Healing
Pinkie couldn’t wait for tomorrow! She’d been preparing this party for days now; it was a big day after all. One that was very special to her! Ace Swift and Ventura where turning 3! They were growing up so fast! In the last few months since Fluttershy had moved in, Ace had learnt how to speak, though the three words she knew, ‘Cupcakes’, ‘Awesome’ and ‘Swag’, where still what she used the most.
The last couple of months had been pretty normal given all the drama. A few small things had happened: Spike moved back in with Twilight. Dash had gotten Twilight to bring Tank and some other things up to Cloudsdale in her balloon. Scootaloo had moved back to Ponyville and was manager of the new Foal-Mart. And Applebloom was away in Las Pegasus for the UFC tournament season.
Not to mention that whole incident with Trixie during this year’s Winter Wrap-up… why she left so soon after saving the whole town and being treated like hero still wasn’t quite clear. But ponies showing up and then disappearing for ages again seemed to happen a lot. There was something else that happened as well. Pinkie couldn’t quite think of what it was… something small… oh right! Rarity was engaged.
Flash Dance had proposed to her a few weeks ago. Rarity wasn’t to sure about the sincerity of the offer as they hadn’t been seeing each other for very long, only three months. That thought however didn’t last very long. Flash Dance had opened the ring case and in it, attacked to the glorious gold band, was a crystal the size of an apple. Not literally, but it was indeed enormous.
Pinkie had mailed the birthday party invitations months ago, and a week ago. And yesterday… and a few other times as well. She wanted to make absolutely, positively sure that everypony came to the event! She knew she could fix everything that had gone wrong. How did she know? Well she’d finally had time to read ahead of the story and knew exactly what she needed to do! “Phase1: Party! Phase 2: Spoiler! ???? Phase 3: Profit! err… Friendship!”
As usually, Fluttershy didn’t understand what Pinkie had meant by what she had just said but she went along with it. She’d been quite excited for tomorrow as well, though maybe not as much as Pinkie. She was watching over the kids as they where hoof-painting, while Pinkie ran back and forth putting up streamers and balloons and all sorts of party decour. Fluttershy had always loved little Ace and Ven, even before she’d moved in with Pinkie three months ago but… it just wasn’t quite what she imagined. She had wanted children but these two… this just didn’t feel the same and this wasn’t what she had with Applejack.
It tore Fluttershy up inside, not only that she didn’t feel the true love of being a parent towards those two foals, but also that she wasn’t sure if she truly loved Pinkie Pie either. No matter how much she tried, she couldn’t forget Applejack. How could she? Ten years… it was normal she couldn’t forget her.
Right?
~ ~
“Yo, Dash, ya ready or what?” called Gilda. She didn’t want to go to those brats party but Dash needed some help flying to Ponyville, even if she wouldn’t admit it, and there was absolutely NO WAY she would be able to get back to Cloudsdale without help. Dash had had a small quick shower before crashing on the couch. Not that it mattered, she’d be completely dishevelled by the time they got to Ponyville anyway...
She sat up from her lying position on the couch. Her stomach was huge, still the same size as had been for a while now, but huge none the less. She had thought she was going to have twins but it just turned out she was getting bigger this time around. The doctor had said it was quite common and that she shouldn’t worry... which of course just made her worry more.
Dash had gotten a magisound from the unicorn but due to how the baby was curled up at the time, they couldn’t tell the gender. That didn’t really matter to her though. What had made her react however, was that it was an earth pony and as such she couldn’t give birth here in Cloudsdale. She didn’t want this kid… she never did.
Her plan was to put the foal up for adoption. Dash had thought that maybe giving it up wouldn’t be such a bad idea but now… she’d always heard that ponies always wanted to adopt unicorn or pegasus, not earth ponies. But it wouldn’t be better off with her anyway. At least this way there was a chance the kid might get a loving family like her own… one day.
“Dash! Are you ready or what?” Gilda called again, clear annoyance in her voice. She was never a patient pon… gryphon. But she was fun to be with. Her outlook on life was similar to Dash’s own, if not a bit more cynical. Still she was a good friend. She’d let her live there for this long and said she could stay as long as she had to as long as she promised to ACTUALLY leave at some point. Unlike Gilda’s last housemate… staying for two weeks had somehow turned into over two years.
