Mark

Chapters

Prologue: Means to an End
Ch.1: Small Beginnings
Ch.2: Gingerbread House
Ch.4: Flipping the Coin
Ch.5: A Test of Faith
Ch.6: Hazy Dawn
Ch.3: Sweet Dreams

Prologue: Means to an End

Mark

Prologue: Means to an End

“It would be for the best if she didn’t know...”

A dark sewer, undoubtedly, would be the last place anyone would look for a fugitive. The long walls, covered in lichen and slimy to the touch. The damp, musty air, foreboding and capable of drowning someone in a sea of uncertainty. The ground, covered in the refuse left by generations of ponies and possessing a thin sheen of moisture that chilled to the bone. A place all but forgotten by the ponies casually strolling in the streets above.

No, there was no doubt. No one would look for a fugitive here; the unpleasant atmosphere would keep out all but the most determined or foolhardy.

It was a testament to the sheer will of the pony that was fleeing the guards, then, that he refused to stall for even a second as his body was beset upon by the myriad of unpleasantries that accompanied the sewers. His body was soaked by the dirty water that had been untouched for decades, scratched by the unforgiving cobblestone walls that the underground labyrinth was composed of, and ached due to the incessant lack of oxygen that was due to both the damp air and the pony’s exertions. For all his pains, though, the pony knew what was waiting for him should he stop; he continued to run.

The sewers were located directly below the glittering white streets that crisscrossed the city. Every few hundred feet, there would be a light that was not based on the dull glow of the sewers. A small opening, designed to let water flow from the streets into the guts of the city, provided a modicum of light for the fugitive. For anyone else, it would have inspired hope, a means to escape the inhospitable cesspool. For the pony fleeing for his life, it instead inspired dread and a fear that was ground into his very being since he had taken his first breath.

He pushed on, thanking the light only for its ability to clear his sight and see what may lie ahead. As he ran, the light briefly shone on him. It revealed his lithe frame, honed by years of running from those who were frightened, and in turn angered, by him. His coat was a simple red-brown, resembling a kind of burgundy. His mane was a midnight blue, short and slightly matted from years of neglect. His eyes, gleaming as they were from fear and exhaustion, were a simple hazel. The most intriguing part of the pony, though, was his cutie mark. It was deceptively innocuous; the outline of a green pegasus. If one looked closer, though, he would see that outline had a cutie mark as well, that of a blue unicorn. If one looked closer still, he would see the unicorn had a cutie mark of a red earth pony. If one was so inclined, he could take a microscope and examine this phenomena repeat down to unfathomable depths.

It was this deceptively innocent cutie mark that had damned this fugitive all of his life. It was also the reason he was currently on the run from the guards and the one they served, the most powerful pony in existence.

The wanted pony continued to run, his breath growing rapidly shorter as the last of his stamina petered out. The burgundy pony saw a large flash of light ahead of him, and he quickened his pace. At last, he had found salvation, a means to escape his impending doom. As he neared the opening, though, he saw steep cliff sides on either side and a large valley open up in front of him - and below him. The fugitive attempted to rapidly slow his momentum to little avail. The glistening ground he fought against held little regard for friction nor the now panicking pony as he slowly approached the ledge. As the pony approached the edge inch by inch, he did everything in his power to delay his demise. He pushed his hooves into the ground, pulled his center of gravity back to prevent sliding any further, and laid his body on the ground the maximize the surface area that could prevent him from slipping off into the abyss awaiting below him. It was by a combination of luck and will that he managed to stop before reaching the ledge.

The earth pony let out a sigh of relief, releasing air that he had been holding as his body had been sliding on the ground. Shakily, he got up and peered over the edge and into the expanse that was now presented before him. A five hundred foot drop had awaited him, a drop that would surely have killed him. As the burgundy pony unsteadily drew breath, a presence that had been on the edge of his consciousness for several days and only briefly forgotten in his haste to escape, suddenly slammed its full force back on to his mind. The fugitive pony stumbled, his brain pounding as the force grew stronger and stronger in his mind.

“No,” he moaned, “no, no, no, no... not now... not when I’m so close.”

The fugitive fell to the ground as he battled with the intense migraine that now debilitated him. In the midst of his conflict, he noticed a white pony appear in the corner of his eye, far down the tunnel he had just traversed. A pony that stood a full head above most others, with both wings and horn that declared who she was more than any other trait. She was accompanied by four royal guards, each of them sworn to defend her life from all threats. They regarded the fugitive in front of them with distrust.

Celestia walked deliberately towards the writhing earth pony merely yards in front of her. When she was within ten feet of the fugitive, he cried “Please, don’t come any closer!” Her mournful eyes were the only outward sign of emotion as she stopped and stared at the crippled earth pony.

The fugitive looked up at her, the agony etched in his face as clear as day, his pupils contracted to mere pinpoints from both fear and pain. “Please,” he cried out again, “don’t come any closer! I don’t...I don’t want to... don’t make me do it!”

One of the guards spoke. “Ma’am, shall we take him into custody?” Celestia looked back, and calmly shook her head. She turned back at the red-brown earth pony in front of her.

The two ponies stared at each other, neither one willing to budge. One filled with a lifetime of pain, the other filled with infinite remorse.

Off to the side, the graceful white towers of Canterlot could be seen. The city was alive and strong, the noise and babble from thousands of ponies heard from thousands of feet away. The noise and babble of ponies whose lives were happy and carefree, strangers to a concept of permanent sorrow and misery, blissfully unaware of the standoff occurring in one of the most remote and untraveled areas of the glorious city.

“Mark,” Celestia whispered, “I only want to help. Don’t throw your life away... it doesn’t have to end this way.” As she spoke, the alicorn started to approach the burgundy pony again.

The fugitive grunted as the migraine increased in strength, the pain threatening to throw him into unconsciousness.

“... No … it’s for the best …”

The fugitive yelped as he gathered the last of his strength and threw himself off the side of the cliff. His world faded to black as the pain took control and the wind rushed past his face.

Ch.1: Small Beginnings

Mark

Chapter 1: Small Beginnings

The time was 7:48 AM. The sun had risen less than an hour ago, its soft glow permeating through every corner of Ponyville. The small town was starting to awaken for the new day. Soon the markets would fill up and the town square would be occupied by hundreds of ponies going about their daily business. It would be a peaceful day for Ponyville, which could be considered a small miracle given how often the town had been threatened over the past few months. As the sun rose higher above the landscape, a single shadow found itself approaching the town at a deliberate pace. The town remained blissfully unaware of the fact that the peace left by the early morning dew would soon be shattered.

The shadow was cast by a dull red earth pony, whose dark blue mane appeared below the cloak that covered his body and head. He walked slowly, steadily. His hooves beat against the ground at a rhythmic tempo, never slowing down, and never speeding up. His face was haggard, and by merely looking at his hazel eyes one could see he needed more than just a few hours of sleep. In all aspects, his appearance matched his cloak: worn and in need of some stitches.

As the pony crossed the bridge into Ponyville, he gradually became aware of all the inhabitants. He felt their happiness, their simple pleasure in being alive and beginning their day. In a small corner in the back of his mind, he felt happier. The peace that was apparent among the populace was sweet and pure, something he could relish from afar without detracting from it. The majority of his mind, however, felt nothing but disgust. Not because he truly despised the positive feedback he was receiving, but because he knew that eventually it would all come to a screeching halt by his doing. He merely hoped that he could conclude his business in the modest village before he started the inevitable.

As he continued to walk through Ponyville, he could see a few foals running past him, leaving their parents scrambling after them. The dull red pony pony allowed himself a small smile. So innocent and carefree, he thought.

He continued to plod against the ground. He had entered the marketplace, and was strolling against the crowd casually. This proved to be rather easy, as the majority of ponies whom he encountered gave him a wide berth. They avoided him, as though he were projecting a faint aura of darkness. The cloaked pony was used to it, though. He simply ignored their stares and set his gaze upon a small stall. The owner there was selling daisies. The owner herself had a light pink coat with a green mane, set up in stylish curls. Her cutie mark was two white flowers with yellow center. The dull red pony stared at her cutie mark for a few seconds, unconsciously reaching out with his mind and acquiring the information he sought.

Daisy, he thought with a smirk. It seems fitting. She sells daisies here, grows them at her house, has two best friends. . . Rose and Lily. Time for breakfast.

The cloaked pony approached Daisy. She noticed him approaching, and she put on a practiced smile. She felt uneasy with the stranger, but she wouldn’t lose a potential customer due to rudeness.

“Hi there! Looking to buy?” she cheerfully exclaimed.

The cloaked pony grinned and nodded. “Hello, ma’am.” No need to startle her. “Yes, I was looking for breakfast. How much for five daisies?”

“That will be three bits, please.”

The covered pony reached into his saddle and threw out the stated amount of bits onto the table she was standing behind. He took the flowers and started to munch on one, storing the rest.

“Mmm, this is delicious!” he expressed with a small amount of joy. “I haven’t had a proper meal in some time.”

She simply nodded in agreement. “So, are you a traveler? Not to sound rude, but you look like you’ve been living rough.” Her astute observation was met with a chuckle.

“I am. I decided to stop in town before continuing on. Supplies, gear, that sort of thing.”

Daisy nodded again. “Well, I hope you enjoy your time in Ponyville. It’s always nice meeting a new face. If you have time before you leave, I’d say you should stop by Sugarcube Corner. The mare working there, Pinkie Pie, is sure to throw you a ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party! She’s always glad to meet new folks, and she would be simply devastated if she heard someone new had come by without saying hello.”

The dull red pony smiled. “Thank you for the welcome. I might consider staying for a while, if- “ He was suddenly cut off as a beige earth pony with a dark red mane walked up to Daisy. Her cutie mark was a rose. He stared at it. Rose. Sells an assortment of flowers for cosmetics. Also sells perfumes, scents. One of Daisy’s friends - explains her interruption - A town gossip. Overreacts, regards strangers with heavy distrust. . . oh my.

As he came out of his private thoughts, he overheard the last bit of what Rose had said to her friend. “- need help setting up my stall, I got up late today. Oh, sorry, did I interrupt?” she inquired. She noticed his vacant stare. His wide eyes, his gaping mouth. He looked terrible, uncouth even. In her hyperactive imagination, she immediately connected the dots and drew in a breath to scream. The cloaked pony could only look on in despair as the inevitable happened.

“ZOMBIE-PONY!!!!!!!” Rose shrieked at the top of her voice. Everyone in the immediate vicinity stopped to stare at the stranger she was now pointing at. “EVERYPONY RUN!!!!”

“Now wait a second-” the cloaked pony’s denial was cut off as every pony heeded Rose’s warning and ran. The ground shook as every one sped off in a panic. Daisy looked on in utter confusion, right until Rose grabbed her by the tail and dragged her away from the stall. The dull red pony simply stood there and watched as everyone rapidly disappeared into their homes and tried to avoid the stranger in their midst. As the last foal was dragged inside and the door shut, the dull red pony closed his eyes, lowered his head, and sighed.

“Damnit. That normally only happens on the third day.”

On the other side of town, a certain pink-maned pony was hopping along to the town square. She had gotten up extra early that day because she had a feeling something important would happen. As it turned out, something DID happen.

“EVERYPONY RUN!!!!”

Pinkie Pie turned to face the direction the yell had come from, and was rewarded with the sight of hundreds of ponies running in a panic. She giggled with excitement.

“Ooh, is it the Running of the Leaves already? Aww, I should have gotten Twilight’s balloon out! I’m going to miss out on being the commentator! Maybe if I hurry... Wait a minute, wasn’t that a few months ago?”

Pinkie stopped her musings long enough to realize that every pony had already disappeared. She looked at the town market in curiosity, wondering what had happened.

“Hey, where’d everypony go? They were all here a second ago!” Pinkie Pie brought her hoof up to her chin and pondered the situation. A bright lightbulb abruptly appeared over her head as she raised her hoof up and exclaimed, “I know! It’s time,” -she donned her deerstalker hat and pipe- “to go sleuthing!”

With her mind made up, Pinkie started to hop towards the center of all the commotion.

The dull red earth pony walked through the now empty streets, condemned to continue his journey without resting. He knew what had happened was inevitable no matter where he went, he just hadn’t expected it to occur so soon after entering a new town. He sighed.

At least they didn’t drive me out with torches and pitchforks like they did in Fillydelphia...

He stopped and shuddered. Those were some of his worst memories, and he certainly didn’t want to remember them, not when he had been rejected again so recently. His resolve hardened as he accepted the fact that he needed to leave the town. He glanced back towards the way he came, debating whether he should leave the same way or go out a different exit. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to continue forwards rather than backtrack the way he had come in.

Just as he was getting into his rhythm again - a well honed ritual that kept him from over thinking as he walked - he heard a strange sound that was coming from his left. He paused, and lifted his head to look at the source.

There was a pink pony, happily bouncing across grass and dirt towards him. With every jump she took, a small, almost comical bouncing noise accompanied her. While it would have been absurd with any other pony, it seemed to fit her perfectly, complimenting her frizzy mane, bubbly happiness, and her cutie mark - three balloons. He stared at her, quickly gaining an understanding of who she was. Pinkamena Diane Pie. Prefers Pinkie Pie. Loves to laugh, smile, make friends. Knows everyone, bakes treats at . . . Mr. and Mrs. Cake’s bakery, Sugarcube Corner. Five best friends. He scrunched his forehead as he concentrated. Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity. Special bond . . . Elements of Harmony. His eyes widened. Element of Laughter.

