Our Mutual Epiphany

Chapters

The Price of Atonement
Wearing My Faults Like A Noose
What Use Have I For You, Pitiful Creature
Everything Is Fine, Everything Is Always Fine
Theraputic Laughter

The Price of Atonement

Our Mutual Epiphany

by Grisaille

Rated E for Everyone

“Get out of here. Now.”

Those were the first words that Pinkie Pie would hear from her sister Inky, when the two and Blinky reunited with each other in the cold month of December. They were words not expected from either of the other sisters, filled with a bitterness that should've been reserved for a mortal enemy. They would be the starting point for a heated argument with screaming, tears and blind emotion. In the end, Pinkie would find herself leaving with Inky's glare and Blinky's weary stare bearing into her hindquarters, her head hung low and her curly locks straight.

What had been in mind was a simple and impromptu visit to the old rock farm where Pinkie and her family had resided. The two parents had caught a severe case of silicosis due to the constant rock farming. Despite a hospital's helping hand, they were simply too old to endure the damage done. All it took was the touch of tuberculosis and a few weeks to finish them off. Although their funeral had came and went long ago, it was only recently that Pinkie herself had discovered their passing. Against the winter storm that was beginning to sweep the landscape, she brought it upon herself to trek the path that led to her old and abandoned home. She didn't have to be a witness of the burial to know that was where the graves were. After all, she and her sisters had been well informed ahead of time, long before the first stages of the disease began to settle in.

She hadn't expected Inky and Blinky to be the new residents of the home, and in turn, the two sisters hadn't expected Pinkie to show up. Inky had found Pinkie in their backyard, sitting over the graves in lament. It was the spot where the rift would be opened up for the three to see, hearts would be broken, and a year-lasting bond would shatter to fragments. All of this was due to a mixture of justified reason and emotional irrationality, brought on by Pinkie's lack of presence in the event of the burial. The party mare's immersion in Ponyville and her new friends caused her to cast aside her sisters and parents. She had forgotten about them, and so Inky took this act of carelessness as a sign of ungratefulness and betrayal. When she expressed these feelings to Pinkie in a barely restrained rage, she ended up crushing her target's heart underneath a landfill of guilt. Despite Blinky trying to calm Inky down and keep Pinkie's spirit intact, it was clear that she felt the same.

Thus began the journey back home, leading to where she was now.

If Inky's rage had not been enough to destroy Pinkie, then the snow storm would be. The wind blew a wall of white in front of her path, constant blinding her with both the falling snow and her own mane. Every time she took a step forward, she could feel the unpleasant chill of the frosty sea as her leg sank into it. The only protection she had was her fur, a blue thick knitted scarf wrapped snugly around her neck, and a resolve that was steadily failing. It didn't help that she was showing signs of sickness such as bursting into coughing fits on occasion and stumbling out of momentary loss of her motor functions. These conditions only increased the pent-up anger and frustration she held towards both herself and her siblings. She could almost feel Inky's satisfaction.

As she trudged her way through the dominating winter landscape, she cast a glaring glance upwards. The sky was completely enveloped in the grayish-white of the clouds, which clumped together so tightly that not even a speck of sunlight would've been able to get through. It was a time where the weather pegasi had worked extremely hard to make up for excessive slacking. It was also a time in where Pinkie found herself resenting them. Who could craft such a universal hazard and still be considered sane? Did they not consider those who absolutely had to push through the weather in order to make a living? Was it assumed that everyone would stay indoors?

Of course, it was a rational assumption. Nobody in their right mind would've been one foot away from their houses for any reason, let alone visiting the graves of the deceased. Had her friends known what she was doing, they would've scolded her for even thinking about such a foolish gesture. She was definitely scolding herself right now, agitated at the carbon dioxide-turned-vapor she huffed out. If she knew that the visit was going to turn into a disaster, she wouldn't have come. She would've been safe and cozy in Sugarcube Corner, playing with Pumpkin and Pound Cake beside the fireplace while Mr. and Mrs. Cake tended to the final stages of the workday. She wouldn't have had to worry about wasting her time and leaving with a broken heart afterwards.

But was it really a waste of time? That was the main question running through Pinkie's mind as she did her best to ignore her own labored breathing, her shaking legs, and the increasing difficulty of moving through the frozen garden. Did it matter that, at the very least, she had even considered the thought of visiting the grave? Maybe that would run through Inky's head after she had calmed herself down. Maybe then, she would begin to believe that she had overreacted, and in the wake of her fury, drove away her own blood like a villain. Maybe she too would feel guilty over what had happened, realizing that she had just sent her sister into this natural disaster.

Another stumble, and another coughing fit.

Pinkie's vision was starting to blur, her head becoming more and more muddled with each and every step taken. Even through the loud howling of the wind, she could hear the wheezes every time she took and gave a breath. She could feel her heartbeat slow down in the wake of time, stopping the relentless pounding it had started upon the beginning of her trek. Now, it wasn't just the snow alone that was preventing her from moving freely, but the growing stiffness of her joints as they succumbed to the freezing temperatures. She felt so tired, so exhausted, and so sleepy that she simply wanted to fall down on the snow and close her eyes.

Oh, she was so close to her home! She only had so little distance to cover before she was finally out of this blizzard. She had to push forward, get to her home and back to her friends. Then, she would be able to enjoy the warmth that waited up ahead. These thoughts were her drive, and even in her fading mind, she clung on to them like a leech. Her limbs, stiff and frozen as they were, continued to push through the snow and fight against the current. Her determination to get home started to override her grievances, her inner pain and her fury.

That is, until her head collided with the bark of a tree.

Her eyelids retracted, and she reflexively took a few steps back from it in order to visually take it in.

Yes, this was indeed a tree in her path.

Reflexively, she spun her head around with the hopes that she wouldn't see what she was expecting to see. But to her shock and growing despair, all she could see was the faint silhouettes of the trees surrounding her. She could not see the clearing that she had been walking through before, the curtain of white allowing her only to see so far. In her disoriented state, she had allowed herself to walk straight off the path leading her home. Now, in the desolate and cold storm, she had nowhere to go and no place to take shelter. She was lost, and she didn't even know when she had stepped off the road to safety. For a moment, her heart began to resume its harsh beating against her rib-cage.

“No, no, no, no, no!” Her only word was repeated in a frightened and slurred mantra, her hooves stomping in the snow in an instinctive attempt to drive out the growing anxiety. She turned her head behind her in an attempt to find her own hoof prints and use them as a means to pull herself back onto her old trail. But the curtain of snow was so thick, she could tell that most of the prints she left behind had been filled up. She pushed her limbs forward, stumbling and wheezing in a blind effort to relocate the path. But no matter where she went, she simply could not find her way back. She was as blind as a mole without any of its other five senses.

Another stumble, then a fall.

She collapsed on her side, the sting of the cold and wet frost shooting through her nervous system. She was becoming more and more desperate as she felt the veil of darkness suffocating her mind. She started thrashing around, trying to get back up on her hooves. But it was no use. She had completely lost control over her locomotive functions, her nerves too numb and her body having lost too much of its strength. All she could do was throw herself about in vain like a turtle on its back, unable to recover itself.

Then, after engraving a malformed snow angel in the ground, she curled her legs up to her, shut her eyes, and started sobbing quietly. Any resolve she had to bring her home was destroyed, along with her dignity and chances of a happy ending. It wasn't supposed to end this way. She wasn't supposed to be cast out by her own blood and die on a miserable trip back home. She wasn't supposed to stop so far away from where her friends were waiting for her. But she was, no matter how much she wanted to deny it. She was going to have her life ripped away from her, and her body would be buried, frozen and forgotten in the snowy sands. It was a terrible ending to a horrible day.

“G...goodbye, girls...” She managed to whisper. “I'll...m...miss... y...y...you...”

Her mind surrendered to the darkness shortly after.

~Grisaille~

“What do you mean, she's gone?!”

“I mean it like I say it, Rainbow!! Gone!! As in, vanished!! The Cakes haven't seen her, the rest of us haven't seen her, and no one else has, either!!

“Obviously, you weren't checking hard enough!! She wouldn't do something so stupid as to just go out in this storm!!”

“Now, see here--”

“ENOUGH!!”

Twilight's thundering yell resonated within the library as it silenced the squabble between Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Predictably, this earned the shocked and frightened gazes of all four of her friends. But she paid no mind to anything but the ones who had started the argument in the first place, fixing a rather harsh stare on the two rivals. “Pinkie could be lost in this storm, and you all you guys are thinking of doing is wasting time bickering?!”

The fire within both of the debaters was extinguished, and they were quick to look away from each other in shame.

“Sorry, Twi.” Rainbow Dash muttered. “Pointing hooves at Applejack isn't going to bring Pinkie back from... wherever she is right now.” Her eyes flickered with worry at the last bit of her words, and she anxiously pawed at the ground with one of her hooves.

“Yeah.” Applejack agreed. “But, in any case, I haven't seen hide or hair of Pinkie Pie.” She frowned, biting the inside of her cheek in worry. “I don't know why in the world she would go outside in the middle of a fierce storm like this! Did she even tell you all where she was going?” She looked over to Rarity and Fluttershy, hoping for a positive response.

“She didn't grace me with either a word or even her presence!” Rarity spoke up with a slight indignation, following it up with a light stamp of her hoof. “I can't imagine why she would keep a secret from us in a situation this dire!”

“She didn't come to my house.” Fluttershy said. “Or rather, she didn't tell me about her leaving...”

Twilight let out a groan, plopping herself onto her haunches and placing a hoof on her face. Pinkie's randomness had always been an irritation. But now, it served as the primary reason of their helplessness. What exactly had their pink friend thought when she set off? Did she assume that they would've thought less of her if she had spoken about the reason why she would risk herself in such weather? “Great. Just great. I don't even know the first step in trying to look for her!”

“I'm sure there's some way, Twi.” Applejack said gently, walking over and placing a reassuring hoof on Twilight's shoulder. “If she left Ponyville, the only way she could've gone is the pathway leading in. She couldn't have gotten too far away, considering the blizzard outside.”

“We could just try going out there and looking for her--”

“No, that would be too risky.” Twilight was quick to cut off Rainbow Dash's suggestion, earning a glare of mild annoyance. “Going out there runs the risk of us getting separated and lost. There would be no way of getting back or finding Pinkie if that happened--”

Then, she stopped herself. A look of realization came across her face, and she quickly stood up from the floor. Her mouth slowly stretched into a smile – something that garnered the attention of her friends.

“Unless... wait here! I've got an idea!”

She ran off, racing upstairs and out of sight before any of them could question her.

“Sheesh...” Rainbow Dash was quick to prevent what would have been a silence. “What's with her all of a sudden?”

“Whatever idea she has, I can only hope it works.” Rarity muttered, turning her attention to the window. She walked over to it, pressing a hoof against the glass. She was slightly disturbed at the wind's ferocity and the amount of snow that had accumulated on the ground. “Wherever Pinkie is, she's not going to last very long out there. I mean, just look at this!”

“I hear you...” Applejack muttered, walking over to stand beside her. “I don't think we've seen a storm this bad since... well... ever! Think the weather ponies went a bit too overboard this time?”

