//------------------------------// // VIII: Epilogue // Story: Ignorance is Bliss... // by TheUnknownPerson //------------------------------// How do I even ask this question... Pinkie trotted down the gravely path to the Pie Rock Farm. Usually at this time of day. she'd usually be at work at the Sugarcube Corner, baking different sweets and cakes for the ponies of Ponyville. However, this day was different. This day she would ask if what she had dreamed was true. She had told Mr. and Mrs. Cake about where she was going, so they gave her the day off. "Hey mom, I had a dream about you and dad and Maud cutting off my wings. Oh yeah, I was a pegasus in it. Was it true?" Pinkie asked herself, pretending to talk to her mom. "Oh come on, Pinkie! That's just a stupid way to ask it." Pinkie said as she facehoofed. Pinkie began to think of ways she could ask her mom or dad. She had calmed extensively since she had told her friends. Now her emotions weren't bottled up inside. Although she still became scared when she thought about it. "I had a nightmare a couple of nights ago, mom. I was a pegasus and you, dad, and Maud drugged me and chopped my wings off. Tell me, was it real?" Pinkie tried again. Still doesn't feel right. "Hello, sister." Pinkie was startled by the voice. She almost bucked back when she heard it, but she held herself. "Oh. He-hey Maud!" Pinkie said as she looked back at Maud. She had a small cart filled a third of the way with bits. "What were you just talking about?" "Um... I said hello to you." "Before that." "Oh, nothing." Pinkie said as she sped up a little bit. She didn't feel really safe around Maud for obvious reasons. Pinkie and Maud trotted in silence towards the rock farm for a minute or two. "So, did you come to visit us?" "Sort of. I'm only staying for the day." "Hm." Maud said as she sped up a little bit to try and catch up with Pinkie. In return, Pinkie speed-trotted towards the Pie House. This time, Maud just let it happen. Pinkie kept up her pace until she reached the house and entered. The house was quiet(as usual). "Hello? Anyone there?" Pinkie called out. "In here, Pinkie!" Somepony called out from down the hallway. Pinkie followed the voice to Marble's and Limestone's room. When Pinkie entered, she found Cloudy moving a bed into the corner of her childhood room. "Hello Pinkie. You caught me at a bad moment..." Cloudy said as moved the bed into the corner. "Oh, here! Let me help." Pinkie said, temporarily forgetting about her ordeal to help her parents. She rushed beside Cloudy and began to help them push. With two ponies pushing on the twin sized bed frame, they were able to get bed in the corner with ease. "Thank you for helping me, dear." "Oh its fine..." Pinkie said as she realized that she was talking to the pony who had helped cut off her wings. She was more scared than she was angry. "So... you came to visit?" "Um... yes mom." Pinkie said as she back away. "Alright... well. Make yourself at home. Marble and Limestone are outside, doing their chores, Igneous is in the one quarries, mining, and Maud should be back anytime now with some bits that we got for trading some rocks." Cloudy said as she left the room. "Ok."Pinkie said as she inspected the room. Apparently, her parents had given Marble and Limestone her room when she moved out. The party streamers had been taken down, the old carpet had been stripped up and replaced with rock tile, and they had put up shelves filled with rocks that they thought were, "cool". Pinkie exited the room and went to the living room. She then sat on a piece of furniture in the living room that. Pinkie sat to the right of her mother. They just sat there for a few minutes in awkward silence. "So, how has things been?" Cloudy asked, hoping to break the ice(or the rock if you want to make a joke). "Good." Pinkie replied simply. Then, silence. "..." "..." Things wouldn't have been so awkward if Pinkie didn't have those dreams. She would've been excited, talking nonstop to her mother, telling her about her job and her friends in Ponyville. But with what she had witnessed in the past week, she wasn't so talkative with her mother. After a few minutes of silence, Pinkie finally worked up the courage to ask her mother. "Um... mom. C-can I ask you a question?" "Yes, Pinkie." "You see, I had this dream-" The door opened, and Maud entered with the cart of coins rolling behind her. "Hello mother. Hello Pinkie. I traded those rocks and got some bits." Maud said as she sat the cart beside the door. "Good." Great... now I'm in a room with two ponies that hurt me. "Excuse me Pinkie, but I have to put these coins up." Cloudy said as she grabbed the cart and started to roll it into the hallway. Maud followed behind "But what about my-" Cloudy goes past the corner into the hall "question..." Pinkie finished as she sighed. Pinkie sat on the furniture for what seemed forever. How many coins did Maud get? It shouldn't take this long. Pinkie sat there, waiting on her mother and sister. It really shouldn't take this long to put up coins. Maybe they're talking about something. Pinkie got curious and tiphooved to the corner. She remained quiet and decided to listen for noises. At first, she didn't hear anything, but after awhile, she heard her mother. "Thanks again, Maud." "You're welcome, mother. I'm going to go finish my chores for the rest of the day." Pinkie heard hoofsteps and was about to rush back over to her chair when she heard her mother again. "Wait, Maud, can I ask you something, sweetie?" "Of course, mother." "Has Pinkie seemed off?" "Yes mother." "She seems a bit distracted, doesn't she?" "Yes mother. Maybe because she hasn't seen her family in awhile." "Possibly." "Alright. I'm going now." "Ok. Bye." "Bye, mother." Pinkie heard hoofsteps approaching her. Ok, now this is going to be close... She quickly tippedhoofed back to her seat and pretended like she was fiddling around with her hooves as Maud entered sight. Maud looked at Pinkie and said, "I'll be outside if you need me." "Alright Maud." Maud trotted to the door, but stopped. "Oh, and Pinkie." "Y-yes, Maud?" Did she catch me? "You don't have to be so nervous around us." Maud said as she opened the door. Pinkie wiped her brow and replied, "I will try not to be, Maud. I've just got a lot on my mind right now." Maud exited