Memories Long Forgotten

"Wow this has been the best day ever, first I get to spend the day with Sonic, then you guys go off
with him and comeback all smiles and obviously friends, then I get to have a supidy duper sleep
over with my best, that's you AJ, friend and best of all I finally saw Sonic smiling with no sadness in
his eyes" Pinkie exclaimed excitedly bouncing around the room.
As AJ expected Pinkie had been excited that she would be sleeping over tonight, but was now wondering
if she had bit off more than she could chew. Pinkie had been non stop cheer since AJ arrived an hour ago,
in that time the orange pony had only been able to get in maybe four words that whole time, three being
"Hi there Pinkie"
Like a drowned pony grabbing hold of a life saver, Applejack dove in at the word Sonic.
"Sonic Boom is really nice isn't he Pinkie?"
"Well duh, of course he is, I could be with him forever, well not forever, we'd both eventually grow old
and die but until then it would be great, with his handsome cyan coat and wonderfully deep opal
eyes........."
AJ was shocked as she realized the house had gone quiet, fascinated she just stared at her friend as
Pinkie looked off into nowhere obviously thinking about Sonic Boom.
That clinched it, AJ knew they were definitely meant for each other, "Do you think you like him as maybe
something more than just a friend?"
"Well of course silly I love him." Pinkie said coming back to herself.
AJ was at a loss for words by her friends bluntness, although knowing Pinkie Pie she should of expected
it, Pinkie had no problem filling in the silence though.
"Why wouldn't I? he's nice, kind, generous helpful,kind, good looking,strong, kind, oh did I already say
kind before?" she giggled, "Oh well he is!"
Still more hesitant about this kind of thing than her friend, AJ asked casually,"Are you gonna let him
know how you feel?"
"Of course!" AJ sighed in relief but it was short lived as Pinkie continued, "but not for awhile, I don't want
to scare him, after all I don't even know if he likes me back, that would be awkward if he only liked me as
a friend" she said rolling her eyes energetically.
Knowing she might be breaking an unspoken secret agreement with Sonic, AJ told Pinkie anyway what
needed saying, "What would you do if you knew for sure he liked you back?".
"Next time I saw him I'd give him a big smooch!"
AJ blushed, not the response she expected, she made a mental note to be there next time these two
met up, she didn't want to miss the look on Sonic's face after she did that!, " well I have it on 100%
reliable information he does like you.......a lot".

Pinkie's smile grew wider and her mane puffed up more and all off a sudden she was running around
and bouncing off walls, literally, while screaming with joy. Spotting movement AJ saw Gummy crawling
under the bed, after being bumped twice, the second time sending her sprawling on the floor, she
got the hint and crawled in after him and watched from the safety of cover. The rest of the night was
great but exhausting for AJ who was having trouble keeping up with her friends boundless energy.
Pinkie noticed this and suggested they go to bed, AJ agreed whole heartedly, passing out as soon
as she landed on the cot.
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"Pinkie Pie! Pinkie Pie! oh sweet Celestia please wake up Pinkie!"
Pinkie Blinked and yawned as she sat up past AJ's hovering worried face, momentarily she ignored her
friend and looked out the window.
Smiling she turned to AJ, "Silly this isn't your farm we don't have to wake up till the sun fully rises."
Surprised at her friends response AJ backed up wide eyed her legs she'd been using to shake her friend
awake sliding off the bed back onto the floor.
Starting to notice her friends fearful and concerned expression Pinkie stretched her forelegs, "What's
wrong why are you looking at me like that?"
"Sweetey" she started hesitantly, "what were you dreaming about?"
"Dream? I never dream I just sleep" she said matter-of-factly.
" It's alright I'm your friend you don't need to hide anything from me, you can tell me what the dream
was, I won't judge you or think differently about you."
Getting slightly irritated, Pinkie glared at her friend, "I told you I don't dream!"
"Pinkie feel your pillow, please"
"Its wet, so what? its always soaked in the morning"
Applejack's ears went flat against her head "every morning!?"
"Yeah I must really work myself up in the night to sweat that much"
"Sugar cube it ain't sweat"
"Of course it is, wait" she bent down and sniffed "whew you scared me, there was no way I thought that
was pee till you got me all worked up"
"Its not sweat....It's tears" AJ gulped
"Tears that makes no sense who would sneak in and cry on my pillow"
"You were crying...a lot"
"I don't cry, oh i know I must be really happy when I sleep so I weep for joy, this is exciting" she said
jumping up and down on her bed.
"Those weren't no tears of joy, I ain't never seen tears of joy before but I have seen tears of extreme
grief when a ponies sleeping before and you had them bad Pinkie" AJ was scared and it was starting to
get to Pinkie.
"I don't have anything to grief about my life is great........wait a minute who do you know who cries in their
sleep?"
AJ realized her slip too late, for a moment she panicked wondering what to do but then realized her
only option was resignation, after all she was all alone in a house with Pinkie, she would get it out of her
one way or another for sure.

