"Oh, we have a similar story in my world."
>Well, formerly your world.
>Twilight takes note of this.
>"You do?"
"Yeah, but the legend comes from another country and it's a bunny instead of a pony."
>Celestia's interest is showing on her face.
>"How adorable! The bunny was not dangerous, I hope?"
"I don't think so. It's hard to remember the story because it was in another language, but I believe the bunny was supposed to represent charity, self-sacrifice, and selflessness."
>Twilight mutters under her breath.
>"That's certainly not what our legend represents."
>Was that... envy in her voice?
"What does the mare represent?"
>Twilight reacts like a deer in front of headlights.
>Perhaps she didn't want you to hear that.
>"Well, I don't want to ruin the story for you."
>Now you have to read it.
"Touché."
>You take the mirror and begin to read.
"Not much is known about the origins of the mare in the moon. What is known is that she mysteriously appeared in the night and referred to herself as 'Nightmare Moon'."
>You stop for a minute.
"Hey, we have our own legend of a horse named 'Nightmare'. She was the winged, pale steed of the Grim Reaper."
>Twilight rolls her eyes.
>"It's just a bunch of superstitious mumbo-jumbo."
>You look away from the mirror.
"Not a fan of myths, I take it?"
>"Of course not, how could anyone even be banished to the moon?"
"Compared to what I've seen so far, it sounds plausible to me."
>Celestia lightly snickers at your comment.
>"I doubt Nightmare Moon would even consider having some melancholic farmer ride her."
>You suppress your laughter.
>"Twilight, 'The Grim Reaper' is our nickname for Death."
>Her eyes widen, and ears droop.
>"Oh, sorry. How could I have been so stupid?"
"I don't think you're stupid."
>She seemed touched by your comment.
>You look back to the mirror.
"She attempted to bring the land of Equestria to total darkness, but was stopped by the Elements of Harmony."
>You stop again.
"What are the Elements of Harmony?"
>Twilight is the first to answer.
>"Well, it's also a legend, but they're essentially the keys to bring piece unto the world. Even if they did exist, they certainly don't anymore."
>Celestia decides to partake in the conversation.
>"Are there any legends similar to the Elements back in your world?"
"Only in fiction, as far as I know. A lot of stories like to use those kinds of items as a plot device or a deus ex machina.
>Twilight looks confused.
>"God kill machine?"
>Of course she know Latin.
>Hold the phone, there's Latin in this world?
"More like "God-killing machine". It's essentially the resent button, the thing that resolves the conflict of the story and usually returns the world to its status quo."
>"State of?"
"You know Latin?"
>Celestia answers this time.
>"In Equestria, it's a nearly forgotten language from the pegasi often called 'Pegasin'."
>Does that make the Pegasi the Romans? You would think they would represent the Greeks.
>Then again, Rome did steal Greece's culture.
"I see. Well, 'status quo' refers to-"
>"The state in which things are supposed to function in society."
>You double-take at Twilight.
>Déjà vu, all over again.
>"It seems we have similar idioms."
"I suppose we do."
>Celestia interrupts.
>"I believe you were reading to us?"
>Oh right, how rude of me?
"Of course, sorry."
>"Don't be, it is nice to see my pupil make a friend."
>Twilight blushes in embarrassment.
"Are you alright, Twilight?"
>She avoids eye-contact with you.
>"F-fine."
>You feel bad for some reason.
>You should probably get back to the story.
"The power of the Elements of Harmony was enough to banish Nightmare Moon. A silhouette of her can found on the moon symbolizing a promise. Legends say the promise states that after 1000 years of imprisonment, the mare in the moon shall return to Equestria and bring the land into eternal darkness unless stopped once again by the Elements of Harmony."
>This is definitely darker than the rabbit on the moon.
>You look up to the ponies.
"Was Equestria ever actually cloaked in darkness?"
>Twilight ponders on your query.
>"Outside of the myths of the mare in the moon, not that I know of."
>Celestia's attention was not to you, almost as if she was expecting... something.
"Celestia?"
>Celestia subtly jolts from her trip to La-La Land.
>"Princess."
>You turn to Twilight.
"I'm sorry?"
>"Princess Celestia, not just 'Celestia'."
"But she said I can just call her 'Celestia'.
>You think she might be a bit jealous.
>"Is that true, Princess Celestia?"
>She doesn't respond.
>You are concerned for her.
>You snap your fingers at her.
>This gets both of their attention.
>Twilight is now panicking
>"What was that!?"
"That was me; I snapped."
>"Snapped?"
>Celestia seemed to have gathered her thoughts again.
"Nevermind that. Are you all right, Celestia?"
>She looks down to you.
>"I am, not so sure.  I think I need some tea."
>Her legs seem ready to give way.
>Scratch that, they are giving way.
>You hold on to the side of her torso opposite to you before she collapses.
>You hope her wings aren't fragile.
>"Princess Celestia!"
>Twilight lifts her from underneath with her magic.
"Should we take her to her room or a hospital?"
>"No! I am quite all right."
"My handed preference is all right. You clearly are not!"
>Celestia tries to stand back on all fours.
>"I can assure you that I am fine. Why don't you both take me to my throne, have some tea with me and we will postpone the tests for tomorrow?"
"But..."
>You wanted to know more about your power.
>You worry about and for Celestia.
>You want to say anything, but you cannot seem to find the words to say anything.
>"I doubt you were looking forward to being treated like a guinea pig, anyway."
>Guinea pigs exist here: noted.
"I mean, I was kind of expecting to be treated that way."
>The three of you exit the library/study room/still not sure which.
>You all head to the throne room with little opposition.
>You find it odd that no pony came to their princess' aide on your mini-journey.
>They must still fear you.
>If Twilight wasn't also helping, they probably would've thought you did something terrible to her.
>You open the doors to the room with your right hand.
>Twilight releases her princess from her magical grasp.
>You place Celestia on her throne.
>She is surprisingly light for being the tallest pony you've met.
>You ponder how Applejack and Big Macintosh could head-butt so hard if they must be as light or lighter than Celestia.
>Twilight blushes at your 'feat'.
>"You're pretty strong."
>Your attention snaps to Twilight's comment.
>It's not everyday a girl compliments you, even if they are from a different species.
>You should probably thank her.
"Y-you, too."
>Or you could empty out your pasta collection from your pockets.
>You ask some guards to get their princess some tea.
>One of them comes back with a maid pony that you, thankfully, don't recognize and a cart containing glasses and saucers, a teapot, a tray of sugar-cubes, a pitcher of cream, a jar of honey, various types of cookies/biscuits, and an entire cake.
>It's good to be the ki- er, princess.
>After Celestia finishes her glass and takes another bite of her slice of cake, her composure seems to have returned.
>"Thank-you both for your quick thinking. I'm feeling much better now."
>You both speak all at once:
>"I'm just glad you're alright."
"It's no problem, really."
>You and Twilight look to each other followed by giggling, then back to Celestia.
>"I apologize for causing a scene like that."
"What happened back there?"
>Celestia avoids your eyes and takes another bite of her cake.
>You take the hint.
>"As long as I've known you, you've never once fainted before."
>Twilight does not.
>"I would rather not talk about it, my faithful student. Would you like some tea?"
>Twilight does not seem ready to have the subject changed so easily.
>You place your hand on Twilight's shoulder and give her a slow shake of your head.
>With great reluctance, she asks for two lumps of sugar on her tea.
>She may not be happy with you for that, but at least some face was saved.
>"And you, Anonymous?"
"Yes, please, with cream and honey."
>You may like coffee more, but you never use white sugar with your tea.
>Tea time was quiet and awkward between the three of you, more so with Twilight and either you or Celestia.
>Celestia is the first to speak.
>"I know you must be concerned about me Twilight, but I implore you to abandon your worry."
