Pinkie Explores the Dark

by David Silver

8 - Solid as a Rock

You are sure of one thing, you are not going to quit now! You're so close to wrapping this whole thing up and making everypony happy and you're not ready to give that up.

Alright, so, the two ghosts need to be happy. Sure, they have a lot to be sad about, but that doesn't mean they have to be sad forever or anything.

"What are you thinking about?" asks that colt, floating a bit above you.

You blink out of your reverie. "Huh, oh! I just want you to be happy, like I am with my sisters."

He smiles a little. "You have sisters? What are they like?"

"They're like everything!" You squeak. "One's all fierce and protective. Another's all shy and gentle, and then there's Maud." You lean in a little. "Don't tell anypony but I think she's my favorite. She always gets my jokes!"

The colt smiles gently, more natural and less forced by the moment. "They all sound nice." He reaches out and boops you right on the nose. "You're my favorite."

Aw! "Thanks! But you haven't even met them, and that won't-- or will it?" You frown a bit before you take a deep breath. You have a lot of emotions built up in you over the whole scary thing you just went through and it comes out in a song. You bounce from floor to counter-top and off the walls all around the colt as you remind him that no matter how dark it might seem, there's always light waiting to be found. You remind him that you just have to never give up, no matter how tempting.

"Pinkie?"

You look up at that placid voice to see Maud in the doorway. Your song aborts as you rush up to her and give her the biggest hug ever! "Oh, I'm so happy to see you!"

Maud squeezes you with one hoof. "Mom and dad were worried about you," she informs in her usual even tone. "Who's your friend?" She is looking right at the ghost colt as if that was an everyday thing.

The colt squirms in place. "Oh, uh..."

"He's funny," remarks Maud before she looks at you. "Ready to come home?"

"No!" You point at the colt. "Him and his sister are stuck here, as sad ghosties. We haveta help them!"

Maud tilts her head slowly, then reaches a hoof into her skirt and produces a small rock. "You can come with me."

The colt blinks widely. "What? Really?"

"We can play all kinds of games," she tempts with her flat tone. "I bet you're good at hide and seek."

"I am," confesses the colt with a renewed grin. He moves up to the rock and pokes it. "But it's just a rock."

"Just a rock?" Maud looks at him, then the rock, and back at him. "It's my very first rock. His name is--"

"Boulder!" squeaks the colt.

Maud gives the barest hint of a smile. "That works, but only if you're coming."

Even as they negotiate that, you head to the basement. That was one foal down, but there was another that needs help! You bounce down the stairs. They hardly seem scary anymore. "Hello?"

"You're still here?" The filly pokes her ghostly head out of the furnace. "Are you here to give me the doll?"

"Noooot exactly. I got a better idea!"

"Better?" She raises a brow at you. "I don't want to be lonely anymore."

"So don't be." You raise up onto your hindlegs. "I'm inviting you home! Your brother's coming."

"He is?" She sounds surprised. "How? I'm stuck here."

"Are you, or are you just convinced you are?" You challenge.

"I've tried before."

"Have you?" You grin. "I bet, if you really really wanted to, you could make an awesome new body for yourself."

The girl blinks softly before a little ghostly laugh escapes her, the furnace glowing with embers as she does so. "There was this monster at the zoo. It was close to where... the accident was. I want to be that. All big, scaley, with teeth." She makes threatening gestures. "How about that?"

You shrug a bit. "Why not? You'll never know if you don't try."

So she does! She closes her eyes and makes funny little noises. She starts to glow and sparkle and suddenly Fwoosh! A flash of light and pow! She's gone.

But she isn't. There's a fierce and mighty alligator there! Sure, he doesn't have any teeth at all, and he is a he, not a she, but there he is.

You are a pony of your promises. You present the doll to the alligator, just for him to leap at you and gum wildly at your left leg. "Gummy!" you decide out-loud. "That will be your new name!"

---

The campfire smoldered softly, crackling in the middle of the circle of ponies.

Apple Bloom tilted her head at Pinkie. "Well that was... interesting?" The other crusaders beside her looked equally baffled.

Rainbow Dash snorted softly. "Interesting? Pinkie, that was the weirdest spooky story you told yet."

Twilight raised a hoof. "I nominate it be a rule that no future campfire tales be a choose your own adventure narrative."

A chorus of ayes sounded around the campfire as Pinkie pouted. She thought that had been a great story...

She started at a light poke at her side. It was Fluttershy. "Was it true?" It had taken quite a bit of effort to get her to come out for the camping trip. Pinkie was extra surprised when the shy mare had stuck around for the spooky stories. "That was... really nice of you, if it was."

"Ask Gummy!" Pinkie produced the reptile from nowhere at all and held him up at Fluttershy.

Gummy's input was to chomp Fluttershy, getting his whole mouth around her snout. She squeaked with surprise and shook him free before fleeing back to her seat.

Oh well. At least Pinkie had enjoyed telling the story.

Author's Note:

Fin. Like it?

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Comments

[Kichi]

Not bad, but a little short, did you just lost interest in the story?

[David Silver]

7878185 How long is not short?

[Kichi]

7878214 That... Is a good question... How much is short, how much is considered normal and how much is considered Long? How much thumbs up or favorites could be considered "popular"? I solmenly say I don't really know.

[Daremo]

that didn't mean they had to - that doesn't mean they have to

and that won't, or will it?

Won't what?

him of how dark - him that no matter how dark

she informed - she informs

She was looking right at the ghost colt as if that was - She is looking right at the ghost colt as if it's

there was another - there is another

raise up to your - raise up onto your 

So she did - So she does

he didn't have - he doesn't have

that was a great story - that had been a great story

reptile for nowhere - reptile from nowhere

Pinkie enjoyed  - Pinkie had enjoyed 

---

Aww... I'm happy that it ended well, and I'd consider this particular experiment a success!

I had imagined the foals escaping in this manner, but you surprised me with form that the conclusion took. Very clever, Mr. Author.

Pinkie, that was the weirdest spooky story you told yet.

And that's why spooky stories are also called 'weird fiction.'

[tsaukpaetra]

OMG that ties pretty nicely. We suspected Boulder would make an appearance, but Gummy came and was like, did you forget me? I'm a pet too!
We guess the only real loose end is the mother. Hmmm... Keep going! ;)

[No one is home]

7878415 The mom doesn't get a happy ending. Davids nod to my basic philosophy of "Endings aren't happy, name me one thing that really ended happy?"

[No one is home]

7878406 Originally you were supposed to be given the choice to take a knife in the kitchen. Might have gone the same way. I dunno, would you pick up the knife?

[No one is home]

Note I love how this went and ended.

[David Silver]

7878406 The final typos are abolished, the house is cleansed!

[Cuber Snuggles]

Twilight raised a hoof. "I nominate it be a rule that no future campfire tales be a choose your own adventure narrative."

A chorus of ayes sounded around the campfire as Pinkie pouted.

Wait, does that mean we're all at the campfire with them? Meta

Overall this was a heartwarming story. Even if the ending was, well...Pinkie, it's still delivered!

[Autumn Maize]

She started at a light poke at her side. It was Fluttershy. "Was it true?"

Normally it would be safe to assume a choose-your-own-adventure campfire story is not true, or at the very least has details that don't quite sync up with history, but it was Pinkie Pie telling the story.