At this, Rainbow was quick to regress to a sheepish attitude. “Yeah...” She muttered, turning away when she saw the majority of eyes on her. “The weather management schedule has been going through last-minute changes in order to suit the holiday. We've had some talk about a mild frost, others about a mild snow storm, and even more wanting stuff like this. It's been causing a lot of stress in the staff trying to figure out what would be best. The only reason this blizzard is in effect is because they realized they were wasting time arguing about a choice of winter--”

“Found it!”

All eyes turned towards an excited Twilight as they heard her voice. They would see her carrying a transparent and indigo sphere as well as a pair of goggles within her magical influence. She trotted towards them, levitating the two objects within the view of her friends. “Took me a while to get to them, considering I haven't used them in so long. But here they are!”

“What's it supposed to be, Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked, quirking an eyebrow.

“It's a tracking device for weather pegasi for situations like this.” Twilight was quite ready to jump to the explanation. “The goggles can track a target via the magic signature they give off. Pegasi, unicorns and Earth ponies give off their own unique signature, making it easier for a group of weather pegasi to find each other in case they get lost in a storm like this while working. It also allows for easier location of finding citizens unfortunate enough to get caught in the storm.”

The last line she spoke seemed to lighten up their spirits.

“To set the beacon, all I have to do is channel just the right amount of energy to the orb in order for it to power itself.” For emphasis, Twilight levitated the orb and goggles in full view for everyone to see. “Then, a pegasus wearing these goggles will set off to find their designated target. On the outer rim of the inner lens, there will be several arrows inscribed within the glass. One arrow on each lens will glow, indicating which direction the target will be in. The pegasus has to keep a mental image of what she's looking for at all times for the arrows to actually point to it. Otherwise, they'll lead offtrack.”

Once Rainbow Dash saw Twilight shift her gaze to her person and walk over, she knew what was coming next.

“Rainbow, we're counting on you. Find Pinkie Pie and bring her back as quickly as you can. I don't think anyone can withstand this storm for very long, so don't push yourself, all right?”

“You got it, Twi!” Rainbow Dash followed this confirmation with a quick salute. She reached out, retrieving the goggles from the unicorn's magical grip so that she could slip them on.

“What about the rest of us?” Rarity inquired, drawing Twilight's attention to her.

“There's not really much the rest of us can do,” The response was given with a slight bit of sadness. “Other than make sure that our houses are fully enclosed and protected from the snow. We'll just have to hope that Pinkie's all right... wherever she is.”

“She'll be okay.” Rainbow Dash was quick to assure them, giving a confident smile. “I'll have her back here before you know it. Now get that beacon set up!”

~Grisaille~

It had only taken a minute before Rainbow Dash was soaring through the skies over the Evergreen Forest – the immediate target in the event one wanted to look for another lost in the snow storm.

When they spoke of the weather, they did not take anything lightly. She could feel the sting of the chilly winds as she flew through them, gritting her teeth at the wind trying to sink into her pores. If not for the goggles, she was certain that the temperatures would've turned the water of her eyes into solid ice. As she pressed on, she could already feel the bones of her joints ache slightly. The only thing that kept her from pausing or stopping entirely was the entirety of her system, which was on overdrive. One of the catalysts was, ironically, the conditions of the weather itself. She couldn't waste time, lest she or Pinkie wanted to become part of the snow that made up the ground.

Another was Pinkie herself. Who knew how the mare was faring in such weather? She certainly wasn't the athletic time, or at least a physically capable pony able to compete with her and Applejack. That, as well as the fact no one knew how long she had been out here, brought about a feeling of anxiety that just wouldn't go away. What could have possibly convinced the party mare that going out in this storm was a good idea?

A bank from an incoming tree, a turn to the left, a turn to the right.

Rainbow Dash continued to fly through the treetops, avoiding branch after branch. For anyone else, this would have been considered to be a suicidal and reckless approach. The clusters of branches and the next-to-zero wind visibility made that very clear. But she had the bravery, the experience, the equipment and the prowess to perform the daredevil method without batting an eyelash. While part of it was the desire for better visibility, another part was her own desire for a challenge. It would have been far too easy to just fly over the trees and--

“Wait!”

Abruptly, she stopped when she saw the arrows within her goggles abruptly point downward from their continuous forward position. She looked around in confusion for a brief moment before bringing herself down to the ground. As her hooves sank into the snow, she bristled at the chill that jolted through her body. She might as well have been walking through a shallow river, what with the snow nearly up to her kneecaps. It was a minor inconvenience. She had to focus on finding Pinkie.

She took a few steps forward, taking in a deep breath and ignoring the frosty winds that went down her throat. “PINKIE! ARE YOU OUT THERE?!”

No response.

“PINKIE! IT'S RAINBOW DASH! IF YOU'RE HIDING IN A TREE OR SOMETHING, STICK A HOOF OR HAND OUT OR SOMETHING, WOULD YOU?”

It wasn't an entirely irrational statement. Considering Pinkie could hide various items “throughout all of Equestria” in case of “emergencies”, Rainbow Dash couldn't overlook the possibility that she had taken shelter within a hollow tree. Following that thought was the rather humorous scenario of her accidentally angering a raccoon or bird that happened to be taken refuge within the same tree. She couldn't help but snicker a little at the thought of Pinkie and a raccoon complaining to each other about living space, with a few bites from both sides.

So lost in her slight mirth, she almost didn't notice what she was stepping on.

When she felt something within the snow, she stopped and looked down. Although all she could see was snow, she could feel the sensation of something stringy under her hooves. Her eyebrow quirked in confusion, and she raised a front hoof to paw at the snow. It only took her a few seconds for her to push away the snow obscuring whatever was under it, and when she did, she squinted her eyes and lowered her head down to inspect it.

It was a pink tail.

She only knew of two ponies it could belong to – and one of them was back in Ponyville.

“Oh, no...”

Without hesitation, Rainbow Dash opened her mouth, bit down on the tail, and moved herself backwards to drag what she hoped wasn't her friend out of the snow. But when she saw the three balloons on the hindquarters and the raspberry pink fur, she knew her fears were confirmed.

“Pinkie?!” She exclaimed, quickly moving over to Pinkie's front and holding the head up. She raised a hoof to roughly slap the mare in an attempt to stir her out of her presumed unconscious state. But as with the vocal call, the only response was the howling of the winds. Once again, the amount of time that Pinkie possibly spent outside occurred to her, and as a result, her heart began to pound viciously against the rib-cage. “Come on, Pinks, this isn't funny! You gotta wake up!” Tears were threatening to spill from her eyes, stopped by the combination of her fading willpower and the icy winds. It took all she had to turn away from the possibility of tragedy.

She had to hurry.

Knowing panicking wouldn't solve anything, Rainbow stood up and positioned herself beside Pinkie. She lowered her head, pushing her nose in the gap between the body and the ground. After getting far enough under, she lifted her head upwards and rolled the body onto her back. “I promised Twilight and the others that I'd bring you back home. You're not going to die on my watch, got it?!” Although she knew Pinkie couldn't hear, she said those words with a fierce passion that expressed the extent of her desperation. With a spread and flap of her wings, she took off into the cloudy skies in order to complete her objective.

“Hang on, just hang on... I swear, you're gonna be all right...”

~Grisaille~

Wearing My Faults Like A Noose

“All of these years, and you pick now to show your face around here?! You're such a shameless piece of trash!”

“H-hey, wait a minute, let's not--”

“NO, Pinkie. I've waited and we've waited for several years. We were waiting, hoping that one day you'd actually come back to see us. But no, you just had to stay around and frolic in that stupid and fruity town!”

“Whoa, come on, sis, calm down!”

“Stay out of this, Blinky!”

“You don't understand! I thought... I thought--”

“You thought what? That you being all grown up now meant you didn't have to pay attention towards your family, your own blood?! That it was all right to just forget about us?! What was so important back there that you were willing to cast us aside?! Huh?!”

“I...I...”

“ANSWER ME, PINKIE!! WHAT WAS IT?!”

“STOP SCREAMING AT ME!!! I DON'T KNOW!!!”

Shouting out was the first thing Pinkie Pie did when she came back into the world of the living.

From what she assumed was a prostrate position, she jerked herself up in the trail of her own vocalization. Instantly after, she could feel a sudden weight press against her chest. In her world of blurs, she could not see what was responsible for it. Thus, she ended up struggling against what was attempting to hold her down. Despite her inability to shake off the pressure, she continued to fight in her blind panic. But once she heard a lone and familiar voice cut through her self-created haze...

“Pinkie! Snap out of it, wake up!”

...her body froze, and her dream shattered away to reveal the source.

“Rarity...?”

The first thing she saw was the azure of the said pony's eyes glimmering with concern. Under that stare, Pinkie Pie allowed herself to relax and be pushed back to her prostrate position. It was here that she saw that she wasn't on the ground as she had been, but under the blanket and sheets of a bed. The hoof Rarity had on her chest felt strangely warm in contrast to a chilly aura that had overtaken the room she was in. She found that her body was shivering slightly and continuously, discomforted by the cold. When the hoof was taken off, she was quick to sink deeper into the covers.

When her eyes looked around, she realized that she and Rarity were not alone. At her bedside was the presence of her other six friends, who looked on with varying degrees of concern. In return, she regarded them with surprise and confusion. “Guys...?” She asked, finding her voice hoarse. “What... where am I...? What happened...?” She pulled a hoof out to place on her temples, trying to nurse a slight headache.

She would not get her answer right away, for her friends had to express their enthusiasm upon seeing her awakening.

“Oh, thank Celestia you're all right!” Twilight breathed out a relieved sigh and put on a smile to match. “With the days that you were out, I thought you'd never wake up.”

Her words made Spike, who was sitting on her back, quirk an eyebrow. “Well, wouldn't she be thanking you and Rainbow Dash for being all right?” He asked, seemingly oblivious to the nature of the statement. He only shrugged his shoulders when Twilight turned her head around to give him a look of annoyance. “Just saying.”

After rolling her eyes at him, Twilight turned back to Pinkie. “How are you feeling?”

Despite herself, Pinkie couldn't resist the grin that crossed her face. “Well, other than having more goosebumps than R. L. Stallion...” This earned her light laughs from all of them, consequently causing her smile to widen a little more.

“Yeah?” Applejack chuckled. “That's to be expected when you're out in a storm like that...” Upon the edge of her sentence, her mirthful countenance regressed back to her look of concern. “What were you doing out there in the first place, sugarcube? Didn't you know how awful it was? Rainbow Dash said you were covered in snow by the time she found you. If it weren't for Twilight's quick thinking, you probably would have never been found.”

“No kidding!” Rainbow Dash snapped, getting right up in a shocked Pinkie's face. “That was really stupid of you, Pinkie! What were you thinking?!”

“Rainbow...” Applejack said warningly, only to be cut off by the upset pegasus.

“No, Applejack!” She abruptly turned back to Pinkie, not holding back the contempt in her words. “Did you know how I found you? Your eyes were barely open and your whole body was so freaking stiff! I couldn't even tell if you had a pulse or not because it was so darn cold! I seriously thought you were already dead before I got to Twilight's! All of us were wondering if you'd even make it! What was so important that you couldn't wait until after the snowstorm blew over, huh?!”