He certainly couldn’t deny that last part. Everything about her screamed joy and happiness. But deep inside, he could sense a small but very deep pocket of insecurity, of unhappiness. She might be compensating, or making up for lost time... He decided to shake away those dark thoughts, and instead concentrate on the sheer exuberance she radiated. He instantly felt happier, her thoughts and feelings rubbing off on his psyche. Before he knew it, he was smiling with the same intensity she was. It made it all the easier for her to sneak up on him.

“Hey, it’s not nice to read other people’s thoughts!”

He crashed back to reality in an instant, and found himself face to face with the pink pony. She gave him a look, as if berating him for his rudeness.

“Didn’t your parents ever teach you some manners?” she demanded of him.

“I uh... well...” he hesitated, not wanting to give an answer to the startling mare in front of him.

She huffed. “Well, the very least you can do is apologize, you know!”

He was left absolutely flabbergasted. “How in blazes did you know I was reading your thoughts . . . er, emotions?” The cloaked pony was starting to feel outmatched by this pink prodigy. Never before had he been confronted on his unique abilities.

She immediately lightened up and let out a loose laugh. “Oh, silly! The same way you would read a book! After all, the author doesn’t really guard his screen, so I’m free to look whenever I want!”

The red pony gave her a blank look. “Um... sure. Anyways, so you’re Pinkie Pie?”

She gave him an enthusiastic nod.

“Well then... hi?” He felt incredibly awkward all of a sudden.

“HI!!” she yelled. Then she giggled. Then she snorted, and started to giggle again.

“Right... well then...” he was at a loss for words. What could he possibly say that would make this go more smoothly?

He decided to go with the first thing that popped into his mind. “So, why haven’t you ran off like everyone else?” Inwardly, he groaned. Great. Now you’re going to scare her away too. She stopped her incessant giggling for a moment and gave him a serious look. “I thought it might be because you caused everyone to run off in a panic.” Her eyebrows wiggled, giving him the impression she was asking, ‘Well, did you?’

He sighed, and started to explain in a monotone voice, “No, I was simply getting breakfast when this mare looked at me and suddenly yelled ‘Zombie pony!’” he said, going through the effort of mimicking her high-pitched scream. “Before I could say anything, everyone was panicking and fleeing like it was the end of days.” He looked at her with pleading eyes. “Please, I’m just looking for a place to stay, for even a few nights. I’ve been traveling for weeks straight, I need to rest.”

She gave him an appraising look, and replied, “Yep, that sounds like good ol’ Rose for ya! Anyways, the bakery has more than enough room for a guest! Wanna stay over for a few nights?”

The cloaked pony couldn’t believe his ears. A pony that was actually willing to take him in, free of charge? It sounded too good to be true.

“Wow, uh... that’s very generous of you!” he replied. “Are you sure I won’t be a burden? I mean, I don’t want to impose...” Despite his relief, he still felt bad, like he was taking advantage of someone.

“Don’t worry about that, you silly goose! I’ll just have you help around the bakery!”

She had given him an offer. A real, honest-to-Celestia offer. He was hungry, tired, and in sore need of a bath. Who was he to reject it after all of the troubles he had been through?

He nodded. “In that case, I’ll take you up on your offer, Pinkie. Thank you.” He had rarely felt so genuinely thankful for something someone had done for him. It was liberating; he felt like his hopes and desires had finally come true after years of wandering.

“No problem, new friend o’ mine!” She cheerfully exclaimed. Then, all of a sudden, she halted. She looked at him, and said, “Well, you can’t really be my friend until I know your name... So, what is it?” She gave him a reassuring smile.

He held her gaze steadily, and then slowly grinned. “I’m sure with your …. talents, you should already know.” He wasn’t willing to drop his guard around her quite yet, despite her kind offer.

“Oh, silly! I don’t have time to go back to the previous chapter! It would take me at least a few minutes. Besides, it would mean a lot more if it came from you personally!”

He wasn’t sure what to do. He had never given his name out, not to those he didn’t know well enough. But then again. He caught her gaze again, and noticed she had putten up sad puppy dog eyes. He knew she was just trying to abuse her cuteness to get an answer from him, but he couldn’t resist.

I might be many things, but a heartless bastard isn’t one of them.

He sighed. “Alright Pinkie. My name’s Mark. It’s a pleasure to get to know you.”

She squealed in happiness. “Yay! A new friend! Oh my goodness, we’re gonna have SO much fun it’s unbelievable! Ooh, I need to show you all my friends, and then we can show you your room, and then I can introduce you to the Cakes! Oh, this will be amazing!”

Pinkie continued to ramble on with excitement, leading her new friend back to the bakery. He didn’t fully realize what he was getting into, but he knew enough to be nervous. In either case, the pony in front of him was exuding enough joy to keep him calm.

Well, I have a friend, and I haven’t been driven from the town as quite as fast as I had feared. Maybe this will work out for the better for once.

Ch.2: Gingerbread House

Mark

Chapter 2: Gingerbread House

Ponyville, for all intents and purposes, looked deserted. All doors were shut, windows and blinds were closed, and some ponies had even found the time to nailboard their houses in order to ward off intruders. Mark shook his head at the sight. I’m not a dangerous pony . . . well, not too dangerous anyways. There’s really no reason for these ponies to freak out so quickly over a strange looking pony. Is this town superstitious, or has something like this happened before?

Mark looked up at the pink pony still bouncing in front of him and drew in a breath, preparing to ask her a question.

“No, the town’s not superstitious. Everyone’s just a teensy-weensy bit hyperactive, and maybe a bit stressed out. We’ve had a cockatrice terrorize the ponies living near the forest, parasprites eat the town, even an Ursa Minor who rampaged through the streets! Oh, and one time, Nightmare Moon interrupted the Summer Sun Celebration and threatened to plunge Equestria into darkness!” Pinkie finished up her spiel with a happy grin, unaware that she had managed to shock Mark into complete silence.

What!?!? THIS is where Nightmare Moon made her appearance two years ago? And all those other incidents!? My Celestia, Ponyville is more dangerous than I thought! What if. . . wait, how did Pinkie know what I was going to ask?

Mark looked up from the ground he had absentmindedly been staring at and looked at the pink mare, who was grinning at him in an almost painfully cheery way.

“Because I look at what the author writes and then surprise all my friends with what I know! It never gets old!” She giggled. “Of course, I only look when I’m not doing anything really complex, like while we were heading to Sugarcube Corner!”

Mark furrowed his eyebrows. So can you hear me....er, read what I’m saying right now?

Pinkie’s grin slowly slid off her face as she looked at Mark, who seemed to be frowning at her. After a few seconds, she realized what he was trying to do and began thinking, her eyes drifting off up and to the right. After a few more seconds, her eyes found his again.

“Yup! But like I said, only when I’m not doing anything.” She cringed slightly at the look Mark was giving her. “You’re not. . . mad, or anything. . . right?” Pinkie did her best to look apologetic while under the red pony’s withering gaze.

After a tense moment, Mark dropped his stare and sighed heavily. “No, Pinkie, I’m not mad. It’s just . . . unsettling. Would you mind not doing it to me, at least when I’m around?”

Pinkie face immediately began to beam again. “Sure thing! Sorry, I just thought with your talent you might understand it a bit better than most. Usually, they chalk it up to ‘It’s just Pinkie’, but I wouldn’t DARE to tell them what’s actually going on!”

Mark was suddenly reminded of the first thing Pinkie had said to him. It’s not nice to read other people’s thoughts. He was still confused how she knew so much about him.

“So, Pinkie, you know what my ‘special talent’ is?”

“Yup! I know you can read other ponies’ thoughts a bit, instantly know who they are and what they do, know pretty much everything about them given enough time!”

Mark paled slightly. So she knows. “And... that doesn’t bother you in the slightest?”

Pinkie cocked her head toward the red pony. “Of course not! Everypony has a special talent, and yours just happens to be knowing every little detail about somepony’s life without them knowing it!” A thought popped into Pinkie’s head, and her face reflected her state of contemplation. “Of course, I can understand why some ponies would be upset about that. But then again, I know you have a good heart! Besides, hating somepony because of their cutie mark is just ridiculous!”

With her reassurances complete, Pinkie spun around and started to saunter off to Sugarcube Corner again. Mark stood still, unsure what to think of his new found friend. He still had one question to ask.

“Uh, so Pinkie...” he started.

The next thing he knew, Pinkie was standing right in front of him, her face mere inches from his.

“Yesssssssssss?”

Mark immediately shuffled back a few steps before continuing.

“So, your friends know about some of the things you can do, but not the specifics?”

She nodded vigorously, her frilly pink mane bouncing around her head chaotically.

“Then, do you have experience with ponies becoming suspicious of you?”

She nodded with even more vigor.

“Yeah! I remember this one time when Twilight tried to discover the mystery behind my Pinkie Sense!” Pinkie Pie was becoming more and more excited as she recalled one of her more exciting - and entertaining - days. Mark looked dumbly at her, mouthing ‘Pinkie . . . .Sense?’

Pinkie continued on, not noticing her companion’s confusion. “It was SOOOOO funny! I read what the authors had written weeks in advance, so I decided to have some fun with what they had planned out for me! I changed the story so Twilight would be constantly checking my every move, and then be surprised by whatever my Pinkie Sense detected!”

Mark struggled to follow the bubbly mare’s line of reasoning. Authors? What in blazes is she talking about....

Pinkie continued on, gaining steam as she retold the outrageous tale. “I would have apologized, but then Twilight would have been even MORE suspicious of me! Anyways, I also changed it so we would visit Froggy Bottom Bog and find a giant hydra! I always wanted to see one, but I didn’t know they could be that big! And the best part about the whole thing,” Pinkie drew in a breath, “was when Twilight burst into flames after learning my ‘doozy’ was her simply accepting my Pinkie Sense!”

With her story concluded, Pinkie burst out into laughter and collapsed on the ground, her body shaking with amusement.

Mark stood silently. He had stopped listening a while back, and his mind had gone into a very temporary coma as his brain tried to comprehend the mere possibility that his life - and maybe all of Equestria - was preordained, created by all-powerful authors. His brain clocked into overtime, figurative steam pumping furiously as it tried to accomplish the hopeless task. It soon began to collapse from exertion, and failed miserably.

Mark, free from the burden of overthinking his existence, suddenly came to. The first thing he saw was Pinkie rolling on the ground, laughing raucously.

He was nothing if not confused.

As Pinkie’s laughter abated, she noticed the pony standing above her, looking like he had put his mind in a blender and set it to frappe. Which, in all likelihood, had just happened. She sighed.

“Alright, mister ‘I-can’t-understand-a-simple-prank’, it’s time to go home.”

The pink mare got onto her hooves and trotted behind Mark and began to push his rump towards Sugarcube Corner.

As it were, Mark was curious again.

“Why is the bakery made of gingerbread?”

Pinkie groaned, and her voice revealed the apathy with which she regarded the irksome question.

“The bakery isn’t made of gingerbread, silly. The Cakes designed it that way so customers would immediately know that it’s a bakery. Or, at the very least, be surprised enough to come inside.” With her explanation complete, Pinkie beckoned for her companion to follow her inside.

Once inside, Pinkie told Mark he could put his cloak on the rack that stood next to the door. As he proceeded to do so, she called out in a cheery voice, “Mr. and Mrs. Cake, I’m BAAAAaaack! And I brought someone for you to meet!” She turned to the weary pony standing behind her and said, “I’m going to introduce you to the Cakes and tell them you’ll be staying with us for a while!”

Mark, for his part, simply waited patiently. He couldn’t help but feel nervous about the coming encounter. Will they accept me? Will they agree to let me stay? This won’t get Pinkie in trouble, will it? His mind soon went clear as the blue mare and yellow stallion entered the room, their cutie marks clearly visible to him. Carrot Cake and Cup Cake. Owners of Sugarcube Corner, landlord for Pinkie Pie. Baking is their passion, their life. They are very nice, patient - explains how they can keep up with Pinkie Pie. They regard Pinkie as a daughter of sorts, but they have two children. Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake, who - He shook his head. He had to clear his mind.

Pinkie seized the initiative. “Mr. and Mrs. Cake, this is Mark. He’ll be staying with us for a while, if you don’t mind. And don’t worry, I’ll have him help around the bakery!” She was absolutely beaming, in an obvious attempt to persuade her landlords to let him stay.

The Cakes returned the smile; he, awkwardly and with little enthusiasm; she, with warmth and genuine appreciation. She spoke up first, breaking the ice as best she could.

“Oh, hello Mark. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m sure it won’t be a problem accommodating you. After all, it’s the first time Pinkie’s brought home a boyfriend!”

Mark returned the smile, and said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you too. I’ll be sure to help as best I -” He paused, suddenly comprehending what she had just said. “Wait, boyfriend?”

Mrs. Cake beamed. “Of course! Pinkie has only ever had friends visit, and never a stallion! Oh, I hope you two are happy!”

Mark felt his stomach drop and his face turn bright red from embarrassment. He found it extremely difficult to not stammer. “But I... I’m not... she’s... WHAT?” His voice raised slightly as the Cakes looked on with some measure of confusion.

Pinkie, who had been containing her giggles, suddenly burst out laughing. The look on Mark’s face was just hilarious!

“Hahahaha! Oh, Mrs. Cake! We’re not dating! Hehehehehe! I just met him, he’s new here! Oh, my. . . hehe!” She paused as she took a deep breath, calming herself down. “He’s just a friend, not matter how handsome he is.” Pinkie winked at him. Mark gulped, too embarrassed to say anything.

“He really only needs a place to stay. He’s a traveler, and he’ll be gone in a few weeks anyways.” Pinkie finished explaining her companion’s situation.

