Apologies
More Than She Could Dream Of
Chapter 6
Apologies
Pinkie awoke with a snort, and rolled over. For a moment she lay there in oblivious bliss, before her face scrunched up in sorrow, memory coming back to her. She gave a quiet sob and rubbed at her eyes, surveying the dim room.
She’d been holed up in her room for the past three days, unwilling to show her face to anypony, let alone her friends. Mrs. Cake had brought her food and words of comfort at intervals throughout each day, content to leave Pinkie in peace. She sat up on her bed, hugging herself.
Pinkie knew that she had barely known Surprise for a week, and that barely anything had happened before they’d broken up, so on reflection her heart shouldn’t have felt like it had been shattered into a million tiny pieces. But that was beside the point. It cut her to the quick that her own actions had driven Surprise away. She was supposed to be the friendliest pony in all of Ponyville, but it was her own selfishness that had hurt her former special somepony, nothing else.
She chewed her lip and snivelled a couple of times. She’d finally found a special somepony, something Pinkie had been looking for for so long, and she’d let Surprise slip straight through her hooves.
A knock at her door broke her introspection. “Huh? Come in...” she said quietly.
The door was pushed open slightly, and Mrs. Cake poked her head in, a sympathetic smile upon her face. “Hello, Pinkie. Are you feeling alright today?”
Pinkie looked around her room, at the dirty crockery, at the curtains that hadn’t been opened for three days, at the confettied remains of her journal, and the straggly mess of her mane. Mrs. Cake’s nose was wrinkled slightly at the airless funk of the room. “I’ve been better,” Pinkie said. She sniffed, rubbing her nose. “I-I’m sorry for being so mopey-dopey again...”
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of, Pinkie,” Cup Cake said primly. “Although, you might want to clean yourself up; one of your friends is here to see you.”
“They are? But...” She stared at the older mare. “Did you tell them about me and...?”
“Yes,” Mrs. Cake admitted, looking at the ground. “I hope you don’t mind, Pinkie, but they were getting worried about where you were... I told them you probably needed some time to yourself first. I hope you don’t mind.”
“No, no, they probably worked out that much anyway.” Pinkie sighed and hopped off her bed. “Um, I guess I’d better get cleaned up, first, huh?” Mrs. Cake nodded, withdrawing from the door. Pinkie walked over and pulled the curtains open, scowling in pain as the bright sun shone through the window. She shaded her eyes with a hoof, squinting at the scenes outside. The marketplace. Not exactly something she wanted to be reminded of. Pinkie looked away quickly and trotted to the bathroom.
Once she’d had a shower, Pinkie began to brighten up a little. She was clean for the first time in days, and it felt as though some of her sorrow had been washed away along with the dirt. She rubbed a towel over her coat and through her mane, which had returned to its usual curliness. Dried off, Pinkie exited the room and walked downstairs to the bakery.
At one of the tables sat Rarity, who looked up from the book she was reading as Pinkie walked in. “Oh! Hello, Pinkie Pie,” she said.
“Um... hey,” Pinkie replied, staring at her forehooves. “Y-you heard, huh?”
“I’m so sorry, my dear.” Rarity got up from her seat and embraced Pinkie. “I know you needed some time to yourself, but I couldn’t leave you any longer. I’m your friend, and I’m supposed to be there for you.”
“N-no,” Pinkie said, returning the hug and tightening her forelegs around Rarity’s neck. “It’s okay. You don’t need to do this. I mean, I barely dated Surprise at all before... b-before...” She buried her head in the indigo mane, quivering.
Rarity sighed, smoothing Pinkie’s mane gently. “And that’s absolutely why I should do this, Pinkie.” She looked about at the ponies scattered around the bakery. “How about we go and talk about this somewhere more private? Would you like a cup of tea at the Boutique?” Pinkie nodded, face still pressed against Rarity’s neck. “Come along, then.” The unicorn waved to Mrs. Cake and led Pinkie out into the street.
Pinkie kept her head down as they trotted through town, eager not to be seen in her depressed state. She let out a sigh as they reached the door of the Carousel Boutique. Not half a week ago, she’d been here with Surprise, coming to meet Rarity. She had been happy...
