Pinkie Pie was currently sitting on the bed in her room. Her hair was straight, her complexion was very pale, she had a vacant look in her eyes, and she was all alone, unless you counted the sock puppet that was on her right hand.
“Gosh, Peni,” she said in a deadpan voice to a sock puppet, “First you have me get my heart broken and go crazy in Miss Pinkamena’s Neighborhood and you’re writing a sequel? You must really have it out for me.”
“I don’t have it out for you, Pinkie,” the sock puppet named Peni answered as Pinkie made its mouth move up and down, “it’s just, people liked Miss Pinkamena’s Neighborhood more than I expected and some even asked for a continuation, so I had to write more.”
Pinkie narrowed her eyes as she stared intensely at the sock puppet.
“So you’re okay with putting me through hell again just to appease a few people who liked your fanfic?” She pointedly asked.
“Pretty much,” Peni confirmed.
Pinkie’s stare only intensified as Peni started to tremble a bit.
“Well, it’s not like I have a choice in the matter,” she reluctantly admitted as she broke the stare and rolled her eyes, “after all, you’re the author.”
The sock puppet dropped its head and gave a small sigh in relief.
“So, what’s going to happen this time?” Pinkie inquired.
“I don’t know, Pinkie,” Peni replied, “I’m still composing the story as we speak.”
“Oh, right,” Pinkie stated.
What followed was a few minutes of silence. During this time, Pinkie couldn’t help but wonder if the silence was because Peni didn’t know what was supposed to happen next.
“Why don’t you go downstairs,” Peni eventually suggested, “Marble and your parents should be home by now, and I’m sure Limestone and Maud have already told them about what happened during the last story.”
“Sure, why not.” Pinkie unenthusiastically agreed.
As she got up from her bed, Pinkie tried removing the sock puppet from her right hand, only to find that she couldn’t.
“WHAT THE…” Pinkie shouted in frustration, “Why won’t you come off?!”
“It’s like you said, Pinkie, I’m the author,” Peni began to clarify, “and as the author I say that you’re stuck with me for the time being.”
Pinkie continued attempting to remove the sock puppet but quickly realized it was futile. She had no choice but to keep Peni close.
“You know, I’m starting to think that being able to break the fourth wall is more of a curse than a blessing.” She sharply commented.
Peni remained silent as the two of them exited Pinkie’s room and made their way down the hall and towards the stairs.
As Pinkie began descending the staircase, she noticed that Marble and her parents, Igneous Rock and Cloudy Quartz, were indeed home and were talking with Limestone and Maud in the living room. When she reached the bottom of the stairs all their eyes were on her.
“Pinkamena,” her father said in his usual stern voice, “What is this we hear of you claiming that a sock puppet is causing you woe?”
Pinkie gave a quick glance over to Maud and Limestone before returning her attention to her father.
“Yeah,” Pinkie started to explain as she held up her sock-covered right hand, “Peni here wrote a parody of Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood called Miss Pinkamena’s Neighborhood that involved me losing my mind after being dumped by Wallflower. And now she’s writing a sequel, which is the only reason we’re even having this conversation right now.”
Igneous, Cloudy, and Marble all had looks of confusion and concern on their faces after hearing Pinkie’s words. Limestone and Maud seemed generally unfazed.
“We told ya,” Limestone spoke up, “she’s really fallen off the wagon this time.”
“Sweetheart,” Cloudy addressed Pinkie, “We are sorry to hear that you and Wallflower broke up, why don’t you come sit down and we’ll talk about it,” she said, hoping she could talk her daughter down from her episode.
As Pinkie began moving towards the couch, she brought the sock puppet up to her ear.
“Uh-huh,” she said as though she was responding to something it was saying, “If you say so.”
“Pinkie, everything okay?” Maud worryingly asked, remembering the last time Pinkie put the sock puppet up to her ear.
“Yeah, everything’s fine,” Pinkie said as she put her right hand down, “Peni just says that this talk isn’t going to happen.”
“And why’s that?” Limestone asked.
“She says she doesn’t want to write a scene where you all express your concern for me and get all emotional,” Pinkie explained, “She says she’s going to have me go see Fluttershy.”
