Pinkie Promise (Epilogue)
Epilogue: Pinkie-Promised
I was nervous, to say the least. Pacing around my home, I kept thinking on what I was about to do. Heh... as if I haven't thought about it enough already. From the very first day I met Pinkie, I couldn't help but like her. I mean, duh... How can somepony not like Pinkie Pie? She's so funny all the time. In fact, if I'm a living example of awesomeness, she's a living embodiment of fun! I mean it! Cross my hear and hope to fly... Ah, yeah, that's a Pinkie Promise. I've just started that catchy phrase without even noticing it, haven't I? Duh, because it's almost natural for everypony around here, in Ponyville. Heh, how has she even come up with that funny phrasing? Well... I suppose it's just Pinkie being Pinkie.
But I'm getting carried away, sorry. What I meant to say is that I really liked Pinkie. Of course, we had a lot of fun together, especially since she and I started to prank ponies all over our town. Every day spent with her seemed to be more fun than another one. But there was still more to it. I... felt something. Aside from being all fun and games, she was always there for me. You know, even the toughest ponies like me feel down sometimes. And she always was there to comfort me. I just felt so... natural around her. I could always talk to her about anything. And, I mean, anything! I told her a lot of things I would have never admitted to anypony... But it felt right to tell her about it. I was... well, nervous at first. I knew she wouldn't think any less of me, but I was kinda afraid she was going to somehow turn that into a party to cheer me up. But I was wrong. I never knew she was such a good listener. She always knew just what to say to make me feel better, and, of course, anything she had to say always was finished with a cupcake in my mouth, which made me smile like if I never was sad in the first place.
Oh, am I getting carried away again? Horseapples... that always happens when I think about Pinkie. So, yeah, about what I'm trying to say here... It isn't easy for me to admit to anypony. Hay, I had a hard time even admitting it to myself! But I can't just look at the thing and pretend I don't see it. I... love Pinkie. As cheesy as it might sound, I know for a fact it's true. I... well, just can't deny it. Not anymore at least. So, yeah, I was pacing around my home, because I was about to go and ask Pinkie out. I was so nervous... Honestly, I haven't been that nervous since Best Young Flier competition! I had a strong feeling that at that exact day my life was going to change. And I knew exactly what was going to change it. And I was about to do it.
So, gathering all what was left from my courage together, I opened the door and stepped out of my cloudhouse.
Sugarcube corner. Ugh... Damn it, Rainbow! I could feel my legs beginning to shake a little as I stepped in.
"We're closed today! Come back tomo- Ah, that's you, Rainbow Dash!" - Mrs. Cake said, greeting me - "Here to see Pinkie Pie, I guess?"
"That's right, Mrs. Cake. Is she home?" I smiled as much as I could, hoping to hide the fact I felt like a single leaf tortured by a strong wind.
"That she is!" - Mrs. Cake beamed at me, she seemed to always be in such a bright mood. But how could I blame her? Pinkie lived in the same house with her, after all. "She's upstairs in her room."
That's when I noticed something: Sugarcube Corner looked a little... darker than usual. Sure, Pinkie wasn't hopping around right now, but there was more to it. Something was... off.
"Thank you, Mrs. Cake!" - I said and decided to waste no more time. If I wanted to do it, I was going to do it. Doubts and hesitations no longer had a say in my mind. They had their time. And it was a time up for them. It was time for ACTION.
I trotted upstairs. There it was: the door to Pinkie's room. And then I heard something that had made me doubt my ears were working right: I heard sobs coming from inside. My body froze instantly and pretty soon I found myself being not able to move even my own eyes, like if I was Discord trapped inside his stone prison. Though I didn't think about it much, my mind was processing what I had just heard. Pinkie... was she crying? That pony whose smile was as bright as Celestia's sun itself... Was she really crying in there?!
After restoring my ability to move my own body, I took a final step towards the door and placed a hoof on it. I toyed with the idea of bucking it open, but decided against it as I carefully knocked.
"Hey, Pinks? You in there?" - I called, trying to supress the clear notes of concern in my voice. I heard the sobs getting quiet and the sound of hoofsteps approaching the door. Pinkie opened the door and our eyes met. Up until that moment, I had never really looked her in the eyes the same way I did at that moment. Her eyes were blue... no, that's not the word. They were azure. My favourite color... The color of the clear skies, where I always loved to soar. And I could feel as if I was soaring again as the emotions filled my heart for just a brief moment, but at that exact moment I could feel my soul soaring in the sky of her eyes. Ugh... Gross! Since when have I become so sappy?