That was another reason that Dash was giving up the foal. She’d be living with Gilda AND the child. Not that Gilda wasn’t good with kids or anything, she’d taken care of her brother’s son for just over a year when he was locked up a few years ago. She liked her nephew quite alot, Gilda had even said she’d like to have her own child one day. This wasn’t about that though, Dash just didn’t want to impose any more than she already had. Gilda was going out of her way to take her to a party she didn’t even want to go to and in all honesty, she would practically have to carry Dash on the way back.
“Yo, Dash! Last call! If we ain’t going now, we ain’t going!” she yelled from the door.
“I guess we ain’t going then!” Dash replied. She just slumped further into the couch. She wanted to go but was looking for any reason not to.
“Uh… Dash. I know you don’t wanna see none’a them but…" Gilda sighed. She did want to go and had just gotten out of it, yet she was about to convince the only reason she was back into it. "What was the stupidest thing you ever did?” Gilda asked as she walked back into the living room of her house and stood in front of the couch.
“Gilda, this isn’t the time…”
“I mean it! I’ve heard what you think is the stupidest thing you’ve ever done is. And yeah… it was definitely the dumbest thing you ever did…” she added with a smirk.
“Gee, well thanks Gilda… I don’t know… maybe, like the time I… when I flew to Ponyville and back and all over, three months ago. The stupidest thing I ever did!” Dash finished, pouting some-what.
“Dash, you said to that Pink-Squeak that the stupidest thing you ever did was stop being my friend… it meant a lot to me Dash. And when you did that, I was really hurt…”
“Uh, fine, if you’re ganna guilt trip me…”
“I’m not guilt tripping you Dash, well I am. But not that way… they’re your friends aswell. I don’t want you to ruin what you had with them too…” it was one of the soppiest things Dash had ever heard Gilda say. And it was all true. She’d basically abandoned her friends when she’d moved here. Besides that brief conversation… or break-up, with Pinkie and Fluttershy the only thing she’d even said to any of them was asking Twilight to get Tank for her. She’d only stayed for a few hours after that as well.
“Wow… Thanks G." Dash said, looking from the ceiling to her friend. "I never expected this from you. You’re right, I don’t wanna… I don’t wanna hurt them like I hurt you.” she added, getting up from the couch with a small amount of effort involved. She was nine months pregnant now, still four months away from her due date but the child didn’t seem to care, it was big and heavy. Earth ponies tended to be, or so the doc said.
“Yeah, yeah. So can we go already? The sooner we get there the sooner we can leave.” she looked at Dash who seemed a bit odd… “We’re ganna be staying the night aren’t we?”
“Kinda, sorta, maybe… yeah… Pinkie’s letter…s… said to" Dash paused and then said in her best Pinkie voice “Come for the party, stay for the slumber party.” which oddly sounded more like Twilight.
“Uh, whatever… there’s at least a good pub nearby… Damn these ponies. They drive me to drink…”
~ ~
Applejack had woken up early this morning, even by her standards. She normally woke up just after dawn, but for the few days she’d been waking up every two hours or so. Her dreams where weird but she could never remember anything from them. She found herself hugging a pillow when she woke up this morning, this however was normal. She’d been waking up with a pillow in her hooves ever since Fluttershy left, it was just something she did in her sleep and up until then it had always been Fluttershy in her hooves.
She wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep so she might as well head down stairs and start breakfast. Big Mac would be down soon… so would Twilight. Twi and her brother had gotten close in the last half year and yet… ‘I bet they still bet they still haven’t done it…’ she thought to herself. Big Mac was a perfect genalstallion after all and Twilight wasn’t the fastest to jump into bed with anypony, at least not while sober. Then again, she had stayed here a couple of nights and even Big Mac had to know that that meant.
Spike had moved back into the library with Twilight, there was only one room in the house and it didn’t even have a door. Poor fella had been destroyed by Sweetie Belle and in his not-so-gentlestallionly style, if that word really applies to dragons… or if that word was even a word. He had bad-mouthed her to Twilight, nick naming her ‘Sweetie Bot’ because she was a soulless robot and said some other stuff having something to do with witchcraft. It was just his way of venting though, poor guy had bore his soul and been rejected.
AJ had finished cooking up some healthy bacon for breakfast when she heard “Mornin’ sis.” from Big Mac as he came down the stairs. “Mind keepin’ it down just a bit, Miss Twilight’s still sleeping.”
