MLP: And So Say All of Us. Part 2

The next morning, Maud awoke from her undisturbed slumber and contently sauntered her way towards the stairs. However, upon passing by her sister's personal boudoir, she felt tempted to investigate her sister's current status, both of her location and her emotion. She listened closely through the door for any indication of Pinkie Pie's presence.

Suddenly, the door flung open and Pinkie Pie stumbled clumsily out into the hall, neglecting her sister, and down the stairs. To Pinkie's surprise, a knock on the door prompted her to greet her unknown morning guest; or in this case, 'guests'. Upon opening the door, she was astonished to find Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Rarity awaiting permission to enter.

"Hey, Pinkie Pie!" Twilight smiled, though Pinkie Pie recognised the smile as a mere façade. Pinkie hung her head in misery, before muttering "Hey, girls" and stepping aside to allow them access. The group of unexpected visitors were forced to acknowledge to true nature of this meeting and entered the abode simultaneously.

They entered the living room to find Maud awaiting them on the sofa, beckoning the group to do the same.

While the visitors politely obliged and joined her, Pinkie Pie excused herself from the equation and muttered "Sorry, I'll be right back. I need to… to…" Without another word, and without any consideration of the protests her friends made, she stepped out of the living room. But unbeknownst to the others, she had merely hidden in the corridor to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"What's the matter with Pinkie Pie? I can't believe she wouldn't even stay to chat with us" Rarity admitted. Maud then intervened and explained "Don't worry about Pinkie Pie. She's been going through a lot for a while now; but don't tell her I said that". "Too late" Pinkie thought to herself, before listening closer.

Her friends had apparently started whispering amongst eachother, but Pinkie Pie could clearly understand what was discussed. "But what should we do about her Birthday Party?" Maud questioned.

"That's right!" Pinkie gasped in sudden realisation, "It is my Birthday today!" However, instead of finding any hint of pleasure in this discovery, she didn't feel anything. No emotion was felt from this discovery, and Pinkie Pie felt disappointed in herself for this fact.

Her memory swept her back to last year's birthday party, and she shuddered from the events that occurred during it. It was the first time she had unleashed the hidden emotions she had bottled up inside her ever since arriving in Ponyville, as well as the first time her sanity truly began to crumble, resulting in her belief of abandonment by her companions.

She truly did lose her mind that day, and forced herself to fashion new friends out of inanimate objects. If Rainbow Dash hadn't visited her to question her wellbeing, what may have happened to her since then was unfathomable. And if that's what became of her during that birthday, she dreaded what would unfold during this one.

She continued to listen and found that they had moved on to a new topic; yesterday's embarrassing incident at the café.

"She was so upset, she wouldn't even open her eyes. I never thought that she would take it that seriously" Rainbow Dash admitted guiltily. "But, yeah… Now everypony in town knows about it. And they're all actually really worried about her". Twilight added "Yeah, everypony knows something's wrong and really want to help. Some of the staff in the café told me that they felt so sorry for her".

Pinkie Pie bit her lip and tensed at just how wrong that last sentence sounded to her, as she felt that she shouldn't require any sympathy for her actions. Despite this, she was astounded that so many of her associates, a majority being little more than strangers, were so concerned for her. She smiled weakly as a single tear escaped her eye, before she hesitantly wiped her eyes clean and refocused her attention.

The conversation had apparently ended, as she could hear the living room's occupants leave their seats and make their way towards the door. Before they could pass through, however, Pinkie Pie stepped before them and blocked their path, surprising them by her sudden appearance. She looked upon them and confessed "I… need to tell… you girls something".

They didn't reply and simply awaited her announcement, this generous attention only making it more painful for her to speak.

"I don't… want a birthday party".

This confession was so unexpected, it practically grinded time itself to a screeching halt. "WHAT!?" her friends screamed in unison, Pinkie Pie bowing her head guiltily for her comment. "Yes. I know" Pinkie explained, before adding "It's just… It won't be worth it". Rainbow Dash stepped forward and shouted "How can you say something like that!? You're our friend, Pinkie Pie! It'll always be worth it!"