But that moment didn't last long, because I couldn't help but see her eyes were filled with sadness. And no, it wasn't just the usual sadness. Everypony feels down from time to time. But that wasn't the case. Actually... I knew that sadness. It was the sadness you feel when you lose somepony who's very close to your heart. Damn Twillight and her books! She's got me into reading, and I know I've read about that sadness like... tons of times! But I had no idea that description in Twillight's books was so accurate! But... why Pinkie? An idea passed my mind, but I had thrown it away as soon as I saw Gummy, her little toothless aligator, stepping near her, pretty much alive. But then, what happened? I could doubt my ears all I wanted, but I would be blind if I said I couldn't see the wet traces of tears under her eyes.
"Pinkie- " - I started, but stopped, still shocked by what I had just witnessed. - "Are you okay? You've been crying!" Yeah... I couldn't hold it back any longer. I was full of concern.
"I- It's okay, it's all okay now."
Yeah, right! I can see it in your eyes how okay it is. No way I'm buying this! I opened my mouth, ready to give her a piece of my mind about lying to your friends, but froze. As the door opened some more, I could see the object laying on the floor. It was... some sort of diary-looking book. But... why would Pinkie need a diary? We already had one! And we shared all of our most awesome experiences with it. But there was more to it... I knew for a fact that I had never seen that book before. Then... how comes it looks so familiar?
"W-what's that?" - I managed to say, still processing whatever games my mind was trying to play on me. Pinkie looked down and offered me a weak smile. Pinkie. Offered a weak smile. Okay, something is totally not right now!
"It doesn't matter anymore" - she said, but her voice was betraying her, letting her sadness leak from every spoken word. I didn't need to be Applejack to say it was yet another lie. And I was going to find out the truth, but now something else was more important to me: I had a friend in need, and I needed to cheer her up. Well... maybe this is the right moment.
"Anyways, I came here to ask if you wanted to, uh... hang out?" - I said. Yeah, I had just said it. And still couldn't believe I did it. As soon as I realized I really said it out loud, just like that, I felt a little... uneasy. I swear I could feel the temperature of my cheeks rising. All of sudden, Pinkie gasped and beamed at me.
"Of course, Dashie!" - she exclaimed. I could feel my jaw hitting the floor. Was she... expecting it? Does she.. feel the same about me? I just stood there, dumbstruck. She walked beside me and snuggled against my side. My wing reacted like if it had the mind of it's own: it wrapped around Pinkie before I could even think about my actions. I saw it happened and could feel my cheeks starting to rise the temperature again as I turned my head to look at Pinkie Pie, only to see her blushing as well. No way that is a coincidence! Before I could think of anything else, I felt Pinkie starting to move and my body moved along with her on it's own. We stepped out of Sugarcube Corner, only to be greeted by the sunny day. I took a deep breath of a fresh air and looked at Pinkie again. I swear to Celestia, I've never seen a more beautiful smile on her face. It was... I don't really know how to describe it. But it sure wasn't a usual happy smile you can see on her face every day. No, it was way more... sincere? Ugh, just as I said, I can't really describe it.
As we walked through the streets of Ponyville, I began to notice the strange looks the ponies threw at us. That's when I realized that my wing was still resting on Pinkie's back. I could feel my cheeks turning red again and I thought about retrieving my wing from Pinkie, but that thought vanished as I looked at her and saw how... content and comfortable she looked under my wing.
"Hey, Pinks, how about we get away from everypony and go hang out on our favourite hill?" - I suggested. Truth be told, both me and Pinkie loved that hill. I usually enjoyed taking a nap on a cloud right above that hill, because I loved the view on Ponyville from that position. Pinkie usually came on that hill when she needed to give her mind a little rest before planning new pranks and parties. In fact, we met on that hill! I still remember the look on hew face when I punched a hole in the clouds to save her from the cruel rain that day. Heh, good memories...
