Tracks in the Sandby DwarvishPonyChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 7Chapter 6Chapter 1There was always sand in Canterlot. You had to climb over it to get anywhere. It was in the air, threatening to blind you if you didn’t wear goggles. Sand when you walked, sand when you tried to sleep, and, worst of all, there was always sand in your shoes. There was sand in Pinkie’s shoes as she approached a building she’d never been in. The big letters in front of it called it Caterlo Centrl Staton. Pinkie was pretty sure that it was supposed to say ‘Canterlot Central Station’. Pinkie walked over the fallen doors to the train station. There was sand in here, too. The entry area to the station opened up immediately after she entered, with a grand atrium letting in filtered sunlight through dirty glass overhead. In the center of the room, a lone statue of a horse rose above her, rearing back majestically on its hind legs. Or it would have looked majestic if the floor around it weren’t covered in strange symbols, melted candles, and various remnants of what looked to be some kind of burnt offerings. Pinkie paused to look at the stuff scattered about, but deemed none of it worth taking. She continued onward, hopping over the turnstiles that had begun to rust and continuing to the station platforms. Two long-dead passenger trains sat on the tracks, never to move again. A few of the train cars had cloth covering the windows. “Hello?” Pinkie called out to the trains, announcing her presence to anyone who could be living in them. “I promise I’m not here to rob you! I only want to take stuff back to town and trade it for different stuff!” Pinkie Pie called out to the emptiness. Silence was the only response the rusted train cars could provide, which was as close to getting permission as Pinkie was going to get. Pinkie shrugged and got to looting, taking anything she deemed moderately valuable and cramming it into her backpack. This meant that if it was shiny or looked neat, she took it. Consequently, Pinkie’s bag was filled before the third train car. “Wow, I’m gonna have to make another trip. This place is just loaded with goodies! I wonder why nobody’s come to take it—pointy object!” Pinkie’s hands slowly went up when she found herself staring at the unfriendly end of a crude spear. At the other end crouched a human. At least, Pinkie was fairly sure it was another human and not some sort of freaky mutant. They were wearing a worn black cloak and some sort of wooden orange horse mask with a horn, so it was hard to tell. “What are you doing here?” Definitely a human voice—a woman’s to boot. “Scavenging.” Pinkie said slowly, taking a step back. The spear woman stepped forward, leaving no room for a quick escape. “I didn’t know this was your stuff. I can give it back if you like just please don’t poke me with the pointy end of your stick.” Pinkie raised her hands up, letting the woman see that she was unarmed. “Leave.” “Okay, I can do that. Pinkie Pie, out.” Pinkie started scooting sideways. “Did you want me to give back the stuff I picked up? I really didn’t mean to take anything from you.” The woman paused, letting the tip of the spear drop slightly. “Leave it.” “Okay, I’m just going to crouch down here.” Pinkie slowly sank to one knee and slipped her backpack off. “And put your stuff right here.” One by one, the baubles she’d taken were set in front of the backpack until Pinkie was left with her meager supplies. “That’s all of it.” The masked woman finally pulled the spear away from Pinkie, who let out a sigh of relief. “I’m just gonna go, if that’s okay.” “Go.” “Yep! You got it. This is me leaving. Nice and slow.” Pinkie backed away slowly. Her gaze didn’t leave the spear as she felt blindly for an exit with her feet. “Did you need me to bring anything back? I’m a scavenger, so I find neat stuff all the time…” Pinkie chuckled nervously. A bead of sweat trickled down her forehead. “No? Okay, well it was nice meeting you—” “Books.” “Huh?” Pinkie stopped, startled when she actually got a response to her not-completely-sincere offer that was only said so she could leave safely. “Books.” The masked woman said. “I need more books.” “Right. Books. I can totally find books. Give me one week and I’ll have a ton of books for you, Pinkie Promise.” “Pinkie Promise?” “Cross my heart, hope to fly.” Pinkie gave a sincere smile. She’d never break a Pinkie Promise, even if it was with a scary mask lady with a spear. Scary mask lady said nothing as Pinkie left in a hurry. *** Seven days later, Pinkie found herself walking up to the Canterlot Station ruins with only the sound of gravel underfoot as a travelling companion. Her heart thudded in her chest as she adjusted her backpack. She felt jittery, like that time she’d traded for that bag of coffee beans and eaten the whole bag in one sitting. Running was still an option, according to a little voice in the back of her head. No, Pinkie told the voice. She would not start breaking promises now. She pressed on, stepping over the battered wooden door to the train station. Light filtered through dirty and broken skylights overhead. “Hello? Scary mask lady? I’m back!” Pinkie called out for the woman, hoping that she wouldn’t end up with sharp objects pointed at her if she announced her presence. “I brought books.” Her voice quavered, betraying her apprehension. “You’re back.” Mask lady’s voice sounded from behind Pinkie. Pinkie screamed and clamped a hand over her mouth, spinning to face the owner of the voice. “Sorry!” Pinkie said through her hand. On the bright side, she didn’t have pointy things being pointed at her. “I, uh, brought those books. I didn’t know what kind you liked, so I brought whatever I could find.” Pinkie knelt down and began pulling books from her bag, setting them on a decent sized stone to keep them out of the dirt. “A Hundred Ways to Prepare Fish, Cooking for Dummies, Cooking for Parties—I have a copy of that one—a coloring book…” Pinkie read each title aloud as her stack of books grew. “I didn’t know what kind of books you wanted so I just brought back whatever I could find.” Mask woman picked up one of the books and thumbed through it for a moment before tossing it aside. She picked up another book and repeated the process, eventually tossing aside every book. “Well, that wasn’t very nice.” Pinkie pouted. “Is that all you brought back?” “Yeah,” Pinkie deflated a bit at the woman’s harsh tone. “If you’d told me what kind of books you were looking for I could have brought something better. Oh! I know! Why don’t you do that?” “Magic.” “Magic?” “Magic.” “What kind of magic? Like card tricks and sawing ladies in half like on those old billboards in Las Pegasus? Or are we talking super spooky evil enchantress stuff?” “I’m not evil.” Mask woman wasn’t amused, if her tone was any indication. “No, no!” Pinkie waved her hands in front of her. “I didn’t mean you were an evil enchantress, but if you were I wouldn’t judge you because that would be mean and I don’t want to be turned into a toad.” She grinned sheepishly. “Please don’t turn me into a toad.” Pinkie paused as the implications of her brief exchange finally sunk in. “Are you asking me to get more books?” “Yes.” “Okay,” Pinkie said slowly. “but you gotta do something for me. We’ll call it… payment for services. That’s what the merchants in Rustwall call it.” “Name your price.” Mask Woman sounded colder, like she was contemplating grabbing her spear. But that was just Pinkie’s imagination, right? “It’s not something super-duper expensive, I promise.” Pinkie hurriedly explained, nervously rocking back and forth on her heels. “You just gotta tell me your name.” “You just need my name?” Mask Woman took a wary step back. “Yep! Easy-peasy. That way I don’t have to call you Mask Lady anymore.” “Seriously? Mask Lady?” The woman folded her arms in front of her. Pinkie nodded with a bashful smile. “Sunset. My name’s Sunset.” She said with a sigh. “Well, Sunset, I promise to get you the best collection of books I can find! It’ll be a piece of cake!” Pinkie stood straight and gave a mock salute. *** “This is not a piece of cake!” Pinkie yelled over the wind howling outside her impromptu shelter. The walls rattled under the force as dirt and sand threatened to trap Pinkie inside the ruins of the Canterlot library she’d been searching. “It’s okay, Pinkie, you’ve been in worse situations. Remember that time you were trapped in a library during a sandstorm?” A nervous laugh escaped the girl only to be swallowed by the sounds of the storm. “Wait... that’s right now.” Pinkie whined and kicked a ruined book. It didn’t make her feel any better. On the bright side, Pinkie had plenty of kindling for a campfire. Chapter 2Pinkie groaned as she reached the top of what must have been the hundredth new sandy hill this afternoon. Her damp shirt clung to her, making her even more miserable in the heat. “Just one more hill...” she gasped, desperately lying to her legs so they wouldn’t give out. Three hills later and the top of the train station came into view. Pinkie grinned, new life flooding through her as she jumped forward and slid her way down to the entrance with a cry of jubilation. “Sunset! I’m back!” No answer. Pinkie shrugged and stepped further into the ruins to look for her… boss? Employer? Pinkie wasn’t sure what to call Sunset. She settled on ‘Sunset’. Pinkie pressed on, carried by a strange mix of worry and curiosity. Maybe Sunset wasn’t home? Maybe Sunset didn’t even live here. That was a worrying thought. Where would she be then? Pinkie poked her head into one of the train cars. The interior was a mess of rubble and refuse, but it didn’t have a Sunset. The next car proved to be the same. Car three was a jackpot. The third car was clearly a home. A worn and faded dresser had been dragged in, decorated with small knick-knacks. Most of the windows, what remained of them, had been covered with ratty sheets and blankets to block light from entering. On the far end, a mattress sat, piled high with pillows and cushions. Pinkie barely resisted the urge to flop onto the comfortable looking bed. “What are you doing in here?!” Pinkie nearly jumped out of her skin. “Nothing! I was looking for you, please don’t stab me!” Pinkie spun and stumbled back until she hit the wall of the train car. “You’re the scavenger.” Sunset seemed to relax a little. Probably. It was hard to tell with the mask hiding her face. Pinkie nodded frantically, glancing about for any sign of Sunset’s spear. She let out a sigh of relief when she realized Sunset was unarmed. She was also crouched down on all fours. Pinkie tried not to stare as she slipped her backpack off. “I brought you your magic books. The ones about magic. They’re not magical themselves, that’d be silly.” Pinkie snorted. She pulled out a small stack of books from her bag and handed them to Sunset. Sunset spun away from Pinkie and crawled over to her bed, already engrossed in one of the books by the time she sat down. Pinkie frowned, questions nagging at her as she silently watched Sunset until the woman looked up again. “You’re still here?” “Do you live here?” Pinkie blurted out, opening the floodgates to her curiosity. “What do you eat? Where do you go to the bathroom? Does anyone else live here? Why don’t you move to one of the settlements?” The questions continued with Pinkie oblivious to Sunset shrinking back into the cushions behind her. “What do you do for fun—” “Shut up!” A pillow flew down the train car and bapped Pinkie in the face. “Get out!” “I-I’m sorry.” Pinkie bit her lip, trying to fight back the tears welling up. “I’ll go…” Pinkie trudged into the empty wastes, desperate to put as much distance between her and the train station as possible. *** Pinkie struck camp in the lobby of one of the old world’s towering buildings, taking advantage of the relative safety should another sandstorm roll through. She allowed herself a small campfire on the worn concrete floor. A small pot of soup bubbled merrily over the flames, oblivious to the mood of the woman tending the meal. “You really messed up today, Pinkie,” she scolded herself. “Now Sunset’s all mad at you, just like everyone else.” A huff of frustration escaped her. “You won’t get mad at me, will you Gummy?” Pinkie scooped up a tiny green alligator and held him close to her chest. Gummy silently blinked in response. “Thanks, Gummy. You always know just what to say.” Pinkie set Gummy next to her and removed her soup from the heat of the flames, tucking in when it had sufficiently cooled. “What do you think I should do about Sunset?” Pinkie asked around a mouthful of soup. Gummy tilted his head to the side. “Huh… I never thought about it like that. So you think she was just scared?” Gummy’s mouth opened, revealing a distinct lack of teeth, but he made no sound. “I guess I did ask her a lot of questions.” Pinkie pointed her spoon down at the alligator. “You’re right, though, I should go back and apologize. I’m sure if I ask less questions she’ll be okay. Maybe I can even help her with her reading!” Pinkie scraped the last of her soup from the pot and held it out for Gummy to eat. Almost all of the food ended up on the ground. “Wow, you sure are a messy eater for such a smart little gator.” She giggled. “This is why we can’t eat in public.” After dinner, the campfire was stamped out and dirt kicked on top of it for good measure. A sleeping bag was rolled out and Pinkie quickly fell asleep thinking of what she would say to Sunset tomorrow. Gummy curled up next to Pinkie’s head, following the girl into dreamland. *** “You’re back.” Sunset said flatly from her bed, having