Author's Note
Heya! This is a little side project of mine inspired by one of Mr.Numbers fics, though not nearly as well written I'm sure. Anywho, wanted to apologize ahead of time for potential issues of confusion when telling who's talking. I tried to make it clear by using she/her as little as possible but I suspect there's still going to be some instances. Please tell me if you spot any issues such as grammar, spelling, plotholes, etc. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments, and thanks for reading!
A Pretty Mirror
They’d switch places a lot.
Pinkie and her pony counterpart, that is.
It took a lot of convincing with Sunset to even let her go through the portal unsupervised in the first place. Mostly the best pastries Pinkie made and a whole lot of I-O-U’s. Convincing the alternative version of herself, on the other hand, was a lot less difficult. They met at the pony world version of Sugarcube Corner. Which, in retrospect, wasn’t really that different.
They chatted for hours about nothing at all, really. It was amazing.
They had so many things in common; it was a dream come true. Before Pinkie knew it, her and her counterpart had come up with the perfect schedule. To neither of their surprise, they both were incredibly organized. The hard part had to be the parties. Neither of them wanted to miss out on a party, but, while they were the same in many regards, they hadn't shared a consciousness. Pony Pinkie had known things about the ponies she wanted to throw parties for that human Pinkie didn't, and vice versa.
So, they created flashcards. It became a little game for both of them.
Before they knew it, parties turned into throwing pranks together. And pranks turned into deals. One would take the place of another for something they didn’t want to go to, in exchange for that favor to be returned for something like that in the future.
One day, pony Pinkie had asked if she could take Pinkie’s place just for a day and do whatever she likes.
Pinkie said yes, of course. She didn’t have any real problem with it. Still, she was curious why her counterpart wanted that. In comparison to her world full of magic, talking animals, and a baker’s dozen other things that her world didn’t have, pony world was better by miles.
Of course, the human world did have the internet, for better or worse.
Nonetheless, she agreed.
The day went by incredibly quickly. She’d spent it hanging out with Rainbow Dash and trying to figure out the little differences between her and the soccer-loving jock version she knew. Turns out, other than napping more since she did so anytime a cloud came by, not much.
With a sigh, Pinkie somersaulted into the portal, going through the metamorphosis of transforming back into her human self and coming out the other side on her feet. She wobbled back and forth for a few seconds, trying to get a grasp on her balance.
Once she did, Pinkie triumphantly pumped her fist in the air, letting out a woot as she beamed.
“Yay! It only took me fourteen tries to finally get through and not land on my flank! Did you see that, P- woah it's cold out here!”
It hit her once she let herself settle how chilly it was out. Immediately the bitter wind hit her face with an icy sting, leaving the tips of her fingers burning with that prickly frostbite. Every breath she took was visible, with a numbness that started in her cheeks and spread to the rest of her face.
As cute as they were, she should really stop wearing skirts all the time.
“P-Pinks?” Great, she was already stuttering. At least it wasn’t raining, or she’d have to try her best not to slip on any ice in her boots. She looked around for her other half, struggling to locate her despite how well lit the school grounds were at nighttime.
It took a minute of perusing before Pinkie spotted her. The sight of which filled Pinkie’s heart with a rigidness unmatched by even the freezing atmosphere.
She was sitting on the ground beside the statue, slumped and wearing the balloon pajamas Pinkie often did during sleepovers. What was concerning was her hair, and the total lack of curls in it. It was as straight as a curtain, and covered her face just as much as one. Except for one of her eyes, which was how Pinkie could tell that she’d been crying. They were puffy and red, with a visible trail of tears.
Instantly, Pinkie was set into panic mode. She lurched to the other Pinkie’s side, setting her hand on her cold shoulder. She hardly reacted, neither leaning into nor shirking away.
“Oh my gosh, you’re freezing. Are you ok?”
“...me.”
Pony Pinkie muttered something, closing her eyes and getting to her feet. The other her struggled at first to stand up, her legs shook as she propped herself against the statue. She felt so fragile Pinkie’s grasp, so weak. It was terrifying.
