wait wait,” Mena said, still holding Pinkie, but moving apart to look at her, “Days?! But, it couldn't have been days it felt, like, a few hours max!”

Mena's assertion made Pinkie's blood run cold, the thought that Mena had lost herself within the depths of her mind, lost track of time so thoroughly. “M-Mena, it's been four days...”

The reinforcement of that information threw Mena for a loop, she blinked rapidly and seemed to zone out. Pinkie though tensed and became overwhelmed by a specific emotion before punching Mena's arm. Mena flinched and rubbed her arm, seemingly more confused than hurt, “Hey! What was that for?”

“Y-you left.”

“And you kept throwing me into situations I wasn't prepared for!”

“Why didn't you tell me?!”

That brought Mena up short, the days of worrying about Mena, of thinking over events again and again boiled over from Pinkie, leaving Mena stumped. “I, I... I don't know.” Pinkie stared, confused, “I don't like telling pe-others my problems. I-I guess I just bottled everything up and. The bottle broke.”

A moment of silence passed, Pinkie staring at her friend, not really sure what to think, but she knew what to do. Pinkie hugged Mena again, confusing Mena once more, “You shouldn't do that. But I'm sorry.”

“Huh?” Mena said, eloquently.

“Maud said we both made mistakes, that we should apologize to each other.”

Pinkie didn't look, she didn't need to, but she heard Mena sniffle and felt her return the hug, “M-Maud's right. Sorry Pinkie. I-I am so, so sorry. I'll try to not bottle things up so much.”

“I'll try to not just throw you into things anymore either... happy you're back Mena.”

“Happy to be back.”

Pinkie pulled away from the hug, and looked at Mena, “Can we turn rock chores into a game again?”

Mena had a wide, if slightly quivering smile and nodded, “Sure.”

And so the two set out to make another game out of the chore Mena awoke to. Rather than speed, this time Mena suggested dexterity, 'What if you tried to carry the rocks to their destination without letting them touch the ground or using your hooves?”

Pinkie took right to that suggestion, balancing the rock she had been rolling onto her head, and began waddling to her destination. As she waddled, she came across Marble who stared at her sister. “Pinkamena, what are you doing?”

“Playing a balancing game! I'm seeing if I can keep this rock off the ground without using my hooves all the way to where it needs to be.”

And like that, slowly but surely her other sisters got dragged into the game as well. Maud seemed particularly into it, appearing happy to indulge the return of Pinkie's playful energy.

Marble, from what Pinkie and Mena saw, was exceedingly careful, both in her choice of rock and how she carried them. Limestone, on the other hoof, once told of the game went all in, carrying a rock on her head and back at the same time. She tried to carry a third one with her mouth, but couldn't find one that was easy to carry, shapewise.

After a few goes, and reveling in the atmosphere of another fun game, Pinkie was bouncing with energy, feeling like everything had returned to normal, “Okay okay, so a rock slightly larger than that needs to be held more to the back of my head, got it. Ooh! I got an idea!” Pinkie said as she began to throw Mena into control once again.

Before the process had even properly started, the feeling from the day Mena left returned tenfold, crashing into Pinkie like a particularly large rock, and she was able to stop herself before Mena actually did get thrown into control. Regardless of her save, Pinkie felt her whole body go rigid, and felt the steely glare Mena was giving her, punctuated by a growl.

Pinkie chuckled nervously as she turned her attention inward and looked at the very much disgruntled Mena, “Uh, would you like a turn with the game Mena?”

Mena continued to glare for a moment before taking a deep breath and nodding, “Thank you Pinkie, I would like to play a little.”

That small stumble stumbled over, Mena willingly accepted a smooth transition into control. Shaking the now flat mane out of their shared face, Mena set to doing something she didn't really have any past experience with balancing things on her head.

Mena didn't really 'try' at the game, rather she let herself enjoy the experience, taking it slow, carrying simple shapes and leisurely paces. Though the lack of Pinkie's naturally poofy hair made some rockers harder to carry than they could have, but Pinkie cheered Mena on all the same, which washed away most of the bad taste Pinkie's almost slip up left.

A brief time, to enjoy, to forget the strains, the fears, the possibility of Pinkie's subconscious swallowing Mena away for years instead of days.Though that distracting joy was itself distracted for a moment when Mena crossed paths with Maud.
Maud calmly walked along, a relatively impressive rock on her head, “Mena.”

“Uh, hi Maud.” Mena replied, apprehensively.

She did not reply for a moment, an intensity entering her eyes for a moment, “Do not make Pinkamena cry again.”

Mena gulped and nodded, while Pinkie face hoofed within their shared mind, 'Ma-a-aud...' She groaned.

That moment of awkwardness aside, Pinkie considered the game after Mena's return was a resounding success, as was the chore, which got adequately completed over the course of said game.

Once the game wound down, Pinkie's Father came up to the sisters, “Well, it seems you four did good work. Go inside and get cleaned up, your Ma has dinner prepared for you girls.”

As Maud, Limestone and Marble made their way inside, Mena made to swap control over to Pinkie, who shook her head and declined, '”Nah, you go have dinner Mena.”

Mena blinked and turned her attention inward, “Are you sure Pinkie?”

She nodded happily, “Of course! While it might not have seemed like four days, I think you deserve a nice welcome home meal!”

Mena shrugged, not wanting to press the issue, “Well, if you insist, Pinkie.” She said and followed the others inside.
She was stopped momentarily by Pinkie's Father, “Hmm, you seem in better spirits Pinkamena.”

Mena shrugged non committedly, and said, “The game with the others was nice.” Which seemed to satisfy the Father, who simply nodded and let Mena head inside to prepare for dinner.

Once said dinner was properly under way, while Mena wouldn't admit it, she still felt a little guilty for taking Pinkie's place at the table after what happened. She didn't let it get to her too much, as Mother's cooking was as good as ever. Buttered rolls and a lovely stew.

The day slowly wound down until Mena laid in bed, enjoying the comforting atmosphere of being back.

'Mena?' Pinkie said.

'Yeah, Pinkie?'

'Thanks for coming back.'

'No problem at all Pinkie. Good night.'

'Good night Mena.'


--------------------------------


I enjoyed a dreamless sleep during the night, allowing myself to sit up in the morning actually feeling refreshed. Rejuvenated. As if the ill feelings and stresses that threatened to choke me the previous day were mere memories that could easily be forgotten. Threatening no more.

I reveled in that.

It was odd, being able to step down from the bed to the sounds of the family I hid among processing the moments of wakefulness, feeling as if a true new day had dawned for me. Like a curing bleed, a pain healed over better.

But, as I stepped into the bathroom, began brushing my still abnormally straight mane, Pinkie had to inject those memories back into me.

'I'm still sorry Mena.' She had said. Forcing the static, the run, the time, the punch, the game, all of them back to the front of my mind.

'There's nothing to be sorry for, Pinkie.' I said, trying to kill the conversation before it could live. But she insisted.
'But I almost threw you into control RIGHT after promising to be better!' A similar feeling to desperation entered her voice, egging her on.

I frowned, ceasing my morning brushing in annoyance, 'Pinkie, we both messed up, we both apologized, and yeah, you almost did that, but you didn't.'

'But I still almost hurt you, and after how you said you bottled stuff up, I don't want to give you anything to bottle up anymore!'

