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                      Is This a Pony?                      
                     -by Dawn Flower-                      
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                   Eucliwood Hellscythe                    
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Eucliwood Hellscythe
Pinkie Pie walked along the empty streets of Ponyville at night. The Cakes had asked her to make a late night trip to the store to fetch them some supplies for a big order that they’re working on that had to be finished by tomorrow, and Pinkie had been more than happy to comply with their request.
As she made her way through the silent town, she happily skipped along as she usually did, with a big smile on her face, taking in the peaceful serenity of the quiet night atmosphere around her. Ponyville seemed so different at night. There were still a few ponies walking around; either making late night trips, or returning home after a long day’s work, but the streets were mostly deserted now.
It was late at night and the whole town was silent and dark. The Moon was full and the stars were out and shining brightly. There weren’t any clouds in the sky to obstruct the view, but the celestial bodies could only provide so much light. The only other illumination came from the lights of the stores that were still open, and the homes of the ponies who were still up at this late hour.
When Pinkie Pie had reached the store, she suddenly halted in her skipping when she saw a pony sitting on the curb, just outside of the store. She was an alicorn, about the same size as her. She had a purple coat and a long, flowing, white mane. She wore a strange headdress just above her horn, and silver armor that covered most of her body and her cutie mark. She was simply sitting on her flank, just outside of the store, with her head bowed down, gently nibbling on a muffin.
What Pinkie Pie found most intriguing about this pony, however, wasn’t that she was an alicorn, but that she was somepony that Pinkie had never met before. Pinkie always got excited when meeting somepony new because that meant that she could throw them a party, so that she could make them smile and then they could become friends.
As she stepped closer to this pony, she bit at her lower lip to try and keep herself composed. At this point, Pinkie Pie couldn’t contain her excitement any longer. She then shouted out, “Hi there, my name’s Pinkie Pie! What’s your name?!” Temporarily forgetting about all of the ponies who were asleep in their homes right now.
Pinkie quickly realized just how loud she had been, and pulled herself back a bit and placed a hoof over her mouth. She then quickly looked from side to side to see if she had disturbed anypony. When she was confident that nopony had been woken up, she returned to her usual cheerful self and turned back to face the alicorn mare. However, Pinkie was surprised to see that she hadn’t looked up or even noticed her at all. She was still just sitting on her flank, quietly nibbling on her muffin, seemingly oblivious to Pinkie’s prior outburst.
This sight made the pink mare a bit confused, and she slowly took another step forward, closer to her. “Uhhmm, excuse me.” Pinkie said, this time at a much lower volume. “I said my name’s Pinkie Pie. What’s yours?”
This time, the alicorn mare looked up from her muffin to look at Pinkie. Her face was completely blank and devoid of any emotion whatsoever. After five seconds of simply staring back at her, she just lowered her head again.
Pinkie was still confused, and now even a little worried. She briefly looked around from side to side in confusion, and then turned back to face the alicorn mare. She then spoke again to try and start up a conversation. She nervously scratched at the back of her head as she spoke. “So… are you new in Ponyville?” She smiled nervously.
The alicorn didn’t respond; she just continued sitting and looking down. She didn’t move an inch.
Pinkie then pulled back a few steps and turned her head to the side, wearing a serious expression on her face. “Come on, Pinkie. You can’t just give up this easily. There’s a new pony in town, and you have to make her feel welcome.” She then placed her hoof to her mouth and scrunched her lips, in thought. After a few seconds of thinking, she suddenly perked up and let out a loud gasp. This caused the alicorn mare to look up at her again, but the pink earth pony quickly dashed away in the other direction.
After Pinkie had left, the alicorn mare looked back down again shortly afterwards, but several seconds later, the pink pony returned again. The alicorn looked back up at her again, and she saw that she was pulling a small wagon behind her.
Once Pinkie had set up the wagon a few feet in front of the store, she turned back to face the alicorn, with a big smile on her face. “This is my party wagon. I use it to welcome folks.” She then closed her eyes and smiled wide.
