Hour of Twilight

Twilight, Trixie, and H.R. walked into Underground, the most popular club in the Hive, west of Ponyville, after Twilight dropped off the ashes of the assassin in her quarters (Luna and the Crystal Hound had gone to talk with their Changeling and Diamond Dog advisors, respectively, and Twilight had left Midnight Rumble with Crimson Dawn to protect the newborn filly). The reason the three of them were there was because Trixie, in her own words, 'needed a drink' after Twilight told her all that had happened to her since Trixie had left (minus the part about Twilight killing Celestia and Luna. She let Trixie believe that it was still a gryphonian assassin), and the sheer amount of things Twilight had gone through had left Trixie (mostly) speechless.

Upon entering, they were greeted by the singing voice of Rarity's younger sister, Sweetie Belle (Who was technically the legal age (18) to work at a club/bar like Underground, even if her sister didn't like it) as she finished her cover of Paradise Lost by Sympony X (A somber song, very appropriate for everypony who was in the club, seeing as how they were hiding for their lives).

As the three ponies sat down at a table, the owner of the club, Vinyl Scratch, came out and announced that she was going to start playing something a little more upbeat. As the heavy bass of the electronic music reverberated through her body, Twilight looked around the club, trying to spot any potential threats. What she saw instead was a little surprising, but not much. Sitting by herself in a corner booth, Twilight saw Pinkie Pie slowly sipping on an Appletini. This wouldn't have been so abnormal if Pinkie's hair was it's usual bouncy self, but right now it was perfectly straight, indicating that she was sad about something right now.

Worried about her friend, Twilight teleported over to Pinkie and sat down next to her. Pinkie didn't even notice Twilight, she was so absorbed in her thoughts (Or the Appletini, which was an amusing shade of pale pink), until Twilight gently nudged her.

"Oh. Hey Twilight," Pinkie's voice was a shot of depression and longing, on the rocks (Meaning she spoke with low volume, and the sort of cold feeling you get from depressed people), "When did you get here?"

"Pinkie. What's wrong?" Twilight's voice was full of concern for her friend, whom Twilight hadn't seen so sad since the Pinkie Copies incident, "And don't try to tell me nothing."

"Am I annoying, Twilight?"

The question caught Twilight off-guard, and her response wasn't fast enough to make Pinkie believe it, "Of course not, Pinkie. Why would you think that?"

"Don't lie to spare my feelings, Twilight. I can tell you think I'm annoying. What is it about me that's so annoying?"

"Pinkie, there is nothing annoying about you. Why do you think you're annoying all of a sudden?"

As if the just the thought was painful, Pinkie started to sob as she spoke, making it almost impossible to understand what she was saying. Out of everything she said, Twilight only understood two words: Rainbow Dash.

Twilight interrupted Pinkie, "That's it. Come with me. I'm going to see if we can cheer you up."

"What do you mean, we?" Pinkie asked as Twilight led her back to the table Trixie and H.R. were sitting at.

"Me and the ponies I came here with," Twilight explained as her and Pinkie sat down, "I'm sure you remember Trixie"

"Greetings, Pinkie Pie. Trixie hopes that you get to feeling better soon, if the state of your mane are any hint as to how you feel."

Pinkie was surprised by the amount of caring in Trixie's voice, and was unable to speak as more tears came to her eyes.

"And this quiet stallion is High Roller, though I've taken to calling him H.R.'

H.R. spoke, though his voice was noticeably different, "Pinkie and I already know each other"

Pinkie stiffened up at the voice from her past, "Is it really you?" She asked as she turned to face H.R..

Before their eyes, H.R.'s coat changed from solid black to the blue of his mane, and his mane turned a dark green, while his Cutie Mark changed to a deck of cards, and his eyes turned a pale Magenta.

"It is you," Pinkie said after H.R.'s transformation was complete. But Pinkie's mood quickly changed from surprise to anger, and her voice reflected it as she yelled at him, "HOW COULD YOU LEAVE ME AND YOUR UNBORN FILLY?! WHY DID YOU LEAVE?!"

Ponies' heads were turning at the loud yelling, but seeing who was involved in the conversation, they quickly turned their heads back around.

H.R. just accepted the yelling, knowing he deserved it and more, "Pinkie, I know it was wrong to leave you, and I know that it is unforgivable, but please just try to listen to why I did what I did." H.R.'s voice was perfectly calm, betraying no emotions he may be feeling.

"I did not want to leave you, but I had to, to keep you safe. As you've no doubt figured out by now, I'm a Changeling. At the time, I was on an assignment from my mother, and if she found out I had sired a foal with a normal pony, she would have had you killed, and I didn't want to see you harmed in any way."

Pinkie didn't know how to respond, because she had never known any of this (Nopony did, except H.R.). Instead she silently nodded.

H.R. continued, "This doesn't mean I was never there for you. I've been watching over you since you told me, keeping you safe and making sure you could keep going from day to day. I'm the one who convinced the judge to allow you to be in the same town as our daughter, and the one who hung the Help wanted sign for Sugarcube Corner where you would see it, because I knew you loved baking. I also paid the hospital bill for your birthing, and any other medical bills you or Scootaloo may have had over the years, because we both know our daughter is prone to reckless actions that, more often than not, end in her injuring herself."

What none of the group knew was that, in the week since they had been to Underground, Scootaloo had started working there, and she happened to be walking by when H.R. said that. Looking closely at the quiet Pegasus, Scootaloo saw that she had his eyes.

Knowing she was serving ponies who were waiting for their drinks, Scootaloo promised to herself to find Pinkie and this mysterious pony who claimed to be her father after her shift ended.