Sighing "You know how Applebloom, Big Mac and I are all raised by Granny, well it wasn't always like that,
the farm used be run by my Ma and Pa, but one night a little after Applebloom was old enough to be away
from mom and I was just a filly there was an accident in our barn, in the process of getting my brother,
sister and I out of the burning barn they were trapped and never got out. Weeks after that we all cried in
the night, I knew i did cause I'd wake up and go to my siblings rooms and see them sobbing in their sleep
and knew I must be no different. It was the hardest time in my life, but eventually we learned to cope and
focus on the good times rather than our loss. After that we no longer cried every night, don't get me wrong
we still do a few times a month but that's cause you never fully get over something like that" finished AJ
drooped her head tears running down her cheeks.
Pinkie was crying too "AJ I had no idea, I'm so sorry you poor thing"
"Its okay sugar cube life takes its course and we go with it, but we have to accept it first and that's our
problem, Pinkie you were easily crying as hard as my siblings if not harder, how far back has your pillow
been soaked?"
"As long as I can remember but I'm not sad look at me" she said bouncing around her bed.
"This is important Pinkie, it's not healthy, think really hard can you remember anything while you slept?"
"I've never tried before but I'll do it for you AJ" Pinkie scrunched up her face, it was faintly bathed in rays
of morning sun coming in the window.
AJ watched her intently ready to jump up and comfort her as soon as she needed it, hours past, tired but
vigilant Applejack knew the moment her friend succeeded, suddenly she let out a gasp and all her hair
just deflated, she had never actually seen the moment this happened before and it wrenched the farm
ponies heart. Leaping up onto the bed she put her arms around Pinkie.
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In a sealed chamber a hairline crack appeared on a blue gemstone.
_______________________________________________________________________________

Elsewhere a bit of rock broke off and tumbled to the ground.
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"there there sugar cube just tell me about and we'll get you through this"AJ said comfortingly but something
was wrong, AJ could feel it. Pinkie wasn't responding to her touch and when AJ peeked down at her face
Pinkie's eyes were blank and not registering her friends presence. Really scared now Applejack shook her
friend but she didn't respond,
"oh Pinkie wake up, say something, anything, just please comeback to me" Applejack cried.
Panicked she glanced out the window and was relieved to see a cyan dot in the sky, she didn't want
to let go of Pinkie but she knew she had to.
"Rainbow Dash" she yelled out the window after she shoved it open and stuck her head out.
Circling around, Dash flew over, "whats wrong?" she asked as she got close enough to see AJ's panic.
"Get Twilight quick somethings wrong with Pinkie" she cried out
Not bothering to question what was wrong from a sense of urgency Dash felt seeing AJ so scared, Dash
sped off to Twilight's library.
Relieved that help was on the way AJ returned to Pinkie gathering her into her arms, "I'm so sorry I
never meant to hurt you, please forgive me Pinkie, I'm sorry please comeback".
As she waited she suddenly realized that Pinkie was doing something, softly, oh so softly AJ found if
she strained her ears Pinkie was saying something, it sounded like the same word over and over.
Completely focused AJ thought she could make it out, Why?. Fresh tears came down AJ's drenched
face, what was wrong with her friend, what was she seeing that all she could do was question it?

Twilight and Dash barged through the door and sped into the bedroom. Dash stopped at the door
stunned at the sight of Pinkie's unresponsive form, Twilight hurried over quickly looking Pinkie over
"What happened?" she asked in concern.
"It's my fault, I saw her crying in her sleep then convinced her to try to remember what caused it so
I could help her through it and she just froze up, I think she keeps muttering Why? over and over
again, what have I done?" AJ finally broke down completely.
"Don't worry, it's not your fault you were only being a good friend" Twilight consoled her, "now I
need to get in there" Twi's horn began to glow and AJ moved aside so Twi could touch it to Pinkie's
forehead. It seemed to be only a second after it touched that the lavender pony recoiled back, tears
streaming down her cheeks, she repeated over and over, "impossible she told us about them, they're
not dead" .
"What happened?" Dash asked concerned, moving into the room.
As soon as Rainbow entered her peripheral vision they all jumped as Pinkie screamed "WHY!?!" a
pink blur hurtled at Dash knocking her up onto her hind legs she was carried across the room and
pinned with her hoofs off the floor to the wall by Pinkie's front right leg across her throat. Dash gasped
for breath and flailed but couldn't get free, AJ and Twi rushed over and grabbed Pinkie and pulled but
she wouldn't budge. Looking into Pinkie's rage crazed eyes Dash felt distantly a new found fear and
awe for her friend. Well at least if I die it's not at the hands of a weakling, she thought bleakly.
losing energy Rainbows wings slowly came out to hang limply, as her eyes caught sight of the movement
and saw the wings, Pinkie suddenly collapsed, Twilight quickly caught Pinkie while AJ hurried over
to Dash who was on her side hacking and coughing for air. "It's okay sugar cube I got you" AJ
comforted Dash as she held her in her arms as the cyan pegasus recovered.
Twilight was holding Pinkie again on the floor trying to calm her.
Recovering faster than the others expected Dash got to her feet heading towards Twi and Pinkie, murder
written all over her face, "No Dash! she didn't mean it, leave her alone" Twi said holding Pinkie
protectively.
"i know that Twi, Pinkie's not the one that's gonna pay" Dash growled as Twi realized the door was
right behind her. "She didn't react to you or AJ, Twi, she attacked me! and there can only be one
reason why!" Dash shouted,Twi knew but hoped Rainbow was thinking of something else but lost all hope of that as Dash
looked significantly at her own coat. Her muscles bunched just giving Twi barely enough time to grab
her tail with her magic as Dash tried to take off past her, "no Dash we don't know the whole story!"
Twilight shouted.
Quivering in rage Dash screamed back, "She tried to kill me Twi, that wasn't a warning or joke, she
truly tried to kill me, Pinkie! a pony so gentle the most she will do to her worst enemy is throw a pie
and because she thought I was that Celestia forsaken stallion she tried to KILL ME!, WHAT DID HE
DO TWILIGHT, WHAT COULD HE DO TO CAUSE HER TO DO THAT!" Dash collapsed in a sobbing
heap too tired from her tirade to stay standing, AJ came over and lied down next to her putting a front
leg over Dash's shoulder to comfort her.