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// Segment 2:1 Welcome Back II the Jungle 
// Story: Pinkamenace II Society 
// by jmj 
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			Segment 2 Chapter 1

Time is a funny thing. One second you’re young and raring to make your mark on the world; an instant later, you’re old and bitter, remembering the good old days when you were pissing vinegar and fighting for causes long forgotten. All within what seems an instant, those times disappear into the ever-hungry maw of the past. Once you have crossed each second’s threshold you can never get that time back, no matter how hard you might try. The instant your life extinguishes, you might not have existed at all except for the memories of those you touched. A few live on through their deeds and are remembered, but they no longer exist; only a story of who they were remains. Twilight meant to leave many stories of herself. She would be remembered for ages to come. 

Twilight sat on a hill near the edge of Sweet Apple Acres and looked out at the edge of Ponyville. The hill sat at the edge of an apple grove that separated the main farm from the hillside. The sun was going down for the day and she sat with Applejack reflecting on the work she had done that day. Twilight had been working diligently with chemicals in the hopes to neutralize the poisons in which the Flim Flam brothers’ machine had drenched the surrounding soil when it exploded. At least, that was what she thought she was doing. The formula might repair damaged soil, but it would also enrich the soil in which Applejack’s “other” plants were grown, producing a higher quality product. 

Twilight had grown to enjoy the company of the Apple Family. Most of them were very accommodating and friendly. She had met nearly all of them and could remember each one by name. She called only a few friends, but she knew many of them as acquaintances and could make chitchat with them. There were only two for whom she didn’t care much. One was Big Macintosh, who was indeed the biggest earth pony she had ever seen, because he was very restricted with his words and always had the look that said he was too busy for any conversation. Apple Bloom had told the mare that Big Mac was always that way and that it wasn’t personal. The other pony she didn’t care for was the green-coated JackSlap. 

Twilight thought JackSlap was crude and possessed an odd sense of humor. He would read newspapers and chuckle at articles about violence or accidents. He reminded her too much of the ponies who had shot down her and Spike’s balloon. He had even spoken rather rudely to her on one occasion, asking if she needed any “stallions-only” help. She hadn’t quite understood what he meant and when she asked AJ about it, she said she had no idea but would have a little talk with JackSlap about his manners with mares. The offensive pony hadn’t bothered her since. 

The lavender unicorn had enjoyed helping the Apples and had even begun tutoring Sweetie Belle in the usage of magic. It was a lot of fun and she and the filly were becoming friends, but Twilight was feeling that her goal couldn’t be met here on the farm. She needed to get into Ponyville and make some friends. If she was going to help Ponyville it would be from inside, not outside its borders. The mare sighed softly and watched the waning sunlight cascade off of the town in the distance. 

“What’s wrong, Sugar Cube?” Applejack, to her surprise and chagrin, had begun to enjoy the unicorn’s company. She could trust her family, but she hadn’t been able to really talk to another pony in a long time. Applejack was tough and strong and had to maintain that display to everypony, even her own family. Twilight was different. Twilight wasn’t from Ponyville or a real member of the Family. Applejack had realized after only a week that the mare was a student and posed no threat to the Apples. To her horror, she had found herself seeking the purple mare’s company as if her mind and body were rebelling against her conscious wishes. 

Twilight, however, had been the best company with whom Applejack had the pleasure of talking in a long time because she knew that Twilight didn’t want anything from her. When Twilight agreed or disagreed with what they were talking about, she did so because she thought that way, not to please or displease the cow-mare. A lot of time had passed for Applejack since she had somepony she could call a friend. To Big Mac and the other Apples, her conversations with Twilight were about business and duping the mare into working for her or keeping her under hoof. 

In reality, it had only started out that way. AJ had worried after first meeting Twilight that the unicorn could resurrect a part of the earth pony that she had thought was long dead. She had been proved correct in her surmise and fought to keep it from becoming real but, over time, had fallen prey to the unicorn’s charm. Applejack found that she could feel something besides stress, anger, and greed when talking with the unicorn and, given the state of her business, needed the outlet. She just had to keep the mare from discovering her secret.