Pinkie gritted her teeth in frustration and answered "No. It won't".

This was going nowhere; and upon this realisation, Pinkie Pie simply turned away from her friends and staggered her way upstairs to her bedroom. Her friends were astounded by her abrupt exit, only to be surprised even further by her final words on the matter, "Tell everypony the truth about me. They deserve to know". Maud Pie's jaw hung open as Pinkie Pie continued to her bedroom and locked herself inside, entrapping herself from the rest of the world.

She climbed onto her bed and sat quietly to herself for the following hours. She suspected that her friends were preparing a party downstairs, but couldn't hear any indication of such actions from outside her bedroom.

"Why would you say that?" repeated within her mind, though she had no answer; no excuse for her disconnected nature, and she understood this fact with clarity. "Why would you say that?" was heard one final time; though a specific, peculiar aspect of this question caught her attention.

It was Pinkamena that was asking.

Pinkie Pie had reawakened her alternate personality with her negative attitude; but surprisingly, this return of her uncompassionate shadow was exactly what she wanted. "I can't believe you don't want a birthday party!" Pinkamena echoed within her subconscious.

"It's all your fault, you know. … My fault? How's this my fault? … Everypony's going to know about you now. … WHAT! How?! … My friends are going to tell everypony about us. I told them to!"

Pinkamena suddenly screamed "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!? I've always cared about you, Pinkie Pie; only because nopony else would! … You're wrong! They'll always care for me! … They never would care for you, and they never will! I hate them all for what they do to you! I'll never put you in any danger like they will! So why do you always ignore me when I'm trying to help you!?" Pinkamena roared furiously.

After an unnerving period of silence, Pinkie Pie lay her head on the pillow and sighed, her face devoid of any emotion.

"I give up".

"You what?" Pinkamena questioned in confusion; "I'm done. … What does that mean? … I've had enough of this; having absolutely no choice but to lose control of myself and putting everypony in danger". Pinkamena furrowed her eyebrows in suspicion, curious of how this explanation would eventually conclude.

She then asked "So… what are you going to do? ... … … Pinkie Pie?" Pinkamena clutched her head as her eyes widened, exclaiming "Pinkie Pie, what are you gonna do!? … Nothing". Pinkamena sighed with relief to hear her voice after a periodic silence, but remained confused by her alternate persona's comment.

"Nothing? … Nothing at all. You can do whatever you like" Pinkie Pie explained. Pinkamena could sense the lack of generosity in her offering, prompting her to question Pinkie Pie's intentions further. "I can? … You can take over whenever you want to now. We can go wherever, do whatever, and attack whoever you choose". Pinkie Pie gritted her teeth as she failed to hold back her tears.

"You can call the shots now, Pinkamena. You're the dominant personality now".

Pinkamena's heart dropped from these words, before she screamed "What!? Pinkie Pie, you can't say that! Don't say something like that! … I don't even care about what happens to anypony anymore. … Pinkie Pie, why are you doing this?! … You can do everything, and I'll be here to support you. … Pinkie Pie! Stop that!"

Pinkamena leapt out of the bed and paced around the bedroom, trying her hardest to talk some sense into her alter ego. "I don't want to be the dominant personality! Pinkie Pie, why are you doing this!? … What else can I possibly do? Either you take over, I take over, or we just be friends again. … But you don't actually want to be friends with me, do you? … I have no choice".

Pinkamena gasped as she fell to her knees in despair, dumbfounded by these final words. "I have no choice", these words managed to squeeze a tear from Pinkamena's eye.

"What's happened to you, cherub? You're not the same cherub I knew before. … I know. I used to be really stupid. … And you really do want me… as the dominant mind? … It doesn't matter what I want. Not anymore, anyway. … Don't say that! … If you want us to be friends, then I'm fine with that. … But we're not friends! Not real friends! … I'll give you complete control of my body, Pinkamena; but I don't want to control it anymore. … PINKIE PIE, STOP! … If you give it back to me at any time, I'll just wait for you to take it again. … NO! DON'T DO THIS. PLEASE!"

