I really need to do something about this ceiling. Pinkie thought to herself as she laid on her back, staring up at the structure above her. It's starting to get on my nerves. This was becoming too familiar for her tastes. Recently, since her 'play time' with the female human in the basement, she had developed a very annoying routine.

Looking to the side, she could see the edge of her new bed and a small window that revealed the darkness of the outside world. Another restless night. Though she was as tired as she could be, she was finding it difficult to sleep no matter how hard she tried. Her brain was flooded with thoughts and confusion. These strange feelings and urges that would surface were constantly pushing her further into the depths of her own mind. As days and nights passed, she had grown prone to isolating herself so she could try to clear her head. What's wrong with me?

She let out a sigh, coming to the conclusion that she wasn't going to get so much as an ounce of shut-eye tonight. Sitting up, she tossed the comforter aside and carefully lowered herself out of bed. It was a little tall for her, but nothing she couldn't handle. If it weren't for her back leg still being sore, she would be able to hop down with no issues at all. As quietly as she could, she exited her room and slowly descended the stairs. Trotting along, she made her way to the kitchen with no real goal in mind.

Turning on the lights was a bit of a hassle, given how short she was and that it would require her to stand on her back legs to reach the switch. It was a struggle, but she eventually got them on. With the kitchen now alight, she was able to see after a quick- and somewhat painful- adjustment period. Once her vision had cleared and her eyes stopped hurting, she went over to the fridge and opened it. She examined the contents, going over everything they had before spotting something that may help with her situation.

Maybe a glass of warm milk will help me sleep? Seeing no other option, she grabbed the jug of milk and closed the fridge. She then came to a quick realization of just how terrible this idea was. Everything here was built to suit a human's size, making getting to the microwave, let alone a simple glass, very difficult. "Son of a horse!"

Pinkie was about ready to slam the jug on the floor, but resisted the urge to enact violence on a defenseless beverage. Instead, she huffed and sat down, angrily pouting to herself as she stared at the jug with a certain amount of displeasure. Sure, she could just drink it as is, but it was the principle!

"You're adorable." Pinkie jumped as a voice caught her attention. Not very high, mind you, her leg was still proving to be quite bothersome. Her head snapped to the side, quickly spotting the source. "Are you having trouble?"

There it was, the source of her all-too-frequent mental crisis'; Standing so nonchalantly by the kitchen entrance dressed in nothing but a pair of cargo shorts. The stance he was in made her feel as though his body were on display for her. His arms were lazily crossed over his chest as he leaned against the wall with one leg hanging over the other, that grin still holding its rightful place on his face, his hair only slightly disheveled, the firm tone of his torso begging for her to reach out to it.

Matthew~ The edges of Pinkie's vision started to blur, she could feel her body becoming strangely relaxed and- Shaking her head, she snapped herself out of whatever the hell that was. "U-uh...Yeah, a little."

Matthew couldn't help but to find her embarrassed expression unfathomably cute; Especially after going so long hardly seeing her. He couldn't put his finger on why yet, but lately she has become distant. It feels as though she is trying to avoid him. He hopes this isn't because of something he did, she's all he has and he would hate to lose her; Especially over something that was his own fault.

Coming to her aid, Matthew grabs the jug from her hoof and moves to a nearby cabinet. He grabs a glass and places it on the counter. "Would you like it as is?" He asks, pouring the milk into the glass. "Or would you prefer it warmed?"

"Warm, please." She replied absent-mindedly, her thoughts becoming jumbled just being near him. If she didn't do something soon she would remain like this the whole time. "So...What are you doing up so late?"

Matthew replaced the lid on the jug before putting it back in the fridge. "I was coming down to ask you the same thing." He said with a chuckle, moving to the microwave to warm her drink. He places it inside the machine and starts the timer. With that taken care of, he turns around to face her. "Now, what are you doing up so late?"

A nervous smile creeps its way across her face as one of her hooves moves to rub the other. She tries to keep her eyes off of him, as to not get sucked back into her head again. "I h-haven't been...sleeping well...these past few days..."

His smile falls, a look of concern coming over him. "Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine." Pinkie began, waving a dismissive hoof at him. "I..." There was a beeping sound that drew her attention, as well as her human companion's. He turned around and grabbed her drink from the microwave, getting down on one knee shortly after to hand it to her. Graciously, she accepted it, "Thanks; I guess I'm just thinking too much." She fell silent and took a sip from her glass, letting out a quiet hum.

