Babysitting with ponies

     It's been a couple of days since I have babysitted Chrysalis, and I am mighty happy. I now have fifty dollars in my pocket. Hopefully Queen Pupa spread the word about me nicely. The phone on the wall starts ringing. 'Is that a new client?' When I pick up the phone, I hear a tired female voice. 'Seems about she is a housemare of three.'

     "Mrs. Rogers?" The voice drones. "I need you to babysit my youngest daughter Pinkie Pie. Her other sisters are too busy with there jobs right now so that they have no time to care for her. My husband and I have to go to an important rock convention this night. Could you watch Pinkie?"

     "Of course ma'm, and may I ask what job your whole family does?"

     "Rock farming." Oh. As she gave me instructions I noticed that's it is on the other side on Ponyville from where I live. That should be easy enough to bike to. As I was riding to the other side of town, ponies were waking around and gawking at me. I guess ponies haven't seen a bicycle before. Besides, the vehicle is for bipedal animals only. A couple foals and their mothers trotted up to me.

     "Hello Samantha." A white and pink unicorn was the first to speak to me. "I'm Velvet Sparkle, I was wondering if you could babysit my daughter Twilight Sparkle. She would be so happy." Pupa DID spread the word!

     "I would love to, but right now I have a job to do." I waved as I biked faster through the town. The farther I rode from town, the more dead and barren the land looked. By the time I reached my destination, the land looked like it had been struck by a nuke. Everywhere it was grey. The sky was grey. The ground and rocks were gray. Even myself and the ponies were grey!

     Man, is it winter already? Shivering, I approach an elderly mare and stallion talking to a horse-drawn taxi. "Good, your here. PINKAMENA DIANE PIE! Get your lazy butt here now!" A dull pink filly with strait hair walked around a corner carrying dull purple rocks.

     "He-Hello... Ms. Rogers," she mumbled. Pinkie's head was smacked by her mother. "You idiot! Speak clearly and look at the kind human when you are addressing her." The mom turned to me. "I'm sorry for her rude behavior. I'm still teaching her... some manners." She glared harshly at the nervous Pinkie.

     "Go ahead, please take her. Remember, don't be afraid to punish her if she misbehaves." The parents hopped onto the taxi and drove away without looking back. 'The poor filly...'

     "C'mon, let's leave then." I carry the silently crying filly to my basket on the bike. "Bye Inkie... Bye Blinky..." Pinkie called weakly. I followed her gaze to two older fillies groaning under the strain of rock carts they were pulling. Inkie and Blinky didn't even acknowledge their youngest sister. We rode away quickly; I didn't want to be in this gloomy place any longer.

     Instead of odd looks at my bike, ponies across town were giving me angry looks. They thought I was responsible! My eyes soon told them it wasn't me that  was causing Pinkie's misery.

     Pinkie was in my wire basket staring at the moving cobblestone and dirt floor. I gave her a sympathetic smile. "Pinkie, please look at me. It's going to be okay." As soon as the town starting regaining it's color, the filly managed to look up. 'She's warming up already.'

     As we arrived at my house, it starting snowing. I leaned my bike against my porch while the pink pony hopped out. She stalled a bit when I opened the door, so I had to lightly nudge her in. I turned on the lights. It was good to be home. Suddenly my eyes adverted to the shivering filly. I know what this calls for!

      Pinkie followed me to my living room. I carefully lit a match and placed it on some firewood I recently chopped up. I sighed as I flopped onto my couch. Pinkie walked up close to my fireplace and slowly stopped shivering. I quickly rushed to one of my closets and grabbed a red blanket, which I wrapped it around Pinkie's body.

     I knew the perfect thing that would lift any spirits. "Would you like some hot chocolate?" As soon as she nodded her head, I went into the kitchen. Hmm... Pinkie Pie needs something special. I placed two of my favorite toppings inside her mug. "Perfect." I passed a mug filled with hot chocolate milk, (It's awesome living on a farm. You have the freshest milk you can get.) whipped cream, and marshmallows.

     Pinkie took a tiny sip before rearing back. "Oh silly, it's hot. You have to wait. Here, let me help you." After blowing on her mug for a while, the filly gulped it down greedily. "So... how was it?" She didn't speak, but by the grin on her face, this was the best day she ever had. Was it me, or is her hair frizzing up? "Samantha?"

     "Yes baby?"

     "Your the bestest friend I ever had." Pinkie had whipped cream all over her face and it formed a mustache and beard. Before I could get a napkin, the earth pony licked all of the cream fairly quick with her tongue. Her hair was frizzing up!  The filly's hair by now looked like someone dumped cotton candy on her head and tail. Her coat was also a brighter shade of pink, almost pepto bismol color.