"Oh, that's a great idea, Dashie!" - she said and gasped, like she always does should her mind detect a great idea anywhere nearby. I couldn't help but giggle a bit. Pinkie was being Pinkie. I loved her so much for that. I love her. That thought reminded me of the reason I came to Pinkie in the first place. As we trotted to the hill, I kept looking at her. I don't know why, but she seemed to be especially beautiful that day. Still, something felt strange, to say the least. I couldn't help but notice that Pinkie didn't bounce to the hill the way she always did, but walked near me, refusing to leave the soft blanket of my wing. But, you know... No matter how strange that seemed, I wouldn't like it any other way. I could feel her body snuggling against mine as we walked, my wing making our combined warmth stay with us. And it made my heart beat faster for some reason. How many times have I already mentioned my cheeks turning red that day? Ugh... I think I lost count. But there I was again, with my fur being cyan all over my body, except my brightly burning face. Duh!
"Dashie, I never knew you're that warm!"
"Huh?"
"*GASP* I should invite you to Sugarcube Corner WAY more often when Winter comes! You wouldn't believe how freezing it can be there sometimes!"
Yeah, Pinkie just being Pinkie...
"Heh, are you trying to say your bed isn't warm enough at night?" - I said that and instantly froze at place. Seriously?! Did I just say that out loud?! I could feel a sweat forming on my forehead as the temperature on my face started to rise rapidly. This is it! I said too much. What do I do now? What will Pinkie say? What will she think of me?! I stood there, frozen as I kept looking at Pinkie, who was now blushing as well. But thanks Celestia it's Pinkie we're talking about! She always knows how to discard an awkward situation.
"Nah, I'm good! Good as a cupcake. Oh! Oh! Do you want a cupcake?" - she offered, pulling a cupcake from her mane like if nothing happened. I couldn't help but giggle and smile. Pinkie is the best pony! Wait, what about me? Ah, right, I'm awesome! And she's the best match for me! I was lost in my thoughts as I ate the cupcake Pinkie had given me, so I didn't notice the fact she now stood right in front of me until she raised her hoof and knocked at my head lightly.
"Equestria to Dashie! Is anypony there?" - she shouted playfully, then giggled as I shook my head, snapping out of my dazed state.
"Huh?... Ah, sorry, Pinkie. I guess I was just lost in my thoughts" - I apologized weakly. Play it cool, Dash! You can't embarrass yourself in front of her now! But I was like... totally taken aback by the next question Pinkie threw at me.
"Oh? And what've you been thinking about?"
YOU! I opened my mouth to reply, but no sound came out. I just realized what I was thinking about, and if I said it to her... I... I wasn't ready for that. What do I do? What do I do now?!
"Hey, it's our favourite hill. We're here!" - Pinkie interrupted my thoughts once again. I gave a deep sigh of relief. But that didn't last long.
"So, what've you been thinking about, Dashie? You never told me!" Celestia damn it! At that moment I didn't even know how I felt. Was it fear? Or frustration? Or annoyance? I couldn't tell. Maybe I felt all of those feelings at once. I didn't even manage to think about it before my mouth opened and blurted the answer out for me.
"You!" So... how many more times am I going to get paralyzed today, huh? I was sweating hard that time, I could feel it. Oh my gosh, am I going to say it now?
"Oh, me? Why me, silly? Why not Fluttershy? Or Twillight! Oh! Oh! How about Applejack?"
I had to resist the urge to facehoof. Pinkie's just being Pinkie. But that didn't make the reality leave my mind even for a second. I knew that I had to answer her question, but how? Which words to choose? *sigh* Might as well come clean...
"Pinkie..." - I said weakly, putting my hoof in her mouth. Heh, a usual (and the only) way to quiet her. I didn't dare to look her in the eyes as I continued - "Please, listen to me. I asked you to hang out with me today, because there is something I want to tell you. I... I..." - I opened and closed my mouth again and again, but nothing happened, except a refreshed wave of fear washing over my body every time I re-opened my mouth. Okay, maybe not that fast... "Pinkie, I always enjoyed spending time with you. You know... you've always been there for me, when we went to prank ponies and have fun, and when I just needed somepony to talk to. And the more time I spent with you, the more I realised something. I..." - I shut my eyes, giving myself a final mental push - "I love you, Pinkie. Will you be my special somepony?" Gosh, Dash, I thought you couldn't sound any cheesier! Yeah, when I think back about it now, I realise how weak my voice was at that moment. However, I had said what I had to say. What could happen then scared my greatly. Yeah, I admit it... I WAS scared once in my life, alright?! But something sared me even more at that moment: I heard no answer.
