Still Alive

Chapters

Trotting Equestria(Revised)
Enter Pinkie Pie
Sweet Stories and Good Dreams
Family Problems

Trotting Equestria(Revised)

Twilight woke up. No, that was wrong. She was conscious, but there was no gradual awakening, no slow rising out of bed. Instead, it had been a sudden thrust out of darkness, and into thought. She was standing in a white, clandestine room she immediately recognized as part of a hospital. There was a blue curtain in front of a patient's bed, meaning somepony was here.

What's going on? What happened? Why am I here? Think, Twilight, think. She reached into her memory, tried to remember what led her here, but to no avail. The last thing she remembered was heading to the library and then ... nothing. The princesses had told her that she would be a political target, that insurgents would aim for her. They usually never got close due to a combination of the Princesses' high public approval and the fact that Shining Armor, her brother, led the royal guards. He made sure nopony got to her. Except, maybe they did. This hospital ... what if it's a rebel group's? What if they drugged me and that's why I can't remember how I got here? What if the drug is still taking effect, slowly destroying my real memories and brainwashing me into their tool, a weapon to be used to topple the Princesses?! What if ... She was falling into another of her panic attacks. She was gasping for air when thankfully, her thoughts were interrupted when a doctor walked in the room.

"Here she is," the doctor announced as ponies (and a dragon) Twilight knew and loved entered. Celestia? Luna? Spike? Mom and Dad? Shining Armor? Maybe they knew what was going on. Obviously, somepony they knew was hurt, judging by the looks on their faces. But if that was the case, how come she didn't know until now? If all of these ponies in her (admittedly small) social circle knew this pony well enough to gather together, shouldn't she as well? No matter. She wouldn't know if she didn't ask.

"What's going on? Who's hurt?"

Yet nopony paid her any mind. She felt a brief moment of irritation before realising how she must've sounded. Tact, Twilight. Ever heard of it? A pony they care about is hurt, and you ask them who it is while they're grieving? Another shining example of your extraordinary social skills. But they didn't even look at her, not one annoyed glance or angry glare. They just kept their eyes on the doctor.

"Tell it--tell it to us straight, doc," her father spoke up. His voice was breaking. Obviously this pony must've meant a lot to him. Daddy ... It didn't matter if she knew this pony or not, her father did, and he needed whatever small comfort she could give! She trotted up to him and leaned in to hug-

"OOF!" she yelled, hitting the ground. Smooooth, Twilight. Serious matter, and you fall on your face! She picked herself up off the ground, dusting herself off. She was ready for hushed yelling, loud yelling, anything after that display. Letting the others take out their emotions on her would at least be helping a little. But not a single head was turned. And she could've sworn she had touched her dad. Something's not right.

Finally, the doctor answered her father. "She's... comatose. She's 'stabilized', and by that I mean she's not in danger of flatlining, but at the moment, it's unlikely she'll wake up. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

Twilight watched the reactions of everyone in the room. Her father was silently letting the tears flow, which made sense. He was the emotional one of her parents, a genius of the arts rather than the magic of her and her mother. Whenever they went to the theater, he'd always tear up more than the two of them combined. He'd call them 'his little robots' on every trip back.

Celestia and Shining Armor were keeping stiff upper lips, holding Luna and her parents respectively, but she could see in their eyes their pain, the barely successful attempts to hold in the tears. Just like them, really. No matter what expensive vase she broke while in one of her happy fits, or how annoying she must’ve been with her adoration with the sun goddess, Celestia would never lose her temper, gently chastising her instead. And Shining Armor truly lived up to his name. She couldn’t count how many times he had ignored whatever injuries(and by ‘injuries’ she meant skinned knees or mud in the eyes) he had suffered in their escapades together to treat hers instead. They always shouldered others pain without dealing with their own. That couldn’t be healthy, especially when it seemed like the victim was somepony they really cared about.

Luna was trembling, though whether with rage or sadness Twilight couldn't tell. She had always been more volatile than Celestia; more informal, yet easier to offend. She recalled how late at night she would find the ruler alone, staring at her night sky. She would tell Twilight of the sacrifices she made, how every victory came with a price. Sometimes Luna wondered if her subjects loved her at all. Without fail, Twilight would reassure her. She would laud the night as her favorite time. And it was, truthfully. Nightgazing with Luna was one of her favorite pastimes. But Luna was once again showing her emotional nature at this news. Twilight felt for her; she had lost so much.

Spike, her poor little Spikey Wikey, burst into tears, wailing. She had to resist the urge to hug him, to tell him it was all going to be okay. He was only a baby dragon; he shouldn’t have to deal with loss so soon. She fondly smiled at the memory of him tending to her during one of her study sprees. More than once, she had woken up with her face in a book but a blanket around her and fresh soup on the table. Spike’s body might be small, but his heart was bigger than the largest wild dragon. That’s why it hurt so much to see him go through this. But even his reaction wasn't the worst.

Her mother, her logical, sarcastic, snarker of a mother, was crying. She never cried. Some of Twilight's fondest memories were reading a book with her mother, and she'd be tearing up as a character she loved would heroically sacrifice herself, and she'd be engulfed in her mother's calm, exploring voice clearly sounding every syllable, and then, when her mother finally finished the heartrending passage … she would make fun of some sentence and other, breaking the hold on Twilight. And Twilight would laugh and act mad at her mom for ruining the moment, even though she really loved her mom's dry jokes, and her mom would chuckle and continue on. No matter what, her mother had been strong, always supportive, an immovable pillar of support no matter what happened. But she was bawling her eyes out. The only time she had even teared up was when Twilight had moved into the castle with Celestia!

And just like that, it all clicked.

No. NononononoNO! Celestia no!

And so Twilight walked through the curtain(only later would she notice that she didn't brush the curtain aside but instead had literally walked through it) and looked down on the patient bed. And there, she saw a bandaged unicorn with a purple horn, and a clipboard below naming her as "Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight was numb throughout the next few weeks. She couldn't leave that room. The doctor's words kept ringing through her head. Comatose ... Unlikely to wake up ... So, so sorry ... How? Why? She had so much more to do! She hadn't revolutionized magic as Equestria knew it yet! She hadn't gotten her name down in a textbook yet! Hay, she hadn't even made any friends outside her family, outside Celestia, Luna and Spike! She never got to win a magic duel, teach a lecture, see Spike grow up, have a first kiss... It wasn't fair!

And even worse, nopony could notice her. She had tried yelling at the doctors and her family. "I'm alive! I'm right here! Look at me!!" But nopony ever looked. And she couldn't touch anything either. She had finally confirmed it when, in frustration with a doctor who was oblivious to her presence, she had tried flipping over the clipboard she was holding, but instead saw her hoof go right through it. She was like a ghost. Although, technically she was still alive. Woo hoo.

The only times she broke out of her reservoir of sadness was when somepony had visited, and that replaced the reservoir of sadness with an ocean of despair. Almost all of them visited only once(she didn't blame them; they all had pressing careers, and none of them were handling this well), and Shining Armor was the first. He just looked down at her and sadly smiled. Perhaps he thought a coma was at least better than death. He leaned down, kissed her forehead, and said, "Your BBBFF is waiting for ya, Twily. And he always will be. That last F stands for forever, right? And when you wake up, we'll hang out, just like we used to. We'll fly your favorite kite, I'm sure Mom and Dad still have it around somewhere! And we can discuss our notes on magic, and-and just talk. Just like we used to, Twily. So hurry up, ‘kay?" And then his facade broke, and he dropped some tears on her, before walking off.

Luna was next, and she raged, ranting on how the world never stopped taking, that it had to take the mare she considered a sister away. Twilight’s eyes watered at this, both of elation at being considered her sister and misery at being yet another pony the princess had lost. Then the lunar princess swore on all the stars in her domain that she was having all her best people looking for a way to wake her up, and that by her own holy name that they would wake her up. That fiery certainty in her eyes almost convinced Twilight that she would.

Celestia, always playing the composed, strong Princess for those around her, said nothing but, "My most faithful student." She finally let out all the emotions she had bottled up, and her mangled sobs were all that she uttered for the rest of her visit.