     I plopped her right beside me. She was too exhausted to have any fun at the moment. Oh well, we can try tomorrow. I grabbed a book from the nearest shelf. "'The Runaway Rainbow.' Pinkie, would you like me to read it?" She only managed a yawn before resting her head on my lap.

     The story was a little darker than I thought. A group of ponies had to catch a runaway rainbow before all color would be drained from the land. As I read the story, Pinkie falls asleep on my lap, and soon my eyes drooped.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

     Pinkie's eyes opened to my giant head. "Hello Pinkie! Are you ready to have fun?!"

     "Well... it's been such a long time since I had fun. Mostly I carry rocks from one field to another. If I don't make the quota for the day, I don't eat dinner and mommy slaps me." This poor pony doesn't deserve such a terrible family. I wish I could sweep her away, but I don't have a lawyer for me to take full custody. I guess I will make her life worth while.

     "Pinkie stay here for a moment. I need to get some supplies. Help yourself to the refrigerator." When I returned to the house, it was still in order. Except the kitchen. Everywhere food scraps and wrappers littered the floor. Wrappers? My candy!

     The earth pony was currently gorging, but when she heard me enter the room she shrunk back. "Don't punish me! I'm so sorry! It's just that it's been a long time since I had a good meal. Don't tell mommy! I don't want to be chained up in the bedroom again!" I was stroking the wailing filly.

     "Why would I ever do that?"

     "Well... (Sniff) this happened once with another babysitter. Instead of candy, it was apples. While you were comforting me, she punished me like mommy asked her to. She tied me up in her basement and hit a whip across my back." Pinkie showed me her back. It was hard to see at first, but I could see tiny lines streaked across her spine.

     "Just when I was bleeding from everywhere, she stopped. She said when I am a foal, I have only so much skin, and can tolerate so much pain. Next time she would babysit me, I would be big enough for her to punish me more. I was supposed to go to her yesterday, but the babysitter was in Trottingham." I was in a lost for words of what just happened.

     I brought her real close to me. "Don't worry. I know a way to protect you. But first, open the box. Let us remember the good times." When she opened it, she gasped in surprise. Inside the package were balloons, streamers, and everything a party would need.

     "You spent all this money... just to make me happy?" I tied some balloons around her waist so she started floating.

     "All parties are celebrated for a special occasion. This occasion is you being with me. Let's go Pinkie. We're going to spruce this place up." We threw confetti everywhere as we partied hard. I gave Pinkie the rest of my candy. She deserved it. After three hours of nonstop partying, the phone rang. Literally, everything stopped.

     I placed a hand on Pinkie's shoulder. "I'm sorry, but it's time to go home." With that statement, the earth pony's hair immediently straitened out and took on a duller sheen. The mother demanded that I returned her daughter.

     "She still has her chores to do, not to mention the daily quota. Besides, you were supposed to bring her home to hours ago!" The mother said nothing like that. "And you keeping her longer distracts her from her job. I nearly called the cops because I thought that you would take her away from me. Everyone under my authority needs a punishment. Your's will be that you receive 25% of your original pay."

     I actually need that money to eat and pay my bills! "Pinkie, C'mon. I don't want to be later than I already am."

     "But... but... I don't want to go." The earth pony started clinging to my leg. I scooped her up before whispering. "Shhhh... I have a plan."

     As soon as we arrived on the colorless farm, the mom was tapping her foot impatiently. She grabbed Pinkie's ear with her mouth. "You are two hours late. You hear me?! TWO HOURS LATE! AND YOU!" Her voice was dripping with bloodlust as she stomped up to me. "It's your fault that she is late. I never should have hired you. I'm going to make sure you're never taking care of a foal again."

     That was the final straw. I batted a hoof coming towards me away. "You're the one blaming me? Back where I come from, we lock up ponies who abuse their children. Look at you! You're a disgrace to your species. And if you lay another hoof wrong on this poor defenseless filly, I'm getting a lawyer and pounding your face into the ground."

     My ranting was enough to shut her up. She stared furiously at me before spitting near my shoes. "Fine. Just get of my farm now."

     This whole time, Pinkie was watching me with amazement plastered on her face. I bent down to her face. "Remember from the story, 'After we find the special rainbow, color will be restored.'" I needed her to have hope in something. A rainbow was an obvious choice. I kissed her on the forehead before the father could come out with a shotgun.

     Just before I reached my house, a white light blinded me. Those were my last thoughts as everything went dark.