I looked up, facing Pinkie once again, and my jaw went slack. She stared at me, completely frozen as the tears ran down her cheeks. That was the stare I'll never forget. The stare of a pony who has just witnessed a miracle. Like... I don't know. Like if their most beloved one died and then came back to life, safe and sound! Seriously, I don't know how to describe it any better. She looked like she couldn't believe what just happened, but at the same time, she wasn't upset about it. No, she was happy instead. I could see it as a smile started to form on her lips. The pure happy smile. It grew and grew, until she started shaking.
"Ehm... Pinkie?" - I didn't know how to react or what to expect, but suddenly she, how to say it... Exploded! In a Pinkie way! She jumped high, like a launched rocked, and burst in fireworks, yelling "YES!" so hard, I swear Celestia in Canterlot could hear it like if Pinkie was shouting in her ear!
After a few minutes of exploding fireworks and spreading streamers all over the place, she finally came down, only to find me with my jaw still hanging. Tears were still in her eyes as she hugged me, whispering in my ear: "Yes, Dashie, I will be your special somepony... I have always been."
Ehm... what? I blinked. As happy as I was to hear that, I still was confused with the last part.
"What do you mean you've always been my special somepony, Pinkie?" - I asked. And at that exact moment I could feel Pinkie froze in place, just like I had several times that day. That only raised my confusion. But instead of asking more questions, I just pulled her close, returning the hug as I started to rub my head against hers affectionately. It seemed to distract her from whatever fear was stuck in her head as she returned the gesture. I sighed contently. I felt happy. All of my fears were melting away as I held my special somepony close to my heart... Damn it, Dash! If you keep getting that sappy, you can forget about being awesome! Not caring. Not at that moment. I was too happy to care for the world...
The day passed too fast. I didn't even notice. But here I was, sitting with my special somepony on our favourite hill, gazing up at the stars. They say everything is better when you share it with somepony you love. I never gave it much thought, but at that exact moment I knew it was true. The night was especially beautiful that day. I leaned against Pinkie, and she leaned against me, so we could feel the warmth of each other. I felt happy. And I could tell she felt the same. But there was still something I couldn't let go. The mere thought of it made my heart skip a beat: I still didn't know what Pinkie was so upset about back then. I wanted her to be happy. Even if it would make me sad... Even if it would make my life horrible... Even if I couldn't fly forever...
"Pinkie?"
"Huh?" - she turned her head, making me once again lose myself in the sky of her eyes - "What is it, Dashie?" She smiled. I swear, I would have given anything up just to make that smile last forever. What I was going to do almost made my heart split in half.
"Uh... Pinkie, why were you so upset earlier today? Anything happened?" I could see the frown appearing on her face, even though she instantly forced it to vanish. "You know you can tell me..."
"Dashie..." - she said. Her voice was shaking. I've never heard her voice shaking before. Okay, now I know something HAS happened! "I... I can't... tell you." I could feel those words hurting me somehow, but I didn't care about my pride at that moment. My attention was caught by the bitterness in her voice. Maybe I have gone too far... Maybe I shouldn't had brought that up in the first place.
"It's okay, Pinkie... You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." - I said, reaching with my hoof and and stroking her cotton candy mane softly, hoping to comfort her - "I just want you to know, if there's anypony hurting your feelings, just let me know. I'm not Celestia, but I WILL give them one way ticket to the moon for you. Okay?"
"Okay..." - Pinkie smiled weakly and snuggled up against me. Then she looked up at me, her nose meeting mine as we started into the eyes of each other. I can't describe what happened next. It just happened. And before I knew it, I was pressing my lips against hers, my eyes closed and my heart was beating harder than when I did Sonic Rainboom. I could feel her warmth, her tongue... I could almost feel becoming one with her. But, despite all they say in those books I happened to read, I felt no fireworks in my heart, no "flying without wings" thing they say you feel at your first kiss. Tch... Those dumb writers could use some realism. I only felt Pinkie. And, to be honest... that was more than enough. Or maybe it's just not my first kiss. I froze at that thought. There was no way I kissed anypony before. I mean, with a full mouth-to-mouth kiss. I knew that for a fact, I was always too busy being cool and awesome to worry about love until it hit me. So, how could that be NOT my first kiss? That's right. It couldn't.
But then... why does it feel so familiar?
I walked Pinkie home. We walked to her room, still snuggling against one another, my wing covering her back once again. That's how we've been walking all the way back to Ponyville.