Her parents were both awful, in their own ways. Her father's eyes were red, obviously from all the crying, and her mother tried to be as supportive and strong as always. She had walked in, a smirk plastered on her face, probably ready to tell her daughter about her day, ready to mock the humdrum of the dour scientific workplace like she did everyday back when Twilight lived with them. But she couldn't get one word out before breaking down, her father holding her.

Spike was the worst, the only one to visit often. "Hey, Twi!" he'd exclaim, rushing in and sitting next to her bod--physical self, a grin on his face. He'd tell her updates on how the other students were doing or what he was doing lately. "Moondancer had a raging party, or so I hear. I didn't go," or "I've been keeping the library at tip top shape, Cap'n!” complete with a mock salute. He'd talk to 'her' for hours, acting like nothing was wrong. Then he'd wave and say goodbye, and come in and do the same thing a few days later. The final visit she witnessed, however, ended differently. After running out of topics, he didn't excuse himself like usual.

"You're probably wondering why I keep visiting and talking to ya, huh?" Twilight nodded, despite the fact he couldn't see her. "The doctors say you can't hear us, that you won't wake up, but they're wrong. They don't know you like I do, Twi. I've known you since birth. You're like a mother to me! And if there's one thing I've learned from you reading through the night just to answer one question of yours, it's that you don't give up. That, and you're a total bookworm." He laughed, and Twilight couldn't help to smile. "I know that one way or another, you're holding on somehow, and that you will come back."

His face fell, and Twilight knew what was coming. "You've got to! It's always been me and you, Twilight and Spike! I don't know who I am without you! You gotta come back, you gotta!" He wrapped his arms around her grababble neck and cried into it. Right then Twilight knew she couldn't stay there anymore, couldn't watch those she loved like this. So she trotted through the walls of the hospital, and even though she didn't know where she was going, she trotted anyway.

Once the shock had worn off, she had gone to Canterlot's library, intent on finding some way of fixing her situation. If there was one thing she had learned in her years of learning, it was that every problem had a solution, and that the way to that solution was research. But, to her despair, she could not access her beloved books. Her hoofs phased through them, and not even her trusty magic could hold them. At this final insult, at the theft of her beloved hobby, the removal of that final piece of self ... Twilight couldn't hold in all the despair, all the loss anymore. In a fit of magical rage, she sent out bursts of powerful energy, not caring where they landed, what precious texts she destroyed. She just wanted to have an effect on something.

But when her mind had finally calmed, she looked about her ... and saw that all was like it was before. So she did the only thing she could.

She laughed.

The Canterlot park was Twilight’s solace, in the end. She had stopped there on her mindless wandering for no other reason besides that Shining Armor had taught her to fly a kite there. It was a good memory, and those were all she had left. Being away from her body, she felt no hunger, no tiredness, and no hope. So she sat down by a bench and did the only thing left to her. She watched.

Watched as filles played with their siblings and parents. Watched as mares calmly read books, enjoying the quiet. Watched as ponies lived. And she found herself wondering, what was the point of it all? When it could be snatched away in a moment, why did it matter? Who would remember her, beyond her family and friends? In the end, all she amounted to was a footnote in history, the Princesses’ promising prodigy whose career was tragically cut short. Who would remember her smile, her enthusiasm? Who besides her family would remember Twilight the pony, not Twilight, the Princesses’ most faithful student?

She was roused from her sorrowful thoughts by a laugh. She turned to the source and saw two ponies on the bench. When did they get there? I might as well listen in; I have nothing else to do.

The pony who had laughed was a grey mare, with a tidy black mane, a classy purple bow tie, and a purple treble clef as her cutie mark. She was facing a white mare with a blue, wild mane, a black music note, and the most ridiculous indigo shades Twilight had ever seen. They were a strange pair; of that she was certain.

“Vinyl, you are awful,” the grey mare said bemusedly. The white mare, ‘Vinyl’, grinned before responding.

“What can I say, Octy? That might not’ve been the party I was invited to, but it was where I was needed.” She climbed up on the bench, crouching on her backhooves, and raised one of her forehooves to the sky. “It is my duty bequeathed to me from the heavens to lighten up the stuck up, pompous asses-no offense to any donkeys in the park- more commonly known as ‘upper-class ponies’, and teach them to get their huge heads out of their relatively tiny flanks! And as Celestia and Luna as my witness, I will not stop until I die, nay, even including when I die, for my funeral will be the ragerest funeral EVERRRRRR!” she bellowed to the heavens up above.

Twilight watched ‘Octy’s’ reaction. She seemed like a classy, formal mare, much like herself. Why was she hanging out with a pony like this? Surely it was just distracting her from her music? Well, I’ve bet she’s learned her lesson after that display. Half the park must be staring at them!

But instead of blushing and hiding her face, or hissing at Vinyl to get down, Octy just rolled her eyes and pulled the deranged mare down gently and good naturedly. “Why do I let myself be seen with you in public?” she teasingly asked.

“Because I’m the only pony keeping you from devolving into a prissy classy respectable noble, duh,” Vinyl answered with a smirk.

“Oh, the horror. Thank you ever so much for saving me from the horrid fate of being respectable,” Octy sarcastically replied. “You say that like if it wasn’t for you, I’d just be another stick-in-the-mud pony you’d hate.”

Vinyl was suddenly solemn, looking Octy in the eyes. “I could never hate you, Octy. And you were already super awesome way before you met me.”

Octy blushed. “Th--thank you Vinyl.” She looked down at the ground shyly for a few seconds to regain her composure, then launched herself back into the banter. “But what did I say about that awful nickname? My name’s Octavia, and I hate being called anything else, thank you very much.”

Vinyl smiled. “No, I’m pretty sure you love the nickname.”

“Maybe a little,” Octavia grumbled. These two are strange. So different, yet friends nonetheless. How can friendship sustain such differences? Well, I guess now’s as good a time as any to find out. Nothing took Twilight’s mind off her troubles like research. Hopefully, this park was a daily thing for these two. She needed to learn more, if only to distract herself.

Luckily for Twilight, it was. The two visited the park almost every day, and she saw plenty of their interactions. Usually, it was friendly banter between the two, sprinkled with tidbits about work, then one of them would jokingly demean themselves, and the other would reassure them with a short touching speech about how much they valued the other. Despite the formula of it, Twilight couldn’t help but find it heartwarming. These two ponies were opposites in every way. Octavia was polite(at least on the surface) to the important ponies while awkward with common ones, followed formal traditions, and found class to be an important quality in a pony. Vinyl meanwhile was belligerent to those in power while easily befriending the average ponies, acted however she wanted, and favored truth over a polite facade. Yet they were the best of friends. Twilight didn’t get it.

It just wasn’t fair. Friendship was something she had never achieved, despite all her efforts as a filly. Her age group just dismissed her as a bookworm, or threw around her doll Smarty Pants when Shining Armor wasn’t around to stop them. She had given friendship up as a meaningless, pointless goal she’d never have and would never need. Yet these two mares looked past their differences and had a true bond. She just didn’t get it. She sighed. Perhaps today would shine more light on it all.

Octavia arrived first, like always. Vinyl arrived a few minutes later. Octavia smiled at her, but Vinyl immediately frowned. “Alright, what’s wrong?” she probed as she sat down.

“I have no idea what you mean,” Octavia replied, but even Twilight could see she was lying.

“I know you, Octy. I know a real smile, and a fake smile. This one is fake, so spill.”

Octavia sighed, her shoulders slumping. “Fine, you want to know? Fine Wine dumped me. Are you happy?”

Vinyl shook her head. “Of course not! I thought things were going great between you two!”

Octavia bitterly scoffed. “I did as well, but apparently I was ‘hanging with the wrong crowd’. She wanted me to choose between said ‘crowd’ and her. Just like the other ponies before her. And I gave her the same answer as before. I chose yo-- I mean, the crowd.”

“C’mon, Octy! I’m not stupid. It was about me, wasn’t it? It’s always about me.”

“Well, ponies of her stature naturally look down on ponies like you. You can’t blame them.”

“Ponies like me, yeah. We’re soooo awful.” Vinyl intoned sarcastically, with a twinge of sadness. Octavia, seemed to catch it, as she quickly corrected her.

“Vinyl, that’s not what I meant and you know it. Ponies like you are honest, loyal, steadfast. Not like most of the fakers in high society.

“I guess,” Vinyl grumbled. “But why?”