I stifled a growl and poured my attention inside, looking at her, trying not to scowl, 'Pinkie, please can you just drop i-'

'Hey, hey, hey! Let's just tone things down, okay?' A voice, so familiar yet incredibly alien, said inside Pinkie's mind, bringing the conversation to a sudden halt.

I stood frozen while Pinkie turned, almost nonchalantly, and tilted her head in intrigue more than anything. 'Huh? Who are you?'

Finally gaining enough of myself, I turned as the new element spoke once more, seeing white and yellow, with a sprinkle of purple, 'Me? Uhm, well I think I'm called Surprise!' The pegasus pallet plagiarism of Pinkie said with a smile. Such a gentle smile, 'I'm here to help!'

Needless to say, I screamed.
> Chapter 13: Your Friendly Reflection
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


I screamed, because this was so unbelievably far outside the realm of 'okay' than should be allowed. How was I even supposed to properly process that?


Surprise?! Well, roll out the pun award because that is a great descriptor to my situation! What even was she? I mean, I had human memories and was shoved into Pinkie's head, was she human? The upper functions of my brain that continued to work as I screamed mentally, told me that was highly unlikely. Two humans both being drawn into the same world, into the mind of the same pony? It didn't seem likely to my yelling mind.

I also screamed because my most immediate fear was one I hated the most. Did I break Pinkie? Did I cause a piece of her mind to break off and form the source of my mental anguish? Sure, the disorder back home didn't at all function like what was happening, personality constructs interacting in such a way and all, but I wasn't home, I was a fully fledged human psyche in the brain of a fully fledged not human who I knew about because I saw her future adventures as pixels on a screen. Most logical laws as I knew them were mere suggestions, so why wouldn't Hollywood disorders play out like on the big and silver screens?

Luckily, or maybe not so luckily, a piece of me made a good point: Pinkie wasn't exactly shattered when I got back. A bit solemn and guilt with a splash of anger? Yeah. So despondent that her mind broke apart? Not at all. And even if she did, why would Surprise show up now? Granted I'm happy I wasn't replaced and merely returned to Pinkie having gone, 'Friendship with Mena over, Surprise is my new brain roommate.'

In short, I had no idea what I was dealing with, though I suppose screaming while thinking could have gotten in the way, all I knew was it had to be twenty twelve again, the “Pinkie's Fractured Psyche” fanfic trio had formed against my will, with me in a starring role, and my future timetable shot, stabbed and hunted by a cowboy named Arthur. Granted, I really shouldn't have been so caught off guard, considering I was already a sin to science, but my mind wasn't in a state to properly deal with someone on the same level as me.

My mind also wasn't prepared to think on the potential horrors of other fanfics coming to life. Brain really didn't want to ponder that line of thought. Or any line of thought, as it honestly felt like my head was on fire.

Amid my screaming, a voice sounded, shaking me from my mile a minute thought processing, 'Mena?! Why are you screaming?' Pinkie asked, obviously freaked out by my reaction.

Surprise meanwhile cantered towards me with a concerned look, which didn't really help my mental state, as I tried to take a step back, away from the impossible mental pony. She reached me and put her hooves on either side of my face, 'Mena? I want you to take a deep breath, okay?'

For some reason I followed her instructions and did so, swallowing my scream along the way.
'Now hold that breath for just a minute... and let it out.'

I let out the deep breath, no longer screaming, and breathing just a bit off, still not entirely okay with the situation at hand, but my head didn't feel like it was burning anymore.

She smiled gently at my reaction regardless, and removed her hooves from my face. Pinkie meanwhile kinda jumped into my peripheral vision, 'Mena? What's wrong?'

What was I supposed to say? That I was the only mental parasite that was allowed to dwell inside Pinkie's head?
I breathed again before speaking, 'It's just... I didn't expect this, I guess.”

Pinkie tilted her head, 'I didn't scream when I found you, though.'

Sighing, I turned to Pinkie, 'I'm still not normal Pinkie, this, Surprise, is doubly not normal.'

'Plus Mena has been through a rough patch recently, so I don't begrudge her at all.' Surprise chimed in, kinda helpfully but at the same time not.

Pinkie squinted for a moment before shrugging, 'Okey dokey.' Surprise backing me up made me feel conflicted, but at least she helped cover me. I guess.

I tried to keep my so-called breathing steady and move past my million and one theories on what Surprise could be. Not like I had much of an idea to begin with, and lacked any immediate clues. I simply made an unspoken promise: If this Surprise was a threat, I would go one hundred and ten percent Cupcakes on her ass.

'So,' Surprise said once the commotion had passed, 'What were you two arguing about when I found ya?'

Shuddering out a breath, I rubbed the side of my face, 'Pinkie was making a deal over almost throwing me into control after saying she wouldn't.'

'Of course I was! I don't want you to bottle things up anymore!' Pinkie said.

I grit my teeth, already feeling the regret of answering Surprise's question, but before I could speak Surprise cut in, 'Well, it's obviously a sore subject, how's about we put a pin in that topic and revisit it later at a better time, okay?'

Pinkie scrunched up her face before sighing, 'Fiiiine.'

Releasing a sigh of my own, it felt as if a pressure lifted from my brain, like it had been in a skull too small. I simply nodded until a thought struck me and I blanched, 'I should probably finish brushing our mane. We've probably been in here too long.'

My original headmate shared my uncomfortable look, 'Oh, yeah, good idea.'

Surprise tilted her head, a look of curiosity on her face, 'What's the hurry?'

'After what's happened, I don't want to give Pinkie's family any need to worry. Well, more than I already have. Ma is probably finishing breakfast already!' I said, finally bringing into focus reality once more from my zoning inward, as I frantically brushed my mane.

'Ooh, ooh! Surprise, would you like to have breakfast?' Pinkie asked, and my paranoia aside, that didn't sound like an awful idea. If we were going to have a third mental roommate, why not give her a warm, rockfarm, breakfast welcome?

Only, Surprise shook her head and wave da hoof, 'Nah, don't let me impose on such short notice. Maybe another time, okay Pinkie?'

Pinkie shrugged, 'Okey dokey Surprise.'

I finished our morning care routine and was about to exit the room, hoof on the handle, when I thought of something, 'Hey, Pinkie, how about you take control for breakfast?' She happily accepted my offer, jumping into control, our mane fluffing up in an instant, and without a word she happily skipped out of the washroom.

As Pinkie made her way to the dining room, Mother called out, “Morning Pinkamena.”

“Morning Ma.” Pinkie returned.

“You still feel better? Like yesterday?” Mother asked.

Pinkie nodded happily as she took her place at the table, “Yuppers! Feeling good. How about you Ma?”

She simply chuckled, “Oh, I feel just fine Pinkamena, thanks for asking.”

As the family conversation got underway, I realized something, for the first time, I was hyper aware of my mental surroundings. Before, I would lose myself in what Pinkie saw and experienced, tunnel vision as it were, but with Surprise also there beside me, my consciousness took note much more. What I found interesting was Surprise seemed to intentionally keep a comfortable distance from me. Whether out of conspiracy or consideration, I did not know, but I did appreciate it.

Honestly, it was kind of awkward. Sitting there within the mental scape with a veritable stranger that I was stuck with, though I guess I could also be classified as that towards Pinkie, to a degree.

I groaned internally and turned to Surprise, who, upon noticing my movement, faced me as well. 'So. How are you feeling about... this.' I said, gesturing vaguely to our home inside Pinkie's head.

Surprise shrugged, a pleasant smile on her muzzle, 'Well, I just got here, but nothing to hate.'