apparently not moved since Pinkie had left yesterday. She stared at Pinkie and waited for an explanation. Probably. It was hard to tell because she still had that horse mask on. “Mhmm.” Pinkie nodded, chewing on her lower lip. “Why?” “You looked lonely.” “I wear a mask.” “Not your face, silly.” A smile threatened to creep onto Pinkie’s face. “It’s... other stuff.” “Other stuff?” Sunset reached over and grabbed a cushion, preparing a fluffy projectile. “I just mean that I think I was scary yesterday! I was asking you all those questions and rambling and not letting you talk and I’m doing it again and I’m so sorry! My mouth just starts talking and I keep going and I—” Sunset’s cushion missile landed a direct hit. Pinkie took the opportunity of her own momentary silence to take a deep breath. “I needed that. Sorry.” “I aim to please.” Sunset quipped without missing a beat, drawing a snort from Pinkie. “Is there a real reason you came back?” “I…” Pinkie floundered. The truth of the matter was that she had spoken the truth the first time she had been asked. “I was looking for more work.” She decided a lie would be easier to believe. “I don’t have any work for you.” “Are you sure? I could clean up the place, or I could help you read your books. I promise not to doodle in them unless you ask me to.” Pinkie gave a strained smile. Sunset was silent for some time before she stood and walked out of the train car, beckoning Pinkie to follow. She lead the pink-haired girl down one of the platforms and into a room with pipes and an ominously silent tank against one wall. The other wall had been covered in bookcases and makeshift shelves that held more books that Pinkie thought could be safe. “I need you to alphabetize these.” “All of these?” Pinkie asked in wide-eyed astonishment. “No, only the blue ones—” Pinkie could practically hear Sunset roll her eyes behind the mask. “Yes, all of them!” “Okey-dokey!” Pinkie straightened up and saluted as Sunset turned to leave. “Wait!” Sunset hesitated and looked over her shoulder. “What are you paying me?” “Paying?” Sunset sounded mildly offended. “Well, you said it was work… Normally that means you’re gonna pay me after.” “I don’t have anything to spare.” “Well, that’s fine. You can just take off your mask.” “I’m not giving you my mask.” “No, not to give it to me.” There was a mirth to Pinkie’s voice. “I wanna see your face.” “My… face?” Sunset asked. Pinkie nodded vigorously. “I— maybe.” She mumbled. “Maybe…” She wandered off, murmuring to herself. Pinkie took a step back and eyed the bookshelves. Saying there were a lot of books was an understatement. Books had been crammed onto every conceivable surface available, and once there was no more shelf space Sunset had stacked them on top of each other. Gummy poked his head out of a gap between two books. “We have our work cut out for us, Gummy.” Pinkie’s face fell. “A lot of work.” Chapter 3“How…?” Sunset trailed off, staring in awe at her freshly organized personal library. “It wasn’t easy,” Pinkie giggled. “First I had to take all the books off and sort them and then I had to put them all back in the right order.” “I know how you sorted them.” A sigh slipped out from under Sunset’s mask. “I mean how did you manage it? It’s been an hour, if that.” “Well,” Pinkie said slowly, “if I’m honest, Gummy helped a bit.” “Gummy?” “My pet alligator. Don’t worry, he doesn’t bite.” “You have a pet alligator.” Sunset said flatly. “Yep.” “A pet... alligator.” “Mhmm.” “How—Why— You know what? I don’t want to know.” Sunset tossed her hands in the air and turned to leave. “Wait, what about my payment?!” Pinkie cried. “Payment?” Sunset asked, confused. Her shoulders slumped. “Oh, right. You sure I can’t just give you a few books?” Pinkie shook her head frantically. “Fine…” Sunset reached up to her mask with both hands and— “Are you sure you don’t want the books?” she said. “Yep!” Pinkie leaned forward, grinning from ear to ear. Sunset let out another defeated sigh and slowly removed her mask, revealing a rather ordinary, albeit pretty, face. Red and gold hair poked out from Sunset’s cloak, desperate for a taste of sunlight. Brilliant blue eyes looked back at Pinkie expectantly. “Has anyone ever told you you’re really pretty? Wait, have you ever taken off your mask? Do you sleep in it? That doesn’t sound comfy at all. Did you make it—” Sunset clapped a hand over Pinkie’s mouth, silencing Pinkie before she could gain any more momentum. “Maybe… tone it down with the questions?” Sunset asked with a frown. Pinkie nodded slowly before Sunset took her hand away. Pinkie clenched her fists and bit her lower lip, practically vibrating on the spot as she held back her questions. Sunset pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a long sigh. “You have more questions?” Pinkie nodded vigorously, not trusting herself to speak. “Fine… One question, though.” Sunset held up a finger for emphasis. “Why do you wear a mask if you’re so pretty?” Pinkie’s eyes rolled back and she let out a moan of relief at letting out her question. “You’ll think I’m crazy if I tell you.” “No I won’t.” “Right, because anyone who says they won’t do something doesn’t immediately do it.” Sunset’s gaze dropped to the floor as she muttered sarcastically. “I won’t,” Pinkie said more forcefully. Her smile faded as she peered into Sunset’s eyes. Somewhere in there, Pinkie found something familiar, and she didn’t like that one bit. “Promise?” “Pinkie Promise.” She raised a hand, the ghost of a smile creeping back onto her face. It was infectious, and for a fraction of a moment the smile threatened to light up Sunset’s face as well. “This mask… I made it. It’s… it’s me.” Sunset held the mask in both hands and stared down at it. The empty eyes stared back blankly. “Is this a ‘magical-mask-stole-my-soul’ thing?” Pinkie asked, drawing a snort from Sunset. “You do have a lot of books about magic stuff, now that I think of it...” She curiously tilted her head. “Are you trying to break a curse?” “No, no, I just— wait, you’re serious. You’re really asking?” “Well, yeah. I’ve seen some pretty weird stuff out there.” Pinkie blanched at a particular memory involving a village of leather enthusiasts. Sunset’s jaw dropped as she stared at Pinkie, who was trying to shake away the memory. “Come with me.” Sunset grabbed Pinkie by the hand and pulled her through the train station. “Where are we going?” Pinkie stumbled, trying to keep up with Sunset’s urgent pace as they passed the derelict ticket booths. They stopped in front of a large horse statue in the atrium of the train station. Sunlight filtered in through dirty reinforced glass overhead, casting shafts of light through the area. Sunset stopped at the base of the statue and placed a hand against the cool marble. “Do you believe in magic?” Sunset asked while she gazed up at the stone horse. “Sure, I guess.” Pinkie shrugged, failing to figure out where Sunset’s train of thought was taking her. “What if I told you that there were other worlds?” “Like Mars?” “No, like yours— like this one, but not like this one, either. Like there are things that were the same in both worlds, but other stuff is completely different.” Sunset finally tore her eyes away from the statue to look back at Pinkie expectantly. “Really different.” “I’d say that it was pretty neat! Do you think they have less sand?” Pinkie furrowed her brow in thought, trying, and failing, to imagine Canterlot’s ruins without sand coating it. “I’m sick of walking through sand.” “I— You’re real, right?” Sunset reached out and brushed Pinkie’s cheek with her fingertips. “I haven’t gone crazy?” “Nope! I’m super real— ow!” Pinkie pinched herself, to show she was real. “See?” Sunset raised an eyebrow, but couldn’t completely hide the smile at the corners of her mouth. “So, what does Mars have to do with anything, anyway?” “Oh, right.” Sunset glanced back up at the statue and then back to Pinkie. “I’m, well… I’m not from here.” An excited gasp escaped Pinkie and she immediately invaded Sunset’s personal space, pinching and prodding at the girl. “You’re an alien?! Are you here to fix Earth? Oh, are you looking for plucky humans to take on exciting adventures in your blue spaceship? Is this a mask under your other—” Pinkie managed to stop herself this time, clapping a hand over her own mouth and blushing furiously. “Sorry, Sunset.” “It’s okay, just… just gimme a minute.” Sunset held a hand to her chest, trying to regain control of her breathing. Pinkie shifted her weight from one foot to the other while she waited. “I’m, um, not really used to people talking so much.” “How come?” “Well, I’ve been on my own since I came here. People started avoiding this place when they found out someone was waving a spear around.” “Oh, yeah, I remember that! But why’d you come here?” Pinkie asked, gesturing towards the world outside in all its sandy glory. “It’s not a very good vacation spot.” “It wasn’t my decision to end up here, trust me.” Sunset huffed. “I was trying to get away from stuff back home so I ran away through a portal in a mirror. It closed behind me, and I’ve been stuck here ever since. Not for a lack of trying, though.” “How long have you been here?” “Three years.” Sunset sighed, kicking a rock and skipping it out the door to the station. “You’ve been all alone for three years?” “Yeah,” came the glum reply, “not that I haven’t been trying to fix that.” “It sucks being all alone out here.” Pinkie’s shoulders slumped and she pressed her back against the base of the statue, letting herself slide to the floor. She hugged her knees to her chest. “You too, huh?” Sunset joined the nodding girl on the floor. “Yeah.” Pinkie said into her knees. Gummy crawled out from around the statue, peering up at the girl. “How long have you been out here?” Pinkie shrugged. “I don’t know anymore. A long time, though.” “You’ve been alone the whole time?” “No, not the whole time. I visit towns to sell the stuff I find, and I’ve got Gummy to keep me company!” “Gummy?” Sunset raised an eyebrow. “The fabled pet gator?” “This is Gummy.” Pinkie smiled and gingerly scooped Gummy up, holding him out to Sunset on upturned palms. “Say ‘Hi’, Gummy!” “Pinkie, there’s nothing—” Sunset’s face registered confusion, then softened immediately, “cuter than Gummy!” She kept a strained smile on her face for a moment longer before turning her attention to the darkening sky above. “It’s, um, getting late. Maybe you should stay here tonight?” “Really?” Pinkie blinked in surprise. “Most people meet Gummy and can’t wait to get away from him. They never let me stay after they find out I have a baby alligator…” “Well, it is dangerous out there, and it’s not like I don’t have space.” Sunset shrugged. “It’ll be like a sleepover.” “What’s a sleepover?” Chapter 4Staying a night in the train station bled into two, then a week. By the third week, the two of them had fallen into a pleasant routine. “I’m back!” Pinkie called out, plopping her backpack down on the floor of the train car that had somehow become hers, stripping off her jacket and scarf and dumping them next to the backpack. “Sunset?” Footsteps echoed off of metal as Pinkie made the short journey to Sunset’s car. “Sunset?” She caught a glimpse of red and gold through a gap in the cushion mound on the other girl’s bed. “Are you in a pillow fort again?” “It helps me focus.” “But how can you read in there?” “Sunlight.” A hand poked out and pointed out a shaft of light illuminating the inside of Sunset’s fortress “Why not flashlight?” “I don’t like it as much.” Laughter penetrated the fluffy walls of Sunset’s fort. “You’re funny, you know that?” “Right, funny. How was I being funny?” The sound of a book closing heralded Sunset’s emergence from her haven. “I dunno. You’re just always super serious and stuff, and it’s fun.” Pink hair bounced as Pinkie shrugged. Sunset’s brow furrowed. “Me being serious is fun?” “It’s just you being you. I like it when you’re you.” “I’ll… take your word for it.” A sigh escaped Sunset. “When did you get back, anyway?” “Just now. I found a lot of that stuff you asked for.” Pinkie jogged away, returning with her backpack. She started pulling out a bunch of medical equipment and piling it on Sunset’s dresser. “What do you need this for?” “I’m trying something new.” “With the portal thing? Are you gonna try and make it better? Is it sick? Can portals get sick?” Pinkie rubbed her chin in thought. “Maybe it’s the horse part that’s sick?” “No, it’s— nevermind.” Sunset frowned. “I’m gonna set things up. Can you make dinner tonight?” “Sure! What’ll it be? I have soup or noodles.” “Whatever’s fine.” “Okie Dokie!” Pinkie twirled once, picking up her backpack in one fluid motion and half-skipped to the makeshift kitchen she’d set up. Jubilant humming filled the air as Pinkie set about the arduous task of boiling water for the instant noodles. Sunset liked the noodles more than she did, so Pinkie was fine with letting her have them. Besides, Gummy liked soup. Maybe this time he’d smell the soup and come home. A frown snuck up on Pinkie and made itself at home on her face as she remembered her friend. Gummy had been showing up less and less over the last few weeks, and Pinkie had started to worry that each time she saw him would be the last time. Gummy wouldn’t just leave without saying goodbye, though. Would he? Pinkie shook the thought from her head, focusing all her attention on the task at hand. Sunset joined her as she finished cooking. “Dinner is served, madame.” Pinkie bowed her head cordially, adopting as fancy an accent as she could manage. “Why thank you, Pinkamena. What a lovely meal you’ve prepared tonight.” Sunset