>Twilight turns to her princess with somber eyes.
>There are no words that enter your head to make her feel better.
>"Even though I do think it wise to continue exploring Anonymous' magic without me, that does not mean you are unable to learn more about his kind."
>Twilight shows conflict on her face. Yet, she does not dare look at you.
>"I suppose you're right, Princess Celestia."
>Does she ever just say 'Princess' or 'Your Majesty' or 'Your Highness'?
>After finishing your tea and having some of the best cake you've ever had, you wished Celestia to get better and left with Twilight.
>You try to break the tension.
"Knock-knock."
>She does not respond.
"Oh come on, it's the law. You have to say 'Who's there?'."
>"There's something wrong with Princess Celestia."
>That's not how a knock-knock joke works.
>"You know it as well as I do, and you chose to ignore it."
"Well yeah, she's pretty powerful."
>"Powerful, yes, but merciful."
"She stabbed one of my favorite fictional characters because she guessed it was an illusion!"
>"Was it an illusion?"
>She doesn't once turn to face you.
"Yes?"
>"Then that proves nothing."
"What if she was wrong?"
>She stops.
>You're suddenly getting flashbacks of Applejack and her terrifying stetson.
>"She's never wrong!"
>She raised her voice at you.
"But what if she was wrong?"
>"Well..."
>She hesitates.
>"I... I..."
>You may have broken her.
>You only asked her a simple question.
>She must have taken it personally.
>"I don't want to think about that."
"Fair enough, I guess. I'm sorry."
>"No, I'm sorry. Princess Celestia just really means a lot to me, and I don't exactly have the best social skills. It's hard to making new friends when they don't agree with ever-"
>She stops at what she just said.
>You are stunned, but not stunned enough to keep your mouth shut.
"I'm, your friend?"
>She blushes in embarrassment, but nods
>Ahh! You can't breathe! Why can't you breathe!?
>'You think your heart melted from that statement.'
>Dammit! Your body can't handle such cuteness!
>'What do, brain?'
>React accordingly.
>'Aye-Aye, Cap'n!'
>"Hey, what are y-"
>You lift her up from behind and give her a big hug.
"That's very kind of you to say that."
>It's a good thing you can't see Twilight's face from behind, because a tomato could not nearly be as crimson as she currently is.
"I understand about how much you care about her, but if she's never wrong as you say she is, then maybe we should trust in her that she's fine."
>Twilight doesn't say anything.
"I'll take your silence as a maybe."
>No response.
>A maid passes by and stares at you two for as long as she can.
>Twilight wishes she wasn't here right now.
"Why don't we go somewhere else instead of just standing in the halls?"
>She finally musters up a reply.
>"G-g-good id-dea."
>You gently place her d-
>"Wait!"
>You stop.
>"Just, a little longer."
>D'aww. Your heart is melting again.
>Ahh! Your heart is melting! Again!
>You continue walking as she acts as your GPS guide.
>You think you may have gotten diabetes from this pony.
>She leads you back to the entrance to the whatever room it is.
>Fuck it! You're calling it a book room from now on.
>Inside the book room, you once again lower her to the ground.
>You walk past her and take a seat.
"Whenever you're ready, Twily."
>You could have sworn you heard a gasp from her.
>"Uh, right! Right! I'm, ready when you are, Anony! Hehe."
>Anony? Was that for calling her 'Twily'?"
>Meh, it's probably nothing.
>With a pen and paper provided by her purple aura(?), she begins her study.
>"Tell me about your species. Describe a human as best as you can."
"Well..."
>You don't exactly know where to start.
>You wish you had your phone to show her "The history of the entire world, I guess".
>You also wish you had the internet.
>Then again, you never really asked any pony if they had internet.
>Even if they did have internet, who's to say they have human websites?
>They would've known what a human was, wouldn't they?
>One step at a time. Answer her question for now.
"Humanity, that's one way of pluralizing human by the way, is complex and simple at the same time. We are just like any other animal: we eat, we sleep, we excrete, and we breed."
>Hey, that almost rhymes.
"At the same time, we believe that we are above animals of any kind because can talk and reason while most animals can't even do one of those things. For a long time, we even denied that primates were our ancestors and instead made up stories of beings superior than us that created us mortals to do their bidding. You know, that sounds hypocritical the more I think about it."
>"Fascinating."
>Twilight could practically burn her paper with how fast she's writing.
>"How old is your species? That is, how long have humans existed."
"I want to say about 14,000 years, but I'm can't remember. Some religions will say around 6,000 years."
>"Is there anything that your species agree on?"
>You don't even hesitate.
"No."
>"Not one thing? That's impossible!"
"Whether it's because of attention, nonconformity, or insanity, we will intentionally disagree on something if 99.99% of the population agrees on it. You'd be lucky to even find a 75% agreement, let alone a 99.99% agreement. Heck, we even made up some languages just to prevent common ground."
>"I take it you're not a fan of your kind?"
"Ehh, it depends on the day and my mood."
>Before the two of you even know it, the sky transitioned from cyan to indigo.
>Twilight has stacks upon stacks of notes from this interview.
>You had to explain all of the wars and tragedies to her, but you never forget to mention the sparks of hope your kind has to offer.
>You taught her the different types of technologies, and was surprised at how many of them existed in this world. The internet was not one of them.
>You had to listen to Twilight's tangent on how impossible it was for magic to simply not exist.
>You regret telling Twilight how the sun, moon, stars, and weather controlled themselves.
>You learned that physics was a relatively new concept in this world. It was convenient that you had to retake physics three times.
>It was uncomfortable for you both when you explained the birds and the bees to her.
>But alas, all things must come to an end.
>Twilight looks at a clock.
>Was that always there?
>"Oh, goodness, is that the time?!"
>Twilight organizes her notes to the best of her ability.
>"Spike must be worried sick about me!"
"Spike?"
>Twilight does not stop from her organization.
>"He's kind of like my little brother. We took him in when I hatched him."
"I didn't know you could adopt a bird."
>If Twilight wasn't so stressed out, she would laughed at your statement.
>"Actually, he's a dragon."
>You can adopt dragons in this world? Just like that?
>Sidenote: There's dragons in this world?!
"You didn't tell me dragons existed in this world. That's so cool!"
>In her panic, Twilight ends up organizing the entire room.
>"You didn't ask."
>In your excitement, you ask:
"Can I meet him?"
>She stops everything she was doing.
>"What?!"
"I mean, I've never met a dragon before. We could also continue the interview at your house, if you want."
>"Like, hang-out?"
>Twilight looks like she's gonna panic again.
"Uh, sure, I guess."
>"I uh, can't! I have to..."
>She darts her eyes around the room looking for some kind of excuse.
>"Take, a, bath! Yeah, that's it! I gotta take a bath! You know how a girl likes her privacy when she's dirty."
>She backs away to the door as she makes up an excuse.
"I can understand that, but what does that have to do w-"
>"Great! Thank-you for understanding! I gotta go get cleaned now, so..."
>She fumbles behind the door until she finds the knob.
>"Goodnight!"
>*SLAM*
>Well, that was certainly something.
>The door opens again with Twilight's head sticking out.
>"Forgot my notes."
"Uh..."
>Before you even say anything the notes zoom past the door, followed by another slam.
>And just like that, you were alone in the book room.
>It's not even that late; It's usually dinnertime for you.
>Confused and a little hungry, you exit the book room.
>A paper near the door grabs your attention.
>It must have fallen off the stack in Twilight's rush.
>You pick it up.
>It's just three words written over and over.
"Subject, nothing more."
>What does that mean?
>You hope she doesn't pull a Shining on you as you fold the papyrus and put it in your pocket.
>You are on your way to the dining room when your nickname is called out down the hall.