My brow furrowed and I decided to dive into the deep end, question wise, 'If you don't mind me asking, where exactly did you come from?'

She blinked once and turned to the vastness of dark that surrounded the edges of our home, not in a way to avoid the question, I felt, but more like she was searching for an answer even she didn't quite have, 'I don't quite know.' She stood and began to pace about.

'I kinda floated into being, I suppose. At first all I heard was some kind of, I don't really know how to describe, a kind of buzz? That was mostly it, but then I heard a song. It was angry, and sad, and beautiful, then it was gone.' She shook her head and began pacing towards me, 'After the song was gone I just floated along until I found you and Pinkie here.'

Well, similar enough to my awakening. No song on my end though. But, at that point I was fairly certain Surprise wasn't another human. Way too calm and friendly, unless they were a sociopath.

Ted Bundy knocking on my door dressed as Surprise so I lower my guard.

Still, made enough sense, she didn't seem to be lying, so I probed with another question, 'Hmm, not too dissimilar to my first moments. Here's another question, if you don't mind, how'd you settle on your current form?' At the tilt of her head, I clarified slightly, 'You see, when I first woke up, I didn't have a form until I saw Pinkie and thought on her form some. Just wondering where you got the color palette and wings from.'

Surprise hummed as she sat next to me, putting a hoof to her chin, 'I don't know. It just felt... right. I saw poofy haired Pinkie and flat maned Mena, and this,' She waved her hoof towards herself, 'felt like it fit. Like I wanted to help you two with all my heart.'

I hummed, not quite sure what to do with that information. There were only two ways Surprise could exist, to my mind at least, either pre-existing knowledge of Surprise, thus choosing that form subconsciously like I did. I partially wondered if my mental form was permanent or if it could be altered, but brushed that away for the moment at hand. The second option was pure natural occurrence, as natural as random, sentient figments of mind could be.

If she was a naturally occurring being, that still beheld the question of where exactly she came from, but my mind was already full of cinders from the previous memory leak. Thoughts and worries for later that, I hoped, wouldn't bite me in the ass.

The feeling of something touching me jolted me out of my ponderings. Glancing down, I saw Surprise's white hoof right there on my shoulder, before glancing up to see her oh, so gentle smile. 'I know you might be unsure about me, and that's fine. While my words might not mean much right now, I do want to reiterate that I do want to help you and Pinkie, and I hope I can prove it to you.'

I sat there, just a little frozen until I lifted a hoof and placed it over Surprise's, still on my shoulder. For some reason, I couldn't help but return her smile, 'Well, couldn't hurt to give you a chance or two, huh? Far be it for me, the one who ran away to deny somepony that.'

She shook her head lightly, smile still in place, 'Tell me about that.'

For a moment, I simply blinked, 'Huh?'

'Tell me about why you ran away.'

I sighed, but figured I'd indulge her. Wasn't like she was Pinkie who was going to make something of it. Again. 'I just- I just got overwhelmed, I think, by Pinkie throwing me into control at random. I'm still afraid somepony is going to notice her, well, our behavior, the switches of control between us. Like I said, I'm not normal, and there's no telling what pony society will think of me, think of Pinkie, what treatment they'd give her.'

Glancing away, I tried to formulate my jumbled thoughts, unpack them from the broken remains of my still mending emotional bottle, 'But that's only part of it. It felt like she was disregarding how I felt about things, even though she obviously doesn't, she just doesn't think before she leaps. And yeah, she promised not to do it anymore only to almost do it again, and yes, that bothered me, but her worrying about it also bothers me and- Agh!'

Needless to say, I was not used to talking about my emotions on things, hence the bottle. I hadn't even noticed I started to heave from the tumbling emotions the conversation was drudging up.

Surprise was nice enough to let me have a moment before speaking, 'But what about all that made you run away then?'
A few moments passed as I thought it over, 'I don't know. That day, it just got to me. I wanted to get away.'

'Hmm, so the mounting pressure on you just caused you to snap? I could see how you'd want a moment alone after feeling all that. You probably should have spoken to Pinkie about it though.' She said, wincing as she did. I almost damn near whirled around to face her, a harsh spike of emotions running through me only halted by her placatingly holding her hooves up, 'Not judging, just saying, ideally, talking things out can help. Remember to breathe.'

I took a moment to take a deep breath, 'But, even after all that, after promising, she still almost threw me into control again.'

For the first time, Surprise gave me an unimpressed look, 'Mena, Pinkie is a foal.' It's not like I forgot that fact, but having it said back to me plummeted the previous spike of emotions, and I hung my head slightly. Felt like a real damn punch to my gut for some reason. 'That's not to say your emotions aren't valid Mena, they definitely are, but this just highlights that communication between you two is more important.'

My brows furrowed again, but I had no rebuttal, 'You're right.' I said, turning to face her once more, 'But, I'm not used to just telling people how I feel.'

She gave a comforting tap to my shoulder and her smile returned wider than before, 'That's just something we'll work on. You don't have to do a complete one eighty, just get to a point of stability where progress can be taken at a simple pace.'
I mulled her words over, and it made sense, even made me feel better, dare I say.

'If I might, what event specifically caused you to run away?' Surprise inquired, drawing me from my thoughts.

'Oh, I think Limestone noticed me being unhappy after a previous episode of being thrust into control, in the middle of a school of ponies doing math, and grilled Pinkie about later. Pinkie wanted out of that situation and shoved me in. I wanted out of that situation and walked away.' I responded.

After that we just sat together, all in all, feeling a lot less awkward than it was a little while ago. At the very least, I didn't mind Surprise sitting next to me inside Pinkie's mind.

Surprise then glanced out of, well, I guess the viewport as it were, and pointed a hoof, 'Looks like breakfast is wrapping up. Let's not keep Pinkie waiting for the day ahead, okay?'

That caused me to pause for a moment. Did Pinkie hear any of that? Could she eavesdrop? I hadn't thought about that, but I shook my head and directed my attention back to Pinkie as the Pie Squad was wrapping up their breakfast. 'Oi, Pinkie, what's the prognosis of the day?'

'Huh?' Was all she thought back.

Surprise giggled and spoke next, 'Mena is asking if anything's planned for the day.'

'Oh! There's nothing planned. Pa said we have the day off.'

As Surprise and I paid attention, through Pinkie we heard Marble speak up, “Ma, um, do you mind teaching me some cooking?"

I swear I could hear the excitement in Mother's voice as she responded, “Why of course Marble. Would anypony else want to join us?”

Limestone's voice sounded first, “No thanks.”

Quickly followed by Maud's, “Maybe another day, Ma.”

I heard Pinkie suck in some air through her teeth, seemingly torn, “I kind of want to, definitely another time though.”

Pinkie's gaze flit to Father who hummed lightly, “You girls can go out and play then. Just be back for lunch.” The three not cooking sisters began to make their way outside, “Have fun girls.”

“We'll be back soon!” Pinkie said, as she, Maud and Limestone walked through the door.

“So girls, what should we do?” Pinkie asked excitedly.

As Limestone was answering, my attention, not sure about Pinkie's, was taken by Surprise, 'Maybe we should bring Limestone in on things, don't you think?'

The thought brought me a moment of pause, 'Ooh, ooh! That's a good idea, Surprise!' But Pinkie was all for it, and really, I didn't have much reason to object. Limestone seemed like she had a good head on her shoulders. And, well, she was at the center of my collapse, I never thought about how she must have felt about the aftermath of that. I felt like I owed her a little.