"Would you like to talk about it?" He asked sincerely.

Pinkie nodded in response, doing her best to look as upbeat as she could. "No, it's fine; Really!"

"Pinkamena..." One of her ears twitched as he said her name. "I understand if you don't want to talk about it, I will not press you for information." He places a hand on the side of her face, gently caressing it. She feels heat rise to her cheeks as he does this and leans closer to her, their eyes locking on to each other. "But, if there is anything bothering you, I will listen. So long as I live and breathe, you don't have to be alone."

There's that fluttering again, it has come back at full force, filling up the void she once felt in her chest. She doesn't know what to do, or how to respond. Especially when he leans in and places a kiss on her forehead. With her ears now standing up, widened eyes and a heavy blush adorning her muzzle, her body has frozen in place. She is unable to do anything but watch as he pulls away, smiling as he gets back on his feet and leaves. "Get some rest, Pinkie."

"Uh-huh..." Pinkie's form remains stuck in place, even as the human ascends the staircase and makes his way to his room. All that's left now is her, a cascade of mixed emotions, and a half empty glass of warm milk.

What the buck just happened? She mentally asked herself, setting her glass on the floor as she tried to process this. He just kissed me...on the head... No longer was she confused about her emotions, those had been tossed out of the window. Now she was confused about HIS emotions! What the hell!? Why would he do that!? Does he even like ponies!? Does he like ME!?

Raising a hoof, Pinkie promptly slapped herself. "Snap out of it!" She commanded, forcing herself out of her thoughts. "It was nothing, just a little peck on the head. It doesn't mean anything." Surprisingly, saying those words helped get rid of the fluttering feeling in her chest. However, as those left, the emptiness she once felt returned with a vengeance. "He's just...being nice." She continued, feeling worse and worse as she did so. "He's trying to be a good friend, nothing more..."

Picking up her glass, all she can do is look at the contents before setting it back down. She finds herself sniffing against her will. Her eye lids feel heavy and she can see that tears are building up in the bottom of her vision. She's alone...again. No matter where she is; be it a new city, town, region, or universe. She's doomed to be on her own. No one there to care for her, to love her, to hold her at night and tell her that everything will be alright.

Look at yourself... Her mind begins, Sitting here pouting like a little filly. You're a disgrace. She was fighting back her tears as hard as she could, but was finding it very difficult. It's no wonder no pony wants to be around you. You're stupid, you're a cry baby, and to top it off you're not a coward.

"Matthew?" Just as her first tear was about to fall, her mind's tone changed. In fact, that thought didn't even sound like her own. It was almost like...he was right here...speaking to her. She stood up, looking around the room with her eyes, but found no trace of him.

She felt almost disappointed that he wasn't here. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, lowering her head and letting it hang just above the floor. Of course he isn't here. No pony is... She continued, No pony in Ponyville needed you, why would he? She started to wonder what she was even doing staying here. She'd be better off somewhere she wouldn't get in his way. I might as well just- stay with me.

Pinkie's head shot up. Now she was positive that she heard his voice. Leaving the kitchen, she trotted around the main floor, looking for any sign of his presence. She looked in every nook and cranny, even going as far as peeking under the couch.

"He isn't here!" She all but yelled to herself, placing a hoof to her head. "What the buck is going on..."

Maybe you're just crazy

"Shut up!"

Things like this happen when- I've been alone for a while now, I know you have too.

"Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" She pleaded, having had her fill of mental trauma for one night. Her eyes were clenched shut, all four hooves practically digging into the floor. "Stop making me feel this way!" She said to no one in particular.

He doesn't care about me... She mentally reminded herself. He doesn't- it was driving me nuts watching you freeze like that.

"No!" She yelled, falling to the floor and curling up. Panic had finally kicked in as her thoughts became flooded with memories of all the time they spent together, reminding her of how good he made her feel. The first day they met when he asked her to stay with him, that time by the fire when he tried to keep her warm, when he carried her to bed when she hurt her hoof.

No matter what was happening, how far she felt she had fallen, he was constantly there and ready to pick her up again. He had become the most important thing in her life, but something inside of her was refusing him. It clawed away at her insides, trying to break her down and make her feel alone again.

She was about ready to snap when she heard his voice again. You're all alone in this world and any other you may come across. Hearing those words would have been all it took. Just that phrase could have broken her in this time of weakness. It would have too, had it stopped there. Not anymore though.