“Why what?” Octavia raised an eyebrow.

“Why do you stick with me? I mean, a crazy lowbrow DJ can’t be good for your career, and in your personal life all I do is get in the way of your happiness. You’ve got all these high brow ponies to hang with, but you choose me, every time. Why do you stick around?”

“Vinyl,” Octavia interjected sternly, “I will have none of that. You are my best friend. Through every bad break up, you’ve comforted me, despite your distaste for the sappy. You have been to every concert of mine without fail. Despite the occasional fight, you always come back. Through good and bad, through thick and thin, I know that no matter what, you’ll come through for me, no matter how bad the situation. And that means more to me than any marefriend. You came out of nowhere, Vinyl, and have made my life infinitely better. Nopony can mean more to me than you.”

Awwww.

Vinyl smiled, obviously touched but playing it cool. “Well, I, uh, am a pretty cool pony, aren’t I?”

Octavia rolled her eyes. “I’ll give it to you just this once, Vinyl. Yes, you are a pretty cool pony.”

Vinyl chuckled. “Yeah. And Octy?”

“Hmmmm?”

“You’re my most important pony too. I’m so glad I met you.”

Octavia gasped mockingly. “What’s this? Is the great, tough Vinyl showing her feelings? Has she gone soft? Someone call the papers!”

“Aw, shuddup.” She gave Octavia a friendly punch to the shoulder, and the two laughed together.

Twilight, meanwhile was having an epiphany. Came out of nowhere … Most important pony … That ... I want something like that. Something to prop me up, something to ... to keep me going, when things look so dark and lonely. I can't give up, not yet, not when there's so much more to experience, and ponies to experience it with!

With renewed enthusiasm, she began to set out, destination unknown, before throwing one look back at the two friends who had given her the will to keep trying. They won’t hear me, but what the hay. She beamed at them, and said “Thank you,” before trotting off.

“Did ya hear something, Octy?”

“I think so. But there was nopony around.”

Vinyl shrugged. “Hey, maybe it was a ghost, desperate for a purpose, and with our awesome friendship we inspired it to keep living, so to speak.”

Octavia stared at her for a bit before cracking. “You come up with the strangest things, Vinyl.”

Through the weeks she went to Canterlot, Appleloosa, and more, learning from the drama around ordinary ponies' lives. But the most important part of her stays here were not the drama, entertaining though it may be, but the emotion of life. Friends reconciled and grew closer, lovers admitted their feelings, and it was beautiful. And all her life she had missed out on that. It reminded her that life was worth living, that she had to wake up. How, she didn't know, but she didn't know how she turned into a semi-ghost either. She hoped with all her heart that somewhere in some random place salvation would come, out of nowhere just like her current situation. And in one small town, it did, in the form of a strange little pink earth pony.

Enter Pinkie Pie

Pinkie woke up, but there was no gradual awakening, no slowly rising out of bed. Nay, because Pinkie did everything fast and exciting! It was a sudden thrust out of her dream (which she couldn't remember fully, but she was pretty sure it had to do with some evil vegetable ghosties. Did she giggle at them? She had a reputation to uphold after all, even in dreams) and into wild thought. She instantly leaped out of bed, landed on her feet, and took her daily deep breath. She was going to need it. Today was going to be special. She wasn't sure why; it wasn't any of the normal Pinkie Sense feelings, like a wiggle of the tail or her tongue curling into a M (a M, not a W, because Pinkie could roll her tongue into a W naturally and if she could do it all the time then it wouldn't be a special Pinkie Sense, silly!). No, it was a new one. She just knew, in the bottom of her heart, today was going to be special. Today was going to change everything! Well, there's no sense in waiting around then!

She hopped to her mirror, checking her hair out, making exaggeratedly seductive looks, which made her snicker. "Hair bouncy and fun, check!" She skipped to her alligator bed, where her alligator pet Gummy was just waking up. He stared at her. To the normal eye, there would be no change in his expression, but apparently Pinkie could see some small facial expression as she exclaimed, "Gummy happy, check! Also, rhyme of the day, check!" Finally, she jumped out her door, slid down the railing and into the downstairs where Mr. and Mrs. Cake were starting the day, setting up supplies together. "Hellooooooo, Sugarcube Corner!" She was suddenly between the two, hugging them. "How are my two favorite ponies in town doing?"

Mr. and Mrs. Cake laughed at Pinkie's exuberant energy. Mr. and Mrs. Cake knew Pinkie well enough to know when she was happy, as in the max happiness an ordinary pony could achieve that Pinkie was at everyday, and when Pinkie was happy, when Pinkie reached new heights of happiness. It was impossible not to smile when she was like this.

"Just fine, Pinkie! No, stupendous!" Mr. Cake answered with a reluctant smile. Honestly, they had been grumpy earlier this morning, but Pinkie just wiped all that away! He loved that mare like his own, and so did Mrs. Cake, so just seeing their dear Pinkie like this always brightened up their day.

"And why are you so happy today, dearie?" Mrs. Cake asked, a smile on her face. Suddenly, Pinkie was already at the door.

"I don't know! Today is just gonna be great!"

"How do ya know? Did your pupils spin in a circle? Mr. Cake questioned.

“Or did Gummy raise his left feet three times?" Mrs. Cake supplied.

"Nope!" Pinkie cheerfully replied. "I just feel it. Today's going to be awesome! Maybe there's a new pony in town!" She let out a huge gasp. "You guys know what that means, right?"

Mr. Cake grinned as he lied. "Oh, I don't know. Does it mean a festival? A dance? No ... Honey, help me out."

Mrs. Cake smiled back at him. "A book club meeting? A picnic? Hmmmmm." She playfully tapped her chin. "I'm sorry, Pinkie, I think we forgot. What does a new pony in town mean?"

Pinkie cracked up. "Very funny, you guys!" she spoke free of sarcasm. "It means a PAR-TAY!" Mr. and Mrs. Cake 'oooohh'd' in unison. "It's my day off, right?" Mr. Cake nodded. "Yay! I’ll see you guys soon." She blew kisses at them before leaving the house. Today was gonna be good.

Pinkie hung from the top of the pole in town square, surveying the landscape for new ponies. Obviously, a new pony was the source of the feeling she had. A new pony always brought new changes to the town, and this pony was going to bring huuuuge changes! Maybe ... maybe this pony would stick around. Maybe this pony could stand to be around Pinkie for more than a few days, to stay past the obligatory party just to hang out. Maybe this pony would be a friend friend, a friend Pinkie could talk to and share secrets with. A friend who would be there. Not an ordinary friend, because all of the ponies in Ponyville were Pinkie's friends, but ordinary friends never really hung out with her outside of parties or listened to her problems.

Wait a minute... this is starting to sound sad. Bad Pinkie! No sad thoughts today! Today will be different! Finally, she found her target, a pony she never saw before, thus meaning a new pony!

She was a purple unicorn, with a mane and tail of varying shades of purple. Just like my streamers! The bulk of it was violet, with a small stripe of magenta, and an even smaller stripe of it being, well, purple! Her fur was lavender, her eyes were purple, her cutie mark was a purple star (with sparkly bits around it for extra "oooooohness!"). Everything about her was purple purple purple. She was a pretty purple pony! Pinkie laughed at the alliteration before snaking down the pole, intent on finding out from Mayor Mare where this pony was from, cause it was party time. It didn't take her long, and luckily the pony was still in the town square, making it easier for Pinkie to point her out to the mayor.

"Hi, Mayor Mare!" The mayor jumped at Pinkie's outburst. "Hey, did I ever tell you I love your name? Mayor Mare! It's alliteration, it's punny, and it rhymes! I like it!"

Mayor Mare rolled her eyes. "While the compliment is appreciated, I assume you didn't start this conversation just for that, Pinkie."

"Huh?" Pinkie stared at Mayor Mare for a few seconds, just blinking, before remembering what she was here for. "Oh yeah! There's a new pony in town, and that means it's time to do my duties as Official Party Thrower!"

"There's is no position called Official Party Thrower," she deadpanned, "but your parties are a great way to welcome new ponies to our community! Who is it?"

"That mare over there!" She pointed with her hoof to the purple pony, isolated nearby a bench. Hey, I exceeded my rhyme quota for the day!

Mayor Mare raised an eyebrow. "What mare?"

