Hearts, Hooves, and Balloons

Hearts, Hooves, and Balloons

By Strawberry Jelly

Chapter 1 - Hearts and Hooves Day With a Hint of Confusion

Ponyville's skies were coated in cotton candy today of all days.  A Hearts and Hooves day that was scheduled for rain was a treat for me; not as big of a treat as ice cream cake of course, but still a treat.  I never understood why ponies hate spending time under gray skies when the pegasi work so hard to put them together.  Sure, they were applauded for having nice and sunny weather, but nopony ever noticed just what patience and control it took to create weather storms that lasted precisely as long as they schedule.

That's why I always like to thank Rainbow Dash and the other weather ponies with some cupcakes wrapped in waterproof shrink-wrap!  I don't know why they call it that though; it doesn't really do much shrinking.  There are a lot of silly names like that though; like hacksaws and crowbars.  You don't really do much hacking with hacksaws and I don't think crowbars are made out of crows...

...Unless they are?  How silly would that be!

Oh right, I was getting distracted again from what I was supposed to be doing!  I was supposed to be visiting Twilight and give her a super funtabulous gift today!  It has absolutely nothing to do with a special somepony either. I promise it doesn't; it's just one of those silly filly coincidences that you readers like to make conclusions from.

“Humans?  What are those?  Don't be so silly, Gummy!”

I giggled and hugged the adorable little alligator as tightly as I could.  Where does he come up with these ideas for strange creatures?  I really wish I could convince him to publish a few of those book ideas that he told me about!  Would you read a story about a fire breathing alligator that saves Equestria from the evil faery queen?  Because I totally would!

Wait, who am I talking to again?  Nevermind that, I'm a filly with a mission!  Call me 00Pink, because I have to deliver this super yummy cake to the super pretty princess of the library!  Pretty princess?  What was that all about?  I'm not all too sure about why I keep going off on these tangents, but that's why Twilight always calls me so random I guess!  Not that I think I'm that random...

“Right Gummy?”

He's always so agreeable with me.

So, the trip to the library was actually pretty uneventful, apart from the white cotton candy that loomed in the sky out of my reach.  Honestly I wish that Dashie would give me just one piece!  She always says that they're made of water, but water doesn't just float like that!  Besides, Discord always gave me a bite of the cotton candy clouds; well, when he was being all mean and weirdy to everypony anyway.

“Pinkie?  What are you doing out in the rain?” Twilight stared at me with those two amazingly wonderful amethyst eyes of hers that made my tummy go all wobbly like if it were a Pinkie Sense just for my best friend ever.  Well, it's not like Dashie, Fluttershy, Rarity, or Applejack weren't my best friends, but I always feel so... Weirdy around Twilight.  Like I ate waaaaay too much candy corn (believe it or not, that is actually possible), but it feels that way in a good way.

Like I said: Weirdy.

“Come inside, you're going to get yourself a cold!” She scolded me in that voice that's a cross between being really kind and really worried.  I always loved how she had that voice for me after I do something silly...  Not the fun kind of silly either, but more like the 'I goofed up' kind of silly.  She had that voice at my last birthday party that they threw for me too; after the incident with me replacing them with the stuff that just fell out of my mane...  She also said I shouldn't keep things that can rot or expire in my mane either.  I don't know how she can be so smarty over things like that; it's just another reason she's so amazing.

“H-Hi, Twilight,”  I responded with a voice that made even my own heart sink at how lonely it had sounded.  No, I can't just let her worry about me because the pony I wanted as my very special somepony was just... out of my reach.  Now that she was a princess, it just made it that much worse at how I can never have her...  Besides, she had that stallion in the Crystal Empire that she always stole glances of.

Not that I spy on her, of course!  I just...  notice things.  I notice things that would make me sad if I were in love with her secretly and could never ever tell her.  Maybe I shouldn't be here; what if she had that pegasus upstairs right now?  I don't want to interrupt her Hearts and Hooves day with her special somepony...

“Pinkie, come inside, it's freezing out here!”  She only scolded me again and took my breath as well as my hoof as she pulled me into the far warmer library.  As much as I loved the work that the weather ponies did, it was always so comfortable to be in a warm house... especially if it was here with Twilight Sparkle.  I could just feel my tummy tingle with thousands of butterflies that I swear I never ate.  Sometimes I really think that caterpillars like to crawl into my stomach when I sleep and make cocoons.  Granted, Twilight somehow made them hatch every time that I saw her though.