Pinkie was panting, her chest rising and falling with speed and purpose. Not knowing what else she could do, she pressed her hooves to her ears, trying to silence the commotion that was filling her head. She just wanted it to stop, to go back to feeling how she did before all of this.

You want it to stop? She couldn't find it in her to verbally accept, all she could do was nod. Then just accept that So long as I live and breathe, you don't have to be alone.

"But, I AM alone!" She finally snapped, screaming to the heavens above. "I've been alone from the beginning and I'll be alone until the day I die!"

Pinkie rolled onto her back, her hooves removing themselves from her ears and going back to their rightful spots. Looking up at the ceiling, she couldn't help but notice how blurry her vision was...and how wet her face was...She hadn't realized it, but she must have been crying that whole time. She could actually feel the tears rolling off the side of her face.

"I'm alone..." She said to herself, just as a little reminder. "I'm alone...I'm-"

"Not alone..."

Before she could react, a dark figure entered her vision, wrapping some sort of long, thin appendages around her back. It picked her up with ease, pulling her into its bare chest and holding her tight. She struggled against its grip, her instincts going haywire as she fought. She managed to pull her head back just far enough to get a good look at the human that was staring at her with nothing but worry.

Pinkie stopped fighting him, her eyes once again locking on to his. She could see how concerned he was just by his gaze and the hurt in his eyes from seeing her this way. Everything she was thinking earlier was no longer relevant, the little voice mocking her had vanished, and all because he was here...

I...I'm not alone...

Matthew wouldn't be able to see Pinkie's smile before she buried her face into his neck, her quiet sobbing being the only thing to reach his senses. In response to this, he tighten his grip and moved one of his arms so he could stroke the length of her neck. "It's okay, Pinkie." He whispered into her ear, "It's okay. I'm here."

The two held each other in silence for what felt like hours. The room around them seemed to darken at a steady pace until light simply ceased to exist and darkness consumed them.

Pinkie opened her eyes with a feeling of discontent, the warmth of the embrace she cherished in that time having left her. She wanted desperately for it to return, but a proper hug requires a minimum of two and she was all alone. This was strange to her, as she could have sworn that Matthew was here just seconds ago. Her senses started to focus and register in her brain, that's when she realized that something had changed.

For starters; Matthew was indeed gone. Secondly, she wasn't laying on the floor like some sort of child's toy. Instead, she was laying in a bed. One that she did not recognize as her own. To expand upon that, nothing about this room looked familiar at all. The color of the walls were similar to that of her own room, but nothing else seemed to be in the right place. That, and there were several more items decorating it.

Pinkie's room had one small window, this one had two large ones, both covered in maroon colored curtains. There was a dresser on either side of the room, unlike hers, which was empty, aside from the bed. To her right was a closet and what appeared to be a bathroom inside of said closet.

Only one conclusion came to mind as Pinkie pushed herself up with her front hooves and continued to look over the room. This is Matthew's room. She thought to herself, It has to be.

There were many rooms in this house, some in plain sight, others hidden. Pinkie had discovered them all and learned where every scratch and dent was. The only room she hadn't analyzed yet was Matthew's bedroom, out of respect. Its one thing to get to know a house, it's another to completely invade someone else's privacy.

She didn't have too much time to dwell on this any longer. A certain amount of noise could be heard coming from downstairs that she couldn't help but to become focused on. It didn't sound like the usual ruckus. In fact, it almost sounded like there was someone down there. Someone aside from who should be.

It was hard to explain, but rather then sit around and wait for something to happen, she slowly climbed out of bed and moved into the hallway. The closer she got to the stairs, the more she was able to make out what was going on. There were voices coming from the lower level. One she could easily recognize, the other not so much.

As curious as she was, she didn't want to risk revealing herself. She would have to keep her distance and stay hidden. She stayed light on her hooves, moving slowly as to make as little noise as possible. The wood floor would creak slightly under her weight, causing her to flinch and stall for a second to make sure no one noticed before continuing.

When she finally reached the staircase, she lowered herself to the floor and peeked her head around the corner so she could see to the end of the steps. From here she could see the beginnings of the living room and the front door, but not much else. Her ears flicked as she tried to pick up on the voices so she could hear what was going on. There wasn't much she could make out, but she did catch the sound of laughter. Nothing loud and manic, as she usually heard since staying here. But rather, a calm and natural laughing between two people.

What is going on down there? She asked herself internally, Who else is here?