replied without missing a beat. “It was my pleasure.” Pinkie bit back a laugh, but it wasn’t enough. Soon enough, both girls were giggling madly. “Thanks for cooking, though.” Sunset chuckled, wiping her eye with a bandaged hand. “What happened to you?” Pinkie asked around a mouthful of food. “Nothing. Trying something new for opening the portal and I cut myself.” “Trying to use rocks again?” “No, I mean I cut myself to try something new.” Sunset shifted uncomfortably. “You did it on purpose?” Pinkie’s brow furrowed. “What kind of magic makes you hurt yourself?” “Erm… blood magic.” Sunset mumbled. “Oh. Okay, then. Just try not to hurt yourself too much. Sand in a cut hurts super bad.” “Wait, that’s it?” “Yeah?” Pinkie swallowed another mouthful of food. “Why wouldn’t it be it?” “Well, in Equestria, there’s some magics that aren’t looked at very kindly. They’re considered evil since, well, since evil people use them. Blood magic is pretty high up on that list of bad magic.” “So why are you doing it?” Pinkie asked as she started cleaning up after the meal. “Are you gonna be all evil? Ooh, maybe you’ll turn into a sexy demon lady! That’d be neat.” “Yeah… no. There’s actually a lot of different cultures in this world that believe that there’s a special sort of magic in blood. As it so happens, I come from a world of magic, so I literally have it in my blood.” “Because you’re actually a unicorn?” Pinkie pointed out. “Yeah— wait, I didn’t tell you that.” A look of confusion passed over Sunset’s face. “Yeah-huh. You said your mask was you, and it’s a unicorn. So I figured you were one, too.” Pinkie shrugged like it was the most sensible thing in the world. “Oh.” Sunset lowered her wide-eyed stare to the floor. Pinkie could hear the gears turning in the woman’s head from her seat. “Anyway,” She said slowly, “I cut my hand to see if it would have any effect on the portal and, well, it did! It wasn’t much, just a few sparks, but it was something. I think with more blood, I might be able to force the portal to open.” Sunset was adamant now. She was on her feet, gesticulating wildly as she explained the details of the ritual and the reaction of the portal. Pinkie merely smiled and nodded as she listened. It was nice seeing Sunset so animated. Usually she was the one taking the lead in the conversation. It was a good change of pace. “... I shouldn’t be doing it, but I’ve tried almost everything— What?” Sunset stopped, peering down at Pinkie. “What, what?” “You’re smiling.” Sunset folded her arms in front of her and raised an eyebrow at Pinkie. “I’m explaining the intricacies of a forbidden magic that would, at the very least, get me thrown in jail back in Equestria, and you’re smiling about it.” “It’s just really nice to see you excited about something.” Pinkie smiled up at Sunset and yawned. “It’s cute to see you like this.” She stood and started shuffling over to her train car. “I’m going to bed, Sunny. G’night.” “Oh, okay.” A red-faced Sunset waved a hand goodnight. “‘Night, Pinkie.” *** Pinkie couldn’t sleep. Every time she tried, she felt like she needed to move. She was restless, like every nerve of her body were all tingly. Grudgingly, she hauled herself out of bed and over to the bathroom, where Sunset had jury-rigged a shower by attaching one of those shower heads with one of those hoses to a sink with copious amounts of duct tape. She stripped out of her PJ’s and started rinsing off. The cold water bit at her skin, washing the last vestiges of sleep down the drain. A wordless song filled the air as Pinkie relished the cold against the dull heat of the night. The shower ended too soon, but Pinkie stepped out and quickly dressed, wrapping her soggy hair in her shirt to dry. Footsteps echoed through the station as Pinkie quickly ducked into her room to avoid embarrassment. Once she’d retrieved a fresh shirt, she wandered, finding sleep to be an elusive companion tonight. A strange calm had settled over the night. The usual sounds of wind and the occasional animal baying had been replaced with a stillness that made Pinkie’s skin crawl. “It’s just in your head, Pinkie,” she chastised herself, “nothing to be afraid of. Just gotta giggle, remember?” Pinkie didn’t giggle or chuckle or even smile. Instead she hugged herself, trying to stave off the chills that ran down her spine. Up ahead, a faint glow caught her eye. The light had come from the station’s atrium. Brief flashes of light that faded quickly. Somebody’s frustrated groan broke the quiet of the night. “Sunset?” Pinkie stepped around the horse statue to find Sunset panting heavily on her hands and knees. “Are you—” A gasp escaped the girl as she clapped a hand of her mouth in horror. Blood. There was blood everywhere, coating the ground and the base of the statue in front of Sunset. The pale girl looked up at Pinkie through teary eyes. “It won’t work...” Sunset crawled forward and grabbed at Pinkie’s shirt. Crimson blossomed through the fabric, making it cling uncomfortably to Pinkie’s skin. “Sunny, what are you doing?!” Pinkie hoisted Sunset up onto shaky feet. “We gotta get you fixed up!” She threw Sunset’s arm over her shoulder, half-carrying, half-dragging the injured girl towards the bathroom. “Didn’t work,” came the weak reply. “not enough blood.” “Stay here!” Pinkie lowered Sunset onto the tiled floor and ran off, returning with an armful of medical supplies. “Okay, I’m gonna get you patched up. I’m really sorry about this, Sunny.” Pinkie set about removing Sunset’s shirt with a pair of scissors, revealing a number of cuts along the length of her arms. “Oh, this isn’t good.” Pinkie chewed her lip, doing her best to staunch the bleeding with bandages and medical tape. Too soon, the first bandages were ruined, rendered useless by the weight of the blood staining them. They were discarded and replaced as quickly as Pinkie’s shaky hands could manage. Dawn came and Pinkie slumped against the wall. Sunset was still breathing, and the bleeding had miraculously stopped, for the most part. Even so, Pinkie didn’t dare move her from where she lay. “I’ll take care of you Sunny, just hang in there.” Pinkie sniffled and blinked away tears. “Don’t die, pretty please?” Chapter 5Pinkie awoke to weak murmuring in her ear. All around her were discarded medical supplies, along with a few first aid books she’d taken from Sunset’s library. Slowly, she readjusted to the waking world. She sat up and looked down at Sunset’s sleeping form next to her. Sunset wasn’t sleeping. “Pinkie?” “Sunset? You’re not dead, right?” Pinkie asked as she checked Sunset’s bandages. The girl’s cuts were still bleeding a bit, but nowhere near as badly as they’d been two nights ago when she’d found Sunset at death’s door. “... don’t think so?” Sunset rolled her head to the side. “Where...?” Her voice trailed off. “We’re in the bathroom. I brought you here after… after…” Pinkie broke down into wracking sobs, burying her face into Sunset’s hair, hugging her tightly. “Ow, ow…” Sunset winced. “Pinkie, I’m okay, really.” A weak hand reached up and patted Pinkie’s hair. “I was so scared! Don’t do that ever again!” Pinkie’s voice took on an edge. “You almost died!” “Sorry…” The two of them stayed like that for some time, with Pinkie crying onto Sunset’s shoulder and Sunset weakly comforting her. Eventually, though, the tears had to run dry, and Pinkie sat up, wiping her nose with a forearm. Sunset forced herself into a sitting position, hugging the blanket Pinkie had covered her with to her chest. “Where’s my shirt?” Sunset asked, blushing furiously. “I kinda had to take it off,” Pinkie managed a sheepish grin, pointing to a pile of tattered rags. “with scissors.” Sunset looked at the destroyed shirt, then back at Pinkie, then back to the shirt. She chortled, failing to hold it back. Soon enough, she had broken down into a laughing fit, leaving a bewildered Pinkie staring at her. “Sorry,” Sunset said through her chuckles, “It’s just, the first thought that hit me was ‘Hey—’” another fit of laughter hit the girl, “was ‘Hey, that was my favorite shirt!’” She broke down into another giggling fit, this time joined by Pinkie. When the two finally managed to stifle their laughter, a silence hung in the air between them. Sunset sighed, giving Pinkie’s hand a weak squeeze. “Thanks, Pinkie. For helping me.” “It’s what friends do, right?” Pinkie managed a smile as she returned the squeeze. “Yeah.” Sunset nodded. “Can I have a shirt, though?” *** A few days into Sunset’s recovery, Pinkie came out to the atrium to find Sunset scrubbing at the dried blood on the statue. The brush slipped from Sunset’s grasp and clattered away. Sunset was still grumbling and massaging her hand as Pinkie knelt down and took over for her. “Thanks.” Sunset mumbled as she scowled at her hands. “Mhm.” Pinkie flashed a smile over at Sunset before looking back to the cleaning. A tense silence settled between them, hanging thick in the air. Despite their initial conversation when Sunset woke up, neither had been willing to broach the subject of Sunset’s attempts to return home. Pinkie scrubbed harder, as though she were trying to chase away the silence with the sound of bristles on stone. She sighed and sat up, leaving the brush on the floor. “I can help, if you want.” Sunset flinched at the sound of Pinkie’s voice. A moment later she looked up at the girl with questioning eyes. “Why?” “Because you really wanna go home, and I wanna see you happy.” Pinkie explained calmly. “So if you need help or anything, I want you to know that I’m here.” “I— I don’t know what to say.” “You don’t need to say anything, silly.” A warm smile pushed away the gloom between them. “But if you need blood, can we maybe not take all of mine?” Sunset managed a weak chuckle. Hours later, the two of them had used the remaining medical supplies Pinkie had gathered to take a controlled amount of blood from Pinkie. Sunset carefully drained the IV bag Pinkie had filled into a large bowl, adding a few droplets of her own to the mix in an attempt to infuse it with magic. “You think this will work?” Pinkie asked, holding a cloth to the crook of her elbow to staunch the bleeding where they’d drawn from. “I have no idea. This isn’t an exact science I’m working with here. I’m literally throwing magic at a wall and seeing if any of it sticks.” Sunset’s face reddened as she explained her process. “Oh.” “Yeah. I mean, this could just be a waste of time.” Sunset’s face fell. “I really hope I didn’t just poke you with needles for nothing.” “It’ll work.” Pinkie said confidently as she placed a hand on Sunset’s shoulder. ‘It has to.’ Sunset placed the bowl of crimson liquid in front of the statue. Both of them stared down at it expectantly. Nothing happened. “Maybe you have to say the magic words?” Pinkie offered. “Abra cadabra! Hocus pocus!” She waggled her fingers at the statue. “Um, Open sesame!” She frowned. “Pretty please with a cherry on top?” Still nothing. “Maybe this is just a waste of time.” Sunset mumbled. “This was stupid. I should stop trying.” She moved to pick up the bowl again, only to be stopped when Pinkie grabbed her wrist. “You can’t just give up, Sunny. That’s the worst thing you could do!” Pinkie’s eyes met Sunset’s. “Sometimes stuff gets hard, i know, but that’s why we gotta keep trying. We gotta try everything we can, or else the bad stuff we go through won’t mean anything. “It means the people we lost died for nothing, that the fire was stronger than you. And you can’t let that fire rule you forever. You gotta pick up whatever pieces you can and keep trying for Mom and Dad and Marble and everyone else!” Tears streamed down Pinkie’s face. “I’m not gonna let you give up, Sunset. You’re my friend. If this doesn’t work, we’ll just try something different until it does work.” “Pinkie,” There was a sadness in Sunset’s eyes as she looked back at Pinkie. She found herself leaning forward. “I had no idea—” A brilliant light flared up, blinding both the girls, as a silver flame burst into existence in the bowl. The statue’s base began to glow, and a ripple passed over the surface of the stone. Both of them wore matching expressions of awe and bewilderment. Sunset stepped forward hesitantly and reached out to touch the ripple with a trembling hand. Her fingertips passed through with no resistance and she jerked her hand back. She looked back at Pinkie hesitantly. Pinkie nodded with a teary smile. “Thank you, Pinkie.” “It’s what friends are for...” Pinkie said around a growing lump in her throat. Sunset stepped through the portal. The silver flames vanished immediately, leaving behind a charred bowl. Pinkie kicked a pebble at the statue, only to have it bounce away. A strained smile passed over Pinkie’s face, only to disappear when she was hit with the realization that she was alone once more. Chapter 7Pinkie’s eyes fluttered open to the sensation of something cool pressed against her forehead. She rolled her head to one side, then the other, looking for the source of the wetness pressed against her. She blearily looked up at the face of an angel. “Did I die?” The angel gave a snorting laugh, a heavenly sound if Pinkie ever heard one. “No, you’re not dead, Pinkie. Not for a lack of trying on your part,” the angel added. “Where am I?” “Home.” “Home? Where’s that?” Pinkie struggled to sit up and failed as gentle hands kept her from rising. “Easy… You’re dehydrated. You’ve been out cold since I found you. Just keep still and get some rest.” A soft sigh escaped Pinkie. Rest sound like a fantastic idea, a sentiment shared by Gummy, who sat on her chest and stared up at her. Pinkie’s eyelids grew heavy as sleep overtook