A chord was struck within Pinkie's mind by that sentence.

“What was so important back there that you were willing to cast us aside?! Huh?!”

Just like that, her foundation collapsed.

“I...” Her eyes dilated as they stared into those angry, cerise orbs. She had to fight back the tears that were threatening to escape. “I don't... I can't... I can't tell you...” She said pitifully, averting her gaze away from Rainbow Dash. Much to her chagrin, this only made the pegasus even more angry and persistent.

“What do you mean, you can't tell-- Ah!”

Thankfully, Applejack was quick to intervene. She grabbed Rainbow's tail in her teeth and gave a fierce tug to pull her back. “That's enough, Rainbow!” She said fiercely, earning a glare in response. “If she doesn't want to tell us right now, she doesn't have to! She's been through enough already without you hounding her!”

Rainbow scoffed. “Whatever. I'm heading home.”

Before anyone could stop her, she had boosted up into the air and flew out the room, disappearing out of sight. As Pinkie watched her go, she couldn't help but feel guilty for her refusal of response. Telling them what had happened between her family would cause the memories of their argument to surface, and she wasn't in the mood to relive the experience. But in her wish to remain silent, she had made yet another pony close to her angry.

“Why, the nerve of that little...” Applejack scowled and grit her teeth, but did not finish what would have been a colorful remark that would have offended the rest of them.

“I had a feeling we'd all be a bit touchy over this,” Spike said, looking over at the doorway worriedly. “But that was...”

“She's just shaken, that's all.” Twilight said dismissively, although her own eyes conveyed concern for what had taken place. “I'm sure she just needs some time to herself right now.” She turned back towards Pinkie, who had her head hung low and her hair overshadowing her eyes. “Listen, Pinkie. You're in my home – more specifically, in the bed of the upstairs guest room. The number of patients within the hospital was so high, Nurse Redheart couldn't afford to check in any more. So you'll be staying here until you get better.”

“We'll make sure to visit you daily, just like we would in the hospital.” Rarity promised, giving an encouraging smile. “You needn't worry about Rainbow Dash. I guarantee that she'll cool off in time to join us tomorrow.” She was inwardly disappointed that the only response she got from that was a barely visible nod, but kept smiling nonetheless.

“And I'll be the best darn medical assistant you ever had!” Spike leaped off of Twilight's back and onto Pinkie's bed, puffing out his chest. “Dr. Spike at your service!” This earned a much better response in the form of a weak smile and a few chuckles.

“Thanks, Spike...”

“So, that's settled, then.” Twilight turned herself around so that Spike could jump on her back, giving the rest of them a nod towards the door. “Come on, girls. Pinkie needs her rest.”

“Twilight?” Rarity asked softly, a bit of pleading in her voice. “Is it all right if I stay with her for a moment longer?” This earned looks of surprise from the rest of them, but she kept her gaze towards the purple mare. “I promise you, it won't take long.”

“Take all the time you need, Rarity.” Twilight answered softly, looking back towards her as she walked towards the doorway. “Just don't push Pinkie too hard, all right?”

“Of course...”

When the four filed out of the room, Fluttershy was the last to go. She stopped at the doorway, looking over her shoulder at the two. “I hope you get well soon, Pinkie Pie...” She said softly, giving a small smile before turning around and walking out. The small voice was enough to make a smile appear across the sick mare's face, much to the pleasure of Rarity. It wasn't much... but at least they would know that she wasn't completely desolate.

After Fluttershy left, Pinkie raised up her head a little more. She regarded Rarity with weariness in her eyes. The fresh tears could be seen running down her cheeks. The very sight of the normally bubbly and cheery mare could've driven Rarity herself to tears. But she managed to keep herself composed, although empathy glimmered within her eyes. Slowly, she reached out to place a hoof on Pinkie's shoulder.

“Pinkie...” She said softly. “I don't know what it was that made you so upset. But I just want to know that you can tell us anything. We're all willing to share your pain if it has a chance of lifting your spirits. To see you so disheartened...it...” She began to choke up a little, placing a hoof to her mouth in order to keep herself steady. “Oh, it's just terrible!”

“I know...” Pinkie muttered, turning her head away. “Sorry I'm being such a--”

To her surprise, she felt Rarity's hoof reach to push her head back in her direction. When she looked up to meet the unicorn's gaze again, she shrank back at the stern look she was getting.

“Stop right there.” Rarity said, her voice low but stern and somewhat fierce. “I don't want to hear you finish that sentence. Even if you willingly went into such a dangerous storm, that doesn't give you the right to deprecate yourself. You're alive now, and that's all that matters. So don't you ever start assuming that all of the blame lies solely on your shoulders. Do you understand me?”

For a moment, all Pinkie did was stare into Rarity's eyes. Neither one of them averted their gaze from the other in the silence that ensued. But it lasted only for a moment, which ended when Pinkie averted her eyes downward. “Y...yeah... you're right. I understand, Rarity...” She whispered, nodding with a weak vigor.

Rarity's eyes softened, and she retracted her hoof. “Good girl...” She said, once again putting on a smile. “Now get some rest. We'll be back tomorrow.”

Pinkie expected her to leave after that.

What she didn't expect the fashion mare to lean forward and plant a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Her eyes widened and a faint blush spread across her cheeks as she watched Rarity pull away. But when she saw that caring smile, she couldn't help but sprout one of her own. She could understand the gesture to be one of kindness and encouragement, despite how out of place it seemed to be. It was enough to briefly pull out her old personality, her eyes squinting and her smile becoming more prominent. “Thanks, Rare-bear.”

Now it was Rarity's turn to be surprised.

“...that's going to be a thing now, isn't it?” She said flatly, earning a giggle in response.

“You betcha!”

Rolling her eyes, Rarity turned herself around and walked away. But she couldn't restrain the amused chuckle that escaped from her own mouth.

“Good night, Pinkie...”

~Grisaille~

It was in the early night when Applejack and her friends had visited Pinkie. Now it was much later, with darkness dominating the landscape. The snow had mercifully stopped, allowing her a clearer passage to her home. But in return, it left her to lift her legs up every time she took a step. Simply trudging through would have been like wallowing in molasses. She couldn't help but wonder why exactly the weather pegasi would even think of conjuring up such a storm, even if it was for the sake of making up for lost time.

Though the trip back home was short and uneventful, Applejack's heart became heavier with each and every step that she made. There was no doubt about it that she was forever relieved to see Pinkie alive. There was no denying her happiness when her friend awoke from what they thought to be an eternal slumber. What troubled her was not the status of Pinkie, but that of another. There was another problem that had afflicted one of family members, one that was possibly causing the same level of instability that resided within Pinkie herself.

The target afflicted was Apple Bloom.

Ever since a field trip out of and through Ponyville, the filly had become nothing but sullen and pacified. She had not said a word to anyone – not even to Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. When she returned to her family, she had refused to say anything about why she seemed so miserable. It was clear that her mood was worse than what it had been prior to her experimentation with the Cutie Pox-inducing plants. Back then, she had not chosen to isolate herself so much from her own family. Back then, she was willing to admit her problems. So what could have caused her to keep everything locked away this time?

Before she knew it, she was at the door of her home. By this time, all of the lights were out and everyone was fast asleep. Even if she hadn't known beforehand, the sound of her grandmother's loud snoring made it quite obvious. She couldn't help but chuckle a little as she grasped the handle and pushed her way inside. She made sure to be quiet, lest she wanted to wake her family of three. At least one of them would be very cranky when woken up too early.

Once she stepped inside and closed the door behind her, she made her way into the den. She moved carefully, as the wooden floors would make too much noise if she was too careless. She slipped off the parka and tossed it onto the armrest of a nearby couch before making her way upstairs. As she approached the staircase and started her ascent, she took special care in making each and every step. In the darkness of the home, the last thing she wanted was to accidentally slip and fall back down.

“Can't wait to get under them blankets...” She muttered. “This house is going to be a might frosty when all of us get u--”

Abruptly, she stopped herself from passing the room of her little sister.

“Her light's still on...”

Indeed, it was. Although the door was shut, the telltale sign of bright yellow shining from the cracks let her know that Apple Bloom still had her light switched on. She knew that Apple Bloom wasn't the type to get scared by the dark – at least, not anymore. So why did the filly have any reason to have it on? Was she still awake? To answer these questions, Applejack grasped the handle of the doorknob and pushed gently, preparing a reprimand.

“Apple Bloom, you know that your flank's supposed to be in--”

But once again, she cut herself off at what she saw.

“Oh, no...”

The sheets on Apple Bloom's bed had been ripped and shredded, the pieces scattered across the floor. The window leading outside was open, the chilly night air dominating the space of the room. Applejack did not take this into consideration, briskly moving up to it and looking out. Upon seeing a nearby tree, she could spot that some of the branches were broken. It didn't take her long to guess what had taken place, and when the conclusion hit her, she did the one thing anyone would've done in that situation.

She ran out of the room in a panic, her desperate voice screaming throughout the residence.

“Big Macintosh!! Granny Smith!! Wake up!! Apple Bloom's gone!!”

What Use Have I For You, Pitiful Creature

Twilight and Spike found themselves waking up to the sound of urgent knocking on their door, followed by the sound of Applejack's voice.

“Twilight! Spike! Come on, wake up! I know it's late, but this is a very big problem and I don't think Rarity would be too kind about me knocking on her door like this!”

At the sole mention of the fashionista, grogginess turned to confusion. The two briefly regarded each other with questioning looks, but neither one of them could give a logical answer to the other. What kind of urgency would've prompted Applejack to call only on one of her friends? If it was so important, then that would have been the immediate thing to do. But then again, they had no idea what the problem was, and there was no way they would shut out the pleading voice of their friend.

Still, Spike wasn't that eager to get out of bed.

“It's okay, Twi...” He muttered, slowly slipping back into the covers. “You go on ahead... I'll stay here and--” He paused to let out a yawn. “--watch...the...” Whatever else he was going to say was cut off by his mind drifting off, and in an instant he was back to sleep. In response, Twilight gave a heavy sigh and slapped a hoof to her face. Sometimes, she just had to wonder why exactly did she have a baby dragon for an assistant.

When the sound of knocking continued, she let out an aggravated groan and shoved herself out of the sleeping bag she had laid out for herself. She trotted over towards the door and pulled it open, beginning what was supposed to be a reprimanding speech.

“Applejack, can't this wait until-- Ah!”

Said speech was cut off when she found herself tossed into the air, courtesy of Applejack ducking under her and tossing her like a bean bag. A startled yelp escaped her, and she could only flail her legs helplessly as she descended to the ground. But instead of the ground, she would land on the farmer pony's back gut first. A pained grunt escaped her lips as she felt the thick muscle and bone squash her stomach. She raised her head to give an irritated glare – something that was lost to her friend's panic.

“No time, Twi!” Applejack insisted, racing off with her new cargo in tow. “Apple Bloom's gone missing, and you're the only one I could think of who'd be perfectly capable of helping us find her!”

“Wait a minute, missing?” Twilight repeated incredulously, alarm and concern flaring up within her. The feeling of grogginess was shot out instantly, and she was left in a state of full alert. “What do you mean, “missing”?”