Rarity’s head whipped around as Pinkie let out a sob. “Oh, Pinkie Pie... come here.” She hugged her crying friend.
“I’m s-sorry... I’m just making a big fuss out of nothing...” Pinkie said.
A white hoof traced along Pinkie’s cheek, capturing a tear. “Look at this,” Rarity said quietly. “It’s not nothing, Pinkie, and you shouldn’t think it is.”
“B-but, we were dating for less than a week! And... and R-Rainbow was right! I was taking it way too fast, I expected too mu—” Pinkie was cut off as the hoof drifted over her lips.
“Pinkie, I know you’ve strived for romance for a long time. And... I can sympathise.” She sighed, stroking Pinkie’s cheek. “Regardless of how long it lasted, I don’t think you should be ashamed of feeling sad about what happened.” Rarity gave her a little smile. “Now, how about that cup of tea, hmmm?”
A few minutes later, Pinkie was sitting opposite Rarity at the boutique’s kitchen table, both ponies provided with cups of tea.
“Did Mrs. Cake tell you what happened?” Pinkie piped up, breaking the momentary silence.
“Only that Surprise and you were... no longer an item,” Rarity replied. She looked across the table at her subdued friend, deep blue eyes shaded with concern. “I just don’t understand what happened, Pinkie.”
“I happened,” Pinkie muttered, staring into her cup.
Rarity let out an exasperated sigh. “No, Pinkie! Please, stop blaming yourself for this.” She frowned. “What in Equestria did Rainbow say to you?”
“She...” Pinkie frowned, trying to dredge up the memories of that day, the ones she’d blotted out till now. “She said there were ‘rules’... Like, I’d taken Surprise to meet you all too soon. I didn’t know about any of this! It’s all my fault...”
“Pinkie?” Rarity reached over and placed a hoof over Pinkie’s. “I know as well as anypony that romance can be complicated, but they’re more like guidelines than actual ‘rules’.” Her mouth twitched. “I can imagine Rainbow would suggest that... She’s not entirely wrong to abide by them, but if love was really that formulaic, nopony would ever struggle to find it, would they?”
Pinkie raised an eyebrow. “Whadda ya mean? ‘Formulaic’?”
“I mean that everypony’s different, Pinkie. You can’t just assume every relationship is the same,” Rarity explained. “I thought there was nothing wrong with you bringing Surprise to meet us; after all, you’re the most sociable pony in town! Really, how long could you keep your special somepony and us seperate?” She began to smile. “Look, I don’t think you give yourself enough credit here, Pinkie Pie. Do you think somepony would date you because you followed a bunch of nebulous ‘rules’, or because they liked the pony you presented to them?”
“Well, I... I guess that’s not quite why she broke up with me,” Pinkie muttered. “Although that was still my fault...” She looked up into Rarity’s eyes. The unicorn nodded, motioning with a hoof for Pinkie to continue. “Surprise overheard me and Dashie talking in the park. She heard about Dashie rejecting me... and she accused me of being making her a rebound.” Pinkie stared down into her cup again, feeling tears welling up again. “I don’t understand. She made me happy, and I thought I made her happy—that’s why I wanted to date her.” She snivelled miserably. “I just don’t get it.” There was a moment’s silence, and when Pinkie looked up again, Rarity’s eyes were flashing with anger, and a scowl marred her features.
“Then that’s her problem, Pinkie, not yours,” Rarity insisted. “Granted, it wasn’t the best time to start dating her straight after a rejection, but there’s never a ‘right’ time to start dating. Besides, you and Rainbow were reconciled, and that’s all that should matter.” She let out a harsh tsk. “It is completely unacceptable of Surprise to say that!”
Pinkie shied away a little, both cowed and reassured by Rarity’s defensiveness of her. “Maybe... L-look, Rarity, I like talking with you, but I don’t like talking about this, y’know?”