“Pinkamena Diane Pie,” Igneous stated, even sterner than usual, “you are not leaving this house until you…”
Pinkie was standing on Fluttershy’s porch about twenty minutes later.
“I have to admit, that’s a pretty neat trick,” Pinkie said to Peni, “But I wish you hadn’t jumped ahead in the story like that. My family’s probably worried sick about me right now.”
“Sorry about that, Pinkie,” Peni apologized, “but it was the only way to avoid writing an intervention scene, and I really didn’t want to write one of those. If I did it probably would’ve ended with you being locked up in a psychiatric ward somewhere.”
Although Pinkie still wasn’t happy with what Peni had done, she could see the logic in her decision to skip the intervention. After all, she didn’t want to be locked up in a psychiatric ward somewhere.
“So, why are we at Fluttershy’s place?” Pinkie inquisitively asked.
“Ring the doorbell and find out,” Peni told her.
Pinkie gave a small shrug and rang the doorbell with her left hand. Soon enough, Fluttershy answered the door.
“Hi Pinkie,” she greeted her friend, not noticing the sock puppet on Pinkie’s right hand, “Come on in, I got the baking supplies all ready.”
As Fluttershy made her way towards the kitchen, Pinkie hung back in the doorway for a moment.
“What is she talking about, and why did it sound like she knew I was coming over?” Pinkie asked Peni, genuinely confused.
“You sent her a text on the way over here asking if you two could bake some cookies together,” Peni explained.
Pinkie got out her phone and, sure enough, it showed she’d sent Fluttershy a text ten minutes ago. She sighed as she made her way into Fluttershy’s house.
“If you’re going to do that can you please write about me doing it? I don’t like being left out of the loop like that,” she said.
“I’ll try, but no promises,” Peni replied.
Just before entering Fluttershy’s kitchen, Pinkie came to an abrupt stop as she put Peni right up to her face.
“I know you didn’t bring me here just to bake cookies,” she said, “Why am I really here?”
“You’re here because you need to talk to Fluttershy,” Peni confessed.
“And what do I need to talk to Fluttershy about? Why can’t I just keep talking to you?” Pinkie continued to ask.
“Trust me,” Peni pleaded, “Right now you need to talk to Fluttershy more than you need to talk to me.”
Pinkie simply raised a single eyebrow as she contemplated Peni’s words.
“But you’re the author, if I talk to Fluttershy won’t she just be saying what you’re telling her to say?” she profoundly asked.
Peni didn’t say anything for a few seconds.
“Just go talk to Fluttershy,” she eventually, and very dryly, responded.
Rather than keep pressing the issue, Pinkie just rolled her eyes and once again tried to remove the sock puppet from her hand. This time, it came off without a problem, and she placed it in her pocket as she walked into the kitchen.
“So,” Fluttershy said as Pinkie entered the room, “Why did you want suddenly want to bake cookies with me?”
Pinkie wasn’t sure how to answer Fluttershy’s question. In truth she was only there because Peni had used her powers as the author to put her there, but she couldn’t very well tell Fluttershy that.
“No reason,” Pinkie decided to go with.
Fluttershy could tell something was wrong with Pinkie. Although she could be random at times, Pinkie always had some reason for doing things.
“Is everything alright, Pinkie?” the shy girl asked, “You’re hair is a lot less…poofy than it usually is, and you don’t seems as energetic either.”
Once again, Pinkie wasn’t sure how to answer.
“Actually, Wallflower and I broke up,” she went with.
“Oh, Pinkie, I’m so sorry,” Fluttershy said as she wrapped her friend in a hug.
“Thanks, Fluttershy,” Pinkie replied as she returned the hug, “but the thing is, it isn’t the breakup itself that’s bothering me.”
“What do you mean?” Fluttershy inquired as she broke the hug.
Pinkie knew what it was she wanted to say to Fluttershy, but how could she explain it to her without sounding crazy?
“Well, the breakup just made me feel like I’m not in-control of my life,” Pinkie confided, “like everything is being controlled by something else. I feel like even if I find another girlfriend that whatever’s in-control is just going to break us up for the hell of it.”
Tears began to form in the corners Pinkie’s eyes.