Mrs. Cake blushed slightly, the red glow easily showing on her blue face. She turned to Mark. “Oh, dear. I’m terribly sorry about that. I just made an assumption.” She looked down, collecting her thoughts. After a moment, she looked up again, her blush fading. “You’re more than welcome to stay here, so long as you help Pinkie as she works. Any friend of hers is a friend of ours.”

Pinkie was grinning at the good news, and Mark was weakly smiling. Despite the awkwardness, he was glad things were going well.

Mr. Cake, his expression filled with mirth, took the momentary lull in the conversation to throw in his own two bits. “I’m glad Pinkie made another friend. And don’t worry, you staying here won’t cause any trouble. Do you have anything that needs to be taken upstairs?”

The dull red pony glanced at his pack and quickly answered, “No. Everything I own is in this bag. Thank you for the offer, though.”

Pinkie hastily grabbed Mark’s tail with her mouth and dragged him up the stairs, muttering a sentence that sounded a bit like, “Come on! I’ll show you your room, it’ll be right across the hall from mine!”

Mr. and Mrs. Cake watched as Mark was pulled away by the energetic pink blur known as Pinkie. The yellow stallion whispered to his wife, “I hope they don’t do anything rash.” Mrs. Cake blushed furiously and glared at her husband. “Carrot Cake! You know they are only friends! Honestly, saying something like that right after we put him through the grinder!”

Carrot Cake simply looked at her and said, “You embarrassed him, not me. Besides,” he continued, flicking his tail at her as he walked toward the kitchen, “You remember what happened at prom all those years ago.”

Mrs. Cake blushed even harder. “Wait just a minute, mister!”

A few hours had passed since Pinkie had shown Mark his room. It was lightly furnished, with a small table, two chairs, paintings that depicted mouth-watering desserts, and - most importantly - a large, comfy bed. He felt like he could cry from sheer joy. As the sun slowly began to descend past the horizon, the burgundy pony couldn’t help but feel anticipation. A bed! A real bed! Not some old mattress laid atop some two by fours, but an honest to Celestia bed! I. Am. In. Heaven.

Mark sighed as he let himself plop onto the bed. He rolled onto one side, enjoying the feeling of the soft cloth on his fur. He would have fallen asleep then and there, had there not been a knock at the door.

Mark looked at the door, and sighed. Better go answer it. He stood up and walked to the door and opened it. “Yes?”

To his confusion, there was no one standing in front of him. He looked to his left and to his right, still seeing nothing. He shrugged, and turned around to crawl back into bed. At that moment, he felt something quite heavy drop onto his back. He instantly turned his head and saw a pink pony straddling his back. What the...

“Yeehaw! Ride ‘em, cowpony!”

Mark, not knowing what else to do, started to run. More than anything he felt panic and confusion, and it showed through his voice as he yelled, “Pinkie Pie, what are you doing!?”

Pinkie Pie, being Pinkie Pie, shouted gleefully “I’m having some fun! Come on, you can buck harder than that! Try and throw me off! Actually, wai - WHOA!!” By that point, Mark had done several laps around his small room and was eager to get the rambunctious pony off of his back. To that end, he threw his weight so that Pinkie Pie would be forced to fly over his head and onto the bed - which she did, and landed with a small ‘oof!’ She looked up at Mark and chuckled.

“You should try bucking some apples at Applejack’s farm - I’m sure you’d be a natural at it!”

Mark looked at her inquisitively. She quickly realized that he didn’t know who Applejack was. She laughed it off, saying, “Applejack’s a friend of mine, and I was just joking.” Pinkie got off of the bed, and continued to talk.

“Anyways, the reason I dropped by was to say goodnight. I’m going to be getting you up super-duper early tomorrow, so I’m telling you to get a good night’s rest!”

Mark raised an eyebrow and snarkily replied, “So, do ponies in this town always say ‘goodnight’ by riding each other like workhorses?”

Pinkie gasped, seemingly offended. “Of course not! I was just having some fun, silly!” She paused, and brought her hoof up to her chin. “You know, you really need to learn to chill out.”

It took all of Mark’s willpower to try and not say what came to his mind that instant. Alas, it wasn’t enough. I hope this doesn’t bite me in the rear later...

“Says the pink blur that’s perpetually bouncing off the walls in a sugar high,” Mark deadpanned.

Judging by the pink mare’s glare, Mark knew he had made a mistake. He was about to verbally back up, when he was cut off by a giggle.

Pinkie, who had dropped her intense glare, was now giggling at what Mark had said. She started to fully laugh, surprising the red pony standing in front of her. Her laugh finished its crescendo, then started to fall again. She soon was reduced to chortling, and then stopped with an intermittent giggle. Mark didn’t know what to say, or whether to apologize for his rude comment. He didn’t have to, as she began to speak.

“Man, the last time someone made me the butt of a joke was. . . gee, I don’t know. Rainbow Dash has pranked me a few times, though, and those were all hilarious!” Pinkie Pie was grinning cheerfully.

Mark smiled carefully, unsure of himself. Wait, she isn’t mad? “So Pinkie, you’re not mad about what I said?”

She immediately replied, “Nope! Only a meanie-pants bully would say something like that and mean it, and I know you’re not a meanie-pants! And even if you were, I would just ignore it and take it in stride! Giggle at the ghostly, my Granny Pie always used to say!”

Mark nodded slowly, being careful so that he didn’t provoke the pink menace in front of him from launching into another story. “Well, I’m glad I didn’t upset you. I was just making a joke. Anyways, Pinkie, I really should be going to sleep. See you tomorrow?” Oh please, oh please say...

“Eeyup! See you later, Marky!” With that, Pinkie turned around and trotted out the door, closing it behind her.

He sighed. At least she’s gone. Only so much crazy one can take in a single day. I really hope things go well with her tomorrow, without any fuss or trouble. Alright; time for a well-deserved rest. With that, Mark plopped onto his bed dozed off.

Unbeknownst to him, Pinkie had frozen right outside his door, hearing his thoughts. As he fell asleep, she lowered her gaze. Her mane seemed to deflate slightly, and a grimace came over her face. She walked slowly into her bedroom. She picked up her pet alligator, Gummy, and brought him over to her bed. She maneuvered herself into her blankets and held Gummy close to her chest. She sighed.

“Oh, Gummy... what am I gonna do?”

Ch.4: Flipping the Coin

Mark

Chapter 4: Flipping the Coin

Sugarcube Corner was silent.

It was an odd occurrence, one that warranted the glances given by curious ponies as they walked past the normally inconspicuous bakery. There had almost never been a time when the bakery was silent. One could always hear the banter of ponies inside as they indulged themselves with Pinkie’s treats, or the clang of pots as said mare worked feverishly to produce more sweets. Even when the pink mare was out and about with her friends, the sounds would continue as Mr. and Mrs. Cake continued on with their day, either baking goods or caring for their crying children. Failing even that, when it was a peaceful day at the confectionary, the subtle roar of the ovens could be heard and identified even from the outside. All of it was a reminder to the citizens of Ponyville that a sweet treat was only a second away.

Sugarcube Corner remained silent.

Mark, at that moment, was enjoying a particularly savory cupcake that failed to disappoint him in any way. Surrounding him were the Cakes, quietly and happily enjoying their lunch; Pound and Pumpkin, who were seated in high chairs and munching on cereal their parents had set out for them; and Pinkie, who was slowly chewing her food while looking down at the table. She was still struggling with her emotions, and was deep in thought trying to subdue them.

All in all, it was quiet and peaceful at the table as the ponies ate - a rarity, considering Pinkie was at the table.

Mark was concerned. He had only been in Ponyville for a day and a half and he could already tell Pinkie was acting very strangely. He didn’t know what to say or do, so he worked through his misgivings the only way he knew how.

Come on, Pinkie. Talk to me. What’s got you down? Please, tell me something, anything! Give me some sort of clue, I want to help. Mark was thinking at a furious pace to Pinkie, trying in vain to get her to open up, or even acknowledge that she heard him. Instead, she continued to stare at the table as if she were trying to bore a hole into the wood with lasers that shot from her eyes.

Pinkie looked up for a second and brought her hoof up to her chin. “Huh, that would be pretty cool...” she muttered, more to herself than anyone in particular.

Mark threw her a look of exasperation. The last of his patience running out, he began to speak to her directly, striking up the first conversation to take place since he had walked down with Pinkie Pie. “Pinkie, what was. . . uh. . .” he began. He wasn’t exactly sure what to say; he didn’t want to attract attention to her, since the Cakes hadn’t noticed or commented on the pink mare’s state. But now that he had begun to speak, he couldn’t simply peter out without making a coherent thought. You stupid foal, think! His mind raced, trying to come up with even the feeblest of conversation starters. It managed to latch onto something, and Mark threw it out as quick as he could.

“. . . So, did Applejack come by just to sell you apples? From last night, it sounded like she was a friend.” He hoped he hadn’t paused too long. Ponies already think you’re weird, no reason to give them fuel for the flame.

Pinkie sat up from her lethargy long enough to give his question some thought. “Well, Applejack’s one of my closest friends, so of course she stops by whenever she gets a chance. Not to mention we have a friendly trade going on, where we buy her apples and then use them for some of our goods. It’s worked out well so far, and our friendship has only grown as a result.” She paused in her lecture as she took a bite out of her cupcake. “Anyways, Applejack is the most trustworthy ponies I know. Her apples are guaranteed to be good, and she’d never take advantage of somepony through her control of the apple orchards. You know, I think you would like her if you two met.” She stopped talking, and then promptly swallowed the remainder of her cupcake whole.

Mark wasn’t about to waste his opportunity. He had gotten Pinkie to open up again, and he planned to use it to his advantage. “I’m sure I would. Is she still around? Maybe you could introduce me to her - actually, why not all of your friends? It would be like a ‘Welcome to Ponyville, say hi to all my friends!’ party. I’m sure they’d like that.”

The moment Mark had mentioned, “party”, Pinkie had bolted upright in her chair and acquired a very familiar smile. “Ooh, you’re right! I could throw a party later tonight and invite all of my best pony pals! There’d be cake and streamers and confetti and signs and punch and music and dancing and fun and. . . and... you!” Pinkie yelled out, flinging herself in front of Mark. The dull red pony scooted back in his chair a slight amount, having not expected his plan to get Pinkie Pie to talk to work quite so well. Pinkie continued on, unperturbed.

“You would be the guest of honor, and it would be super-duper awesome because everypony would be like, ‘Hey, it’s a new pony! Howya doing?’ and you’d be all, ‘Hey, what’s up? My name’s Mark!’ and just be plain awesome! Ooh, I should go and give them their invites for tonight!”

By this point, Pinkie had been pacing around the room and was simply oozing with enthusiasm. Pound and Pumpkin had gotten excited and were tossing their cereal everywhere while Mr. and Mrs. Cake got up to try and calm them down. At the same time, Pinkie popped up in front of Mark again, well within his personal bubble of space.

“So Mark! I’m gonna be gone for a few hours while I get everything ready! You do your thing and help the Cakes out! See ya soon!” With that, Pinkie bounded out of the store in three leaps. The pink mare was well on her way before Mark could comprehend what had just happened. He shook his head in bewilderment before looking at the Cakes. Carrot was having moderate success in calming his children while Cup was matching Mark’s gaze. She shrugged and said, “She does that alot. She’ll be back soon, don’t worry. In the meantime, be a dear and get to the front of the store and flip the closed sign. Lunch is over for us, but ponies all over Ponyville are going to be walking in soon with empty bellies!”

Mark stood ramrod still, unsure of what to do. He glanced at the door, then back at Mrs. Cake. She gave him a slight nod. He sighed and slowly made his way to the store proper.

He could work a magic tongue when it came to selling ponies delicious treats, but he’d be in Tartarus well before he got used to interacting with so many different ponies in a single day.

Hours had passed since Pinkie had left Sugarcube Corner. The sun was fast approaching the horizon, and the bubbly mare had yet to reappear.

In that time span, Mark had helped dozens of customers, each unique in their orders and personalities. It had been a challenge for him to not enter a near-catatonic state every time a new pony had walked through the door, which had been every few seconds. Mrs. Cake’s prophecy of the lunch rush had proven to be true, unsurprisingly.

Mark’s day was wrapping up quite nicely, despite the challenges associated with his work. His last customers of the day were a stallion and a filly - Filthy Rich and Diamond Tiara. The burgundy earth pony didn’t even need his abilities to see they were father and daughter, but it nonetheless painted a strange picture for him.

Filthy seems a decent enough fellow, but that Diamond Tiara? Sheesh! What a piece of work! I already feel sorry for any kid that has to share a classroom with her. Mark stepped out from behind the counter as the door to the bakery shut close. Makes you wonder how a guy like that can have such a brat. I mean, I know you’re not supposed to comment on anyone’s kid, but the reality of her personality is painted as clear as day. Ugh, I need a donut. . .

After snatching one of the donuts that hadn’t been sold by the end of the day, Mark ran up the stairs to his room. He shut the door behind him and flicked on the light while balancing the donut on his hoof. He took a bite, and then about-faced towards his bed. Instead of seeing an empty, neat bed, though, he saw it all crumpled up and occupied by a pink intruder. He could hear very light snoring coming from the intruder. Mark let out an annoyed sigh as he thought of a way of waking Pinkie Pie without completely startling her. As much as I want her to just get out of my bed, there’s probably a reason she’s nodded off so early this evening. I can’t imagine what it would take to wear out Pinkie.