“Sorry Mac, did ah wake ya?” AJ said as she put the bacon onto the plates she had ready, a side of diced carrots on them already. Can’t eat nothing but health food after all, need some high calorie carrots for breakfast when you work on a farm. She took the three plates over to the table and sat down by her brother.
“It’s quite a’right.” he looked at his plate and took a big sniff of the delicious scent then said “Beggin’ ya pardon again but…” he looked down at the bacon and carrots on all three plates “Miss Twilight can’t eat this.”
“Well why not?” she’d prepared this breakfast just as she usually did for herself, brother and sister whenever she cooked.
“You know Miss Twilight’s a jewnicorn, this ain’t cosier.”
“Oh, right, ah'll get ridda those carrots, get ‘er a nice daffodil.” she got up and went back into the kitchen, grabbed a bag of dried daffodil petal and came back. They aren’t as good as carrots but what is? Instead of removing the carrots, she just shovelled them onto her own plate then poured a third of the bag onto Twilight’s plate. “More fer me ah guess.”
She resealed the bag and returned it to the kitchen. On her way back to the table, for the third time now, she noticed there was mail. A single letter on the ground in front of the door. It wasn’t unusual for them to get mail so early, Sweet Apple Acres was a good distance from Ponyville but it was one of the first thing you pass if coming from a few other cities, namely Las Pegasus. She went over and picked it up. As expected it was a letter from Applebloom.
She’d left about two weeks ago at the start of this year’s UFC season. She’d just managed to bulk up enough to make it into the middle weight division but was still at a distinct disadvantage being right at the very minimum weight range. But still, she’d won her first two fights and had drawn in the third. This week she was facing up against a unicorn who himself was only just under the next weight bracket. Even though earth ponies where naturally stronger than unicorns and they weren’t allowed to use magic, Applebloom always said she hated fighting them because their horn was a very dangerous weapon.
There weren’t as many unicorns in the middle weight compared to the lower weight but Applejack was just glad her sister would never get into the heavy weight leagues. There, there where gryphons and hippogryths and all sorts of giants. How Fluttershy had once stood up to one of those… miniatures? or whatever they're called, was beyond her. She’d also heard that Dash was staying with some gryphon she used to be friends with, named Gilda. AJ’d never met the girl but apparently she was the cause of that whole ‘AppleDash’ thing her friends had made up so many years ago.
She walked back over to the table and showed Big Mac the letter. An uncommon smile came on to his face, he rarely showed much emotion. “Think ah should wait for Twi to read it or just open it now?”
“You realise I’m standing right next to you right?” Twilight said, spooking Applejack. Twilight just stared, slightly bemused at her friend’s reaction before sighing and letting out a small chuckle. “So you want me to read it for you?”
“What? No. Ah meant wait fer you ta get here before ah read it. Any-woo, lets open ‘er up, shall we?” AJ said tearing the end of the thinner side of the envelope off, in a way that often took a chunk off the letter itself, Twilight just ignored the method, then AJ pulled the letter out. She moved around to where Big Mac was sitting and Twilight followed. The letter was clearly not written by Applebloom, probably by Sil or Die who were in Las Pegasus with her. They could tell because the grammar was perfect and was signed ‘ABS’ which had then been crossed out and re-written ‘Applebloom.’ The letter was dated two days ago and read:
Dear Big Mac and Applejack,
I won the fight against Serious Jack just now but as you’ll probably hear soon, I’m in the hospital.
Don’t worry! I’m fine, but you should see the other guy… no really, you should’ve seen him, he was huge! Haha.
It’s just a fractured hoof and I’ll be fine in no time.
Love, Applebloom.
P.S. Please tell Pinkie Pie that Sil wishes Ace Swift and Ventura a very happy birthday.
Even though it wasn’t entirely in a style of Applebloom’s all three read it in her voice in their heads. Twilight was the first to talk “Well good thing we got this letter this morning.”