“I mean someone sneaked up in our house and took her out!” The farmer was irritated at having to clarify something that should have been so obvious. Considering the state of her emotions, though, it wasn't a long shot to say that her anger was ruling her to a certain extent. “When I went into her room, her sheets were torn and her window was as open as the mouth of a hungry Ursa Major!” Her gaze hardened. “When I get my hooves on the sucker that did it, he or she or whoever is never gonna lay their hooves on anything else!”

The conviction within every word sent a shudder down Twilight's spine. It wasn't the first time that she had seen Applejack angry. But this was one of the occasions were the word “angry” would have been an understatement. In all other instances, Applejack was only angry enough to yell and scold. But not even the likes of her would think about physical assault on another. It was more than enough to force the weight of the situation down on her shoulders. Under the pressure, she remained silent and simply held on as her ride galloped to Sweet Apple Acres.

Then it hit her.

“What exactly do you need me for, Applejack?” She asked quietly.

“Well, firstly, I need you for the light your magic can create. Considering that it's real dark now and only the owls can see with the naked eye, we need some kind of way to see if there were any footprints our unwanted visitor may have left behind. Secondly, you're the only unicorn out of all of us that's got knowledge to that particular spell. You know, the one that detects magical residue?”

“So you want me to detect the residue left behind within the footprints and identify who the kidnapper is?”

“Yup!”

Twilight couldn't help but be a little impressed at Applejack's ability to plan ahead, smiling a little. “All right, Applejack. I'll see what I can do...”

It wasn't long until the two regrouped with the other two residents of Sweet Apple Acres and Twilight could get off her steed.

Normally, the snow would have covered the ground. But the Apple family, having seen ahead of time, had plowed a path through to the managed apple forest for ponies to enter and exit through. So Twilight was free to plop down and peer without fear of being swallowed up by the frozen waters. Truth be told, it took only a few seconds for her to recognize the signature. But she needed to wait until Applejack, Big Macintosh and Granny Smith came back with their “hunting” equipment. In addition to that, she needed the extra time to mentally prepare herself. They would be far from pleased when they heard the results.

“Well, Twi?” Applejack's urgent voice brought Twilight back to reality, prompting her to look up. She would see the various expressions of concern and impatience on the Apple trio's faces, with Applejack's being the more prominent. On their backs, pitchforks could be seen – something that disturbed the unicorn greatly. “Do you know who it was?”

“Applejack.” Twilight decided to help get the implication into their minds first. “Are you and your family heavy sleepers?”

The question turned those impatient looks into confusion. The trio looked at one another for an answer, but none of them could find one from the others. So they turned back to Twilight in order to give their responses.

“Well, I'd like to think that I'm a heavy one...” Applejack said, rubbing the back of her head. “But if the noise is loud enough, I jolt up like a lightning bug...”

“Eeyup.” Big Macintosh grunted.

“You kids these days don't know the meaning of the word “quiet”.” Granny Smith grumbled, frowning and wrinkling her nose in disdain.

“So all in all, you're light sleepers, or at least light enough to hear loud noises.” Twilight summarized, looking to each and every one of them. “If kidnappers had to sneak through, he or she would've had to use wings. That would narrow at least the type of pony responsible to be a pegasus. But even in the case that they got to Apple Bloom, no one would've gotten very far before she would start screaming.” She focused her gaze on Big Macintosh and Granny Smith. “Did you two hear screaming?”

They shook their heads no.

“Furthermore,” Twilight walked up to the tree that had its branches broken, resting a hoof against it. “I doubt any pegasi would cause this much damage trying to get out. And I also doubt that they would leave a body print--” She pointed to the said imprint. “--like that. In addition, both the body print and the footprints have the exact same signature, and both of them are too small for any stallion or mare.”

“What exactly are you getting at?” Applejack asked, feeling a bit of apprehension creep up in her tone.

“I'm saying that this isn't a case of kidnapping.” Twilight's face was grim as she regarded each of them once again. “It's a case of runaway. Apple Bloom left by her own will.”

“What?!” The outcry of horror from her recipients was loud and unrestrained. But the weight of that statement was even more potent. Granny Smith even fainted right then and there, her limp body being caught by Bic Macintosh just before she could collapse to the ground. As he kept himself leaned up against the old mare for the sake of her support, he looked to Applejack and saw that she was completely stricken with grief and hurt.

“B-but why?” The farmer mare begged, boring into Twilight with a desperate gaze. She switched from the unicorn to her brother and back again. “Why would she just up and run off without telling any of us?! We're her family, her friends!”

“She was a bit moodier than usual...” Big Macintosh said, frowning thoughtfully. “And she usually talks to us if there's a problem with her. I wouldn't put it above her to run off without saying a word to anyone else...” He trailed off, watching in silent concern as his sister sank to her haunches. The mare was very close to tears, desperately struggling to keep them from spilling down her cheeks. It was a painful sight to see for both him and Twilight, contained as they were.

“She may not have gotten far...” Twilight said, her voice soft and reassuring. “If we follow these tracks, I'm sure we'll get to her in no time.” She brought herself back up to a standing position, walking over to place a hoof on her friend's shoulder. “But we won't get anywhere if we just stand around and mope.”

Applejack took in a deep breath to steady herself, a bit of hope swelling within her. “You're right...” She muttered, standing herself back up. “You're right, Twilight. I shouldn't be crying and sniveling like newborn baby when my sister needs me the most.” She straightened herself up, looking over towards Big Macintosh. “You go on and get Granny Smith inside. She needs the rest more than the rest of us do.”

“Eeyup...”

With that being said, the stallion hefted the old mare onto his back and turned away, walking back into the house. Twilight's eyes were on Applejack as she watched the two go off, her purple eyes full of concern. But even as Big Macintosh disappeared from sight, Applejack did not turn her head back. Neither of them spoke for a moment, with Applejack eying the corner of where her family had turned, and Twilight waiting her to turn back around. A somewhat tense moment of silence passed.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Twilight spoke.

“Applejack--”

“Well?”

She hadn't expected the vehement response directed towards her, flinching as Applejack turned her gaze back to forward position. Although her voice was calm and controlled, her eyes were blazing with barely restrained anger – a frightening combination. “What are you waiting for? You're the one with the torch.” She took a step forward, stomping a hoof into the ground. “Move it!”

“Y-yes!” Not wanting to be on the receiving end of Applejack's wrath, Twilight immediately set to work on lighting the way. Applejack was right behind her.

The majority of the walk was spent in silence.

Twilight could practically feel Applejack's glare into her flank as the two moved through the apple forest. She knew that anger wasn't directed at her, and she could safely assume the glare wasn't direct. However, it didn't give her reason not to feel nervous. At this point, the farmer would probably be furious at her if she spoke the wrong words or even moved the wrong way. The last thing she wanted was to accidentally provoke Applejack. But this desire wasn't helped by what she was seeing in the pattern of the footsteps.

She took in a deep breath, mentally bracing herself. “I'm seeing a drag in every forth hoof-print...” She said. “Considering what I saw back at the house, I'm guessing Apple Bloom jumped out the window and started heading this way. But the height from her window to the ground was pretty high. I don't like saying things like this so easily... but this indicates a broken, or at least sprained leg. It's amazing how she got this far ahead of--”

The sound of bark cracking silenced her, and she whipped around to see what was the cause.

Applejack was just coming out of a bucking position, her hind legs lowering themselves to the ground. The tree that unfortunate enough to become her victim had a chunk torn out of it, with two hoof-shaped holes freshly engraved in its trunk. Her teeth were gritted, and her breaths had become somewhat heavier. “What could've possibly been so bad that she hurt herself and refused to tell anyone else?!” She asked rhetorically. “At first, I was thinking Apple Bloom to be a bit immature about this. But this... this is making me feel like I'm nothing more than a stranger to her!”

“Wait a minute, let's not jump to conclusions here!” By this time, Twilight had turned around completely to face Applejack, her front hooves raised in protest. “Applejack, you and I both know that this isn't the first time that she's done something like this. Remember the Cutie Pox incident?”

The memory momentarily Applejack's frustration, replacing it with slight confusion. She looked down at the ground in thought. At that time, Apple Bloom had performed the same act of not telling anyone that she had eaten Zecora's stew which caused the Cutie Pox. Back then, however, she had decided it to be nothing more than one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders' many schemes to attempt to obtain their Cutie Marks. As fear-inducing as that had been, this situation was far more dangerous.

“Yeah, but that was just some childish mistake.” She retorted. “Sure, worse things could've happened, but that was just a simple goof-off due to her not knowing any better! This time, she knows what she's doing and she's purposefully not letting us know why she's doing it!” She stamped a hoof on the ground for emphasis. “You can't tell me there's not a sign of distrust in that!”

A heavy sigh escaped Twilight's lips, defeat written on her face. “You're right. I can't...”

“That's why when I find her,” Applejack continued, trotting past Twilight. “I'm gonna tan some sense into that yellow hide of hers!” She didn't notice the slight flinch from the unicorn before she followed, keeping an illuminated path for the both of them to follow. “This will be the last time she decides to off and run whenever she feels like it!”

“Don't you think that's a bit too har--”

Twilight found herself cut off once more when Applejack stopped, her muzzle crashing against one side of Applejack's hindquarters. She staggered back in surprise. “Applejack, what are you--”

“Ssh!” Applejack raised a hoof up and silenced her. “Listen!”

Both of them perked up their ears, and sure enough, they could hear it. Just up ahead of the hoof prints, a faint sobbing could be heard. Because they could recognize it, their spirits both lifted and sank at the sound. As they continued to walk quietly, Applejack began to see hints of yellow and red within the confines of a small and leafy bush. Her heart leaped into her throat at the sight, and she soon found herself forgoing both her quiet approach and the desire to inflict a physical punishment. She ran up to the bush, her voice a hushed shout.

“Apple Bloom!”

The sobbing noises stopped immediately. Applejack took that moment to push away the leaves in order for a clearer view of what was inside.

Sure enough, there was the filly. She was laying on her side, her legs partially folded to her underside. She was littered in scrapes and scratches, her yellow fur caked with dirt and grime. Her bow was gone, presumably lost in her escape from the household. One of her hind legs had an ugly shade of purple to it – a clear indication that she had indeed broken her ankle. But what had caught Applejack's sight was the hazel eyes that stared at her so blankly. If it hadn't been for her chest rising, she would've thought the filly had died.

“Oh, Celestia...” She breathed, bending downward and moving her forelegs underneath the body. She flinched slightly when Apple Bloom let out a pitiful whimper at the touch. “Ssh, listen to me, Apple Bloom. Look at me. You're going to be all right, you hear? Just rest, I'll get you back into bed safe and sound.”

“Is she all right?” Twilight asked nervously, quickly trotting over to where Applejack was.

“She's got a broken ankle all right...” Applejack answered, her voice allowing for only a flicker of upset within its tone. “I don't think I can shift her on my back without making it worse. Can you carry her?”