Mark stood there for a few more seconds, trying to come up with a plan. He let out a small groan as he realized it would be much simpler if he simply slept in Pinkie's room for the night and let the mare sleep uninterrupted. He walked out of the room, flicking the light and shutting the door again.

He quickly stepped across the hall and entered Pinkie’s room. The only light was coming from a small lamp that was seated atop a nightstand next to a very light blue bed. He took one last bite of his donut before setting it down on the table. He plopped himself down on the bed, and quickly found that it was extremely soft - so soft that he felt himself sinking into the mattress. He felt exhausted from the day and found that he didn’t care as much as he normally would have about the painfully comfortable bed. He turned onto his side, ready to flip off the switch of the lamp. He found two large, purple eyes staring straight at him. Mark blinked, taking a closer look at the strange sight in front of him. He suddenly recognized what the creature in front of him was.

“Huh, an alligator. Alright then.” With that, Mark turned off the lamp and rolled over onto his side. Five minutes later, he was out cold.

Mark was standing inside a brightly lit room. He saw streamers, balloons, and a large, decorated table in front of him. He looked around the room. To his shock, it looked very familiar. He had been here before.

It was Sugarcube Corner. Specifically, Pinkie Pie’s room. It was modified, the bed on the other side of the room and all the furniture shoved aside. The reason for the design change was to make room for the red table that was dominating the center of the bedroom.

What in the name of Celestia am I doing here?

Mark looked around the room with what little autonomy he had. He noticed several stools surrounding the table. Standing on one of these stools was the alligator he had seen not minutes before. On the rest of the stools were various objects - a bucket of turnips, a pile of rocks, a dust bunny, and even a sack of flour. The scene set in front of him was certainly odd, but one fact in particular disquieted Mark. All of the objects (and alligator) were wearing party hats.

Mark felt his fur stand on end. Whatever was going on here was most likely off-kilter, if not completely racked by insanity. He fervently hoped that he could wake up so that he didn’t have to witness whatever was about to unfold.

His wishes went unheeded as he felt his face contort almost painfully as he was forced to smile. His mouth opened, and he began to speak.

“Thank you all so much for coming! It means SO much to Gummy!”

It dawned on Mark that he was once again living through Pinkie’s dreams. He mentally kicked himself.

Of course you’re going through her memories! This always happens when you meet friendly new ponies! What, did you expect to simply ignore what you are for once? You’re as deluded as she is!

His thoughts were drawn to another troubling fact as Pinkie’s charade with the inanimate objects continued.

The effects are wearing her down much quicker than any other pony I’ve seen before. With her ability to ‘read’ the past, present, and future, maybe she experiences some sort of feedback loop. . .

He grimaced internally. That would explain a lot.

Mark continued to watch with growing trepidation as his host continued her deluded fantasy, going so far as to imagine the voices she gave them were real and not a product of her own voice. Gradually, the world seemed to close in on the table and the imaginary conversation. His mind, as well as Pinkie’s, was entirely focused on the random objects she had brought in.

He was becoming scared - not only for his own sanity, but for Pinkie’s as well. He had grown to care for the bubbly mare, and desperately hoped that he could find a way to right the catastrophe that was on his hooves. However, he could only watch as the nightmare continued. He glumly noticed the alligator named Gummy was turned around, facing a completely different direction. Mark was slightly peeved at its indifference to everything.

And of course, the alligator gives absolutely zero fucks about what’s going. I need to talk to Pinkie about this. . . pet. It cannot be doing her any favors.

Throughout the bizarre scene taking place in front of him, Mark became aware of a high pitched whine in the back of his head. It slowly increased in strength, becoming quite noticeable. He realized they were thoughts - Pinkie’s. As he concentrated on them, he became aware of another, deeper voice, that seemed to come from both Pinkie and... something else. He listened to the words.

Tee hee! My friends don’t care. They don’t like me. They’re just meanies. Tee hee! I’m unhappy. I’m lonely. But I’ve got new friends! Tee hee! It’s fine now. Everypony’s smiling. Even Mark! TEE HEE HEE HEE!!!!

There was an audible snap in the air. The whine stopped. Mark waited, unsure of what was going to happen. She had mentioned his name, and now he was unsure if it was a dream anymore.

The sudden silence was broken by a loud knock at the door. Mark felt his mouth open again.

“Who could that be?”

Mark’s head was craned toward a door on the other side of the room. Outside it, a light blue pegasus with rainbow colored hair stepped inside, coming from a small balcony.

“Hey there Pinkie Pie. Sorry I was . . . . .”

The rainbow mare trailed off, staring at Mark. She slowly opened her mouth, and began to speak again.

“You. . . shouldn’t be here.” She enunciated her words with a slow precision, making Mark feel uncomfortable. Furthermore, he was dumbfounded. Did this mare really just speak to me, and not Pinkie Pie? What in the hay is going on!?!?

There was another loud snap, much louder than the first one. Mark found his head twisted at a very unnatural angle, at a position that should have been impossible in real life, yet he felt no pain. He felt a consciousness upon him now, something that was aware of his presence. His body went cold. His mouth opened again, and Pinkie spoke to him.

“So, what are you doing, Marky?”

The room went black, and the red earth pony suddenly felt air rushing past his face. He was falling. He heard an equally high and low voice yelling at him, near demonic in nature, that drove all other thoughts from his mind.

HAVING FUN? WELL?? ANSWER ME!!!

Mark could only yell soundlessly. There was an endless, black void surrounding him, and he was suffocating under its pressure. He was close to blacking out, and he realized that he wouldn’t be able to tell when his eyes closed for the last time. His heart, already beating at a frantic pace, accelerated until all he felt was rushing pain. Suddenly, the pressure stopped. There was a bright light, and he opened his eyes. He saw only blue skies, and Celestia’s sun right above him. However, he was still falling. He looked down, and saw his legs dangling a mile over Ponyville. He screamed as he approached the ground, wishing he could look away from his impending doom.His eyes refused to cooperate, as they were glued to the rapidly approaching ground. He finally got close enough that he could see individual blades of grass on the ground, and felt a lurch in his stomach as he fell the final few feet. He blinked, and -

Mark sat up in the bed, gasping for air. He brought his hoof up to his throat, trying to steady himself and reign in his raging heartbeat. He breathed heavily, gradually slowing his breath.

What in the name of Celestia’s flank was that!?!?

He heard the door open. He looked up, and saw Pinkie Pie standing right next to the bed. Only, her appearance was off. Her hair was down by her sides, very straight and in contrast to her normally frizzy hair. Her entire body looked dull. But her eyes were another story entirely. She was glaring daggers at him, and looked ready to strangle somepony if it struck her fancy. Mark gulped.

Pinkie reared up and slammed her hooves onto Mark’s chest, knocking his breath away. As he was coughing and struggling to catch his breath, Pinkie brought her muzzle close to his face and whispered to him in a sinister tone.

“Start talking.”

Ch.5: A Test of Faith

Mark

Chapter 5: A Test of Faith

Mark’s day had been progressing quite nicely. He had helped the Cakes sell numerous treats, had learned he could take of foals quite well, and had managed to temporarily break Pinkie Pie out of her deepening sense of dejection. Of course, now he was stuck in an absurdly cushy bed that was strangling him just as much as the pink pony towering over him. Coincidentally, she was also the owner of that bed.

Some would say that the bed was attempting to aid its master in her task, but the truth was that Pinkie had chosen such a bed for its sheer comfort. And, as much as Mark was enjoying that bed earlier, it was now ruining his day by helping the pink mare strangle him.

Pinkie let off for a moment, and Mark coughed gratingly, striving to regain his breath. He took several deep breaths, and before he knew it Pinkie was face to face with him. She whispered dangerously at him, her voice tinged with ice.

“Why were you in my dream? Why are you doing this to me? I KNOW it’s you, don’t try to deny it! Well? Answer me!”

Mark was sweating profusely. She’s going to kill me unless I do something! He gathered his breath, and began whispering back.

“Pinkie, please, relax! I know that must have been weird, maybe even frightening! I’m your friend, just listen!”

The pink mare lifted her hooves off of Mark’s chest. He drew in several breaths, and heard Pinkie mutter,

“Fine. But if you don’t fully explain yourself in the next sixty seconds, I’m tossing your sorry ass off the balcony.”

Mark grimaced. It was only ten feet down or so, but that would still hurt. Not to mention it would be the most humiliating way he had ever been tossed out of a building - not counting the incident he had with a particularly angry griffon ambassador. He looked straight at Pinkie, determined to give her a straight answer. He began to speak in a hushed tone.

“Alright, alright. . . Pinkie, you know how I can more or less read another pony’s thoughts? Feel their emotions as they come?”

Pinkie gave a terse nod. Mark gulped, and then continued.

“Well, it expands over time. The more time I spend with somepony, the closer I am to them, the more pronounced the effect is. Eventually, I can almost predict what they will do, I can see when something in the immediate future will affect them, and, if I’m close enough, I can … well … enter their dreams while they sleep.”

Pinkie raised an eyebrow at this. While her gaze didn’t soften completely, it did gain a measure of curiosity.

“But you said it expands over time. I’ve known you for two days. Two! Does it normally set in that quickly, or are you just trying to mess with my head?”

Her gaze became hostile again. Mark groaned inwardly. Please, just believe me, Pinkie... He cleared his throat, and moved his lips animatedly, his words coming out in a quiet blur.

“I’m not messing with you! I swear! It normally takes weeks, if not months for this to happen! The only reason I can think of is your own mind reading, or text reading, or whatever the hell you want to call it! It’s causing a feedback loop, and you feel worse faster than any other pony, and feel the effects much sooner.”

Pinkie furrowed her eyebrows at his last statement.

“Wait, ‘feeling worse’? What aren’t you telling me Mark? You never told me anything about this!”

She didn’t even wait for his response. She proceeded to pace around the room while angrily chewing him out in an undertone, her eyes never leaving his.

“I’ve been feeling worse every hour I’ve been around you! I thought that maybe I had forgotten to take my medication, or that it was just a blue funk I would quickly pull out of. But no! It’s you! I took you in while every other pony here would have slammed the door in your face. And what do I get? I get a mind reader that’s sucking my emotions like some - some... some Celestia damned changeling! . . . wait . . .change-?. . . . .”

Her voice trailed off while she stared at Mark dumbly, mouthing the word changeling over and over again. This sent Mark into a panic. No! I’m not a changeling! I’m just a really weird, messed up pony! Oh Celestia, Celestia, Celestia, this can’t be happening! Don’t panic, just let me explain!!!

“Pinkie! I’m NOT a changeling! I don’t ‘feed’ off of emotions! And even if I WERE one, how would that explain the mindreading?”

Pinkie Pie had lowered herself to the floor, her chest heaving as she struggled to control her breathing. She began to hyperventilate. Mark sprung off the bed and kneeled right in front of her. He was beginning to feel very concerned for his friend, and he could feel fear radiating from both of their bodies in waves.. The pink mare suddenly took notice of him standing in front of her. She jumped away slightly, her mouth agape in terror. She closed and opened it several times, managing to stutter out,

“No. . . n,n-no! Changeling . . . you, it’s ... Mark, I-”

Mark brought up his hooves and held hers, providing support and comfort. He spoke normally again, wanting to make sure he got through to her, and not caring if he was overheard anymore.

“Pinkie, I’m not a changeling. I’m just Mark. I’m your friend. Not a changeling.

Pinkie seemed to be caught by his words.

“N-not. . . a changeling? Not a changeling?”

Mark shook his head. “No. Friend.” With that, he gave the most sincere smile he could manage under such stress.

The pink mare started to cry. She leaned forward, latching onto Mark as she bawled into his chest. The red earth pony simply sat there, hugging Pinkie as she poured out all of her emotions in one fell swoop. Mark felt her fear, anxiety, stress, and anguish rush past him in a flood. He held her, and softly reassured her as she cried.

“Hey, it’s alright... you’re fine... just let it all out...”

Pinkie wailed into his hooves even louder, stuttering out only a few words as she started to hiccup loudly.

“Mark, please, I - I’m so sorry! I didn’t... didn’t know! I was scared! Please, don’t don’t. . . . leave. . . . me. . . . .“

Pinkie commenced to quiet down, sniffling into Mark’s front hooves, tears silently rolling down her face. He let her sit there, not willing to drive her away. Several minutes passed, in which time Mark considered his situation. He arrived at a bittersweet conclusion that he knew all too well. In that moment, he made a decision.

“Pinkie, maybe... maybe it would be a good idea if I left. I’m only hurting you by staying, and I’ve had lots of experience with leaving town in a hurry. If anything else, I don’t want to see you suffer.” It pained him to say it, but the truth was he had far outstayed his welcome. He had gotten what he had come for, but he had found even more in a friend and a welcoming family - even if only for the briefest of moments.

It’s for the best.

Pinkie looked up at him, startled by what he said. “Wha- what? No! I just met you, and I’m not driving away a friend just because I feel down in the dumps! Besides, what about the party? It’s gonna be in an hour, I can’t disappoint the gals!”

She stood up and paced around the room, deep in thought as her tears dried away. Mark pitied her, and admired her, because nobody else had ever wanted to stay in his company once they knew the true extent of his abilities. He opened his mouth, ready to interrupt her.

“Pinkie, it’s-”

She cut him off.

“No! You’re staying in Ponyville, and that’s final! We just need to find you a new place to stay...” Her voice trailed off, leaving Mark to guess at her plans. After a moment, she looked back at him.

“It’s a stretch... but maybe one of my friends could let you stay? I’d hate to impose on my best buddies, but I don’t see another way without buying you a house all your own.” She let out a small giggle. “And in case you haven’t noticed, bits don’t exactly roll in as a baker.”