>Turning to the source of the sound, you find Celestia trotting towards your way.
>"Anonymous!  I was just about to invite you and Twilight to dinner.  I take it she already left?"
"Yeah, I told her I wanted to meet her dragon brother and she just freaked out on me."
>"Oh dear..."
>Celestia gives a look of disappointment and concern, almost like this has happened before.
>"You must understand that making friends is incredibly difficult for her. You are the first in a long while."
"What happened to her other friends?"
>"There was one that I know of, but she did not like to talk about her."
"I see."
>Poor Twilight.
>You wish you could make her feel better.
>"But, I digress, will you join me for dinner?"
"Oh, uh, of course."
*******************
>The soup was delicious, though you could do without the flowers. It was convenient there was fruit to your heart's content.
>You guess you're a vegetarian from now on.
>"I wanted to talk to you both about earlier today."
>Oh? You interest is peaked.
>"But I suppose I will have to tell you first."
>This oughta be good.
>She looks away from you.
>"You are all free for the rest of the night."
>Oh, she's talking to her staff.
>"I wish to tell Anonymous about what you all saw."
>Scared or relieved, you couldn't quite tell, they all rush out of the room.
>Celestia waits until she can no longer hear their footst- er, hoofsteps.
>"*Ahem*"
>The antici-
>...
>-pation is killing you.
>"Back in the study room..."
>Oh, so it was a study room.
>"... I felt a chill run down my spine. I could have sworn I felt her presence."
"Who's presence?"
>She seems hesitant to even say her name.
>"Nightmare Moon."
>Oh yeah, from the legend.
"But, I thought she was just a myth."
>"That was what I thought, perhaps I may have hallucinated it.  But after our 'tea-time' as you put it, many of my workers, guards, and citizens of this city ran to my throne reporting her return followed by a flash of colourful light before she disappeared."
>Flash of light? No...
"The Elements of Harmony? Just like in the story?"
>"Indeed, you are starting to catch on."
"So does this mean I can create illusions from stories, too?"
>"It would appear so, yes."
>That is so fucking metal, you cannot describe it into words.
"I have to learn more about what I can and cannot do.  Please, let's do some more testing, Celestia."
>"I already told you both we can continue tomorrow."
>You can make stories come true.  You're pretty sure that can't wait until tomorrow.
"Can we at least surprise Twilight about it?"
>"I suppose we can do that, yes."
>Out of the corner of your eye, you see an emerald flame flying it's way to the princess.
"Celestia, watch out!"
>The flame stops within hand-distance, not that it matters to ponies, and takes shape in the form of a parchment.
"Oh."
>Celestia giggles.
>"It is a letter from Twilight."
"How can you tell?
>"Only a dragon is capable of such a feat as converting objects into flame and using the flame as a form of postal service. As I recall, there is only one dragon in Canterlot."
>Spike.
>She looks to you with a frown on her face.
>"I do not think you will like its content."
>You agree.
>Still, she 'hands' you the letter.
>You read it aloud:
"Dear, Princess Celestia, I regret to inform you that you will have to continue testing without me."
>You can almost hear her voice when you read it.
>"Oh, hello, Twilight."
>You are startled to find Twilight Sparkle standing right next to you.
"Hey uh, Twilight. I thought you went home."
>She doesn't respond.
>She doesn't even seem to be looking at you, but at a piece of paper; the same one you are currently holding.
"She's an illusion."
>This is getting meta.  It's a good thing you always liked being meta in your old scripts.
>"Indeed, she is."
>Celestia seems to be amused by this, if you are reading her face right.
>"Perhaps I should hire you to read my documents. You would definitely make it less of a chore for me."
"I guess I should hold my weight if I'm gonna stay here."
>You look at Twilight's face.
>There is not one iota of happiness on it.
>You chose to continue the letter.
"I do not believe I am comfortable with our test subject: he seems to want to make a connection with me. It would be against scientific protocols for a scientist to interfere with the test subject."
>"I do not believe I am comfortable with our test subject: he seems to want to make a connection with me. It would be against scientific protocols for a scientist to interfere with the test subject."
>Celestia is trying to hold back her laughter.
"It is imperative for the scientist-subject relationship to remain professional, and nothing more.  Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle."
>"It is imperative for the scientist-subject relationship to remain professional, and nothing more.  Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle."
>In a blink of an eye, she disappears.
>That hurt more than it should have.
>"I must apologize, Anonymous. It would seem that she is just not ready to make another friend."
"I know."
>Hang on, the paper.
>You take the papyrus out of your pocket and unfold it.
>You read it out loud.
"Subject, nothing more. Subject, nothing more. Subject, nothing more. Subject, nothing more. Subject, nothing more. Subject, nothing more. Subject, nothing more."
>"Subject, nothing more. Subject, nothing more. Subject, nothing more. Subject, nothing more. Subject, nothing more. Subject, nothing more. Subject, nothing more."
>Twilight stands next you again, this time with a blush on her face.
"Hang on, she never made that face when we were in the boo- study room."
>"Perhaps this was what she was feeling when she wrote that down. Where did you get that paper?"
"It was one her notes she left when she went home."
>"He's so interesting."
>wenk
>That came from Twilight.
>"No, no, no. He's just a test subject, nothing more."
"Nothing more."
>You both say at the same time.
>"I believe she likes you."
"Yeah."
>Yet, she doesn't even want to be friends with you.
>Does that mean you're so in the friend-zone, you couldn't even make it to the friend-zone?
>"It's Moon Dancer all over again."
>Moon dancer?
"What's a moon dancer?"
>"If I recall, that was Twilight Sparkle's only friend."
>Ouch!
>It's kind of a good thing she's not coming back for more testing. You doubt she would like to know about this.
>You should probably finish the paper.
"Subject, nothing more. Subject, nothing more. Subject, nothing more. Subject, nothing more. Subject, nothing more. Subject, nothing more. Subject, nothing more. Subject, nothing more."
>"Subject, nothing more. Subject, nothing more. Subject, nothing more. Subject, nothing more. Subject, nothing more. Subject, nothing more. Subject, nothing more. Subject, nothing more."
>Whew! That would've been awkward having a fake Twilight just stand there forever.
>You wonder if an illusion could even last forever.
***************
>"Hahaha! You must understand that magic is her bread and butter!"
>After dinner, you and Celestia walk to your room.
>You conversed with her about your day.
>Then you mention Twilight's first tangent, and Celestia has not stopped her laughing fit since.
>"Saying magic does not exist to her is like saying the sky is not blue."
>You wisely leave out the sun and moon fact.
"She was so angry that my world even existed."
>"I am surprised you have not been."
>You think about your next choice of words.
"I was more sad that nobody welcomed me at first. They still don't when you're not around. But I'm also optimistic about possibly following my dreams here when I couldn't back on Earth."
>She starts to calm down after reacting to, what apparently was, the funniest joke in Equestria.
>"Oh? What was your dream job?"
"I wanted to make movies. I've been told they recently discovered motion pictures in cameras."
>"With such powerful magic you currently possess, why would you instead choose to make a motion picture?"
>You've been asked similar questions so many times, your answer was practically scripted.
"Books can tell lovely stories but they are always left to the imagination.  That's why I want to make that story come to life and have people say, 'That's exactly what I imagined', or 'That was beyond what I could have ever imagined'."
>A sudden realization comes to you.
"And now, with my powers, I could make a movie with my imagination alone. What could take a film crew years to make, I could probably do it by myself in a week."
>"And to think I was expecting you to use your powers for evil."
>That's very true. You could have the power to stop Celestia if you put in enough effort and creativity.
>But...
"I guess I could, but the problem with being a villain is that they tend to crush dreams. I want to inspire more dreams beyond my own."
>You are nearly approaching your door.
>"That is a beautifully selfless thought."