Without word, Twilight moved herself so that Applejack could gently place Apple Bloom on her back. Thankfully, Apple Bloom wasn't so heavy as to become a burden on her back. She let out a slight grunt as she felt the weight, but other than that, there was no sign of major exertion. “I can help you out a little with reducing the severity of the wound, but I'm no doctor. It's going to take time and actual medical assistance for it to get better.”

“That's okay, Twilight...” Applejack smiled reassuringly. “Our family had to deal with our share of bumps, bruises and broken bones along the way. A broken ankle's nothing we can't fix.” This was enough to relax the unicorn, if only for a little.

“All right, Applejack, if you say so...”

There were no words spoken after that. The two basked in the silence, the aversion of their friends' crisis the dominant thought within their heads. Although neither of them knew what had caused Apple Bloom to run away in the first place, they were glad that she was safe and sound. Sure, she was going to get in trouble, but that was to be expected. Hopefully, Applejack wouldn't be too harsh on her and carry out her intended punishment. The filly already had been through too much, judging from the visage. Physical retribution would only make things worse.

The thought of it already being worse, however, would not leave Twilight's mind. Apple Bloom's weak and fragile form alone wouldn't have prompted the apprehension. Applejack would remain blissfully unaware, convinced that everything that needed to be done was. But Twilight wouldn't. Her stomach would do a flip and her mind would convince her that she was hearing things. But all she was doing was denying the truth, when she heard Apple Bloom speak.

“Why did you come...?”

Everything Is Fine, Everything Is Always Fine

“Why did you come?”

Although nothing more than a whisper inaudible to Applejack, Twilight could hear the bitterness within Apple Bloom's tone. Although only four words were spoken, it was enough to rattle her mental foundation. She was only a filly, a young mare that was still fresh within the world. There shouldn't have been a reason for her to talk like she had seen the end of the world. When Applejack had spoken of Apple Bloom's deteriorating mood, Twilight would've never allowed herself to think that it had become so severe. What could've possibly triggered this? What could've injected the needle of demoralization that would've caused her to go to such lengths? Was it just a case of runaway?

Or was Apple Bloom attempting to take her own life?

That was something she should've brought up with Applejack when they had gotten back to Sweet Apple Acres. Apple Bloom possibly developing suicidal tendencies was a secret that absolutely could not be kept to one's self. But no, she had simply been far too shell-shocked by Apple Bloom's reaction to them finding her. Even now, as she walked back to her house, she was still trying to figure out the justification for this turn of behavior. It baffled, amazed, and scared her that a young filly would reach such a level of despair at such a low age. A part of her was desperately trying to convince her that what she heard was nothing more than a figment of her imagination, something created by a stressed mind. Acknowledgment would have meant that she would have to accept one of her friends going into madness.

That was the last thing she wanted to do.

So, with the strong desire for rest and relief, she made her way back to her home. When she came close enough for a visual, she noticed that one of the lights had been switched on. More importantly, it was coming from her kitchen. She could easily guess the culprit to be Spike, who was either getting something for himself or Pinkie. If she was in a better mood, she would chide him for being so late for the former case. But all she felt like doing right now was going to bed and hopefully sleep these feelings off. She knew that Applejack and the rest of the family would take care of it. There was no reason to worry herself to death.

When she opened the door to step inside, she turned the light back on in order to see where she was going. But when she closed the door behind her and turned forward, she accidentally caught the deer in her headlights. Once again, her expectations had been defied.

“Pinkie?”

The mare in question had frozen in her tracks once she had been called out by the other. It was almost a comical sight to see; she had halted all movement as if that questioning call was a hidden command. Her eyes had dilated to dot level in comparison to her irises, staring at Twilight with shock. Had it not been for her current state of mind, Twilight would have laughed. But as it was, she simply gave the pink mare an exhausted and chiding stare.

“Pinkie, you know you should be in bed.”

As Twilight walked to stand in front of her, Pinkie scratched the back of her head in a guilty manner. She too had a weary look in her eye, with bangs underneath her lids and her schlera slightly red. “I'm sorry, Twi...” She muttered, her voice a bit hoarse. “I couldn't sleep, and I didn't want to wake up Spike. I mean, with all that I've been asking Spike to do, I don't think he'd like me waking him in the middle of a good sleep. Besides, all I wanted was a glass of water...” She trailed off when she saw Twilight approach her, placing a purple hoof on her chest and closing her eyes for a moment.

“Your breathing's still below average...” The unicorn said firmly. “And you still have symptoms of uncontrollable shivering. Even if it was just for something like a glass of water, you should've called Spike to get it.” Her slightly stern look softened after the sentence was spoken, and a reassuring smile formed. “I'm sure he wouldn't have minded. He's not really the cranky type, and I'm sure he would have pulled himself out of whatever dreams he's having about Rarity if it meant checking up on you.”

The two of them shared a brief laugh at that, and when the moment passed, Twilight was quick to point a hoof towards the stairs. “Now go on. Shoo! Don't let me see you down here again!” She scolded, although smiling all the while. She was purposefully invoking a mother's chiding tone for effect. It gave reason for Pinkie to giggle, even as she began to move towards the stairs.

“Yes, mo--”

The playfully sarcastic remark would be cut off by a slight yelp of her own accord. It had only taken a few steps before she started to wobble and stumble. Twilight's eyes widened in alarm, and within an instant, she was by Pinkie's side. She leaned herself up against the mare to act as a crutch, wrapping a foreleg around Pinkie in order to steady her. “Easy! One of the symptoms of hypothermia is partial loss of motor control. You have to give your body a rest if you don't want to end up stumbling all over the place...”

“Yeah...sorry, Twilight...”

The slightly sullen and bitter tone Pinkie suddenly took made Twilight flinch a little. The last times she had heard the perky mare speak like that was when she had mistaken the preparation for her birthday party to be a celebration of her supposed expulsion from the group of friends. Even then, it had been nothing more than a sour attitude. This time, she was truly torn up about her issue. Although it had been made clear to them that she would explain when ready, it didn't ease the impatience. Seeing the mare act like this was frustrating her. But despite this, she said nothing. It was far too early to start probing and prodding.

So without further word spoken between them, the two made their way up the stairs. From time to time, Pinkie would buckle slightly and Twilight would find herself having to keep the mare from tumbling. She would make sure Pinkie didn't push herself, warning her with the occasional word of “Easy!” or “Careful!”. But other than that, there was no actual conversation between them. It made for a rather slow ascent. But in time, they made it back to Twilight's room without any problems. When she approached the door, Twilight wrapped her magic around the door knob and opened it slowly, making sure not to disturb Spike's slumber.

She guided Pinkie inside, shut the door behind her, and then continued to guide her until they approached the bedside. But before Pinkie could part ways with her...

“Oh, you guys are back already?”

Briefly, Twilight froze up at the sound of Spike's voice. She spun her head to see him sitting up within his basket, regarding both of them with a raised eyebrow. “Oh, I'm sorry, Spike!” She exclaimed, biting her lip. “Did we wake you? I was just taking Pinkie back to bed before--”

Spike raised a clawed hand in order to cut her off. “Hey, it's no problem! I didn't really think I was asleep anyway...” He turned away momentarily from them for a moment to let out a yawn, stretching out his arms. When he finished, his expression became more curious and concerned. “How did the thing with Apple Bloom go? You guys managed to find her, didn't you?”

Twilight gave a heavy sigh, sliding her foreleg off of Pinkie's shoulders as the Earth pony climbed back into the sheets. “Yeah. We found her.” She said. “Applejack's taking care of it right now. There's nothing to worry about on her end, though. She's fine, unharmed, and Applejack's taking care of her.”

Spike grinned. “Bet you got a front row seat when Applejack was handing it to the one that did it, huh?” He chuckled, looking at Twilight and expecting his mirth to be mutual. But when he saw Twilight's downhearted expression, he was quick to falter. He blinked in confusion. “What's wrong? They didn't escape or something, did they?”

“That's just it, Spike...” Twilight's expression was wistful as she looked at him. “There wasn't a kidnapper. Apple Bloom had attempted to run away on her own free will.”

“What?!” Both Pinkie and Spike shouted the word simultaneously, regarding Twilight with variants of a shocked gaze. All traces of sleep had been forced out of their bodies, which had been alerted and alarmed by the news. The sudden volume that they had used caused Twilight to flinch back slightly. But she was quick to recover, giving both of them a firm gaze.

“I don't know why... but I don't think it's a problem. Like I said, Applejack's taking care of it. After all, Apple Bloom is her sister and there's no reason to trust her judgment.” She turned herself around, walking away from them. “All we can do is go to sleep and wait until it blows over. We might have an early Winter Wrap-Up on our hands first thing tomorrow. So get all the rest you can, you two.” She stopped at the doorway, looking over her shoulder to give Pinkie a look. “Especially you, Pinkie.”

Her tone made the recipient flinch, her ears flopping back and her eyes cast downward. “Yes, ma'am...” She muttered quietly.

Inwardly, Twilight winced as she moved outside and shut the door behind her. She was only being stern because she wanted to reinforce the vitality of Pinkie's health. But in truth, she had expected a scratch of the head and a sheepish apology. She would have to remind herself that this wasn't something that would blow over. But she had faith that the future visits by her friends would help bring her out of her shell and open her problems up for them to see. Pinkie wouldn't keep secrets paining her all to herself, would she?

She trotted downstairs to her makeshift bed that was the couch. It was time for her to catch some Z's of her own.

~Grisaille~

“You nearly gave all of us a heart attack, you know that?”

As Applejack gave a final tug on the bandages around Apple Bloom's ankle, she gave the filly a stern look before reaching over to grab an icepack sitting on the drawer nearby. “If you didn't get this injury on you, I would've tanned your hide 'til you couldn't sit down for two weeks. Matter of fact, I should just get to it right after you heal up from this little disaster you caused yourself.” It might have been a little too much to say, considering what the younger sister had just went through. But Applejack was very angry at the moment for that very reason. It had been bad enough that they had nearly lost Pinkie Pie to the storm. But losing Apple Bloom would've driven her and possibly the rest of her family off of the edge. It was all because the young pony had run away, and even now, they didn't know why. For the moment, though, she had pushed that question aside. She pressed the icepack to the afflicted area, ignoring the slight flinch. “Now hold this while I find another set of bandages.”

Apple Bloom didn't lift a hoof, continuing to lie in motionlessness. It didn't take long for a scowl to cross Applejack's face and her tone to become more cross.

“I said,” She growled, having reached the end of her patience. “Hold it. Now--”

But instead of obeying, Apple Bloom swung out with her unaffected hind leg in a swift kick, knocking the ice-pack to the floor. The individual pieces of the frozen liquid clattered against the wooden floor, the bag sliding to the wall. In that very moment, Applejack had been shocked completely, barely comprehending what her sister had just done. But that surprise lasted only for a brief instant before her anger reigned her back in. She gritted her teeth, narrowing her eyes in a fierce glare.

“Now, see here, you little--”

“Little, am I?!”

Apple Bloom had abruptly swung herself around, nearly nose-to-nose with her infuriated-turned-shocked sibling. A snarl had donned her face, and she was glaring daggers straight into those green eyes. “I know I'm little! I'm very little, the runt of our family! I'm nothing but the filly who only gets noticed whenever she gets in the way, a newborn puppy who's always running into walls and stuff! But apparently, I wasn't little enough for you to leave me, was I?!”

