• Published 27th Jun 2012
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Living in Equestria - Blazewing



A young man finds himself in a world beyond his wildest imagination...

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Welcome Back!

I didn’t know how early or how late the girls were going to get in, so I got up at the crack of dawn the next day, dressed, and headed to the train station. It was a cool, misty morning, the surroundings dull and gray. I wondered what weather process the pegasi had to perform to get something like this done. It also made me wish I had a jacket with me.

There were only two other ponies at the station when I arrived: the station master and a passenger, sound asleep on a bench. I headed up to the former.

“Excuse me, sir, but when does the next train from the rock farming community arrive?”

The station master, a wizened, yellowish Earth pony with a white mustache, reached into his coat and pulled out an old-fashioned gold pocket watch, observing its face closely.

“Should be along any minute,” he said, in a creaky voice. “Expecting somepony?”

“Yes. Party of seven.”

“Ahh, I see. Well, if you’re frettin’ bout the fog, don’t worry. The express has never been late, rain or shine. I can guarantee it.”

“Well, thanks, sir.”

I left the station master to his duties and stood on a random spot on the platform, peering down the track for any sign of the train. I was feeling a jumble of excited, anticipatory emotions at seeing the girls again, and felt like there should be a word for something like that. ‘Nervouscited’? Nah, that was more of a Pinkie word...

I couldn’t wait to tell them about Moonlight. They’d love her, if they didn’t give the poor girl a heart attack from so much attention when they met her. Would she even accept a ‘Hello, new friend’ kind of party from Pinkie? If she was so scared of thunder, she might not exactly jump at the chance to have a loud celebration performed in her honor.

And then there was Trixie. The girls were going to have to encounter her sooner or later, but so far, the only one I knew that still held any animosity towards her was Rainbow Dash. Would she still treat her with hostility? Or would she be willing to extend the olive branch? I sincerely hoped it would be the latter. Trixie wasn’t so bad, really, as long as she wasn’t still angry with me.

Suddenly, the air was pierced by a long blast on a train whistle, and a bright lantern light shone through the morning fog. With a grinding screech, the train rolled into the station, pulling to a laborious stop. The sleeping traveler snorted awake, muttering something about buffalo.

The train doors slid open, and several ponies began filing out. I scanned them for any sign of my pals, but that was unnecessary. All of a sudden, something slammed into me, knocking me backwards onto another bench. A whiff of cotton candy met my nostrils, and I knew it could only be Pinkie. Sure enough, when I looked up, there she was, blue eyes twinkling, a beaming, pearly smile on her face. She was no longer wearing her special dress.

“Davie!” she squealed, as she threw her forelegs around me and nuzzled her cheek against mine. “Ohh, it’s so good to see you again! I missed you so much!”

“Aw, Pinkie, I missed you too,” I said, putting my arms around her. “I’m glad you had a great time with your folks.”

“I did, but I wish you could have shared it with us. You would have had so much fun.”

“Well, I’m at least grateful that your father approves of me now.”

“Oh! That reminds me!”

Pinkie rummaged around in...nothingness, and brought out, from behind her back, a small wickerwork basket full of rocks of varying colors, from purple to yellowish.

“What’s that?” I asked. “A do-it-yourself rock garden?”

“No, silly! It’s a gift basket from Dad. It’s his way of apologizing and hoping there’s no hard feelings. He says these are some of the finer rocks from this year’s harvest.”

I felt like I could have burst out laughing at the thought of receiving a basket of rocks as a gift. Then again, rocks were part of the Pie livelihood. To make fun of a gift like this might hurt Pinkie’s feelings, even if she wasn’t a rock farmer anymore. Therefore, I accepted the basket.

“Yeah, there’s no hard feelings,” I assured her. “Thanks, Pinkie.”

She smiled and nestled herself against me again, her head under my chin. There came a clatter of hooves, and I looked up to see the others departing the train, helping Applejack keep her wagon steady. It looked even fuller than when we had set out, packed with what looked like more sweets and baked goods. They all smiled at the sight of me with Pinkie snuggled in my lap.