"Thanks, Celestia."
>You turn the knob on your door.
"Um, could you please not tell Twilight about any new updates on my powers?"
>She lightly giggles.
>"Of course, Anonymous. Your secret is safe with me."
>This horse is pretty cool all of a sudden.
>You can live with that.
"Goodnight, Celestia."
>"Wait!"
>You pause from closing the door.
>"May I enter your room for a second?"
>What?
"What?"
>Déjà vu!
>I've just been in this place before!
>"I just don't want anypony to see what you can provide for me."
>Is she implying you what you think she's implying?
>You thought if this kind of thing was going to happen, it would be in her room.
>You also thought you wouldn't fuck an animal.
>'But there's no other human and she talks.'
>Shut the fuck up, you!  We can sing a human to life.
"I guess I can let in for a few minutes."
>You are the worst!
>'Just continue narrating.'
>Fine!
>She blushes at your response.
>"Oh my! I was not aware it would take that long."
>Does that mean she hasn't experienced true pleasure before you?.
>'Weren't you against this a second ago?'
>Yeah, but we can outlast her!  When will that ever happen with another human?
>'You got a point, brain.'
>You leave the door wide open, signaling for her to come in.
>'It'll be you who will come in.'
>Shush.
***************
>"Wow, you are amazing!"
>Celestia is lying on your bed next to you.
"Thank-you, Tia."
>She told you to call her that during.
"I don't often get that compliment. I was kind-of second-guessing myself about this at first, but your wings made it all worth it."
>"Mmm, I am glad that it was good for you as well."
>She rolls out of bed.
>"I should return to my royal duties before I go to bed. Do you want to do this again sometime?"
>It certainly wouldn't be a bad thing that you both could have going on.
"I'm not against it in the slightest."
>"Wonderful! I mean, good."
>She is incredibly flustered.
>"I will, um, see you in the morning."
>She is adorable when she's nervous.
>"Good night, Anonymous."
>"Goodnight, Celestia."
>She closes the door.
 
>Be Celestia once again.
>When you heard one of your maids talking about Anonymous hugging Twilight, you could not stop thinking about him hugging you all day.
>You never realized how wonderful a human hug could truly feel until tonight.
>You sincerely hope Anonymous can make himself immortal just for you.
>Or maybe you can assign him as the royal hugger.
>You have a lot of thinking to do before going to bed.
 
>Be Anonymous for the third time.
>You are dreaming of your mom looking for you.
>You tell her where you are.
>Your words fall on deaf ears.
>She calls out your name; your real name.
"I'm right here, mom!"
>"Where's my baby!?"
"Mom..."
>She walks away from where you are, calling out to you along her search.
"Wait, mom! Come back!"
>You try to catch up to her.
>She's walking farther ahead of you.
"Mom!"
>You start to sprint.
>You hear your dad in the distance.
>"I wish I could have been a better father to you."
>You're sprinting at this point.
"No, Dad! You're a great father!"
>You hear your own echo.
>There is only darkness in front of you.
"Mom? Dad?"
>An array of colours illuminates behind you.
>You turn around.
>The colours are blinding.
"Dad!"
>The colours envelop you.
"I didn't mean to leave you!"
>Gravity shifts causing you to free fall.
"Mooommyyyyyyyy!"
>You land on your back startled.
>You are awake, still in Equestria, and now homesick.
>You hear a knock on your door.
"Come in!"
>The same maid pony who greeted you yesterday morning enters your room.
>"Good morning, sir. Are you alright?"
>You get up from the floor.
"Perfectly fine. Why do you ask?"
>She avoids eye-contact.
>"You looked like you were crying."
>You're not crying, she's crying!
>You touch your face; it's wet.
>Huh, it must've rained last night.
"I guess I had a nightmare."
>She closes the door behind her.
>"I'm so sorry to hear that. Do you need a hug?"
"No, I think I'll be fine."
>You don't need to hug every pony you meet.
>"Are you sure?"
>Under her breath:
>"I wouldn't mind being your teddy bear."
"What was that?"
>"I said, 'Then I shall prepare your bath in there'."
>She points to the bathroom with her hoof for emphasis.
>Before you can even respond, she gallops towards the bathroom.
>You suddenly feel like you should be in another thread where you hug all of the ponies.
>'What the fuck are you even talking about, brain?'
>It's over your head, just ignore it.
*******************
>You are eating a slice of toast in the dining hall when Celestia walks in.
>"Good Morning, Anonymous. Why are you wearing one of my bathrobes?"
>You nonchalantly turn to Celestia, waiting to swallow before you speak.
"One of your maids insisted that I should go about the rest of the day while she cleans my pajamas, and I had nothing else to wear."
>"Why not just walk around naked?"
"Because everyone else is wearing something, yourself included."
>You take another bite of your toast.
"Besides..."
>You swallow.
"... Unlike your species, humans can't magically hide their private parts."
>"But you are now able to hide them."
"True, but I really like my penis."
>You take another bite of your toast.
>This was an argument Celestia knew she was going to lose.
>So she decides to change the subject.
>"I digress, today we shall see the limit of your magic."
>About time, too.
>And this time, you're in the mood.
"I'm ready when you are, Celestia."
>"Wonderful!"
>She 'hands' you a notebook with her magic.
>"You might want to take notes with this."
>She also gives you a #2 pencil.
>They have pencils in this world, but not pens?
****************
>You and Celestia are outside in a beautiful garden.
>"I trust that you will have enough space out here?"
>Space, nothing. All you see is Earth, and it is breathtaking.
"I think I'll manage."
>"Excellent!"
>Celestia walks to a bench and sits upon it.
>"First, create for me an illusion using only your imagination. Do not write anything down."
>So, bullshit? Easy enough.
"Okay!"
>You think about what illusion you should make.
>You look at Celestia and her eyes fill with expectation.
>It's been evident in the past that merely thinking it won't work.
>Perhaps speaking it will.
"You are a human."
>Celestia appears confused.
>"I beg your pardon?"
>She is still, what you've learned yesterday as, an alicorn.
"I don't think it worked."
>She giggles.
>"Obviously."
>Maybe saying it multiple times will help.
"You are a human. You are a human. You are a human. You are a human. You are a human. You are a human."
>... Damn it!
"Ugh, let's try something else!"
>"Perhaps now would be a good time to use the book?"
>Good thinking, you'll want to take note of that.
>'Notes:'
>'Can't activate illusions through thought or speech alone.'
>"Well?"
>You blink.
"Well, what?"
>She gives you a sultry look.
>"I thought you wanted me to become human."
>You can't help but grow flustered.
"I mean, it seemed like the simplest illusion."
>Celestia starts laughing.
>"Lighten up, Anonymous. I am merely busting your chops."
>It's not that funny.
>"Try writing down your fantasy before saying it aloud."
>That makes sense to you.
"Good idea!"
>Wait...
"Heeeeyyy!"
>This starts another laughing fit from Celestia.
>'Notes:'
>'Celestia is a giggling hyena.'
"Celestia is a giggling hyena."
>Her laugh becomes louder than ever, yet softer if you can imagine it.
>Of course, you don't need to imagine it. You're witnessing it.
>And it only makes you want to laugh.
"I'm glad you're being a good sport about this.  If I lost my wings and horn, I'd be furious."
>Her laughing seems to water down to mild giggling.
>She places her paw onto her forehead where her horn should be.
>She suddenly looks to her paws that were once hooves.
>Despite the clear shock on her face, she can't stop giggling.
>In between her giggling she tries to speak.
>"Change. Me. Back. Please!"
>Just when it's your turn to have some fun? Not a chance in hell, if that's a place here.
>"First say you're 'sorry'."
>From her giggling fit, she starts to have trouble breathing.