“What? Nevermind, I have to get you somewhere warm; you’re going to get sick. Um,” She tapped a finger against her thigh, having hardly felt the sensation. As she brought her arm back up, it grazed against the phone in her skirt pocket. The portal always just changed it to a book, so she’d often forget it was there in the first place. “Oh! Her apartment is just a block away. Come on, do you think you can walk that far?”
The other Pinkie stayed silent, now leaning onto her as support. She was so cold and stiff, her chest barely rising and falling. Pinkie questioned if she’d even heard her in the first place, opening her mouth to repeat her question right before seeing the air around the other Pinkie’s mouth as she sharply inhaled.
“Ok.”
The meekness of her response was a stab to the chest. It was reminiscent of Fluttershy when she was younger. Or, maybe more accurately, Marble.
In a hurry, Pinkie pressed the first number of her speed dial, the phone held in between her ear and her shoulder as she gently walked with her doppleganger. She chewed on her lip in anticipation, every second that passed by with another ring and with them not picking up only made it worse.
Luckily for her, that yearned-for clicking noise arrived soon enough.
“Pinkie?” A voice came from the phone, somehow quiet despite being smooshed right against Pinkie’s eardrum. “Not that I don’t appreciate talking to you, but what are you calling for? I thought you were supposed to be busy with your ‘Freaky Friday’ thing.”
“Heyyyyy, Sunny! Yeah, um,” The chipperness in her voice was a bit forced, as she was trying her best not to let the cold get to her too much. It was a strain to keep her voice steady, having to clench her jaw and tighten her lips to keep from a stutter slipping out. “I’ll tell you about it later. Listen, I need to borrow your apartment for a bit, are you home?”
“Oh. Not right now, actually. I’m out with Rainbow and Applejack at the moment, They’re—” A distant crashing cut her off, followed by the distinct shouting of their mutual southern friend. “Taking me out for a ‘night on the town’ before college starts up this semester, so I might not be back tonight at all. Is everything alright? If there’s some emergency I can cance—”
“Nah, I can handle it; it’s no biggie. You enjoy your time, I know how stressed you get. You deserve this.”
“Well, if you’re sure. Do you have the key I gave you?”
“Hmmm,” Pinkie made a droning noise as she searched her skirt pockets, trying to recall what all she brought with her to Equestria. Usually, she tried not to bring a lot since no one knew how the portal would react to certain items. Eventually, she felt the object she was searching for and pulled it out, noticing the little sun figure with a smiley face Pinkie drew on it. “Yeppers, right here. Do you want me to feed Ray while I’m there?”
“Nah, I fed him before leaving. I think he’s getting a li—”
“Sunset, stop yabbering and get over here! I need you to be our referee for when I put AJ under the table!”
Rainbow’s voice bellowed over the speaker, followed by brief clattering and muttering as Sunset put something over her phone.
“Pinkie, I’ve gotta go before one of these two poisons themselves. I’ll keep my phone on if you need me, alright?’
“Yep! I’m already at the apartment complex, so don’t worry about me. Have fun!”
“I’m sure I will.”
With a clicking noise, the call was over, and Pinkie let out a breath so heavy that it spawned a miniature cloud that evaporated seconds later in front of her face.
The apartment complex was deceptively cheap for how nice it was, though the parking area could do with some more cleaning. It was two floors, with Sunset’s fortunately on the first. Pinkie made her way there, slipping the key into the door and popping it open with ease.
Very few things were as pleasurable as that inital wave of heat that hit, washing away that layer of ice that shrouded her. Even the other Pinkie had noticeably relaxed, the tension that ebbed out of her body could be felt as they pressed against each other.
“There’s an electric blanket inside, alright? Just follow me.”
The other Pinkie nodded, dragging her feet a bit but otherwise complying. Sunset’s apartment had a small living room, with a kitchen behind it and her bedroom not far away. Pinkie guided her other self to the couch, where a few pillows and a blanket waited. She helped her straight-haired reflection sit down, the shaking having stopped as she settled in.
“I know where Sunset hides her hot chocolate, I can make you a cup if you like. I know how you like it!” Pinkie offered in a sing-song voice, her head tilted and nudging her with her elbow.