“Dave!” said Twilight. “You didn’t have to wait at the platform for us, and on such a chilly morning.”

“Oh, I didn’t mind, Twi,” I said, standing up slowly so that Pinkie had time to get off. “I missed you girls.”

“And we missed you, sugarcube,” said Applejack. “We’re mighty sorry you were given the boot like that.”
“It’s no big deal. Mr. Pie was willing to apologize, so I don’t feel any grudge against him. From the sound of your letters, you girls had a blast.”

“We sure did!” said Rainbow. “It's not as upscale as Manehattan or Las Pegasus, but there’s still plenty to do and look at if you get bored of rocks.”

“But it sounds like you’ve had quite a week yourself,” said Twilight. “Protecting a pony from a particularly perilous plague, represented poorly in the public post, and then proffered an unprecedented apology.”

(Try saying all that three times fast...)

“Still can’t believe how mean that mare was, saying that stuff about Davie and the Cakes...” muttered Pinkie, in a pouty voice. I ruffled her mane consolingly.

“Yeah, I’ll certainly admit, this week has been anything but boring,” I said.

Spike, who had been standing by, looking anxious, suddenly tugged on Twilight’s tail. She looked at his pensive expression and seemed to comprehend.

“Right. Of course, Spike.” She turned to me. “Dave, I hope you’ll forgive me, but we’d better get home. We want to check on Peewee.”

“Of course, Twi. I told Owlowiscious that you’d be home today. The poor guy looked like he was at the end of his rope.”

“Oh dear,” muttered Twilight. “I’ll see you later, everypony. Come on, Spike.”

The two hurried briskly off toward the library.

“Well, I think we’d all better return to our homes,” said Rarity. “As relaxing as our trip was, the ride back hasn’t done me any favors. I’m going to dump off my luggage and then head to the spa. You’ll be joining me, right, Fluttershy?”

“Of course, Rarity,” said Fluttershy. “I just need to check on Angel. I asked Cloudchaser if she could check on him while I was away, make sure he’s fed.”

“That’s fine,” said Rarity, before turning to me. “I hope you don’t think we’re being ungrateful, darling. We were sorry to not have you with us.”

“Aw, no, I understand,” I said. “I feel the same way coming back from a trip. I’ll catch you girls later.”

The two dainty ponies took their leave of the group, so that it was just me, Pinkie, and Applejack.

“I’ve gotta go see Gummy and the twins,” said Pinkie. “I can only imagine how much they’ve missed me! Probably as much as I missed them!”

“And that’s a whole lot, I reckon,” I said.

“Exactly! I’ll see you later, Davie, ok? Now that I’ve gotten my family situation out of the way, we’ll have lots and lots of time to spend with each other!”

“I’d really like that, Pinkie,” I said. “You’re always welcome at my house.”

Pinkie smiled broadly, but then suddenly gasped and clapped a hoof to the side of her face.

“Oh. My. Gosh! I just had the bestest-best idea ever! We could have a slumber party at your house! I love slumber parties!”

Was she serious?...

“Er, a slumber party, Pinkie? Not that doesn’t sound like a good idea, but-”

“Don’t worry about it, silly-billy. Slumber parties are the one party I don’t plan if they’re at somepony else’s house. You just tell me when and I’ll be there!”

She was smiling with such an eager, happy face, that I just couldn’t find it in my heart to say anything against the idea of being, potentially, the only boy at a girl-dominated slumber party.

“A slumber party sounds like fun, Pinkie,” I said. “I’ll definitely notify you ahead of time.”

“Yay! Well, I’m off to Sugarcube Corner. I’ll swing by your place later!”

“Do you mean that literally or-”

Pinkie didn’t answer, but zipped off for home. Knowing Pinkie, she may very well have meant ‘swing by’ literally. I turned to Applejack, standing alone at the platform with her cart harnessed to her.