“What? Why?! What happened!?” Applejack shouted. Twilight seemed a bit confused at this then remembered that she tended to read a lot faster than most other ponies, AJ was most likely just at the part about being in hospital. “Is she a’right?” Applejack turned back to reading the letter. When she finally finished she sighed, wipe her forehead and said “Don’t scare me like that Twi…”
The rest of the morning passed normally, AJ had been the one who made breakfast so Big Mac cleaned up afterwards. Twilight helped them prepare everything around the farmstead before they would head off in another hour or so. It was a lot of hard work living on a farm she’d found out, having stayed there a few times now, she was surprised Fluttershy was able to handle this kind of work for so many years. Not that Fluttershy was truly as weak and she thought herself to be, but it was still a bit daunting at first.
She could see herself having a future with Big Mac, she liked him a lot but she was concerned about her library. Surely she couldn’t come live out here and she knew Big Mac wouldn’t leave the farm he’d lived and worked on his entire life. It was really the only obstacle she saw that could keep them from being together someday. Well that and it would likely take Big Mac years to ask her to be his wife. If she wanted that she would have to ask him. Break the standard patriarchal proposal scenario that their culture so implied.
Just… maybe not phrase it in such a way.
Twilight’s magic hindered as much as it helped and it bugged her somewhat after what had happened with Trixie. Applejack wondered about that whole magibetes thing. Did Twilight still have it? All the time she’d stayed here she hadn’t seen her taking any medication for it. Then again, Twilight was a smart pony, she knew what she was doing and if she didn’t take it, she obviously didn’t need it. Still something bugged her, not about Twilight but about Applebloom.
She could’ve sworn that both Pinkie Pie and Applebloom had looked rather odd when they saw Twilight use her medication that first time on Spike’s hatchday. At first she thought nothing of it but a comment that Scootaloo had made when she visited them a few months ago made her think that Applebloom was using steer-roids to help her bulk up. But in the end that never really played out. She couldn’t find any proof so she dropped it soon after. Also it didn’t explain the way Pinkie looked when she saw that syringe. Then again… what does explain anything Pinkie does? Actually, if anything… this would.
They were almost done with all of the days preparations and it was still earlier than Twilight was usually awake. The last thing that needed to be done was feed all of Fluttershy’s animals. Applejack always insisted on doing that alone and neither Big Mac nor Applebloom ever stopped her. Twilight on the otherhoof… “Applejack, I know you miss her but…”
“Save it Sugar. Uh… but fine, if you wanna help, go get the bird feed while ah get the bunnies fed.” AJ said, carrying a bag of various foods on her back for the critters to eat. She stopped and took it off her back as Twilight ran back to the barn to get the seeds. “It’s ganna be a long day taday…” she sighed to herself.
~ ~
He didn’t really want to go to this party but he was invited, and Sweetie Belle had asked him to meet her there. Even with all that had happened three months ago, he still considered her a friend after all and he couldn’t refuse her asking him to at least meet with her. As he got closer, he could already see she was waiting there for him by the small café. When the train came to a stop, he exited and walked over to her. “Been waiting very long?”
“Um… no, I wasn’t expecting you for another hour. Weren’t you meant to be here at midday?” Sweetie Belle asked, a little confused that he had arrived so soon.
“It is midday?” he said, looking up to the clock on the platform which read 11 “Hmm…”
“Oh right, you don’t use daylight savings in Cantalot. Clocks went back an hour at the end of winter… you know, almost two full months ago…” Sweetie Belle said. She didn’t know why but the conversation about daylight savings brought her mind back to the night of AJ and Fluttershy’s anniversary. It had been a few days after the clocks had been set an hour forward and she’d heard something about daylight savings and Twilight but couldn’t remember what. 'Hard to think it’s been eight months since all of this began.' she thought to herself.
Spike had been surprisingly cool about the break-up, at least to her face. But with what Spike had said about Twilight and what he actually said to Twilight… Sweetie Belle was sure he was saying something mean about her to somepony. Ironically, somepony was probably Twilight… she couldn’t blame him though. What she’d done to him was horrible. And what Rarity had said to her just the next day hadn’t helped. She’d finally learnt the truth about Elusive, but oddly, understood, which was helped somewhat by the fact that she was clearly a little tipsy. What hurt however was that she had wanted to give Sweetie Belle and Spike her blessings as a couple.
“We should get to the party. Even if I’m an hour earlier, most the ponies would be there by now anyway right?” Sweetie Belle snapped back to the conversation, rather than the old one with Rarity.
“Sure, but let’s have some lunch first. I was about to order before you got here.”
“Sure, let me treat you.”
