Because You
By iDash
“Pinkie Pie, you need to leave. I just- I need a break right now.”
Those were the last words that Pinkie could remember Rarity saying. There was a lot of talking- if you could call it that- before it, but that was the first thing that Pinkie actually heard, and also the last. She couldn’t even remember what the argument was about, only how it ended. And she remembered it so clearly, standing there in Carousel Boutique and hearing those words.
The two hadn’t been together for that long- six months at the most- and things were already starting to get… tense between the couple. They had been so happy at first, but as of late, things between them seemed to always end in arguments. Pinkie just didn’t know what was wrong most of the time and just tried to laugh it off, while Rarity tried time and time again to just get her to listen.
The truth was, Rarity simply couldn’t handle Pinkie. The prim and proper mare, no matter how much time she spent with her just couldn’t get used to her. All the parties, all that energy, all that excitement, non-stop. Sometimes it was all too much… Actually, it had gotten to the point where she was sure that nopony could handle her.
Rarity tried to hide it, but no matter how hard she tried, Pinkie would notice it every time. That slight wince every time somepony so much as mentioned a party. That twitch in her smile as she struggled to enjoy them. That subtle grimace every time she saw the color pink….
Pinkie Pie, though, wanted anything but to admit that something was wrong. Believe it or not, she was a sensitive mare, and thus took most things Rarity said to heart. Those words, they scared her. Sure, they seemed harmless on their own, with no meaning behind them, but she feared what they might lead to.
She didn’t want to acknowledge it, but nevertheless, it was all too possible.
After those last words, Pinkie fell silent and stared at Rarity for a moment trying to read her expression, but the mare wouldn’t meet her gaze.
Pinkie looked down after a bit. “Okay,” she said quietly- much quieter than Rarity was expecting. And, with a sad smile, she left the boutique without another word.
And so now, she walked, without rhyme or rhythm, without a true destination. She just walked and walked. She didn’t know how much time had passed since she’d left, but it was rather hard to keep track while she was so lost in her own thoughts.
Pinkie had made sure stay on the outskirts, taking back roads and alleys, to avoid every other pony on the street asking her what was wrong. For now, she just needed to be alone. As she walked on and on, the soft clip-clop of her hooves was the only sound that echoed in her ears. The sound transitioned from that of cobblestone, to gravel, to grass, then to stone.
The next time she looked up, she found herself in a familiar place. In her thoughtful state, she had arrived at the rock fields just outside of Ponyville, the same ones where Rarity searched for her gems. It was enough out of the way to be safe from the diamond dogs and still be quite plentiful. The craggy, slate gray rocks held their own natural beauty while gems would occasionally jut out of the ground here and there.
Pinkie, despite herself, put on a small smile. Recently, she had taken to helping Rarity in her searches. The earth pony knew more about gems and the like than she let on. After all, being a rock farmer had its perks.
She would tag along with Rarity even before they were together. Every moment that the pink mare spent with her, or even around her, made her that much happier. That smile that would appear on the fashionista’s face every time she dug up a shining diamond would just melt her heart.
Her small smile was quick to disappear, though. As she continued into the rock field, memories of earlier that day returned. She recalled the last thing the fashionista had said.
“I need a break right now.”
Pinkie’s frown grew deeper and her head sank lower while her worries rose. She began to walk a little faster. Thoughts and worries rushed through her mind. What would Rarity say to her when she came back? What did she mean by “break”? What if- what if Rarity didn’t want to be with her anymore?
The world almost seemed to darken just a bit as she continued to trot faster. She wouldn’t break up with her, would she? No, everything was going to be just fine… right? Pinkie began to hyperventilate while she blindly made her way deeper and deeper into the fields. Everything was starting to get darker even as the sun shone just as bright as it had a moment before.
Who was she kidding, it was going to be exactly as she feared. Rarity, the mare she loved, was going to break up with her because she just couldn’t take it anymore. Was that it? Was Pinkie Pie so much to handle that not even Rarity could stand to tolerate her?
‘No, no, no. I-it can’t-’ she thought.
It was the truth, though. Rarity was going to say it was over and that would be it. All because she was so… so Pinkie Pie! Why couldn’t she just stop being Pinkie Pie? Why couldn’t she just calm down and listen every once in a while? Why did she have to be like this?
‘Why can’t I just be normal?!’
You can.
Pinkie stopped dead in her tracks, eyes wide in surprise. The voice had come from nowhere. She whipped around only to see that nopony was there. But she was certain she had heard a voice. Her head darted to and fro, her eyes scanning the field for the source of the voice.
