Random Ramblings CXLIV - P.D.P 4 · 11:50pm Mar 1st, 2017
IN WHICH THE GEARS SHIFT
This is the fourth in a six-part series. Here is Part 1, wherein may be found links to all other parts, because I don't really have the desire to cross-link everything right now.
I don't really have much to say right now, as nothing particularly interesting has happened in my own life over the last 24 hours. I have a home to clean but I don't want to. It's actually surprisingly difficult to write a long blogpost every single day for a week. This is Post No.144 and I've been doing this for a little under two years, which is FAR less than once a day. Oh! Fun Fact. Today is the two-year anniversary of my writing Highs & Lows (check its date). However, because I was so worried about offending people with bipolar disorder, I kept the story private for eight months while I worked on a CMC story. When I finally did make it public, it ended up becoming my most popular story and ended up beginning "Sunset's Recovery Arc", which even if I write & complete the two longer stories I have planned, will likely end up being the most well-regarded thing I'll have done on this site. But I'm here today to talk more Pinkamena. Please follow me past the jump.
Part Four of my Pinkamena story was begun in mid-September 2013. It is much much shorter than the first three, at slightly under 11,500 words. However, it also got two spinoffs, one of which is actually listed in my files as linked to Part Five so I may talk about it there instead so as not to clog this post up. Part 3's blogpost ended up being very long due to my decision to include actual samples of my "writing". But anywho, here's the synopsis.
P.D.P. - Part IV
This part begins with "Arc Words" that recur throughout the whole thing:
"You're going to have to tell her eventually."
It turns out that, since that party at the end of Part 3, Pinkamena has been avoiding Applejack like the plague out of guilt over her role in AJ's dad's death -- it turns out the Apple Family was lied to by the authorities about what really happened and never learned the truth. She's also having to come to terms with integrating five years' worth of "new" memories into herself. It's tough.
Pinkamena turns out to be a far better employee for Sugarcube Corner than Pinkie ever was -- showing up on time and not eating the product. Problem was the Cakes had long ago accounted for Pinkie's sweet tooth and always made too much; now they have a glut of product every day and have had to cut prices just to move stuff while they adjust to lowering their output (habits are hard to break). They also insist on calling ponk "Pinkie Pie" because they can't get used to the new Ponk.
However, Pinkamena has less energy to do the party thing than Pinkie did and feels awful about it, although she still tries. She gives the bullshit excuse that she'd partied too hard during her Anniversary, but knows that won't hold forever.
After Ponk has put in her eight hours for the day (6am-2pm), Twilight shows up to check up on her. They have a conversation where Ponk gets snippy about the fact that she's been avoiding her friends (and Luna) and that they miss the "old" Pinkie. When Twi suggests talking to Applejack, Ponk freaks out for the reason I wrote above. Of course, AJ shows up right at that moment, but Ponk has teleported away (she's been "seen" to do this in-show, so it's kinda canon). AJ then says she wants to know why Ponk won't talk to her anymore, asking Twilight to help her out.
That night, after Ponk has gone to bed, Rarity shows up to see her. They have a serious conversation wherein it turns out AJ went to Carousel Boutique after seeing Twilight to ask Rarity if she knew why Ponk was avoiding her.
When Ponk asks why AJ would bother talking to Rarity at all, Rarity mentions the two of them have a history. That history is the subject of the spinoff Part 4-2 and is 6,000 words on its own, so I'll talk about it at the end.
Rarity admits that talking to the Apple Family can be intimidating, especially if all of them are there, but it's better in the long run than avoiding them.
Pinkamena has a nightmare where she's put on trial for accessory to murder by Mayor Mare (the Judge) and a dozen Big Macintoshes (the jury). A hundred Granny Smiths are the public gallery. At the prosecutor's table, AJ refuses to look at Ponk, but Apple Bloom won't look away from her. After Ponk is found guilty, six Celestias show up to blast her into dust, but when they try to do so they are blocked by a force field. Then they explode. Then everything shatters. Luna appears. They have a heartfelt reunion. Then Luna says the exact same thing Twilight and Rarity did -- Ponk must face her fears and deal with the Apple Family, soon.