"What? That pony by the bench, silly! There aren't even any other ponies there!"

Mayor Mare looked intently, but saw no one. "Is this one of your pranks, Pinkie? Because it's rather subpar, no offense."

Pinkie Pie was shocked. Her jaw was open, even though Granny Pie said that let in flies. That's how shocked she was! "She's right. There!" she empathized, pointing harder at the lavender unicorn. Mayor Mare just gave her a stare.

"Very funny, Pinkie. Now if you excuse me, I have work to do." The mayor trotted off while Pinkie fumed.

"But! But! UGH! Fine! I'll find out on my own!" she yelled before (relatively) calming herself. She turned back to the new mare in town. "Don't worry, Purpley." Purpley was the new nickname Pinkie had come up with on the spot. Not her best, she knew, but she would fix the nickname problem later. "Even if Mayor Mare won't help, I'll give you the party you deserve!" she finished with a stomp of her hoof.

But if Mayor Mare wouldn't tell her, then how would she find out where Purpley lived? Suddenly, it struck her. "Stupid Pinkie!" She facehoofed. "Back to the pole, obviously!" The perfect vantage point to observe where Purpley was heading. The perfect plan to procure Purpley's position. Pinkie chuckled before refocusing her efforts on Purpley.

Two hours! Two hours and that pony just stayed there! Pinkie was not a patient pony, and two hours was about all she had in her waiting tank. But she swatted aside her thoughts of giving up. Everypony deserves a party! She would wait until Purpley left and showed the way to her house so she could throw the party, no matter how many strange looks she got, strange looks from Purpley included! She returned her eyes to Purpley's location, but she was gone! Oh no! I failed! I've ruined this good day! I gotta find her! I gotta- Suddenly, a voice cut through her thoughts.

"I can't believe I'm doing this. You'd think I would learn, that I'd get used to the disappointment, but here I am anyway. Were you looking at me?"

Pinkie looked down, and Purpley was there! She didn't lose her! She still had a chance! Maybe a surprise party was out of the picture, but a normal party wasn't! Her 'parties for new ponies' streak was still unbroken! She dropped down from the pole, extending her hoof.

"Hiya, Purpley! I'm Pinkie, party planner extraordinaire! I'm sorry if you were confused by me watching you, but it was for a good cause! A party! It was supposed to be a surprise, but you wouldn't leave so I could see which house you'd go into, that house hopefully being your home. But that's okay, normal parties are just as fun! Whaddya say?" Pinkie beamed, but then she noticed the tears in Purpley's eyes. What did she do wrong? She didn't mean to make her cry. Stupid Pinkie. Yet another pony you've weirded out. You should just go, before you ruin this day any further! "I'm-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry. I'll just go." Pinkie turned around, head hung low, tearing up. But the purple pony stepped in front of her.

"Wait," she sniffled. "I'm not crying because I'm sad. I'm crying because I'm happy! You saw me! You saw me!" Purpley choked out, pointing at herself. Pinkie's tears evaporated once she found out she made her happy, but tears still weren't good.

"Why wouldn't I see you? You're a pretty pony! You shouldn't be so hard on yourself!" Pinkie tried to place her left foreleg on Purpley's shoulder, but she found her foreleg went through her. "Woah! That's a pretty cool magic trick!"

Purpley shook her head as her tears cleared. "It's not a trick, and I don't know if it's magic yet. But nonetheless, you can see me! Do you know what that means!?"

Pinkie shook her head.

"Neither do I! But now I can finally start to find that out! To find out why I'm like this, and how I can change back!" It was evident Purpley was trying to hold in her excitement, but she failed, instead hopping around, and shouting, "Yesyesyesyesyesyes!" Pinkie hopped and shouted with her, because honestly, it looked like fun. Purpley stopped abruptly. "Come along, Pinkie, was it?" Pinkie nodded again. "We need to talk somewhere private. Other ponies are looking at you funny because it looks like you're talking to the air." Purpley giggled. It was a nice sound. Pinkie wanted to make her giggle more.

"It's ok, they look at me like that no matter what I do, Purpley!" Pinkie smiled.

“You have a home, right?"

"Yup!"

"Then lead the way!"

"Okey dokey lokey!" As they trotted at a nice pace to Sugarcube Corner, Purpley said one last thing.

"By the way, my name's not Purpley."

"Then what is it?"

"Twilight. Twilight Sparkle."

Pinkie turned her head at Purp-Twilight and grinned. "Well, then, it's nice to meet you, Twilight! I have a feeling things are gonna turn out just fine!" And she did. She knew today was special.

Sweet Stories and Good Dreams

Pinkie was ... different, that Twilight noticed right away. She didn't trot or run to her home. No, Pinkie bounced. Every move she made was filled with energy and joy; Twilight had never seen a pony this happy. Twilight held back a snort. Considering what I've been through, I could use a little cheer.

Pinkie, meanwhile, was having similar thoughts, albeit in a more disorganized manner. Called it! I knew the new pony would be different, and boy, she really is! What was up with that going through her thing, though? Hmmmm.

Finally, the two arrived at their destination. "Welcome to Sugarcube Corner, Twilight! Here for all your sugary sweet needs!" Pinkie beamed at her.

Twilight raised an eyebrow at her. "You live in a bakery?"

"Yup!" Pinkie enthusiastically nodded.

"That ... makes a lot of sense, actually." Twilight shrugged it off.

"I have my own private room upstairs, and then you can tell me how you're doing that cool intangible trick! Oooh! Maybe you could teach me to do it too! I cannot tell you how useful that would be for planning surprise parties!"

Twilight rolled her eyes. "I promise I'll explain everything once we're up there."

Pinkie narrowed her eyes at her. "Pinkie Promise?"

"Pinkie what?" Twilight asked quizzically.

"A Pinkie Promise!" the pink pony answered earnestly. At Twilight's blank look, she demonstrated the movements. "Cross my heart," signified with a hoof across the chest, "and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" Pinkie finished by touching her eye with a hoof.

Twilight bitterly chuckled. "Considering the state I'm in right now, I doubt I have to worry about my heart being crossed or a cupcake being stuck in my eye."

Pinkie frowned. She hadn't meant to rile up the pony. "I didn't mean to annoy you or anything ..." She frowned.

Twilight was instantly regretful of her tone. She's just trying to be friendly. Did you learn nothing from those two mares in the park? "No, no, you didn't do anything wrong. It's just ... this wasn't my choice. You'll understand when I tell you my story. It's ... not a happy one." She sighed.

Pinkie had to remind herself not to put her hoof on Twilight's shoulder to comfort her. Instead, she had to use words. "Hey, your story's not over yet, silly! Sometimes the stories with the saddest beginnings and middles have the happiest endings!"

Those were surprisingly wise words from the energetic mare. Twilight weakly smiled. She wasn't super happy, but she appreciated Pinkie's efforts. "Thanks. But I've kept you in suspense long enough. Can we enter now?"

Pinkie beamed, glad she lightened up Twilight even a little. "Yup!" She pushed open the doors and saw Mr. and Mrs. Cake relaxing at the counter. There were only a few customers today; it seemed like a slow day. "I'm back!" she announced.

The Cakes waved at her. "How'd your day go, Pinkie? Was there a new pony in town?" Mr. Cake asked.

"Sort of." Pinkie looked behind her and winked at her companion. Twilight stifled a giggle. "I'm gonna head up for some Pinkie time. You guys okay down here?"

"We're just fine, Pinkie dear. Hardly anypony here today," Mrs. Cake assured her.

"Kay!" Pinkie exclaimed as she went up the stairs.

Mr. Cake sighed.

"What's wrong?" Mrs. Cake asked out of concern.

Mr. Cake did a quick look for any customers who were near, then leaned in close to his wife."I just worry about her," he whispered. "She doesn't really have someone to talk to outside of us."

"Come on, dear," Mrs. Cake laughed, "this is Pinkie we're talking about. She's friends with everypony in Ponyville."

"No, she's acquaintances with everypony in Ponyville. Just because somepony goes to her parties doesn't mean they're her friends. Does anypony visit her outside of parties or business?"

Mrs. Cake couldn't come up with anything.

"See! And we both know about her ... moods."

"Honey!" Mrs. Cake hushed. "Pinkie doesn't like us judging her for that, and it's been months since her last one."