Pinkie then kind of interrupted her sisters, “Actually, I have something I want to share with you, well, with Lime.”

Said Lime quirked an eyebrow, “Okay? What's this about, Pinks?”

She suddenly became a little timid, granted this did ring back to a dark time so, can't blame her. “It has to do with... my breakdown four days ago.”

That even got Maud to widen her eyes a little, seemingly not seeing this coming.

Limestone seemed to suppress a smile, and only nodded, “If you think you're okay with telling me.”

For a bare moment, I felt the pull of control being thrust upon me, an inkling of rage ran through me as my entire being tensed, my teeth grinding, the sensation of Surprise's hoof firmly holding my shoulder almost lost in it all, until... I wasn't thrown into control. I blinked as a quiet, 'Sorry!' Rang out, and I sighed.

Pinkie glanced towards the house, before taking a deep breath, “It's kinda hard to explain. Maud already knows, she figured it out really fast, but. Limestone, I have ponies in my head.”

Whatever she was expecting, it definitely wasn't that, as Limestone's brain could practically be seen stalling, “Ponies. In your head?”

Pinkie nodded hesitantly, “Yeah. Remember the day I almost lost the rockball? When I went to find it, I heard a voice. I, like, looked inward? And found an older looking me inside my mind. I've called her Mena, she's been nice.”

For some reason, that last bit caused my heart to clench.

Limestone still looked like she was processing everything, “Pinks, are you okay?”

“Gah, maybe it's easier if I just show you.” She said, a minute amount of annoyance entering her tone. 'Hey Mena, mind taking over, talking to Limestone? You know, proving it all?'

I shrugged, she at least sought my input, so, yeah, sure, 'Sure thing, Pinkie.'

The familiar pull of the shift took hold, without the unpleasant spike of other emotions, and in no time at all, I stood in front of Limestone, with a curtain of pink falling to the right of my vision. “Uh, hi.”

Once more, Limestone just looked thrown off, not that I blame her. It was like a one three hundred punch. But rather quickly, Limestone pumped her hoof and adopted a sharp smile? “I knew it! Okay I didn't know this specifically, but I knew there was something to know! I wasn't crazy!” Me and Maud just stood there, staring at the oddly enthusiastic filly. Upon noting our stares, she walked back said enthusiasm. “Uh, sorry. So... Mena? I'm guessing?”

“Yeah, things are complicated. So, you 'knew?'” I said, gesturing a hoof towards her.

Limestone squinted for a moment before nodding, “I thought something was off, even with the cutie mark magic. It just wasn't until how unhappy Pink- well I guess you were at school that it was more obvious that something was off. I mean, sure, when, uh, your mane goes flat I always felt you were a little different, but I never put that much thought into it.” She slapped a hoof to her face, smile still in place, “This explains so much!”

This was not the reaction I was expecting, needless to say. Even Surprise agreed with me, 'She is taking this surprisingly well.'

'I didn't realize she noticed so much before. Huh.'

Overall, the encounter was throwing me off just ever so slightly, “Don't... don't you think this is all weird?”

She outright laughed at that question, “Ha! Totally! It's just, in hindsight this makes everything click. I thought, maybe Pinkamena is having mood swings or something, but, like, I guess somepony else living in Pinks' brain makes about as much sense as anything else.”

I blinked, unsure of what to think, “Really?”

“No, but at this point I don't really care. Pinks seems to like ya, Maud knows ya, and nothing... cataclysmic has happened, so until I get some reads on you firsthoof I can't really judge ya.” Limestone said, as if that was any better.

For some reason that triggered another thought in me, “Tangentially related, and since this is the 'Mena tells all power hour,'” I turned to Maud with as neutral a face as I could muster as I gestured to our head, “We have a third roommate.”

Maud's face actually emoted at that, her eyes noticeably, “What? When?”

I frowned, my unanswered, and presumably unanswerable tirade of questions threatened to shoot back to the surface, “Today! Me and Pinkie were having a disagreement,” I could practically hear Surprise about to chime in, so I cut her off, glancing to the sky, “I know, I know, pin is in it, just giving them context. Disagreement is happening, all grounded in what happened fourish days ago, when a white and yellow pegasus Pinkie shows up, calling herself Surprise.”

Limestone whistled at that, “Ya know, I knew lots had to be happening inside Pinks' head, but I wouldn't have guessed this. What was fourish days ago about anyway?”

Giving Limestone a deadpan stare, I snarked, “You have no idea, our head is constant activity. And Surprise has currently placed a pin in the topic of fourish days ago, and I begrudgingly trust her to manage our internal affairs right now.”

'I like Surprise!' Pinkie happily supplied, which I found a little silly. I was the one who's interacted with her the most, thank you very much.

“Pinkie says she likes Surprise.”

Maud was silent for a moment before speaking up, “If she is anything like Mena, I say we can trust her.” Limestone just shrugged, seeming to differ to Maud on that front. Maud then looked straight into my goddamn soul again and continued, “On a similar note, I think I should apologize to you, Mena.”

Alright, the conversation was definitely not going in any direction I expected. At that point Discord could drop down and I wouldn't be surprised, be absolutely horrified, but not surprised. “Uh, why would you need to apologize to me?”

Her expression, at least once the surprise passed, returned to its same as ever look, which really didn't fit an apology, but hey, that's Maud, “I didn't know what to think about you leaving Pinkie since you disappeared, and when I noticed you had come back, I fear I got irrationally angry in our interaction yesterday. It was unfair, and I'm sorry.”

I swear, I felt my eye twitch, “But, you didn't seem angry?”

“Oh, I was absolutely furious, to my shame.” If it were anypony else, I would have sworn I was being fucked with.

But, little baby Maud, monotone and adorable? My brain was not fit for the day at all. “Uh, apology accepted? I mean, you did have a decent reason to be angry.”

She tilted her head a little and blinked, “Perhaps, but without your side of things, it was unfair for that to be our first conversation since you came back.”

Feeling oddly touched, I just waved a hoof, “No problem at all, and uh, thanks for the words.”

I heard Limestone hrrm, in thought and turned to her in interest, “Come to think of it... maybe I should apologize to Mena too.”

“But you didn't do anything.” I said.

Limestone shrugged, “Maybe, but I feel I probably didn't help things, like I was pushy to Pinks there. If I'm putting two and two together properly.”

“You know, it bears repeating, you are taking this far better than I expected.” I said with raised eyebrow.

“Well, If Maud knows and hasn't somehow found a way inside Pinks' brain to beat the shit out of you, then you have to be good. Least that's what I'm thinking.” Limestone said, like that was normal.

I nodded in agreement, naturally. “True, Maud would dig through Celestia for Pinkie.”

Maud seemed to shrug a little, “I doubt she'd ask, but I do wonder how tough the Princess actually is.”

Lightly tapping Maud on the head, I smirked, “No thoughts of regicide small pony.”

Chuckling, Limestone began moving, “As interesting as this all is, we still haven't decided on what to do.”

Rattling ideas about for a moment, something finally rolled up to me, “How about some rockball?”

“Rockball does sound like fun,” Maud supplied.

Limestone glanced up in thought before nodding, “Yeah, that sounds good.”

The three of us began to move when Surprise spoke to me, 'Hey, Mena, could you wait a minute please? Pinkie would like to talk for a moment.'