The sound of footsteps picked up and seemed as if they were drawing close to her. He eyes widened as she reeled her head back, hiding behind the walls edge so whoever was down there wouldn't see her. They came to a stop at, where she could only assume was the front door when the voice she didn't recognize caught her attention. "Sorry again for bothering you so early, Mister Rivers. I'm sure you understand."

"It was no bother at all." Pinkie felt her ear flick again upon hearing Matthew speak. "I appreciate you coming here and bringing this to my attention. Is there any way I can reach you in case I hear anything?"

Pinkie moved her neck forward at an uncomfortably slow pace, just until one of her eyes was looking past the edge of the wall. She saw Matthew standing to the left, his hands tucked in his pockets while he offered the other human an expectant look. The human on the right reached into his long, light brown overcoat, producing a small white card and handing it over to him.

"My number is on there." He says as Matthew pulls a hand from his pocket and accepts the card. "If you find out anything at all, do not hesitate to call me."

Matthew looked over the card before nodding to the man in the coat. "You'll be the first one to hear.' He said, offering a smile to the other human. "Thank you, again, for coming."

"It's no problem, sir." The coated man said, placing a light brown hat on his head as he opened the door and made to leave. "You have a wonderful day."

"You too!" Matthew called out as the coated human left, making the coast clear for Pinkie to reveal herself.

As she descended the stairs, she could see Matthew's smile falling into a rather displeased frown. He closed the front door and turned toward the living room, apparently not noticing her as he walked over to the couch and let himself fall into it. He sat there, deep in thought as Pinkie came to the end of the stairs and followed his example, climbing onto the couch and taking a seat beside him.

She looked over him as he stared off into space, his eyes vacant yet filled to the brim with an emotion she couldn't quite read. "Matthew..." She began, placing a hoof on his shoulder. "Matthew, who was that?"

"It was a detective." He answered, his eyes still facing forward. "He came by to let me know that a young woman has gone missing...and that two people had been killed nearby and dumped into a lake." The way he spoke was unnaturally flat, like he had no interest in what he was saying. "Four years..."

Finally, he turned his head to face her. His eyes looked dead and defeated. "Four years I've lived out here. Four years of doing what I do and not once has anyone ever come close to finding me...until today."

Matthew's gaze went back to focusing on the wall in front of him, his body as still as a statue as his thoughts became filled with paranoia and fear.

Pinkie was in no better state. Panic started to rise as she came to terms with what he was saying to her. "B-but they don't suspect you right?" She asked, her words coming out quick as she held on to a spec of hope that they wouldn't be found out. "There's nothing connecting us to what happened, they have no way of-"

"Pinkie, we're the only one's out here for miles." He interrupted, his tone still sounding as dead as he looked. "If the detective hasn't made me a suspect by now, then it won't be long before he does."

Pinkie fell silent, unwillingly considering his words as almost every ounce of hope she had committed emotional suicide. "This is my fault." Matthew continued, "I got sloppy. I let myself get carried away and I didn't cover up our tracks...I failed us."

"There has to be a way." Pinkie pleaded, not wanting all of this to end. She finally found someone else in the world like her, who understood her. And now, she was going to lose it. "Please, Matthew! There has to be something we can do!"

Pinkie hopped off of the couch, her mind going a million miles a minute to think of a way out of this situation. "We can run!" She suggested, desperate to get away with him. "We can grab everything we need and take off! Find a new place to stay and start over!"

"That'll just make them come after us!" Matthew snapped, his eyes regained focus and locking onto Pinkie. "That detective knows what I look like and if he comes back for any reason and I'm nowhere to be found, it's gonna look suspicious. They'll be on our trail like blood hounds!"

Pinkie just stood there, frozen and looking utterly defeated. Matthew looked away from her, letting his head fall into his hands. How could this be happening? Everything was going so well. He has been out here for years and no one has ever found him until...

This is all my fault... Pinkie concluded, No one figured out he was here until I showed up. If it wasn't for me, he'd still be living out here peacefully with nothing being able to stop him.

If Matthew's face wasn't buried in his palms right now, he would see the beginnings of tears forming in Pinkie's eyes. Everything else would vanish and he would be focused on comforting her. Instead, he was trying to think of a way to protect her. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that the detective would be back, likely with police to take him in for questioning. Oh, the looks on their faces when they find out they had captured a man who supposedly died in a house fire so long ago. If that wouldn't be enough to arouse suspicion, the proceeding house search would be a dead giveaway. There's enough in his basement alone for twenty two life sentences. He was probably over-exaggerating the number, but he'd still be in prison for the rest of his life if they didn't just execute him on the spot.