"Well, here we are, Dashie. Thank you for walking me home," - she said as she opened a door to her room. It was pretty much they way she left it: an opened closet, a crumpled blanket on her bed, a discarded book on the floor... I knew that book had something to do with her sadness. But if she didn't want to tell me, I wasn't going to force her.
"No problem, Pinks!" - I beamed, giving her a final hug and peck on the cheek - "We'll hang out even more tomorrow. Now, just get some rest, okay?"
"Sure thing, Dashie!" - she smiled at me happily. I nodded and almost turned to leave, when a sudden gust of wind came through the window. The book on the floor turned a few pages. What happened next almost made my mind go blank. I... I didn't know how to even process what I was seeing. But it was there. It was real. And completely undeniable. On the page of that book I saw the picture of me and Pinkie. But that wasn't Pinkie I knew. Her mane was flat... I've only seen that happened once, and she was really upset that day. But at the picture she was smiling. Though it wasn't exactly a happy smile. It was filled with... bitterness. She also looked much younger on that picture. And so did I. I had tears running down my cheeks and she's been stroking my mane with her hoof. Okay... This is it, Pinkie. Now you HAVE to exaplain yourself!
I turned to Pinkie and was about to demand the answers when I noticed how pale she had become in the matter of seconds. Her mane turned flat quickly. She stared at me with the eyes full of fear. That was something I wasn't prepared for... I never expected to see Pinkie like that. She's been... happy all the time, so full of life. And her smile could rival the sun itself as she hopped around Ponyville everyday, spreading happiness and laughter, brightening up the day for all the ponies she happened to see. But here she was... scared to death by something I couldn't even explain.
I couldn't bring myself to say anything to her. I just slowly closed the door behind me and then stepped closer, pulling her in a tight hug. Whatever was scaring her, I just hoped that my embrace would make it go away. I couldn't stand seeing her like that. Slowly she returned a hug, but I could feel she was still trembling. "It's okay, Pinkie... It'll be fine," - I said, not sure if my words would have any effect. But I simply didn't know what to say at that moment. Pinkie froze at my words. Sure not the effect I expected...
"You... remember?" - she asked weakly. My mind exploded with the stream of thoughts at her words. What did she mean by that? What was I supposed to remember? I haven't forgotten anything in the first place! Or... have I?
"Remember what?" - those were the only words I could push out of my mouth. I really had no idea what was going on... But I could feel it was something serious. It was really important to Pinkie, and so I couldn't let myself screw it up.
But I did screw it up. Big time. As soon as my words left my mouth, Pinkie let out a scream I'm never heard coming from her before. It was... the scream of despair. After that she quickly ran to her bed and covered herself with the blanked, hiding under it. What I heard then wasn't just sobbing. She was crying. For real. Not just some occasional sadness.
I stood there, dumbstruck once again. I didn't know what to say, what to do. But I decided to give Pinkie some time to cry, she looked like she needed it. If she couldn't answer my questions, maybe that book on the floor could...
I took a closer look at the picture. It sure was a photo. I mean... No way Pinkie Pie could draw THAT good, huh? But still, that picture didn't answer any of those questions that were filling my head at that moment. So, I turned the page. I wish I didn't. No, there was no picture that time. There was a writing. I started to read it.
Dear Pinkie Pie.
I'm starting to forget things and I haven't seen you since that day on the roof top. I'm afraid I won't get to say goodbye, and I dream constantly that you will come waltzing through that door with some cupcakes and a smile.
Heh... whoever wrote this, they sure did a good job describing Pinkie. I managed to smile a little bit before reading further.
I know..... I know what Doctor Helfing is doing to me. I know he wants me to forget. I want to write this all before I forget it all.
Docrot Helfing... why the hay does that name sound so familiar? I couldn't tell if I knew the stallion in question. But I sure felt like I've heard that name before somewhere. Anyway... who wrote that letter? And why did that doctor want them to forget things? I continued reading...
But that's okay, because I wanted to tell you how much you mean to me. Even if I forget about you, you will always be in my heart, even if I don't say I love you everyday, I do, even if I don't tell you how beautiful, I still think you are and I always will.
So, somepony did love Pinkie Pie before... And those words did sound like some true feelings.
You will always be in my heart, you're plastered on there, your not going anywhere!
I sure could put two and two together. That sadness in her eyes when I came to ask her out... That bitterness in her voice when she said she couldn't tell me what was bothering her... Whoever wrote that letter was the pony she missed. And she missed them badly. I mean... why else would she act like that? But... who was that pony? Could I do anything to help Pinkie find her?