the house as Cloudy entered the living. "Sorry that took so long, darling. We couldn't find the key to our safe." "Its alright mom." "Now, what did you want to ask me?" "Oh... well. I had this dream..." Pinkie said nervously. "Yes..." "Well, its more of a nightmare." "Oh... that's bad." "Yes.. yes it is..." "Alright, well, go on." "Ok..." Pinkie said as she took a deep breath and emotionally prepared herself. ================= "Dad sewed me up and that's when I woke up." Pinkie said as finished telling the story to Cloudy. Cloudy had a look of concern on her face. Pinkie couldn't tell if it was concerned for her daughter's emotions or if she was concerned for her daughter's psychological health. "Pinkie, do you honestly think we would do that to you?" Cloudy said. Her voice was filled with concern. "I...I don't know." Pinkie said. "I mean, your father and I aren't the best parents in the world, and Maud may not be the best sister in the world, but we certainly wouldn't chop off our own daughter's wings. If we had a pegasus as a daughter." Cloudy said as she grabbed Pinkie's hoof. "I know. It was a bit silly to think that you, Maud, or dad would do that to me." Pinkie said as she wiped tears away. "Don't worry." Cloudy got up, trotted over to Pinkie, and hugged her. "Do you feel any better now?" "Yeah. Really better." Pinkie said, giggling at the end. A weight had lifted off of her shoulders. "Good. Well, it's getting late. How about you stay for dinner?" "Sure!" Pinkie said, happy that she had gotten the answer that she wanted. ================= The Pie Family sat around a table in their kitchen. For the first time in years, the entire family was there. Pinkie had reunited with her father, Marble, and Limestone earlier in the night. She had cracked a few jokes with them, which they slightly laughed at them. They all sat down at the table, eating the meal that Cloudy had fixed earlier in the day. Pinkie thoroughly searched through her meal before eating it. It had been a while since she had eaten her mother's cooking. I'm surprised I'm able to do this after that dream. Pinkie savored the home cooked meal. After dinner, Marble and Limestone went to bed, which left Maud, Igneous, Cloudy, and Pinkie in a room together. "So Pinkie, how has things been?" Igneous asked. "Great!" Pinkie said, much happier now that she found out her dream wasn't reality. "Good. How's Ponyville?" Igneous said. "Great! I have sooooooo many friends there. I even got a job at a bakery and I live in the loft above it." Pinkie said. "Well, good." They just sat there, talking about personal events in there lives for awhile. Then Igneous said something. "Well, I suppose its time for us to go to bed." he said as he looked up at the clock. It was 8:00. "Aw... ok. I guess it is a bit late. I probably need to go." Pinkie said. "Are you sure? We have an extra room." "I'd love to. Really. But I have to work tomorrow." "Alright." Cloudy said with an understanding voice. Cloudy walked into the hall and peeked out from behind the corner. She pointed at Igneous and Maud and motioned them to come over to her. Wonder what that's all about. Pinkie knew she probably shouldn't do it again, but she went over to the corner and listened carefully. The first thing she heard, once again, was Cloudy. Her voice's volume was less loud than the last time. "She's starting to remember." "What?!" Igneous said in a higher volume than his wife, to which she shushed him for. "How do you know?" Igneous said in a lower volume. "She told me about a dream she had... it described the what happened to the smallest detail. Oh, I thought she wouldn't remember..." Cloudy sounded remorseful. "I know dear. We just need to make sure she still thinks its a dream and it'll all be fine." Pinkie was heartbroken. She bit down on her lower lip in a futile attempt to hold the tears currently flooding her eyes. "I..it really happened. They actually did it to me." Pinkie said with tears rolling down the sides of her snout. "M-mom! Dad! I'm going to go ahead and leave." Pinkie called out, trying not to sound sad. Her voice cracked in the middle of the sentence. "Ok, dear. Bye!" Cloudy called back. Pinkie galloped out of the house. Tears were freely flowing from her eyes. "Why did this have to happen to me!?" Pinkie yelled to the stars as she galloped to away from the farm in darkness. This time, they didn't respond. Maybe Princess Luna herself didn't know. ================= By the time Pinkie got back to Ponyville, it was almost midnight. She entered Sugarcube corner. Mr. and Mrs. Cake left the front door unlocked for her. Once she got in, she shut the door, locked it, and quietly trotted upstairs. For some reason, when Pinkie passed the Cake Twins' room, she got a sudden urge to go into it. I shouldn't wake them up... Despite her better judgement, Pinkie entered the Twins' Room. She tippedhoofed over to their cribs. Pinkie got a feeling of happiness when he looked at Pumpkin blissfully sleeping. But when she looked at Pound, she jealous. Why does he have wings? Why aren't my parents as good as Mr. and Mrs. Cake? Stop thinking like that Pinkie! You'll forgive them, just not right now... Pinkie still had a feeling of jealousy when she looked at Pound. How was it fair that he got to keep his wings, but she didn't? Pinkie then remembered something. She still had that knife under her bed. No! I won't do what they did to me! Pinkie rushed out of the room as quietly as she could. She then quietly shut the door and went back into her room. Why would I even think about doing that? Pinkie sat down on the bed and buried herself into the covers. And she just sat there and cried. She not only was sad because her parents had actually done it to her, but now she was confused. How could I think of doing that? Cutting of Pounds wings... Pinkie could feel the idea becoming more and more appealing. "No! I will not do that to Pound!" Pinkie whisper-yelled as she immediately pushed the thought out of her head. Pinkie then began to think of her friends. Specifically Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. I thought about what Fluttershy would look like without wings... Rainbow Dash would be crushed if her wings were cut off. Just like me... Why am I having these... these sadistic urges?! ================= To be Continued..