"I know, I know," he defended, "I just want her to be happy. Pinkie deserves that. She deserves friends, and it looked like she was really banking on this day to change that. But after all that excitement this morning, it's just a 'sort of'? Seemed evasive to me."

"Carrot," Mrs. Cake cooed, placing a hoof on his shoulder, "I love and worry about Pinkie just as much as you do. But she's a full grown mare now, not that little filly looking to get by in a new town. She needs and wants to find her own footing. All we can do is be there when she needs us."

Mr. Cake gave a little smile to his wife. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Aren't I always?" she teased.

"Oh, so the flour incident was all according to plan?" he smirked.

Mrs. Cake gasped. "We swore never to talk of that day again!"

He chuckled. That mare could cheer him up better than anypony, even Pinkie. "Come on, dear. Back to work."

"Here it is, the Party Palace!" Pinkie informed Twilight as they entered the room.

"The Party Palace?" Twilight deadpanned.

"Also known as the Cupcake Center, Balloon Base, and my room!" Pinkie giggled.

Twilight couldn't help smiling. That pony was infectious. She took stock of the room. It was circular and large. Not surprising; a pony like Pinkie probably wouldn't do well in an enclosed space. As for the decor, it was exactly what she expected from a mare like Pinkie. Her bed had a shape of a balloon on it, and on the bed was a blue blanket adorned with pink balloons and candies. Outlines of teddy bears were on the underside of the level above them, and her closet had painted balloons on it. Ugh, it's like she decided to never grow up. She recoiled at the harsh thoughts. They had came out of nowhere.

"Whaddya think?" Pinkie asked.

Delicately, Twilight. "It's ... unique."

Pinkie smiled. What a nice thing to say! "Thanks!"

Twilight took a deep breath. All right. No more distractions. Let's get on with it. "Are you ready?"

Pinkie nodded.

"Okay." And so she told her tale to Pinkie. She talked of her fear when she had woken up, of the misery of finding out her fate, of the despair of her family and the guilt she felt at causing them to go through it. How she had snapped when she couldn't reach her books (this Pinkie especially resonated with, along with Twilight's invisibility; being unable to cook or make others laugh was unthinkable), how she had given up until two mares in a park showed her the magic of friendship.

She told of the lessons she learned through other ponies. There was Braeburn and Little Strongheart in Appleloosa, a pony and a buffalo who, despite tension between the two groups, formed a deep, secret friendship, all because he gave the hungry child an apple. There was Cranky Doodle Donkey in Fillydelphia, searching for his love. His devotion was inspiring, but his situation was an uncomfortable parallel to hers, a reminder that her journey would not be easy. There was Fancy Pants and Fluer, Hoity Toity and Photo Finish, and more. All showed her life’s brightest highs and darkest lows, and fueled her desire to return to it.

Pinkie was left in tears. She's so strong. How could she go through this and not just lose all hope? I couldn't do that.

"Twilight?" she asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Y--yes?

"Can you do me a favor?"

"What?"

"Wrap your hooves around yourself."

"Wha--why?" Twilight sputtered.

"Please?" Pinkie whimpered.

Twilight couldn't resist, doing what Pinkie asked. "There."

"Now squeeze yourself really hard. Give yourself a really good hug for me, because I really wish I could."

"I-- thank you, Pinkie." And even though it was childish and sentimental, Twilight closed her eyes and pretended that the kind baker was hugging her. After a moment, she dropped her hooves, opened her eyes, and dried them. "Anyway, now I'm here. With the one pony who can see me. How can you do that?"

"I don't know, Twilight. I wish I did. But I've always had this sixth sense; I get this twitch in my tail that tells me when something's about to fall or a shudder when a doozy's about to happen. But I can't control them; they just come and go. I've been like this since I was a filly. I don't know why I'm so special, Twilight. I'm sorry I can't help you more." She hung her head. She wanted to help, she really did. But this was one thing her Pinkie Sense could never have predicted.

Twilight, meanwhile, was mulling over what she said. Once upon a time she would've dismissed this Pinkie Sense as scientifically impossible. But considering her current situation, she wasn't one to judge. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Pinkie looking down. I have to cheer her up!

"Pinkie, you have helped more than enough. You've comforted me, made me laugh, hay, just you talking to me has lifted my spirits more than you know."

"Really?"

Twilight smiled. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." She even did the motions too.

Pinkie giggled.

"Besides, you can help me. I never got to research my condition because I couldn't read any books. But you could read them for me! Do you have a library in town? Does it have the kind of books we need?"

Pinkie enthusiastically nodded. "The Ponyville library was one of the earliest founded and largest libraries in Equestria! It was founded by Bio Graph, an esteemed researcher, and her large collection of books were added to it. There definitely should be a mention of your ghostiness somewhere in there!"

"How did you know that?" Twilight asked with genuine curiosity.

"Silly Twilight!" Pinkie laughed. "The more things I know about the town, the more excuses I have to throw a party!"

Twilight was ready to comment, but paused, and just shook her head in amusement instead. "You are one unique pony, Pinkie. Should we get to it?"

"Um, Twi?" She pointed out the window.

"What?" Twilight looked out the window and saw that it was pretty dark out. "Oh." She blushed. "I didn't know my story had gone on for that long."

The party planner laughed. "It's fine, Twilight. I didn't notice till now either!"

"I guess time really flies by when you're having fun. Or sharing heartrending tales of woe," Twilight joked. Pinkie snorted as Twilight turned to leave. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"What? Where are you going?"

"Out to wait, of course!"

"Outside?"

"No, on the sun." At Pinkie's blank look, she elaborated with a sigh, "Yes, outside. Don't worry, I don't really feel the cold or anything."

"It's the spirit of things!" Pinkie objected. "No, you are sleeping in here, in a nice room with a nice floor and a nice warm fire in the chimney! I won't take no for an answer!"

"You sure it won't be creepy?"

Pinkie quirked an eyebrow. "Why would it be creepy?"

"Because I can't sleep. I just didn't feel anything, least of all tiredness at the hospital, and I tried to in the park, but it just didn't happen," Twilight explained.

"Maybe because a hospital and a park aren't the most comfy places to sleep? C'mon, try it for me. And even if you can't sleep, wait in here. It'd make me feel a lot better!"

"Fine, I'll sleep next to your bed if that's okay," she said as she made way to the spot. The floor wouldn't be the best spot to sleep, but beggars couldn't be choosers. She'd just fade through the bed. Which was interesting, when she thought about it. Why didn't she fade through the floor, down to the core of the planet, heck, maybe even out into space? What dictated her intangibility? That was something to research tomorrow. Her thoughts were interrupted by Pinkie's chipper voice.

"That'd be just peachy! Just let me say good night to the Cakes and I'll be right up!" Pinkie flicked the light switch as she went down the stairs, leaving Twilight alone.

Pinkie could still see the light was still on downstairs, meaning that the Cakes were cleaning up. She bounced down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Hey, guys! Just wanted to say good night!" she exclaimed, beaming.

"Thanks, Pinkie. Good night to you too," Mr. Cake returned, a small smile on his and Mrs. Cake's faces.

Pinkie frowned. She knew when people were really smiling, when they were just humoring her, and especially when they were upset about something but were hiding it behind an artificial smile. She had done that plenty of times herself, hay, she was practically an expert! "You guys are sure you're okay?"

"Positive, dear," Mrs. Cake reassured her.

"Okaaaay," she said, returning to the staircase. However, she did not go all the way up, but instead, stopped in the middle and stomped on a stair a few times to make it appear she had gone up. The Cakes were always caring, respectful, and honest with her. They knew she wasn't an airhead, and when something serious was bothering them, they always told her.

Like when Sugarcube Corner was having financial trouble back in the early days of her living there; they told her about it, and she performed entertaining and engaging ads on the street, because honestly, when a pink pony dresses up like a cupcake and sings about the wonders of Sugarcube Corner, you have to visit! They told her it had really helped with business. If they could tell her when she was still new to them about their business troubles, then whatever was bothering them now when she was their friend must've been really serious, and she couldn't stand to see the Cakes in trouble without doing something about it. She perked up her ears and listened to them talking downstairs.

"Dear, hadn't we already talked about this earlier?" Mrs. Cake's voice reached her ears, concerned.