>Between a wheeze and a giggle or two, she says:
>"I. Am.. Sorry..."
>You're starting to feel like an asshole.
>"I.. Am. Sorry!"
>Yeah, you should probably change her back.
>But what should you write?
>'Celestia is back to her normal self?'
>What if her normal self is a regular pony?
>'Celestia is an alicorn again?'
>That could work, but what about the giggling?
>What can you write to reverse the damage without affecting her character?
>You reread aloud your notes.
"Can't activate illusions through thought or speech alone. Celestia is a-"
>Wait a minute, you may have found a solution!
>Good thing, too. Celestia's face is turning purple.
>You hope this works.
>You erase the last sentence in your notes.
>Celestia stops making any noise.
>Well, the good news is that she's an alicorn again.
>The bad news is her lack of movement.
"Oh, shit! I killed her!"
>You try to listen for her heart.
>Listen to her beat.
>Listen to her rhythm.
>The rhythm of the street.
>...
>A pulse!
>You didn't kill her!
>Her heartbeat is slow, and you don't think it's because of a difference in species.
>You try to perform CPR, but you don't really know how to do it right.
>But maybe you can.
>'Notes:'
>'I know how to perform CPR.'
>You repeat your most recent sentence.
>You don't feel any different.
>You check back to Celestia.
>Her hear rate is 35bpm; definitely not fast enough.
>Hang on, how do you know her exact heartrate?
>No time to question it! She needs to live, damn it!
>After forcing her heart to follow a faster rate with your hands, you give her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
>After the fourth set of mouth-to-mouth, Celestia starts to cough.
"She's alive.  She's alive!"
>Celestia takes a few deep breaths before turning her head to you.
>"If you, wanted be my Prince Charming, you could have just asked."
>You almost killed her, and she continues to joke-flirt with you?
>This bitch...
"I'm just glad you're alive."
>For once.
"I'm sorry for almost killing you by accident."
>"No need, to apologize. That was the funniest, near-death experience I have had thus far."
>She tries to laugh, but ends up coughing.
"Good thing I taught myself CPR."
>"What, in Equestria, is 'CPR'?"
**************
>"I propose a new rule."
>You and Celestia are walking around a maze in the royal garden.
"Name it."
>"The next illusion you cast that affects me must also affect you."
>This is why you can't have nice things.
>Still, it only seems fair seeing as you almost killed her.
"Deal, provided that after our tests, it's fair game."
>"I suppose I can live with that. You know, if I will actually live from that."
>All right, you deserve that.
"I wouldn't want to take over your kingdom anyway; too much stress for my liking."
>Celestia lowers her top eyelids to resemble a bedroom.
>"But what if you wanted to marry me?"
>You stop.
>You are at a lost for words.
>Celestia holds back her giggle fit.  Probably learned her lesson from the hyena incident.
>"I know you have no intention of marrying anypony. You are a human, after all. I assume that it would be taboo in your world?"
"Extremely so."
>She continues walking.
>"It is convenient in this case that you are no longer in your world."
>You run up to her.
"What do you mean 'convenient'?
>"The laws of marriage in Equestria and most countries are entirely based off of love, not the lover."
"So if two ponies love each other but one of them doesn't want to get married, then they both have to marry each other anyway?"
>It is Celestia's turn to stop.
>"What?"
>She looks to you like you might be an idiot.
>In this instance, you aren't.
>You chuckle.
>"I'm kidding, I get what you mean. A pony can marry a pony, a dragon, or whatever species."
>She sighs in relief
>"Yes, gender and number included."
>Number?
"Number?"
>She doesn't mean what you think she means...
>"That is, a pony can marry as many partners as he desires. The only real restriction to the law is that it only implies to stallions."
>How patriarchy.
>Not that you would get triggered so easily, if at all.
>... Right?
"Oh, really? How come?"
>Celestia must have been asked this before.
>"I am not sure if you know this already, but there are more mares in the world than there are stallions."
"What a coincidence! We also have more females than males in my home world."
>Jesus Christ, you sound like a stereotypical alien.
>"I doubt that the ratio is similar, however.  This year alone, the ratio has increased seven to one."
>7:1?!
"That's impossible!"
>"Of course it is impossible. It is completely absurd! But, here we are."
>As she says her last statement, you both approach a fountain with benches at each corner of the hedges that surround the fountain.
>Wait, did she just make a reference to Charlie & the Chocolate Factory? Is that even a book here?
>"This will make a nice place for privacy."
>You make a note to ask her about the book later.
"What about the pegasuses?"
>"Pegasi?"
>You fucking knew it!
>"I doubt any pegasus would fly over my castle without my guards stopping them first."
>Seems legit.
>"Now, on to your next challenge!"
>Of course, the reason we're even here.
>"I want you to create a permanent illusion."
>Permanent; that could be tricky.
>"With that said, please avoid mentioning permanence in your notebook. The intention is to see how long the illusion will last without your input."
>Wow, she thought ahead.
>You can't help but feel impressed.
"I'll uh, see what I can do."
>You open your notebook.
>What should you write?
>You can make yourself smarter or rich, but how can you prove something like that?  It wouldn't be real.
>You could create something instead.
>Maybe a human girlfriend?
>No, that wouldn't be fair to her, even if she isn't real.
>Your mind thinks back to Lady Amalthea.
>The thought of Celestia stabbing her again stops your mind from going back further.
>Maybe you can make one but looking more like an Equestrian pony.
>If you knew more about horses, you'd finally get the joke.
>You imagine what she would look like, but your mind thinks of a mixture of Twilight with Celestia.
>Twilight...
>You hope you can see her again.
>But she probably doesn't want to see you again.
>What a shame!  She could really use a friend, too.
>... That's it!
>You'll make a friend for Twilight!
>It has to be someone friendly, social, and outgoing.
>In other words, the exact opposite of Twilight.
>You can make her a uni-
>NO!!!
>No more unicorns!
>Maybe a pegasus.
>To make her more comfortable, this pegasus should be a girl.
>Hmm...
>You picture this pegasus looking a little too similar to Lady Am- her.
>Maybe make her mane and tail more blonde?
>C'mon, you can be more creative.
>What if her appearance resemble sweets?
>That could make her more inviting to Twilight.
>Her mane and tail could look like cotton candy... or frosting.
>Inviting... frosting...
>A party!
>Her presence could make you think of parties.
>Social, energetic, sweet, friendly, inviting, optimistic, and full of hearth.
>She'll always try to make you laugh, or at least smile.
>It even works for her butt tattoo you learned yesterday was called a "cutie mark".
>A cutie mark has to sum up a pony's talent and, to a lesser extent, personality.
>It can be birthday cake. Done!
>Wait... you doubt Twilight has a birthday everyday.
>What about a balloon? Balloons are the symbol of parties.
>But not just one balloon, a single balloon is too sad.
>But three could work.
>'Why three?'
>One's lonely, two's a couple, and three's a party.
>'Isn't three a crowd?'
>Maybe, but I like three.
>'Whatever.'
>While you're at it, you'll make her an earth pony.
>'But the wings look cute on her!'
>What do they have to do with parties, though?
>'... Earth pony is fine.'
>Almost forgot about her colour pallet.
>What's a friendly colour?
>Yellow, pink, and...
>Huh, you guess those two.
>Wasn't there a yellow and pink pony already?
>Fuck it! You'll just make her pallet one-toned.
>Pink would compliment Twilight's purple fur better than yellow could. Yellow would only contrast it.
>Besides, yellow wouldn't pop out in a crowd as much as pink would.
>Pink it is.
>Now all she needs is a name.
>Hmm...
>Surprise?
>Nah, too obvious.
>Besides, don't these ponies go by two words for names?
>Apple bloom, Apple Jack, Big Macintosh, etc.