I paused, finding it a little odd that Surprise was asking and not Pinkie, but hey, whatever. Once Maud and Limestone turned at my stalling I just waved them forward, “Pinkie wants to talk, I'll catch up in just a sec.”

Limestone shrugged and Maud nodded, continuing on their way as I turned my attention inward, 'Alright, what is it, Pinkie?'

Pinkie herself seemed a little wary, uncertain I thought, with Surprise seeming to encourage whatever this was. She took a deep breath, “Mena, I promise to never throw you into control against your will unless I have really really good reasons.' At first, I found the whole thing annoying, the same song and dance and was about to tell Pinkie as such. Until Pinkie changed the tune, 'Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!' She recited, crossing her heart, flapping her hooves and pushing an invisible cupcake to her eye, and everything.

Silence reigned as I simply stared at her. My stares had to have been putting Pinkie off, who bit her lip anxiously, and Surprise took a tentative step forward, 'Mena?'

Not a moment later I lunged forward and enveloped Pinkie in a hug. My phantom heart hammered against my mental chest, as I held Pinkie to it. 'Uh? Mena?' Pinkie asked, apparently not expecting the surprise hug.

'Thank you Pinkie.' I whispered, not really knowing what else to say. Maybe it was just my future bias adding a bit more weight to the trust, but I felt something trail down my cheek as I held Pinkie a little closer as she returned the hug. 'Thank you.'

I opened my eyes slightly, to see Surprise smiling warmly at us. We separated a little, and upon seeing Pinkie's ecstatic glee, I couldn't help but adopt a smile myself. I gulped slightly and spoke, 'So, what was that about?' I tried to at least feign some level of ignorance.

Her expression changed to be more, I don't know, contemplative I guess? 'While you spoke to Maud and Limestone, Surprise was talking about, well, the problems. She helped me think on how I just keep getting excited and forgetting things in my excitement, and how that keeps hurting you, and I hate it! So, Surprise said I should have something to help me commit it to memory.”

The way she rambled was adorable, so, with a smirk, I pat her on the top of her floofy mane and tilted my head, 'So, what made you settle on that song and dance? Did Surprise help you?'

Said mental pegasus chuckled and shook her head, 'Only a little. I suggested she keep a book of promises that she writes down.'

Pinkie shook her head at that, 'That would take up so much space someday! And I wanted something that would put the promise more into my head, not a piece of paper like math.' She recentered herself and rubbed her chin before continuing, 'Well, after seeing Surprise, I was like, hey, flying would be totally wondersome! And cupcakes are just the most bestest, so sticking one into my eye would be a fitting punishment for breaking such a serious promise.'

My smile shifted to more of a smirk, 'Don't go wasting cupcakes on my account, Pinks.'

She adorably waved her hoofs, miming a negative, 'No way! I need the threat of cupcake to the eye to keep me on my hooves! Can't go forgetting this!' Her expression changed to that of one similar to a twenty five year old done with the world, 'If I forget this promise I should just go become a hermit in the arctic.'

Surprise laughed, 'Well, we'll do our best to ensure that doesn't happen.'

'Definitely, only vacations to the arctic, no moving. ' I turned to Surprise, 'Say, does this mean the pin is out?'

Her smile kind of wilted, and she made a so-so gesture with her hoof, 'Eh, let's put a pin in that.'

I felt my eye twitch, 'Fair enough I guess.' Patting Pinkie on the head, I straightened up, 'I should probably catch up to Limestone and Maud, got rockball to play. Thanks for the talk, Pinkie.'

Pinkie nodded, her main bouncing happily. Feeling positively rejuvenated, I focused back on reality and trotted to Holder's Boulder.

As I got close Limestone groaned, “Took ya long enough!”

I raised an eyebrow, “Couldn't start without me?”

Limestone shook her head, “Maud wouldn't let me.”

“But now that she's here, the game can begin.” Maud chimed in.

Rolling her eyes, Limestone started moving further into the quarry, “Let's find a good place to play.”

After, I don't exactly know how long, like a minute or so of walking, Lime found a flattish area, and looked like she inspected it, scuffing the ground for a moment before nodding, “This'll do.”

Looking around I shrugged, not like I was an expert on prime rockball arenas anyway, “So, just a simple game?”

“I am not opposed to a simple match.” Maud concurred.

Limestone cracked her neck and grinned, “Fine with me. Alright then. Play ball!” She shouted and absolutely launched the rockball through the air and towards Maud.

Unflinchingly, Maud watched the rock hurtle her way with a simple anticipation. She stuck out a forehoof and caught the rockball, pivoting with the impact, turning my way before loosing it at me with, honestly, terrifying strength.

'You got this Mena!' Pinkie yelled to cheer me on.

It was a nice gesture, as the minor fear of face planting the rock raced to my head. I put on my game face, turned my body, cocked a hind leg in preparation, and let loose a kick that gave off a wonderful crack of a rocky impact. A split second of pressure wound through my leg before lifting, as my rock target was sent flying!

Maybe a bit too flying, as after I recovered from the kick Limestone was looking behind her. Far behind her. “Good granite Pi-Mena!”

Pinkie liked it at least, if the increased levels of cheering happening in my head is anything to go by.

“Uh, did I do a bad?” I said as I put my slightly aching leg back to the ground.

Seemingly still taken by the flying rock, Limestone shook her head and turned to me, “No, no, just didn't expect a hit like that.”

The clip clop of hooves caused my ears to swivel, as Maud came to stand next to me, “We should probably go after it. It seems to have flown pretty far.“ She said, shielding her eyes from the sun, with a hoof.

The cheers from Pinkie had yet to calm down, but Surprise's voice did cut through to me, 'It would be a shame to lose the rockball before you had a chance to play a full game with Marble.'

She had a point, which made me feel slightly shit for my strong kick, “Yeah, can't go losing the rockball on my first official match.”

“Well? Come on!” Limestone called as she basically charged in the rockballs direction. With a shrug of my shoulders, Maud and I joined in the merry chase of the rogue rockball.

And somehow we actually lost track of it.

“How the hell is a rockball evading three of us?” I grumbled as I glanced to and fro across the dusty, rocky ground.

Limestone shared my annoyance with a growl as she looked behind a decent sized rock, “I swear the damn thing is haunted.”

“More likely than you might think.” Maud said, cryptically.

I just followed Limestone's example and ignored the odd remark.

“Wait!” I heard Limestone call to my side, “Think I found it, but... there's something weird.”

Me and Maud trotted on over, and sure enough there was the rockball, rocking about behind a pretty large, flat topped rock. But, Limestone was right, there were odd cracks in the ground near the rockball, “Did the rockball land and crack the ground like that?”

Limestone shook her head, “That can't just be it. Superficial damage, sure, but this seems like... more.” She began to pick at the cracks, eyes squinting in concentration.

“Uh, are you sure-” I began to say before the whole damn patch of ground around the cracks gave way to a pretty big hole, the ravenous sounds of cracking, clacking and even thundering stone took over my ears.

All three of us hopped back in shock. Even Pinkie yelping in shock. Sadly, compatriot rockball did not, and the traitorous bastard rock fell into the newly formed hole. “Fucking... damnit.” Limestone surmised.

We all waited for a few moments, and once the hole seemed stable enough, Maud inched closer and peered into the hole. “It almost looks like this leads to a large cave.”

Me and Limestone followed Maud's example, and looked on in. Yup, that's sure a cave. Dark. Cramped. Although there did seem to be something glinting in there. Something colorful.