“No, I’ll pay for myself, this isn’t a date or anything.”
“Oh yes because neither of us would want that.” he joked. Sweetie Belle stared at him… “It was a joke…”
“Which one, the implied joke or the implication of an implied joke?”
“You don’t know how much you sound like Twilight right now” he laughed, hoped that she would too. Luckily she did and the issue dropped. They ate lunch and talked a bit more before heading to the party. It actually was midday now and they were about to arrive at Sugercube Corner. Sweeite Belle expected most the ponies to be there by now but was still a bit nervous to see Rarity inside.
“Oh I can’t wait for Rarity to see us walk in together… that’ll go over well…” Sweetie Belle said without even facing him.
“Relax. Remember, you said it yourself, this isn’t a date or anything.”
“When did I say that?”
“Um… about an hour ago now. Seems like only a minute though… anyway, she’ll see us sooner or later if we stay out here.” he said starting to walk ahead.
Sweetie Belle quickly caught up and they entered the shop side by side. Before either could take more than a few steps, Pinkie Pie yelled “Welcome!” and naturally everypony turned to look, Rarity included. They walked a bit further inside up to where Rarity and Twilight where talking. They both seemed less surprised than Sweetie Belle had expected them to be, though they were both starring.
“Hello Sweetie Belle.” Rarity said, levitated her crystal glass, half filled with cider to her mouth before finishing it off. She then turned to him and added “Hello Eli.”
~ ~
They were finally here, it had taken four hours to make the normally two hour trip from Cloudsdale but they were here now. At the outskirts of Ponyville, just past Sweet Apple Acres. They landed and after a short break for Dash to catch a breath, they started walking into town. They walked mostly in silence, Dash looking around almost as much a Gilda. She hadn’t been gone that long but she missed the place, she’d lived here for years after all.
Gilda on the otherhoof, or otherclaw, had only been here once before, about twelve years ago and she didn’t seem to like the place. She was looking around a lot more than Dash but most likely just because it was all new to her. She even looked a bit hesitant walking on the solid earth instead of clouds. She also got a few eyes on her from ponies; gryphons weren’t a common sight in most of Equestria, only seen in any large number near the border to Graustralia.
Dash could see how unconfutable Gilda was here “Thanks again for coming, I know you didn’t want to…”
“Forget it, we’re here now anyway.” she said, trying to act cool even if she hated it here. “‘Sides I haven’t taken a proper vacation in years now. You sure Pink-Squeak won’t mind us crash at hers for a few more days?”
“Na, Pinkie’ll be cool with it. Besides I… uh… argh!” Dash stopped in her tracks, wobbling somewhat. “Dear Celestia that hurt!” she scried, putting her right hoof onto her left shoulder.
“You alright Dash?” Gilda asked, concerned even though it had happened a few times already on the way here. At least they weren’t flying anymore so she didn’t have to help her stay aloft or even catch her.
“Yeah, just another muscle cramp.” she said as she started walking again. Ponyville wasn’t that large of a town and even landing right on the edge, it only took them several minutes to walk to near the centre were Sugercube Corner was. “Hey, you wanna play a joke on Pinkie?” Dash asked picking up the conversation after such a long break.
“You know it!” Gilda said with a wide grin.
“Right, let’s sneak in the back and surprise her.”
Gilda just starred at Dash “Really… that’s your idea?...”
“Trust me I know Pinkie, this’ll get her!” Dash assured.
Gilda didn’t think it was a very good plan but something about it seemed to perk Dash up. She seemed happier than she’d been in months now. The kids or the pink one? Either way Dash clearly missed them more than she’d let on. As much as Gilda loved hanging out with her old friend again, she seemed even more different than she remembered. Gilda had chalked it up to the years she hadn’t seen Dash and the whole baby thing but the look on her face right now, her confidence, even her voice seemed more chipper. Like the old Dash she knew.
It made her feel good to see her old friend actually seem like her old friend. She smirked as they walked around the back of the shop, making sure they didn’t pass in front of any windows. Dash peeked into the back door to the kitchen, Pinkie wasn’t in sight but Twilight and Applejack where. They’d see her but at least they weren’t likely to ruin the joke, they’d probably get a good laugh from it too.