Rarity let out a deep breath through her nostrils, smiling sheepishly. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable, Pinkie. It’s just that this pony made one of my best friends hide away in her room for days, thinking it was all her own fault for how the relationship turned out. And she had the audacity to accuse you of using her as a ‘rebound’. I’d hope you understand I’m more than a little bit cross about this.”
Pinkie’s mouth twitched, and she gazed past Rarity. “That’s not why I hid away... I was just sad. I thought I’d finally made it... I’d gotten a special somepony and could be truly happy... and it all went wrong so quickly.” She rubbed her prickling eyes. “That’s all. I didn’t want anypony to see.”
Rarity nodded. “I can quite understand, my dear,” she said, rubbing Pinkie’s forehoof. “But don’t beat yourself up over this. You’ll find somepony who really respects you soon enough.”
“Well, I...” Pinkie frowned, before swallowing and looking Rarity straight in the eye. “It’s not quite over, y’know?”
“No!” Rarity frowned and shook her head. “Don’t let yourself fall into that way of thinking, Pinkie! I’ve trapped myself like that, too.” She sighed, looking down into her own teacup. “Waiting for a pony who was never coming back.”
“But she might be! She’d said she would think about it and—” The expression on Rarity’s face gave Pinkie little hope that that was the reality. “I’m just supposed to leave her?!”
Rarity huffed and looked at her. “Well, ask yourself this, Pinkie: do you want to get back together with Surprise? After all she’s done and said?”
“I...” Pinkie closed her eyes for a moment, contemplating. “What if she’s the same as me? Maybe she doesn’t know any better than me...” She squeezed her eyelids a little tighter, then opened them. “I would want her to give me a second chance if I did something wrong, Rarity. Why shouldn’t she do the same for me?”
There was a moment’s silence, Rarity blinking at her in mild shock. “You... honestly mean that, don’t you?”
“Well, yeah!” Pinkie grinned suddenly. “I mean, you were there when Princess Celestia forgave Luna! She turned into a nasty, evil mare who tried to take over the world, and we forgave her anyway!” She gripped Rarity’s forehooves in the crooks of her ankles. “Don’t you see what I’m saying? If we gave her a second chance, why shouldn’t I give Surprise a second chance?”
Rarity smiled slightly. “I suppose when you put it that way... Pinkie, I have to say, you’re a better pony than I am.”
“No I’m not, silly!” Pinkie pulled her friend closer and hugged her. “You’re just great, too!” She pulled back and stared straight into Rarity’s eyes. “And, if I’m going to stop being sad about what happened because it wasn’t my fault, you should stop feeling sad and blaming yourself about things as well!”
“Heh...” Rarity leaned her head on her hoof. “And I thought I was supposed to be consoling you.”
“No, no! It’s fine, I feel better now! I don’t feel nearly so mopey-dopey after talking to you!” Pinkie reassured her. “Thanks, Rarity!”
“I’m... I’m glad I could help, Pinkie,” Rarity said quietly. “Although, if Surprise does come back to you, you do not let her make you the guilty party, you understand?” Her eyes grew a little harder. “To strive for romance is one thing, but to let somepony poison your life for it is quite another.”
“I... I won’t let that happen. I promise,” Pinkie said.
Rarity smiled, and looked back down. “Now, I suppose we should drink this tea before it gets cold.”
A few hours later, Pinkie was feeling the spring leach out of her step once again. After bidding farewell to Rarity, she had gone to the park, more out of a desperate hope that Surprise remained there than any real certainty. But the cloud home was gone. Every place they had visited as a couple was bereft of her special somepony, and not a single pegasus she asked could recall seeing Surprise since the day of their break-up.
“I guess it was a long shot...” Pinkie sighed to herself as she approached Sugarcube Corner. “No reason for her to hang around...” Her shoulders drooped with disappointment, although her heart felt less heavy than it had the previous day. She was still nursing the hurt of the break-up, but the raw heartbreak from before had been replaced with a begrudging contentment after her talk with Rarity. Pinkie wasn’t happy, but neither was she particularly sad.
She pushed open the door to the bakery and walked in. Mrs. Cake looked up from the cash register she was checking, smiling. “Hello, Pinkie!” she said. “How are you feeling, now?”