“So, what do you think's in there?” I mumbled.

“The stupid rockball.” Limestone said. Before she jumped in.

Pinkie oohed, 'I wonder if magical treasure is in there!'

Maud tilted her head as Limestone hopped from rubble to rock further in the cave, “Shouldn't we tell Pa about this?”

She stopped her hopping and looked up at us, “We can tell Pa about the cave after we get the rockball back. Besides, this is something cool we can do with Mena.”

Her words didn't really seem to comfort Maud, and I felt a tad conflicted. I bit my lip and turned inwards. Pinkie was obviously for it, but I didn't know, 'Uh, Surprise, what do you think?'

She seemed, well, surprised that I consulted her. Quickly regaining her composure, she put a hoof to her chin, 'Well, I don't think it's a terrible idea...'

In the end, I shrugged, “Welp, adventure it is, I guess. Onwards.” I turned to Maud, “Sisters first?”

Maud sighed, and did indeed jump in. I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what lay ahead, and took the plunge. A part of me was terrified of what could be down there, another elated at the smile Limestone had as the two of us joined her on this journey into the dark.
> Chapter 14: A Cavern Miscalculation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Maud and I carefully made our way down the impromptu hole Limestone had created, gently climbing down the large rocks that were our stairs, and into the cave. At least I think it's a cave.


Once I properly had all four hooves on the lowest point, I glanced around the rocky room we found ourselves in, the only light being that of the hole, shining down veritable god rays to illuminate the new area, "So, is this more of a cave or a cavern? I never knew the difference. Or thought about it before."

Limestone kept poking around, luckily she was taking her time, and didn't just charge ahead of us, and yelled back to me, "All caverns are caves, not all caves are caverns."

Tilting my head, I let out a, "Huh. Then what makes a cave a cavern?"

Maud moved ahead of me while looking about, seeming to not have too much distance between us and Lime, "Mineral deposits."

'Not that I begrudge you talking to Limestone more, Mena, but shouldn't we prioritize looking for the rockball?' Surprise asked, in a guiding tone.

Pinkie quickly chimed in before I could respond, 'Ah, come on Surprise, I'm sure the rockball won't be that hard to find, right?' I let out a sigh, mirrored by Surprise if what I mentally heard was any indicator.

Lime glanced back at me after my sigh, "You okay Mena?"

"Yeah, yeah, just Pinkie jinxed things. Said finding the rockball would be easy."

'Hey!' My mental charge said in offense.

Without looking back, Maud continued searching forward, towards the less lit section of the cave, "Superstitious thoughts are not really helpful for our search." She paused for a moment, "But tempting fate is probably ill advised."

Blowing out a mouthful of air, Limestone took charge, "Well, jinx or not, the rockball isn't anywhere nearby. It musta rolled further in."

Frowning, which was honestly the more worrying thing, Maud voiced her doubts, "Are we sure we shouldn't just grab father?

Rolling her eyes, Limestone began trotting towards the dark, "It couldn't have gone that far Maud. We'll go in, get the ball, the tell pa about all this. Ten minute adventure."

Surprise's dry words passed through my head in response, 'This will not take ten minutes.'

I stifled a laugh and addressed Limestone, "Surprise doesn't have faith in your ten minute adventure, Lime."

"Pfft, well we'll just have to prove your new roommate wrong." With a crack of her neck, Limestone pointed towards the darker deep of the cave, "Alright girls, we're gonna find us a rockball!" With a shrug, I trotted next to Limestone, with Maud just behind as we slowly moved away from the light.

As we walked, we managed to keep a decent amount of light, though I did begin to notice we were walking down a small decline. Incline? Either way, the formation of the tunnel slash cave floor must have allowed the rockball to roll further in. It was such thoughts that stamped down my paranoia, that slowly began to grow along with the shadows. "How extensive do you think this whole thing is? A few tunnels and quote unquote rooms? A whole bloody network?"

Shrugging, Limestone shook her head, "No idea. Pa could probably give an estimate, but I feel like we'd know if there was an extensive cave network under our farm."

Maud smoothly inserted herself into the conversation, "There are also countless undiscovered caves across the world, so it's not impossible for there to be a large cave network under our house."

Limestone grumbled slightly, but conceded, "Mmmm... Maybe." Though she quickly changed tones as she glanced to Maud, "Huh, whatcha got there?" We all stopped and Maud held out her hoof, revealing a rock. "That's a rock." Limestone provided.

Looking it over Maud simply shrugged, "I like it. It stood out among the rocks we've passed, and seems charming."

I knew it wasn't my place to judge, pet rocks at one point were all the rage for some reason, "Honestly surprised we don't have more pet rocks. We're on a rockfarm."

Giving me a side eye, Limestone scoffed, "Do you see every vegetable farmer with a pet carrot?"

'A pet carrot sounds kinda nice.' Pinkie thought.

Surprise however, disagreed, 'A vegetable would make a poor inanimate object pet. At least rocks don't decay.'

Chuckling, I addressed Limestone, "Surprise says vegetables are inferior pets to rocks."

Maud gave what I could only describe as a solemn nod, "Surprise is correct."

Rolling her eyes, Limestone turned to face elsewhere, "Whatever."

"Speaking of Surprise," Maud said, prompting me to turn to her, "Would she mind talking to me face to face?"

I furrowed my brow, not having thought about the possibility of Surprise taking control of the body, though such an idea was obvious in hindsight. Before I could respond, Surprise gave her answer to me, 'Give Maud my apologies, but I don't think having me trying to figure out how to pilot Pinkie's body while we're in uncharted underground is a good idea. I'll happily talk once we're out of these caves though.'

Thinking that reasonable, I spoke out loud, "Surprise doesn't think it's a good idea to take over the body for the first time while we're here. She's down to talk later though."

Maud nodded in understanding and placed the little rock on her withers, "That's fair. I look forward to the chat though."

The small distraction that was Maud's new rock over with, we continued on our wanderings. All in all, it felt kind of weird, "I'd figure undiscovered tunnels and caves to have more uneven floor, not that I'm complaining."

"The world ever is mysterious." Maud supplied.

"Almost as mysterious as that multicolored light up ahead." Limestone said with uncertainty and eagerness in equal measure.

My eyes narrowed, both to squint and out of a distrust of the odd light, "What the hell could that be? We're underground. Decently at that."

'It might be pretty!' Pinkie cheered.

My wariness seemed to take the wind out of Limestone's sails, if her slightly slumped shoulders were any indication, "Alright, fair. But it could also be something cool."

Shrugging, I tried to keep the guarded approach, but also tried to put a bit more cheery possibility back in, "I say we quietly see what it is and ascertain whatever this coolness is first. I'd rather not stumble upon, I don't know, a random cave of diamond dogs or something."

Maud then spoke from my other side, "Do you have something against diamond dogs, Mena?"

Ah shit, was that racist? Specist? All we ever saw of diamond dogs in the show were underground gem obsessed weirdos who were only deterred from slavery due to Saturday morning cartoon hijinks. At least I don't remember there being a diamond pup in the school of friendship.

I quickly tried to qualify my paranoia, "To be honest, I have many things against any creature we might find in the dark, alone, under our rock farm for some reason. Would just wanna avoid that interaction entirely. Kinda like running into a pegasus I don't know standing in our house in the middle of the night."

A sigh sounded within my head, 'Mena...' Surprise said, in an admonishing tone.