her once more. When Pinkie woke again, the world was much clearer. She glanced around, looking for the angel again and finding nobody. “Hello?” Pinkie’s voice cracked as she called weakly to the emptiness. Soon enough, though, footsteps sounded outside and someone entered. Pinkie’s heart nearly leapt out of her chest. “Sunset?” “Hey,” Sunset smiled down at Pinkie and lifted a cloth off her forehead. “how are you feeling?” “Blech.” “Yeah, I figured. You had me worried there. I wasn’t sure if you were going to make it.” The cloth came back and dabbed at Pinkie’s face. A hiss of pain escaped her as she winced back. “Sorry!” “Why’d you come back?” Pinkie asked weakly. “You looked lonely.” Pinkie fell silent, her brow furrowed in deep thought. Eventually she reached a hand up and gently brushed Sunset’s face. “How did you get back?” “The portal’s a lot easier to open from the other side.” Sunset chuckled. “But… why are you here? I thought you wanted to go home?” Pinkie forced herself to sit up, pressing Sunset’s hand away when she tried to stop her. She gazed deeply into the eyes of the other woman like she was searching for something. “Turns out that there were some… disagreements between me and the pr— the person that made me want to leave in the first place.” An awkward chuckle escaped Sunset as she rubbed the back of her neck. “Besides, I am home.” A dam burst inside Pinkie. A sniffle slipped out of her, followed by a sob. Soon enough she was bawling like I lost child, clutching tightly to Sunset. “You left! You left and I was alone again and I should have gone with you! I let you go alone and I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry…” “Hey, hey,” Sunset extracted herself from Pinkie’s vice-like grip on her torso. “I came back. It’s what friends do, remember?” Pinkie nodded despite the hiccuping sobs that still slipped out. “This time, I’m not going anywhere.” “Promise?” “Pinkie promise.” Pinkie relaxed a little and laid back down. Her stomach took the opportunity to proclaim its existence to the world. The two looked at each other and broke into fits of giggles. “Give me a few and I’ll make something. You’ve been out for a while.” Sunset returned with a bowl of soup and carefully spooned it to Pinkie around the girl’s questions. “How did you find me? I was out there for a super long time.” With each bite, Pinkie felt a bit more like her old self. “Really?” Sunset looked surprised. “I found you half-buried out front. The only reason I even saw you was because of that scarf you had on.” “Scarf?” Pinkie’s face scrunched in thought. “What scarf?” “The blue one. Actually, I’m pretty sure it’s mine.” “Oh!” Pinkie flushed a bright shade of crimson. “I kinda took it…” Her voice trailed off. “What?” “I took it,” Pinkie turned even redder, if that was possible, “so I’d have something to remember you.” “Heh. That’s sweet.” Sunset gave Pinkie another spoonful, and the conversation gave way to a quiet between them. It was a comfortable quiet, not like the stillness that had lingered after Sunset’s injuries. Pinkie felt a peculiar warmth well up from the pit of her stomach. At first, she’d mistaken it for the soup, but gradually came to realize that it was something else. Happiness. Pinkie’s smile didn’t fade in the slightest as night fell over the station again. *** For the most part, Pinkie recovered quickly. Most of her injuries had been miraculously minor, scrapes and bruises, save for the ankle she’d twisted when she fell. Sunset had fashioned a crude walking stick for her out of a gnarled branch she’d found outside. Pinkie’s walking stick heralded her entrance to Sunset’s room a few nights later. Sunset looked up from her book, eyeing Pinkie curiously. “You’re up late.” “I couldn’t sleep.” Pinkie pouted. “I keep having nightmares.” “You okay?” Pinkie nodded but stayed in the doorway, fidgeting awkwardly. “You wanna talk about it?” Pinkie nodded again. “Are you going to talk about it?” “Can I sleep with you?” Pinkie blurted out. Sunset blushed brightly, making a noise akin to a startled bat. “P-Pinkie, you don’t think that’s a little forward?” “I just don’t want to fall asleep alone…” Pinkie murmured. “Oh. Oh!” Sunset facepalmed. “That makes way more sense than— you know what, nevermind.” Sunset pushed a stack of books off her mattress and piled some cushions up for comfort before patting the spot next to her. Pinkie curled up next to Sunset and started reading over the girl’s shoulder. “Whatcha readin’?” “Some romance story about a mute girl falling in love.” “Any good?” “Eh. I’ve read better.” For what felt like the millionth time since they met, Pinkie and Sunset sat in silence. Where once it had been a divide, a wall to break down with conversation, the silence was now a bridge, connecting the two despite the lack of words between them. Pinkie leaned in close and rested her head on Sunset’s shoulder. “Sunset?” The gentle stillness shattered. “Yeah?” “You’re real, right?” “What? Yeah, of course I am.” Sunset set her book aside. “Why do you ask?” “You’d tell me if you weren’t?” “Again, still real, but I guess I’d tell you if I weren’t” Sunset shifted a bit, getting a better look at Pinkie. “Where’d this come from?” “I keep having nightmares... about you.” “Me?” “Yeah,” Pinkie bit the inside of her cheek, hesitant to continue, “I keep dreaming that you never came back, that you’re all in my head.” Her hands fidgeted. “But you’re here now, right? This isn’t a dream?” “No, Pinkie,” Sunset smiled reassuringly. “this isn’t a dream.” “You’re sure?” “As sure as the sun sets in the west.” “Really sure?” “How much surer do you need me to be?” Sunset narrowed her eyes at Pinkie. Pinkie rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “I dunno. What’s something I don’t know about you? That’ll prove it!” “I—” Sunset raised a finger into the air, only to frown and lower it again. “You’re really making me do this?” Pinkie nodded insistently. A long sigh escaped Sunset as she rolled her eyes. “I’ve never left this block of the city. Does that count?” “Wait, really?” Pinkie blinked in bewilderment. “I’ve never had a reason to. I keep finding food, so everything i’ve ever needed has been nearby.” “But… but there’s a whole world out there! You have to see it! There’s Rustwall and Sweet Apple Acres and Scrapyard and a whole bunch of cool places that I’ve traded at. You can’t stay here forever!” “Pinkie, you of all people know how dangerous it is out there. Why risk it?” “Because you can’t just hide away forever! What if I decided to leave someday? Would you still stay?” Sunset’s mouth opened, but no words came out. She slowly closed it and looked down with a furrowed brow. “Let’s just get some sleep.” She clicked off her flashlight and rolled over. Pinkie stared up at the ceiling in silence, taking some measure of comfort in the warmth radiating off of Sunset. Time passed slowly, and she found herself sinking deeper into her own thoughts. Eventually, restlessness took over, and she rolled onto her side and stared at Sunset’s sleeping form. “Sunset?” No response. “Sunset, are you asleep?” “I was trying.” Sunset grumbled. “Oh. Sorry.” Pinkie frowned in the darkness. “What is it?” Sunset asked after a pause. “What’s your world like?” “My world? Equestria?” “Yeah.” “It’s… it’s magical. I don’t mean that like it’s some sort of utopia, I mean it’s literally magical. This world has its science and technology, and some of it exists in Equestria, but there magic is this driving… force. Back there, everypony says stuff like ‘friendship is magic’—don’t laugh—but they’re telling the truth. “Friendship and love and positive emotions actually affect magic there. It’s incredible, and a little scary. There’s a lot of dangerous stuff in Equestria. It’s a bit scary—” “Like here?” “Yeah, a bit.” “Did you explore Equestria at all?” “Sometimes. I helped a filly find her way out of the Everfree forest once. That was pretty cool.” “And scary?” “And scary.” “Sunny?” “Hmm?” “If you can go on scary adventures back there, why can’t you go on any here?” Sunset’s only response was silence. “Sunset?” Pinkie scooted herself closer to the other girl. “Suuunset? Sunny?” “I don’t know, okay!” Sunset snapped and rolled over. “Back in Equestria I had magic to rely on if I ever ended up in a bind. Here? I’ve got nothing.” “You’ve got me.” Pinkie murmured through the dark. Sunset was silent again. “Sunset?” A warmth pressed gingerly pressed itself against Pinkie’s lips, drawing a startled gasp from her. Sunset pulled back as though she’d been burned. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me!” Sunset scooted as far away as she could manage, her rapid breathing the only sound in the train car. Pinkie lay still as an explosion of conflicting thoughts and emotions warred in her head. Eventually a single thought clawed its way to the surface, leaving the rest of them to war in the back of Pinkie’s mind. “I’ve never kissed anyone before.” Pinkie said rather flatly. She blinked in surprise at the revelation. “Never?” “Never.” Pinkie confirmed. “I’ve always been exploring alone.” “Wow. I-I’m sorry. I didn’t think, I just—” “Can we try that again?” Pinkie asked timidly. “Try wh— kissing?” Sunset’s confusion gave way to alarm. “Uh-huh.” Pinkie felt Sunset move closer, felt the warmth of her shallow breathing. Pinkie’s heart felt like it was trying to jackhammer its way out of her chest through her ribs. Just when she thought her heart couldn’t pound any faster, it proved her wrong when she felt Sunset’s lips touch hers. Pinkie’s mind went blank as she leaned into the kiss. An eternity passed in an instant, and Pinkie felt an indescribable joy well up in the pit of her stomach, rising up until she could contain it no longer. She pulled away and broke down in a fit of laughter. She felt Sunset wrap her arms around her and pull her into a close embrace, holding her tightly until the laughter finally died out. They fell asleep like that, intertwined in each other’s arms on top of a mountain of cushions. *** “I’ve been thinking,” Sunset said out of nowhere as she and Pinkie sat together on the steps of the train station, “maybe I should go see more of the world.” “Really?” Pinkie beamed at the other girl. “What made you change your mind?” “Well, I’ve been thinking on it, and I think you’re right. If I can go see new and dangerous things back in Equestria, what’s stopping me from doing the same here?” “What about all your stuff here? All your books?” “I’ll bring the important stuff: my favorite books, maybe a pillow, food… you.” “You want me to go with you?” Tears welled up in the corners of Pinkie’s eyes. “Are you sure?” “Well, yeah,” Sunset smiled reassuringly and interlaced her fingers with Pinkie’s. “what do you say? You want to go see the world with me?” “Together?” “Together.” “I’d like that.” A sound that was somewhere between a choked sob and a laugh escaped Pinkie as she squeezed her eyes shut to hold back tears of joy. When she opened them, the sandstorm was over. Pinkie forced herself to a sitting position, shifting the mound of sand that had covered her where she had fallen. Sand clung to her skin, burning whenever the granules found a way into a cut or scrape. Slowly, achingly, she pulled a canteen from her backpack and took a long drink. Pinkie forced herself to shaking feet and looked down at her alligator companion. “Come on, Gummy.” Heavy feet trudged forward, carrying Pinkie back towards the ruins of Canterlot. “Let’s go find our friend.” Author's Note Well, this was a trip to write. As always, if you spot any errors, feel free to PM me so I can fix them as soon as possible. Chapter 6Winds howled, mocking anyone foolish enough to be caught in the open. Sand bit at the few spots of skin that Pinkie exposed to the elements as she trudged forward. She’d wrapped a blue scarf about her face and donned goggles to provide some protection from the sandstorm, but even these were meager defenses at best. She pressed on, though even she didn’t know where her feet were carrying her. The world had long ago disappeared around her, obscured by the sandstorm. Her footsteps were just as heavy as they’d been when she’d left the train station behind her. She stumbled, but managed to keep her feet under her. She pressed on. Gummy had perched himself on her shoulder, silently watching Pinkie’s progress through the storm. He offered nothing but comfort with his presence. Pinkie gave him a quick pat on the head as she squared her shoulders. She pressed on. Pinkie gritted her teeth, doing her best to ignore the granules of sand that had slipped past the scarf. She was looking for something, she knew this much. She couldn’t say what she sought, but she knew it was important. Some unknown force drew her forward, beckoning to continue despite the storm. She knew she should have sought shelter. She had seen the signs of the storm’s approach long before it had descended upon her. Even now, she knew, it wasn’t too late to find somewhere to wait out the storm. She pressed on despite the danger. The storm railed against her, doing its best to dissuade her from the foolish course Pinkie had chosen. Pinkie grunted back, refusing to back down. Her legs buckled, and Pinkie found herself on all fours. She crawled forward, refusing to stop. A particularly strong gust of wind knocked Pinkie sideways, sending her rolling down a dune. She came to a stop and tried getting her feet back under her to no avail. Pinkie reached her limits and, after a few minutes of failing to regain her bearings, the last of her strength left her. She flopped forward, letting the storm overtake her. Pinkie Pie could press on no longer.