“May I walk you home, Miss Applejack?” I asked, bowing graciously.

Applejack chuckled. “That’s sweet of you, sugar. I’d be honored.”

So the two of us departed the station side by side, the cart creaking along behind, laden with its load.

***

“Oh, wow...this stuff is amazing!”

“Ain’t it, though? Ah won’t lie, Ah was kinda jealous, but Grammy Pie’s one heck of a baker.”

As we walked, Applejack had given me permission to try some of Grammy Pie’s confections from the wagon. Her lemon tarts were especially delicious.

“Ah can’t remember the last time Ah ate so much,” Applejack went on. “By the time we were ready to head home, Ah felt like mah harness was a little tighter on me.”

“Don’t be silly, AJ,” I said. “You look about the same as usual.”

“Thanks, Dave,” said Applejack, smiling.

It was for only a brief moment, however, and was replaced by a stern frown.

“Ah’ll tell ya right now, hun, yer too nice a feller to have garbage like that first article printed about you. An alien? A danger to the town’s foals? Who the hay did that Dolly Tribune think she was?!”

“Apparently, she thought she was writing something the town would find exciting.”

“Exciting?!” snapped Applejack. “You call makin’ up outrageous lies exciting?!”

“Well, she told me she believed she was being satirical.”

“Hmph!” snorted Applejack. “There’s a difference between satire and just makin’ stuff up.”

“I know that,” I said, “but you don’t have to worry. I already saw to it that she was given a piece of my mind via her editor-in-chief.”

“Ah figured that when the new article came out. Ah gotta admit, you must’ve really shook her up to make her change that story. Twi told us Dolly Tribune was responsible for some pretty nasty gossip even before the whole Gabby Gums thing.”

“She’s not so bad, Applejack,” I said. “All she needed was to understand that she can’t just write up fanciful stuff for fun without fact-checking. She’s actually quite nice to talk to.”

“Ah’ll take yer word for it,” said Applejack. “Ah ain’t too keen to show up in the paper.”

We stopped right up at my own house.

“If you want, you can unload some of the stuff in the wagon for yerself.”

“Really? Great! You don’t mind waiting, then, do you?”

“Nope.”

Gratefully, I unlocked my front door and made a couple trips from the cart to my fridge, taking some lemon tarts, some shortbread cookies, and even some ‘rock cakes’, though hopefully not the teeth-breakers Hagrid would have made. With that done, I rejoined Applejack, and we set off for Sweet Apple Acres.

“So what are you gonna do today, Applejack?”

“Ah dunno, probably rest for a spell. Gonna have to get back to work tomorrow, though. You?”

“I was gonna stop by the hospital and see if Tri- er, if my friend was safe to visit.”

“Ahh, that’s right. Well, when y’all do get permission to visit yer friend, lemme know. I’ll bring along a get-well basket of our orchard’s finest. Works every time.”

Yeah...that didn’t sound like a bad idea. A bit of a peace offering might smooth things out between Applejack and Trixie, if any tension still lingered between the two at all. I had never heard if Applejack still held a grudge or not.

“I think that’d be a swell idea. Thanks, AJ.”

“Anytime, sugarcube.”

At last, the two of us came up upon Sweet Apple Acres land, and came right up to the big barn.

“Need help unhitching, Applejack?”

“Nope, I’ve got it, but thanks.”

Sure enough, as I watched, Applejack began wriggling backwards, and eventually popped herself out of the harness. I was impressed by how she had managed it, though it looked like it had taken a bit of effort to squeeze her stocky body out. Applejack yawned and began stretching her limbs, probably from relief of letting off her burden.

“Very nice,” I said. “Back where I come from, when horses need to be hitched up, we humans have to do it for them.”

“Ha!” snorted Applejack. “Sounds right lazy of them.”

“I agree. Anyways, take care, Applejack. I’ll let you know when you can come along.”

“Great. Take it easy, Dave.”

She ambled off into the barn, and I headed back for home. I’d wait until the afternoon to check up on Trixie’s condition. The day was still young.

