Pound My Pumpkin

1. Girl Talk

Pumpkin had fled from Sugarcube Corner, running as fast as she could, tears in her eyes and her breath coming in ragged gasps. She hadn't looked where she was going, only seeking to get away from her brother and the revelation that had filled her with confusion and fear. In her headlong dash, she eventually approached the edge of town, where a river separated the town from the path leading to Sweet Apple Acres. Not realizing how far she was from the path, she tumbled headlong into the river. While the current was slow, it took her a bit before she was in control of herself enough to swim, at which point she pulled herself to shore under the bridge that spanned the river. Curling up there, shivering, she let herself go crying softly, all thought gone from her mind.

She didn't know how long she sat there, although she noticed the arrival of sunlight. She continued to cry, struggling to wrap her mind and heart around what had happened, what had so drastically changed her world and made it so unrecognizable. Her tears were eventually interrupted, however, as she heard ponies crossing the bridge.

"Do you girls hear something?" a quiet voice asked. "It sounds like some creature is crying."

Pumpkin thought she recognized the voice, but when she tried to take a breath, all she managed to get out was a sudden sneeze.

A familiar pink head stuck itself under the bridge. "Who's hiding under the bridge? Is it trolls? Or maybe a kappa or-OHMYGOSHPUMPKIN!"

Pinkie Pie reached out and seized Pumpkin in her forelegs, pulling her out from under the bridge and holding her tight against her. "It's okay now, Pumpkin. Auntie Pinkie's got you. I'll fix everything and make it all better, I Pinkie Promise."

The way she said it, Pumpkin almost believed it as she wrapped her forelegs around Pinkie, holding on tight.

"Spike, find Pound," Rarity was saying behind her. "Assuming he isn't in trouble as well, he'll be frantic with worry over Pumpkin."

"On it," Spike replied as he turned towards Ponyville proper.

"Is the tyke gonna be okay?" Applejack asked, walking up in worry.

"We really need to get her to the hospital!" Rainbow spoke up, spreading her wings as her Wonderbolt flight suit glittered in the sun. "I'll get her there in no time."

"The hospital..." that single word managed to force its way through Pumpkin's jumbled feelings and the general haze covering her thoughts. She looked down at her forelegs holding tightly to her Auntie Pinkie and for the first time that night she noticed how disheveled she must look. Her fur was matted in clumps of wet mud and blood from numerous scratches and cuts, giving testament to her ordeal climbing out of the river. Pumpkin gripped Pinkie tighter, the only familiar rock in her sea of turbulent emotion, and closed her eyes knowing that Pinkie would make everything all right; she had given her a Pinkie Promise.

"No," Pinkie interrupted, "Twilight's closer and she knows healing magic!"

"But Pinkie, darling," Rarity started to say, "Twilight's on the other side of-"

"-and Spike will have the girls here any minute, so I need to get this place spotless or Rarity will insist on dusting and that will take time away from our reunion and AUUGH!!! Pinkie! How many times have I told you not to do that! Alicorn or not, I'm still as susceptible to cardiac arrest as the next pony!"

Pumpkin wasn't sure what had happened. One moment she and Aunt Pinkie were outside with the others. The next they were behind Princess Twilight as she cleaned up Ponyville Library. It wasn't teleportation either, as Pumpkin had done that herself a few times. The best way she could think to describe it is if she had been in a play and someone had changed the backdrop when she blinked... except she hadn't blinked. It was quite disorienting.

"Sorry to jump in like this Twilight cause I know how much you hate it when I pop in and out in defiance of all physical and magical law and it gives you a headache when I try to explain it to you unless you're drunk when it makes perfect sense and you don't really like to think about it because of what happened last time you tried to explain what I was capable of but Pumpkin needed immediate medical care and you were closer than Nurse Redheart and I just had to get her treated right now because she's so important to me and I'm really worried she might get pneumonia or some other horrible symptom like the measles or the mumps or the pony pox or -"

Twilight finally managed to slog through Pinkie's babbling to see Pumpkin over her shoulder. "Set her down, Pinkie. I'll get to work." When Pinkie put Pumpkin down, Twilight rested her horn against the filly's forehead. Her magic began to work, slowly easing the effects of a night's cold and dampness from her body. As she did so, she addressed Pinkie. "So where did you find her like this? Short answers, please."

Pinkie nodded. "The bridge on the path to Sweet Apple Acres."

"... and you say I was closer than Nurse Redheart?"

"Yeppers!"

"Even though the hospital is 40 yards from the bridge, whereas the library is on the other side of town?"

"Uhuh!"

"How exactly am I closer than Nurse Redheart, then?"

"Because I'm closer to you. Duh!"