"That was before she went up to her room and talked to nopony for two hours! You heard her voice as well as I did, Cup!" Mr. Cake retorted.

They were listening in? And for how long? How could they?

"But it's not an incident this time. Pinkie's mane was fine, and the only voice we heard was her normal one. Maybe she was talking to Gummy?" Mrs. Cake proposed.

"For that long? That's absurd! Are we supposed to let her stand on her own four feet even if it means watching her stand in quicksand?"

"Honey, you're jumping to conclusions."

"Maybe. But what if I'm not? What if Pinkie's just evolving her delusions? What if instead of some rocks that deep down she knows aren't real, she's seeing a pony she truly believes does? That would explain why her hair didn't change. She really believes she isn't alone."

That's crazy! Twilight's real! Isn't she?

"Honey, calm down. Fretting over every little thing she does won't help. Right now it's all speculation. We'll keep a close eye on her, make sure that this isn't a false alarm. If we push her too much, we'll just scare her away."

Mr. Cake sighed. "I know. Just ... Why? Why aren't we enough for her? Why doesn't she just find some real friends? Why does she just keep making up these fake ones? I--I just want her to be happy," he choked out.

"I know honey, I know," his wife comforted.

Pinkie's eyes were moist. Why do I keep hurting them? Why would they say that? ... What if they're right? She went back to her room as silently as she could.

Twilight was still there, and she had tried valiantly to sleep, but her attempts failed. She was forced to instead wait for Pinkie and tell her of her failure. She was ready to tell Pinkie when she had entered the room, but noticed her crestfallen expression. "Pinkie, what's wrong?"

Pinkie stared at her for a few seconds. Twilight frowned at this. She didn’t know the pony long, but even so, she knew a pause was uncharacteristic. For that matter, her eyes seemed to be wet. That was definitely out of character.

Finally, she whispered, "Are you real?"

"What?"

"Are you real?” she shouted. “How am I supposed to know you're not another of my crazy made-up friends because I couldn't handle being alone? And you're exactly the type of pony I'd like to know! A smarty pants, nice, funny, desperate for a friend. You'd reign me in when I was being too overbearing, and I'd teach you to loosen up and live a little. It's too perfect! It fits too nicely!" Pinkie spat out.

"Pinkie, of course I'm real."

"Prove it. Please, prove it. I don't--I don't want to be alone again."

Twilight thought about how to prove to Pinkie she was real. Logically, all her points checked out, and it would certainly explain Twilight's absurd condition. Of course, Twilight knew she was real, because she could think and feel, but Pinkie couldn't read her thoughts. So how do I-- Suddenly, she got it. She trotted over to the sad pony and sat down next to her.

"Did you know Princess Celestia loves cake? She doesn't just love cake, because everypony loves cake, right?" Dear Celestia, Pinkie's rubbing off on me.

Pinkie nodded.

"She loves it. Total cakeaholic."

"Twi--"

"Let me finish," Twilight gently told her. "Celestia doesn't like that coming out because it makes her seem less 'dignified'," she giggled. "I remember when I was a small filly in the early days of being her and Luna's student. The two of them decided that the best way to celebrate me living at the castle was a small party, just the three of us, just to get to know each other a little. Some tea, some generously spread streamers, and, of course, cake. As a filly, I had always adored the princesses as regal, unknowable deities. They acted far more surely and reasonably than normal ponies, or so I thought. But Celestia went to absurd heights to conceal this party; windows were boarded, curtains were drawn, guards were at the door.

Panicked, I asked Luna if there were rebellious ponies about to attack, or if a pride of Manticores were on the way, or if a meteor from the furthest reaches of outer space was going to crash and destroy the castle, also unleashing the extraterrestrials which had hiked a ride on it who would then proceed to infect every pony into one of them. I read way too many sci-fi novels, even today, and it is way too easy to get me worked up.

Anyway, Luna simply replied with a wink, 'You'll see why once we get to eat the cake, little one'. Finally, they carted the cake in, and Celestia surveyed it with her graceful eyes, peering every inch of it, and then delicately nodding in approval. Then she just went to town on it, digging her face in. Cake went here and there, Celestia didn't seem to care where it landed. I watched with awed and horrified eyes, watching as one of the rulers of the most powerful country in the world devoured a cake so rampantly.

'Celestia!' Luna called out in a reproachful voice. When Celestia looked at her, Luna simply said with a smirk, 'Save some for the rest of us.'"

Pinkie looked at Twilight blankly, trying to hold a smile. "What was the point of that?"

"Well, one, it made you smile. I see that!"

Pinkie couldn't help to let her smile shine through.

"Two, it showed you that I have to be real, because not even you could think of something that ridiculous. And three, it shows that sometimes ponies are not what you expect. They act differently than your notions of them. You have to look deeper than the surface. I would've never expected Celestia herself to be so addicted to cake. It went against all I had logically expected. Now, you have to do that too. Logically, it's hard to believe all of, well, this." She gestured to herself. Pinkie's an emotional pony. I have to appeal to that. "But what do you feel, Pinkie? What do you believe?"

Pinkie looked into those violet, hopeful eyes and knew there was no other answer. "I believe you're real, Twilight. No way I could come up with somepony as cool as you."

Twilight blushed but tried to play it off. "I'm cool? Wish you could've told that to my classmates at the Academy."

Pinkie giggled, and Twilight's heart melted. Her laugh is adorable.

"So," Pinkie began after a moment, "no sleep, huh?"

"Nope," Twilight sighed. "I could leave if you--"

"Stay here. At least until I fall asleep. Please?"

There was no way Twilight could say no. Not when Pinkie said it so pitifully. "Of course," she replied, making her way back to her previous spot, left of the bed on the bare floor(She was offered a pillow, but alas, she would only fade through it), as Pinkie headed for her bed. As the minutes rolled by, Twilight found it hard to keep her eyes open. What? How? How could this-- Then she looked at Pinkie and smiled. That wondrous mare who saw her when nopony else could and cheered her up despite her situation. That mare must be magic.And with that fond thought, she drifted off to her first sleep in a long while, dreaming of introducing her family to the crazy pink mare who made her hope again.

Family Problems

Pinkie woke up, but for once there was no leaping out of bed, no sudden awakening. Yesterday had been exhausting, even for her. And besides, she had a guest. At least, she hoped she had a guest. What if yesterday was all just a wonderful dream, thus becoming a cruel nightmare in the waking world, taunting her? She slowly looked over her side, hopeful yet apprehensive. Her worried face transformed into a large grin when she saw the smartie asleep. Wait, asleep? She looked Twilight over, and confirmed it. Her grin turned into a small smile.

It was so nice seeing her relaxed and at peace. There were no indication of the fervent worries of the day. Her ears were perked up, her tail jerked, and her mouth was twitched ever so slightly up. Awww. She must be having a good dream. I told her all she needed was a warm house! She quietly left her bed, going about her routine in a more subdued manner. She tiptoed to her mirror, beamed, and moved on to Gummy.

"You okay, Gummy?" She whispered.

He blinked at her.

"Oooohh, who was I talking to last night? That was Twilight. I haven't introduced you two yet, have I? Don't worry, she's awesome!"

Another blink.

She gasped as quietly as she could. "Gummy! Of course she's real!"

His claws twitched.

"You think she's going to replace you? You know nopony could replace you!"

A slight wag of the tail.

Pinkie began to tear up. "Oh Gummy!" She swooped him up into her arms.

He yawned.

"I love you too, Gummy. I love you too." She heard a groan behind her. Whoops, I woke her up!

Twilight slowly opened her eyes, gradually rose to her feet, and yawned and stretched. She looked at Pinkie through lazy eyes and smiled. Until she noticed the alligator dangerously close to Pinkie's head. OhCelestiaohCelestia! "Pinkie!" she yelled. Forgetting her intangibility, she rushed over there and futilely tried to shove Pinkie away from the creature. It would have been quite heroic, had it worked. Of course, her hoofs just went through her.

"Whoa, Twi, what's wrong?" Pinkie asked, concerned.

Twilight looked at her disbelievingly. "There's an alligator. In. Your. ARMS!"

"Who, Gummy?" she giggled. "He's my pet. Don't worry, he's toothless! It's just like cotton candy pressing against you when he bites!" He clamped down on her arm as if to demonstrate. "See? Thanks for proving my point, Gummy."