“That—” With a croak, the other Pinkie cleared her throat. Adjusting her pajamas and tucking some of her hair behind her ears as she gave a small grin. “Would be nice. Thank you.”
“No problemo.”
Pinkie made her way to the kitchen, pouring the milk from Sunset’s fridge into cups and placed them into the microwave; smirking at the amount of whipped-cream cans that lined the inside of it. While she waited, Pinkie watched the other her on the couch, that forced composure she’d been holding dropped like a brick in a pond.
In an eerie way, the appearance was disturbingly familiar. Like looking at an aspect of herself she barely recognized as hers. The hair, the sudden reserved behavior, the lack of eye contact; all telltale signs that something had gone terribly wrong.
It’d been years since she’d been that way herself. Not just letting her hair down like Rarity had been trying to convince her to do, but actually depressed. It was some of the worst days of her life, all the smiles she’d made and had were a fading memory that never felt like she’d experience again. Even then, if she dwelled on it for too long, a phantom touch of that gross weight sat on her chest.
Which made her the perfect person to help herself.
“Here you go! Extra everything!” She handed the mug of hot cocoa to pony Pinkie, making sure to set her own mug on the coaster of the coffee table; Sunset would have her head if she stained it.
“So this is where Sunset lives? It’s,” The pony her glanced around the room, tapping her finger against the mug as she pursed her lips. “Cozy.”
“Right? I love it here!” Pinkie leaned back into the couch, placing her hands on the cushions as she searched for something. “Back when she first got it, since she lived so close to the school, she’d usually just sleep in at the last minute and then hurry to school. More often than not, it was a little late to breakfast. Once she got to college though, she had to start waking up early, and she is not a morning person.”
The other her nervously chuckled, rubbing a hand down her leg as she held her free hand to her chest.
“Aren’t you going to ask what happened?”
“Nope.” Pinkie found what she was looking for: a white, fuzzy blanket that was plugged into a nearby wall. She flipped a small switch on the side, then dropped it over her counterpart like a cloak. “You can tell me when you feel like it. Give that a few minutes to warm up, alright? We don’t have cool magic stuff here but we do have luxuries in spades!”
Pony Pinkie held the blanket closer, fidgeting a bit as she sat down and taking a tentative sip from her mug.
“Our magic stuff isn’t half as cool as your technology. We don’t have spells that get us warm or the ability to talk to anyone in the world in a few seconds; not without a lot of smoke anyway.”
“Not without a lot of drawbacks. Being connected to the entire world means you have to see the entire world, including all the bad.” Pinkie wringed her wrist, her beam wavered for a moment as her mind wandered. “You’ve got to learn to filter it, or it's a lot more bad than good. On the plus side, we do have,” Pinkie got her phone out of her pocket, turning it on and scrolled through her phone’s storage until coming across a video. Craning it and showing it to her. “Cat videos! Large cats like Big Floppa. Look at its ears!”
“Awww!” As soon as the other her saw her phone, the corners of her lips curled into a genuine smile. Some of the strains of hair began to bend, resembling that classic cottony candy style she was known for. “It reminds me of Gummy. I really wish I could bring him here, I’m sure he’d love it—oh wow, that is warm.”
With a shudder, pony Pinkie pulled the blanket closer, flipping it around to her front and lying it across her lap as she picked up her mug off the table and taking a more hefty sip.
“There aren’t a lot of things better than getting under that blanket on a cold night and enjoying some hot chocolate. Except for a birthday party, or a surprise party, or a really good cake.” Pinkie giggled, snuggling closer to her other self and placing half of the blanket on her own legs. “Ok, maybe there's a few things better.”
“Mhm.”
Pinkie ran her hands between the cushions, trying to find the remote to the TV. Usually, she’d be content to just sit and talk with her other half until the sun came up. At the moment, however, she could tell that her doppleganger’s mind laid elsewhere. Any attempt at conversation would just be skirting around the topic they were both thinking of and Pinkie knew it.
“Man, I can’t find it.” She muttered with a sigh, propping her phone on the coffee table as she scoured through whatever happened to be in her feed. “I guess we can just watch whatever—”
“He hugged me.”