There was only one way for him to come out of this alive, but it was risky. Ten to one, he'd probably end up being pumped full of bullets and that would be it for him. But, if that happened, they would probably find Pinkie... With a newfound sense of determination, Matthew lifted his head, stood up from the couch, and marched upstairs. He returned shortly after with a backpack held tightly in his hand, quickly making his way to the kitchen.

Pinkie watched him walk away, then return, only to go somewhere else. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she followed him to the kitchen. Once there, she found him throwing food into a large bag. Her eyes lit up, hope returning as the thought of them leaving returned.

"Are we leaving?" She asked, her excitement building up and making itself known in her voice. It was almost too good to be true! "Are we making a run for it?" She couldn't honestly say that she was happy that they would have to leave and start over, but it's better than having to lose Matthew.

"No;" Matthew simply said, looking over at her only for a second. "You are." He returned to stocking up the bag with everything she would need to get her through the next few weeks on the run. It would be rough, but he had faith that she would find a way.

"What..." Pinkie said with wide eyes as her brain processed what he had said. "No, I'm not leaving you!"

"This isn't up for debate, Pinkamena!" Matthew yelled, leveling an argumentative finger in her direction. "If something happens to me and they catch you, I don't even know what they'll do to you!"

"You are a colorful, sentient pony! You are the ONE and ONLY of your kind here." Matthew continued, his paranoia of what they may do to her surfacing. "If they get a hold of you, they're probably gonna dissect your brain to see how it works!" He paused, taking a deep breath to calm himself. "I don't want anything to happen to you, Pinkie."

Matthew reached behind him, pulling up on his jean leg. Grabbing a handle that stuck out of his boot, he pulled the large knife from its hiding place and stuffed it in the bag with everything else before zipping it shut. "That's why I need you to take what you can-" Placing his hands on the bag, he shoved it forward into Pinkie's chest and held it there. "and run!"

The tears Pinkie was holding in earlier threatened to break free once again, the thought of abandoning her one friend, the creature she had come to care so deeply for, tearing hole after hole into her heart. She couldn't bear the thought of it, it couldn't end like this! It just couldn't! She wouldn't let this happen!

In an instant, Pinkie was upon him. Leaping over the bag Matthew had shoved against her and tackling him to the ground with her hooves pressed firmly against his shoulders. "I'm. NOT. Leaving!"

Matthew started to struggle, reaching up and grabbing her sides to shove her off of him. "But-"

"Butts are for sitting!" She yelled, emphasizing her point by letting her backside fall onto his stomach. The force she put into it knocked the air out of his lungs, making fighting her off much more difficult.

Pinkie glared down at the human as he struggled to catch his breath, the wetness in her eyes finally breaking free and rolling down her cheeks. The angry look on her face started to melt away to one of pain as she let the rest of her body fall onto his, her front hooves now wrapped around his neck tightly as if he would vanish into thin air otherwise.

"I don't want to leave..." Pinkie sobbed, her face pressed into his neck as she spoke. "Y-you said that *sniff* that I wouldn't have to be alone anymore..." She continued, her words cutting Matthew deep enough to make his heart hurt. "You said that it was just us...You a-and me against the world..."

Matthew let out a sigh, feeling a pit forming in his chest from her using his own words against him. "I did, didn't I?"

Pinkie hummed and nodded in confirmation, finding it rather difficult to speak at the moment.

Matthew was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He promised Pinkie that he would be by her side no matter what on more than one occasion. But at the same time, he made a silent oath to protect her no matter the cost. Now he was stuck with two options. Break his promise and send her away, guaranteeing her safety. Or, keep his promise and risk her life in the process.

The decision was made for him, if her tightening grip on his neck was any indication. She wasn't going to leave no matter how hard he tried. Knowing her, if he did get her out, she would probably come back and get herself killed trying to protect him. This left him with only one option.

They had to leave together, but that detective had to be dealt with first. If he was allowed to live, then their chances of escape were slim to none.

"Pinkie, get up." Matthew said in the most serious tone he's ever heard come out of his own mouth. "I have a terrible idea."

Author's Note

I started this story over a year ago and we are just NOW getting to chapter 4.
...I don't know why it took me until recently to realize this but...damn...
I didn't have this one edited professionally, so if you spot any errors, let me know.
As always, if you're enjoying the story, please slap that LIKE button like a bitch! Feel free to leave a comment below as well, comments make me feel special :P