Don’t you want to be normal?
The voice came again, and Pinkie heard it clearly. It was quiet, yet deep, but rather than the deep voice of a stallion, it came as the childish whisper of a foal. Despite that, it just seemed… dark. It was a haunting whisper, enough to make even Pinkie Pie’s blood run cold.
“W-who’s there?” Pinkie called out shakily.
If you don’t become normal, then Rarity will leave you.
Pinkie Pie froze once more, hanging on the voices last words. ‘Rarity will… leave me?’ She wanted to shout, yell out with all her might that it was wrong, but all that came out when she opened her mouth was, “…What?”
Rarity is going to leave you if you don’t change.
Pinkie unconsciously took a step back. “No. N-no you’re wrong.”
But I am right.
“No-”
It is true, and you know it. She’s finally realized that you’re too much for one pony to handle and she is going. To. Leave.
“No, stop it!” Pinkie had by then collapsed and now sat curled up on the ground. She tried to cover her ears. Flashbacks of her nightmarish experience with Discord came flooding into her mind. The sound of that scornful laughter echoed in the back of her head. This was different, though. It was… darker. Worse than even Discord
“Please, stop!” she begged, but no matter how she covered her ears, she still heard it clear as day. It was inside her mind. She briefly thought it must’ve been some sort of magic telepathy, but that was the least of her worries at the time being.
She can’t handle you- nopony can handle you. Because you never stop, you never listen, you never calm down. You are an endless party that nopony can stand. The childish voice continued. You are a freak. Everypony smiles at you at first, but eventually, they will realize that you just never stop and they will all leave you.
Pinkie Pie was shaking now as she felt the warm tears cascading down her cheeks. “No, no, no. T-they won’t l-leave. They won’t… they won’t…” she said between sobs.
Rarity will be gone and you won’t get her back because you. Aren’t. Normal.
Pinkie Pie shut her eyes tight, curled up on the rocky ground, and did her best to block out the cruel voice. For minutes, she waited and wept, silent and alone. As the minutes went by that felt like hours and the voice remained silent, her tears began to gradually recede and she calmed her sobs until she was still once more, her her breath steadied, but still a bit shaky.
After a couple more moments of silence, the voice returned once more, but this time it spoke in a softer tone.
I can help you.
This time, rather than clench her eyes shut and tell the voice to go away, for whatever reason, Pinkie listened.
I can make you normal, so that you can stay with her.
‘Normal…’ Pinkie echoed in her mind. Hesitantly the mare moved her hooves from her ears and opened her eyes, rubbing them to clear away her blurred vision. She sat up and looked around. As far as she could see, there was nopony but her in the fields.
Down here.
Slowly Pinkie shifted her gaze downward until she was looking at the ground in front of her. And then she saw it. It was a stone. It was rounded and smooth, like stones on a river bed. It held an ovular shape with no sharp edges. The stone was black, pure black, darker than obsidian. Despite this, it was surrounded by small, pure white crystals that peppered its surface. The crystals shone bright in contrast to the dark stone. It sparkled like the night sky.
It was a stone, and it was speaking to her.
Pinkie Pie, I can grant you any wish. I can give you whatever you most desire. I can make you normal.
“Y-you can?” Pinkie said. She didn’t know what she was doing. She knew she shouldn’t be listening to it, that she should’ve ignored it and turned away and left the first chance she got. But she couldn’t. She didn’t know what, but something was keeping her there.
Yes.
Pinkie paused. “If I’m normal, then… then Rarity won’t have to leave me.” She asked herself why she was even still there, but no answer came. All she could think of right now was that that stone could help her.
You can stay with your love.
The pink mare hesitated, like there was a battle going on inside her mind. She tried to ignore it, but she was just unable to let go of the stone’s words. There was a moment of silence, and then she spoke. “…Do you promise? That you can make me normal?” she asked. And the stone answered.
I promise you. And you will never have to worry again.
“Bye bye! I hope you enjoy your cupcakes!” Pinkie Pie shouted jubilantly as the last customer left Sugarcube Corner with a smile. With a content sigh to signal that the work was all done, Pinkie Pie trotted around the shop once more, doing a quick check to make sure everything was set and the store was sparkly clean, just how the Cakes liked it.
Satisfied with a job well done, Pinkie went back to the counter where her saddlebags sat. “Okay, I’m off Mr. and Mrs. Cake!” she called as she lifted the bags up and onto her back.