Pinkie practically felt the weight come off her other self’s chest at those words. Her shoulders slumped and bringing a palm to her eyes, a shaky breath slipped through her mouth.
Without a word, Pinkie turned off her phone. Shifting on the couch to face her reflection with mug in hand, a patient smile donned her face.
“Who did?”
“Our,” She sucked in air, tightly gripping the blanket in her fingers. “Your Father hugged me.”
“Well, yeah. He came back from a business trip today. Dad always does that.”
“He’s never hugged me.”
“Oh.” Pinkie’s brows furrowed, her eyes briefly narrowing and then widening. “Oh.”
“Yeah.”
“Never? As in never ever?”
She shook her head, resting her mug on the coffee table as she ran her hands up her shoulders. Bringing her legs to the couch and crossed them.
“Father’s always been distant; Mother too. I just didn’t realize how much so before—” Whatever she was going to say hitched in her throat, a choked sob took its place. Her chin dropped to her chest, hands clasped her arms. “I wanted to see if your family was different from mine, what your Rock Farm was like. I guess I got my answer.”
“Pinks…” Pinkie put a hand on her reflection’s shoulder, gently moving it back and forth as carefully as she could. “You could have just asked me. I would have told you.”
“Yeah, but I wanted to see for myself. I love my family, I just didn’t think yours would be so much more,” she hummed, eyes darting back and forth. “Affectionate.”
“Wow. I’ve heard my family described with a lot of adjectives, but that’s a first.” Pinkie laughed, albeit in an admittedly forced manner as she was desperately trying to alleviate the tension in the room. “I’m sure they’re not that different. You told me that you and Maud are best friends, right? We’re like that too; we even do the rock candy necklaces. See?”
Pinkie reached into her shirt, grabbing a beaded necklace of various colors. Each one a different color and shape, remaining small enough to not stick out from under her shirt. The other Pinkie brought her hand to her neck, tracing a finger along the lines of where a necklace would be.
“You’re right, our Maud’s are practically the same. It's the rest of the family that wasn’t as recognizable. Marble was more talkative than mine has ever been, and Limestone…” She trailed off, scoffing as she shook her head. “Well, she’s mostly the same old Limey. Just less angry all the time, less bitter. Don’t get me wrong, she’s my sister and I love her to death. It’s just obvious even to me that being the oldest and inheriting the family business,” She closed her eyes, half grimacing as she hung her head. “It gets to her.”
“Mine’s the same way. No, that’s not right.” Pinkie scratched her cheek, pursing her lips as she tried to think of better wording. She used to be like that, and sometimes she still is. She’s a lot better now, though.” Pinkie scrolled through her phone once more, eventually coming across a picture of all of them together when they were much younger. “This was us just a few years ago, before Marble and I were about to graduate to middle school. It’s the first time I managed to convince Lime to smile in a photo. Since then she’s al—”
“Wait, she’s smiling?” The other Pinkie took the phone, mouth agape as she stared at the photo. “I’ve never managed to convince her to smile in a photo; she hates taking pictures of herself. What did you tell her?”
“What she wanted to hear. That, from then on,” Pinkie twirled one of the rocks of her necklace in between her fingers. “We’d start including her in Maud, Marble and I’s rock candy tradition. Really, we should have included her in it from the start. It just took me a while to understand how badly she wanted to be a part of it.”
“She does? But I-I’ve,” She stumbled over her words, gaze locked on the phone with a trembling lip. “She’s never been interested in that. I’ve asked her more than a couple of times.”
“And you took what she said at face value?” Pinkie asked with a tilt of her head. “It’s Limestone, you know how she is with her feelings. You have to read her like the books she often has her nose in. I’ve been around her both of our lives, I know her better than anyone else.”
At that, the other Pinkie winced, recoiling and inching away. Pinkie pursed her lips, her eyebrows pulling together as she raised her head.
“Haven’t you?”
“No.”
A quivering chin, a bent neck, bringing her legs into her chest; All of which were telltale signs of growing unease. Pinkie reached out to touch her again, only to stop herself halfway, letting her hand drop limply to her lap.
“After the sonic rainboom, I left the farm for a while. I still sent letters and visited every now and again, but we stopped living together and really talking for a while. I never really thought about it.”