“I’m... better, thanks,” Pinkie replied. “Rarity talked with me, and y’know, I realise it’s not all my fault. I’m gonna see what happens now. If Surprise comes back, I’ll give her another chance, but... if she doesn’t, it’s not the end of the world. I get it now. There’s no ‘rules’ to follow.”
“Well, that’s good to hear, Pinkie,” Mrs. Cake said with a sincere smile. “Wise words, indeed.”
“Heh, Rarity said them first. I just couldn’t come up with better way to say them,” Pinkie admitted. “But she’s right.” She looked down and scuffed a hoof against the floor. “I tore up my journal. The one with all the ponies I liked in it. I was in a really nasty mood when I did it, but... I’m glad I did. It was just making me feel worse.”
“Oh, Pinkie... I’m so glad you’re feeling better. I really have worried about you these past couple of days.” Mrs. Cake walked over and hugged her. “It’s so good to have you back.”
“I’ve only been out for a couple of hours!” Pinkie replied with a giggle.
Mrs. Cake smiled. “I meant the smiling Pinkie. I hate to see you like you were yesterday.” She rubbed at her chin thoughtfully. “Now, would you like to do anything special today?”
Pinkie looked upward thoughtfully. “Um, honestly, I’d just like to get back to normal. That feels pretty special itself!”
“Ah, very well then,” Mrs. Cake said. “I’ll appreciate the help.” She let go of Pinkie and began walking to the kitchen. “Now, will you be alright by yourself tomorrow, Pinkie? Carrot and I are taking the twins to a cousin of mine in Fillydelphia. We’re keeping the bakery closed, but we’ll be spending the night in Filly, so... you’ll be by your lonesome.” She paused, looking expectantly at Pinkie. “I was going to tell them it might be not be the best time, but...”
“No, it’s fine. I’m fine!” Pinkie reassured her. “Really. You can go out any time, Mrs. Cake! I can find something to do!”
“Well, thank you for being so understanding, Pinkie,” Mrs. Cake said. “Now, let’s get back into the swing of things, shall we?”
Once the last of that day’s batches had been baked, Pinkie went back upstairs to her room. She scrubbed the dirt and detritus of the day from herself in the bathroom, the last beams of dusk glowing through the window. Rubbing her face clean with a towel, she looked at herself in the mirror and gave a satisfied nod. After the gloom of the past three days, something as simple as a cup of tea with a friend and a return to normality had worked wonders to lift her spirits.
Pinkie put the towel aside and walked back into her room. The curtains had already been drawn, and the chamber was in darkness until she tapped a firefly lantern on the wall. She smiled at the room’s state; Mrs. Cake, to her credit, had cleaned up the mess left by Pinkie’s depressive episode.
She jumped up on the bed, lay down, and sighed happily. Back to normal. Maybe a little disappointing, but to Pinkie, normal felt fantastic.
Pinkie gave a start as she heard a series of knocks at the door. “Come in!” she called. There was silence, and a notable lack of the door opening. “Come in!” Still no answer. “Um... hello?” There was another set of knocks, and Pinkie realised they weren’t the woody sort, but more of a glassy bonk, bonk, bonk. Glass... the window? Somepony was knocking on her window?
Pinkie jolted as she realised her room was on the first floor, and therefore off the ground, and therefore only a pegasus could be knocking on the window and who could be knocking but—
She scampered across the room and ripped open the curtains. And there, hovering, staring back at her in shock, was Surprise. The two ponies looked at each other in silence for a moment, before Pinkie pushed open the window cautiously. “S-Surprise?”
“Y-yeah. It’s me. You’re not hallucinating,” Surprise said, a faint smile on her lips.
“You came back...” Pinkie murmured. “You said you’d think about it.”
“I did,” Surprise said. “And, well, I came back.” Tears began to well up in her eyes. “I missed you, Pinkie.”
“I... I missed you too!” Pinkie let out a sob, pulling Surprise into an embrace as the pegasus climbed through the window. The pair hugged tightly on the floor, crying with happiness, calling one another’s name. After a few minutes, the smile faded from Pinkie’s face, and she pushed Surprise away slightly. “Surprise... y-you hurt me.”