Mrs. Cake, who had just been coming down the stairs, looked at Pinkie and blinked. “Hm? Where are you going?” she asked.
“I’m goin’ over to Rarity’s.” She giggled. “Sorry, guess I forgot to tell you.”
“Oh. Okay then.” She started to turn, but paused and turned back to Pinkie. The mare was flipping the shop’s ‘open’ sign to ‘closed’ when she spoke. “Um, Pinkie?” Pinkie turned to face her. “Are you, um… Are you okay?”
Pinkie blinked, then smiled. “Well, of course I am! Why wouldn’t I be?”
Mrs. Cake adorned a worried expression. “I’m not sure. Something about you just seems… different. Are you sure nothing’s wrong?”
Pinkie’s smile faltered and cracked for just a second before returning to normal, too fast for Mrs. Cake to take notice. “Nope. Nothing wrong here, Mrs. Cake.”
The mare stared at her for another moment, still unconvinced. Pinkie wavered only slightly under her worried gaze, feeling like she could crack any second now. Finally, Mrs. Cake sighed. “Well, alright. Just be careful, okay, Pinkie?”
“Oki doki loki!” Pinkie exclaimed in her usual excited manner. She turned and opened the door to the shop. “See ya’ later,” she said to the concerned shop owner, then left.
As she stepped outside, Pinkie Pie stopped and took a deep breath. This was it. She was going to tell Rarity that she could change, that she could be normal. Yesterday, she had made up her mind and taken up the stone’s promise that it would change her.
Just a little bit longer, and your wish will come true. The child-like voice of the stone spoke to her from inside her bags. Pinkie nodded.
With that, she began her walk to Carousel Boutique. The walk wasn’t actually that long, the shop being just down the street from Sugarcube Corner, a mere block away. But it was long enough. In Pinkie’s mind, the boutique may as well have been a mile away, but she kept on walking.
Pinkie began to wonder. What would Rarity think about the news? Would she be happy to hear it? Of course she would, Pinkie thought to herself. However, she questioned why, even though the thought should make her happy, it made her feel so sad. Oh well, that didn’t matter now. Everything was about to change, and then it would all be okay.
Before she knew it, she had arrived at Carousel Boutique. Pinkie gulped as she raised a hoof to reach for the door. She hesitated and took another deep breath to steady herself. She placed her hoof on the door and pushed it open. A small bell chimed as it opened and she made her way inside.
Pinkie smiled to herself as she looked around at the familiar shop. It was always so refreshing whenever she came here, if only because of the mare that owned it. This time, however, that feeling seemed to escape her.
“Who is it?” called the sweetest and most wonderful voice in the world, and currently the only one that mattered to Pinkie. Rarity’s sing-song voice seemed to be coming closer as it rang throughout the shop again. “Sorry, but we’re closed right now. If you would like, you may leave a message or a note and come back tomorrow.”
Then, the mare stepped into the room, and Pinkie stood there, frozen. She gazed at her marefriend as she entered. She was so beautiful, Pinkie thought. Even the excitable pink mare was simply stunned every time she saw her.
Rarity turned to face Pinkie and stopped when she saw her. Pinkie stumbled for a second and put on her usual smile. “H-hi, Rarity! Sorry, is this a bad time?”
To her relief, Rarity gave a warm smile. “Of course not, Pinkie Pie,” she said softly. “Actually, it’s a good thing you’re here. I... I need to tell you something.”
Pinkie’s heart fell as she heard this. ‘…What?’
This is it. She’s going to leave you.
‘No.’
Better act fast.
“R-really? Well, that’s great, ‘cause so do I!” Pinkie said.
Rarity raised a brow. “Oh? I see. Well, if you’ll excuse me, though, I think I should go first.”
“No!” Pinkie exclaimed, surprising Rarity. The mare cringed. “I-I mean, I should go first. Mine’s really, really important.”
‘Please… Please don’t say it.’
“I’m sure it is, dear, but I need to tell you this. It’s... about what happened yesterday.”
‘No, no, no.’
“Pinkie Pie, I-”
“I can change!” Pinkie shouted suddenly, clenching her eyes shut. The room fell silent, and for a moment that seemed to drag on, neither mare said a thing.
“What?” was all Rarity could say.
Pinkie took a deep breath. “I know what you’re going to say. You’re going to say that you can’t be with me anymore because you can’t handle me. You’re going to say that I’m just too much and I never settle down to listen or do something right for a change.”
