Hindsight, Chapter 1
By Curriculax
Light burnt through the curtain in Twilight's room as Celestia's sun welcomed her to a new day. Moaning softly in protest of the morning light, Twilight rolled over to face the wall opposite the window. Slowly she blinked her large violet eyes to rid herself of last night's sleep; reluctantly she rose from her tomb of warm blankets and began preparing for a brand new day of studying and research. And of course some sort of misadventure with her friends that would teach her a lesson about friendship and its importance.
"Spike?" Twilight called out as she descended down the wooden stairs, "Spike, where are you?"
Looking around the hollwed tree, she couldn't see any obvious signs to where the the young dragon could have gone. She walked to the table in the middle of the room, and noticed a note which had been scribble hastily;
Twilight, I went to Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie's having a sale! Couldn't miss that for anything! See you when I get back.
Smiling slightly, Twilight left the note on the table and peacefully walked over to the kitchen where she began preparing her breakfast. She sighed a little as she began to brew some tea to go along with her breakfast and her mind began to wonder to the intriguing character known as Pinkie Pie; her cheery attitude, her bouncy mane, her light blue eyes with their soft yet piercing gaze staring into her own violet eyes… She shook her head and sighed again. "If only that's how it was…"
She turned back to the kitchen, opened the fridge; after taking out the appropriate ingredients, she sat down at the table and began making herself a daisy and oat sandwich.
"I don't know what to do…" she thought out loud, the loneliness was comforting; no one could listen in on her deepest thoughts and feelings. And that's how she liked it. As much as she loved her friends, there was no way that any of them could know how she felt about a specific hyperactive pink baker. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door; she looked up, walked slowly over to the door and opened it.
"Good morning, Twilight!" chimed the familiar voice of Pinkie Pie; the most beautiful and energetic mare in existence, in Twilight's eyes at least. As the pink mare bounced the door's entrance, Twilight knew her day was going to be great. "Spike was saying how you were sleeping in this morning and you missed out on my bake sale! All the food was gone almost instantly! I say almost because it can't go away instantly, that's impossible! There's no way everypony could get their fair share in an instant! So, anyway, Spike told me how you were still asleep so as soon as all the food went away, I decided to come over and visit you! Spike's still in town visiting Rarity, he sure is spending a lot of time with her lately! So is Fluttershy! It's good to see her socializing more often with other ponies thanks to Rarity!"
Twilight smiled as Pinkie Pie continued her seemingly endless rant, as annoying as Pinkie's neverending sentences could get; she relished them. She loved every moment she spent with the excitable mare; the one she didn't enjoy was how she and Pinkie close to never got any time alone. Pinkie was always inviting ponies over and throwing parties for even complete strangers, like she did when Twilight first came to town.
"Come on, Pinkie," Twilight interrupted, "I was just about to have breakfast, why not join me?"
"Of course, silly!"
She knew it. Pinkie Pie can never resist the offer of food. No matter what.
As the purple unicorn stepped aside to let the bouncing pink earth pony inside, Pinkie had already somehow managed to get passed her and to the kitchen table without her noticing. Twilight smiled to herself and trotted over to the table to join her beloved Pinkie Pie.
"I see you've already made yourself at home, would you like some hot tea?"
"Sure thing, Twilight! Have I told you, you always make the best tea ever? Oh, wait, no maybe my sister Inky makes better tea! I'm not sure! She's not here, so she can't make her tea so I can't compare your tea to hers!"
Laughing gleefully, Twilight walked over to the now wildly steaming kettle. Though she didn't mind, at least it meant that the kettle was definitely boiled and the tea ready. Humming to herself cheerfully, she levitated two tea cups and carefully poured the brewed tea into them. This was great! Wonderful! She was all alone with the one pony she truly loved more-so than even her family or the Princess, and here she was having breakfast with her!
As for Pinkie Pie on the other hoof, was content just to be demolishing the sandwich Twilight made earlier.
"There, done." Twilight said, as she hovered the two cups and the kettle over the
Table and sat down a cup each for herself and Pinkie, placing the kettle at the middle of the table.
"Thank you so much, Twilight! It's not very often others get to serve me drinks! I'm always serving them drinks! But I don't mind! That's all part of hosting a party! If you don't host properly, then what's the point of hosting the party?"
"Mhmm…" agreed Twilight as she began to make herself another sandwich; this time hopefully she could eat it herself.
"No what was I doing? Oh yes! That's right! You made me tea! You know, I think your tea is the best tea I've ever tried before!" Pinkie Pie then brought the cup to her lips and drunk deeply. A small silence followed for several seconds before, Pinkie Pie yelled out "OW! Ow,ow! Hot, hot, hot!"
