Pinkie stood in the middle of the bakery with a slack jaw. All around her people were muttering and milling around awkwardly. She took no notice as Locke’s parting words bounced around in her skull.

“I’ve lived here for almost two years.”

Pinkie couldn’t believe it, she knew everyone in town how did she miss him? Rainbow walked up to Pinkie cautiously.

“Hey Pinks, you ok?” Rainbow asked.

“I know everyone in Ponyville. How did I miss him?” Pinkie muttered absently. She turned around and shuffled dejectedly toward the stairs. Rainbow stared as her friend slowly mounted the stairs.

“Pinkie, wait!”Rainbow called. Pinkie slowly turned, her hair beginning to flatten.”Maybe you missed him but that doesn’t mean you can’t fix it by getting to know him now.” The other partygoers nodded and voiced their agreement. Pinkie gasped and her hair shot back into its’ normal bouncy consistence.

“You’re right! But I need to plan… help yourselves to the snacks everybody! See you later!”  Pinkie exclaimed as she rushed up the stairs. Rainbow sighed in relief and turned to the snack table trying to decide what to eat.

Locke was lying in bed, still clothed, when he heard the creak of floorboards. He thought it was his imagination playing tricks on him at first. After all, when he got back home from the “welcoming party” he drank himself more or less stupid out of sheer boredom.

*CCCRRREEEAAAKKK*

Locke’s shot open only to be met by startlingly blue eyes staring in to his own.

“AAAAAHHHH!”Locke shouted as he rolled away only to fall out of bed. He hit the floor face first and groaned. He lay on the floor as he listened to the intruder trying to stifle their giggles. He sat up bleary eyed to find Pinkie standing by his bed with her hand over her mouth.”What are you doing in my house?!?”Locke exclaimed

“*Snicker* Well, I was thinking about how you said you lived here for two years but no one at the party knew you. That got me thinking ‘how did he live here with no one meeting him?’ So, I decided to ask you about it.” Pinkie spat out with absurd speed. Locke looked at her incredulously.

“Aaannddd that means you can break in to my house?” Locke asked sarcastically

“I didn’t break anything silly I just opened one of your windows and climbed in.” Pinkie giggled. Locke face palmed.

“Breaking in means entering without permission, you know.”Locke grumbled.

“Oooohhh, well then I guess I did.” Pinkie stated with a giggle. Locke sighed and shook his head.

“Ok then, now that that’s all cleared up what do you want?” Locke asked bitterly

“Well, no one in town knows you and I don’t see how that’s possible. How do you get the money for your food without a job? How do you buy your food without meeting any one?”Pinkie asked curiously. Locke groaned before answering

“I get a check from the government and I get my weekly groceries delivered from the market by that wall-eyed mail-woman. Anything else you feel you have to know?” Lock stated impatiently. Pinkie thought for a moment then stared at Locke eyeing him up and down.

“Why do you get a check from the government?”Pinkie asked.”You can’t be more than twenty- four or five.”Locke paused for a moment, slightly startled by Pinkie’s sudden knowledge behind her question. At least, until she ruined the moment by asking “Also why is your voice so raspy?” Locke grimaced

“I just do, it just is, now get out of my house!” Locke growled. Even Pinkie could pick up on Locke’s hostility.

“Okay doki Loki!” Pinkie stated, with just a hint of nervousness in her voice before skipping out of the room. Locke sat on his bedroom floor until he heard the front door shut. He sighed then went down stairs to make himself some breakfast.

Pinkie walked down the street pondering the information she had gathered from Locke. She knew only two things for certain: He got money from the government and she needed to talk to a certain mailwoman. She nodded to herself and went off to find the mailwoman in question.

Pinkie found her target walking back from Sweet Apple Acres, the last stop on her route.

“Hey Ditzy, can I talk to you?”Pinkie called out to her. Ditzy exhaled sharply out her nose before walking toward Pinkie.

“Yeah, what do you want?” Ditzy stated sharply. Pinkie was taken a back at the attitude Ditzy had.

“What’s a matter Ditzy? You seem kinda cranky.” Pinkie asked. Ditzy sighed ruefully.

“You had a party last night and made my favorite muffins.”Ditzy said dejectedly.

“I’m confused. Why did that make you cranky?”Pinkie inquired. Ditzy sniffed and her bottom lip trembled slightly.

“I wasn’t there in time and didn’t get to have any.”Ditzy whispered. Pinkie giggled and pulled a muffin seemingly out of nowhere.

“Don’t be sad Ditzy I saved one last night.”Pinkie stated while handing the muffin to Ditzy. Ditzy squeed in glee. “Now Ditzy quick question, do you deliver anyone their groceries?”

“Huh, oh, yeah I deliver this one guys’ food every week. I make about twenty bits from it.”Ditzy mumbled around her muffin. Pinkie nodded.

“One last thing….. Why does he get his food delivered?” Pinkie asked. Ditzy just shrugged. Pinkie thanked Ditzy and went off to try and find better answers.

As Pinkie walked she thought of where she could ask around.”Hmm, well I suppose I could try to get more information from Locke. She smiled thinking he must have just been cranky when she woke him up. Pinkie arrived at Locke’s house and knocked before entering this time. That is to say she knocked then walking in, not waiting for a reply. She saw Locke sitting on his couch surrounded by unopened boxes, several empty bottles sat on the coffee table in front of him. His head was tilted back and he groaned slightly as he righted it to look at her. When he saw her he groan and let his head fall back to where it was.

“Augh, what do you wwwaaannttt from me?” He grumbled drunkenly. Thinking quickly Pinkie came up with an excuse.

“I was thinking about these empty boxes in your living room and really wanted to know what was in them.” Pinkie said half truthfully. She looked around until she found a box labeled “Personal affect”. She tore the tape of and looked through it. Moving bits and baubles around she came across several leather bound books and what appeared to be photo albums. Grabbing the top most leather bound book and a photo album she peered over her shoulder at the drunken young man on the couch.

“Say,” Pinkie said “do you mind if I borrowed some of these books?”Locke didn’t bother to look up.

“If that’s what it takes to get you to leave fine.”Locke snapped. Pinkie grinned and bounded out the door.

Several minutes later Pinkie stood in Sugarcube Corner anxiously tapping a foot. The door at the front of the bakery swung open and her five best friends stepped in.

“Alright Pinkie, what did you call us over for?”Twilight asked. Pinkie grinned

“I thought we might learn a little bit more about a “new” neighbor, Locke.” Pinkie giggled as she held up the two books she had gotten from Locke’s house.