“Pinkie-”
“But I can change, Rarity!” Pinkie’s head shot up and she looked into Rarity’s eyes. Tears were beginning to well up in her own eyes. She continued frantically. “I promise I can change. I know I can be a little much sometimes. I know that I’m a freak and I never stop and sometimes you just can’t stand me. And I know that you’re going to leave me because you don’t want to be around somepony like me anymore.” Pinkie took a breath.
“What-” but she interrupted Rarity once again.
“I want to change, though. I don’t want you to leave. I can be normal Rarity- I really, really can!” She reached back into her bags to grab the stone between her teeth, tears now rolling down her cheeks. She took it out, turning back to Rarity and dropping it on the ground in front of her. “It’s this rock. It can grant one wish to anypony who has it. I know it’s crazy, but I swear, I’m not lying, Rarity.
“It told me that you were going to leave me because you can’t take it anymore, and if I didn’t do anything, you’d be gone forever.”
“Pinkie Pie.”
“But I don’t want that to happen! I love you, Rarity, and I don’t want to let you go. So I’m going to wish to be normal so I won’t be so ‘Pinkie Pie’ all the time. I won’t be a freak anymore and you won’t hate how I am and we can be together and it’ll be okay-”
“Pinkie Pie.”
“No! Don’t say it. Please, don’t say it,” Pinkie begged. She sniffled and wiped her eyes. “I know you can’t stand me some of the time. I’ve always known. You try so hard to hide it, but I still see it. Every time you go to a party, you try so hard to have fun, but it always just makes you sadder. Every time I offer you a cupcake, you pretend to like it, but you really hate the taste and you’re just too nice to say it.
“And I know that every time you see me, you get this tired look in your eyes, and it’s like you’re forcing yourself to smile when you’re around me.” Pinkie Pie couldn’t hold back the sobs any longer.
“A-and I just w-want to be different because I know it’s so hard for you. You t-try so hard for me and it just h-hurts you when you do. I-I don’t want to do that to you anymore, Rarity. I keep h-hurting you and I just want to become normal before you end up h-hating me-”
“PINKIE PIE!”
Pinkie gasped and looked up at Rarity, eyes wide with surprise. She caught her breath when she saw her marefriend.
Rarity was absolutely furious. Her brow was furrowed in anger, her jaw set tight and her lips pursed. She looked the shocked Pinkie Pie straight in the eyes, effectively quieting the pink mare and making her seem that much more frightening.
You’ve done it now, mocked the stone.
The fuming mare took a single step forward, then another, and another. Slowly, she began making her way towards the other mare. Pinkie tried to back up out of fear, but she bumped into the wall behind her. Instead, she fell to the ground on her flanks and tried to scoot further back against the wall, hooves scuffling on the floor.
Rarity did not stop and continued forward, speaking in a low, angry voice as she went. “How dare you,” she said.
“How dare you say you say that about yourself.” She emphasized every word with a step. “How dare you say that I would hate you. And how dare you try to change who you are.”
‘What?’
When Rarity stopped, she stood in front of Pinkie Pie, looming over her marefriend. “Well,” she said, “here’s what I think about that wish.” The alabaster mare raised her hoof, poised to strike. Pinkie Pie cringed in fear. Then, with all of her anger and might, Rarity brought her hoof crushing down…
Right onto the stone. And as it burst and shattered into dust and pebbles under her hoof, she could’ve sworn that the room became just a bit brighter.
Pinkie was speechless. Her mouth opened and closed with no sound coming out. Her eyes repeatedly shifted from the crushed remains of the stone, to Rarity, and back again. When she was finally able to speak, her voice came out cracked and quiet. “W-what?...” was the only word to escape her throat.
Slowly, Rarity took a silent step and leaned in towards Pinkie. Without a word, she nuzzled the distressed mare, her warm cheek pressing lightly against Pinkie’s. She spoke again, this time just above a whisper, her voice soft and gentle, all of the previous anger now dissipated
“Never change, Pinkie Pie.”
A sharp pain shot through Pinkie’s heart, and she couldn’t help but let another tear escape. “But why?” she asked.
Again Rarity gave no answer at first. She shifted her head again and moved so that her forehead was pressed against Pinkie’s, there muzzles mere inches apart, and looked in the pink mare’s eyes. And those beautiful, wide, cerulean eyes stared back into hers, worry still ever present in them.
Rarity slowly lifted her hoof and placed it gently on Pinkie’s chest, just over her heart. She closed eyes and felt the steady rhythm of the heartbeats. Bu-bump. Bu-bump. The mare remained like so for another moment before opening her eyes. She spoke again in the same quiet tone.