“What were you thinking?  Staying out in a winter rainstorm?  I don't want you to get sick, Pinkie,” Her frown made that cage around my heart tighten as punishment for worrying my best friend.  I really don't know how something can hurt so much but make me want to hug her so tightly as if it would just somehow make it all go away.  How silly would that be?  A hug stopping very physical heart pain?

“S-Sorry Twilight,” Is all I could muster through the uneasiness that I felt.  It was a good thing that Gummy was still on my back, or I think I'd just pass out from how nervouscited I was.  He really was a great alligator; always being there for me even when I was doing something super stupid.  Well, what I'm like 90% sure is stupid.

After all, I don't want to interrupt her from her special somepony.

“Come on upstairs so I can get you a towel,” She wore a complex expression on her face that was hard for me to make out.  Maybe I really was intruding on her...  I don't want to be a burden on my friend. “Please, Pinkie?  For me?”

She must have noticed that I wasn't following, but I felt that thought of being a burden lift from my head like a rock falling out of my mane.  She's right though; I shouldn't just stand here and drip all over her floor.  Rarity always says that's really rude to do when you're a guest at somepony else's house.  I didn't really have a choice but to follow that perfect lavender body that...  There I go again.  Sorry about that.

When we had gotten to the bathroom, she had me sit down in front of one of those super long mirrors that let me see all of well... me.  Well, me and the violet alicorn that sat behind me with a fluffy white towel that felt amazingly soft against my damp fur.  “I know you like to leave Rainbow Dash those cupcakes for after work, but would you please at least wear a raincoat?”

I bit my lip and closed my eyes to feel those warm but firm hooves roam over my body with only a piece of cloth between her and I.  My heart was doing that weird thumpity thump thing again that it liked to do when we were close like this; it felt good though, unlike that restricting feeling I had only minutes earlier.  It was so calming, enough to let my guard down and let out a soft, happy sigh.  I couldn't help myself.  Twilight really was such an amazing friend...

Her hooves paused for a moment at the sound of my contentment, only to have her hooves move back up my back and brush over my mane roughly to get the moisture out of it, “I know it's not really my business, but I worry about you sometimes, Pinkie...”

I nodded my head slowly, but reassuringly to my friend before a few more words just tumbled out of my mouth, “... Wanted … see you...”

They were quiet, unusually quiet for me and I knew it, but it felt... strange to let her know how much I wanted to see her.  It's weird though, right?  When you see a friend, you're supposed to want to let them know that you missed them, but why did it make me feel so shy at the idea now?

I noticed her ear flick at my words through my half-lidded eyes, “Pinkie, you know you can always come and see me... My door's always open to you girls.”

'To you girls'... For some reason her saying our friends could join too felt so... strange.  Almost upsetting, but at the same time I was happy to hear that coming from her.  I really don't know what's wrong with me, but it honestly was starting to scare me...  Well, except I kept reminding myself to 'giggle at the ghostly', but it doesn't really work that way when the ghostly is inside of me.

“Thank you...”  Was all I could manage before I leaned back into her roaming hooves concealed by a now-wet towel.  It was comforting to know that she was here for me though, even though I did something stupid and made her worry about me.  I seem to do that a lot though; maybe it's what Pinkie's here to do?  Naw, I'm here to see my friends smile!

Well, except right now apparently...  I wanted to stay like this with Twilight and never ever stop for some reason.  Maybe I'm just a silly pony...

“Do you want to talk about what's wrong?”  I felt two warm hooves wrap around my barrel, stopping my breath at the unexpected embrace.  It was so weird...  I always hugged Twilight, but this felt so... different...  It made my heart pound in my chest like a drum playing to lead a line of parasprites from Ponyville.  “Your heart is pounding!  If you're scared, I promise that I won't be upset and I won't tell anypony!”

I shook my head slowly and rested my hooves over the lavender mare's that held me like a mother holding her filly, “That's the problem, Twilight.  I...  I'm not sure if something is wrong.”

She tilted her head with a perplexed expression finding its way onto her face, “You're not...  What do you mean?”