He returned with a soft smile, and nodded. She’s willing to do that for me? I’m touched...

Pinkie Pie pulled him into a bear hug. “Of course I’m willing to ask, silly! I’d do anything for a friend!”

Mark just chortled at her enthusiasm and kindness. He replied, “Alright Pinkie, we’ll do it your way. If your friends are just as nice as you, I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

With that, Pinkie trotted out of the room, and called back, “Of course it will, now come on! We still have to set up the party, and we only have an hour!”

Mark followed, feeling both apprehensive and excited about the coming night. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach.

An hour later, the two earth ponies were anxiously awaiting the arrival of the guests. The main lobby of Sugarcube Corner was completely transformed: streamers that were every color of the rainbow dangled from the rafters, innumerable sweets and pastries were laid out on a large table, a large punch bowl sat on the table situated in the middle of the room, and a large piñata hung from the ceiling that was an immaculate likeness of Discord.

The first pony to walk through the door was a purple unicorn mare, with an indigo and violet striped mane. Mark thought she looked easy going enough, but he noticed her eyes were taking in every detail of the room, and were now peering over him. Her eyes were sharp, and seemed to dissect the minutest of details.

I have to be careful with this one. She’s an observer above all else, and her mind seems as sharp as a tack. I get the feeling I should rather ask one of Pinkie’s other friends for a safe haven... His thoughts were interrupted as his talent suddenly and firmly took control. Twilight Sparkle. Loves books, studying, performing magic and experiments. Runs the local library. Prone to stress and psychological problems resulting thereof. Personal protégée of Princess Celestia, and her brother is Captain of the Royal Guard AND husband of Princess Cadance. She is the Element of Magic. He drew in a deep breath as the magic released its hold. I have to be VERY careful with this one.

His thought process was astonishingly quick, taking less than a second, but Twilight noticed his change in stance and dilated pupils. Mark felt himself growing more guarded with his actions every passing second in the company of this bright-eyed mare. In that moment, Pinkie loudly interrupted the two ponies that were staring and sizing each other up.

“Hi Twilight! Right on time, as always! Anyways, this is Mark, that friend I told you about! He came into Ponyville yesterday and needed a place to stay, so I said, ‘come on in!’ Since then, he’s helped with running the cash register and caring for Pound and Pumpkin. Honestly, he’s a natural! Not to mention suuuuper nice!”

Twilight shifted her gaze to Pinkie. Her demeanor made a rapid U-turn, and she giggled. “I’m glad to hear you’ve made a new friend!” She turned her attention back to Mark. “Sounds like you’re already fitting in. And any friend of Pinkie’s is a friend of mine. Welcome to Ponyville!”

The violet mare held out her hoof. Mark grasped it and gave a firm shake. “Thanks, Twilight. I got here not two days ago, and it’s nice to meet so many friendly ponies.” As he let go, he noticed her eyes were still studying him carefully, but no longer had that cold, detached look from only a few seconds ago. She was warming up to him, no matter what reservations she still held.

His thoughts were interrupted yet again by the entrance of another pony. He heard a loud, almost exaggerated gasp from across the room - Pinkie, of course - and spun around. Coming through the doorway this time was an orange, earth pony mare that looked like she had seen her fair share of rodeos. The Stetson hat sure completes the look.

Pinkie was now hopping back and forth on her hind legs as she greeted her friend.

“Ooh, Applejack! You came early! Did ya finish all your work on the farm?”

The orange mare named Applejack merely chuckled at her friend’s exuberance.

“Yeah, Pinkie. I got all my work done early so I could see ya’ll as quick as possible. Looks like I got here a tad too early, though.”

Applejack turned her gaze to the other ponies in the room. She gave a small smile and nod to Twilight, and then shifted her attention to the burgundy stallion that was standing a few feet away from her. She raised an eyebrow, and then greeted him with all the hospitality of an Apple - by vigorously shaking his hoof up and down.

“Well, howdy there! Name’s Applejack, if you hadn’t guessed already. I own the orchard just outside of town, got my own business and everythin’. If you ate an apple today, you can bet the clothes off your back that it came from my farm! Now, you seem like a nice enough fella - what’s your name?”

Mark took a second to steady his shaking arm as she released her vice like grip, and then opened his mouth to reply. Instead, a slight wheeze came out instead. He had seen her cutie mark, and was being taken for a ride.

Three apples? Applejack. Runs Sweet Apple Acres. Lives, breathes, and eats apples. Apples. Apples apples apples apples APPLES. Ugh - I think... Element of Honesty. Truthful to the point of bluntness. Very willful, very stubborn. Strong as a bull. Brother is Big Macintosh, sister is Applebloom, and grandmother is Granny Smith. Her parents . . . oh.

Applejack was still looking at him expectantly. Mark coughed. He coughed a few more times, like he needed to clear his throat before talking. He turned his attention back to the mare in front of him.

“Ahem - Sorry about that. Name’s Mark. Pleasure to meet you, Applejack.”

“Well it’s sure as hay nice meeting you! You oughta drop by the farm some time and-”

Applejack’s smooth drawl was interrupted as the door was thrown wide open. There was a bright light, and something that radiated pure radicalness stepped through the entryway. There was no way it was real. It was.... a rainbow?

Mark blinked. He blinked again. Nope, it was definitely a cyan blue mare with a mane colored like a rainbow. She’d stand out in a crowd like a mule visiting Cloudesdale. As if to prove the stallion right, the mare was drawing the attention of every pony in the room by talking loudly.

“Hey, everypony! Watcha up to? I heard there was a new hombre in town, am I right Pinks?”

Twilight beat Pinkie to the punch, commenting, “Uh, Rainbow? What is it with the sunglasses? You’re inside, so, uh... not necessary?”

Rainbow gave Twilight a blank look.

Not missing a beat, the pink party pony of Ponyville nodded her head energetically. “Yup! Our new buddy is right here!”

The cyan pegasus swooped over to where Mark was standing, bumping Applejack out of the way. Applejack, for her part, looked equal parts annoyed and amused, and decided to just let Rainbow have her fun for the moment by walking over to Twilight.

Rainbow brought her hoof up to her chin and considered Mark with a careful eye, almost like she was sizing him up to see if he was cool enough to be her friend. Understandably, Mark felt a little unnerved at her scrutinization.

Should I . . . I dunno, introduce my self?

He did just that. “Uh... hi. My name’s - HRK!”

Oh, so that’s what a blue hoof tastes like.

The brazen pegasus swiftly removed her hoof from Mark’s mouth and hovered over the floor of the bakery.

“So, my name’s Rainbow Dash! Fastest pony in Ponyville, and future Wonderbolt to boot! Not sure you could keep up with me in a race, what with you being an earth pony and all, but there’s something about you I just like. Welcome to the club!”

Internally, Mark rolled his eyes. Don’t normally have a problem with the loudmouths, but this mare’s something else. Outwardly, he showed no reaction. “Sure... Glad to hear it.”

Applejack took advantage of the brief silence that followed by berating Rainbow. “Now Rainbow, I’m not sure what manners they taught you up in Cloudsdale, but knocking another pony to the ground just to shove your hooves into the mouth of the pony she was talking to, could be considered rude in most of civilized Equestria.”

Applejack stared at Rainbow Dash, waiting for a response. Rainbow, for her part, had the decency to look bashful as she replied. “Uh, right. Sorry about that, Applejack. Got excited and all - you know how it is.”

Applejack decided she wasn’t sorry enough. “Darnit, Rainbow! You can’t go around knocking ponies silly just ‘cus you can’t control yourself! How many times have you crashed into Twilight's house? How many times have I had to knock you off one of my apple trees because you thought it would be a good napping spot? How many -”

“Hey!” Rainbow yelled right back, cutting across what her friend had said. “Everypony makes mistakes when they practice, so you can’t blame me for hitting one of the tallest buildings in Ponyville! And since when does sleeping in a tree hurt it? Never!”

Twilight, Mark, and Pinkie looked on dumbly as the two mares came closer and closer to trading blows. They didn’t want their friends to fight, but neither did they want to risk their wrath.

At that moment, a soft, demure voice spoke up. It couldn’t have possibly overpowered the voices of the two fighting mares, but it cut through clear as crystal. “Um, girls? Could you calm down, maybe? It’s just really loud and... well, frightening...”

Every pony in the bakery turned at the new voice. What they saw were two mares: one was a white unicorn with a styled mane and shadowed eyes, the other a yellow pegasus that was looking a bit flustered all of a sudden.

Pinkie ran over to them. “Ooh, Rarity! Fluttershy! You finally made it! That means the party can finally start!”

The unicorn, the one Pinkie had called Rarity, answered her. “Why of course, dear! Fluttershy and I just arrived from the spa. We wanted to look our best, after all!”

At the same time, the pegasus named Fluttershy walked over to the farmer and the racer. “Girls, is it so hard to not fight at a party? We’re supposed to be having fun and enjoying the night, not bickering and arguing.”

Applejack averted Fluttershy’s gaze, and rubbed the back of her neck with her hoof. “Sorry, ‘Shy. Rainbow and I were just having an argument for no good reason, and … well, it sort got out of hoof. Thanks for settin’ it straight.” The cyan mare added in her own bashful apologies. “Yeah, sorry for yelling, Fluttershy. It, uh, couldn’t be helped.”

Throughout the entire exchange, Mark had taken note of the two new arrivals, as well as Rainbow Dash, seeing as he had never gotten the chance to fully think about her. Rarity. Runs Carousel Boutique. Custom makes dresses and sells them to make a living. Has two parents and a sister named Sweetie Belle. Very refined, but has a tendency to act like a drama queen. Otherwise, very generous, and caring for others to the point where it’s almost a fault. Element of Generosity.

He turned his attention to the yellow pegasus. Fluttershy. Lives on the outskirts of Ponyville, tending to the myriad of animals out there, big or small. Acts as the town veterinarian, but refuses payment beyond her stipend from Ponyville. Very kind hearted, and extremely shy, even to her friends. To strangers, she clams up, either going catatonic or lowering her voice so it’s impossible to hear. Kinda cute, too. And... Element of Kindness.

He continued on to Rainbow, sparing no second thoughts. Rainbow Dash. Possibly fastest known pegasus alive, only pony to have ever broken the sound barrier. Lives to race, and hopes to become a Wonderbolt some day. Will do anything for her friends, even if it means swallowing all of her pride - and that’s saying something. Works as cloud manager in Cloudsdale. Element of Loyalty.

It was a few seconds before Mark realized that every pony in the room was now looking at him. He blushed, not sure what was going on. Oh, horsefeathers. Did I just miss something?

He jumped as Pinkie suddenly appeared right beside him. “So girls, this is Mark! He’s a traveler who came into Ponyville not two days ago, and he’s been helping around the bakery ever since I found him!”

Fluttershy and Rarity smiled good-naturedly, not having anything to say. Twilight brought a hoof up to her chin, deep in thought. Applejack was the first to speak.

“Well that’s mighty kind of ya, Pinkie. So, you been helping around Sugarcube Corner, partner?” The second part of her statement was directed at Mark.

Mark shuffled a bit on his feet, nervous and unsure as to how to respond. “Well, yeah, I have. Helped a bunch of customers by selling them goods from the counter. I also took care of Mr. and Mrs. Cake’s children, helped them fall asleep and everything.”

Twilight gave him a hard look before saying, “Pinkie, are you sure it’s a good idea to have a stallion you met two days ago taking care of foals?”

“Of course it was a good idea, Twilight! I know he’s a good guy, and I trust him! Besides, the Cakes didn’t have any problem with it. And you should have seen how quickly he got them to calm down, it was like he had a cutie mark for foal-sitting!”

Mark backed up ever so slightly, trying to give Pinkie’s friends less of an angle to see what his cutie mark was. Thankfully for him, none of them made a move to actually look at it. However, Rainbow was curious enough to ask.

“So, is that your cutie mark? What do you normally do if you’re just a traveller?”

Mark thought up an easy and mostly painless lie on the spot. “I’m a handyman, really. I can do lots of things pretty well, but I don’t excel at anything.” Not exactly a lie; I havedone lots of things.

Rainbow Dash shrugged, content with the answer. She took to the air, hovering above the floor.

Rarity was the next one to ask a question. “So, dear, if you travel and do odd jobs for ponies, what do intend to do in Ponyville for the next few days?”

Mark hesitated with that one. “Well, uh, normally I’d be leaving in one or two more days, keep going. But, er, I think I’ll, well, for the next few days, at least, be - oh, not to say -”

His rambling stutters were cut off by Pinkie Pie. “He wanted to stay in town for as long as possible. I was offering him a room here.”

Mark looked at Pinkie in surprise as she interrupted and made a swift recovery for him. He nodded in agreement. “Yeah. The town seems nice enough, and I’d like to stay here longer. It’s just...” How do I say I’m hurting Pinkie and need to stay at one of their houses without freaking them out?

Pinkie Pie answered for him again. “When I talked to the Cakes, they wouldn’t agree to take him on as another employee. He doesn’t have an actual home and neither of us have enough bits to afford him a house here, so....” she gulped as she contemplated what she was about to ask, “would one of you mind housing Mark? He’s really handy, and he can do lots of stuff to help!”

The room was silent for several seconds. It was one of the most uncomfortable moments Mark had ever felt. Fortunately, the silence was broken soon enough.

“I could use another hoof to help make dresses. If he’s willing, I’d be glad to have him, darling.” Rarity had spoke up, offering him her home.

Just like the Element of Generosity to be the first to offer something of herself.