Chapter 1There was always sand in Canterlot. You had to climb over it to get anywhere. It was in the air, threatening to blind you if you didn’t wear goggles. Sand when you walked, sand when you tried to sleep, and, worst of all, there was always sand in your shoes. There was sand in Pinkie’s shoes as she approached a building she’d never been in. The big letters in front of it called it Caterlo Centrl Staton. Pinkie was pretty sure that it was supposed to say ‘Canterlot Central Station’. Pinkie walked over the fallen doors to the train station. There was sand in here, too. The entry area to the station opened up immediately after she entered, with a grand atrium letting in filtered sunlight through dirty glass overhead. In the center of the room, a lone statue of a horse rose above her, rearing back majestically on its hind legs. Or it would have looked majestic if the floor around it weren’t covered in strange symbols, melted candles, and various remnants of what looked to be some kind of burnt offerings. Pinkie paused to look at the stuff scattered about, but deemed none of it worth taking. She continued onward, hopping over the turnstiles that had begun to rust and continuing to the station platforms. Two long-dead passenger trains sat on the tracks, never to move again. A few of the train cars had cloth covering the windows. “Hello?” Pinkie called out to the trains, announcing her presence to anyone who could be living in them. “I promise I’m not here to rob you! I only want to take stuff back to town and trade it for different stuff!” Pinkie Pie called out to the emptiness. Silence was the only response the rusted train cars could provide, which was as close to getting permission as Pinkie was going to get. Pinkie shrugged and got to looting, taking anything she deemed moderately valuable and cramming it into her backpack. This meant that if it was shiny or looked neat, she took it. Consequently, Pinkie’s bag was filled before the third train car. “Wow, I’m gonna have to make another trip. This place is just loaded with goodies! I wonder why nobody’s come to take it—pointy object!” Pinkie’s hands slowly went up when she found herself staring at the unfriendly end of a crude spear. At the other end crouched a human. At least, Pinkie was fairly sure it was another human and not some sort of freaky mutant. They were wearing a worn black cloak and some sort of wooden orange horse mask with a horn, so it was hard to tell. “What are you doing here?” Definitely a human voice—a woman’s to boot. “Scavenging.” Pinkie said slowly, taking a step back. The spear woman stepped forward, leaving no room for a quick escape. “I didn’t know this was your stuff. I can give it back if you like just please don’t poke me with the pointy end of your stick.” Pinkie raised her hands up, letting the woman see that she was unarmed. “Leave.” “Okay, I can do that. Pinkie Pie, out.” Pinkie started scooting sideways. “Did you want me to give back the stuff I picked up? I really didn’t mean to take anything from you.” The woman paused, letting the tip of the spear drop slightly. “Leave it.” “Okay, I’m just going to crouch down here.” Pinkie slowly sank to one knee and slipped her backpack off. “And put your stuff right here.” One by one, the baubles she’d taken were set in front of the backpack until Pinkie was left with her meager supplies. “That’s all of it.” The masked woman finally pulled the spear away from Pinkie, who let out a sigh of relief. “I’m just gonna go, if that’s okay.” “Go.” “Yep! You got it. This is me leaving. Nice and slow.” Pinkie backed away slowly. Her gaze didn’t leave the spear as she felt blindly for an exit with her feet. “Did you need me to bring anything back? I’m a scavenger, so I find neat stuff all the time…” Pinkie chuckled nervously. A bead of sweat trickled down her forehead. “No? Okay, well it was nice meeting you—” “Books.” “Huh?” Pinkie stopped, startled when she actually got a response to her not-completely-sincere offer that was only said so she could leave safely. “Books.” The masked woman said. “I need more books.” “Right. Books. I can totally find books. Give me one week and I’ll have a ton of books for you, Pinkie Promise.” “Pinkie Promise?” “Cross my heart, hope to fly.” Pinkie gave a sincere smile. She’d never break a Pinkie Promise, even if it was with a scary mask lady with a spear. Scary mask lady said nothing as Pinkie left in a hurry. *** Seven days later, Pinkie found herself walking up to the Canterlot Station ruins with only the sound of gravel underfoot as a travelling companion. Her heart thudded in her chest as she adjusted her backpack. She felt jittery, like that time she’d traded for that bag of coffee beans and eaten the whole bag in one sitting. Running was still an option, according to a little voice in the back of her head. No, Pinkie told the voice. She would not start breaking promises now. She pressed on, stepping over the battered wooden door to the train station. Light filtered through dirty and broken skylights overhead. “Hello? Scary mask lady? I’m back!” Pinkie called out for the woman, hoping that she wouldn’t end up with sharp objects pointed at her if she announced her presence. “I brought books.” Her voice quavered, betraying her apprehension. “You’re back.” Mask lady’s voice sounded from behind Pinkie. Pinkie screamed and clamped a hand over her mouth, spinning to face the owner of the voice. “Sorry!” Pinkie said through her hand. On the bright side, she didn’t have pointy things being pointed at her. “I, uh, brought those books. I didn’t know what kind you liked, so I brought whatever I could find.” Pinkie knelt down and began pulling books from her bag, setting them on a decent sized stone to keep them out of the dirt. “A Hundred Ways to Prepare Fish, Cooking for Dummies, Cooking for Parties—I have a copy of that one—a coloring book…” Pinkie read each title aloud as her stack of books grew. “I didn’t know what kind of books you wanted so I just brought back whatever I could find.” Mask woman picked up one of the books and thumbed through it for a moment before tossing it aside. She picked up another book and repeated the process, eventually tossing aside every book. “Well, that wasn’t very nice.” Pinkie pouted. “Is that all you brought back?” “Yeah,” Pinkie deflated a bit at the woman’s harsh tone. “If you’d told me what kind of books you were looking for I could have brought something better. Oh! I know! Why don’t you do that?” “Magic.” “Magic?” “Magic.” “What kind of magic? Like card tricks and sawing ladies in half like on those old billboards in Las Pegasus? Or are we talking super spooky evil enchantress stuff?” “I’m not evil.” Mask woman wasn’t amused, if her tone was any indication. “No, no!” Pinkie waved her hands in front of her. “I didn’t mean you were an evil enchantress, but if you were I wouldn’t judge you because that would be mean and I don’t want to be turned into a toad.” She grinned sheepishly. “Please don’t turn me into a toad.” Pinkie paused as the implications of her brief exchange finally sunk in. “Are you asking me to get more books?” “Yes.” “Okay,” Pinkie said slowly. “but you gotta do something for me. We’ll call it… payment for services. That’s what the merchants in Rustwall call it.” “Name your price.” Mask Woman sounded colder, like she was contemplating grabbing her spear. But that was just Pinkie’s imagination, right? “It’s not something super-duper expensive, I promise.” Pinkie hurriedly explained, nervously rocking back and forth on her heels. “You just gotta tell me your name.” “You just need my name?” Mask Woman took a wary step back. “Yep! Easy-peasy. That way I don’t have to call you Mask Lady anymore.” “Seriously? Mask Lady?” The woman folded her arms in front of her. Pinkie nodded with a bashful smile. “Sunset. My name’s Sunset.” She said with a sigh. “Well, Sunset, I promise to get you the best collection of books I can find! It’ll be a piece of cake!” Pinkie stood straight and gave a mock salute. *** “This is not a piece of cake!” Pinkie yelled over the wind howling outside her impromptu shelter. The walls rattled under the force as dirt and sand threatened to trap Pinkie inside the ruins of the Canterlot library she’d been searching. “It’s okay, Pinkie, you’ve been in worse situations. Remember that time you were trapped in a library during a sandstorm?” A nervous laugh escaped the girl only to be swallowed by the sounds of the storm. “Wait... that’s right now.” Pinkie whined and kicked a ruined book. It didn’t make her feel any better. On the bright side, Pinkie had plenty of kindling for a campfire.
Chapter 2Pinkie groaned as she reached the top of what must have been the hundredth new sandy hill this afternoon. Her damp shirt clung to her, making her even more miserable in the heat. “Just one more hill...” she gasped, desperately lying to her legs so they wouldn’t give out. Three hills later and the top of the train station came into view. Pinkie grinned, new life flooding through her as she jumped forward and slid her way down to the entrance with a cry of jubilation. “Sunset! I’m back!” No answer. Pinkie shrugged and stepped further into the ruins to look for her… boss? Employer? Pinkie wasn’t sure what to call Sunset. She settled on ‘Sunset’. Pinkie pressed on, carried by a strange mix of worry and curiosity. Maybe Sunset wasn’t home? Maybe Sunset didn’t even live here. That was a worrying thought. Where would she be then? Pinkie poked her head into one of the train cars. The interior was a mess of rubble and refuse, but it didn’t have a Sunset. The next car proved to be the same. Car three was a jackpot. The third car was clearly a home. A worn and faded dresser had been dragged in, decorated with small knick-knacks. Most of the windows, what remained of them, had been covered with ratty sheets and blankets to block light from entering. On the far end, a mattress sat, piled high with pillows and cushions. Pinkie barely resisted the urge to flop onto the comfortable looking bed. “What are you doing in here?!” Pinkie nearly jumped out of her skin. “Nothing! I was looking for you, please don’t stab me!” Pinkie spun and stumbled back until she hit the wall of the train car. “You’re the scavenger.” Sunset seemed to relax a little. Probably. It was hard to tell with the mask hiding her face. Pinkie nodded frantically, glancing about for any sign of Sunset’s spear. She let out a sigh of relief when she realized Sunset was unarmed. She was also crouched down on all fours. Pinkie tried not to stare as she slipped her backpack off. “I brought you your magic books. The ones about magic. They’re not magical themselves, that’d be silly.” Pinkie snorted. She pulled out a small stack of books from her bag and handed them to Sunset. Sunset spun away from Pinkie and crawled over to her bed, already engrossed in one of the books by the time she sat down. Pinkie frowned, questions nagging at her as she silently watched Sunset until the woman looked up again. “You’re still here?” “Do you live here?” Pinkie blurted out, opening the floodgates to her curiosity. “What do you eat? Where do you go to the bathroom? Does anyone else live here? Why don’t you move to one of the settlements?” The questions continued with Pinkie oblivious to Sunset shrinking back into the cushions behind her. “What do you do for fun—” “Shut up!” A pillow flew down the train car and bapped Pinkie in the face. “Get out!” “I-I’m sorry.” Pinkie bit her lip, trying to fight back the tears welling up. “I’ll go…” Pinkie trudged into the empty wastes, desperate to put as much distance between her and the train station as possible. *** Pinkie struck camp in the lobby of one of the old world’s towering buildings, taking advantage of the relative safety should another sandstorm roll through. She allowed herself a small campfire on the worn concrete floor. A small pot of soup bubbled merrily over the flames, oblivious to the mood of the woman tending the meal. “You really messed up today, Pinkie,” she scolded herself. “Now Sunset’s all mad at you, just like everyone else.” A huff of frustration escaped her. “You won’t get mad at me, will you Gummy?” Pinkie scooped up a tiny green alligator and held him close to her chest. Gummy silently blinked in response. “Thanks, Gummy. You always know just what to say.” Pinkie set Gummy next to her and removed her soup from the heat of the flames, tucking in when it had sufficiently cooled. “What do you think I should do about Sunset?” Pinkie asked around a mouthful of soup. Gummy tilted his head to the side. “Huh… I never thought about it like that. So you think she was just scared?” Gummy’s mouth opened, revealing a distinct lack of teeth, but he made no sound. “I guess I did ask her a lot of questions.” Pinkie pointed her spoon down at the alligator. “You’re right, though, I should go back and apologize. I’m sure if I ask less questions she’ll be okay. Maybe I can even help her with her reading!” Pinkie scraped the last of her soup from the pot and held it out for Gummy to eat. Almost all of the food ended up on the ground. “Wow, you sure are a messy eater for such a smart little gator.” She giggled. “This is why we can’t eat in public.” After dinner, the campfire was stamped out and dirt kicked on top of it for good measure. A sleeping bag was rolled out and Pinkie quickly fell asleep thinking of what she would say to Sunset tomorrow. Gummy curled up next to Pinkie’s head, following the girl into dreamland. *** “You’re back.” Sunset said flatly from her bed, having apparently not moved since Pinkie had left yesterday. She stared at Pinkie and waited for an explanation. Probably. It was hard to tell because she still had that horse mask on. “Mhmm.” Pinkie nodded, chewing on her lower lip. “Why?” “You looked lonely.” “I wear a mask.” “Not your face, silly.” A smile threatened to creep onto Pinkie’s face. “It’s... other stuff.” “Other stuff?” Sunset reached over and grabbed a cushion, preparing a fluffy projectile. “I just mean that I think I was scary yesterday! I was asking you all those questions and rambling and not letting you talk and I’m doing it again and I’m so sorry! My mouth just starts talking and I keep going and I—” Sunset’s cushion missile landed a direct hit. Pinkie took the opportunity of her own momentary silence to take a deep breath. “I needed that. Sorry.” “I aim to please.” Sunset quipped without missing a beat, drawing a snort from Pinkie. “Is there a real reason you came back?” “I…” Pinkie floundered. The truth of the matter was that she had spoken the truth the first time she had been asked. “I was looking for more work.” She decided a lie would be easier to believe. “I don’t have any work for you.” “Are you sure? I could clean up the place, or I could help you read your books. I promise not to doodle in them unless you ask me to.” Pinkie gave a strained smile. Sunset was silent for some time before she stood and walked out of the train car, beckoning Pinkie to follow. She lead the pink-haired girl down one of the platforms and into a room with pipes and an ominously silent tank against one wall. The other wall had been covered in bookcases and makeshift shelves that held more books that Pinkie thought could be safe. “I need you to alphabetize these.” “All of these?” Pinkie asked in wide-eyed astonishment. “No, only the blue ones—” Pinkie could practically hear Sunset roll her eyes behind the mask. “Yes, all of them!” “Okey-dokey!” Pinkie straightened up and saluted as Sunset turned to leave. “Wait!” Sunset hesitated and looked over her shoulder. “What are you paying me?” “Paying?” Sunset sounded mildly offended. “Well, you said it was work… Normally that means you’re gonna pay me after.” “I don’t have anything to spare.” “Well, that’s fine. You can just take off your mask.” “I’m not giving you my mask.” “No, not to give it to me.” There was a mirth to Pinkie’s voice. “I wanna see your face.” “My… face?” Sunset asked. Pinkie nodded vigorously. “I— maybe.” She mumbled. “Maybe…” She wandered off, murmuring to herself. Pinkie took a step back and eyed the bookshelves. Saying there were a lot of books was an understatement. Books had been crammed onto every conceivable surface available, and once there was no more shelf space Sunset had stacked them on top of each other. Gummy poked his head out of a gap between two books. “We have our work cut out for us, Gummy.” Pinkie’s face fell. “A lot of work.”