I also, wanted to tell you, that, I don't care what happens, I don't care if I can't fly forever, I don't care where we end up, as long as we end up together, because, your my dream, you are my only wish.
Love, your Dashie.
...
No. Bucking. Way.
Eclipse. Yeah, that would be a perfect word to describe what I felt in my mind at that moment. I had reached my head with a hoof and pressed it against my forehead. But it didn't help. My mind was resonating with pain. What in the world does that mean? How is that even possible?! Am I a clone of a true Rainbow Dash or something?!! I honestly didn't know what to think. It all made no sense at all. I had slowly turned my head to Pinkie Pie who was still crying under her blanket. I felt really bad to see her like that, but at that moment I was in no state of mind to give her much pity. I stepped close and pushed the blanket away. Her mane was still flat and her entire face was wet from the tears, but I couldn't care much about that at the moment. I gave her a glare.
"Pinkie..." - I said and was immediately surprised how weak and broken my voice sounded. It was only then when I had noticed that my entire body was trembling. But I pushed myself to continue - "I think you owe me some explanation."
She froze at my words and slowly turned her head to meet my gaze. For a moment I thought she was going to jump out of the window and run away, or maybe return to crying. But instead she forced her tears to stop and her breath to calm down as she slowly sat up. During a few seconds she had been staring at the wall, but then she looked at me once again.
"Yes, Rainbow, I do..." - I felt a shiver running down my spine. Only at that moment I realised that she had never called me Rainbow. It was always Dashie.
"But I want you to promise me something. I don't know what will happen after I tell you... But the decision will be yours. I won't force you to stay with me. But now, I want you to Pinkie Promise that you'll stay here and listen to my story until it ends. Okay?" - her voice wasn't trembling anymore. That scared me. She sounded like the pony who has lost everything and had nothing more to lose.
"Y... yeah, I promise, Pinkie. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick the cupcake in my eye," - I said the mantra I always found somewhat funny. It had made me smile a little - "I always loved that funny way to make a promise you created."
She took a deep breath and exhaled as she began her story.
"I didn't create a Pinkie Promise, Dashie. You created it... And you created Pinkie Pie everypony knows now. My name is Pinkamena Diana Pie," - Once again, I didn't know what to even think as she continued - "I suppose I should start at the very beginning. Well, I guess it all started on a rock farm."
Silence. It had been lasting for a few minutes, but neither of us spoke. I just sat there and stared at the wall blankly. When I left my home to go ask Pinkie out, I did have a feeling that my life was going to change that day. But I had no idea how much. What Pinkamena had told me... It had simply blown my mind. You know, it's like if you'd been pulled out of your body and put into somepony else's. To live their life.
I didn't even notice the stream of tears sliding down my cheeks. I just kept sitting there, completely dumbstruck. My past was a lie. And I lived with that lie all the time. My father wasn't worth to be proud of as I thought. He did horrible things to me back then. And I'm not the tough mare as I thought of myself. I couldn't even bring myself to kick his flank. Even worse, I tried to kill myself instead! But what scared me the most... was the fact it all made sense. As much as I wanted to deny it, to make it untrue... The evidence were all over my life. That story... it explained why I felt a strange sensation of somepony sitting on my back when I did a Sonic Rainboom on Best Young Flyer competition. It also explained why the name of that doctor sounded so familiar. And, at last, it did explain why our kiss with Pinkie didn't feel like it was the first one.
I felt myself falling on my side, and instantly the pink forelegs wrapped around me, keeping me in place... Keeping me safe, as she always did. Yeah, the reason I fell in love with her in the first place... I always felt safe in her presence. She had always been there for me. And I finally knew why.
"Does..." - I managed to bring myself to speak, though my voice sounded even more weak than before - "Does anypony else know?"
"Fluttershy knows. I told her everything." - Pinkamema's reply was instant. I started to tremble. Being the Element of Loyalty can have that effect on you. It's true that saying I felt horrible would be way not strong enough. But no matter how I felt, I couldn't help but think how Fluttershy would accept such a story. If it was too much even for me, what would it do to her?!
"YOU TOLD FLUTTERSHY?!" - I jumped and yelled at Pinkamena, who remained unusually calm as she stared back at me - "Are you OUT OF YOUR MIND?! I bet she can't sleep at night now! WHAT WERE YOU THINK-"
I was cut off of my speech with Pinkamena's hoof in my mouth. "She took it well, though she felt bad that it had to be that way. That I couldn't tell you the truth." - she then slowly pulled her hoof out of my mouth and looked down at the floor. "But now... now you know the truth."