Dash opened the back door, instantly getting AJ and Twilight’s attention which was quickly pulled away from them. They had barely taken a step inside when from the front of the shop a very loud “Welcome!” could be heard. They moved in further to look through the kitchen and saw Pinkie at the open front door, standing there. “I could’ve sworn somepony was here? My left rear hoof went ‘clop clop clop’ and that always means there’s a happy face coming.”
Dash got the laugh from Gilda she’d hoped for, Pinkie had a tendency to say double-entondrés without knowing it and Dash knew her description of this particular Pinkie sense would be a good one. Still looking out from the kitchen door, she took the opportunity to see who was here.
Rarity had done a small facehoof to Pinkie’s words before finishing her drink and heading to refill it. Sweetie Belle just sighed at Pinkie, she always thought herself to be more mature than she really was, though Dash was sure the filly was likely laughing hard on the inside. Fluttershy didn’t react, probably having gotten use to Pinkie, living with her for a while now. Big Mac face was as usual: unreadable and the other stallion standing next to him, a red-maned earth pony with a yellow coat, just darker than Fluttershy’s, who Dash didn’t recognize, had a cynical look on his face at the comment, clearly not amused. There was another stallion too…
Dash pulled back into the kitchen, looking towards Applejack “What the hay is Elusive doing here?” she yell-whispered, her initial surprise turning to anger after her words finished.
“Calm down Sugercube, ya haven’t been here sa ah’m guessin ya hadn’t heard. Um, ah… it turns out Elusive didn’t…” Applejack stopped and sighed “Look, it’s complicated, ‘n kinda convoluted but just ferget what ya think ‘bout him and go th’it.”
Dash looked confused at this. She turned to Twilight whose expression seemed to back up what AJ had said. “Fine… but, he ain’t getting near my kids either way!” she replied, finishing with a huff. She then remembered Fluttershy had been playing with the two of them. She’d seen them but it hadn’t registered with her, her mind pre-occupied by Elusive’s presence. She hadn’t seen her children for some time now.
Her thought was cut off though as Gilda asked “So Dash, ya ganna introduce me ta these two?”
“I’m Twilight Sparkle, we met just a few weeks back, remember?” Twilight said, a bit of a tone to her voice. She didn’t really like Gilda.
Gilda pick up on Twilight’s demeanour and couldn’t help but think ‘Uh… this’ll go well’ before saying “Yeah, I know, I was just trying to be a bit more polite this time around. Thanks for that.”
“Oh, um sorry… well, this is Applejack, AJ, this is Gilda” Twilight said, indicateding to each as she said their names.
“Howdy Gilda. Nice ta meet cha.” she said, putting her hoof out towards the gryphon.
“Yeah, hey.” she took AJ’s hoof in her claw and shook it.
The four talked for a while, Gilda was trying to make a better impression this time around, even if she was clearly out of her comfort zone. AJ seemed to like her but Twilight wasn’t as intent to play nice, which seemed out of character for her. They talked for a while before Dash went over to the oven and pulled out a cake. She’d lived and worked at Sugercube Corner for years and she just somehow knew that the cake was ready to be taken out. She put it on the table to let it cool before it could be iced.
Fluttershy entered the kitchen and was surprised to see Dash putting the cake down. “Oh, hello Rainbow, I didn’t know you where here.”
“Welcome!” came another burst from the store front again.
Dash couldn’t see who it was at the door from where she stood, didn’t really care either. With everypony who was here, or everyone seems Gilda was here too... it was probably just a customer, it was Friday and the shop was open after all. She turned back to Fluttershy, “Hey Fluttershy, um, don’t tell Pinkie we’re here just yet, alright? I kinda wanna give her a surprise.”
“Ok, um… he-hello Gilda, it’s nice to see you again.” she turned to Gilda and nodded. Gilda replied by simply putting two of her claws to her forehead and then pointed them at Fluttershy; a kind of salute-wave-hello that she did. Fluttershy had never seen that before and wasn’t sure what it meant at first but a grin and a nod that accompanied it told her it was a greeting. Fluttershy turned back to Dash, then looked to the cake on the table “I should start putting the icing on Ace Swift and Ventura’s cake.”
“Don’t worry about it, I’ll take care of it, you just make sure Pinkie doesn’t come in here.”