The next day at Sweet Apple Acres, Apple Bloom gets a package and AJ gets a letter. AJ confronts 'Bloom about the box, but 'Bloom insists she never ordered anything. The box is from Manehattan and is a cute model of the skyline with a note from Babs saying she's looking forward to seeing them soon 
(yes the heart is in the original). Turns out AJ had arranged for Babs to come stay for part of the summer as a surprise for Apple Bloom. The letter for AJ is, of course, from Ponk, apologizing for not talking to her and asking to arrange a day in which she can come and speak to all four members of the family. With all the repair work to be done, the earliest time would be the day after Babs arrived, but she figures that won't be a big deal. She hoof-delivers her response to Sugarcube Corner
On the appointed day, Ponk shows up. Babs and Apple Bloom, in the treehouse, see her walking the path to the farm and decide to follow her to see what's up. Granny, Big Mac, and AJ are waiting for her in the living room. Granny Smith starts ranting about nothing in particular, not letting Ponk get a word in edgewise, but Big Mac gets her to be quiet (and speaks in the process!). As Ponk starts to explain, Apple Bloom and Babs show up behind her and 'Bloom butts into the conversation. Ponk turns around, notices Babs, and immediately loses her resolve. AJ tries to help get Ponk back on track. Eventually, Ponk starts apologizing to Apple Bloom but without giving context. When they still (naturally) don't understand, this happens:
“I’m the reason your parents are dead!” blurted out Pinkamena, before collapsing onto the rug in a sputtering heap.
Now, she's saying this line more to Babs than Apple Bloom, since she's only responsible for the death of 'Bloom's dad. Still, AJ tersely says that they don't like to talk about that stuff, but they'll listen to what Ponk has to say.
Pinkamena spends the next couple hours explaining everything. (well, she left out the boring academic parts from Part II, knowing the Apples wouldn't care)
Once finished, Ponk says now that the Apples know the truth, she hopes they understand why Ponk shouldn't be around them, why they probably now hate her, and that she'll be taking her leave. Before she can even get three feet away, AJ glomps her. When Ponk asks why, AJ apologizes for not realizing her friend had been carrying such a burden for so long. Granny Smith confirms that both her murdered children would have forgiven Ponk immediately, so she will too. Apple Bloom says she's sad to have to have grown up without her parents, but knows Ponk would never want anyone killed.
Babs is stunned into silence. It takes several minutes for her to say, "I have a sister?" (remember, this is before Sunflower from the comics, whose canonicity is dubious at best -- I'd made her Babs's fake-mom). Ponk explains that yes she is, at least an adoptive sister. She also apologizes for not writing, as she does still have that bounty on her head and didn't want anyone to track her down. And she'd like to be a part of Babs's life if Babs wishes. Babs says that she hates her "fake" family and living in Manehattan in general and would love to move to Ponyville and live with her.
The Apple Clan welcomes her into the family with open arms (forelegs?). And the part ends with Babs boarding a train to Manehattan to "take care of some unfinished business".
END PART IV
RARITY'S STORY
This is a big chunk in the middle of the story that I cut out for flow purposes. TL;DR, Rarity and AJ used to be best friends. Also, Rarity was the first Unicorn allowed to set foot on Sweet Apple Acres in years because Granny Smith was still a racist back then (an aspect of her personality I touch on in Part IV and my incomplete G.S. story). AJ's parents built the treehouse for AJ and Rarity to play in. There, the two fillies hatched the plan to run away to Manehattan together -- it was Rarity's idea to begin with -- and they began to raise money for the trip.
At the last minute, Rarity's mother (Cookie "Pearl" Crumbles) became deathly ill and Rarity had to stay behind. Obviously she survived. As time went on, Rarity started to resent that AJ got to live the high life while she was stuck in the country, not knowing that AJ was lonely and felt out of place. Then the rainboom happened and both got their cutie marks. When AJ came back to the farm and made it clear she was staying for good, Rarity first blamed herself for not being there for her friend, but then decided to blame Granny Smith. She screamed at Granny, which had the effect of AJ slapping her and Granny banishing her from the farm forevermore, upon penalty of arrest (and hogtying).
Over the next several years, Rarity at first tried to patch things up, but AJ would have none of it, so Rarity instead decided to find ways to humiliate her former friend. When AJ's mom Liberty died giving birth to Apple Bloom, Rarity wanted to attend the funeral. Of course she was still banned from the farm, but snuck in anyway and was caught by AJ's dad, who frankly needed someone outside his family to talk to. He explained he couldn't let her into the funeral due to Granny's edict but appreciated her coming by. During the conversation, Rarity talks about her mom being pregnant (with Sweetie Belle), and Bramley says he hopes the two foals can become friends and that Rarity and AJ will patch up their differences. He also says being on the farm is difficult for his psyche, so he's going to go stay a few months with his sister in Fillydelphia. Of course, as detailed in Part II, he never came back.
When Sweetie Belle was born, AJ refused to send her respects, jealous that Pearl had survived pregnancy while Liberty didn't. AJ had to take on a lot of farmwork and dropped out of school, while Rarity stayed in. The two did not speak again until Twilight forced them to team up years later, and they became friends again. Rarity admits to Ponk that she actually needs AJ and always has.
END