The alicorn mare didn’t respond to what Pinkie just said, but she didn’t look away either; she simply stared back at her with her blank expression on her face, unblinking. Pinkie took this as a signal to begin. She then pressed a button on the side of the wagon, and it suddenly folded out to reveal a small oven and several trumpets attached, that started playing loudly.
Music then started playing from the wagon, and Pinkie started singing along with it. “Welcome, welcome, welcome. A fine welcome to you.” She started singing, while also dancing from side to side. “Welcome, welcome, welcome. I say how do you do?” She then moved to the back and started playing a pair of drums that seemed to appear out of nowhere. “Welcome, welcome, welcome. I say hip hip hurray.” Midway through singing that newest verse, the drum set that she had been playing previously mysteriously disappeared, and she continued dancing. “Welcome, welcome, welcome to Ponyville today.” She then jumped up into the air, landing on her knees, and slid towards the purple alicorn as she finished singing. At this point, she had completely forgotten about keeping the volume down, and had just lost herself in the rhythm.
After she had finished singing, she stayed in that pose for about three seconds before saying, “Wait for it.”
At that moment, the compartment at the front of the wagon opened up and shot a cake out towards them at very high speeds. Pinkie Pie quickly grabbed it in her hooves and immediately turned back around to present it to the alicorn. A large amount of confetti then shot out of the top of the wagon behind her.
With the big celebration going on behind her finally finished, Pinkie then said, “Ta-da!” with a big smile on her face. “It’s a good thing I remembered to put the cake in the oven and the confetti in the confetti cannons this time. That could’ve ended badly.” She then giggled slightly at her own joke.
The alicorn mare simply stared down at Pinkie for a few seconds, with her usual blank expression on her face. She then lowered her head again.
Pinkie’s smile started to drop a little, but then she saw that the alicorn’s horn had lit up in a silver aura. She then floated up a quill and notepad in front of her face, and she started writing something down.
When she finished writing, she turned the notepad towards Pinkie so that she could read it.
That was funny.
When Pinkie had read the message, her smile returned immediately. She was just so happy that she had made her happy. “Thank you.”
The alicorn mare then wrote down another message.
So please don’t do it again.
As soon as Pinkie was finished reading this next message, she then stood back up on three hooves, while still holding on to the cake with her remaining one. She looked confused again. “Huh; why not?”
I don’t feel like smiling right now.
Pinkie took a step back in surprise. “What?!” She exclaimed. She then suddenly remembered where she was, and quickly covered her mouth with her hoof, dropping the cake in the process. After briefly composing herself, she lowered her hoof and spoke again, quietly this time. “How can anypony ever not feel like smiling?”
Smiling doesn’t always make me feel good.
Pinkie Pie was now even more confused. “But…” She staggered a little as she tried to speak. “But smiling is the most fun and special thing ever.” She looked down briefly, but then started smiling tearfully again. “A simple smile can always brighten up even the darkest day and make you feel better; and it shows the whole world that you’re having fun.” She then perked up and smiled even more. “Plus, smiling and having a positive outlook on life makes it easier to make friends and enjoy yourself.”
The alicorn winced slightly upon hearing this, and the magical aura surrounding her quill and notepad dissipated, and they fell to the floor. She then pulled her head back and looked down at the ground again. She looked sad, though her face was still surprisingly blank, as if she was trying her best not to show it.
After a few seconds of silence, she picked up her quill and notepad again, and wrote out another message. She then turned back towards Pinkie, and lifted it up so that she could read it.
Having friends close by isn’t always for the best.
Pinkie Pie couldn’t understand the logic behind this latest message at all, and she wanted to scream angrily in this alicorn’s face after reading something like this. However, she managed to restrain herself. She could tell that something was wrong and that there was more to this. Pinkie then stepped up beside the alicorn, with a look of worry and concern on her face, and gently placed her hoof on her shoulder. She then sat down beside her. “Why exactly do you feel this way?”
The alicorn turned her head to the side to face Pinkie. Her facial expression was completely blank, but had an undertone of sadness that she was trying desperately not to show. After a few seconds, she raised her quill and notepad again and started writing out another message.
Is it always good to have friends around?