“In truth, I’m afraid,” she continued, “I’m afraid that whatever’s in-control is just going to keep messing with me for the sheer pleasure of it and that I’ll never be happy again.”
Pinkie fell to her knees as she placed her hands over her eyes to hide the tears that were starting to flow from them. Fluttershy then got down on her knees in front of Pinkie and she embraced her friend in another comforting hug.
“Shhh, it’s okay,” she softly whispered, letting Pinkie cry out her feelings.
“W-what am I s-supposed to do?” Pinkie said through her tears, “H-how can I ever b-be happy again k-knowing that it could all be t-taken away from me in an instant?”
Fluttershy broke her hug and placed her hands on Pinkie’s arms, lowering them so that she could see her face. Pinkie didn’t fight back, but she didn’t make eye contact either.
“I know how scary it can be to feel like you’re not in-control, like you’re powerless” Fluttershy stated, “to be honest, I feel that way quiet a lot.”
Pinkie looked up at Fluttershy through tear-filled eyes, surprised to hear what she’d just said.
“T-then how do y-you deal with it?” Pinkie asked.
“Well, I guess you could say that I make peace with it,” Fluttershy answered.
“W-what?” Pinkie asked, not really understanding.
Fluttershy put a hand to her chin as she thought about how to better explain what she meant.
“What I’m trying to say is you just have to accept that things aren’t always going to be in your control. And just because they aren’t doesn’t mean that they’ll turn out badly,” Fluttershy began to clarify, “Regardless of whether we’re in-control or not, it doesn’t mean you can’t ever be happy. Enjoy the moments that are given to you while you have them.”
Pinkie’s tears started to dry up as Fluttershy shared her perspective.
“I don’t know if there’s something controlling everything in life,” Fluttershy continued, “but if there is I have to believe it doesn’t want to mess with us solely for some sick joke. You just have to believe in it and make peace with it.”
Pinkie could feel a small smile form as she let Fluttershy’s words sink in. Slowly but surely, her hair became more poofy, her complexion brightened, and her eyes began to sparkle. New tears formed in her eyes, but they were tears of joy.
“Thank you, Fluttershy!” Pinkie happily lauded as she pulled her friend into a hug.
“What are friends for,” Fluttershy said as she returned the hug.
The two girls held the hug for about a minute before Pinkie broke it.
“Come on,” she exclaimed as she got back up on her feet, “Let’s bake some cookies!”
Fluttershy softly giggled as she too stood up, ready to bake with her energetic friend.
Later that night as Pinkie was walking home, she reached into her pocket, pulled out the sock puppet, and put it on her right hand.
“So, how did things go with Fluttershy?” Peni asked.
“Why do you ask questions you already know the answer to, miss all-knowing, all-powerful author?” Pinkie asked in turn.
“Because the story would be boring if I didn’t ask them,” Peni responded.
Pinkie gave an initial look of surprise but quickly shook it off and giggled.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” she admitted, “Anyways, things went great with Fluttershy, I really needed to hear what she had to say, and from her too.”
Pinkie then wrapped her left hand around the sock puppet as she placed it against her chest in a hug.
“Thanks for sending me there,” she warmly said.
“You’re welcome, Pinkie,” Peni replied, “And I’m sorry for everything I put you though in the last story, and some of this one. Our future stories won’t be as…intense, I promise.”
Pinkie broke the hug as a big smile crossed her face.
“So you’re going to keep writing stories about us?” she joyfully asked.
“Yes, Pinkie, I am,” Peni confirmed, “And the next story is going to be about you talking with your family, and it won’t end with you being locked up in a psychiatric ward somewhere.”
“I thought you said you couldn’t figure out how to write something like that without it ending with me being locked up in a psychiatric ward somewhere.” Pinkie commented.
Peni gave a nod of acknowledgement.
“I did, but I can’t leave you and your family so distraught because of what I’ve caused. It may take time, but I’ll figure out how to give that story a happy ending.” Peni promised.
Pinkie once again pulled the sock puppet into a hug.
“Thanks, Peni. I’m glad we’re friends,” she genially stated.
“Me too, Pinkie, me too,” Peni amiably replied.