She flailed her arms about, throwing away the cup with the scolding tea in it. Twilight looked up quickly from her sandwich, just in time to have the cup hit her in the face and spill scolding tea over her.
"Ah! Ow…" Twilight brought a hoof to her face and held it in pain, as the tea burnt at her eyes.
"Twilight!" Pinkie pushed the table out of the way, only to knock the kettle over; spilling more of the hot tea everywhere. "Ow! Twilight? Are you ok?"
As Twilight rubbed furiously at her eyes, she grimaced in pain.
"Pinkie… My eyes… They burn…!"
Chapter 2
Hindsight chapter 2
By Curriculax
It was a lonely night in Twilight Sparkle’s room at the hospital, even after all but one of her friends came to visit her she still felt empty inside. It was the lack of that one particular friend that made her feel empty, that one mare she had particular feelings for and the one mare that caused her new found disability; Pinkie Pie. The one mare she loved more than anyone she had before blinded her. Twilight thought about how Pinkie would be feeling right now, what she was doing…
Maybe she was busy planning a get-well soon party? She certainly hoped so…
“It’s all your fault, Pinkie. All your fault that Twilight’s blind. All you fault, she lost her sight and now she’ll never be able to read a book ever again, all because of you. You’re a bad friend…”
“No! No! Go away! “ Pinkie yelled at the shadow on the wall of her room, “I’m a good friend! I-I didn’t mean to hurt Twilight… I-I didn’t…”
“But you did… And you didn’t even go to see her at the hospital. You hurt your best friend and you won’t even go to see her.”
“Shut up! I’m a good friend! I’m a good friend!”
“Is that all you can say? “I’m a good friend”? Is that going to bring her sight back? Do you think you can still be a “friend” of hers after this? You’re not a good friend, Pinkie. You never were, you annoyed her and everypony else. You are annoying.”
“Everypony loves me! T-they love my parties! They love me!”
“They never did and they never, you worthless rock farmer.”
“Get out of my head!!” Pinkie Pie screamed out loud as she bashed her head against the shadow on the wall of her room, “Leave me alone!”. The voice disappeared, and Pinkie Pie’s room fell silent as she stared at the wall where her shadow was, a small trickle of blood ran down her forehead from where she hit her head. The silence seemed to last forever until a soft knock came at Pinkie’s bedroom door.
“Pinkie Pie? Are you ok?” Mr Cake asked as he opened the door to her room gently, concern underlining his voice, “We heard voices.”
“We… I’m ok, Mr Cake.” She replied softly, not moving from her place in front of the wall.
“It was her again, wasn’t it?”
She nodded solemnly. “It was her again, Mr Cake, she’s there. She’s always there. She teases me, bullies me and makes me cry.” She turned from the wall to face Mr Cake, tears forming around her eyes. “She said I was a bad friend to Twilight. She said I’m annoying. She said no pony loves me!”
“Pinkie... It’s ok. We don’t think you’re annoying, and we love you very much.” Mr Cake brought her into a close hug, “Ever since the day you were given to us as a foster child, we have loved you as if you were one of our own.”
“Even mum and dad didn’t love me… That’s why they took me away, because mum and dad didn’t want me!” she began sobbing now. Mr Cake watched on as the mare that was just like a daughter to him broke down in front of him, just like she did on her first night with the Cakes.
The door swung open as one of the nurse ponies walked in holding a tray covered in the standard nourishing, yet incredibly bland, hospital food. “Feeding time.” she called out as she walked over to Twilight’s bed and placed it gently on her lap.
“Thank you, Nurse…” Twilight spoke, not knowing where to direct her voice. The nurse nodded and watched Twilight as she fumbled about the tray for the fork until she finally spoke.
“Need any help there?”
“N-no… No, I’m fine thank you, nurse… “
“You sure?”
“Yes, I am… Thank you.”
“Suit yourself” the nurse turned away from Twilight and began to leave the room, “Need any help, just give the doc a buzz and he’ll be right over.”
“I will thank you.” It took her what felt like an hour just to find the tray on her lap, then even longer to bring the food to her lips. Once she finished her meal, she just lay there; partially because if she moved the tray would’ve fallen onto the floor, partially because she was too full to move from whatever it was that hospital food was made of. As she sat in her bed, not moving, she let her mind wonder to her friends, her family, the Princesses… She’d never see them again, or read her books, or study… If she couldn’t read, then what could she do? Reading and magic was all she knew…
Neither Pinkie Pie or Twilight Sparkle slept that night.
A dark figure walked through the streets of Ponyville, a midnight-blue cloak draped over his shoulders. He stopped just outside the door of Sugar Cube Corner and breathed in the crisp, night air.
“Smells like someone needs a little help…”