Twilight continued working her magic in silence for a time. "I... don't think I follow..."

"I know you better, Twilight. You're like one of my bestest of bestest friends in the whole wide world!" Pinkie stated this with enthusiasm, but with all the seriousness of somepony stating that the sky was blue, grass was green, that Luna wasn't a morning pony, or any other self evident truth.

"But what does that have to do with physical distance?" Twilight asked in exasperation.

"What does physical distance have to do with who's closer?" Pinkie asked in confusion.

As most of the ill effects of Pumpkin's rough night had been purged by the magic, she was able to watch in fascination as Twilight's eyebrows began to twitch and a lock of her mane sprang upward, giving her a somewhat crazed appearance. After a few moments, Twilight took a deep breath and let it out, mumbling under her breath, "It's Pinkie Pie, don't question it. Last time you tried to figure her out, your mane and tail wound up bursting into flames. You don't want to see what might happen now that you have wings." After calming herself, she leaned away from Pumpkin. "Are you alright now, Pumpkin?"

Pumpkin took a deep breath and let it out. "Yes, Princess Twilight," she said calmly. "I feel much better."

Twilight twitched. "I've asked you not to call me that, Pumpkin," she said, her voice somewhat pained.

"Yes Princess Twilight, you have," Pumpkin replied, smirking.

Twilight rolled her eyes, chuckling. Pinkie was grinning ear to ear.

Pumpkin blinked. "I'm... much calmer than I expected, all things considered."

Twilight smiled. "While treating your symptoms, I noticed your brain chemistry showed signs of recent hysteria that hadn't subsided, so I added a calming spell with along with the others."

"How come you've never cast that spell on Aunt Pinkie?" Pumpkin asked without thinking.

"Because she's immune," Twilight replied sardonically.

As the two chuckled together, Pinkie came up to Pumpkin. "So... do you want to talk about it? Whatever it was that had you super bummed to the point you were crying under the bridge for half the night and most of the morning?"

Pumpkin nodded. "But... can it be somewhere more private? Where nopony's likely to walk in on us?"

Twilight smiled. "Sure thing." Her horn glowed.

This time, Pumpkin recognized the signs of teleportation. However, she did not recognize where they wound up. The chamber was large and comfortable, the only furnishings a simple desk, a huge couch/bed large enough to sleep two to three alicorns comfortably, and bookshelves covering every wall. Books of numerous subjects were scattered around the room on nearly every surface, even some floating in the air of their own accord. Various scientific apparatus of unknown origin and purpose sat on the desk, floated about the room, or hung from the ceiling. The room was perfectly circular, with windows at what Pumpkin assumed was each of the four compass points, with only a starry expanse visible beyond. The roof itself was decorated in the pattern of the constellations, but the pattern moved of its own accord.

Twilight led them over to the bed, the only surface not covered by books. "Please, make yourselves comfortable," she said calmly.

Pinkie walked over, seeming disoriented. "Twilight... where are we?"

"A place with a door only I can open," Twilight replied. At Pinkie's continued confusion, she sighed. "Pinkie, you know how each of the Princesses has a constellation that represents them, and how I got one when I became a Princess?" When Pinkie nodded, she continued, "Well, we're metaphorically inside my constellation."

Pinkie started to inhale a huge gasp, then stopped. "Don't you mean metaphysically?"

Twilight smiled. "In this case, the terms are interchangeable."

Pinkie gasped and started to babble. "Ohmygosh, this is so amazing it's like totally the most awesome thing ever you've got your own private space actually it's a space in space if you want to be technical it's your space space that is so super duper fantabulously awesome! But if you're here when I need to get to you I can't get to you because only you can open the door except there isn't a door just windows looking out into space and I wonder what stars taste like do you think Luna will notice if I eat one to find out?"

Pumpkin lay down on the bed, and that seemed almost a signal as Pinkie Pie immediately zoomed over to lie on the bed, although she wound up tripping over a few books on the way, muttering something about, "How come my physics don't work here?"

Twilight faced Pumpkin. "So, tell me what's bothering you."

Pumpkin looked up at her. "First... can you both promise not to tell anypony? This is... kinda complicated."

Twilight smiled. "It's a Pinkie Promise."

Pinkie grinned. "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," she said happily, performing the hoof motions.

Pumpkin smiled. "Thanks." Then she frowned. "I just found out there's a colt that is sexually attracted to me."

Pinkie let out a stifled laugh. "Pumpkin, that's no secret. Half the colts in your age group have got the hots for you. So who was it that confessed that's got you so worked up? I assume a confession was involved? But isn't it so wonderful that you finally have a special some-"

"It's Pound."

"-pony..." Pinkie's voice trailed off and her eyes narrowed. "Say... WHAT?"