“You have no right to take that kind of tone with me, young lady!” Applejack shot back. “Especially now, of all times, with that kind of nonsense--”

“Nonsense?!” Apple Bloom shrieked. “I should've known you wouldn't take me seriously! I should've guessed that you'd just come and drag me back, kicking and screaming, even if I was doing perfectly fine! Everything would've been fine if you hadn't come!”

“Fine?!” Applejack shouted indignantly. “For Celestia's sake, Apple Bloom, you could've died out there!”

“Exactly! I wanted to!”

That one line caused everything to come to a stand-still.

Applejack's angry look immediately faltered and was slowly replaced by shock and horror as she comprehended those words. She blinked a few times, staring into the angry hazel eyes as if trying to look for any sign of deception. She was hoping that the last line had been misheard, or that Apple Bloom was playing some sort of cruel joke on her. But she couldn't find any trace of a liar behind that gaze. It didn't stop her from verbally questioning its honesty.

“Apple Bloom, you don't mean that--”

“Yes, I do! If you hadn't stopped me, I could've been far away from here!” As Apple Bloom continued to yell at Applejack, tears began to spill out from her eyes and stream down her face. “And if I couldn't run away, I could've just died in the cold! We wouldn't have had to see each other again! You just had to ruin it, didn't you?! I hate the tar out of you!”

“...that's how you really feel, huh?” Applejack's voice had lowered to a whisper. She had lowered her head, averting her expression from Apple Bloom's line of sight. “You didn't want me to find you?”

Apple Bloom sneered. “Oh, now the dumb redneck gets it.”

The next instant, the chair Applejack was sitting in had been smashed against the wall, courtesy of a powerful throw from the farmer. As the fragments of wood collapse onto the floor, she could hear a heavy set of hooves coming up. But that was far past her mind at the moment. The fury within her face had come back in full force, with a glare that would've put Apple Bloom six feet under if looks were capable of killing.

“Fine by me!” She bellowed, stomping one of her hooves for emphasis. “The next time you run away, don't expect me to even bat an eyelash! Matter of fact, don't even expect me to think you exist! As far as I'm concerned, you're a dead little sister to me!”

“Fine!”

“FINE!”

With that, Applejack stormed off, slamming the door open and unknowingly hitting an approaching Big Macintosh in the face. He fell back on his haunches, his eyes swirling around in his head as he tried to recover himself. The furious mare didn't bother to pay any heed towards him, stomping to her room and slamming the door behind her once she was inside. But once she had reached her bed, she plopped face down on her bed and allowed her own dam to break. Her tears stained the sheets as she sobbed, her shoulders heaving with each and every shuddering breath that she took. She had never taken herself for the crying type of mare, and had never allowed herself to shed tears after the passing of their parents. But Apple Bloom's words had tore her up, having possibly been the worst that could've been said to her. That lone argument had most likely destroyed the sisterly bond that had taken all their lives to form, and as far as anyone was concerned, there would be no repair.

Even as Big Macintosh recovered himself and looked into the room to see a now-sobbing filly on her bed, he only gave a heavy sigh and a shake of the head. Slowly, he reached in to grasp the knob and pull the door shut.

~Grisaille~

In the midst of Twilight's home, Spike would wake up to the sounds of Pinkie's relentless shuffling in her sheets.

He let out a groan of irritation as he awoke, as the feeling of grogginess wasn't very merciful on him. It never was, to be honest. Even in the morning, he always had to fight just to get his mind in the right place. He would've given anything for an alarm clock, but considering Twilight was easily startled, she had prohibited them. It was a shame she was an early bird, otherwise she'd know how he felt when trying to stir out of a good night's sleep.

As he pulled himself out of his blanket, he turned a sleepy yet concerned eye towards the bed beside him. He hopped down onto the wooden floor and approached the bedside, pulling himself up in order to see if the mare was still awake. “Pinkie?” He whispered, trying to make his voice audible enough for her to her but quiet enough for. “Pinkie, are you awake?”

No response. The mare continued thrashing about, obviously still in slumber despite her movements. This rendered Spike confused for a moment. There were plenty who tumbled and moved anxiously within their sleep. So it wasn't a sign of danger. It just meant that she probably wasn't used to her sleeping arrangements or was having a bad dream. After regarding her for a few more moments, the dragon shrugged and turned away from her in order to jump back down to his own bed.

Then it happened.

Pinkie let out a loud and terrified scream, causing Spike to instantly snap his attention back to her. He raced to her side, trying to reach out and grab her shoulder in order to shake her awake. But she was thrashing around much too violently now, flailing wildly and throwing off the covers. In turn, this caused Spike to be hurled off of the bed. He emitted a grunt as he landed on his back, banging his head against the floor. Fortunately, his scales prevented him from actually getting hurt. He quickly sat up, his face full of alarm and panic as Pinkie continued to scream her lungs out.

“Pinkie!” He tried to shout over her voice, slapping his hands onto his head. “Wake up! You're seriously gonna bust my eardrums if you keep it up!”

Thankfully, he was saved from such a fate when the door slammed open and Twilight leaped into the room. She dived to Pinkie's bedside, quickly moving to restrain Pinkie's hooves. Then, she lowered her head so that her horn would be near Pinkie's forehead. The tip glowed with a violet color, maintaining a bright light over Pinkie's face. At first, it didn't seem to be working. But it was only a matter of seconds before the screaming regressed to moans and the thrashing lessened. Soon enough, Pinkie had been pacified once more, although she was still shaking violently.

After a tense moment, Twilight released her grip and breathed out a heavy sigh, leaning on the bed for support. “Now I know at least a little of what Nurse Redheart feels like...” She breathed, trying to regain herself.

“What spell was that, Twi?” Spike asked, running over to her side out of amazement and curiosity.

“It was a meditation pulse.” Twilight explained, wearily turning her head towards him. “It's used to calm ponies under stress caused by tremendous physical pain or psychological trauma. Normally, only qualified doctors use it due to the amount of magic control the pulse requires. Anything short of what's required results in the user of the spell exhausting too much energy.” She waved a hoof dismissively when she saw Spike's pensive look. “Don't worry, I'll be fine. I just need to catch my--”

“T...Twilight...? Spike...?”

Pinkie's unsure and shaky voice cut her off, catching both of their attention right away. But what they saw would nothing short of heart-wrenching.

Her cotton candy-like mane had deflated to straight locks that hung around her shoulders. Her pink coat had seemed to turn a shade darker, making her a bit harder to make her sat-up form out within the darkness of the room. What had caught the majority of their attention were the eyes filled with confusion, fear and salt water. She looked like a lost child that had just came across her parents after escaping the Everfree Forest. So Twilight did the immediate and closest thing to her mind – confirm the hope.

“Yeah. It's us, Pinkie.”

“Was I having a nightmare...?”

“Yes, you were.”

Pinkie shut her eyes and let out a groan of frustration, slamming her hooves onto the bed. “I just want it to stop!” She moaned, a mixture of frustration and stress seeping into her tone. “This is why I couldn't go to sleep the first time! It's not my fault! No one came to tell me that Mom and Dad passed away! Neither one of them visited Ponyville to tell me when their funeral was! They had no reason to scream at me! They had no reason to keep me from visiting our parents! Why couldn't they--” But she would find herself unable to finish her sentence, as the dam had broken. She placed her hooves on her face and started to sob, shaking her head back and forth.

The display seemed to make even Spike want to start crying along with the pink pony. Twilight, on the other hand, held a look of solemn understanding. “Pinkie...” She said softly. “You went out into that storm to visit your parents' graves, didn't you? But something happened with your family, and they drove you off, right?”

A few meek nods from Pinkie, and Twilight let out another sigh of weariness.

“Come here...”

Bringing herself closer to the bed, the unicorn stretched out her forelegs in a welcoming gesture. Not a moment's hesitation was spared, and she wound find herself with the pink mare latched on to her chest. As Pinkie began sobbing into her coat, Twilight wrapped her forelegs around her back and began to gently pet her mane. It wasn't long before Spike decided to climb up the bed and give his own hug to Pinkie, wrapping his small arms as best as he could around her flanks. For the longest moment, there was silence broken only by Pinkie's crying. For the longest moment, they kept each other in a heartfelt embrace.

Then, Twilight spoke.

“Pinkie... you don't have to give me the details if you don't want to. Like Applejack said, you're free to talk about it when you're ready. We understand...” After a moment more, she moved her forelegs away when Pinkie pulled herself back. “You need anything else?”

As Spike pulled himself away, Pinkie gingerly shook her head. “I think I... just need some sleep... that's all...” She slid herself back into the covers, burying herself as far as possible into them. The dragon took that as his cue to hop off of the bed in order to make way towards his basket.

“All right...” With a nod of her own, Twilight turned and walked away from the two of them, stopping at the doorway to grasp the knob. “Good night, Pinkie...”

“Good night, Twilight and Spike...”

“Nighty night, Pinkie and Twi...”

The door was promptly shut, and the library fell into silence once more.

Theraputic Laughter

It wasn't every day that Applejack woke up feeling like dead weight.

The morning sun would find her awake, but motionless in her bed. She stared blankly up at the ceiling, her eyes bloodshot and virtually lifeless. Underneath her lower lid, there were markings to serve as indication of the tears shed. Locks of her mane were in a scattered mess, strewn all over the pillow she lay her head on. Not even the thick sheets could shut out the cold and numb feeling that was rendering her immobile right now. But even that was overridden by the burning ache within her chest, which screamed out to her more than any injury could've. It was the feeling of remorse after realizing what had happened before, self-loathing due to words that she couldn't take back, and helplessness knowing that there was nothing that could be done.

In her righteous fury, she had told Apple Bloom a refusal to acknowledge her as a sister from that point forward. She would have never thought worry and concern over someone else would come to such heartbreaking results. But now, she could guarantee that the filly wanted nothing more than to avoid even looking at her, let alone talk to her again. Not only that, but she was certain Granny Smith and Big Macintosh heard every scream exchanged between the two sisters. What would they think of her now, having so callously detached herself from the youngest sibling like that? She knew that she had made a big mistake, and now, it may have just cost her something very dear to her. It was one of the few times she found herself feeling an emotion she'd never thought herself to be capable of – fear.

Why would she dare to even bother getting out of bed? It would mean having to face down Apple Bloom and her family again after what had transpired. It would mean facing her friends with a subdued and sullen heart, for she knew she could never keep up a facade. They would realize what happened immediately, judge her for doing what she did and cast her out from the close circle they had formed. But all of it would exist because she had willed it to, unwillingly or not. It would have been better if she could just stay asleep until all of it blew over and passed with time. But, she wasn't naive to believe that could ever be true. She knew that she would have to get up and face the music, no matter how much it hurt.

This was solidified by a knock on the door – something that made the mare jump up to a sitting position very quickly.

“Applejack?” Big Macintosh's voice called from the outside. “You awake?” By this particular time, she would have already been awake and running around, ready for work. Only part of the usual had been fulfilled.