Chapter 3“How…?” Sunset trailed off, staring in awe at her freshly organized personal library. “It wasn’t easy,” Pinkie giggled. “First I had to take all the books off and sort them and then I had to put them all back in the right order.” “I know how you sorted them.” A sigh slipped out from under Sunset’s mask. “I mean how did you manage it? It’s been an hour, if that.” “Well,” Pinkie said slowly, “if I’m honest, Gummy helped a bit.” “Gummy?” “My pet alligator. Don’t worry, he doesn’t bite.” “You have a pet alligator.” Sunset said flatly. “Yep.” “A pet... alligator.” “Mhmm.” “How—Why— You know what? I don’t want to know.” Sunset tossed her hands in the air and turned to leave. “Wait, what about my payment?!” Pinkie cried. “Payment?” Sunset asked, confused. Her shoulders slumped. “Oh, right. You sure I can’t just give you a few books?” Pinkie shook her head frantically. “Fine…” Sunset reached up to her mask with both hands and— “Are you sure you don’t want the books?” she said. “Yep!” Pinkie leaned forward, grinning from ear to ear. Sunset let out another defeated sigh and slowly removed her mask, revealing a rather ordinary, albeit pretty, face. Red and gold hair poked out from Sunset’s cloak, desperate for a taste of sunlight. Brilliant blue eyes looked back at Pinkie expectantly. “Has anyone ever told you you’re really pretty? Wait, have you ever taken off your mask? Do you sleep in it? That doesn’t sound comfy at all. Did you make it—” Sunset clapped a hand over Pinkie’s mouth, silencing Pinkie before she could gain any more momentum. “Maybe… tone it down with the questions?” Sunset asked with a frown. Pinkie nodded slowly before Sunset took her hand away. Pinkie clenched her fists and bit her lower lip, practically vibrating on the spot as she held back her questions. Sunset pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a long sigh. “You have more questions?” Pinkie nodded vigorously, not trusting herself to speak. “Fine… One question, though.” Sunset held up a finger for emphasis. “Why do you wear a mask if you’re so pretty?” Pinkie’s eyes rolled back and she let out a moan of relief at letting out her question. “You’ll think I’m crazy if I tell you.” “No I won’t.” “Right, because anyone who says they won’t do something doesn’t immediately do it.” Sunset’s gaze dropped to the floor as she muttered sarcastically. “I won’t,” Pinkie said more forcefully. Her smile faded as she peered into Sunset’s eyes. Somewhere in there, Pinkie found something familiar, and she didn’t like that one bit. “Promise?” “Pinkie Promise.” She raised a hand, the ghost of a smile creeping back onto her face. It was infectious, and for a fraction of a moment the smile threatened to light up Sunset’s face as well. “This mask… I made it. It’s… it’s me.” Sunset held the mask in both hands and stared down at it. The empty eyes stared back blankly. “Is this a ‘magical-mask-stole-my-soul’ thing?” Pinkie asked, drawing a snort from Sunset. “You do have a lot of books about magic stuff, now that I think of it...” She curiously tilted her head. “Are you trying to break a curse?” “No, no, I just— wait, you’re serious. You’re really asking?” “Well, yeah. I’ve seen some pretty weird stuff out there.” Pinkie blanched at a particular memory involving a village of leather enthusiasts. Sunset’s jaw dropped as she stared at Pinkie, who was trying to shake away the memory. “Come with me.” Sunset grabbed Pinkie by the hand and pulled her through the train station. “Where are we going?” Pinkie stumbled, trying to keep up with Sunset’s urgent pace as they passed the derelict ticket booths. They stopped in front of a large horse statue in the atrium of the train station. Sunlight filtered in through dirty reinforced glass overhead, casting shafts of light through the area. Sunset stopped at the base of the statue and placed a hand against the cool marble. “Do you believe in magic?” Sunset asked while she gazed up at the stone horse. “Sure, I guess.” Pinkie shrugged, failing to figure out where Sunset’s train of thought was taking her. “What if I told you that there were other worlds?” “Like Mars?” “No, like yours— like this one, but not like this one, either. Like there are things that were the same in both worlds, but other stuff is completely different.” Sunset finally tore her eyes away from the statue to look back at Pinkie expectantly. “Really different.” “I’d say that it was pretty neat! Do you think they have less sand?” Pinkie furrowed her brow in thought, trying, and failing, to imagine Canterlot’s ruins without sand coating it. “I’m sick of walking through sand.” “I— You’re real, right?” Sunset reached out and brushed Pinkie’s cheek with her fingertips. “I haven’t gone crazy?” “Nope! I’m super real— ow!” Pinkie pinched herself, to show she was real. “See?” Sunset raised an eyebrow, but couldn’t completely hide the smile at the corners of her mouth. “So, what does Mars have to do with anything, anyway?” “Oh, right.” Sunset glanced back up at the statue and then back to Pinkie. “I’m, well… I’m not from here.” An excited gasp escaped Pinkie and she immediately invaded Sunset’s personal space, pinching and prodding at the girl. “You’re an alien?! Are you here to fix Earth? Oh, are you looking for plucky humans to take on exciting adventures in your blue spaceship? Is this a mask under your other—” Pinkie managed to stop herself this time, clapping a hand over her own mouth and blushing furiously. “Sorry, Sunset.” “It’s okay, just… just gimme a minute.” Sunset held a hand to her chest, trying to regain control of her breathing. Pinkie shifted her weight from one foot to the other while she waited. “I’m, um, not really used to people talking so much.” “How come?” “Well, I’ve been on my own since I came here. People started avoiding this place when they found out someone was waving a spear around.” “Oh, yeah, I remember that! But why’d you come here?” Pinkie asked, gesturing towards the world outside in all its sandy glory. “It’s not a very good vacation spot.” “It wasn’t my decision to end up here, trust me.” Sunset huffed. “I was trying to get away from stuff back home so I ran away through a portal in a mirror. It closed behind me, and I’ve been stuck here ever since. Not for a lack of trying, though.” “How long have you been here?” “Three years.” Sunset sighed, kicking a rock and skipping it out the door to the station. “You’ve been all alone for three years?” “Yeah,” came the glum reply, “not that I haven’t been trying to fix that.” “It sucks being all alone out here.” Pinkie’s shoulders slumped and she pressed her back against the base of the statue, letting herself slide to the floor. She hugged her knees to her chest. “You too, huh?” Sunset joined the nodding girl on the floor. “Yeah.” Pinkie said into her knees. Gummy crawled out from around the statue, peering up at the girl. “How long have you been out here?” Pinkie shrugged. “I don’t know anymore. A long time, though.” “You’ve been alone the whole time?” “No, not the whole time. I visit towns to sell the stuff I find, and I’ve got Gummy to keep me company!” “Gummy?” Sunset raised an eyebrow. “The fabled pet gator?” “This is Gummy.” Pinkie smiled and gingerly scooped Gummy up, holding him out to Sunset on upturned palms. “Say ‘Hi’, Gummy!” “Pinkie, there’s nothing—” Sunset’s face registered confusion, then softened immediately, “cuter than Gummy!” She kept a strained smile on her face for a moment longer before turning her attention to the darkening sky above. “It’s, um, getting late. Maybe you should stay here tonight?” “Really?” Pinkie blinked in surprise. “Most people meet Gummy and can’t wait to get away from him. They never let me stay after they find out I have a baby alligator…” “Well, it is dangerous out there, and it’s not like I don’t have space.” Sunset shrugged. “It’ll be like a sleepover.” “What’s a sleepover?”