"Pound desires me," Pumpkin said, wilting away from her Aunt Pinkie's narrowing eyes and inflating hair.

"No no no no no no NO!" Pinkie yelled, starting to race around the room crazily. "Brothers and sisters should not be having naughty thoughts about each other! It's not right, it's not done this is so horrible I mean your parents are going to so totally freak and the town's going to freak and the Princesses and the girls are going to freak and Twilight why aren't you freaking?" Pinkie stared at Twilight's perfectly calm demeanor as she breathed heavily, trying to contain her own freakout.

Twilight smiled calmly at Pinkie. "Because as a Princess, I can't let my emotions get the better of me. I have to stay calm for the sake of those who come to me with their problems. Besides, this isn't nearly as big a deal as you make it out to be."

Pinkie blinked. "Not a big deal? NOT A BIG DEAL? MY DOOZY ALERT PINKIE SENSE NEVER WENT OFF!"

"Which obviously means this isn't a doozy, correct?"

Pinkie blinked. "... never thought of it that way." Pinkie lay back down on the bed. "But how come I didn't get a Pinkie Sense about it?"

"How often do you get a sense that somepony is making an important confession soon?"

"About 37 times a day."

"And how often do you get a sense that something is happening with Pound and Pumpkin that you should know about?"

"Nearly twice that." Pinkie paused for a bit. "You mean my Pinkie Sense did warn me, it just sort of blended in with all the day to day warnings?"

Twilight smiled. "Seems that way. Now, how about we actually address Pumpkin's issue here?"

Pinkie nodded. "Okay if I let you handle it though, Twilight? I... think I already screwed this up." She looked over at where Pumpkin was cowering. "Sorry Pumpkin, Auntie Pinkie didn't mean to explode like that."

Pumpkin managed a small smile. "It's okay Aunt Pinkie. You were just worried about me."

Pinkie pulled Pumpkin into her forelegs, hugging her tightly. Twilight spoke up. "Now, obviously what your brother revealed to you came as a real shock?"

Pumpkin nodded. "We'd been drifting apart ever since we got our Cutie Marks. I'd thought it was just us growing up and growing apart, but..."

Twilight lay her wing over Pumpkin. "It's alright. It's understandable that you wouldn't expect something like this. However, there's something you need to figure out, and soon... probably before you return to Sugarcube Corner, but at the very least before your parents come home at the end of the week."

Pumpkin looked up, beginning to grow concerned. "What's that?"

"Whether or not you can accept this side of Pound. This new revelation changes the dynamic of your relationship with him, and in any relationship, you need to be able to accept the other pony for everything they are. You don't have to like it, you don't have to embrace it, but if you can't accept a part of what makes somepony themselves, then the relationship won't work, because some part of you will be trying to change that... and trying to force somepony to change against their will is one of the fastest ways to drive them away." Twilight sighed sadly. "If you can't accept Pound's attraction for you, it will always be the elephant in the room, and it will eventually drive you both apart."

As Pumpkin struggled to take this in, Pinkie gasped. "That must be why they've been drifting apart! Because Pound has been struggling to accept this about himself!"

Twilight smiled. "That actually makes logical sense Pinkie... by a normal pony's standards. I think that might be a first for you."

Pinkie giggled. "Mark it in the record books, then!"

Pumpkin lowered her head to her hooves, lost in thought, trying to make sense of everything Twilight and Pinkie had said.

Twilight nuzzled her breifly. "Well, for the moment, that's all the help I can give you. Do you think you'll be okay walking from the library to Sugarcube Corner? Pound's waiting for you."

Pumpkin got to her hooves. "I think so. We'll... figure something out."

Twilight smiled. "Alright." In a flash of light, they were back in the library. Rarity was dusting, Applejack was cooking, and Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were alphabetizing the bookshelves under Spike's directions. "Girls! You don't need to do all that!"

Rarity chuckled. "Really, darling, what else did you have planned for our Spring Cleaning Reunion?"

As the others laughed, Pumpkin bid her farewells and walked out the door. As she walked away, she heard a last few snippets of conversation from the library.

"Spike," Twilight was saying, "I need to request a copy of Clover the Clever's spellbook set from the Canterlot archives. Then I need a paper bag."

"Delayed freak out?" Rainbow asked.

"Delayed freak out."

Pumpkin put those things from her mind, walking down the road. She paused by the Sweet Apple Acres booth - being minded by Applebloom - to buy an apple, as she was famished. As she continued to walk, however, she yawned. Spying a comfortable looking spot between some crates in a nearby alleyway, she curled up and closed her eyes. She didn't do her best thinking after a sleepless night, so she'd sleep on the issue. That was supposed to help, right?