“Yes, ok.” Fluttershy chirped happily, Dash seemed different to how she had been the last time they met. It warmed her heart to see her friend happy again. “I should stay for a bit though, if I leave right away Pinkie will know something’s up. She’s busy with her sister anyway”
Fluttershy had seen who had just arrived: Pinkie’s older sister Octavia. Pinkie’s other sister, Elliot, wouldn’t be here though, she was off doing relief work somewhere in Zebfrica. Neither would her parents… Fluttershy wasn’t quite sure what had happened to them; all she got out of Pinkie was that they were possibly dead due to events that may or may not have involved Applebloom, gypsy magic and a time portal. She tried getting a solid answer from Pinkie but just ended up being told about the time about the time she had saved Pinkie from falling from Cloudsdale. Pinkie finished it off with ‘And that’s how you saved my life! Maybe next time I’ll tell you about the time me and Applebloom where baking the fourth wall.’
“Yeah, good call Fluttershy.” Dash said “Actually, I could use some help anyway.” she added, inviting Fluttershy over. They worked on the cake for some time, Dash cut the cake in half to make it a layer cake and Fluttershy prepared the frosting. By the end, it was a gorgeous double layered cake, with zap-apple jam in the middle, blue icing on the top and cream laid on the outer ring and written ‘Happy Birthday Kids.’
Dash never called the kids ‘Ace and Ven’ when referring to both of them, only ever ‘kids.’ She didn’t like to play favourites with them and even if it was what everypony else did; she felt saying ‘Ace’ first was a form of favouritism. She liked to think that it was one of the things that made her a good mother. Even with those thoughts, there wasn’t a single bit of guilt about the new foal inside her, it didn’t even occur to her, she was just glad to be there at the moment. It was insane of course, but living with Pinkie there was always a slight madness to her life. ‘Come to think of it… how did I even know that cake was in there?’ she thought.
Another “Welcome!” came from the front and even though Dash again couldn’t see them, she could make out Spike’s voice, even if she couldn’t make out any of the words. Fluttershy had been just about to leave, back out the front until then; Spike arriving would buy her some more time to talk with Dash before Pinkie may come back here.
Eventually Dash asked Fluttershy “So who’s the sideshow red-head out there anyway?”
“Oh, that’s Flash Dance, he’s Rarity’s fiancé and h…” Flutterhsy was cut off
“Rarity’s married? When did that happen?!”
“Oh no, not yet. They’re only engaged. I don’t… you should talk to them about this, not me.” Fluttershy said, looking out at Rarity.
“Yeah, true.” Dash said before almost walking out of the kitchen, catching herself just before the door. “Wow… almost forgot… hey, Fluttershy, think you could get them for me?” she said, lowering her voice from what it had been before.
“Oh, um, no. sorry… it's just um, almost half the guests are already in here. I wouldn’t want Pinkie to get suspicious.”
“Yeah, make sense. I’ll just tal…”
Dash was cut off by an even louder “Welcome!” coming from Pinkie again. She seemed almost desperate in the greeting somehow, probably still waiting for her Dashie to arrive. ‘Heh, I haven’t been called Dashie in while now.’ she thought to herself. She couldn’t help but peek out the door to see who had arrived. Scootaloo. Dash didn’t expect to see her but she didn’t mind. Dash pulled her he head back quickly and almost ran into Fluttershy.
Fluttershy looked out the door as well, though not trying to sneak a look and hide like Dash had been. She stood there for a moment, looking around at the guests. Big Mac was playing with Ace and Ven, Spike and Sweetie Belle where walking over to Scootaloo and Rarity, Elusive and Flash Dance where talking; rather vigorously! Though Rarity seemed to not be paying much attention, just sipping her drink she had levitated it in front of her.
Fluttershy walked back over to Twilight and Applejack and said “Um, Applejack, Twilight. If you don’t mind, could you two please head into the front? If it isn’t asking to much.”
“Not at all Suger, c’mon Twi… Gilda, you coming too?” AJ asked, having started to like the gryphon, thinking all that stuff that had happened so long ago was well... so long ago.
“Na, I’m good here.” Gilda said, taking another bite out of an apple she’d been eating. Catching herself though, she was trying to act nicer to these ponies, especially this poor little one. “But if ya want me to go too, that’s cool too.”
“Oh no, it’s no trouble, please stay here.” Fluttershy offered. Gilda thought it was a bit rude excluding her like that but the smile on the yellow pegasus’ face told her it wasn’t meant that way. The filly then walked over to Dash and whispered something. Gilda couldn’t hear what she had said, but Dash eagerly agreed.