“Yeah, you can come in!” She shouted back, wincing at how hoarse her tone was. She coughed and cleared her throat a few times in an attempt to resolve this remedy as the door was slowly opened up, sliding herself out of bed. After shaking her head to get rid of the morning haze, she raised her head up to look at her brother and put on a smile. “How long have I slept in?”

“Only for a few minutes...” Big Macintosh drawled, pushing the door shut with a gentle kick as soon as he stepped completely inside. “Usually, you're up and about before the rest of us have time to even open our eyelids. Couldn't help but think something was up.” That brought Applejack a bit of guilty relief. So far, he was making it clear that he hadn't been aware of the argument.

“Are Apple Bloom and Granny Smith awake yet?”

“Granny's downstairs making breakfast...”

Applejack's heart immediately skipped a beat when Big Macintosh paused, a flicker of hesitation within those sap green eyes. A bit of her facade broke, and she couldn't help the slight tension within her voice as she asked the question. “And Apple Bloom?”

The next words spoken would be enough to shatter her mask.

“She's up and gone, Applejack. I just got done checking her room--”

That was all that could be said before the orange mare starting making a run towards him, her eyes wide and pupils dilated.

Abruptly, Big Macintosh found himself swinging around and grabbing Applejack's tail with his teeth as she attempted to bolt past him, quickly digging in his hooves. Despite her own physical strength, he had a much bigger and better muscular build than she did. So once he latched on, he was no different from an anchor holding down a ship. No matter how much she fought against him, he remained stubbornly in place.

“Let me go, Mac!” Applejack snarled, very tempted to buck him in the face. “You don't know what kind of horrible I done did last night! I've got to to get her!”

“I,” Big Macintosh had to make sure his teeth was clenched tightly to hold the clusters of her tail strands within his mouth as he spoke to her. “I couldn't exactly ignore the fact that you two were crowing as loud as the morning rooster!”

And just like that, the fire defused. Applejack immediately stopped struggling, her body freezing up as the words sank in. Her muscles relaxed, and her figure seemed to sink a little. Big Macintosh took this as a cue to release her tail, regarding her with a composed expression. She turned her head to look over at her shoulder at him, shock and confusion written on her countenance. When she didn't say anything, he took it as a cue to continue.

“I happened to be coming from the bathroom when I heard it. I couldn't help but eavesdrop, and I heard quite a lot, to say the least.”

“E...even the end of it?” Applejack nearly whimpered, to which Big Macintosh nodded solemnly.

“Eeyup...”

Silence. The two siblings just stared at one another for what seemed like the longest time. Applejack's ears dropped low, and she looked as if she was about to break into tears all over again. Big Macintosh simply regarded her with his usual look, although there was clear concern within his eyes. The only thing that broke the silence was the chirping of the birds. It would feel like an eternity before one of them spoke again.

“...well? Aren't you going to say it?”

Big Macintosh blinked in confusion. “Well... what?”

Applejack plopped herself down on her haunches, her eyes closed and her head bowed in a shamed manner. “Go on and say it.” She said bitterly. “I'm a monster. I'm a hardheaded fool who couldn't learn to keep her mouth from spitting too much and too far. I told Apple Bloom she was a dead little sister to me, after trying my best to look out for her. You and Granny Smith probably think I'm a lowlife piece of trash. So go on. Say what you need so I can go out and start this oh so beautiful day...”

“Applejack...” Big Macintosh began softly, walking towards her and placing a hoof on her shoulder. “Stop talking like that. You ain't a monster...”

“Then what am I?” Applejack abruptly raised her head back up, glaring into his eyes with conviction. “I'm certainly not the sister I was supposed to be!”

“We all make mistakes.” Big Macintosh answered readily and in a matter-of-fact tone. “We're all gonna have arguments like this sooner or later. Even family's gotta scuffle between each other now and again, and I know both of you well enough to know when you say things you don't mean.” As he watched Applejack's expression slowly transition from anger to confusion, he put on a small smile. “You may be a bit too wild for your own good sometimes, but you certainly ain't no monster...”

There was a brief silence. Applejack, under the calming words of her brother, seemed to have pushed all of her self-resentment away from her to trade it for a helpless weariness. “W... where is she now?” She questioned, slowly standing back up on her hooves.

Big Macintosh slowly shook his head. “Not sure. But considering last night, I doubt she'd allow herself to go very far. Think it'd be best to give her some space as of now...”

~Grisaille~

Thankfully, within the household of Twilight Sparkle, things had not escalated past the incident last night. No more nightmares had plagued Pinkie through its course, and consequently, all three of them had been allowed to sleep without consequence. However, Twilight lost a bit of it worrying about how to help Pinkie through this. Although she had been lucky enough not to have any more episodes, she knew that luck would not last forever. It was a right thing to put all of her hopes on the visit her friends would make, but would it be enough?

So with that basis of thinking, it wasn't unexpected for the unicorn to feel discombobulated upon waking up.

But what she didn't expect was the aroma of blueberry pancakes to enter her nostrils the moment she opened her eyes.

“Huh...?” With a confused groan, she sat herself up onto the couch and blinked a few times, trying to get the sleep out of her eyelids. Usually, she was the morning cook of the household, considering that Spike was a late riser. He was still a baby dragon, after all, and he needed more rest than she did – especially in a situation like this. But apparently, today was an exception for him. “I guess this must be the start of a good day...”

“Ahem!”

The sound of Pinkie clearing her throat abruptly brought Twilight out of her haze and desired attention. In her hooves, she held a tray complete with an assorted breakfast typical for the every day. There was a plate with a hot and steaming stack of five blueberry pancakes smothered in maple syrup, a tall glass of orange juice at its left flank, and a saucer with slices of two skinned kiwi fruit on its right flank. In the aroma of the food, Twilight nearly forgot who was standing in front of her with the food... that is, until Pinkie started giggling.

“Wow, Twilight, I didn't expect you to be that hungry!”

Twilight was now aware of the drool dripping down the corner of her slightly agape mouth and just why Pinkie was trying to keep herself from laughing up a storm. A slight flush came over her cheeks, and she cleared her throat as she recomposed herself. “Pinkie, I thought I told you to--”

“Not to come down here again?” Pinkie finished, smiling a bit sheepishly. “Well, see, I was thinking about that, and I really wanted to abide by what a good friend specifically told me to do, but then I started thinking about the fact that you were taking care of me even though you already have Spike to deal with, so I wanted to make it up to you by making the two of you breakfast!” She finished with a widening of her smile, with an audible “squee” to emphasize. It wasn't something that could keep Twilight irritated forever, and it didn't take long for the slightly stern expression to soften.

“Well,” She said, trailing off as she pondered. “I guess I can let you off just this one time.” With her magic, she levitated the tray away from Pinkie Pie's hooves and set it on the couch beside her. A smile came across her own face as she looked at the assortment of food. “I mean, you did work so hard on this. How can I complain?” She glanced over at Pinkie with a quirked eyebrow. “Though, where's Spike's?”

“Oh! I'm working on his still, but don't worry, it won't take long-- huh?”

Pinkie abruptly transitioned to slight confusion when she heard a faint “Mmmm” come from behind her. As she turned her attention towards the source, she could see the baby dragon following the vapor of aroma that made a path to the kitchen. A goofy smile was on his face and his eyes were closed, indicating that he wasn't aware of the mares' presence. Although Twilight regarded the scene with slight bewilderment, Pinkie seemed to disapprove of it entirely.

“Hey!” She promptly waved her hoof to disrupt the vapor, causing Spike to fall flat on his face. She ignored the surprised and annoyed “Ow!” that was emitted as a response. “You'll get your plate soon enough. You just sit here with Twilight and be patient!” Following that, she proceeded to follow her nose and ride the aroma herself, sporting the same goofy look that Spike had done. The said dragon was on his stomach with his chin in his hands, glaring at Pinkie as she made her exit.

“Ugh, you're such a... pig, Pinkie!”

Pinkie snorted all the way to the kitchen.

Twilight and Spike both burst into laughter, with the latter having immediately dismissed his negativity.

“And there's our favorite party pony!” The dragon said, once he had gotten over his mirth. He looked over at Twilight, trying his best to ignore the food that she was currently in the process of eating. “After last night, I didn't think she'd cheer up so quickly.”

“I wouldn't be so sure, Spike...” Twilight said, swallowing a bite of cake before allowing herself to talk again. “I mean, haven't you noticed something?”

Spike shrugged. “Like what?”

“Her mane and tail. They're usually poofy and what-not. From the moment she got here, they've been nothing but straight and down to earth – generally and figuratively speaking.”

Spike had to ponder this for a moment, which Twilight took to finishing the pancake she was on. He only needed a few seconds, and after that, he snapped his fingers in realization. “Oh! Right, I do remember one time when that happened! She was mentioning something about you guys not liking her parties and not wanting to be her friends anymore... or something along the lines of that. I don't remember.”

Twilight involuntarily shuddered a little. “Yeah. We really need to be careful of that when we do any future surprise birthday parties.” She muttered, shaking her head a little. “But my point is that her mane and tail only get like that when she's gloomy about something. We haven't taken care of what's bothering her yet until she tells all of us outright.” A slight frown came across her face as she was contemplating. “Though, I'm nervous. What if this simple visit doesn't work?”

“Ah, relax, Twi!” Spike waved a dismissive claw in reassurance. “Pinkie couldn't stay all gloomy and depressed even if she wanted to. She'll be fine in due time, I'm sure of it.”

Twilight sighed. “I hope so, Spike. I hope so...”

“In the meantime...” A mischievous grin came across Spike's face as he stood up and walked over to her, one of his claws readying to reach for one of Twilight's pancakes. “How about you do your number one assistant a most deserving favor and--”

“Ah, ah, ah, Spike!” Twilight abruptly cut him off, raising a hoof in order to stop him from getting too close. But she bore a smile of amusement. “I don't think Pinkie would like you trying to sneak food from off of my plate. She might be watching, after all...”

The grin on Spike's face immediately faltered, and he deflated rather quickly. “Aw, horseapples...”

~Grisaille~

Within the confines of the kitchen, the mood within the living room was a sharp contrast to the mood within the kitchen.

Pinkie was leaning over the sink with a hoof over her eyes, silent and still as the stove worked its magic beside her. She closed her eyes, running her hooves through her mane and exhaling a heavy, labored sigh. The moment she had entered the kitchen was also the moment that the reality of her situation gave her a brutal kick to her face. She knew that her friends would support her as best as they could, and she couldn't complain about that. But they weren't the ones that she had spent her childhood with, the ones that suffered so many hardships alongside of her and earned their living right beside her. She had been closer to her parents and sisters than she had been to anyone else. But now, thanks to a mistake that could have been avoided with ease, the connection had been broken. She could not think of a single way to reestablish connection.

She was trying her best to fight off such thoughts. But she couldn't help but wonder whether or not it had been a good thing Rainbow Dash pulled her from the snow. If she hadn't, then she wouldn't have had to deal with this problem. She wouldn't have to be afraid of her friends rejecting her because of her mistake. Sure, Twilight may have given her a small slimmer of hope. But she didn't know what the full picture was. Once it was out, she would be at the mercy of all. She didn't want them to think less of her because of this, no matter how dire it was. But what if she couldn't help that? It was the black death of her mind, and she wanted it so desperately to stop.