“The sonic rainboom? That magical thing your Rainbow Dash did?”
“Yeah. It,” She sniffled, relaxing her arms and releasing them from around her knees. The ghost of a genuine smile dancing across her lips. “It was this beautiful explosion of colors. The first I’d seen in my life when all the farm had to offer was grey and brown; it’s what inspired me to start throwing parties and making people smile. After I threw my first one, I realized that I couldn’t stay on that farm anymore if I wanted to make everyone in Equestria smile, so I convinced my parents to let me go and they did. Then, The Cakes took me in at Ponyville and one day Twilight showed up there and,” She chuckled, meeting Pinkie’s eyes. “You know the rest.”
“...huh.” Pinkie exclaimed, resting her elbow on her legs and placing her chin on her hand. “A magical rainboom is what inspired you to start throwing parties? For me, it was when Mom and Dad both couldn’t make it home on time for Maud’s birthday. They were supposed to be back, but it was a really bad winter and they had all the presents. So,” Pinkie shifted on the couch, standing up and stretching with her arms above her head. Then placed her hands on her hips as she pivoted on her heels. “Yours truly took it upon herself to throw a party with what I could find, based entirely on the end of the year parties my elementary school usually did. It wasn’t a lot, but we had each other, and the smile Maud had on her face was what convinced me that being able to make others smile is what I want to do with my life. It might not have been my first time seeing colors like yours. Even so,” Pinkie put a hand on her chest, taking her necklace off and holding it up to the light. She moved it in her hands, the rocks clanking against each other as they shined. “I think it was just as beautiful.”
The other Pinkie’s eyes sparkled as she peered at the necklace, placing her mug on the coffee table and standing up alongside her.
“Maud does have the prettiest smiles.” She took off the blanket, placing it on the couch and fumbling with the switch on the side until she managed to turn it off. “I’m sorry that your parents missed it.”
“Me too. It kind of turned out to be a good thing they did, though. When they eventually got home and we told them what happened, Dad…cried. It was the first time I ever saw him cry.” Pinkie grew quiet, wringing her wrist and turning away. “After that, there were a lot less business trips. They were both home more often, Mom started talking about her childhood and Dad started smiling more. Actually, now that you mention it, hmmm.” Pinkie paused, rubbing her chin as she leaned on one leg. “I’m pretty sure that was when he started being more affectionate. In fact, that’s when he first hugged me. I remember it being warm, really warm; even more than this hot chocolate we’re drinking.”
As if to display, Pinkie picked up her mug of hot chocolate and blew on the surface. Taking a drawn out sip from it and nodding her head in satisfaction.
“Mine was warm too. It’s just,” With her arms wrapped around herself, pony Pinkie wandered the room, glancing between the various pictures on the wall. Soon stopping at one that was right above the TV, hung in the center of the wall with no other photos around.
It was a picture of Sunset and all the others, with her in the center. All of them smiling.
“When he hugged me, it was like my entire foalhood flashed before my eyes. Every interaction, every hoof on my shoulder, every Pie family gathering. My parents love me; I know they do. They’re just so stuck in tradition and obligation that they don’t know how. And I’m—” She slumped forward, her arms fell limply as they hugged her sides. “Not much better, I guess. I never tried hugging them, never even thought about it. I didn’t even consider Limestone would feel left out from the rock candy. When he hugged me, I felt…angry.” Pinkie could see Pony Pinkie’s spine curl, most of her body trembled in a way she tried to hide. “Angry at him for never hugging me until then, angry at myself for not realizing it, then I was just sad and wanted to tell him how much it meant to me. I had to keep reminding myself that they weren’t my family.”
“Pinks, they’re as much your family as they are mine.”
“They’re not. I mean, they are, but,” Pony Pinkie wringed her wrist, reaching forward and placed a quivering hand on the photo; tracing her fingers on the other version of herself. “They’re as different as they are the same. I’ve been trying to get Marble to talk more for years, yet yours just does. Is it because they live in the city instead of on a rock farm? Is there something wrong with them? Or just,” she retracted her hand, shifting away from the picture with her elbows tucked into her sides. “Me?”