Pinkamena was beginning to panic, scared for not only her original personality's sake, but also for their relationship from this moment onward. However, while considering these thoughts, after all this time and trouble she had caused for herself and others, Pinkamena had finally found clarity. She considered her friend's previous phrase for a second time; "I have no choice".

All this time, she truly did force Pinkie Pie to be friends with her again, though the latter constantly rejected it and attempted to supress her. Despite this constant rejection, she obliviously persisted in her own goal and attempted to antagonize Pinkie Pie's friends to gain her favour; and yet, it still wasn't enough to win Pinkie Pie's allegiance.

In the end, Pinkie Pie really did have no choice over her own life ever since she came back. And as a result, she had practically destroyed Pinkie Pie and left her as nothing more than a broken, submissive ghost of her former self.

She then considered the heartbreaking anguish that Pinkie Pie would forevermore have to suffer because of her, simply because Pinkie had no real choice but to accept her torment anyway. Being forced, whilst simultaneously forcing herself, to simply watch and grieve for her former friends as her dominant personality continued in her place.

Was taking over Pinkie Pie's mind truly what Pinkie Pie actually wanted of Pinkamena?

Was it worth it? Would it be worth it?

No it wouldn't.

"I'll leave you alone, Pinkie Pie" Pinkamena quietly stated.

Pinkie opened her eyes and stared upwards, asking "What was that?"

"I said I'll leave you alone. That's really what you want, isn't it?" Pinkamena asked. Pinkie Pie barely pondered the question before she had her answer and responded "Y-yes it is" meekly. "Okay; then I'll go away" Pinkamena concluded before adding "I really did want us to be friends, y'know. But I think I would've been the worst friend ever".

Pinkie Pie arose from the floor as Pinkamena continued "I never let you decide anything, and now I see what I've been doing to you". By this time, Pinkie Pie's chest radiated warmly and her heartbeat increased, her energy returning at a rapid rate. "I'm not important to you, Pinkie Pie. I'm just an imaginary friend that you became too attached to".

"Yes… you are" was all Pinkie could say, the misery of this swiftly concluding battle beginning to take its effect.

"Then you really never needed me at all, and you still don't" Pinkamena began to sob from her own words. "I'm sorry about your friends, by the way; but I genuinely did believe that they were to blame for your problems". Pinkie Pie laid her back against the wall and panted exhaustedly, her increasing body temperature beginning to take its toll.

"I'll stop taking over; ruining your life. You'll never have to deal with me again" Pinkamena informed in a soft, hurt tone.

Oddly, Pinkie Pie smiled warmly and admitted "For what it's worth, it was fun having you as my friend when I was a filly, Pinkamena", hoping to shed light on this dark atmosphere.

"Thanks, cherub. It was good to be with you again, even if it was for the wrong reasons". Pinkie smiled warmly as her mind felt less clouded, and her muscles less strained. Soon, all she could hear was Pinkamena giggling softly, which echoed softly through her mind before fading into silence.

At long last, after a year of torment and mayhem.

It was over.

Pinkie Pie exhaled a long, relieved sigh as she fell forward and landed against her front hooves. Her muscles quaked as she tried to stabilise her posture, all while breathing in a fluent style to calm her agitated nerves. A great weight that she had been carrying ever since her childhood had just been lifted from her, a weight that she herself had never even learned of until this fateful event.

She carefully rose from the floor and stood firmly on all fours, standing valiantly from within the dark and claustrophobic environment. And finally, for the first time in almost an entire year, her mouth twisted into a wide and genuine grin. A smile, something that she had been offering to her friends to mask her true thoughts and emotions, had finally reclaimed its rightful place in the extrovert's identity.

"I feel… so happy" she whispered into the darkness, "I've never felt this happy… in my entire life". Without any cause to do so, she found herself laughing with joy, the very sound of her own laughter filling her soul with its power. Soon, her laughter grew louder and louder, until she could hear the echoes of her voice reflecting from the walls of her bedroom.