>'That doesn't seem right.'
>Who's the brain here?
>'You are.'
>And don't you forget it.
>What should her name be?
>Surprise Party?
>Again, too obvious.
>Party Pony?
>That doesn't sound right.
>Social Sweet?
>Ehh, at least the alliteration sounds nice. You think you'll keep that in her name.
>Energetic Event?
>Who'd want to be called 'Energetic'?
>Friendly Face?
>Sounds like a serial killer.
>Sugar Sweet?
>Maybe, but there's no reference to parties.
>'Pinkie... Pie?'
>What does that have to do with parties?
>'Pies can be in parties, and it references her coat.'
>Fair point, but Sugar Sweet sounds way bet-
>'Can't you just hear me out once in a while?'
>All right, you have two sentences to convince me.
>'Even if you don't like calling her "Pinkie", you have my permission to make fun of her name.'
>That doesn't seem like a name you can easily make fun of.
>Ponko, Panka Pey, Penka Po...
>That's actually pretty fun to do.
>You still have one more sentence to convince me.
>'You could name her family after Pacman ghosts.'
>Blinky, Inky, Clyde-
>'And Sue.'
>That's technically three sentences. Sugar Sweet, it is.
>"Anonymous!"
"Hmm, what?"
>You are startled by Celestia.
>"You have been standing still and staring at nothing for about five minutes."
>You sheepishly take a seat.
"Oh, sorry. I was just brainstorming."
>"Do all humans do that?"
"I mean, anyone can if they're distracted enough.  I guess it depends.  Nevertheless, I've figured out what illusion I shall create!"
>You write on your notebook for what feels like an eternity.
>Satisfied, you check for any spelling errors.
>'Notes:'
>'Pinkie Pie'
>Damn it!
"Damn it!"
>"Something wrong, Anonymous?"
"I meant to name my creation 'Sugar Sweet', but I wrote down 'Pinkie Pie' without thinking.  But it's fine, I can just change it."
>"Are you sure? I think Pinkie Pie has a nice ring to it."
>She can't be serious.
"But, I really like Sugar Sweet.
>"Is she pink?"
"Yes."
>"Then that settles it."
>You feel like you don't have a say in the matter.
"Fine!"
>You hate yourself so much right now.
>You continue proof-reading your notes about her when you start to notice that something's missing.
"Oh great, I forgot to come up with her back-story!"
>"I think you may be thinking a bit too hard on this."
>She's probably right, but you can't seem to let this kind of important detail slip.
>"You could always write in her back-story later."
>Is that even doable?
>Only one way to find out, you guess.
"All right, let's bring Ponk to life!"
>"Pinkie."
"I know what I said."
>You begin to read aloud what you wrote about her.
>Unlike writing it like a story or an essay, you went for a trading card style.
>Her personality, talents, and hobbies were listed in bullet points.
>You even wrote in her fears just for shits and giggles.
>Once you finish, you look up to find Pink Ponk nowhere.
"Huh, I thought she would show up."
>"She did show up, she only disappeared when you finished."
>How could you forget?
"Of course, my illusions disappear when I finish!"
>You sloppily write in a back-story for the pink pony.
>You'll edit it in post, but you're not planning on reading it to the end for now, or ever.
>You write at the end, 'No pony can agree what her hair smells like.' to help you remember not to read it.
>That should do it.
>You reread what you just wrote but stop just before her rushed back-story.
>You did not want to risk accidentally saying the last sentence.
>There she is, with a smile on her face.
>She looks around at the maze before her.
>You stand up out of astonishment.
>A butterfly lands on her nose.
>You cautiously step forward.
>"Oooooohhhh!"
>You stop.
>She seems curious about the butterfly.
>You let out a breath you didn't even know you were holding.
>She kind of reminds you of Majin Buu's first rebirth on Earth.
>The butterfly flies away from her face.
>Panko is fixated on the creature leaving her.
>She turns to you with a neutral expression.
>She stares at you.
>You should probably say something.
"Uh, how...dy."
>You suddenly think about Italian cuisine for some reason.
>Your train of thought is gone as the pink one screams at you.
>But that's okay, you weren't needing your ears anyway.
>In a flash, she glomps you, forcing you to fall.
>"Oh-my-gosh-oh-my-gosh-oh-my-gosh, I-can't-believe-I'm-alive-and-you-made-me-and-I'm-your-creation! Does-that-make-you-my-dad?"
>She then makes a long, over-the-top gasp that kind of sounds reversed for some reason.
>"I-have-a-daddy! I-mean, you-already-wrote-a-dad-for-me, but-now-I-have-two-dads! That-makes-me-your-baby! Oh-thank-you, daddy!"
>With the exception of her last sentence you cannot process a word she's saying.
>Not to worry though, because now she's kissing your face all over.
>But didn't she just call you 'daddy'?
>'Nigga, this is weird!'
>Are you blushing profusely, or did someone pour a jar of marinara sauce all over your face?
>Celestia is pretty red as well, but that's because she's trying to hold back her laughter.
"Pinkie, stop kissing m-"
>Time stops instead.
>Celestia's face shifts from humoured to shock.
>Even Pinkie looks in horror at what she just did.
>Did she just kissed you-
>'Did she just kissed you-'
>"Did she just kissed you-"
>"Did-I-just-kissed-you-"
"Did you just kissed my-"
>She just kissed your lips!
>This just got really lewd really quick.
>'Nigga, this is even weirder!'
>Celestia covers her snout with her wings.
>Pinkie looks horrified at what she's done.
>You should feel absolutely disgusted.
>But...
>For whatever reason...
>You can't help but laugh.
>Maybe the tension was too much for you, you don't know.
>Both ponies stare at your reaction as if you lost your mind.
>You may have lost it when you showed up in this world.
>Nevertheless, Penka begins to snicker.
>Celestia is struggling with a smile on her face.
>Soon, they both join in on your laughter.
>Pinkie snorts in between laughs.
>Her snorts causes you to laugh harder.
>She's adorable if you ignore how fast she talks.
>You might want to edit that in your notes later.
>But right now, you just wanna get all this laughing out of your system.
>After a few minutes, you finally calm down.
>In your fit of laughter, you forgot what was so funny in the first place.
>Oh well.
"Hey, Pinkie?"
>"Yes, daddy?"
>Oh hell no!
"C-can you not call me 'daddy'?"
>"But, didn't you make me?"
>You choose your next words carefully.
"That doesn't make me your da- your father."
>Man, you must be a master at conversations.
>"Well, what does that make you; my master?"
>Oh hell nooo, to the no, no, no!
"Think of me as your..."
>Huh, what does that make you?
>You're technically her god, but you don't want her to worship you.
>What is a creator to their creation?
>If you made a robot, how would you treat them?
"... equal."
>"Equal?"
"Just because I made you, doesn't make you inferior to me. You're your own person now."
>"You mean pony?"
"Right, pony."
>Pumpkin Pie suddenly has an epiphany.
>"Does this mean I can do whatever I want?"
"Within the laws of Equestria, yes."
>She starts to shake vigorously.
>Why does your chest feel warm?
>Is her tail on fire?
>*Ziiiip*
>And off she goes, like a bottle rocket.
>*Boom*
>Followed by a fireworks show.
"What unholy deed have I just done?"
>Celestia helps you up with her magic.
>"I am growing rather fond of her."
"She's like an imaginary friend come to life. How are we supposed to control her?"
>"What do you mean 'we'?"
>Ponks the Pee floats gently down from her excitement and lands in your arms.
>"You made her, you control her."
>You look down at Punk.
>She sticks her tongue out.
>You could've sworn you heard a birthday whistle blown when she did that.
>An idea pops into your chrome-dome.
"You're right, she would have to live with me then."
>"Indeed, she would. I am glad that you understand."