“Hey, hey, hey. Listen,” Pinkie got off the couch, careful not to bump into the coffee table as she made her way towards her reflection. She placed a hand on Pony Pinkie, turning so they faced each other as she embraced her other self. Gently, she hesitated with each movement to give her every chance to stop her.
She never did.
“There’s nothing wrong with you, alright? Just like there’s nothing wrong with me. Maybe I didn’t grow up on a rock farm full of sparkly gems and crystals. Instead, I got a house so big I always felt how empty it was.” Pinkie pulled back, pushing away a few strands of hair that had slipped back onto her half-lidded eyes. “I’ve been to a few quarries back when Daddy thought I’d be interested in the family business, and I don’t think I could live there. I really can’t imagine what that must have been like for you.”
Her look-alike sniffled, rubbing a hand across her face. Her lips parted, just for whatever words she wanted to utter make their home on her tongue. She took a long, sharp breath. Closing her eyes and placing her hand over Pinkie’s, opening them and fully making eye contact for the first time since they’d entered the apartment.
“It was hard!” Pony Pinkie tightly gripped Pinkie’s hand, with such an iron grip it was painful. Instead of wincing or withdrawing, Pinkie ignored it and stood there; returning only a comforting touch and open arms. “They never smiled before that party. There were no cakes or balloons. We didn’t even celebrate birthdays. To this day, when I visit for the holidays some part of me dreads going back. D-does that,” she paused, tensing her body as her chest caved in. “Does that make me a bad person that I don’t want to see them?”
“Not at all.” Pinkie’s eyes darted to the side, her lips wavered into a pout. “Sometimes, I get into arguments with Limestone or even Maud. Most of the time, it's with Dad. I usually leave and come here or to another friend's house, and I don’t really want to go back either. But,” Pinkie sighed, finding her hand dragging to her rock candy necklace again. “I do. We make up, and we laugh and eat and talk. Because I love them, they love me, and we’re happy. No family’s perfect. As odd as they are, they’re mine; I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Pinkie smiled, dropping her chin as all the silly fights came to mind.
“I’m sure it’s the same for you and your family. They love you, Pinkie. They just live in a really depressing place. If they’re happy there, then you should be happy for them. Just as they’re happy for you that you’ve found somewhere you belong.”
“I’m not sure if they’re…” Pony Pinkie trailed off, finally loosening her grip. She rubbed her face on a piece of her pajamas, bits of her hair were staying back and curling. That grey paleness in her skin began to fade as a pink hue glowed. “Then what should I do?”
“Go home and talk to them. I promise they’ll listen.” Pinkie moved back to the couch, accompanied by her reflection. They sat back down on the couch, Pinkie grabbing her mug of now slightly less hot chocolate. “Well, not right now, if you don’t want to. You can stay the night here and go back in the morning when it should be warmer. Sunset has every princess movie known to man in here and we can watch them.”
“Are you sure? I kinda,” She bit her lip, awkwardly placing one leg over the other. “Just left without saying anything after he hugged me. They’re probably worried.”
“Psh, it's fine. I’ve stormed off and didn’t come back a few times; they know I’m just staying the night somewhere else and I’ll be back tomorrow.” Pinkie poked at the comedically large mushrooms that stuck out of the surface of the hot chocolate. Applying pressure until they went under, and then popped back out. “Sunset’s not going to mind either if she comes back tonight. We’re all good, I swear.”
“Mmm.”
“I have cinnamon-toast spread!” Pinkie sang, placing her mug back on the table and literally skipped to the table. Opening a cabinet and getting out a small jar and a package of bread. Showing them off with a infectiously sincere beam. “Ok, I told a little fib. Sunset has cinnamon toast spread. I’m sure she won’t miss a slice or two.” She took the lid off the jar, sticking a knife in and licking the smidge of brown cream on the edge. “Or a dozen. I keep forgetting how good this is!”
“Hey, save some for me.” Pony Pinkie shot out of the couch with tangible vigor, coming over to the kitchen and stealing the jar from her counterpart. Swiftly dipping the knife into it as her eyes bulged. “Celestia, this came from a cereal?”