She looked up at me again, and that was the moment her calm behaviour vanished as the tears filled her eyes. "I'm sorry, Dashie... I've failed to protect you." - she said with more bitterness in her voice than I could imagine - "I... broke the Pinkie Promise."
Now, wait just a minute... WHAT?!
Instantly, my mind flew back to that strange day at the Wonderbolts Academy, which turned out to be an asylum. I remembered it as if it was yesterday. I woke up in my room and had my wings all roped up. I remembered asking where I was, and there had been a mare who answered my question. She told me I was at a Wonderbolt Academy and got my cutiemark for doing a Sonic Rainboom I couldn't even remember. She said she was my guide and promised to protect me always...
"I Pinkie promise..."
The voice rang out in my head. It was her voice... It was Pinkie. It was... all true.
There was no way I could deny it any longer. No way to hide from the truth. I could only accept it now. I had a horrible past, but the future was in my hooves, right? WRONG! It was in... OUR hooves.
I snapped back to the reality. I was still staring in Pinkamena's eyes full of tears. And she was staring at me. Silence had filled the room once more.
"I... I will forgive you, if you make a new Pinkie Promise to make up for the broken one," - I said. I was surprised to hear how calm my voice sounded that time. I suppose that was because I had made up my mind. I could see a look of disbelief in Pinkamena's eyes.
"W-what do you want me to promise you?" - she asked. She was curious. And I had a surprise for her.
"I want you to Pinkie Promise that we will always be together... for the rest of our lives."
You should have seen what happened next. Pinkamena had frozen in place at first, then her dark figure started to get filled with color. The bright pink color. It kept filling her and for the moment I even thought she was going to explode. Well, she did, in some way. She jumped and her mane brust into it's cotton candy state as the smile wider than the entire Sugarcube Corner appeared on her face. Pinkamena was gone. My Pinkie was there. "YESS!!!!" - she yelled, and I thought she was going to wake up the entire Equestria.
"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick the cupcake in my eye! I Pinkie Promise you, Dashie, that we'll always be together for the rest of our lives!" - the tears were still running down her fact, but she stopped noticing them. True, they didn't matter anymore.
She kept bouncing and pacing around the room until I stopped her with my embrace. She returned it, but instead of squeezing hard as usual she held me tenderly, literally cherishing me in her hooves. I couldn't help but smile. My mind was still ringing, but I didn't care anymore. I only cared about Pinkie at that moment. And I couldn't be any happier.
"So, what happened to Doctor Helfing?" - I asked, suppressing my chuckle.
"Oh, I'll tell you about it sometime. It's a jam!" - she beamed at me. She was right, I had already heard too much for just one night. I didn't really care to hear more of it.
And, of course, I didn't even think about going home anymore. I was home. And my home is with Pinkie Pie. It was a night to remember.
"And that's how Celestia was born!" - exclaimed Pinkie Pie, ending my story for me. A moment later both were rolling on the floor, laughing out loud.
Fluttershy sat on her couch and couldn't stop smiling. I was afraid she might be scared to death by that story, but Pinkie was right, she wasn't scared at all! She was happy. Happy for us. She is a true friend.
"I'm so happy for the two of you" - she said, confirming my thoughts. But then she stood up and stepped close to me, putting a hoof on my shoulder - "I know it wasn't easy for you to accept the truth about your past, Rainbow. But your past is behind you, you can't change it. You can only accept it. On the other hoof, your future is still before you. It's not decided. It's for you to decide."
That's where I stopped her, holding my hoof up. "No, Fluttershy, not in my case." She gave me a look of surprise and worry, but I quickly pushed it off of her face.
"My future is for US to decide!" - I exclaimed, pulling Pinkie Pie in a close hug. Fluttershy's face melted into a smile.
We walked from Fluttershy's cottage back to Sugarcube Corner and I felt Pinkie's body snuggled against mine. My wing covered her back again. Not a bad habit to have, if you ask me. I didn't know what tomorrow held for us. But I wasn't going to face it alone. Not anymore! If there was something I could be sure about, it was our love. After all...
...it was Pinkie-Promised.
Author's Note
Well, here it is... My very first pen test. I hope you like it.