After reading the message, Pinkie simply nodded her head in agreement and smiled back at her. She was happy again, though she managed to refrain from going completely over the top this time. “Of course; some of the best moments of your life are when you’re surrounded by your friends. Sure there are some ponies who like being by themselves, and that’s alright too; but truly great moments, or even ordinary, everyday moments are always better when you can share them with somepony you care about.”
And because you care about them?
Pinkie happily nodded in reply again. “That’s right… again. Friends are more than just those that you enjoy having around and spending time with. You also care about them and want them to be happy.”
What about when they’re put in danger?
Pinkie’s smile faltered a little when she read this latest message. “Well…” She started. She struggled to find the words. “When your friends are in danger, then you’re right there to help them get through it.” She then smiled again. “When friends stick together, there’s nothing they can’t do.”
Without wasting any time, or changing her expression, the alicorn wrote out her next message.
But what if they’re put in danger because of you?
Pinkie was surprised again by her question. She briefly brought her hoof to her mouth in thought. She then faced forward and looked up into the night sky, while she tried to think of an answer. After thinking for about a minute, she finally had one. She then smiled and turned back down to face the alicorn. “Well…” She then put a strong expression on her face. “Then you protect them with all of your power. If your friends are in danger because of your own actions, then it’s your obligation as their friend to be there when they need you, to protect them. And if they’re really your friends, they won’t be mad at you; they’ll just be happy to know that you’ll always be there for them.”
After hearing Pinkie’s answer, and with only slight hesitation, the alicorn mare wrote another message.
But the danger will just keep coming again and again.
She then lowered her head again and her lips twitched slightly into a frown. Pinkie noticed this and looked at her worriedly. She then wrote another message.
Isn’t it best to just leave so that they won’t be put in any more danger?
As soon as Pinkie had read the message, she immediately stomped a hoof on the ground, though it wasn’t in anger. “No!” She shouted out.
The alicorn looked up suddenly to look Pinkie in the eye, looking stunned. Pinkie then started speaking again, in a calmer tone of voice. “You don’t have to shoulder everything yourself. Friendship is a two-way street. It’s important to be there for your friends when they need you, but you also have to trust that they will also be there to protect you when you need them as well.”
Pinkie then faced skyward again, staring up at the cloudless, star-filled sky. “I understand that you feel like you have to protect them, but running away and leaving the people you care about; that’s not friendship. Though you may just want to keep them safe, shutting them out of your life only hurts them more.” She then turned back to face her, with a warm and understanding smile on her face. “The point is we all have people we can count on; we’ll make it through.”
As Pinkie finished speaking, the alicorn mare seriously took in everything she had said. She then faced away from Pinkie and looked down at the ground in front of her again, in thought; with an expression between stoic and sad on her face.
Pinkie, seeing that the alicorn mare was still hurting, and trying to process everything, tried to think of something else to say to her, as they sat on the curb together in silence. “I mean, you want to see your friends again, don’t you?”
The alicorn’s eyes suddenly went wide and she quickly turned to face Pinkie. “Of course I do!” She suddenly blurted out. As soon as she had spoken, she suddenly felt intense pain run throughout her body, and she covered her head with her hooves.
Pinkie suddenly looked worried. She held out her hoof towards the alicorn. “Are you alright?”
The alicorn slowly lowered her hooves from her face, and gently nodded her head. She then wrote out another message.
Yes, I’m fine.
After Pinkie had seen that she was okay, she let out a sigh of relief. “Good, I’m glad.” She then faced forward and looked straight ahead. “Anyway, I really hope that everything will work out for you in the end, and you can be with your friends again. You know what they say: If you love something, set it free; and if they love you, they’ll come back.” She then turned back towards the alicorn mare and smiled warmly at her.
The alicorn looked over at Pinkie Pie again when she was finished speaking, and she smiled softly towards her.
Pinkie Pie gladly returned the gesture; inside she was beaming that she had finally made her new friend smile.
After a peaceful moment of silence, Pinkie suddenly remembered something, and spoke up. “By the way, what’s your name?”
The alicorn mare focused on Pinkie as she spoke. After she had finished speaking, she lowered her head for a few seconds, and then wrote out another message. She then rose the notepad up so that Pinkie could read it.