“The best cereal ever!” Pinkie shoved the package of bread into her counterparts arms, hopping to the side and making her way towards one of doors that hadn’t been opened. “I think I know where the remote is. I’m going to go get it so we can watch something, alright?”
“Okie dokie lokie!”
By the time Pinkie had returned with the remote, there was a plate of bread slices with a thick layer of cinnamon spread on it. With a cartoon-like jump, Pinkie landed on the spot beside her other, slightly bouncing as she clicked a button on the remote and the TV came on.
“Alright, now, we can watch this in the story order, or we can-”
“Hey Pinkie?”
“Yeah?” While twirling the remote in her hand, Pinkie tilted her head; eyes glazed over as they shifted to her right.
“Thank you.”
Her eyes softened as Pinkie met them, a closed mouth smile as she set her hand on Pinkie’s. There was this moment where sound stopped and everything paused, like someone had taken a picture of that second in time. Though, there was no awkwardness or tension. In its place was this aura of tranquility, this sensation that no words were necessary.
It was rare for Pinkie to not feel that obligation she needed to say something, to keep talking, to make others happy.
It was nice.
Pinkie returned her own small smirk, placing a hand against her chest as she could feel her eyes glow.
“You’re welcome.”
________________________
As long as Sunset’s princess collection may have been, the sun rose sooner or later and they were both asleep by the time it did. Sunset herself never came home, so Pinkie’s alarm was the thing to wake them up. After a hearty breakfast consisting of the best whipped cream and waffles Pinkie could muster, they parted ways at the portal and Pinkie made her way home.
There, as she expected to see, was the walking miracle herself: Maud.
She was outside in the rock garden she’d made for herself years ago, in a circle of rocks, pebbles, and of course the star guest she was attending to: Boulder. She’d been whispering something to it in her hands, before her half closed eyelids shot open and gleamed over as soon as she spotted Pinkie.
“Pinkie, you’re ok. I was worried.” She deadpanned. Contrasted with her movements, which was placing Boulder back with the others and rushing towards her. Embracing her in a rigid, painfully tight hug that squeezed the air right out of her. “Dad said you started crying and then just left. What happened?”
“M-Maud, air.” Pinkie managed to squeak out, tapping her sisters forearm in a bout of desperation.
“Oh, sorry.” Maud promptly let go, backing away with a shuffle of her feet and stiff placement of her arms against her sides. “What happened?”
A flare of urgency broke through her voice with a crack, her lips flickered with something resembling a frown.
Few things grabbed Pinkie’s attention more than when Maud felt something so intensely she could see it somewhere other than her eyes.
“Yeah, uhm, that was…” Crap, she hadn’t expected for Maud to be there. Igneous would believe whatever she said, but Maud was a lot harder to deceive. “I just thought of something really sad and—oh nevermind. I can’t lie to you.”
“Yeah, you shouldn’t. You’re really bad at it.”
With a tingle in her chest, Pinkie couldn’t help but chuckle at Maud’s words. Falling short once she peered past Maud at the house, knowing the plethora of explanations she’d have to provide once she entered.
“Listen, I’ll tell you the truth in a bit, alright? I don’t want to make Daddy worried anymore than I have to. He’s getting old and he really should be resting more. I—”
Maud stared at her.
And stared.
And kept staring.
Pinkie held her breath, before finally letting it out in a shaky sigh.
“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” She did the motions, and Maud copied each one with perfect precision. At the end of it, a smile, a small one but quite large when it came to Maud, replaced the etchings of worry that spelled out how concerned she was.
“Alright, he’s right inside in the living room. He hasn’t slept since since you left; not longer than a few minutes at a time, at least.”
“Oh no, really? God, I feel awful.” Pinkie made a few steps towards the house, getting halfway up the stairs before a strange itch crawled its way up her throat.
There was something she had the urge to say.
“Hey, Maud?”
She barely nudged from the spot she was in, following Pinkie with her eyes and then the rest of her body at the calling of her name.
“Yes?”
“You’re my sonic rainboom.”
She blinked.
“What does that mean?”
Pinkie smirked.
“I’ll tell you later.”