Surprise’s face fell, and she looked to the floor, ashamed. “I know,” she admitted. “I shouldn’t have been so abrupt...” She stepped back, trembling. “L-look, maybe this was a mistake...”
“No it’s not.” Pinkie said, cupping Surprise’s chin with a hoof. “We both said some things we shouldn’t have said, and if you’re giving me a second chance, then I’ll give you a second chance too. Deal?”
Surprise began to smile again, and she held Pinkie’s hoof. “D-deal.” She sighed briefly. “I’m so sorry I hurt you, Pinkie...”
“I know. I mean, I didn’t think you were a nasty, mean pony,” Pinkie said. “But... maybe we should clear some things up first, huh?”
“Yeah.” Surprise rubbed the back of her neck, then looked at Pinkie levelly. “Do you wanna go first, or...?”
“You go first,” Pinkie said.
Surprise took in a deep breath, letting it out in a brief sigh. “Okay... well, what’s going on between you and Rainbow Dash?”
Pinkie took a step back. “I already told you there wasn’t anything going on, didn’t I?”
“I need to know, Pinkie.” Surprise placed a hoof on either of Pinkie’s shoulder, staring into her eyes. “If you’d take Rainbow over me if you had the chance... if you still want her in some way...”
“No.” Pinkie surprised herself with her own assertiveness. “Maybe before I met you, but now? No. There’s nopony I’d rather have than you. I mean it.” She rubbed noses with Surprise. “You don’t need to worry, Surprise. I’m gonna stay with you, no matter what.”
Tears welled up in Surprise’s eyes, and she looked away again. “Oh, Pinkie... you really mean that, don’t you?”
“Sure I do!” Pinkie pulled the pegasus into a tight hug. “I’m never gonna give you up!” Her smile fell slightly as she looked into Surprise’s eyes. “Besides, I let you down, too. I shouldn’t have forced you to come with me, and I shouldn’t have said those things to Rainbow. I was just... worried I’d lose you. I've never had a special somepony before, and I didn’t know what I was doing. But I never meant to hurt you.”
“I believe you, Pinkie. I wish I could say the same...” Surprise squeezed her eyes shut for a second. “I can be a very jealous pony, Pinkie. And a selfish one. That’s why I lashed out at you when I heard you talking with Rainbow Dash... Are you really sure about this?”
“Sure!” Pinkie said. “I know ponies, and I know you, and I know you’re a good pony!” She beamed at Surprise, who smiled shyly herself.
“Th-thanks, Pinkie...” She wiped her eyes dry. “Now, what did you want to say?”
Pinkie sat back and rubbed her chin thoughtfully, eyes rolled upward at the ceiling. “Well, about my friends... Rarity spoke to me today, and she told me that all the rules and stuff about relationships are kinda... guidelines?” She cocked her head slightly at Surprise, who had raised an eyebrow of her own. “So, all that running around and stuff? I was wrong to do that... I make you happy by being me, right?”
Surprise nodded. “Right. Yeah, there wasn’t a checklist or anything.” She giggled, nuzzling Pinkie gently. “So, what are you trying to say?”
“I mean, I know you weren’t happy when I dragged you around town to see my friends,” Pinkie said carefully. “But, the thing is, Surprise, my friends are really important to me. There’s nothing lovey-dovey going on between me and Dashie, but there’s a lot going on between me and her, and all the others; we’re really, really close.” She paused momentarily, her mouth twitching in thought. “S-so, what I’m saying, is I won’t put them before you, but I won’t put you before them, either.”
Surprise’s gaze raked the floor. “I see...”
Pinkie grimaced, but continued. “So, I want you to be my special somepony, Surprise. I really do. But, please, don’t make me choose between you and my friends. I don’t want you to be separate from my friends, okay?”
Surprise nodded slowly, pulling back from the embrace. She looked down at herself, and over her shoulder at her back. She ran a hoof through her mane and turned to a full-length mirror upon the wall, surveying herself with her wings half-spread. A small smile twitched upon her mouth as she rubbed her chin. “Me and your friends, huh?” She looked over her shoulder at Pinkie, sighing happily. “Okay... for you, Pinkie. I’m sure we can make this work somehow.”