"Indeed, I do. And since she'll stay with me, she'll get to experience my wonderful hugs."
>To prove your point, you give Pokie a big hug.
>Celestia feels betrayed by your actions.
>"You cannot do that!"
"But I can; she's my responsibility, after all. Who else would keep her out of trouble?"
>As you ask, you nuzzle Pinkie's hair/mane/whatever.
>She smells like strawberries, or is that cotton candy? It might be bubblegum. Or maybe it's cake. Or it could be vanil-
>'Point is, she smells heavenly.'
>Celestia is not having it one bit.
>"That is not fair!  Did you make her to make me jealous?"
>You look back up to Celestia.
"Actually, I made her to be Twilight's friend."
>Pinkie Pie suddenly does that weird gasping again.
>'Why do you stop making fun of her name sometimes?'
>It's not fun doing it all the time.
>"Oh-my-gosh, I-almost-forgot-about-Twilight! I-can't-wait-to-meet-her, I'm-so-excited! I'm-so-excited! I'm-so-..."
>You cover her mouth.
>"Mmph-mmph-mmph-mmph, mmph mmph mmph. Mmph. Mmph.. Mmph... Mmph..."
>That seemed to do the trick.
>You release your hand from her nuzzle.
"I know you're excited, Pinkie, but I don't think she's quite ready for you."
>She looks hurt by that.
>"What do you mean?  You said I was made to be her friend."
"I know I did, but she needs to get used to your energy."
>Her hair deflates, literally.  It sounds like a balloon deflating.
>"But... it's my life's purpose."
>Did her fur get darker in colour?
>Oh no, she's starting to cry.
>'Do something, faggot!'
>Right.
"It's just one of your life's purposes."
>She tilts her head in confusion.
"You're your own being; that means you have your own dreams and goals, right?"
>*sniff*
>"I guess so."
"I know so."
>Now you're getting somewhere.
"What would make you happy the most in your new life?"
>She ponders for a second before a smile starts to creep around her face.
>"I'd love to make my friend smile."
>Oh no, here we go again.
>'No, no, you can work with that.'
"What if you could have more than one?"
>Her eyes widen, more than should be physically possible.
>You make a mental note to not have the other ponies question Pinkie's antics when editing her back-story.
>"I can do that?"
"We're already friends, aren't we?"
>The inner machinations of her mind start to work at max capacity.
>"We are." *gasp* "We are!"
>*Poof*
>Her colour seems to have restored, along with her messy mane and tail.
"That's the spirit, Pinkie!"
>She jumps out of your arms.
>"Why, if I try hard enough, I could be friends with everyone!"
>She stands atop the fountain statue as she says this.
>How did she get there?
>"Pinkie, you should know that it is never a good idea to befriend anypony with malicious intent."
>It seems Celestia wants to help now.
>"Oh. Well, I could be friends with almost everyone!"
>Wow, Frankenstein would be jealous if he knew how well you are interacting with your creation.
>It's a good thing he's not alive, or real.
"It would be a challenge, but if that's what you want..."
>You walk up to the fountain.
>You raise your arms up to catch her if she jumps off.
"Then who am I to stop you?"
>Her smile is absolutely contagious.
>She looks to the horizon.
>"Look out world; here comes Pinkie Pie!"
>They grow up so fast.
"Just don't forget to be kind, caring, and considerate."
>"I can do two of those things."
>You're not quite sure you want to know which two they are.
"Can you at least try to be all?"
>She seems hesitant.
>"Ugh, fine!"
>You don't believe her.
"Promise?"
>She really doesn't seem to want to.
>"How am I supposed to promise that?"
>If she's gonna act like a child, you might as well treat her like one.
"First, you cross your heart."
>You perform the gesture to prove a point.
>Pinkie mimics your gesture with her hooves.
"Then, you hope to die by sticking a needle through your eye."
>You perform the next part of the promise.
>Pinkie winces.
>"I don't wanna do that."
"Why not?"
>"I don't wanna needle in my eye, and I definitely don't wanna die."
>You facepalm.
>This is gonna be harder than you thought.
>"May I make a suggestion?"
>You turn your neck to meet Celestia.
"Go ahead."
>"She seems to act like a young filly. Perhaps a more appropriate version of that promise would work better?"
>Do you have to?
"I'll see what I can do."
>You look back up to Pinkie.
"First cross your heart.
>You both perform the gesture.
"And hope to... fly?"
>She uses her hooves to imitate wings.
>At least progress is being made.
"Then you stick a, pie, in your eye."
>You demonstrate with a facepalm.
>"But, 'eye' already rhymes with 'fly'. Adding 'pie' would ruin the rhyming scheme."
>You are at a loss for words.
>"She's right, you know?"
>Celestia is not helping.
>"Besides, a pie would cover your whole face, not just your eye."
>She's smarter than you give her credit.
"All right then, what do you suggest to stick in your eye?"
>She sits on the top of the fountain and imitates The Thinker until a lightbulb appears in her head.
>God damn it! You made a cartoon character.
>"What about a cupcake?"
>"That could work."
>Celestia doesn't seem fazed in the slightest by the bulb floating atop her cranium.
"Fine, whatever! Cross your heart and hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in your eye."
>You get the promise over with and end up slapping your eye in the process.
>Pinkie follows and somehow doesn't hit her eye.
"There, you made a promise."
>She makes a short gasp.
>"A Pinkie Promise?"
>You have trouble finding the words to react.
"No, that's not a-"
>You try again.
"You don't even hav-"
>You give up.
"Sure."
>She yippies herself off the statue.
>You catch her just in the nick of time.
"You are a silly pony, Pinkie Pie."
>She giggles.
>"But I'm also your friend."
>You put her down.
"Very true."
>She zooms to Celestia.
>"And you're my friend, too. Right, Celestia?"
>Again, Celestia is oddly complacent of Pinkie's existence.
>Something very wrong with that horse.
>"It would be a pleasure to be your friend."
>Pinkie gives Celestia a hug at that response.
>"And soon, Twilight will be my friend."
>One of her front hooves stretches to pull you into the hug.
>"And I'll throw a huge party to celebrate our friendship."
>She is a strong hugger.
"That's, very sweet of you, Pinkie."
>You miss breathing.
>Pinkie, the merciful, releases you.  Bless her.
>"Well, that's what bein' friends is about."
>You suddenly think back to a vidja series you played in your teens.
>You consider making an illusion later to play them again.
"Oh, you have no idea."
>"I'm pretty sure I do. I kinda just said it."
"Nevermind, forget I said anything."
>"No-no-no! Tell me, please!"
>You give her a smirk.
>Celestia sits on a bench knowing where this is going.
"When you are happy with laughter to spare..."
>A chalkboard suddenly appears.
>You write a made-up equation.
"Fun is twice as fun with someone to share."
>Pinkie takes your notebook and sits next to Celestia to imitate being in class.
"When you are lonely, and full of despair..."
>You write another equation.
>Pinkie watches with antici-
"Things aren't half as bad when somebody cares."
>-pation.
>Pinkie continues scribbling after you explain the bullshit formula.
>Celestia looks at Pinkie's 'notes'.
>It's just a doodle of Pinkie holding hooves with ponies encircling the planet. There's a heart in the background.
>Celestia joins in the singing.
>"Maybe now, you have figured it out..."
>Pinkie looks to her new princess.
>"That's what bein' a friend is about!"
>Something about Celestia saying 'being' like that made you feel uncomfortable for some reason.
>"When you're looking for a shoulder you can cry on..."
>You slide in the bench.
"Won't you think about me?"
>Celestia looks to you with half-lidded eyes.
>"When you're looking for someone you can rely on..."
>Pinkie's eyes shifts between you two.
>You return her look with a wink.
"Don't you ever doubt me!"