***

When I arrived at the hospital in the early afternoon, it was to find a rather bizarre scene. Vinyl was in the lobby in her wheelchair, and Nurses Redheart and Tenderheart were holding back none other than Octavia, who looked livid.

“Let me go!” she snarled. “I’ll give her a real injury!”

“Miss Octavia, get a hold of yourself!” said Nurse Redheart. “You’re being ridiculous!”

“I’m the one being ridiculous?!” snapped Octavia. “I’m sent word, in the middle of a symphony tour, no less, that Vinyl’s in the hospital, and I come all the way to Ponyville afterwards just to hear she hurt her leg after a stupid stage dive didn’t go her way!?”

She turned her icy, purple eyes on Vinyl, who was actually looking quite calm.

“Don’t you dare smirk at me like that!” Octavia raged. “I was worried about you! I thought something really awful had happened to you!”

“Why, Octy,” said Vinyl, in a touched tone, though she was still grinning, putting her hooves to her chest, “I had no idea you cared so much.”

Octavia’s fury receded slightly, and she let out a heavy sigh. The nurses let go of her.

“Of course I care about you, Vinyl. You’re my friend. Honestly, though, can’t you be a little more careful? Do you have any idea how many times you’ve ended up in the hospital because of stupid stunts like this? Stage dives, crowd brawls, idiotic dares.”

“I’d love to, Octy, but I can’t,” said Vinyl. “It’s all part of life as a DJ, babe.”

“Don’t call me babe,” Octavia said, tersely. “I’m still considering giving you a black eye for making me worry.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t mind that, as long as you kiss it to make it all better,” said Vinyl, cheekily.

Octavia did not look amused at all.

“...I hate you sometimes, you know that?”

Vinyl laughed. “I know. Now c’mere and gimme a hug, Octy. Don’t you be a jerk now.”

Octavia rolled her eyes, but crossed over and put her forelegs around Vinyl, who patted her on the back. The latter looked up and finally spotted me.

“Oh! Human-dude! What’s shakin’?”

Everypony jumped. Octavia sprang away and turned to face me.

“Dave!” she gasped out. “What a surprise! Did you, er, just arrive?”

“Yeah,” I said. “I take it you have, Octavia?”

“Yes, no thanks to Vinyl,” said Octavia, glancing at her incapacitated friend, who shrugged. “I apologize for making you witness that. It’s not often that I fly off the handle like that.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve seen people do stupid stuff under duress loads of times.”

“Oh, trust me, Vinyl doesn’t need duress to do stupid stuff,” said Octavia, stiffly.

Vinyl chuckled.

“So what brings you here?” Octavia asked, in a more civil tone.

“I came to check on my own friend,” I said.

“Ah, right, the Goronide Bolezn case,” said Vinyl.

“Goronide Bolezn?” asked Octavia, looking aghast. “Good heavens! Is your friend all right?”

“I hope so. Last time I checked, the doctor told me they’d put a Moderator on her horn.”

“Thank goodness,” said Octavia. “I’ve heard that disease is absolutely dreadful.”

“It’s the pits, all right,” said Vinyl. “Way worse than a broken leg.”

“What is all the commotion out here? This is a hospital, for pony’s sake!”

Doctor Stable had entered the lobby, looking annoyed.

“It’s nothing, Doctor,” said Nurse Tenderheart. “Just a little argument. It’s been sorted out.”

“Yes, indeed,” said Octavia. “It shan’t happen again, Doctor.”

“I should hope not,” said Doctor Stable. His gaze then fell upon me. “Ah! Mr. Dave. I take it you’re checking up on Miss Lulamoon?”

“I am. How is she?”

“In much better condition. I’d give her at least a day or two before she’s allowed visitors. She’s returned to sparking from the horn, but even a spark can be dangerous. If you check back Sunday, you should be allowed to see her.”

“Great. Thanks a bunch, Doctor.”

“Of course. Miss Scratch, do you require assistance?”