Pinkie smiled and walked closer to Surprise. The pegasus turned around and kissed her on the lips, murring happily. “Thank you, Surprise,” Pinkie whispered.
“And thank you, Pinkie, for forgiving me,” Surprise replied, smiling and blushing.
“No problem! Um...” Pinkie paused for a second. “I, uh, didn’t really have the chance to ask you earlier, but Rainbow Dash said something about knowing you from Flight School. Is that true?”
“Eh... sort of. I mean, we weren’t really friends, I just knew her as the filly who allegedly pulled off a Sonic Rainboom,” Surprise answered. “Did she remember me, then?”
Pinkie frowned, trying to recall what Dash had said. “Yeah, she knew what you looked like anyway. And that you used to be a prankster!” She giggled. “She thinks that one of your pranks got you in trouble at Flight School!” She looked at Surprise in concern, the pegasus’s face having fallen. “What’s the matter?”
“The Flight School pranks, huh?” Surprise scratched the back of neck and sighed. “Yeah, that day... I’d r-rather not talk about that right now, o-okay?”
“Sure!” Pinkie wrapped her forelegs around her marefriend. “No more hurt feelings.”
“I appreciate that.” Surprise rubbed noses with her and smiled again. “Now, on that note... I guess we should have a make-up date, huh?”
Pinkie grinned and nodded. “Yeah! We should totally... um...” Her eyes suddenly went wide. “Ohmigosh! I know! Mr. and Mrs. Cake are away tomorrow! You should totally come on over!”
Surprise’s head tilted back slightly. She raised her eyebrows and opened her mouth for a second before replying, her wings half-extended. “Uh... what are you getting at, Pinkie?”
“We should have dinner together! Like, proper, fancy-pants dinner! I can make all kinds of things!” Pinkie exclaimed.
“Oh!” Surprise’s wings slumped down, and she gave a relieved giggle. “I see.” She gave Pinkie a smile with half-lidded eyes. “I’d like that a lot.” Taking Pinkie’s hoof, she lead her to the bed and sat down on the edge of it, wrapping her forelegs around the earth pony. “Although right now, I really just want to hug.”
After a while of cuddling and affectionate nuzzling, the two ponies found themselves having to part ways—Surprise to return home before night proper fell, and Pinkie to answer the call for dinner.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” Surprise asked, hovering by the window. She gave Pinkie one last kiss on the nose once the earth pony had nodded. “I’ll be looking forward to it.” She flew out the window, Pinkie waving to her.
Once Surprise was out of sight, Pinkie gave an excited squeal and scampered down the stairs, giggling happily. She collided with Mrs. Cake at the bottom, who had until then been calling Pinkie in vain.
“Pinkie! What’s gotten into you?!” Mrs. Cake exclaimed, as Pinkie helped her off the floor.
“Sorry, Mrs. Cake! It’s just, I’m... she... we’re back together!” Pinkie near-shouted.
“‘Together’? Whatever do you me—oh.” Mrs. Cake’s eyebrows raised suddenly. “You and Surprise?” Pinkie nodded vigorously. “I didn’t see her come in...”
“She knocked on my window!” Pinkie said with a giggle. “And we’re all made up now!”
“Well, that’s... good...” Cup Cake said unsteadily.
The reaction elicited a frown from Pinkie. “What’s the matter?”
Cup Cake looked at her, shaking her head. “Nothing, Pinkie. It’s nice to hear you’ve made up.”
“Um... I invited her over for dinner tomorrow, when you’re out. Is that okay?” Pinkie asked hesitantly.
Cup Cake smiled. “As long as you clean up after yourselves, I’m perfectly happy with it, Pinkie. I’ll leave out a cookbook or two, hmmm?”
Pinkie grinned and following Mrs. Cake to the dinner table, where Mr. Cake and the twins already sat in front of their plates. In her mind’s eye, she’d already planned out what the table settings would be for the following night.
It was going to be perfect.