"Bwah?" Twilight shook herself out of her confusion. She must not've noticed him yesterday. He was really quiet, and she had had bigger things to deal with. "Okay then, I can roll with that. Not the weirdest thing I've seen." His blank eyes were indiscernible; it seemed like he was looking everywhere and nowhere, and either way, was peering into her very soul. "He ... can't see me, can he?"

Pinkie giggled and set him down. "Silly Twilight, he's an alligator! Don't worry though! He believes me that you're real!"

"Of course he does," Twilight deadpanned.

"So how was your sleep?"

"Fantastic. I had forgotten how good it felt."

"Any good dreams?"

Twilight looked into those blue eyes and smiled. "Yeah. The best I've ever had."

"Great! You ready for the library?" Twilight had barely nodded before Pinkie backtracked. "Wait, it's a job day today! I have to help the Cakes!" She was suddenly downcast, turning her gaze down. "I have to help the Cakes."

Twilight frowned, worried. She shouldn't feel guilty about not helping me. She has her own life. "Hey, it's okay. I have time. We can do it later today."

"It's--It's not that. You remember how I freaked out yesterday, wondering if you were real?"

Twilight nodded.

"Well, it was because I overheard them talking about overhearing me talking to you. They think I'm crazy. Loony Pinkie, who needs somepony to shelter her from the real world," she said bitterly.

"I'm sure they're only worried about you."

"That's the worst part." Pinkie's shoulders slumped, and she let out a sigh.

"Hey, it'll turn out fine, you'll see. I can be there, if you like."

"No, it'd just make me seem weirder, because there's no way I can ignore you. Thanks anyway." When she saw Twilight's worried face, she lightly smiled to alleviate her. "I'll be fine, Twi. You should go out, see the town!"

"Right, because I'll have so much fun in the library with books I can't touch, and in the park with ponies I can't socialize with due to that pesky problem of being invisible and unhearable!" Twilight sarcastically enthused.

"Exactly! You can spy on ponies, or just watch them like you did in Canterlot and all those other places. Do it for me?"

"I don't know ..."

"For meeeeeee," Pinkie whined.

"Fine," she sighed. "But if you need me at all, get me, ok? I'll be at the park."

"Gotcha." She enthusiastically bobbed her head. "After you, m'lady?" They giggled as they went down the stairs. The giggling stopped once they reached the bottom floor, and Pinkie's face fell ever so slightly.

"Pinkie--" Twilight began.

"Go," Pinkie whispered.

Twilight silently nodded, then walked through the wall to the outside. Pinkie plastered on a smile as she went to the counter.

"Pinkie!" the Cakes enthusiastically greeted.

But Pinkie knew it was fake. As fake as the manufactured smiles on their faces. She had thought the Cakes took her seriously, listened to her. But no, they talked behind her back like everypony else. They thought of her as a naive, crazy filly who needed to be fixed, just like everypony else.

All this time Pinkie thought they respected her and treated her like an adult, but they were just fakers. Well, three can play the faking game.

Pinkie put on a huge grin. "Let's get bakin'!"

Twilight plopped down on the green grass underneath the nice shade from a tall tree and took in the serene park. It brought a smile to her face, watching fillies play, friends hang out, pegasi practicing their tricks, and ponies just relaxing. In particular, she watched siblings bond; a stallion and his little brother wrestled, a filly and her older sister having a picnic, and a stallion teaching his LSBFF how to fly a kite.

A pang of sadness hit her. Shining Armor loved flying kites with me, and Spike loved picnics. He was such a good cook, and he loved it when I praised him. She sighed, getting lost in memories for a brief moment before snapping out of it. You came here to relax. What would Pinkie think if she found out you were bumming yourself out?

Sadly, this train of thought led her only to more worry. Pinkie's such a good pony, helping me out like she has. And what does she get in return? Family problems. I didn't mean to cause a rift between her and her caretakers! Not only that, but when she needed me to support her the most, I left! Sure, Pinkie had asked her to leave, but she wasn’t thinking straight with her emotional state. Twilight was supposed to be the sensible one, the one to keep her grounded!

She was broken from her thoughts from a yell up above. It was one of the pegasi practicing from before, and her cerulean body was hurling towards her, or perhaps more accurately, towards the tree behind her intangible body. "Watch out!" she yelled to the passerby.

Twilight quickly did the calculations in her head. At the speed and angle she's going, a collision with that tree would be catastrophic, maybe deadly! I have to do something! But what? The pegasus' body was speeding towards her; it seemed like she couldn't maneuver herself out of the way! Time is of the essence, Twilight! Don't think, do! Examine your surroundings … There! She spotted a nearby hay bale. So, quickly, almost instinctively, she powered up her horn, and used all of her magical energy, and to her amazement, a faint glow, so faint that nopony would see it without looking for it, enveloped the pony and moved her a few inches to the left.

The reckless flier crashed into the hay. Ponies ran up to her and checked if she was okay. Twilight held her breath. Worried murmurs and cries for someponies to go and get medical ponies was all that was heard. Then--

"I'm fine, I'm okay," the pegasus croaked out, spitting out clumps of hay, getting on her feet. Twilight exhaled in relief. "Now could you guys stop crowding me? I almost had that trick, and my wings are aching to fix their mistake." She tried to flex her wings for effect, but she curled one back in instantly and let out a groan of pain.

A doctor made her way through the crowd. "Your wings are aching all right, or at least one of them is, and I'd bet my degree it isn't out of desire to fix a trick. You should come with me to the hospital, so I can take a look at them."

"C'mon, doc! It's just a little ache! It'll be fine as rain once it rests a bit!"

The doctor humorlessly stared at her. "Silly me, I made a mistake. I forgot to mention the other incredibly likely effects a crash like that would have on a pony. Concussion, broken ribs, brain damage (not that you use that that often, from what I've heard about you), trauma to the spine, et cetera, et cetera, yadda yadda yadda. Oh, whoopsie! I made another one. I made it sound like you had a choice. Come along, daredevil."

The blue pegasus grumbled as she followed the doctor.

"Quit your grumbling. You almost hit that tree over there. Now that would've been a disaster. That tree's almost as thick as your head, and two thick, brainless materials clashing like that would've made quite a mess. Count your lucky stars."

Once the adrenaline wore off, Twilight realized what she had done. I saved somepony! With my magic! It affected something! I gotta tell Pinkie about this! Sure, Pinkie had told her she wanted to be alone with the Cakes, but surely something as momentous as this deserved a quick conversation? Besides, I think I've had enough park excitement for today.

She chuckled to herself as she went to Sugarcube Corner, not noticing the curious glance the pegasus threw back at the tree.

Pinkie was steaming, and not from the ovens she was using. The Cakes hadn't mentioned their conversation from last night at all. No apologies, no talk, not even a confrontation! Maybe they thought poor Pinkie wouldn't be able to handle it! All I am to them is a baking machine!

She heard the kitchen door opening from behind her and she turned. There the Cakes were, concern on their face. Stop faking!

"Pinkie?" Mrs. Cake began. "The customers said that the cupcakes taste funny."

"And we know that most of the time your cupcakes are the most amazing treats in Equestria, and the only time they aren't is when your heart isn't in it. Do you want to talk about whatever is bothering you?" Mr. Cake asked.

"Nopey dopey! I'm just finesey winsey!"

The two shared a concerned look, and Pinkie knew just what they were communicating.

'Would you look at that, honey! Pinkie's going crazy! Again!' Mrs. Cake mentally enthused.

'Yeppers, that Pinkie is like a time bomb! I don't know why we even let her in the kitchen!' Mr. Cake telepathically responded.

'Let's lock her up!'

'Let's!'

Pinkie held back a growl.

Mr. Cake looked at her. "Pinkie, if you aren't feeling well, you could take another day off-"

"Stop acting like you care!" she shouted.

The Cakes recoiled in surprise. "Pinkie--" Mrs. Cake started, but Pinkie wasn't done.

"Or maybe you're worried that baking is going to make me sink into quicksand!"

To other ponies, this would have seemed like another of Pinkie's non-sequiturs, but both of the Cake's eyes widened as they realized what it meant.

"Pinkie, you overheard us last night?" Mrs. Cake asked.