From within the walls of Sugarcube Corner, her laughter could be heard by any and all who were in the lower rooms. Maud stopped in her tracks and listened intently to the sound, the very sound that had been told to her in fable but having never experience in person. Along with her, Twilight and the others followed her in her act and were astounded by this unexpected noise.

"It can't be… after what… why is-" Rarity wondered in astonishment, though Applejack interrupted her as she questioned "Who cares!? Let's go!" within seconds, all six houseguests had stampeded their way up the stair case and stopped outside their hostess's door.

They hastened as Pinkie Pie continued to laugh and wondered what had provoked it, considering the great contrast against her mood from earlier. As they each pondered this, the laugher has suddenly ceased and they could hear a new sound emit from behind the bedroom door, the sound of a great force impacting against the carpet floor.

The sound drew closer to the door and the knob twisted slightly, before suddenly swinging open and sending the outside residence stumbling back in surprise. There, gleefully bounding her way through the doorway, an enormous smile spread across her face, was the Pinkie Pie that had disappeared for so long.

"Pinkie Pie?" Maud began, taking Pinkie's attention as the latter turned to her sister with a beaming grin. "She's gone! SHE'S GONE NOW!" Pinkie screamed with log contained excitement as she suddenly ensnared Maud in a tight hug. Her sister gasped in shock before muttering "What?! Who?! You mean… Pinkamena?!"

Pinkie Pie then pulled away and nodded enthusiastically, her smile never faltering as she answered "She left me alone forever! She's never coming back ever again!" Her friend all looked upon eachother with a hybrid between excitement and astonishment, and all soon began smiling from this amazing revelation.

Eventually, though, Pinkie Pie's smile slowly lowered as she began contemplating the events that had occurred. "All of those ponies who were worried about me in the café, I need to let them know that everything's okay!" she declared to her friends, before adding "And Celestia! She needs to know as well, so we can cancel our sessions!"

She mingled amidst her friends as she began to panic over all the tasks she assigned to herself, "There's so many things I need to fix! I have to get going no-".

Suddenly, as she was making her way to the staircase, she felt somepony's grasp around her torso and she was pulled back among her friends. "Hang on, gal!" Applejack shouted as she released Pinkie Pie from her grip, "Don't get ahead of yaself".

Rainbow stepped forward as she explained "Yeah… If it's alright we want you to stay in your room for a few more minutes" before leading the extrovert to her bedroom door "Maud can keep you company, and we'll come get you soon". On que, Maud followed her sister inside and the others made their way back downstairs.

Pinkie Pie sat on the end of the bed and Maud sat beside her, the both seeking comfort from the softness of the mattress after their separate experiences. Pinkie Pie soon hugged Maud once again and stated "I can't thank you girls enough for all of this! You've all been so good to me, especially you, Maud!"

However, to Pinkie Pie's surprise, Maud joined her in the embrace, answering "Don't worry about that. As my sister, I'd do anything to keep you safe, and I know that your friends would do it too". Pinkie Pie escaped the embrace as she then explained "Pinkamena realised that they would too, and I think that's what made her go away".

Finally, after several minutes of conversation, the door opened slowly and Rainbow Dash stepped inside, approaching the two girls before asking "Are you ready?"

Pinkie Pie was confused and turned to Maud for an explanation, though Maud simply smiled as she left the bead and stood beside the pegasus. Soon enough, the rest of her friend entered and stood before the confused pony, before Rainbow Dash pulled out a small handtowel. "Put this on, please" Rainbow instructed, though Pinkie Pie was trusting enough to follow this instruction as she took the towel and wore it as a blindfold.

Pinkie Pie's vision was enveloped in blindness, and she found herself at the mercy of her friends as they guided her to the door. Though the nature of this surprise was enveloped in mystery, Pinkie Pie had a good idea what it could be, and was so happy that her friends had gone out of their way for her once again.

Pinkie's excitement grew with every passing second, and finally felt herself descend the staircase and wander across the main room. She was finally stopped outside the lounge room, her excitement reaching its peak. The blindfold was slowly being lifted away. Here it comes.

"SURPRISE!"

The End.