“Nah, I’m cool, Doc. Sitting around all day’s gonna drive me buggy. I’m going for a spin. Coming, Octy?”

“Don’t suppose I have a choice,” said Octavia. She turned to me. “Take care, Dave.”

“You too, Octavia. So long, Vinyl.”

“Later, bro. Scratch-mobile, away!”

With surprising dexterity, she whipped her wheelchair around, then pushed it forward, through the doors and down the hall, Octavia tailing behind. Shaking my head at the DJ’s antics, I took my leave of the hospital.

***

That was all well and good. I’d be able to visit Trixie on Sunday, and I’d bring Applejack with me. A nice basket of fresh apples might even benefit her recovering health. They did say “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”, after all.

I opened up my door and headed straight inside. All that walking had made me thirsty.

“Hi, Davie!”

“Oh, hi, Pinkie,” I said, casually, without even really thinking.

I was halfway to the cupboard to get a glass of water when I stopped, stunned, and whipped around. There was Pinkie, sitting at the kitchen table as if she owned the place.

“P-Pinkie?!” I spluttered.

Pinkie grinned.

“What the...But how the...When did...How did you get in here?!”

“Through the window,” said Pinkie, carelessly, gesturing with her hoof to one of my windows, which was indeed open. How she’d opened it from the outside was beyond me, because I certainly didn’t remember leaving it open myself.

“...I see...” I muttered, stupefied. With a shake of the head, I regained myself and took a seat beside her. “But you know, Pinkie, it’s common courtesy to use the door, or at least wait by it.”

“I know, but you were out,” said Pinkie, “and you could have come back at any time. What if I went back to Sugarcube Corner only to find out you got back just after I’d left? Then I’d have to walk all the way back over here, and by then, you might have gone out again! So I figured I’d do what you told me before, and, uh...what was it? Poison two pigeons in one park?”

Oh, brother...

“Kill two birds with one stone,” I corrected. “You really map out these ‘what if’ scenarios thoroughly, don’t you?”

“Why not? Did you think I was a silly, brainless goofball?”

“Pinkie,” I said, with a smile, “you are a silly goofball, but you’re anything but brainless.”

Pinkie smiled warmly. “Thanks, Davie. I hope you don’t mind me coming over.”

“Not at all. Like I said, you’re always welcome.”

“Yay! So, whaddya wanna do?”

“Well, er...I don’t really know. I don’t exactly have a lot of stuff at the moment.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s true,” said Pinkie, meditatively. Then, suddenly, she gasped. “Hey! I have an idea! I know somepony who sells secondhoof furniture! Maybe you two can meet up and arrange something!”

“That sounds great, Pinkie, but I don’t have the funds to go splurging on furniture.”

“Oh, I’m sure we’ll work something out,” said Pinkie, waving a hoof dismissively. “He actually owes me a favor for throwing his nephew a super-fantabulous birthday party!”

“That so? Well, I’ll let you sort out those details.”

“Okie-dokie-lokie! Your house looks pretty nice now, but think of how it’d look with a nice comfy couch, or a big armchair, or even a rug!”

“Yeah, like an actual house. I’m just sorry I don’t have that much to offer at the moment.”

“Aww, it’s ok, Davie. A house is still a house, even if there’s not much inside it.”

“True, Pinkie, true. I guess you can tell me more about your trip, the stuff you couldn’t fit in your letters.”

“Hey, yeah! Good idea! I’ll go grab a seat on your bed.”

“You do that.”

Pinkie bounced up from the chair, and was heading for the bedroom when she stopped short, her eye resting on something.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Is that...one of Bon Bon’s Choco-Box Deluxes?” she asked, a hungry look in her eyes. I could see that she was staring at my box of chocolates.

“It is,” I said. “There’s still quite a few left. Did you want to have some?”