"Yup. What, did you expect Pinkie to be a good little filly and go up to her room when the grown up ponies were talking? I knew you two were faking! I'm not stupid! I'm not!"

"Pinkie--"

"No, Cup, this is good," Mr. Cake interjected. "We needed to talk about this. Pinkie, we didn't mean to disrespect you. We know you're a responsible, smart pony. Smarter than us, even!"

"Don't patronize me!"

"We're not, Pinkie!" Mrs. Cake interrupted. "You are going to do amazing things. We know you are."

"We just worry about you."

"Worry that I'm crazy? Worry that I'm too irresponsible? Worry that I'm more trouble than I'm worth?" Pinkie spat out.

"Pinkie, please calm down. We love you--"

"You’re not my parents." she hissed. They didn’t love her, nopony could. She was too energetic, or obnoxious, or irresponsible, or crazy. A rock farmer trying to play the part of a partier. They’d find out she was more trouble than she was worth. Just like her parents. Why not sooner than later?

But then she saw the look on their faces. The hurt expressions, the tears in their eyes. She didn’t mean to make them cry. Why are they crying? Why aren’t they mad? They should be yelling! She repeated her words in her mind, and her eyes widened. How could she hit them so low, throw all their efforts back at them? What's wrong with me? I'm a monster!

"I--I'm sorry," she whispered, running out the back door.

She ran past crowds of ponies, deftly maneuvering past them. She didn't even know where she was running, she just needed to run. Run from the tears, run from the faces, run from the fact that not only did she make two ponies cry, an act that felt against her very soul by itself, but the two ponies were her most important ponies in the world. The ponies who had cared for her, who had loved her, for years!

Through the blur of her eyes, she saw a purple pony who looked quite familiar. The concerned "Pinkie?" only confirmed it.

Not her! She ran through the purple pony.

"Pinkie!" Twilight called out. Pinkie was crying. Pinkie was crying. It wasn't the tearing up of yesterday. No, this was full blown weeping, tears flowing behind her. Never before had she witnessed something so wrong. It had to be fixed, immediately.

She trotted after the baker, quickly catching up to her. They were side by side. The yellow houses of the town square rushed behind them."Pinkie, what happened?"

"Go away! I don't deserve you!" Twilight was the last pony Pinkie needed to see right now. Twilight would be all forgiving and nice and comforting, and she didn't deserve any of that. Didn't deserve it at all. She picked up her speed.

Pinkie didn't deserve her? What did that mean? Twilight quirked an eyebrow as she picked up her pace. "Where did this come from?"

Pinkie turned her head away from her. Why didn't she just go? "Just go away!"

The very idea of leaving Pinkie was unthinkable. It was one of the worst things Twilight could think of. And it wasn’t because Pinkie could see her. It wasn’t because of the debt she owed Pinkie for her help. No, it was something much more deep, much more real. It was her smile, the one she seemed to give Twilight every time she looked at her. It was the unrestrained, unabashedly happy laugh Pinkie had at pretty much everything. It was her hair, her pet, her Pinkie Sense. It was her.

In that moment, Twilight realized how much Pinkie meant to her, and just what they were together. And after that, leaving Pinkie became the absolute last thing she ever wanted to do. "Never! That's not what friends do!" Pinkie stopped in her tracks, almost causing Twilight to flip over as she tried to do the same.

"I'm--I'm your friend?" Pinkie asked in a tone like she couldn't believe that she would deign to being her friend. It made Twilight's heart ache.

"More than that," she corrected as steadied her footing. "You're my first and best friend. And I would never leave my best friend when she needed me."

Pinkie was tearing up out of joy now, her blue eyes shining like Philomena. Her shoulders shaking even worse than when she was on one of her sugar highs. Despite her state, Pinkie didn’t hesitate for a single moment to respond. "You're my first and bestest friend too.” she whispered, an uncharacteristic hitch in her voice just as a completely characteristic smile slowly graced her face.

"Then can we talk? Please?"

"Okay. But you probably won't be my friend after you've heard what I've done." She hung her head.

"Nothing could do that, Pinkie."

Luckily, this area where they had stopped was relatively deserted; hopefully nopony had heard Pinkie talk to what looked like nopony, and if they did, hopefully they chalked it up to Pinkie being Pinkie. Twilight led Pinkie to an empty alley, where they both sat down.

"You ready to tell me what happened, Pinkie? We can wait for however long you need."

Pinkie nodded yes. "I was awful, Twi. The Cakes were just worried about me, like they always are, and tried to cheer me up, like they always have. But I just threw it back in their faces. I was mean and rude and said bad things. I called them stupid, but even worse, I made fun of them not having kids. The Cakes have tried to have kids for a long time, but nothing has worked and they don't know why and it really hurts them deep down and I just hurt them with it! I--I said they weren't my parents, that they were just my bosses, but I lied. They're my family, and I don't deserve them!" she choked out.

She hung her head. Twi was going to tear into her, wonder how she thought such a bad pony could be her friend. Or worse, Twilight was going to forgive her, lie, and say it wasn't anypony's fault.

"So what are you going to do about it?"

"Wha?" She blinked rapidly, trying to catch up with what Twilight meant.

"What are you going to do about it, Pinkie?"

"I--I was going to just stay away, live on the lam. They shouldn't have somepony like me. It'd be better if they forgot--"

"Don't you dare do that!" Twilight hissed, a fire in her eyes. "My parents and I have had fights plenty of times, but we always made up. In fact, before all of this, we were in a small fight via letters about how I didn't visit enough. But you know what? When I was laying there, on that hospital bed, they forgot all about the fight, the anger. Instead, all that was replaced by devastation. I wish we were still fighting, rather than see them so hurt. And you want the Cakes to go through something even worse, wondering where you had disappeared, if you were okay, wondering if they had only said and done something different you'd still be with them?"

"No! Never!"

"Then what are you going to do?"

"I'm--I'm going to apologize?" Pinkie questioned.

Twilight nodded. "Exactly. You're going to go home, you'll apologize to them and vice versa, and you are going to make them so happy that you're okay and still love them. They are going to be smiling through those tears of joys like nopony but my best friend can get them to. Is that right?"

Pinkie sniffled and nodded, some of her usual energy returning. "Yeah."

"I said, is that right?"

"Yeah!"

"I said, IS THAT RIGHT?" Twilight bellowed.

"YEAH!" Pinkie yelled, leaping to her feet in a confetti explosion.

Twilight smiled. "That's my Pinkie! Let's go!"

"Yeah! I can do this!"

"I can't do this," Pinkie whimpered. It had seemed so much easier when they weren't at the front door.

"Yes, you can," Twilight reassured her.

"But look, Twi! The place is empty! They must've been so hurt they closed up shop!"

"Do you have a key?"

"Well, yeah."

"Then use it."

"But Twi--"

"Pinkie." Twilight's serious tone silenced the pony. "It's gonna be okay. Trust me."

Pinkie nodded, gulped. and grabbed the key out of her hair.

Of course that's where she'd keep it. You could hide a minotaur in that hair! She smiled fondly at the pink pony. "Do you want me to come with?"

"No thanks, Twi. I gotta do this alone."

"I'll be right outside, Pinkie."

Pinkie beamed at her. "I know." She put the key in the lock, turned it, and went inside. "Mr. and Mrs. Cake?" she asked, echoing in the emptiness.

She trotted through the counter and into the kitchen and found them cleaning up. Mrs. Cake was the first to notice her.

"Pinkie?" she exhaled.

And Pinkie couldn't hold it in any more. She leaped at their feet, weeping. "I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry! You're not stupid, you're amazing, and if it weren't for you I'd still be a lonely sad hungry Pinkie, and you're not my parents, you'll never be my parents, because you're a million times better than they were, and I know you love me or used to, at least, and I still love you guys! And I understand if you never want to see me again, I deserve it, but I need you guys to know I'm sorry! So, so sorry!" she sobbed.

"Oh, Pinkie!" Mrs. Cake cried.

"We could never stop loving you," Mr. Cake said as they embraced her.

"I love you, mom and dad!"

"We love you too, our itty bitty little itlle twinkie Pinkie," Mrs. Cake replied as she and her husband hugged her even tighter. And all was right and sweet again in Sugarcube Corner.