Fluttershy turned and lead Twilight and AJ out of the kitchen while Dash busily got herself ready. Just a few meters out of the kitchen Fluttershy said “Um, excuse me everypony.” but none of them really heard her low voice over their own chatter.
AJ put her hoof up on Fluttershy’s shoulder “Let me handle this part. EVERYPONY!!!” she yelled, definitely getting their attention. They turned to her; she cleared her throat and continued. “Ehem… Fluttershy has something she’d like ta say ta y’all!”
“Thank you, Applejack… um…” she gathered all her courage, they were all friends but public speaking still wasn’t one of her strong suites. “Thank you all for coming and a happy birthday to Ace Swift and Ventura. I have a very special present for them and seems we’re all he…”
She was cut off by Pinkie; running up and proclaiming “NOOO!!! We can’t do presents yet! And we’re not all here, Dashie isn’t here yet! She’ll be here soon… I know it.” slight sadness in her normally chipper voice.
“Oh, but… well, at least let’s bring out the cake.” Fluttershy said, looking at Pinkie who didn’t say anything, likely caught up in a conflict between the lack of Dashie and the prospect of cake! “Bring out the cake!” Fluttershy said louder than the rest of her speech.
Pinkie only said, in a low tone “But Dashie isn’t…”
“I’m not what, Pinkie?” Dash said, walking out of the kitchen, carrying the gorgeous, blue cake, nearly identical in colour to her own pelt.
“Mommy!” Ace and Ven yelled in unison, jumping off of Big Mac’s back and fly-running up to her, hugging Dash’s front hooves.
She stood there, not able to move, partially because of her kids hanging around her legs and partially because she just wanted to take in the moment. Pinkie looked so happy, her kids had yelled for their mom. Ace had even spoken and she’d been called Dashie for the first time in so long now. All her friends where there, even Gilda was there; thought out the back still. Rarity looked nearly as happy as Pinkie to see her and Big Mac even had a small smile on his stoic face, meaning he was awe-struck.
All of this… it was just perfect. She realized that for the first time since she’d left Ponyville three months ago… No, since before that even. For the first time, in the longest time…
She was Happy.
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I like many of the things in this story so far. I am not a fan of the level of drinking Pinkie does but I understand it in context of the story and it being needed for the basic plot (or at least I assume it is necessary). I am also saddened by the condition of Rainbow Dash's and Pinkie's relationship and find it even more sad than the problems faced by everybody else (I was also disappointing with Pinkie in cheating on RD even if she thought RD was cheating on her. I am still hoping that they find a way to patch things up but I am not sure that is the way you are going with this story.
While I do not agree fully about Pinkie being selfish (I think Pinkie is willing to share she is just extremely clingy and sadly too impatient to wait) I do personally think Gilda would miss and would want to make amends at least with RD. You might be planning this already but if not I would love to read a scene between Pinkie and Gilda without Rainbow Dash being around (at least THEY don't know RD is around perhaps). Pinkie should apologize for being so clingy and perhaps even for throwing a party that ended a friendship even though she did not intend to do that. Gilda would apologize about certain actions she had done (and that I assume she no longer does such as no more stealing and bullying) however she would not apologize for her attitude of coolness since that is still true and further it is not in and of itself a bad thing (even if it can be off putting at times). I think there is a lot of potential for common ground, internal/external conflict (what does Gilda really think of RD's and Pinkie's relationship especially AFTER Gilda gets to know Pinkie better), and fun that can be had with a conversation between those two characters. I also think you could give that conversation great justice with your writing style. I know that they have already talked a little bit but things are very different when you think you are alone with no kids, friends, or other influences around. It allows for a more honest and open conversation.
Also thinking back unless I am getting my fics confused (sorry it happens reading too many at once will do that to you) I think a flashback to Gilda and RD getting their friendship back on track would be interesting. I am a;so curious about Pinkie and the story about her chilren. We are starting to see RD's side but unless I missed it Pinkie is still mysterious.
I am looking forward to more chapters and I still hope that Pinkie and Rainbow Dash can fix things up (not that I dislike Fluttershy mind you but RD and Pinkie are so cute at times in this story that it would sad to see it go FOREVER).