“YES!” squealed Pinkie, almost instantly. However, she seemed to catch herself and cleared her throat. “I mean, sure! I love Bon Bon’s candy.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at her exuberance. I got up, grabbed the box, and took it with me into the bedroom. As I set it on the nightstand and laid out on the bed, Pinkie bounded up and nestled up beside me, almost exactly how Moonlight had done only yesterday. She grinned up at me, and I put an arm about her.

“Just like old times, huh, Davie?” she asked.

“Yeah, Pinkie, just like ‘old times’,” I said, though the times were hardly old. “So, tell me about your folks. What are they like?”

“Oh, gosh, where to start?...”

***

It really did feel as if I had never left Sugarcube Corner, and that Pinkie and I were roommates again. We had a great afternoon talking, laughing, sharing Bon Bon’s chocolates. I could have finished them off myself, but to me, candy tastes even better when there’s a friend to share it with. Pinkie spoke in a near-endless stream about her family, all that she remembered about them.

Her father, Igneous Rock Pie, son of Feldspar Granite Pie, had always been a diligent worker, a tamer of the wide-open rock plains (whatever that meant). It wasn’t in his custom to smile often, and he was rather stern at times, but he wasn’t a stallion of a cold heart. He was just rather stubborn and not open to admitting his own faults, though they could be teased out of him by his wife or Grammy. Despite his more taciturn nature, he was a good father, and Pinkie had fond memories of him when she was a filly. While she had never loved rock farming, she remembered how proud her father had been when she had one day rolled in a rare ‘bonanza stone’, which was rock-farming lingo for a particularly rare rock that wasn’t an ore.

Her mother, Cloudy Quartz Pie, had been a different case. While nowhere near as exuberant as her daughter, she still possessed a gentler disposition than her husband toward her. She and Grammy would often spend hours a day knitting together for the Pie sisters, even once collaborating on a scarf that would fit around all four of them together. It was she who had introduced Pinkie to ice skating, having once had a passion for it herself as a filly, before she decided that her destiny lay in rock-farming.

Pinkie's three sisters had been her constant playmates, the only ones, besides Grammy, who shared even a part of her more eccentric nature, more or less, depending on the sisters themselves.

Marble was the youngest, and, as it turned out, was actually Pinkie's twin, having been born only a few minutes after her. I'd never have been able to tell, since they looked almost nothing alike, with Pinkie's wild mane, bright colors, and plump build, compared with Marble's straight mane, monochromatic colors, and slimmer figure. She was very shy, and not much of a talker, except with her own family. She was, however, a very sweet and gentle pony, not unlike Fluttershy. She also had a creative side, and would often spend her free time doodling or writing. She had even composed a small compendium of poetry called The Words and Writings of Marble Pie, which, according to Pinkie, was ever-growing.

Limestone, on the other hand, was more outgoing and extroverted. She was the oldest, and could be hot-blooded and grouchy sometimes, but that was because she carried most of the weight of the farm's responsibilities on her shoulders, and was very protective of her ore mine and Holder's Boulder, the giant rock I'd seen when I first saw the farm. On the other hoof, she was a very reliable pony who cared about her family deeply, could be kind when she wasn't burdened with too much work, and was also fond of animals. She’d spend some of her free time observing the moles and gophers that sometimes popped up from the ground, before her father ordered her to shoo them away. She and Pinkie had once discovered a parasprite while wandering one day. Since it had a voracious appetite and reproduced with disturbing rapidity, it was all the family could do to get rid of it before it ate what food they had. Only Limestone had been sorry to see it go.

Maud, the sister I hadn't seen, was the second-oldest, and was actually interested in geological research. It was due to this research that she was often away from home, which resulted in my not being able to meet her. According to Pinkie, she shared a lot of aspects with her friends: she enjoyed reading, like Twilight; she enjoyed nature, like Fluttershy; she expressed herself through her wardrobe, like Rarity; she was honest, like Applejack; and she enjoyed games, like Rainbow Dash. The two sisters used to enjoy an annual ritual that Pinkie had never brought up before: exchanging special rock candy necklaces with each other. That was, forgive me for making another pun, sweet.