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Warning, this chapter contains massive amounts of British.
2521933, Sure, along with vast amounts of awesome. Every chapter leaves me more curious. Seriously, it's painful! Ghost theories are buzzing around my head...but I think I'll wait this one out
2521933
And cactus eyes. Don't forget the cactus eyes.
So they made up then that's good but for some reason I feel this oncoming storm about to come in....or maybe I'm over thinking it.
Anyway, place your bets, folks! Place your bets!
2 to 1, Surprise is a figment of Pinkie's mind
4 to 1, Surprise is a ghost from Rainbow's flight camp.
8 to 1, Surprise is actually real and the author is jerking us around
100 to 1, Surprise is really a changeling.
1000 to 1, it's all a dream!
Bet early, bet often!
2522250
Tree fiddy on Surprise being a ghost that Pinkie summoned with Gypsy magic
Really enjoyed the 'pick me up' feel this chapter had, especially after the last one. Still can't 100% tell what the deal with Surprise is but I'm just going to chalk it up to good writing. Glad to hear you're finally enjoying some freedom MH, looking forward to anything else you have planned for us.
I'm never gonna give you up!!
a love spirit
did
did we just get rickrolled
Surprise ~ "Y-yeah. It’s me. You’re not hallucinating,”
AHA!!!!!! The theory is debunked!!! Moving on!!!
*Later*
Mrs. Cake ~ “I didn’t see her come in...”
MOAR!
2522250
Two hundred on Surprise being Luna in disguise.
kind of hoping it gets a little dark but not cupcakes dark, anyways I like it good work
2523159 I'm pretty sure we did...
Ahh, Mr. Astley, good to see you again!
"In her mind’s eye, she’d already planned out what the table settings would be for the following night.
It was going to be perfect."
.........
Next chapter, Pinkie sings an altered version of "This day Aria" while making food.
And then all our theories are debunked when Pinkie turns out to be Chrysalis. 
2523336
My exact thoughts...
2522250
My bets are still on Surprise not existing. I'm chalking up Rainbow Dash's "memory" to Pinkie being an Unreliable Narrator.
SPOILER ALERT:
It is not going to be perfect.
2529374 That would be a greater thing than all of the fics on this site together with a slice of bacon
Much love for the Pinkie/Rarity scene. Pinkie was huggable, naive and sweet, and Rarity was a nice mix of sympathetic, reasonable and wrathful. She was definitely the right person to go for with the cheering-up scene. Makes sense, after all, with Rarity being the only Mane 6 pony canonically out for romance.
Though I think Rainbow is going to get a marshmallow hoof upside the head later, for giving bad advice.
Lately I've been having a lot of fun with Pinkie fics, like this one. Much like it did with Rarity, the fandom is making me adore the Party Pony more and more.
Also, Surprise's 'not-sure-if-want' (or not-sure-if-offering) tentative wingboner when she thought Pinkie was inviting her for sex is the best bit of body language ever, it has to be said.
Looking forward for more! Including more chances to speculate, of course.
2523336
The hallucination telling you that she's not a hallucination?
Totally counts. Proof positive.
The thing that had me stumbling was the line about nobody mentioning they'd seen Surprise since they broke up. Now, one could take that to mean they saw her before. But, it doesn't necessarily imply that, in the end.
2523723
MoonPie is best crackship.
...next to pairing Pinkie with her own subconscious.
So, alas, I can't endorse this.
2533646 Hey, come on, Pinkie's a good cook. Well, when she's not being 'helped' by a sleep-deprived Applejack, that is. Give her some credit!
2536020 Nope, it's gonna be an awesome imaginary friend story. There's an important difference!
2536346 I'll admit, I added in Surprise's 'not sure if want' reaction when I realised Pinkie's proposition could be taken wrongly in so many ways. Naivety, eh?
2522250 OH and dont forget the whole 'Love-Spirit' thing that was mentioned in the missing books.
I am going to go for the title of the most outlandish theory about surprise too: SHE'S PRINCESS CELESTIA IN DISGUISE!
It's Starswirl the bearded, he came from the past to protect the future.
Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down...