Pinkie grinned like mad. “Ooh, thank you Rarity! Believe me, you won’t regret it!” She ran up to the white unicorn and pulled her into a bear hug. Rarity used a spell to levitate Pinkie off of her, trying to retain a modicum of decency.

“Of course, dear. Think nothing of it.”

Pinkie Pie bounded around, excited beyond belief. “Now that that’s out of the way, it’s time to paaarrrrr-tay!” She ran to the back room and ran right back out, now holding a large boom-box. She flipped on the switch, turning on the music. “Come on, let’s get this shindig started!”

Pinkie Pie stole a quick glance at Mark, winking as the other mares in the room moved to enjoy the food, drinks, and music.

Mark chuckled lightly, glad that his situation had been worked out.

Thank you, Pinkie. You’re a good friend.

It was after the party and late at night. There were only a few hours left before the sunrise when the group of friends decided it was time to go to bed. Six equine figures left Sugarcube Corner, leaving a seventh waving at the door.

Pinkie called out to them. “See you all later! Good night!”

Various replies of “Yup,” and “See ya, Pinkie!” were heard as they all made their farewell. Mark turned around waved goodbye, though he didn’t say anything.

Rarity led the way to the boutique, Mark in tow as he followed her. They passed numerous houses that were darkened, the inhabitants fast asleep. It was quiet outside, the moon a healthy crescent in the sky. There was only barely enough light to navigate by, but Rarity knew the path to her house well enough that she strolled confidently down the streets.

Ten minutes passed before they reached the front door. The white unicorn unlocked the door and led the way in, flicking on the light with a bit of magic. She turned to face her burgundy guest.

“This is the Carousel Boutique, darling. I live and work here, making dresses for a living. We’ll get into the particulars tomorrow. For now, the kitchen is down that hall,” she pointed to her left, “the bathroom and living room is down there,” she now pointed to her right, “and the bedrooms are upstairs.” She made no motion, the stairs evidently behind her.

“Follow me, please.”

Mark did as he was asked, following Rarity up the stairs. Once they had reached the landing, he saw two hallways that went to the right and left. There were three doors down both halves of the hallway, leaving six total rooms. Rarity motioned to her right. “My parents, sister, and I all have our rooms here.” She walked to the left, opening the first door. “And this will be your room. Good night.”

She left Mark standing there, eager to rest on her own bed. He shrugged, not particularly caring that she had left him there so quickly. It’s late, and she’s probably tired. And I now have another bed to call my own, which is simply amazing. I should have come here years ago.

He set his bag on the floor next to the bed and hung up his coat on a stand that had been provided. He then proceeded to open the sheets that were covering the bed and laid down, enjoying the exquisite comfort they offered. He sighed, relaxing his muscles, and was fast asleep in minutes.

Author's Note

Quick shout out to Trixie Lulamoon; she agreed to start proof-reading for me, and I couldn't be happier!

Also, I wanted to apologize for the long wait for this chapter. Between school, band, and a case of writer's block, this chapter has been sitting around for ages. Finally got around to finishing it, so enjoy!

Ch.6: Hazy Dawn

Mark

Chapter 6: Bloody Dawn

The sun rose over Equestria, signaling the dawn of a new day. Ponies all over the town stirred as the sun shined through their windows, gently nudging them into the land of the living. It was another early, bright start to a day in Ponyville, but for seven ponies and one dragon, the call of the sun proved too weak to rouse them from their slumber. Onward they slept, not rising until the late morning.

The newest member of that group found it tempting to lay in bed for the entire day, but years of rising with the sun forced him awake. He compromised, not raising his body from the comfortable mattress and warm sheets that covered him. He had full access to his mental faculties, but he relaxed and contented himself with staring up at the ceiling above him.

Breathe in.... breathe out....

He spent what felt like hours there. Too soon for him, though, he heard something else: the faint breath of another creature. He sighed, not wanting to move and let in the cold air.

It was inevitable. You can’t let yourself wither away under a pillow, however much you want to.

He shifted his body, pulling it back and up so he could look around him.

“Mreeoorrww!”

He didn’t have a chance to look as he heard the half-purr, half-growl. He tilted his head down, now aware of something on his lower body. He saw a large, white, fluffy cat lying on top of him. It looked at him with an annoyed face, seemingly blaming him for disrupting its sleep. Probably because I did, he thought wryly.

Mark stopped moving, leaving the cat in peace. At the same time, he raised his left hoof from the warm embrace of the bed and moved to pet the cat that had called his belly home.

The cat glared at him from under its silky eyebrows, but made no move to escape or to stop him. It closed its eyes once he started to pet it, seemingly indifferent to the attention. The only clue he received that it was appreciated was the gentle purring in its throat.

He spent several more minutes just lying there, enjoying the company of the cat while he scratched its ears. It was then that he heard hoof steps outside of his door, going up and down the hall tirelessly. He also heard two faint but distinct voices, one of them likely Rarity. The other one he didn’t recognize, but it sounded higher in pitch.

Rarity’s sister, perhaps?

His internal question was answered ten seconds later. Rarity knocked on the door and spoke up so he could hear her. “Excuse me Mark, are you awake?”

“Yeah, I’m awake. You can come in, Rarity,” he replied.

The door opened, revealing Rarity and a much younger pony. She was a unicorn, just like Rarity, and had a white coat. Her mane was more poofy, though, and it was a lighter purple streaked with pink. Rarity spoke up again, drawing his attention away from her younger sister.

“Good morning. I trust you slept well? Wait, is that -?”

She looked at the cat in mild surprise. She raised a hoof and pointed at it, a questioning look on her face. Mark shrugged.

The cat heard its master, and rapidly jumped off of him to walk to her. It purred as it walked around Rarity’s legs, affectionately rubbing its face on her limbs. Rarity giggled as the cat ambled around her hooves, caught off guard by the display.

“Oh my, Opal seems very happy today! I’m surprised she let you touch her at all; she normally scratches any pony she doesn’t know,” she said distractedly.

Mark quirked his mouth and furrowed his eyebrows. “I’m glad that she didn’t, then. Starting the day with a bloody face would have been a bit of a downer, you know?”

Rarity winced, smiling awkwardly. “I’m sorry, dear, I should have warned you. But, all is well, and Opalescence is happier than I’ve ever seen her! What did you do to make her so happy?”

Mark shifted in the bed so his upper body was resting on the backboard of the bed. So that’s what the cat’s name is. Odd choice.

“Not much. I just patted her a bit behind the ears, and she started purring.”

It was Rarity’s turn to harrumph. “Hmmph. I do that all the time, as well as make my house as comfortable as possible. Are you sure your talent isn’t caretaking, dear?” Rarity said with a laugh. “Because you might want to reconsider setting up here in Ponyville - Fluttershy would love to have your talents nearby!”

Mark shrunk back under the sheets, laughing with much less enthusiasm. “Yeah, right... like I said the night before, I’m a handyman. I can do a lot of things pretty easily. Like caring for animals. I think.”

Any hesitation on his part was lost on Rarity.

“Oh, I think you can do a fair bit more than that! Really, later this afternoon, I simply must take you to meet her! I think it would b-”

Rarity was interrupted by the young filly standing patiently next to her.

“Um, Rarity? Weren’t we here looking for Opal? Cuz, you know, we found her.”

The white mare bit her lower lip in mild consternation.

“Of course, darling. Mark, this here is Sweetie Belle, my little sister. We were looking for Opal ever since we woke up; she normally waits for one of us to wake up and make her breakfast. I was a bit surprised to see her in this room.”

Rarity grabbed Opalescence with her magic and held her close. “I suppose it’s not important now. The bathroom is down the stairs. Take a shower and get ready; breakfast will be ready shortly, and after that we will dive straight into the boutique. I hope to see you ready soon.”

Rarity turned and walked out from underneath the doorway, Opal still floating in the air and hissing, while Sweetie Belle flashed Mark a quick, friendly grin before following her sister.

Mark nodded genially as he was left alone in the room. He surveyed the room around him, taking a proper inspection of the room Rarity had bequeathed him. After a moment’s consideration, he came to an easy conclusion.

This is the best room I have ever stayed in.

From the pliable woolen rugs and the crisp wooden flooring, to the comfy sheets and extravagant bedding, the room simply exuded perfection. Mark gazed in wonder, truly appreciating what Rarity had given him so off-handedly.

There’s no way this isn’t her room. How else would it be so nice? I mean, I know ponies normally have plenty of bits, but this is just... wow.

Mark resolved to ask Rarity if that was her room, or at the very least thank her for her hospitality. Standing up from the bed and its alluring warmth, Mark made his way down the stairs and hanged a right, remembering the directions Rarity had given the night before.

The bathroom and shower was just as luxurious as his room, and Mark indulged in every second he spent in that small room. Walking out feeling almost absurdly clean, the stallion made his way to the opposite side of the hallway, the sound of breakfast luring him closer.

The scene in the kitchen was peaceful, but Mark would describe it as subdued. Rarity and Sweetie Belle were calmly eating their breakfast, Rarity with a couple slices of toast and orange juice, and Sweetie Belle eating a bowl of oats and milk. Opalescence was eating as well, her food in a small tray near the base of the sink. However, no one talked, absorbed in eating their morning meal.

Mark grabbed a bowl of oats, toast, and a glass of orange juice for himself, knowing how much he would need to make it through the day.

“Hello,” he said, sitting down at the table with his food.

Sweetie Belle said something that was unintelligible, the oats in her mouth obstructing her voice.

“Sweetie, what did I say about talking with your mouth full?” Rarity admonished her little sister. Sweetie Belle gulped her food down and grinned sheepishly at Rarity before facing Mark again.

“Hi mister Mark! How are you doing?”

Mark didn’t answer immediately; he took a small bite of his toast and chewed as he mulled over his answer.

“I’m doing fine. This is a great town here. I’m just sorry I didn’t find it sooner.”

“Okay... well, that’s nice. Hey, sis, can I go now? Scootaloo said she had another idea for earning our cutie marks, and I don’t want to be late!”

Rarity peered over to her bowl and, seeing that it had been cleared, nodded.

“Alright, go and run off with your friends. Just be careful. Scootaloo’s ideas are normally more... exciting.” Rarity winced at her poor word choice.

“I know, right? I can’t wait to see what she’s got in mind! See ya!”

Taking off like a lightning bolt, Sweetie Belle rushed out the door and into the late morning sun. Mark kept a watchful eye on all of this, saying nothing as he calmly took another bite of toast.

Rarity coughed awkwardly. “Yes... ahem... I’m sorry about that. I try to teach her to be more lady-like, but she’s just...”

Mark waved a hoof and shook his head. “It’s fine. Children will be children. Better she get to explore now and have her fun while she can.”

The white mare sitting across from him nodded after a second’s pause.

“Right. Anyways, you must be curious as to what we will be doing here. I trust you saw the mannequins and cloth in the main room?”

“Yeah. I’m guessing you’re a seamstress?”

“You would be correct. I need your help with restocking and fetching supplies for me. You won’t have to do any actual dressmaking; that’s my specialty, after all. But with an extra pair of hooves, I can spend more time making my dresses instead of preparing what I will need.” Rarity put down her glass and clipped her hooves together above the table. She propped her head on her limbs, looking at Mark expectantly. He nodded, finishing his bowl of oats.

“Alright. I have no problem with that, seeing as you’re the one housing me at the moment-” Rarity nodded graciously, “-but don’t you think that would be a job better suited for your sister? Or one of your friends? I imagine they know the building far better than I do.”

Rarity smiled wanly. “My sister has butter hooves, I’m afraid. The last time she tried to help, all of my orders were set back a week. As for my friends, they all have their own jobs and duties they must attend to. I simply couldn’t ask them for help when they already have so much on their plates. And I’m not worried about how you will do. Give it a few days, dear, and I believe you will pick up on it quick enough.”

“Okay. So when do we start?”

Rarity grinned, a sparkle in her eye.

“Now.”

“Mark, could you be a dear and grab the golden cloth in the storage closet?”

“Uh...”

“It’s the third door from the left.”

“Gotcha. Wait... is that it, all the way up there?”

“Yes, I believe so. Careful, I remember putting my old-”

“OW!!”

“-sewing machine up there. I’m so terribly sorry, I should have told you sooner! You can grab some ice from the refrigerator if you want-”

“No, no, it’s fine. Ow. I have the cloth.”

“Thank you. Hmm... ooh, I know what this needs!”

“Hmm?”

“Gems! I have a small store of them downstairs. Mark, could you-”

“On it. Anything down there I should know about?”

“I don’t believe so.”

“...”

“Any luck?”

“Yeah, there’s a bunch of rubies and sapphires. Do you want all of them?”

“No, just the rubies.”

“Okay, let’s see... is that - oh, Luna, what is that...”

“What is it?”

“...Does your cat come down here a lot?”

“Occasionally. She normally finds it too dusty for her liking.”

“Well, I don’t think your friend Fluttershy is going to be too happy with what she did to this rat...”

It was late in the afternoon. The Royal Court had let out for an hour break, leaving Celestia some time to recoup her thoughts. She walked among the castle’s gardens, drifting from flower to flower as her fancy took her. Her guards, normally following at a discreet distance away, were nowhere to be found - at her orders.

This is my time. No pony can take this away from me.

“Sister? Do you have a moment?”

Celestia audibly sighed.

“Er... I’m sorry if this is an inopportune time, Tia. But, we don’t normally have a chance to talk after we perform our celestial duties... we haven’t talked much at all, of late...”

Celestia grimaced. ...She’s right. Things really haven’t been the same since she returned.