>The three of you start to follow the rhythm of the song by bobbing your heads side-to-side with the beat.
>"I'll be there someway, somehow..."
>The three of you then engage in a group hug, closing your eyes.
>"That's what bein' friends is about!"
>"That's what bein' friends is about!"
"That's what bein' friends is about!"
>Celestia breaks the hug and gets off of the bench.
>"When you are restless, and want room to breathe..."
>She begins to walk away.
>"I will give you all the space that you need."
>She exits the center of the maze.
>"And when you're ready for my company..."
>You never thought Celestia using contractions felt off, but here you are.
>"I will come around just call on me."
>Pinkie yells for Celestia to come back.
>Celestia pops her head out at the top of the maze.
>You place your shoulder on Pinkie.
"Maybe now, you have figured it out..."
>You fix one of your ears with your free hand.
"That's what bein' a friend is about!"
>Pinkie looks guilty for hurting your ears.
>Celestia sinks back into the maze.
"When you need someone who feels the way you do..."
>Celestia pokes her head behind you both.
>"Won't you think about me?"
>She sinks down again.
"Someone who can pick you up when you are blue..."
>She sticks her head out from the side of the back entrance to the center.
>"Don't you ever doubt me!"
>Celestia trots in the tempo of the music back to the bench.
"I'll be there someway, somehow..."
>You get off of the bench, while Pinkie stands on top of it.
"That's what bein' friends is about!"
>"That's what bein' friends is about!"
>"That's what bein' friends is about!"
>A tribe of Native Americans enter the center of the maze from each entrance.
>"I'm your friend, till the end."
>Celestia walks to the Native Americans with caution.
>They chant.
>"Count on me!"
>You follow in her footsteps.
"In the sunshine and the rain, paradise and back again..."
>The tribe chants again.
"Count on me."
>The tribe continues to chant.
>Pinkie Pie follows in your footsteps.
>"Are they gonna harm us?"
"No, they're part of the song."
>Celestia turns to you.
>"Are these what other humans look like?"
"Well, they're one race of humans."
>Pinkie seems enchanted by the Native Americans.
>"How many races are there?"
"It depends on the country, skin colour, and/or religion."
>"Can I befriend them?"
"They'll disappear after the song, you know?"
>"And?"
>You've got nothing.
"Be my guest."
>She beams at you.
>That's pretty adorable.
>Pinkie goes to each tribesman.
>"Let me be a friend in need! Let me be a friend indeed!"
>They continue to chant but with smiles all around.
>"Count on me!"
>They all leave the maze.
>"Do they have to go so soon?"
>You kneel down to reach Pinkie's height.
>You are still taller than her.
"Friends come and go, but the experience you have with them never leaves."
>She gives you a light smile.
>"I hope you never leave me."
>You ruffle her hair.
"Only if you leave me first."
>She clings to your neck with her front hooves.
>"Never."
>She attaches her back legs to your torso.
>"And if you ask me, you know that it's true..."
>You pick her up.
>"There is not a thing that I wouldn't do!"
>Pinkie hops onto Celestia's back.
>"I'd follow you till the ends of the earth..."
>She zooms to the front of Celestia, bowing before her.
>"That's how much I think our friendship is worth!"
>Celestia does the knighting gesture to Pinkie's shoulders.
>Is knighting a thing here?
>You wanna be a knight!
>"Maybe now you have figured it out..."
>You lean on Celestia's shoulder's(?).
"That's what being a friend is about!"
>Celestia wraps her wing around you.
>"When there's something that you just don't understand..."
>Pinkie looks between you and Celestia.
>It's hard to tell with her fur if she's blushing or not.
>"Won't you think about me?!"
You stick your hand out to Pinkie's face.
"I'll be more than glad to lend a helping hand!"
>She takes your hand to pick herself up.
>"Don't you ever doubt me!"
>She starts to bounce around you and Celestia to the beat of the music.
>"I'll be there someway, somehow..."
"I'll be there someway, somehow..."
>The rose-coloured pony bounces one last time, landing between you and the Princess.
>"That's what bein' friends is about!"
"That's what bein' friends is about!"
>"That's what bein' friends is about!"
>You signal the two horses to follow you as you decide to leave the maze.
>Oh wait, your notebook.
>*Snatch*
>Pinkieus Piekus leads the way.
>"I'll be there someway, somehow..."
>You run to catch up to them.
"That's what bein' friends is about!"
>"That's what bein' friends is about!"
>"That's what bein' friends is about!"
>The environment around you three gets darker.
>Oh fuck! You forgot the song keeps going.
>The last time you played this part to your younger cousins, one of them had nightmares for a couple of days.
>You haven't played this part since.
>Only good things can come from this.
>A pony-like shadow emerges from the ground.
>It seems to be wearing a helmet.
>"Tell me all your secrets..."
>More shadow figures rise from the floor.
>They surround the three of you, singing in la's.
>Celestia looks horrified at the pony before her.
>You stand between the figure and Celestia, forcing the latter to stare at you.
"I will swear to keep them."
>The figure in question evaporates as she joins the other shadows in their la's.
>Another figure behind Celestia walks up to her.
>"Let me know your problem..."
>You notice that all the shadow ponies are wearing armour.
>They also seem to have reptilian eyes. Creepy.
>Pinkie seems to have joined in on the la's. She must be enjoying herself.
>You walk to the figure, staring down at the figure.
"I will help you solve them."
>Another evaporation, another round of la's, another figure stepping towards Celestia.
>This figure seems to have wings enclosed on their sides.
>"When your heart is aching..."
>Celestia expression changes from horrified to melancholic, as she stares down to nothingness.
>The la's are starting to get to you.
>You hug her highness, shielding her from the figure.
"I will stop it breaking!"
>The good news is that half of the figures are gone. The bad news is that the la's are still going.
>Another figure steps, walks from Celestia's side to her front.
>You notice it has a feminine physique similar to the Princess.
>"When you are in danger..."
>You are getting sick of the la's.
>You punch the figure in the face.
"I am your guardian angel."
>It dissipates before you.  Good.
>Just a little longer.
>This figure raises her head up, bringing attention to her horn.
>"Who will stand beside you?"
>Pinkie is the one to stop her this time, pushing the figure away.
>You'd thank her if she wasn't still la'ing.
"Be the one to guide you."
>And then there was one.
>The moon rises behind the last figure.
>The pieces all fit together.
"Nightmare Moon."
>"When your dreams are crumbling..."
>You and Pinkamena look to each other before nodding in agreement.
>You both rush to Nightmare, Pinkie still singing in la's.
"Call me, I'll come running!"
>Fuck it, you decide to join in on the la's.
>As you both pull your front appendages back for a punch, the figure shifts it's shape into a pony you've never seen before.
>Her fur was a dark shade of blue.
>She was taller than the average pony, yet shorter than Celestia.
>She wore a tiara, a breastplate, and heels.
>She evaporates as she sings the last line of the song.
>"That's what friends are all about."
>And just like that, she's gone.
>You turn to Celestia.
"Who was tha-"
>She's laying on the ground.
>ohfug.jpg
>You sprint to her, lifting her up.
>Pinkie is enamored by your 'strength'.
>How familiar.
"I gotta take her back to the kingdom! See if you can ask a maid to bring her tea in the throne room."
>You walk past your creation, carrying the princess over your shoulder.
>She salutes you before zooming past you to the castle.
>"Aye-aye, Cap'n!"
>'Atta girl.
>As you walk back to the castle, you look up to the sky.
>It's still nighttime.
>You haven't been in the garden for that long, have you?
>No, you didn't eat lunch yet.
>The night must be an illusion, correct?
>But the song is over.  So why hasn't it turn back to day yet?
>When Celestia recovers, you're gonna bombard her with questions.