“This is why… This is why I love you,” she said, and tapped Pinkie’s chest. “I love you because of you, Pinkie. Not because of what you do or the parties you throw or even those wonderful treats you make. I love you because you are who you are.
“So, never change. You are wonderful, dear. You are the most amazing, most beautiful mare that I’ve ever met and I’m so lucky to have you. I love everything about you. You’re so kind and caring, and no matter what I’m going through, you can always make me smile. To me, Pinkie Pie, you are perfect. Even if I could, I wouldn’t dare change a single thing about you.”
Tears started to form at the edge of Rarity’s bright, violet eyes. “And it hurts. It hurts much to see you like this, and I’m so sorry for making you feel this way. I was going to tell you that I was sorry for what I said yesterday. That I shouldn’t have made you feel so alone.” Her voice began to crack and a couple stray tears started to spill over. “You don’t hurt me, and I know you never would. And there is no way that I could ever hate you, Pinkie. Yes, you can be a little excitable at times, and I may not be able to party all the time, but I still wouldn’t give you up for anything.”
With that, Rarity leaned in those last few inches and kissed her. The kiss lasted only a few seconds, but for Pinkie Pie, it felt like hours, and it still wasn’t long enough. Rarity broke the kiss, her soft lips leaving Pinkie’s, to look her marefriend in the eye once more with a warm smile.
“I love you, Pinkie. So don’t you ever change.”
Pinkie Pie looked at her for a moment as she felt the pain leaving her heart. In an instant, her tears of sorrow were replaced with those of joy, and with a loud sob, she flung herself into Rarity’s arms, wrapping her own arms around her marefriend.
“I’m sorry, Rarity!” She wailed, and wept into the alabaster mare’s shoulder.
Rarity just smiled as she held her close, but couldn’t help but a tear of her own fall into the mare’s beautiful pink mane. “It’s okay, Pinkie,” she cooed. She ignored the tears that fell onto her shoulder, and ran a soft hoof through Pinkie’s mane, comforting her as she let out sob after sob. They remained like that for a while as her tears gradually subsided into sniffles.
She spoke again, her voice cracked, but the happiness and relief still evident in it. “I’ll never change. I Pinkie promise.”
“Ugh! Stupid Rarity, going off on her stupid date and leaving me behind to clean her stupid mess. Hmph!” Sweetie Belle kicked a hoof on the ground. The poor filly was currently stuck cleaning up a pile of dust and pebbles while her sister enjoyed herself on a date with her marefriend.
“I didn’t even make the mess this time!” she complained, but continued sweeping nonetheless.
Sweetie Belle, came a dark and mysterious voice.
“Ah!” Sweetie Belle jumped and frantically looked around the room. “W-who’s there?! Who are you?”
I am the stone you are currently sweeping into a dustpan.
Sweetie gasped as her eyes lit up with wonder. “Ohmygosh! You can talk?!”
And I can grant wishes as well.
The filly raised a brow as she gave the pile of pebbles a quizzical look. “No way. Can you really grant wishes?” she asked it.
Yes, but only one. I can give you anything. Money, fame, your heart’s deepest desire-
“Milkshake.”
…What.
“I wish for a milkshake,” Sweetie said.
Seriously? You can have anything- anything- you could ever possibly want, and you wish for a milkshake?
“Yes.”
…
Fine, the voice said. There was a sudden pop and a bright light that made Sweetie flinch and clench her eyes shut. When she opened them again, standing in front of her was vanilla milkshake, nearly as tall as her, with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and a bright red cherry on top. A red striped straw stuck out the side of it.
However, Sweetie Belle gazed upon it with a furrowed brow and her mouth pulled into a small grimace.
“Hmm.”
What’s wrong? I thought you wanted a milkshake.
“Yeah, but I wanted strawberry.”
…
Are you kidding me?
“What?”
I just make a giant milkshake appear out of thin air, and you complain about the flavor! That’s what!
“Hey, it’s not my fault you got the flavor wrong.”
You- But I- It’s… ugh, fine! Sweetie watched with a grin as the color faded from creamy yellow to light pink.
“Yay!” Sweetie exclaimed and jumped to the milkshake, sipping away at the beverage.
Stubborn little filly, the voice muttered.
“Hey! I heard that.” Sweetie looked up from her milkshake.
The voice gave an audible sigh. I’m leaving. And with that, Sweetie Belle watched as the pile of pebbles glowed and slowly faded away into non-existence right before her eyes.
“Huh. Weird,” she said. She then shrugged and happily returned to her milkshake.