You can call me, Eu.
Pinkie read the message, and then she looked back up and smiled. “Eu, huh?” Pinkie said, guessing that that was how her name was pronounced. After Eu had nodded back at her, Pinkie then simply said, “That’s a nice name.”
Eu just stared back at her for a moment, and then she smiled at her again.
While they were both smiling, Pinkie suddenly remembered something. “Oh, that’s right. Now that we’re friends…” She suddenly stopped what she was saying in mid-sentence, and turned back to face Eu, with an embarrassed smile on her face. “Errr… we are friends now, right?” Pinkie asked, with a hopeful smile on her face.
Eu was a bit taken aback by this question, and hesitated before responding. She then closed her eyes, smiled, and nodded in affirmation.
Pinkie continued giggling nervously, and scratched at the back of her head. “Well that’s good.” She then lowered her hoof again and returned to her usual bubbly self, with a smile that’s as wide as a mile. “I mean, that’s great. So now that we’re friends, I can throw you a surprise party. Oh, it’ll be super fun. There’ll be cake and balloons and…” She then let out another loud gasp. “And all my other friends will be there too, who will then become your friends as well, and then we’ll all be best friends forever!”
As Eu opened her eyes again, still with a happy smile on her face, she simply turned down towards her notepad and started writing out another message.
Maybe some other time.
When Pinkie read the message, she frowned slightly. “Awww, really? That’s too bad.” She then perked up again. “But, will you come back some day so that I can throw you one?”
I would like that.
Pinkie then perked up even more. “Really? Do you promise?”
I promise.
Pinkie beamed back at her. “Great; I can’t wait.” She then leaned in close to Eu and wrapped her new friend in a big, friendly hug. Eu reacted awkwardly at first, but then she smiled again and hugged her back.
Once they had both finished hugging each other, Eu stood back up on her hooves. As she stood back up, she suddenly noticed the half-eaten muffin, still clutched in her hoof. She simply stared at it for several moments. She then turned to face Pinkie, and held it out towards her.
Pinkie simply stared at the muffin in her outstretched hoof, in confusion. She then looked up to look Eu in the eye. “You’re giving me your muffin?”
Eu simply nodded back at her.
Pinkie then looked between Eu and the muffin, smiled even more and squeed in delight. She then stood back up herself, extended her front hoof and took the muffin. “Thank you.” As she brought the muffin in closer to her, she looked back at Eu. “This is so great. I love muffins. Although, I like cupcakes more, but this is still great.”
Eu then wrote out another message.
Would you like me to buy you a cupcake?
Pinkie just gently nodded her head from side to side in response, while keeping her smile on her face. “No, that’s okay.” She then stopped nodding her head, and looked Eu in the eyes. “Besides, you gave this to me in the spur of the moment. That makes it much more meaningful.”
Eu simply stared back at Pinkie Pie for a moment, and then smiled again. She then lowered her front hoof again, turned around and started walking away.
As she watched the alicorn walk away, Pinkie suddenly called out to her as she left. “Hey, Eu.”
Eu suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned her head around to face Pinkie.
As Pinkie lowered her outstretched hoof, her eyes started tearing up a little as she watched her leave, and she smiled. “Your voice is really pretty.”
Eu just stood where she was, listening to what Pinkie just said. After only two seconds, she smiled back at her. She then tilted her head down and started writing out another message. When she was done, she then floated the whole notepad over towards Pinkie, so that she could read what it said.
When the notepad was hovering directly in front of her, the silver aura surrounding it suddenly disappeared, causing it to fall. Pinkie quickly grabbed it before it touched the ground. She then looked up in confusion, and Eu was gone.
Pinkie started looking from side to side, but she couldn’t find her anywhere. When she stopped looking around, she turned her attention back to the message, to read what it said.
Thank you, Pinkie Pie.
As Pinkie read the message, her eyes started tearing up again, and she held the notepad close to her heart. She then looked up into the starry night sky. “Until we meet again, Eu.”
She then turned back around towards the store, still clutching the notepad with one of her hooves. She then started walking into the store on the other three.