She took a look over at the stove. The pancakes were just about done, and the other assortments were already set up. She inhaled and exhaled in order to calm herself, trying her best to put a smile on her face. She reached over towards the pan in order to pull the fruits of her labor off of the oven.

The sound of a window's glass shattering would freeze her in her tracks.

She snapped her head just in time to see the small figure of a filly tumble onto the floor, emitting grunts and yelps as it did so. On its back were pieces of a hang glider, its foundation ruined by the attempt to squeeze through the window. On its face were goggles that were partially cracked thanks to the impact. The figure itself had suffered several scratches and bruises on its way inside, but it was nothing serious. Eyes of gamboge quickly surveyed the area before locking on to the surprised Pinkie, expressing just as much shock and awe. But it only lasted for a moment, before the gaze as well as a growing smile turned sheepish.

“A...Apple Bloom?” Pinkie blinked a few times. “Why are you--”

The kitchen door abruptly swung open, once again cutting her off.

“Pinkie! What's going--” Twilight's voice began, but the demand was cut off once the source laid eyes on the filly that was laying on the ground. Then, the slap of a hoof against a face followed soon after. “Ugh. Apple Bloom, if you wanted in, you could have just knocked on the door!” This prompted an embarrassed blush on Apple Bloom's face, which only intensified once Spike ran into the room. All he needed to do was take one look at the scene before laughing, earning an annoyed groan and a roll of the eyes from Apple Bloom.

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, baby lizard...” She grumbled, sitting herself and taking off what remained of the hang-glider. As she slid the goggles off of her head, she regarded Twilight with a sheepish gaze. “Real sorry about the window, Twilight, I... guess I just wasn't thinking that one through.”

Twilight sighed. “It's no problem. Just... try not to do that again, all right?” She walked over to the pieces of glass, using her magic in order to reconstitute the window. “What was so important that you had to crash through my kitchen window just to get in?” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Spike quickly run back into the living room after he regained his ability to breathe properly, but she paid no mind to it.

Apple Bloom faltered a little. “Well, it's...” She began, but stopped herself. She seemed very hesitant all of a sudden, trying to figure out the right words to say. This seemed to garner the attention of Pinkie, who had remained silent and now became curious over the matter. “I just... you see...” It was becoming very clear to all of them that she couldn't find the right wording for it, or at least a way to make the words less harsh. It wasn't long before she gave up, going for the blunt route.

“Okay, fine. I had a bit of a fall-out with my sister and I might need a place to hide out, for a few days... or a week... or two...” While in the midst of explaining possible time, she sank to her stomach with her hind legs tucked in and one foreleg folded over the other. She had averted her gaze away from Twilight, looking sullen and ashamed for even bringing up the request.

If anything, Twilight looked very baffled at the suggestion. “H-Hide out?” She repeated. “But why would you need to--”

“I don't want to talk about it. Can you help me or not?” Apple Bloom said snappishly, her stubbornness very clear. Twilight pursed her lips together at the show of rudeness, but chose to hold her tongue on that matter.

“Well... for one thing, why did you come here, specifically? I mean, maybe one of the others could--”

“Fluttershy's having enough trouble with her animals, and Rarity's probably got her hooves full with Sweetie Belle.” Apple Bloom interrupted. “I didn't want to give them any more hassle than I have to...”

“Look, Apple Bloom,” Twilight said firmly, frowning sternly. “I've got my hooves full, too. Pinkie's already in my care and she's still very much under the weather,” She shot a pointed look at the pink pony. “Despite her happening to be up right now. I'm sorry, but--”

“Oh, come on, Twilight!” Pinkie Pie whined, immediately moving up behind Apple Bloom before the latter knew what happened. She scooped the filly up in her hooves and held her up to Twilight, who mirrored the filly with surprised expressions. “Look at her! She's come all this way to ask a favor of you! How could you say no to this adorable and pleading face?” For emphasis, she followed up with a pouting lip, which in turn was followed by Apple Bloom attempting to emphasize this with an awkward smile.

“Pinkie, why on Earth would you want to help her do this?” Twilight was quick to round on the pink pony for it. “If we go through with this and Applejack finds out, she'll think we'll be taking sides against her in whatever the subject of argument is between the two. I already saw her get angry when she assumed Apple Bloom was kidnapped, and trust me when I say I don't want to see that again!”

“I'm sure Applejack just needs to cool off, that's all!” Pinkie Pie insisted. “After all, I don't think she's somebody to remain angry at anyone for long, especially her family!”

“Yeah, right...” Apple Bloom muttered under her breath. Thankfully and miraculously, neither one of the mares picked it up.

After regarding the two of them for a few moments, Twilight gave a heavy sigh of aggravation. “Fine, fine! She can stay here, too. But might I remind you that Applejack and the others are going to be coming here later on in the day, and I'm not going to be responsible if she catches her little sister here!”

“No problem, Twi!” Pinkie answered readily, putting on her brightest smile as she slipped Apple Bloom on her back. “By the way, those pancakes should be done by now. You can take them off the fridge and ready them for Spike.” She trotted away from the purple unicorn, humming a tune to herself as she opened up and closed the door behind her. But following afterward, her loud gasp could be heard.

“Spike! I made those specifically for Twilight! Why would you do that?”

“Who cares? She's got mine anyway.”

This was followed by the sound of a hoof smacking against what was presumably against a certain dragon's skull, followed by an exclamation of “Ow!” and Apple Bloom's snickers. Twilight could only roll her eyes, turning her attention to the pan holding what had been Spike's food. As she set to preparing her plate, she couldn't help but wonder why exactly Pinkie had been so quick to decide they should help out. This was a family issue, after all, and getting involved would've most likely only worsened things. Matter of fact, it would have been better to remain stubborn and make Apple Bloom return back to Applejack.

“Why did you come?”

But even so, those four words she had believed to hear Apple Bloom speak was starting to unnerve her greatly. Even if it was family business, she still couldn't help but worry about the weight of those words. What if Applejack couldn't solve it? What if Apple Bloom was actually thinking about prematurely ending her life? She could easily chalk the reasoning for her dreads up to a lot of paranoia and stress. But no matter what she personally thought, she understood that it was still a possibility.

Maybe Pinkie had something in mind for the filly...

As soon as she got to the last stair, Pinkie abruptly swung a foreleg over her mouth as she burst into a brief but intense coughing fit. Every cough made her body jolt, nearly making Apple Bloom fall over in the process. Reflexively, the filly began to slap at Pinkie in an attempt to help relieve the sick mare faster. Neither of them were sure that was even working, but it wasn't long before Pinkie managed to get herself together once again.

“Are you sure that I won't get,” Apple Bloom began, becoming more and more wary of Pinkie and her status. However, she was quick to retract her statement before it could be finished. “Oh, who am I kidding? If you don't mind, maybe you can direct some of those whooping calls my way, Pinkie.”

“Why... would I do that, silly?” Pinkie asked, somewhat confused. “I wouldn't want you to get sick, too! I mean, why would I want that when I'm trying to help you out?” A sigh escaped Apple Bloom as a response, but she couldn't help but pass a curious and somewhat suspecting look at the back of Pinkie's head.

“Speaking of “help”, you seemed real ready to say yes to Twilight. Why is that?”

Pinkie paused for a brief moment, and Apple Bloom immediately assumed that whatever suspicions to be had were confirmed. But that thought was shot away at the next choice of words. “Well, you seemed really... sad.” She said, trying to pick out the right words for explanation. “And I don't just mean “your ice cream fell out of your cone on the ground” kind of sad. I mean “your favorite puppy accidentally got trampled by a runaway carriage” kind of sad, you know?”

With each and every word, Apple Bloom looked more and more pained. “A...am I really that obvious?” She attempted to joke, but the somewhat upset tone of her voice masked any sort of humor she could attempt to conjure up.

“Mhm!” Pinkie nodded. “So I'm going to do whatever it takes to cheer you up, put a smile on that canary face of yours!”

Apple Bloom scowled, turning away from Pinkie. “Didn't I say before that I didn't want to ta--” However, she stopped herself mid-sentence, her eyes widening as she registered what had been said to her. “W-wait a minute. Canary?” She slapped forehooves to her cheeks, her face heating up slightly. “I'm not that yellow!”

“Yes, you are!” Seeing an opportunity to fulfill her objective, Pinkie allowed a mischievous smile to cross her face as she continued what was to be a rather playful argument. Once she reached the door to Twilight's bedroom, she opened it and stepped inside. Apple Bloom, on the other hand, didn't seem to notice even as the door was shut behind them.

“No, I'm not!”

“Yes you are!”

“Well, at least I don't look like a walking pile of... bubble gum!”

“Hey!” Pinkie said indignantly, prompting a triumphant grin to cross Apple Bloom's face. But once again, she would be surprised. “I prefer the term “cotton candy”. A walking pile of cotton. Candy!”

“Nope. You're bubble gum.”

“Nuh-uh!”

“Yeah-huh!”

“Nuh-uh!”

“Yeah-huh!”

“Nuh-uh!”

“Yeah-huh!”

“Nuh-uh!”

“Yeah-huh!”

“Nuh-uh!”

“Yeah-huh!”

“Nuh-uh!”

“Yeah-huh!”

“Darn it, Pinkie!” The assumption of Apple Bloom being unaware that they had crossed into Twilight's room would be proven false when she leaped off of Pinkie's back and moved herself around so that she was directly facing the mare. Gamboge eyes stared into cerulean with defiance, and she even stomped her hoof in emphasis of her position. “When I say you're not, you're not!”

“Okey-dokey-lokey!” Pinkie said cheerfully, leaping onto the bed and plopping on her back. “You're always right!”

“Of course I a-- huh?” What would've been a smug look on Apple Bloom's face was immediately wiped away when she began to register what they both had just said. What replaced the expression was enough to make Pinkie Pie burst with laughter, much to the filly's chagrin. “Hey, wait a minute!”

“Too late! No take backs!”

“Ugh!” With a protesting groan, Apple Bloom fell on her haunches, folding her forelegs and pouting. However, as Pinkie Pie continued to laugh and snort, she soon found herself starting to give way with chuckles and snickers of her own. It wasn't long before she gave way to full blown laughter herself. Within a situation like hers, it was very refreshing and almost foreign in a sense. But it was also very welcoming, providing at least a temporary source of confidence. Pinkie Pie could understand this with ease, if the stop of her laughter and the keeping of her grin was any indication.

“See? If we're off to a start like that, then I think cheering you up won't be that much of a problem at all!”

That made Apple Bloom stop herself, regarding Pinkie Pie with surprise. As she continued to stare, she couldn't help but slowly regain her own smile. For a moment, her troubles had lifted off of her shoulders and into the air, freeing her of her burden. Maybe hanging around the party pony would do her some good out of this mess.

“Yeah... not a problem...”

Author's Note

Sorry for the looooooooooooong absence, guys. Procrastination and college have been dominated for the time being, and I have finally managed to get this piece through to you. Hope this is worth all the painful waiting I put you all through. As usual, eave your opinions, advice, reaction images, whatever in the comments section below. ^_^