Grammy Pie, who was Igneous’s mother, was the closest thing to a Pinkie Pie the family had besides Pinkie herself. She served as the enduring ray of exuberance and optimism on the farm when Pinkie wasn’t there to provide it, and the entire family loved her. She had a wonderful way with stories and songs, and had instilled a love of music and lore in little Pinkie, whom she especially doted on, her being an almost-exact second edition of her.

Despite the unusual circumstances and unlikeliness at face-value, it sounded like Pinkie had a very close and friendly family. It was painful to imagine her leaving it behind as a filly, but that was neither here nor there anymore, so I let her talk on, just glad to enjoy her company.

***

The sun was beginning to sink, Pinkie had been quiet for a while, content merely to lay beside me on her back, hooves curled forward above her round little belly, eyes closed. Her face was spotted with bits of chocolate that she hadn’t bothered to clean off. She reminded me irresistibly of a puppy on a lazy afternoon, which it technically was. I gave her a little nudge.

“Hey, Pinkie?”

“Mm?” she mumbled.

“I wanted to say something, but didn’t want to disturb your sleep.”

“What is it?”

“From what you said, you have a pretty great family.”

“Thanks,” she said, wakening a little more and shifting herself into a more upright position. She ran her tongue along her lips, cleaning up the chocolate specks she had missed. “But really, I have you to thank, Davie.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“You encouraged me to reconnect with them. I told you about my fears about losing them, and you gave me comfort. You told me they’d never leave me, and you were right. You helped me get back in touch with them. It’s thanks to you that I feel brave enough to talk with them and see them again.”

I looked at her in surprise. Her pale blue orbs of eyes were shining with happy tears. Then, quite suddenly, she threw her forelegs around me in a tight embrace. I felt myself go red, not from the hug, but from the credit she was heaping onto me. Had I really done all that?

“Really, Pinkie, I can’t take the credit for that,” I muttered.

“But you did,” Pinkie insisted. “I know you did, and I’m always gonna be super-duper-grateful for it.”

She kept her hold around me for quite a while, and all I could do was pat the back of her mane, still feeling bewildered at being named the means of her reconnecting with her family. I had thought it was all of her own devising, and that I’d had nothing to do with it. Still, I wasn’t about to contradict her like this, when she was being so earnest.

At last, she let go of me, and had seemed to revert back to her sunny self.

“This was really fun, Davie,” she said. “I can’t wait until we have our slumber party. Then it’ll be even more fun! We’ll have popcorn and s’mores and scary stories and truth or dare and pillow fights and-”

“Whoa, whoa, slow it down, Pinkie,” I said, chuckling. “That’ll all come in good time, and it’ll be a really good night, I can tell. Thing is, do you want it to be just the two of us?”

Pinkie pondered this over for a moment, tapping her chin with her hoof.

“Good question!” she said. “I’ll have to think about that. I’ll ask the girls if they want to be part of it. I know Twilight likes slumber parties.”

“Does she? I had no idea.”

“Me neither, but she told me all about her first one with Rarity and Applejack. It was pretty crazy.”

“A crazy party, and you weren’t there?” I asked, in a would-be aghast voice. “Blasphemy!”

Pinkie giggle-snorted. “I know, right? Well, anyway, I’ll ask around and we’ll decide on a date.”

“Sounds good.”

“Well, g’night, Davie!”

“Night, Pinkie.”

With that, she bounded off the bed and, to my bewilderment, took a leap at the open window which she claimed to have entered through. To add to it, she cleared it easily. Maybe she was more dexterous than I gave her credit for.

I ran to the window and looked out it. Pinkie was hopping away toward Ponyville.

“Hey! Pinkie!” I called.

She pulled to a halt and turned to look at me.

“Good to have you back, pal of mine!”

Even from that far away, and in the failing sunlight, I saw the sparkle of her smile.

“Good to be back, Davie!” she responded, and she turned and continued on her way, while I closed the window. Pinkie may not have minded having an available entryway, but I wasn’t that careless.

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