Has the newly discovered Pinkie clone earned the right to live?

[Truffles 2,033]

The subject pretty much says it all - has this Pinkie clone earned the right to exist in Equestria and not get sent back to the Mirror Pool, or murdered by Twilight, or whatever you may believe happened to all of them at the end of "Too Many Pinkie Pies."

 

She's managed to stay undetected, either because she lives in so much fear of getting zapped by now Princess Twilight Sparkle (I'm sure she was overjoyed when she heard about her ascension) or because she managed to gain enough of a personality beyond shouting "Fun, fun, fun" all the time and can actually fit in with society as a whole?

 

Or should the notion of a clone be considered an abomination and anything that is created with dark magic (I'm not sure if the Mirror Pool really is dark magic or not, but for the sake of argument let's say it is) is undeserving of existing no matter how good its intentions may be at this time? Would it be fair to the real Pinkie if there was still a clone of her running around, potentially causing problems for her reputation?

 

I read back over the "Too Many Pinkie Pies" episode comments, and even when it was just the shallow one-note Pinkie clones getting zapped it made some viewers uncomfortable with what Twilight was doing.

 

I suppose if this Pinkie clone was responsible for some heinous crimes or something, the decision would be easy. But if she is simply existing, is that enough of an affront on nature to make her deserve to no longer exist?

 

BTW, that was the funniest moment in the episode for me - and most surprising. At least it was on the surface until I started to think about the ramifications of what to do with her should Twilight suddenly walk into the diner. If there is a season 7, I hope they come back and revisit this nifty little Pandora's box they opened.

 

From episode 9 of season 6; "The Saddle-Row Review."

 

 

 

Edited June 2, 2016 by PathfinderCS

[Jeric 46,834]

My headcanon is that it is actually a Changeling ... the clone joke was placed there to draw us off the writers scent.

[ManaMinori 4,143]

I don't understand the mindset that people have about Twilight straight up murdering the clones. Firdt, she said s sh e was sending them back into the mirror pool. And we saw this, with the pink energy going back into it, with the clones.

 

Every clone came from the pool's pulling them from parallel AU's, so rightly they all deserve go live

[Unlikeable Pony 2,698]

The subject pretty much says it all - has this Pinkie clone earned the right to exist in Equestria and not get sent back to the Mirror Pool, or murdered by Twilight, or whatever you may believe happened to all of them at the end of "Too Many Pinkie Pies."

 

She's managed to stay undetected, either because she lives in so much fear of getting zapped by now Princess Twilight Sparkle (I'm sure she was overjoyed when she heard about her ascension) or because she managed to gain enough of a personality beyond shouting "Fun, fun, fun" all the time and can actually fit in with society as a whole?

 

Or should the notion of a clone be considered an abomination and anything that is created with dark magic (I'm not sure if the Mirror Pool really is dark magic or not, but for the sake of argument let's say it is) is undeserving of existing no matter how good its intentions may be at this time? Would it be fair to the real Pinkie if there was still a clone of her running around, potentially causing problems for her reputation?

 

I read back over the "Too Many Pinkie Pies" episode comments, and even when it was just the shallow one-note Pinkie clones getting zapped it made some viewers uncomfortable with what Twilight was doing.

 

I suppose if this Pinkie clone was responsible for some heinous crimes or something, the decision would be easy. But if she is simply existing, is that enough of an affront on nature to make her deserve to no longer exist?

 

BTW, that was the funniest moment in the episode for me - and most surprising. At least it was on the surface until I started to think about the ramifications of what to do with her should Twilight suddenly walk into the diner. If there is a season 7, I hope they come back and revisit this nifty little Pandora's box they opened.

 

 

I like to think that the clones began as non-sentient but COULD develop sentience if given time.

 

Like if you had a robot with a learning mode enabled: At the start, its non-sentient and destroying it isn't evil because its still an unfeeling machine. But, given time and the proper circumstances, it COULD learn to think and feel and become truly sentient.

 

A good example would be the black mages from FF9: Most of them are mindless and just "dolls". But some snap into sentience and become fully self aware living beings. Killing the mindless ones isn't evil since they're still not sentient beings.

[ManaMinori 4,143]

I like to think that the clones began as non-sentient but COULD develop sentience if given time.

Like if you had a robot with a learning mode enabled: At the start, its non-sentient and destroying it isn't evil because its still an unfeeling machine. But, given time and the proper circumstances, it COULD learn to think and feel and become truly sentient.

A good example would be the black mages from FF9: Most of them are mindless and just "dolls". But some snap into sentience and become fully self aware living beings. Killing the mindless ones isn't evil since they're still not sentient beings.

they can walk, talk, process info and learn, show some semblance of emotion and awareness, and they're not sentient

Wtfudge?

[Unlikeable Pony 2,698]

they can walk, talk, process info and learn, show some semblance of emotion and awareness, and they're not sentient

Wtfudge?

We've made AI's that can talk and process info and learn too, but they're not sapient.

Also, I need to correct myself, I said Sentient, I should have said sapient in place of sentient there.