Actually yeah, scaring the foals down here was probably a bad idea. 'Sorry.'

While that seemed to deflect conversation from my specism, that did seem to freak out Limestone, "Y-yeah, I wouldn't wanna run into some weirdo at home in the middle of the night. Let's... just quietly see what this is. Maybe the light will help us find the rockball."

"Energetic little thing, huh?" I said for the sake of saying, as we crept along, almost silently.

As we moved, the little light, which we could then see to be a kind of red or orange,    was revealed to be shining from around a corner of sorts. We carefully snuck up to the corner, and after my less than comforting words, none of us were eager to take the dive.

After a moment of steeling herself, at least it looked like Limestone took a deep breath, she took the initiative and gently poked her head around the corner. Maud and I waited with baited breath, only for Limestone to relax and let out a breathy, "Wow...." Quickly followed by her rounding the corner entirely.

Well, it obviously wasn't a dragon on a sparkling hoard at least, so I quickly followed Limestone and mirrored her reaction, "W-wow." I was greeted by a beautiful sight. Being geologically challenged, I wasn't sure of the specific terms, but crystals, gems and other such shiny rocks and rock-like structures just dominated the wide open cave. Light must be shining into the cave from somewhere, blazing through one of the colorful gems to light up the room with such delightful flare.

'Whoa!'

'Geez..." Both Pinkie and Surprise added.

Maud reacted similarly, if downplayed, 'cause Maud, but she also admired the room in wonder. "These are the prettiest rocks I think I've ever seen."

I held up a light blue crystal in my hooves, looking it over with childlike glee, "This place is amazing!" A random thought lanced through my head, and I turned to Limestone, "Do you think Ma and Pa technically own all this since it's under the farm?"

"I would buck Celestia in the face if I heard otherwise." She said without an ounce of hesitation.

Almost dropping the crystal, I did my best to kill the laugh that threatened to rise out of my throat, it coming out as snort. Maud however, I was uncertain if she shared my amusement due to her words, "No regicide Limestone. Mena's orders."

Limestone scoffed lightly, "I don't like the idea of anypony wanting to take stuff so close from home. Even the Princess."

Her words brought thoughts to mind, ones I figured to share, "Hmm, if it was just any random pony, I'd agree. But if the Princess herself said she needed to take these caves from us, wouldn't she have a good reason for it?"

This was me hedging my bets more than anything. I'd much rather believe in a benevolent Celestia, one who cares deeply for 'her little ponies,' and really if this was a grimdark world with alterations and differences, with one of them being Evil Celestia, I doubt there'd be much I could do. Maybe she'll be a bit shrewd and cunning, a chessmaster who is determined to do good by the world, but either way, not much I could do as a full grown mare, let alone a foal's not so imaginary friend.

That's all future us' issues, anyway. Crystal Cave time is now.

Letting out a sigh, Limestone relented, "I guess. Still wouldn't have to like it though. Maybe Pa could carve a statue of the Princess that I could buck instead."

"That does seem a little healthier." Said Maud.

I returned my eyes to the blue crystal I picked up, intrigued by it more than I would have estimated. Really, the little special rock brought a small smile to my face.

'Hey, Mena?' Pinkie asked, to get my attention, 'Do you mind if I take over and have a look around for myself?'

'Nah, go right ahead Pinkie.' I replied as I placed my little crystal on our back, and allowed the smooth transition of control to Pinkie. As she took over the body, I shook my mental head, feeling as if it had been awhile since I was just a mental construct.

Pinkie happily started to trot around the crystals and gems, enjoying the fantastical sight, which also brought a smile to me.

I heard Surprise chuckle, 'This day going how you expected?'

Shrugging, I turned to the mental pegasus, 'Not really. It's not bad at least, really that's all that matters, I'd say. The cave was kinda iffy at first, but maybe the Pies could make use of this stuff.' Pausing for a moment, a thought prickled at the back of my mind, 'Hey, I don't mean to pry, but what was that whole Pinkie Promise thing from your side?'

Surprise nodded her head happily, 'Pinkie just confided in me that she wanted a way to better keep you in mind. Quite a unique ritual she came up with, huh?'

My smile broadened slightly, 'But it's perfectly Pinkie.'

She returned my smile with a glint in her eyes, 'That it is. Perfectly Pinkie.'

'But, how about you, Surprise? How are you taking the day?'

My alabaster pegasus comrade shrugged her shoulders in noncommitance, 'Feels like a day.'

I turned to face Pinkie's view, which was flitting all over the colorful decor, 'I just figured I'd ask, you didn't really get a period of anonymity like I did.'

'It doesn't bother me at all. I'm just happy things are going so well. I think it's good for Pinkie.'

'True that. So long as it's good for Pinkie, then I can't bring myself to complain.'

For the next while we just sat in relative silence, the only sound being that of the three Pie sisters being sisters, enjoying the spontaneous spelunking they've found themselves in.

During the peace, more than a few times I found myself glancing towards Surprise. Looking back on my initial worries, I felt silly. Granted Surprise inter brain sociopath was a possibility, I found myself enjoying our silence. I may not know her deal, if she even had one, but I hoped to get to know her more in the future. Celestia knows, we'll have the time.

I guess there are worse minds to be in and mindmates to have.

Our delightful silence eventually was interrupted eventually by Limestone, "Hey Pinkie, mind if I can chat with Mena for a bit?"

Pinkie hopped happily, nodding all the way, "Sure thing, just a sec!" As expected her thoughts rang within our void, 'You wanna take over and talk to Limestone, Mena?'

Stretching my mental muscles, I readied myself for the world of the flesh, 'Sure, I owe Limestone more one on one time. Talk more later, Surprise.' In but a moment the mindscape was replaced with nerve land, causing me to shake my head and center myself, "A'ight, hey Limestone, what's on your mind?"

It takes Limestone a second to respond, "I don't know why, but seeing you two swap like that is kinda freaky."

"To be fair, it is freaky. The first time we swapped it was in the morning, and I was the first one to wake up I guess, and I was left worrying I had somehow devoured her consciousness in the night." I don't think I started the chat off the best, if Limestone's expression is anything to go by, so I slapped on, "But how are you?"

Blinking a few times before shaking her head a little, Limestone responded, "I just wanted to talk to you in general. I feel kinda bad for not knowing about you, and want to get to know you more."

That took me by surprise a bit, "Really?" Ah, small talk, my worst foe, "What would you wanna talk about?"

"Anything really. How you like the farm, whatcha think about some ponies. Just anything to get to know you better."

Huh, not exactly the conversational topic I expected but whatever, "The farm's decent. Lots of open space, hard work. And everypony has been nice." I deigned to not try and parse my thoughts on mother and father, "Marble is nice, I think you're pretty good, Maud is kinda terrifying time to time."

Limestone snorted at my comment, "I guess she would come across that way to some ponies, but she means well."

"That's true. To be honest, I trust her the most to have Pinkie's back. Even if I did kinda have a panic attack when she caught me out." I admitted.

She quirked her brow in curiosity, "How did Maud discover you anyhow?"

I sighed and placed a hoof to my face, "I honestly have no idea. It was my first day in control of the body! And after chores she just goes, 'You're not Pinkamena,' sending me spiraling. Luckily Pinkie was able to stop her from, I don't know, annihilating me."

"Maud figured you out in under a day? Huh, I knew she'd look out for Pinkie, but less than a day? Makes me feel like I shoulda caught on quicker." She paused for a moment and winced, "But, then again, when I did catch on even a little..."