Chapter 4Staying a night in the train station bled into two, then a week. By the third week, the two of them had fallen into a pleasant routine. “I’m back!” Pinkie called out, plopping her backpack down on the floor of the train car that had somehow become hers, stripping off her jacket and scarf and dumping them next to the backpack. “Sunset?” Footsteps echoed off of metal as Pinkie made the short journey to Sunset’s car. “Sunset?” She caught a glimpse of red and gold through a gap in the cushion mound on the other girl’s bed. “Are you in a pillow fort again?” “It helps me focus.” “But how can you read in there?” “Sunlight.” A hand poked out and pointed out a shaft of light illuminating the inside of Sunset’s fortress “Why not flashlight?” “I don’t like it as much.” Laughter penetrated the fluffy walls of Sunset’s fort. “You’re funny, you know that?” “Right, funny. How was I being funny?” The sound of a book closing heralded Sunset’s emergence from her haven. “I dunno. You’re just always super serious and stuff, and it’s fun.” Pink hair bounced as Pinkie shrugged. Sunset’s brow furrowed. “Me being serious is fun?” “It’s just you being you. I like it when you’re you.” “I’ll… take your word for it.” A sigh escaped Sunset. “When did you get back, anyway?” “Just now. I found a lot of that stuff you asked for.” Pinkie jogged away, returning with her backpack. She started pulling out a bunch of medical equipment and piling it on Sunset’s dresser. “What do you need this for?” “I’m trying something new.” “With the portal thing? Are you gonna try and make it better? Is it sick? Can portals get sick?” Pinkie rubbed her chin in thought. “Maybe it’s the horse part that’s sick?” “No, it’s— nevermind.” Sunset frowned. “I’m gonna set things up. Can you make dinner tonight?” “Sure! What’ll it be? I have soup or noodles.” “Whatever’s fine.” “Okie Dokie!” Pinkie twirled once, picking up her backpack in one fluid motion and half-skipped to the makeshift kitchen she’d set up. Jubilant humming filled the air as Pinkie set about the arduous task of boiling water for the instant noodles. Sunset liked the noodles more than she did, so Pinkie was fine with letting her have them. Besides, Gummy liked soup. Maybe this time he’d smell the soup and come home. A frown snuck up on Pinkie and made itself at home on her face as she remembered her friend. Gummy had been showing up less and less over the last few weeks, and Pinkie had started to worry that each time she saw him would be the last time. Gummy wouldn’t just leave without saying goodbye, though. Would he? Pinkie shook the thought from her head, focusing all her attention on the task at hand. Sunset joined her as she finished cooking. “Dinner is served, madame.” Pinkie bowed her head cordially, adopting as fancy an accent as she could manage. “Why thank you, Pinkamena. What a lovely meal you’ve prepared tonight.” Sunset replied without missing a beat. “It was my pleasure.” Pinkie bit back a laugh, but it wasn’t enough. Soon enough, both girls were giggling madly. “Thanks for cooking, though.” Sunset chuckled, wiping her eye with a bandaged hand. “What happened to you?” Pinkie asked around a mouthful of food. “Nothing. Trying something new for opening the portal and I cut myself.” “Trying to use rocks again?” “No, I mean I cut myself to try something new.” Sunset shifted uncomfortably. “You did it on purpose?” Pinkie’s brow furrowed. “What kind of magic makes you hurt yourself?” “Erm… blood magic.” Sunset mumbled. “Oh. Okay, then. Just try not to hurt yourself too much. Sand in a cut hurts super bad.” “Wait, that’s it?” “Yeah?” Pinkie swallowed another mouthful of food. “Why wouldn’t it be it?” “Well, in Equestria, there’s some magics that aren’t looked at very kindly. They’re considered evil since, well, since evil people use them. Blood magic is pretty high up on that list of bad magic.” “So why are you doing it?” Pinkie asked as she started cleaning up after the meal. “Are you gonna be all evil? Ooh, maybe you’ll turn into a sexy demon lady! That’d be neat.” “Yeah… no. There’s actually a lot of different cultures in this world that believe that there’s a special sort of magic in blood. As it so happens, I come from a world of magic, so I literally have it in my blood.” “Because you’re actually a unicorn?” Pinkie pointed out. “Yeah— wait, I didn’t tell you that.” A look of confusion passed over Sunset’s face. “Yeah-huh. You said your mask was you, and it’s a unicorn. So I figured you were one, too.” Pinkie shrugged like it was the most sensible thing in the world. “Oh.” Sunset lowered her wide-eyed stare to the floor. Pinkie could hear the gears turning in the woman’s head from her seat. “Anyway,” She said slowly, “I cut my hand to see if it would have any effect on the portal and, well, it did! It wasn’t much, just a few sparks, but it was something. I think with more blood, I might be able to force the portal to open.” Sunset was adamant now. She was on her feet, gesticulating wildly as she explained the details of the ritual and the reaction of the portal. Pinkie merely smiled and nodded as she listened. It was nice seeing Sunset so animated. Usually she was the one taking the lead in the conversation. It was a good change of pace. “... I shouldn’t be doing it, but I’ve tried almost everything— What?” Sunset stopped, peering down at Pinkie. “What, what?” “You’re smiling.” Sunset folded her arms in front of her and raised an eyebrow at Pinkie. “I’m explaining the intricacies of a forbidden magic that would, at the very least, get me thrown in jail back in Equestria, and you’re smiling about it.” “It’s just really nice to see you excited about something.” Pinkie smiled up at Sunset and yawned. “It’s cute to see you like this.” She stood and started shuffling over to her train car. “I’m going to bed, Sunny. G’night.” “Oh, okay.” A red-faced Sunset waved a hand goodnight. “‘Night, Pinkie.” *** Pinkie couldn’t sleep. Every time she tried, she felt like she needed to move. She was restless, like every nerve of her body were all tingly. Grudgingly, she hauled herself out of bed and over to the bathroom, where Sunset had jury-rigged a shower by attaching one of those shower heads with one of those hoses to a sink with copious amounts of duct tape. She stripped out of her PJ’s and started rinsing off. The cold water bit at her skin, washing the last vestiges of sleep down the drain. A wordless song filled the air as Pinkie relished the cold against the dull heat of the night. The shower ended too soon, but Pinkie stepped out and quickly dressed, wrapping her soggy hair in her shirt to dry. Footsteps echoed through the station as Pinkie quickly ducked into her room to avoid embarrassment. Once she’d retrieved a fresh shirt, she wandered, finding sleep to be an elusive companion tonight. A strange calm had settled over the night. The usual sounds of wind and the occasional animal baying had been replaced with a stillness that made Pinkie’s skin crawl. “It’s just in your head, Pinkie,” she chastised herself, “nothing to be afraid of. Just gotta giggle, remember?” Pinkie didn’t giggle or chuckle or even smile. Instead she hugged herself, trying to stave off the chills that ran down her spine. Up ahead, a faint glow caught her eye. The light had come from the station’s atrium. Brief flashes of light that faded quickly. Somebody’s frustrated groan broke the quiet of the night. “Sunset?” Pinkie stepped around the horse statue to find Sunset panting heavily on her hands and knees. “Are you—” A gasp escaped the girl as she clapped a hand of her mouth in horror. Blood. There was blood everywhere, coating the ground and the base of the statue in front of Sunset. The pale girl looked up at Pinkie through teary eyes. “It won’t work...” Sunset crawled forward and grabbed at Pinkie’s shirt. Crimson blossomed through the fabric, making it cling uncomfortably to Pinkie’s skin. “Sunny, what are you doing?!” Pinkie hoisted Sunset up onto shaky feet. “We gotta get you fixed up!” She threw Sunset’s arm over her shoulder, half-carrying, half-dragging the injured girl towards the bathroom. “Didn’t work,” came the weak reply. “not enough blood.” “Stay here!” Pinkie lowered Sunset onto the tiled floor and ran off, returning with an armful of medical supplies. “Okay, I’m gonna get you patched up. I’m really sorry about this, Sunny.” Pinkie set about removing Sunset’s shirt with a pair of scissors, revealing a number of cuts along the length of her arms. “Oh, this isn’t good.” Pinkie chewed her lip, doing her best to staunch the bleeding with bandages and medical tape. Too soon, the first bandages were ruined, rendered useless by the weight of the blood staining them. They were discarded and replaced as quickly as Pinkie’s shaky hands could manage. Dawn came and Pinkie slumped against the wall. Sunset was still breathing, and the bleeding had miraculously stopped, for the most part. Even so, Pinkie didn’t dare move her from where she lay. “I’ll take care of you Sunny, just hang in there.” Pinkie sniffled and blinked away tears. “Don’t die, pretty please?”
Chapter 5Pinkie awoke to weak murmuring in her ear. All around her were discarded medical supplies, along with a few first aid books she’d taken from Sunset’s library. Slowly, she readjusted to the waking world. She sat up and looked down at Sunset’s sleeping form next to her. Sunset wasn’t sleeping. “Pinkie?” “Sunset? You’re not dead, right?” Pinkie asked as she checked Sunset’s bandages. The girl’s cuts were still bleeding a bit, but nowhere near as badly as they’d been two nights ago when she’d found Sunset at death’s door. “... don’t think so?” Sunset rolled her head to the side. “Where...?” Her voice trailed off. “We’re in the bathroom. I brought you here after… after…” Pinkie broke down into wracking sobs, burying her face into Sunset’s hair, hugging her tightly. “Ow, ow…” Sunset winced. “Pinkie, I’m okay, really.” A weak hand reached up and patted Pinkie’s hair. “I was so scared! Don’t do that ever again!” Pinkie’s voice took on an edge. “You almost died!” “Sorry…” The two of them stayed like that for some time, with Pinkie crying onto Sunset’s shoulder and Sunset weakly comforting her. Eventually, though, the tears had to run dry, and Pinkie sat up, wiping her nose with a forearm. Sunset forced herself into a sitting position, hugging the blanket Pinkie had covered her with to her chest. “Where’s my shirt?” Sunset asked, blushing furiously. “I kinda had to take it off,” Pinkie managed a sheepish grin, pointing to a pile of tattered rags. “with scissors.” Sunset looked at the destroyed shirt, then back at Pinkie, then back to the shirt. She chortled, failing to hold it back. Soon enough, she had broken down into a laughing fit, leaving a bewildered Pinkie staring at her. “Sorry,” Sunset said through her chuckles, “It’s just, the first thought that hit me was ‘Hey—’” another fit of laughter hit the girl, “was ‘Hey, that was my favorite shirt!’” She broke down into another giggling fit, this time joined by Pinkie. When the two finally managed to stifle their laughter, a silence hung in the air between them. Sunset sighed, giving Pinkie’s hand a weak squeeze. “Thanks, Pinkie. For helping me.” “It’s what friends do, right?” Pinkie managed a smile as she returned the squeeze. “Yeah.” Sunset nodded. “Can I have a shirt, though?” *** A few days into Sunset’s recovery, Pinkie came out to the atrium to find Sunset scrubbing at the dried blood on the statue. The brush slipped from Sunset’s grasp and clattered away. Sunset was still grumbling and massaging her hand as Pinkie knelt down and took over for her. “Thanks.” Sunset mumbled as she scowled at her hands. “Mhm.” Pinkie flashed a smile over at Sunset before looking back to the cleaning. A tense silence settled between them, hanging thick in the air. Despite their initial conversation when Sunset woke up, neither had been willing to broach the subject of Sunset’s attempts to return home. Pinkie scrubbed harder, as though she were trying to chase away the silence with the sound of bristles on stone. She sighed and sat up, leaving the brush on the floor. “I can help, if you want.” Sunset flinched at the sound of Pinkie’s voice. A moment later she looked up at the girl with questioning eyes. “Why?” “Because you really wanna go home, and I wanna see you happy.” Pinkie explained calmly. “So if you need help or anything, I want you to know that I’m here.” “I— I don’t know what to say.” “You don’t need to say anything, silly.” A warm smile pushed away the gloom between them. “But if you need blood, can we maybe not take all of mine?” Sunset managed a weak chuckle. Hours later, the two of them had used the remaining medical supplies Pinkie had gathered to take a controlled amount of blood from Pinkie. Sunset carefully drained the IV bag Pinkie had filled into a large bowl, adding a few droplets of her own to the mix in an attempt to infuse it with magic. “You think this will work?” Pinkie asked, holding a cloth to the crook of her elbow to staunch the bleeding where they’d drawn from. “I have no idea. This isn’t an exact science I’m working with here. I’m literally throwing magic at a wall and seeing if any of it sticks.” Sunset’s face reddened as she explained her process. “Oh.” “Yeah. I mean, this could just be a waste of time.” Sunset’s face fell. “I really hope I didn’t just poke you with needles for nothing.” “It’ll work.” Pinkie said confidently as she placed a hand on Sunset’s shoulder. ‘It has to.’ Sunset placed the bowl of crimson liquid in front of the statue. Both of them stared down at it expectantly. Nothing happened. “Maybe you have to say the magic words?” Pinkie offered. “Abra cadabra! Hocus pocus!” She waggled her fingers at the statue. “Um, Open sesame!” She frowned. “Pretty please with a cherry on top?” Still nothing. “Maybe this is just a waste of time.” Sunset mumbled. “This was stupid. I should stop trying.” She moved to pick up the bowl again, only to be stopped when Pinkie grabbed her wrist. “You can’t just give up, Sunny. That’s the worst thing you could do!” Pinkie’s eyes met Sunset’s. “Sometimes stuff gets hard, i know, but that’s why we gotta keep trying. We gotta try everything we can, or else the bad stuff we go through won’t mean anything. “It means the people we lost died for nothing, that the fire was stronger than you. And you can’t let that fire rule you forever. You gotta pick up whatever pieces you can and keep trying for Mom and Dad and Marble and everyone else!” Tears streamed down Pinkie’s face. “I’m not gonna let you give up, Sunset. You’re my friend. If this doesn’t work, we’ll just try something different until it does work.” “Pinkie,” There was a sadness in Sunset’s eyes as she looked back at Pinkie. She found herself leaning forward. “I had no idea—” A brilliant light flared up, blinding both the girls, as a silver flame burst into existence in the bowl. The statue’s base began to glow, and a ripple passed over the surface of the stone. Both of them wore matching expressions of awe and bewilderment. Sunset stepped forward hesitantly and reached out to touch the ripple with a trembling hand. Her fingertips passed through with no resistance and she jerked her hand back. She looked back at Pinkie hesitantly. Pinkie nodded with a teary smile. “Thank you, Pinkie.” “It’s what friends are for...” Pinkie said around a growing lump in her throat. Sunset stepped through the portal. The silver flames vanished immediately, leaving behind a charred bowl. Pinkie kicked a pebble at the statue, only to have it bounce away. A strained smile passed over Pinkie’s face, only to disappear when she was hit with the realization that she was alone once more.