Edited May 22, 2016 by Unlikeable Pony

[Fhaolan 4,468]

Of course, having Pinkie clones still wandering around might explain some things. There's no guarantee that at any given point in time we're seeing the original Pinkie on screen. 

[Cwanky 17,445]

Honestly I thought that dancer was a Pinkie clone trying to hide away.

 

[Jeric 46,834]

Of course, having Pinkie clones still wandering around might explain some things. There's no guarantee that at any given point in time we're seeing the original Pinkie on screen.

So the Pinkie that pissed everyone off when she made Fluttershy cry in Filly Vanilli was a clone?

 

Headcanon Accepted!

[BlackWater627 700]

 

 

Honestly I thought that dancer was a Pinkie clone trying to hide away.

Oh. My. Celestia....  

 

If Pinkie clone is real then she has every right to proceed unbothered.  Personally, I'm hoping it's a changeling and we're gearing up for a return of Chrysalis. 

[Jeric 46,834]

There is actually a pretty good fanfic about this I read once. Pinkie Clone survives the zapping and evolved from mindless 'Fun fun fun' to a unique personality.

[Unlikeable Pony 2,698]

Honestly I thought that dancer was a Pinkie clone trying to hide away.

 

Nothing saying she isn't!

 

one pinkie escaping implies more escaped after all ;p

[pony.colin 156]

I kept gawking at this and thinking, 'wow, the animators went there'.

 

That scene was a mix of hilarious dark comedy all again. Well, it was more like referencing 'too many pinkie pies' but seriously. WHAT IS THAT OTHER PINKIE DOING THERE?!

 

I'm not bothered by this at all though. I was just thinking about whether this was going to be a visual gag (which would suck). Or if they were legitimately acknowledging that there is a possibility of a Pinkie clone that didn't get sent back to the mirror pool.

 

In response to OP about 'earning the right' I feel that this would be a very complex matter. I'm too tired to look into it on a technical level, but the point would be, YES, let her roam free. If she's escaped and we've never noticed, and if she's really sapient, THEN LET HER RUN FREE. Away from the murderering princess of Friendship. 

 

And then we can have an episode about this clone's self-awareness, existential-crisis, enlightenment 

 

Well I can hope at least. Hey they brought it up. 

Edited May 22, 2016 by pony.colin

[powerpuff-tsubasa 447]

she should have the right to find another place to live by herself. it would be awkward if there are two pinkies living in there

[Sunny Fox 5,929]

Since the first mirror-copy that Pinkie created showed every sign of true emotional distress after only a while, I don't see why one can't claim a mirror-copy that escaped and has been experiencing different things couldn't develop into a unique pony, and therefore has as much a right to live as Pinkie herself does. The upshot is that, basically, Pinkie is now twins... which means...

 

[ChikaChan 7,320]

That Pinkie clone better have the right to live ^w^ or ELSE!!!!!! Dx

Edited May 22, 2016 by Princess-Moonlight

[Justin_Case001 4,855]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again:

 

There's been a sixth day violation in Ponyville.

 

 

This was a pretty mindblowing move.  First, I'd just like to start by unpacking the lore a bit here.  My initial reaction to seeing the clone was "CONTINUITY ERROR!", but after thinking about it for just a few seconds, I realized that it isn't at all.  Obviously, one (or more) of the clones could have escaped at any time throughout that episode, and nopony would have had any way of knowing.  They only assumed that they got 'em all.  Nopony even knew how many there were.  They had no way of knowing.  So, yeah, this is completely plausible.  And if the clone actually moved to Manehattan, it would even be plausible that nopony recognized her there, which explains why no one knew about this.

 

So, it seemed to me that a clone was slightly less intelligent that the original, which means that when a clone is cloned, it becomes stupider still, and on and on until you had that mindless mass of "fun" Pinkies.  It's like making a photo copy, then making another copy from the copy, again and again until it's illegible.  Fun fact: this phenomenon, on a cellular level, is the sole reason why aging occurs.  The point I'm eventually meandering towards is that the clone in Manehattan is probably a direct copy of the original, (possibly the first), and thus, is fairly intelligent.  It's also fair to theorize that the clones have the capacity to learn and evolve as well.  I don't see why they wouldn't, they just wouldn't have the same base potential.  But in the case of the first copies, the difference would be negligible after awhile.  So, it seems to me that this Pinkie does indeed have the right to live.  I wasn't really aware that there were any ethical dilemmas in the fandom surrounding the destruction of the clones, but in my opinion, it just wouldn't have been acceptable in any way to leave that many (very stupid) Pinkies running around, most of them causing havoc.  But today's Pinkie has obviously carved out an existence.  Since she's survived this long (~3 years, give or take?), it goes without saying that she would have developed the same sort of facets of existence we all do: an identity, a sense of self, connections, and more than likely, friends.  She probably has a job in Manehattan.  She certainly deserves to live.  I doubt she's going to cause any trouble for anypony, and I don't think the original Pinkie's reputation is in danger.  I'd say the ending of The Sixth Day is very relevant here.  Each Pinkie should just go her own way and live her own life.