When did she catch on? What did she- Oh. Oh. Yeah. I practically felt Pinkie also wince and Surprise on the verge of throwing more pins around. Topic abort, topic abort. "To be fair, when you actively caught onto something, it came at a bad time, when Maud caught on the only really bad thing was Maud catching on."

Quickly trying to move past the awkwardness, Limestone forged on, "Bah, enough of that though. We'll just need to talk more, see the kind of stuff you like, stuff you dislike."

"Huh, yeah, that sounds kinda nice." And it definitely did. Limestone's words made me feel less like the parasite I was, and more like an individual pony. "Just so long as I don't steal too much time from Pinkie. I'd feel kinda guilty if I took up a lot of Pinkie's life."

'Mena...'

Limestone tilted her head, "But you are a part of Pinkie's life."

Those eight words brought me some measure of pause. I mean, I suppose that's correct, me and Pinkie were literally inseparable, I just didn't know. It was meant to be Pinkie's life, not mine. Sure, I was a piece of her life, but it felt wrong for me to commandeer swaths of her life like it felt I was doing.

I felt the ears of Pinkie's body tilt back, "It's just a weird situation. I might be a part of Pinkie's life, but I want Pinkie to have a life apart from me. As much as possible anyway."

She simply let out a single hum before responding, "Well, either way, I'd just like to get to know you more sometime in the future. It might be a weird situation, but you're with us, and you matter, like anypony else in the family."

Not exactly knowing how to take that, I decided to not rock the boat as it were, "I appreciate that, Limestone. Thanks." While saying that, a small smile found its way to my face.

A moment of silence took over, until Maud broke it with a monotone raising of the voice, "I think I found the rockball." That definitely caught our attention, and we rushed to where Maud was. She stood, seemingly unbothered as always, looking towards a craggy rock wall. "It's there." She said, pointing at the bottom of the wall, where our rockball appeared to be wedged a bit into, with a few cracks snaking away from where it lay.

Limestone smirked and began walking up to the rockball, "Finally! Almost thought we'd never see the dang thing again."

As she approached it, I felt an odd kink in my neck and rubbed it, feeling a tad weirded out by its sudden onset, but eh, guess pony bodies leaned towards random self destruction as well. As I massaged the random pain, Limestone started to try and pry our rock from the wall, finding the act quite difficult.

Suddenly, Surprise spoke, her words laced with urgency, "Mena! Something bad is going to happen, stop Limestone!"

I hesitated for but a moment, mostly out of shock from the fear in Surprise's voice, and moved forward, to try and grab Limestone. Only in the split second I reached out to her, she gave a heave, and from her effort she and the rockball flew back into me, laying us out upon the ground.

Disoriented, I tried to right myself when, only for the sound of deep rumbling to be the first thing to permeate my consciousness. Quickly followed by the feeling of a specific, pony centric muscle I had up until then ignored viciously shake. My tail twitched.

Pinkie's tail twitched.

Fuck.

Adrenaline flooded my system as I understood exactly what happened, and leapt to my hooves, dragging Limestone with me, "We need to leave! Now!" I was probably preaching to the choir on that, but I needed to hammer in that we were in a bad situation.

Luckily, while Maud's eyes were wide and Limestone seemed shaken, my words weren't necessary. Without a moment wasted Limestone grabbed the rockball and the three of us ran towards the entrance we came through as the cave shook around us.

As we ran, Pinkie let out a yell, 'Mena!' Seeing something I hadn't, which was almost fatal.

I let out a scream, and dove under a crystal pillar that came within a hair of crushing me, and by association, Pinkie and Surprise. Not giving the world a second chance, I scrambled forward, the tunnel we took to get to the crystal cave practically within reach. Only for Limestone and I to be yanked back by Maud.

I almost snapped at Maud for what she did, were it not for the cavalcade of rocks that fell from the ceiling, blocking off the way we came.

Limestone yelled out a curse as a thankfully smaller rock glanced off my face, though I hardly noticed it. Our way out gone, Lime looked around frantically before pointing with breathless determination, "There! There!" Without even clearly looking at what she pointed at, I ran after her.

Luckily Limestone had a good head on her shoulders, and we headed towards a different, crystal lined opening. As my heart pounded, and lungs ached, we mercifully crossed the opening's threshold.

But the tail. Kept. Twitching.

I glanced back in terror, sighting a crack that snaked its way across the ceiling and towards us. And it was gaining. My sight returned to the way I was running. A tunnel that didn't seem to end.

This couldn't be it. I couldn't be the cause of Pinkie's death, this couldn't be where her story ended. But I didn't have an answer that didn't end by succumbing to falling rock.

And that was when Surprise yelled out to me, not in panic- well, okay there was still some panic- but mostly with impassioned guidance, 'Mena! There's a crystal right ahead, throw it at the ceiling!'

Mind awash in borderline despair, I couldn't question her if I wanted, I almost couldn't hear the mental pegasus over the crashing and rumbling. A few hoof beats later, I grabbed a wobbly, almost spherical about the size of my head, crystal threw it over my head, and bucked it up at the ceiling that led to a loud smash.

Due to my bucking I lost my footing, tumbling to the ground and causing Limestone to yell and reach out to me, only to be interrupted by Maud ramming into me, sending all three of us rolling together for a short distance until we came to a stop. As did the crashing that had dominated out ears.

Somehow we weren't crushed, which allowed us to groan and orient ourselves. Panting we looked up to see the tunnel that we ran away from to be completely totaled, a jagged pile of promised death, that was alight with hope, as the ceiling had given way to the world above.

My body was shaking, as did my voice as I spoke, "T-t-thank Celest-tia for S-Surprise."

The chaos had devolved into silence, only broken by our haphazard and frantic breathing. Even Pinkie and Surprise were silent, though maybe extra physical stress could distract from my mental companions? That thought barely lasted in my shuddering mind before I looked to my blue crystal that had fallen from my withers during that final tumble, but thankfully didn't appear worse for wear. What was a surprise was the spherical crystal that was near certainly the savior of the hour had rolled next to my tumbled crystal, though scuffed and chipped. Really the biggest surprise was that it didn't shatter into a million pieces.

Thank Celestia that Surprise saw such a sturdy munition.

I glanced towards the collapsed ceiling and wondered if Surprise knew that'd work. Geologically challenged I didn't know the first thing about cave ins and the functions of it. Fuck it, maybe it was a magic crystal or Celestia is literally watching over Pinkie like a super chess demon, ensuring those who could save her sister didn't die a premature death. I could excuse invasion of privacy from a benevolent Celestia dictator.

All the same, I made a mental note to not try my luck in the future. Miracle, machination, or whatever, until proven to actually be those, I chalked what happened up to being pure dumb luck.

And as a trickle of blood ran down my face, probably from that rock at the start, I figured I shouldn't use up all of Pinkie's luck before the actual world devouring evils came a knocking.

We didn't have much respite, as before we knew it, a high pitched voice screamed from above, "Pa! Pa! I found them, here!"

We all looked up to see the terrified, tear streaked face of Marble, panting heavily as she looked over the edge of our ceiling, only to shortly be joined by a very jostled Father.

He panted heavily as he took us and the collapsed tunnel in before letting out a strained and emotional, "Girls... what the fuck?"

I didn't have the wits about me to respond. Nor did anypony else, though, I suppose a near death experience was a good enough excuse as any other. I just wanted out of the hell tunnels.