Celestia raised her head up, from where it had been looking at the ground in thought.

“Actually, Luna, I would like to talk. Just the two of us, like it used to be.”

Luna smiled, then waved her head to signal Celestia to follow her. The pair was soon roaming through the grounds of the gardens, in an amicable silence.

“Tia?” The silence was broken.

“Yes?”

“...Do you remember when we were young? When mother, father... when our friends and family were still here?”

“All too well. Those … were some of our best days. And then Discord...”

“Yes. I wish we had stopped him sooner. It could have been avoided, those years of anarchy were-”

“You don’t need to remind me.”

There was a brief pause before Celestia spoke again.

“...I’m sorry, Luna. I didn’t mean to snap at you. But after Discord came...” Celestia breathed in slowly, and released it with a steady control she had mastered over centuries. “Surely you wanted to do more than merely reminisce over our memories? It does us no good to dwell on them.”

Luna stopped. She locked her gaze with Celestia’s, then grimly pointed off to the left.

The maze.

Celestia nodded; the two alicorns walked to the giant wall of greenery, with no sense of hurry. Luna was the first to break the silence again, and there was a sharpness in her tongue that had not been present before.

“I do not wish to dwell on the past. I am asking about your plans for the future. You seem to have taken a specific interest in Twilight Sparkle. You have taught apprentices before, but you seem to be taking a special interest in her. Why?”

Celestia sighed before answering Luna. “Because, like it or not, Discord brought utter chaos to this land. He did more than kill our friends and family - he scattered their dust to the wind. It was sheer luck that we overthrew him, Luna, and we have only held on by the barest of threads since then. We need support, we need allies. ”

They stopped in front of the entrance to the maze. The statue of a misshapen creature stood before them, its arms raised in a futile attempt to shield itself. Luna glanced at her sister.

“I have a feeling about what you might be planning. Does this have anything to do with your ‘experiment’ with Cadance?”

“I’d prefer that you not refer to her as such. But, yes. II... I needed to make sure the spell would work.”

“...I miss Amora. She was always so bubbly, so full of life...”

“I know. I’d give anything to have her back. To have them all back. But we can’t, and we need their power.”

“Is that what you have in store for Twilight? To ascend her?”

“Yes.”

“And I assume you haven’t told her yet?”

Celestia stared up at the statue balefully. Luna stomped on the ground and snorted. “Well?” she asked again. There was a long pause before she replied.

“...No. I don’t intend to.”

Luna glared at Celestia. “Tia, this plan is beyond foolhardy! Equestria is at peace, and even though our power has declined after the Scourging, many of the problems from before have been eliminated. We can’t bring back the dead, and reintroducing the alicorns will only reopen old wounds. Please, I beg of you, do not do this to Equestria.”

Celestia was silent. The solar princess walked over to one of benches outside the entrance of the maze and sat down. Luna, frowning but willing to listen, quietly sat next to her sister and waited.

“...Lulu? Equestria is one disaster away from collapse. We have been extraordinarily fortunate the past three years. The Elements of Harmony have been able to banish the Nightmare and reseal Discord, but they were unable to react in time to Chrysalis. Only Shining Armor and Cadance’s love saved us. And if the eight of them had not immediately went north with the reappearance of the Crystal Empire, there would be a hostile nation right on Equestria’s border.”

Celestia smiled painfully at Luna, bringing a hoof to her sister’s cheek. “I know this plan seems brash, but we need to consolidate our power so that we cannot be caught off guard again. I have a feeling another plan to upset the balance is underway.... Please, for the sake of our subjects, reconsider your position.”

Luna opened her mouth to speak, but Celestia cut her off. “I do not expect an answer immediately, Lulu. Just think it over tonight. We can discuss it tomorrow - we are in no great rush.”

The solar princess nodded once before spreading her wings and leaving for the castle proper. Luna was left sitting on the bench, her thoughts like a maelstrom as she considered what her sister had said.

Ch.3: Sweet Dreams

Mark

Chapter 3: Sweet Dreams

It was morning, and Mark was laying in bed. He felt like the very definition of comfortable; the sheets were soft, the pillow was nice and plump, and the bed fit his contours perfectly. The sun had yet to rise above the mountains south of Ponyville, and Mark wanted to savor every moment he was laying in that heavenly bed. That proved to be rather difficult, however, as the threat of Pinkie Pie loomed over him like a dark, pink cloud - one that rained chocolate milk. He wasn’t sure why he thought that, but it seemed to fit. Regardless, he wasn’t frightened by her, per say. He simply dreaded the thought of having her drag his lazy bum down into the bakery below.

Mark looked over to the clock that was sitting atop the night table next to his bed. It’s six twenty-eight. She’ll be here any second to get me off my bed. . . He smiled pleasantly. But . . .it’s MY bed. One given through generosity, sure, but my bed nonetheless. The closest thing I have ever had to a home after living in Manehattan. . . when my foster parents died. . . He stopped smiling. No time to dwell on the past. I need to make myself useful, prove them wrong. Suddenly, he no longer felt so eager to stay in bed with his thoughts. He sat up, raising his hooves in the air to stretch. After a second, he felt and heard a small *crack* in his back. Feeling pleasantly relaxed, he threw his hooves over the side of the bed and stood up. He walked over to the door, ready to start the day with zest.

At that exact moment, the clock struck six thirty AM. As Mark threw open the door that covered the entrance to his room, he felt something rather hard connect with his face. It hurt, enough to stun the dull red earth pony. What in blazes is...!? His thoughts proceeded to be beaten out of him as that rather hard something connected with his face several more times in a rhythmic pattern. He managed to notice one small detail; the rather hard thing that was making his life miserable for the moment happened to be pink. That’s strange. OW Nothing so evil OW could look so innocent OW and pink. OW. His beleaguered mind swiftly came to a realization. Wait, OW this couldn’t be OW Pinkie doing this, OW could it?

His suspicion was soon confirmed as he heard a light, cheery voice called out not a foot in front of him. “Oh Marrrrr-kyyyyyy! It’s time to wake up!” Surprisingly enough, the pony of all things party had yet to notice she wasn’t hitting a door, and was instead hitting her friend. Mark came to a rapid conclusion. Move, you oaf! She isn’t going to stop! Having finally made a decision, he took a large step backward, out of Pinkie’s range.

Only once Mark retreated back into his room did Pinkie notice something was amiss. There seemed to be a lack something solid where she was now swinging her hoof. She stopped knocking and opened her eyes, expecting to see her friend standing there having just opened the door. Instead, she saw her newest friend crouching in the middle of his room, looking at her warily. He had slight bruising all over his face, which suggested some pony had taken a baseball bat to his face and stopped when he had given them his bits.

For all the thought that went into analyzing Mark, she didn’t connect the dots. Instead, she simply greeted him in her customary way.

“Good morning, sleepy head! Ready to get to work?”

Mark froze with his mouth wide open, unsure of how to respond. She seriously didn’t notice that she whacked me a good dozen times before stopping!? Is this mare blind? He noticed her jolly expression and promptly shut his mouth close. She didn’t notice. A mistake. Calm down, and don’t upset her... He smiled, perhaps a bit too brightly. “Sure am! Just let me shower and I’ll be right down.”

Pinkie nodded her head, and turned to walk down the hallway that led to the stairs. As soon as she was out of sight, he let his grin drop. “Ugh. I need something for my headache.” He turned to go to the bathroom, with his enthusiasm - and his face - smashed.

Mark was slumped over in the shower, letting the ice cold water massage his throbbing head. He had stopped feeling anything about four minutes into his shower, and he had been in there for fifteen. He was ready to get out and dry himself off, but he simply didn’t have the will to pull his head from underneath the cascading water. He groaned. I’ll be lucky if I get through today with anything less than a concussion. The day has barely even started, and I already feel like crap. He contemplated staying in longer, but a sudden thought penetrated through all of his musings. If I stay in too long, Pinkie will get curious. Time to get dry!

With his mind made up, Mark raised himself up from the bath floor and carefully stepped out after stopping the flow of water. He quickly toweled himself, removing the freezing water. After a few seconds, he wrapped himself up in the towel and shivered. That water was FREEZING! I need to get warm. With the last of the water gone or slowly drying away, Mark exited the bathroom and proceeded down the stairs into the bakery.

Ahhhhhhhhh... MUCH better!

As soon as Mark had entered the kitchen, the chill permeating his body vanished. Pinkie had gotten the ovens started, and their warmth had proven to be a boon to Mark. He allowed himself a moment to simply stand and bask in the glory that were the sweet-smelling ovens.

With her usual amount of spontaneity, Pinkie Pie chose that moment to walk into the baking room. Standing behind Mark, and noticing his relaxed pose, she proceeded to talk.

“Hey Mark, you might want to not stand so close to the ovens. Unless you’re putting in or taking out pastries, it’s not a good idea to stay in here too long. It can get really hot!”

What? That’s ridiculous! This room is amazing! I want to stay in here for the rest of my li- Right then, the heat ceased to feel comforting and began assailing Mark’s body. Within seconds, he felt uncomfortable and a bit sweaty. Then again. . .

Mark turned around to address the pink mare. “Good idea. Can we talk in the next room over?”
Pinkie nodded, and walked into the counter area with Mark in tow.

The first thing Mark noticed was how reserved Pinkie was acting in comparison with the day before. She isn’t bouncing off the walls, she’s not constantly yammering, she even seems a bit... calm. I wonder if she was just eager to meet a new friend yesterday, or if she had too much coffee. He mentally shrugged. Either way, it’s a burden off my chest. In front of him, the mare’s frizzy pink mane had deflated by a small amount. He, entangled within his thoughts, did not notice.

The two ponies stopped in front of the counter. Pinkie turned around and spoke to the red earth pony that had been following her lead. “Alright, Mark, you ready to bake? Ponies come from all over town to get breakfast here, so we need to get cracking!”

Mark nodded in acknowledgement, and replied, “Sure am. So what do we do first?” He paused, in thought. He then added, “And are Mr. and Mrs. Cake going to be helping us? Where are they?”

Pinkie gave a small smile as she answered his last question. “Mr. and Mrs. Cake are going to be caring for their foals, Pumpkin and Pound. They won’t be helping until later, when I go and watch over them for a few hours. They’ll be back then, and they’ll help you with the shop.”

Mark nodded; it made sense. “So what about the bakery? Are you going to show me how to make cupcakes or something?”

“Nope!” Pinkie replied playfully. “I’m going to handle all the baking! You, on the other hoof, are going to be taking customer’s orders and bringing them the treats.”

WHAT.

“Pinkie, you realize that half the ponies in Ponyville think I’m a zombie, right?” And that with every new pony I meet, I have a chance to make a foal out of myself because I’m too busy delving into their lives?

Pinkie chuckled, shaking her head. “I’m not worried about that! Most of the ponies that were in the market probably didn’t even see what you look like, given that you were wearing that old rag of yours. Unless Rose decides to walk in, I doubt there’ll be a problem!” The pink mare looked up, at one of the walls where a clock was hanging. “Well, I need to start baking. Just flip the open/closed sign and get ready to smile!” With that, she walked into the baking room and closed the door, leaving Mark alone in the front of the store. He sighed.

Mark was nervous. Not because he was scared of dealing with new ponies; he had gotten used to that very early on as a child. No, he was scared because he feared he would be recognized.

It wasn’t like he thought he would be driven out of town. From what he had seen, this village seemed to be the kindest he had ever visited, if a bit high strung. He was merely worried that ponies would see he was the one who caused such a stir the day before, and would immediately leave before buying anything. Pinkie Pie and the Cakes had been extraordinarily nice to him, and he didn’t want everyone avoiding Sugarcube Corner simply because he was working the cash register.

He looked at the clock. It was five before seven, and hungry ponies would soon be walking through the door. He gulped, steeling himself for the first customer. I’m not going to frighten them off. I’m going to help, be useful.

He didn’t have to wait long for his first customer. He heard the doorbell ring, signifying that somepony had walked in. He looked up, and was surprised to see it was the mare he had bought breakfast from the day before. Daisy? What’s she doing here?

Mark realized she was walking toward him quickly, and that he had yet to welcome her. He opened his mouth and said the first thing that came to mind. “Hey Daisy, welcome to Sugarcube Corner! Want something to eat?” His smile was incredibly wide, and he had his hoof outstretched in an attempt to look hospitable. After a few seconds, his grin slowly slid off his face. She was squinting her eyes at him, like she was determining whether or not he was psychotic. He felt his stomach drop as he pondered why she was regarding him with such a distrustful look. I didn’t say something wrong, did I? I showered, I brushed my teeth, there’s nothing wrong with me! What did I - He realized what was wrong and mentally kicked himself. Shit. She never told me her name.

His suspicions were confirmed with the first words out of her mouth. “How do you know my name?” Mark felt trapped. I got lucky yesterday, but this could be my death sentence! He had to find a way out of this.

“Well, uh. . . After your friend, er, frightened everypony, I wandered around. Pinkie found me and, well. She uh, asked why everypony had run away. I explained what happened, and she told me that you, Rose, and everypony else just . . .overreacted.” He felt his confidence steadily growing, and plowed onward. “She invited me over here, and even got me a job working the cash register. I’m staying here now, with the Cakes.” With his explanation complete, Mark felt like he owed the mare in front of him an apology and some reassurance. “I’m terribly sorry about what happened yesterday. I didn’t mean to frighten anypony. And if you see Rose again, tell her I don’t hold anything against her. I must have looked deathly after walking into town,” he finished off with a light joke. I really hope she buys that. I can’t have my secret passed around willy-nilly. His demeanor now one of confidence again, he only had to wait for Daisy’s reply, which came hurriedly.