 

One other quick note--this actually opens up some very interesting story opportunities, though I highly doubt we will ever see or hear of this again.  Just file this away next to Fluttershy's bat fang and The Pony of Shadows.  (Though I guess that was probably Tirek?  So maybe case closed on that one.)

 

I also like the headcanon that this Pinkie was in fact a changeling.  Very intriguing.  But why impersonate Pinkie specifically?  Is it because Chrysalis knew about the Mirror Pond incident, so she figured that if her operative was seen, it would be assumed that she was an escaped clone and not a changeling?  Now I'm really getting out there.

[Sunny Fox 5,929]

I don't like the term "clone", personally. They're copies. Clones are a product of science, the Pinkie copies are a product of magic.

 

PS - Yes, I know it doesn't change anything, but I have to keep my Pedant's License somehow...

[Concerned Bystander 2,901]

This dilemma reminds me of an episode of 'The Outer Limits' called 'Think like a dinosaur'.  In that episode, a dinosaur-like alien species are teaching humans how to use their teleportation technology.  Of course 'real' teleportation is seemingly impossible, so rather than being a Star Trek style transporter, this technology works more like a fax machine, creating an exact duplicate of the subject at the receiving end.

 

The final part of the process, is to 'balance the equation' upon receipt of successful transmission, by destroying the original.  Obviously only one can be allowed to exist.  During the course of this process, a problem occurs, and no Rx acknowledgement is received, the teleportation subject is released from the machine, although is confined to the facility until such time as the problem is resolved.  The man who is working with the aliens spends time with her over the next few days and grows fond of her.

 

However, he is eventually informed that the transmission was successful, and that he must now 'balance the equation'.

 

My actual point is that just like the woman in that program, this other Pinkie's path has diverged from the original's, making her an individual, distinct and separate entity with her own thoughts and experiences.  Of course this alone doesn't mean that she automatically retains the right to exist.  After all, matter and energy cannot simply be created from nothing, they had to come from somewhere, and so the copy's presence represents an anomaly somewhere.  And depending where that anomaly occurred, would dictate whether or not there would be long term implications to her continued existence, and whether or not she should be sought out in order to 'balance the equation'.

 

Not that MLP would tackle such a thing but it would make a great episode for Twilight to discover some kind of dangerous spacial rift growing in the Everfree Forest and to ascertain that it was caused by the existence of the Pinkie copy, and so they have to seek her out and balance the equation, but naturally, when the meet her and find out how much she has grown intellectually and emotionally, Twilight finds that she can't simply banish her and has to find some other way.

 

Looks like I have an idea for a fanfic.

[Leere 8,290]

If she has done nothing wrong and was able to development a personality than i don't see any reason why she should live.

[cmarston1 5,951]

Well this is a very dark question when it regards to a show like MLP FIM.

Personally I found the reference to Too Many Pinkie Pies to be quite funny and a nice addition to the episode.

But I like to believe that second Pinkie Pie was a changeling in disguise.

Hopefully Chrysalis and the changelings return in the finale.

[Buck Testa 5,503]

Honestly I thought that dancer was a Pinkie clone trying to hide away.

 

 

Hmm....it could happen. Man this is like some super good fanfic fuel right here. The Clones of Pinkie trying to find a place in the world after their kind was utterly massacred by the now Princess of Friendship. 

[thewookie5 11]

Pinkie herself creates 2 clones. And if there is some kind of deterioration caused by clones creating new one, then it is extremely possible that the 2 which were copies of the base Pinkie would of been smart and capable enough to get away and reinvent themselves.

 

The 1st clone I'll call Pinkie 2, actually showed signs for actual competence aside from basic "fun" related emotions. Upon realizing the other clones were causing a nuisance she may have decided to flee before her "friends" would try to fix the problem. Along the way she'd come across Pinkie 3, the other direct copy, and decide to set off together for needs of support in trying to become a "pony"

 

Pinkie 3 is a bit less refined since she didn't experience quite the same immediate mental exercise thus if Pinkie 2 is 95% of Pinkie, Pinkie 3 is more like 85 to 90% and retained a bit more of the FUN basis of being. Thus she becomes a dancer, dyes her mane reddish, and uses her party pony background for dance related activities. Pinkie 2 is the closest to the original but is a tad more paranoid about what happened so she avoided party related careers and became some type of journalist. She'd be organized enough and seems rather smart so it'd be very possible. Thus the pair head to Manehattan to start anew. 

 

 

 

Pinkie Pie, the original, does know who they are in the episode but decides not to do anything since they are living their own lives now. She may have even known the one was behind her the whole time.

[Trinitron Keys 89]

Gods, this is like what happened to Peter Parker once.

 

Dark question: What if the accepted Pinkie is a clone...and THAT OTHER ONE'S the original Pinkie?

[Luminance 2,181]

I've concluded that the clone in the diner is smart enough as the original Pinkie. She's dressed mysteriously in a matter where her existence may conflict with her original self and others so she'll had to stay low and avoid detection from the real Pinkie pie. Clearly the clone is self aware and probably runs her own separate life in Manehattan or any other place besides Ponyville. She have to change her name and maybe her personality to appear anonymous enough to not blow her cover.