My body shifted uneasily before I remembered something important.  Very, very important actually!  With a quick gasp of air, I broke free of Twilight's embrace and ran into her bedroom once more to grab my damp saddlebags, “I almost forgot the super fantabulous reason I came here!”

I looked back at the confused mare that stood behind me, watching me shuffle through my belongings before I pulled out a big white box with the words 'For Twilight' scribbled across the top in pink writing.  “I made one for all of our friends, and I wanted to give you yours!”

Twilight was gaping at me for some reason?  Was it something I said or done?  I mean, I guess I did suddenly go from weirdy feeling to super excited again, but I didn't think it was that weird.  “Here, here, here!”  I cheered and hopped in place before she took the box from my hooves and stared at it for a good five minutes.

“Pinkie, did you really get me a Hearts and Hooves day gift?”  She was wearing a soft smile with a twinkle in her eyes as she looked into the crate and dropped it in shock at what she found inside.  Was it okay?  I know I got her a little more expensive of a gift than I did for anypony else, but it wasn't that bad, was it?  Wait, what if she didn't like it?

I backed up slowly and bit my lips, feeling my hair wanting to deflate from something so simple.  Surely something so silly wouldn't upset me this much, right?  Right?!  Oh Celestia, I think I made a mistake!

“Pinkie... It's beautiful,”  She stared at the box for a moment before her horn glowed with that purple aura, pulling the small silver chain with a deep amethyst that matched her eyes etched into a small pendant that dangled at the end.  “You got all of us one of these?!”

I felt my own cheeks heat up a little from realizing that I was letting my stupid brain jump to conclusions like that, but on the question she asked...  Why didn't I buy everypony a matching gift?  It would've been really fun if we all had matching necklaces.  “I...  I got everypony else something different.  Only you got a necklace like that, though.”

She smiled softly, igniting the fire in my cheeks again the moment that I saw it and hatching even more butterflies yet again!  I really need to start wearing like a face mask when I sleep so they'll stop making cocoons in there!  She already had it latched around her neck, making my heart skip yet again at the sight.  That settles it!  There really has to be something wrong with me!

“Pinkie, I love it... and lavender?”  She squealed happily and levitated the damp flowers from the box and sniffed them with a content sigh escaping her lips.  “I didn't think you knew these were my favorite.”

“Pinkie Sense,” I explained casually, despite the uneasiness that was churning my stomach and causing my hooves to shift underneath me like if I had to use the bathroom super bad; only, I didn't have to go.  No, in fact I didn't want to be away from my friend at all for some reason.  On that note though, why hadn't my Pinkie Sense told me about the flowers that my other friends like?  It only worked when I was picking out Twilgiht's.  Actually, the only thing I put in their boxes were common flowers and some homemade cupcakes.  I only really spent money on Twilight, and for the life of me I didn't know why.

“I guess... That makes sense?”  She said uncertainly, probably still a little skeptical on how my Pinkie Sense works.  Honestly, it was confusing to me most of the time, but I love for things to be confusing!  They're more fun when I don't really understand them.  So, then why is this uneasiness not like that at all?!  I wanted to get rid of it, but for some reason I wanted to just hug Twilight so tightly and cuddle her and I don't even know why.  How would that help with anything?  Not that I don't love cuddling, mind you, but I just don't understand how it would solve my problem.

“I...  I should probably head back home,”  I bit my lip nervously, wanting to escape this feeling that was twisting my stomach like an angry quartz worm let loose on a rock farm.  Before I managed to sneak myself through the door, the librarian spoke up to my attempt at an abrupt getaway.

“Pinkie, it's getting late and the rain isn't due to let up until the morning,” She tapped her hoof on the ground with a slight frown on her lips, “Do you want to stay the night?”

My heart skipped yet another beat at her words; if I was a more serious pony, I'd probably say something like 'I'm going to die with how often my heart keeps doing this', but there's no fun in being serious like that!  Even under the circumstance, I still want to at least stay a little silly.  “Do I?!  I'd LOVE to!”

Okay, so maybe it wasn't one of my best ideas to stay here where I feel all weirdy, but something inside me just wants me to... stay.  Stay close to Twilight, and I'm not really sure why, but maybe it's a new Pinkie Sense that's telling me something super important!  Whatever it is, I have to keep a super extra Pinkie Pie Eye out to make sure that it's nothing bad.  Although, I'm pretty sure it might just be a doozy!