She tripped over her words, not wishing to offend or embarrass Mark any further. “Oh! Of course not! I told my friend - er, Rose, that what she did was incredibly rude. I’m sure it must have been terrible, and I’m incredibly sorry. I’m glad Pinkie found you, she’s probably your best chance at getting everypony to calm down around you. Speaking of which, don’t worry about what everypony thinks of you. Most just heard ‘Run’ and took off. It’s a defense mechanism, and everypony’s used to it after these past few months. I’m sure Pinkie’s told you of all the troubles we’ve had with monsters and invasions?” She was out of breath after her own apologies, giving Mark ample time to reply.

“She did. Don’t worry, I understand what happened now. But,” he added, now feeling slightly playful. “I’m not sure if I can forgive you quite yet.” He was grinning like an idiot.

She cocked her head at him, worry etched on her face as she let out a quiet “oh?”

Mark continued to grin. “I don’t know if you were being entirely sincere or not.” He paused, looking at the bakery all around him. “I’m working here now, and I need to make a good impression on the Cakes. . . Buy something, and I think we can call it even.” His grin widened. He was full of it, and he knew it. Soon enough, she caught on.

Daisy let out a small chuckle. “Alright, I’ll buy something. Just because you have the funniest grin.” She brought her hoof up to her chin, and her eyes looked up in thought. “I’ll take two chocolate cupcakes.”

“Alright. Let me go get it.” Mark turned around and walked into the oven room. “Hey Pinkie, do you have two chocolate . . .cupcakes?” The bubbly mare was nowhere to be found. Isn’t she supposed to be in here? Where’d she go? He looked around for an extra second, hoping to spot her somewhere. Admitting failure, he turned around to go back to the counter. As he entered, he saw Pinkie conversing with Daisy, with a small plate on top of one of the tables. There was one cupcake sitting on it. The other was presently in Daisy’s hoof as she graciously bit into it.

Mark wasn’t sure how Pinkie had managed to get the cupcakes to Daisy without even being told about it, or even without him seeing her walk by. Yet, oddly enough, he wasn’t terribly surprised. It’s just Pinkie. He proceeded to ignore Pinkie’s inexplicable abilities and turned toward Daisy, who had just finished the cupcake and noticed Mark walking in. She greeted him cordially. “Hey there, uh... what was your name again?” He realized that he had never told her his name.

“My name’s Mark. And I see that Pinkie managed to beat me to the punch.” Daisy chuckled, taking her turn to speak. “Well, I hope this makes us even, Mark. I’ll see you around - and try not to start a panic next time you’re out.” With that, she grabbed the last cupcake and exited.

Mark walked back to the counter, where Pinkie was smiling and waving to Daisy as she left. He commented, “You two seem like friends. Know her long?” Pinkie stopped waving and turned towards the red earth pony. “Yup! She’s one of my oldest friends, but I know everyone in Ponyville, and everyone knows me! More importantly, how do YOU know her?”

Mark raised his hooves on top of the counter and leaned on it, looking at Pinkie. “She was the first pony I talked to yesterday after I walked into Ponyville. I bought some daisies for breakfast, and was about to leave when her friend, Rose, saw me and freaked out. So, yeah, you could say we know each other.”

Pinkie Pie bobbed her head in acknowledgement. “Oki-doki-loki! I just hope you forgive her; it wasn’t her fault half the town panicked.”

Mark smirked slightly. “Don’t worry. I don’t blame her for anything. Besides, I think this is working out just fine.” He pulled his hooves off the counter and stood straight. “Well, ready to get back to work?” In response, Pinkie daintily hopped back into the oven room after a quick, “Yup!” Mark watched as she left, then turned his head back towards the door, now feeling much better about meeting new ponies.

A couple of hours had passed, and Mark bid farewell to his latest customer. She was a grey pegasus mare, with bright, golden eyes. Her cutie mark was three bubbles. Ditzy Doo, often called Derpy Hooves as a sort of mean nickname. Mail mare, very devoted to both her work and her daughter, Dinky Doo. Slight problem with depth perception, but deceptively intelligent - very intelligent, actually. And apparently, she LOVES muffins. He said his goodbye one last time as Ditzy left Sugarcube Corner, her mouth clamped shut on a bag filled with muffins.

Mark had done exceedingly well as a sales pony, and had yet to frighten off anyone. There had been some ponies that recognized him from his grand entrance into Ponyville, but they were quickly reassured once he explained himself and showed he was helping Pinkie. All in all, he was content. I can’t wait for lunch. Seeing all these baked goods just fly out the door can be maddening! He smacked his lips. Later, though.

As he was waiting for the next customer, Pinkie bounded through the doorway that led to the oven room. She regarded him with some excitement.”Hey, Mark, the Cakes are going to be coming down soon.” Mark pivoted to face her, and replied, “Alright. They’re going to help us now?”

“Yup! They still need to work, but Pumpkin and Pound need someone to look after them, so -” Mark cut her off as he raised her hoof. “It’s okay, Pinkie. Go on up, I’m sure they’re eager to see you. I’ll stay down here and work the register, or do whatever the Cakes need me to do. I’m sure they want to talk to me anyway, get to know me better, you know?” He turned back around, assuming that Pinkie was going to go upstairs now that the Cakes were coming down. “Be sure to have some fun, and make them laugh!” As it turned out, he had assumed wrong.

“Silly billy! I convinced the Cakes to let you watch over them for a while!” Mark froze, feeling horrified for some reason even he was unsure about. They’re just foals, but why does Pinkie want ME to foalsit? She barely even knows me! Mark released his confusion and fear at her. “Pinkie, I’m glad you and the Cakes trust me that much, but WHY? I’ve known you for about a day! And I don’t know the first thing about foalsitting!”

Pinkie gazed at him, just as confused. “Of course I trust you! If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have let you stay here as a guest, much less care for the Cakes’ children!” She gave him a knowing smile. “Besides, I’m sure you’ll do just fine. You’re a good stallion, even if you don’t think so. Call it a hunch.” She grabbed him with her hooves and began dragging him towards the stairs. “So quit complaining, and enjoy the break!” She threw him upwards with strength beguiling of her size, and he landed on the upper floor. She called up to him one last time. “And if all else fails, use the flour!” Mark heard her trot away, leaving him upstairs to care for the foals.

He was dazed. The reality was just setting in for him. She really trusts me enough to care for her employer’s foals? Wow. He stood up and dusted himself off. Have to hand it to her, she’s one of the most trusting and generous ponies I’ve ever met. Getting me a job, letting me stay as a guest, trusting me enough to care for some of the most important ponies in her life? He shook his head as walked down the hallway and to the door he knew held the two foals. I doubt I’ll ever meet another pony as generous as her.

Across town, a white pony sat in her boutique, thinking of ways to make her works of art known to the Canterlot elite. She was absorbed in her work, completely unaware of the passage of time in her own little corner of the world. Suddenly, her concentration broke. She looked up and took a deep breath. For some reason, she felt like she had just been gravely insulted. “Calm down, Rarity. . . there is absolutely no reason for you to feel this way. A pony as refined and busy as yourself can’t afford to be sidetracked by irrational jealousy,” she muttered to herself. She took another second to get her concentration back, and then continued with her delicate work.

Mark was paused in front of the door, unsure if he should walk in.

They’re just foals.

He didn’t trust himself to walk in. He had never been a caretaker for anyone but himself. He knew what he wanted and needed, but that was it. How could he do this without screwing up?

Pinkie Pie and the Cakes both trust you enough. If you don’t trust yourself, trust them.

He still hesitated. He didn’t want to go in, afraid of all the things that could go wrong.

If you go downstairs and explain you’re incapable of handling two six-month-old foals, you’ll embarrass yourself. And if you sit here and do nothing, you’re not only hurting the children, but you’re hurting everyone else too.

He made his mind up. He might not have liked it, but he was all they had for the next few hours. Not unless he wanted to break the trust he had so recently acquired.

He opened the door.

A rubber chicken promptly hit his face, and fell off. It hit the floor with a small wheeze. Mark looked up, and saw a light brown pegasus foal walking on the ceiling, on the other side of the room. He was using his wings to stay aloft and evidently wasn't paying any attention to him, though, as he continued to walk unperturbed. Mark decided that the rubber chicken hadn’t come from him. He looked around, and finally spotted a yellow unicorn baby sitting on the ground to his left, chewing a rubber duck. He raised an eyebrow. I didn’t realize unicorns could use their horns so early on. Only way to explain how that rubber chicken fell on my face. He looked at the two foals carefully. I guess Pumpkin is the yellow one. So, Pound is the pegasus that is currently walking along the ceiling. He took a step forward, slightly unsure of what to do.

He stepped on the chicken that had just graced him with its presence, letting out a loud squeak. Both foals turned their heads towards the new arrival, staring at him with mouths wide open. They started to cry.

Horsefeathers.

About fifteen minutes later, both foals were sound asleep in their crib. As for how they had gotten there, Mark was completely unsure. It had been a blur, trying to calm down the two youngsters. He had simply approached them, speaking softly, trying to catch their attention. He had spoken their names, and they both stopped crying long enough to look at him through teary eyes. He didn’t recall what he had said, but it was something calming, something to soothe the two foals. He had spoken consistently, without pause and in a tranquil voice. Soon enough, he had the two foals in his front hooves as he rocked them gently to sleep. He had hummed. He was reasonably sure he had hummed, yes. It didn’t really have a tune, it was just a way to calm them down. They had fallen asleep, and he had set them gently in the crib. That had been five minutes ago.

Now, Mark was simply sitting on the ground, passing the time by reading a book he had picked up from the guest room. He frequently looked over at the sleeping ponies, making sure they didn’t need anything else. He felt at peace himself. I guess I work well with foals. I just didn’t know it could be so easy.

He hadn’t delved into their minds, as they lacked cutie marks for him to do so. He was rather glad, as it provided him with a modicum of peace and quiet, allowing him to concentrate on caring for them. For the moment, though, he had nothing to do except watch and read.

Pound had his head facing towards Mark, where the red earth pony could see it. Unconsciously, the small pegasus yawned, his mouth going wide as he breathed deeply. Mark saw it. After a few seconds, he, too, yawned. I feel kinda tired. . . . and it’s not like they’re going anywhere. . . . maybe I should. . . should.... . . . . . . . .

He fell asleep.

The sky was a dull gray. Clouds covered the blue abyss above him. A small amount of sunlight broke through the cloud cover, enough for him to see his surroundings. He was in a large field, and rocks sporadically littered its surface. Off in the distance, a few hundred feet away, was a small two story house. Next to it, a tall windmill kept a lonely vigil over the field.

Mark looked over the field. There were rocks everywhere. He saw dull colored earth ponies off in the distance. They seemed familiar, but Mark had never seen them before. Two adults, a mare and a stallion. Two children, and both seemed to be fillies.

Where have I seen them before?

His body walked at a slow pace, reacting to stimuli beyond his control. He noted the color of his fur.

A dull pink. A very, very dull pink. . .

His body continued to move forward. He lowered his head, and approached one of the countless rocks. He nudged it forward, sending it slowly flipping onto its other side.

I’m on a rock farm... and I think I’m Pinkie Pie.

He heard a voice call out. “Pinkamena! It is time to head home!” His body immediately reacted. He felt loathing, and a very profound sense of sadness. He turned and moved towards the house he had seen earlier, with even less vigor than before. As he approached the house, smelling something that sickened him - Rock soup? Do they still serve that around here? - only one thought came to his mind. It wasn’t his thought, but it was an incredibly strong thought, one that almost blocked out any other emotion or reaction.

I’m not happy. I want to leave.

Mark woke with a start. He heard a knock at the door. “Hey Marky, you in there? It’s time for lunch!” Mark looked over to his left, and saw Pound and Pumpkin awake and lively, both of them grabbing the bars of the crib and cooing lightly.

“Mark? Helloooooo?”

Mark stood up and shook his head to clear his grogginess. “I’m here, Pinkie. I’ll be out in a second.” Mark stretched his back, relaxing himself before heading out. His thoughts drifted back to the dream he had just seen.

No, not a dream. A memory - Pinkie’s. I had no idea she had such a lifeless and uncomfortable childhood. How did she end up becoming such an outgoing and energetic pony?

He began walking to the crib, and picked up both of the foals. He placed them on his back and then stepped towards the door. Whatever that was, I don’t think I should mention it. I’ll let Pinkie decide if she wants to talk about it. She can probably hear what I’m thinking right now anyway. . .

He opened the door, and was face to face with a particularly stressed Pinkie. She seemed to be paying him no attention, caught up in her own thoughts. Oh boy...

He decided to take the initiative with her for once. He waved his hoof in front of her face, grabbing her attention. “Hey Pinkie, you there? What’s for lunch?”

The pink pony jumped in surprise, and then tried to put on a smile. “Um, right! Lunch... Well, Applejack just dropped by and sold us some apples, so we’ll be having fritters and strudels. I know you must be hungry after dealing with those rascals! Come on!”

Mark followed as Pinkie led him down into the dining area. “Actually, Pinkie, I didn’t have much trouble in getting them to fall asleep. I didn’t know I could work with children so well; thanks. It seems your trust was well placed.” And I trust you. I’ll keep quiet on this. If you want to talk, I’d be more than willing to do so. It’s the least I can do for you, as a friend.

Mark gazed at Pinkie as she slowly walked down the stairs. Her head leaned over to the left slightly. He could only see her nose and mouth. He saw a sorrowful grin on her lips.

“It seems it was.”