Chapter 7Pinkie’s eyes fluttered open to the sensation of something cool pressed against her forehead. She rolled her head to one side, then the other, looking for the source of the wetness pressed against her. She blearily looked up at the face of an angel. “Did I die?” The angel gave a snorting laugh, a heavenly sound if Pinkie ever heard one. “No, you’re not dead, Pinkie. Not for a lack of trying on your part,” the angel added. “Where am I?” “Home.” “Home? Where’s that?” Pinkie struggled to sit up and failed as gentle hands kept her from rising. “Easy… You’re dehydrated. You’ve been out cold since I found you. Just keep still and get some rest.” A soft sigh escaped Pinkie. Rest sound like a fantastic idea, a sentiment shared by Gummy, who sat on her chest and stared up at her. Pinkie’s eyelids grew heavy as sleep overtook her once more. When Pinkie woke again, the world was much clearer. She glanced around, looking for the angel again and finding nobody. “Hello?” Pinkie’s voice cracked as she called weakly to the emptiness. Soon enough, though, footsteps sounded outside and someone entered. Pinkie’s heart nearly leapt out of her chest. “Sunset?” “Hey,” Sunset smiled down at Pinkie and lifted a cloth off her forehead. “how are you feeling?” “Blech.” “Yeah, I figured. You had me worried there. I wasn’t sure if you were going to make it.” The cloth came back and dabbed at Pinkie’s face. A hiss of pain escaped her as she winced back. “Sorry!” “Why’d you come back?” Pinkie asked weakly. “You looked lonely.” Pinkie fell silent, her brow furrowed in deep thought. Eventually she reached a hand up and gently brushed Sunset’s face. “How did you get back?” “The portal’s a lot easier to open from the other side.” Sunset chuckled. “But… why are you here? I thought you wanted to go home?” Pinkie forced herself to sit up, pressing Sunset’s hand away when she tried to stop her. She gazed deeply into the eyes of the other woman like she was searching for something. “Turns out that there were some… disagreements between me and the pr— the person that made me want to leave in the first place.” An awkward chuckle escaped Sunset as she rubbed the back of her neck. “Besides, I am home.” A dam burst inside Pinkie. A sniffle slipped out of her, followed by a sob. Soon enough she was bawling like I lost child, clutching tightly to Sunset. “You left! You left and I was alone again and I should have gone with you! I let you go alone and I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry…” “Hey, hey,” Sunset extracted herself from Pinkie’s vice-like grip on her torso. “I came back. It’s what friends do, remember?” Pinkie nodded despite the hiccuping sobs that still slipped out. “This time, I’m not going anywhere.” “Promise?” “Pinkie promise.” Pinkie relaxed a little and laid back down. Her stomach took the opportunity to proclaim its existence to the world. The two looked at each other and broke into fits of giggles. “Give me a few and I’ll make something. You’ve been out for a while.” Sunset returned with a bowl of soup and carefully spooned it to Pinkie around the girl’s questions. “How did you find me? I was out there for a super long time.” With each bite, Pinkie felt a bit more like her old self. “Really?” Sunset looked surprised. “I found you half-buried out front. The only reason I even saw you was because of that scarf you had on.” “Scarf?” Pinkie’s face scrunched in thought. “What scarf?” “The blue one. Actually, I’m pretty sure it’s mine.” “Oh!” Pinkie flushed a bright shade of crimson. “I kinda took it…” Her voice trailed off. “What?” “I took it,” Pinkie turned even redder, if that was possible, “so I’d have something to remember you.” “Heh. That’s sweet.” Sunset gave Pinkie another spoonful, and the conversation gave way to a quiet between them. It was a comfortable quiet, not like the stillness that had lingered after Sunset’s injuries. Pinkie felt a peculiar warmth well up from the pit of her stomach. At first, she’d mistaken it for the soup, but gradually came to realize that it was something else. Happiness. Pinkie’s smile didn’t fade in the slightest as night fell over the station again. *** For the most part, Pinkie recovered quickly. Most of her injuries had been miraculously minor, scrapes and bruises, save for the ankle she’d twisted when she fell. Sunset had fashioned a crude walking stick for her out of a gnarled branch she’d found outside. Pinkie’s walking stick heralded her entrance to Sunset’s room a few nights later. Sunset looked up from her book, eyeing Pinkie curiously. “You’re up late.” “I couldn’t sleep.” Pinkie pouted. “I keep having nightmares.” “You okay?” Pinkie nodded but stayed in the doorway, fidgeting awkwardly. “You wanna talk about it?” Pinkie nodded again. “Are you going to talk about it?” “Can I sleep with you?” Pinkie blurted out. Sunset blushed brightly, making a noise akin to a startled bat. “P-Pinkie, you don’t think that’s a little forward?” “I just don’t want to fall asleep alone…” Pinkie murmured. “Oh. Oh!” Sunset facepalmed. “That makes way more sense than— you know what, nevermind.” Sunset pushed a stack of books off her mattress and piled some cushions up for comfort before patting the spot next to her. Pinkie curled up next to Sunset and started reading over the girl’s shoulder. “Whatcha readin’?” “Some romance story about a mute girl falling in love.” “Any good?” “Eh. I’ve read better.” For what felt like the millionth time since they met, Pinkie and Sunset sat in silence. Where once it had been a divide, a wall to break down with conversation, the silence was now a bridge, connecting the two despite the lack of words between them. Pinkie leaned in close and rested her head on Sunset’s shoulder. “Sunset?” The gentle stillness shattered. “Yeah?” “You’re real, right?” “What? Yeah, of course I am.” Sunset set her book aside. “Why do you ask?” “You’d tell me if you weren’t?” “Again, still real, but I guess I’d tell you if I weren’t” Sunset shifted a bit, getting a better look at Pinkie. “Where’d this come from?” “I keep having nightmares... about you.” “Me?” “Yeah,” Pinkie bit the inside of her cheek, hesitant to continue, “I keep dreaming that you never came back, that you’re all in my head.” Her hands fidgeted. “But you’re here now, right? This isn’t a dream?” “No, Pinkie,” Sunset smiled reassuringly. “this isn’t a dream.” “You’re sure?” “As sure as the sun sets in the west.” “Really sure?” “How much surer do you need me to be?” Sunset narrowed her eyes at Pinkie. Pinkie rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “I dunno. What’s something I don’t know about you? That’ll prove it!” “I—” Sunset raised a finger into the air, only to frown and lower it again. “You’re really making me do this?” Pinkie nodded insistently. A long sigh escaped Sunset as she rolled her eyes. “I’ve never left this block of the city. Does that count?” “Wait, really?” Pinkie blinked in bewilderment. “I’ve never had a reason to. I keep finding food, so everything i’ve ever needed has been nearby.” “But… but there’s a whole world out there! You have to see it! There’s Rustwall and Sweet Apple Acres and Scrapyard and a whole bunch of cool places that I’ve traded at. You can’t stay here forever!” “Pinkie, you of all people know how dangerous it is out there. Why risk it?” “Because you can’t just hide away forever! What if I decided to leave someday? Would you still stay?” Sunset’s mouth opened, but no words came out. She slowly closed it and looked down with a furrowed brow. “Let’s just get some sleep.” She clicked off her flashlight and rolled over. Pinkie stared up at the ceiling in silence, taking some measure of comfort in the warmth radiating off of Sunset. Time passed slowly, and she found herself sinking deeper into her own thoughts. Eventually, restlessness took over, and she rolled onto her side and stared at Sunset’s sleeping form. “Sunset?” No response. “Sunset, are you asleep?” “I was trying.” Sunset grumbled. “Oh. Sorry.” Pinkie frowned in the darkness. “What is it?” Sunset asked after a pause. “What’s your world like?” “My world? Equestria?” “Yeah.” “It’s… it’s magical. I don’t mean that like it’s some sort of utopia, I mean it’s literally magical. This world has its science and technology, and some of it exists in Equestria, but there magic is this driving… force. Back there, everypony says stuff like ‘friendship is magic’—don’t laugh—but they’re telling the truth. “Friendship and love and positive emotions actually affect magic there. It’s incredible, and a little scary. There’s a lot of dangerous stuff in Equestria. It’s a bit scary—” “Like here?” “Yeah, a bit.” “Did you explore Equestria at all?” “Sometimes. I helped a filly find her way out of the Everfree forest once. That was pretty cool.” “And scary?” “And scary.” “Sunny?” “Hmm?” “If you can go on scary adventures back there, why can’t you go on any here?” Sunset’s only response was silence. “Sunset?” Pinkie scooted herself closer to the other girl. “Suuunset? Sunny?” “I don’t know, okay!” Sunset snapped and rolled over. “Back in Equestria I had magic to rely on if I ever ended up in a bind. Here? I’ve got nothing.” “You’ve got me.” Pinkie murmured through the dark. Sunset was silent again. “Sunset?” A warmth pressed gingerly pressed itself against Pinkie’s lips, drawing a startled gasp from her. Sunset pulled back as though she’d been burned. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me!” Sunset scooted as far away as she could manage, her rapid breathing the only sound in the train car. Pinkie lay still as an explosion of conflicting thoughts and emotions warred in her head. Eventually a single thought clawed its way to the surface, leaving the rest of them to war in the back of Pinkie’s mind. “I’ve never kissed anyone before.” Pinkie said rather flatly. She blinked in surprise at the revelation. “Never?” “Never.” Pinkie confirmed. “I’ve always been exploring alone.” “Wow. I-I’m sorry. I didn’t think, I just—” “Can we try that again?” Pinkie asked timidly. “Try wh— kissing?” Sunset’s confusion gave way to alarm. “Uh-huh.” Pinkie felt Sunset move closer, felt the warmth of her shallow breathing. Pinkie’s heart felt like it was trying to jackhammer its way out of her chest through her ribs. Just when she thought her heart couldn’t pound any faster, it proved her wrong when she felt Sunset’s lips touch hers. Pinkie’s mind went blank as she leaned into the kiss. An eternity passed in an instant, and Pinkie felt an indescribable joy well up in the pit of her stomach, rising up until she could contain it no longer. She pulled away and broke down in a fit of laughter. She felt Sunset wrap her arms around her and pull her into a close embrace, holding her tightly until the laughter finally died out. They fell asleep like that, intertwined in each other’s arms on top of a mountain of cushions. *** “I’ve been thinking,” Sunset said out of nowhere as she and Pinkie sat together on the steps of the train station, “maybe I should go see more of the world.” “Really?” Pinkie beamed at the other girl. “What made you change your mind?” “Well, I’ve been thinking on it, and I think you’re right. If I can go see new and dangerous things back in Equestria, what’s stopping me from doing the same here?” “What about all your stuff here? All your books?” “I’ll bring the important stuff: my favorite books, maybe a pillow, food… you.” “You want me to go with you?” Tears welled up in the corners of Pinkie’s eyes. “Are you sure?” “Well, yeah,” Sunset smiled reassuringly and interlaced her fingers with Pinkie’s. “what do you say? You want to go see the world with me?” “Together?” “Together.” “I’d like that.” A sound that was somewhere between a choked sob and a laugh escaped Pinkie as she squeezed her eyes shut to hold back tears of joy. When she opened them, the sandstorm was over. Pinkie forced herself to a sitting position, shifting the mound of sand that had covered her where she had fallen. Sand clung to her skin, burning whenever the granules found a way into a cut or scrape. Slowly, achingly, she pulled a canteen from her backpack and took a long drink. Pinkie forced herself to shaking feet and looked down at her alligator companion. “Come on, Gummy.” Heavy feet trudged forward, carrying Pinkie back towards the ruins of Canterlot. “Let’s go find our friend.” Author's Note Well, this was a trip to write. As always, if you spot any errors, feel free to PM me so I can fix them as soon as possible.
Chapter 6Winds howled, mocking anyone foolish enough to be caught in the open. Sand bit at the few spots of skin that Pinkie exposed to the elements as she trudged forward. She’d wrapped a blue scarf about her face and donned goggles to provide some protection from the sandstorm, but even these were meager defenses at best. She pressed on, though even she didn’t know where her feet were carrying her. The world had long ago disappeared around her, obscured by the sandstorm. Her footsteps were just as heavy as they’d been when she’d left the train station behind her. She stumbled, but managed to keep her feet under her. She pressed on. Gummy had perched himself on her shoulder, silently watching Pinkie’s progress through the storm. He offered nothing but comfort with his presence. Pinkie gave him a quick pat on the head as she squared her shoulders. She pressed on. Pinkie gritted her teeth, doing her best to ignore the granules of sand that had slipped past the scarf. She was looking for something, she knew this much. She couldn’t say what she sought, but she knew it was important. Some unknown force drew her forward, beckoning to continue despite the storm. She knew she should have sought shelter. She had seen the signs of the storm’s approach long before it had descended upon her. Even now, she knew, it wasn’t too late to find somewhere to wait out the storm. She pressed on despite the danger. The storm railed against her, doing its best to dissuade her from the foolish course Pinkie had chosen. Pinkie grunted back, refusing to back down. Her legs buckled, and Pinkie found herself on all fours. She crawled forward, refusing to stop. A particularly strong gust of wind knocked Pinkie sideways, sending her rolling down a dune. She came to a stop and tried getting her feet back under her to no avail. Pinkie reached her limits and, after a few minutes of failing to regain her bearings, the last of her strength left her. She flopped forward, letting the storm overtake her. Pinkie Pie could press on no longer.