Business had been getting worse for the Apples and Applejack found that time with Twilight relieved the stress of the job. That new drug, Pink Dreamz, was cutting into the financial income of Applejack’s Sweets and Applejack was having a difficult time locating the source. It had originated on the west side she was sure. She had taken the largest financial damage from that section of town as the new high that Pink Dreamz gave lured customers away from Sweets. The lack of dealers buying more Sweets from that part of town indicated a surplus. What would cause a surplus when she had the monopoly on drugs sold? A new drug had appeared and ponies were buying it instead of hers. The East side of town still belonged to her because the gangs would typically not intermingle, meaning that those dealers on the East side of town found it harder to acquire the new drug, but some were and a little of Applejack’s East side business had declined. In short, she had too much product and not enough demand.

Twilight smiled at the orange earth pony and shrugged, “Oh nothing. I was just thinking that if I could help Ponyville it would be from there and not here, you know what I mean? It would look so much better for my study into friendship’s magical qualities if I could use them to help Ponyville.” The unicorn looked at the town with a slight frown. “I just can’t believe a place could be so bad.”

Applejack nodded slowly and thought about what Ponyville used to be like—so nice, so fun, and so friendly. It had died with her. One big ship had sunk and killed everypony on board, except that they hadn’t died. They had woken up in Hell and that’s where they would stay. The earth pony tossed that thought from her mind. Damn, Twilight could make her feel weird. She wouldn’t normally have cared about what Ponyville used to be like. It was unlikely things would ever return to that time. If they did, Applejack wondered if she would be able to live with the acts of murder and violence she had committed. What a stupid thought, of course she would. AJ didn’t regret a thing that kept her family safe and happy. “It can, Twi. Ah’d rather ya just stay here on the farm with us. Y’er safe here and there’s nothing to worry about. Ponyville’s a different matter. Nopony messes with us Apples, but a pretty thing like you might get targeted.”

Twilight visibly cringed at the thought of being a target. More ponies like those others selecting her for some sort of cruelty was not her top priority, but she couldn’t very well just sit at the farm and expect to accomplish anything. “I know, AJ, but I have to prove to the Princess that I am a capable and trustworthy student. I appreciate your concern, but it’s something I am going to have to do.” Twilight hoped Applejack was exaggerating the dangers of Ponyville, but whatever lurked inside that town, Twilight would have to meet if she wanted to change it.

“Ah’m sure she knows, Twi. Ya don’t have ta risk everythin’ ta prove it.” Applejack genuinely worried about the unicorn. She didn’t want her to get hurt. She was innocent in this cruel piece of the world and AJ wanted to send her back to Canterlot, someday, as she had entered it.

“I do, Applejack. I’m only as good as my work and if I fail this assignment then I am a failure to the Princess. I have to perform higher than expected to show her I am worthy of great positions in the future.” Twilight turned to look upon the Stetson wearing mare with a smile. “I’ll be fine, AJ. I just need to figure out where to start. Sweetie Belle invited me to meet her sister, Rarity. I suppose that would be a good place to start.”

Applejack knew it would be a good place to start. She had instructed Sweetie Belle to invite Twilight. Applejack had figured that Twilight was going to go into town eventually and had planned for the occasion, just in case she couldn’t be talked out of visiting the ghetto. “Yeah, I s’pose that would be a good place ta start. Rarity is nice; y’all’ll get on mighty fine. If y’er gonna go Ah’m sending JackSlap with ya. Ah know ya don’t much care fer’im, but he’ll keep ya safe. JackSlap has a bit of a reputation in town an’ there’s not liable to be many who would mess with ya while he’s there.”

Twilight made a sour face for a moment; she wasn’t thrilled with the prospect of that green earth pony with a crowbar cutie mark accompanying her anywhere, but if it meant she could go into town with safety it was probably a good idea. “Thank you, Applejack. You are too kind to me. Spike and I will go tomorrow then. It will be a good step in the right direction.” Twilight felt lucky to have a friend like Applejack. She was so considerate and kind. She smiled and the feeling of being cared about and having friends welled up inside of her. She smiled happily at Applejack and suddenly wrapped her up in her forelegs, hugging the cow-mare. “Thanks for being such a good friend.”

Applejack reeled away from the unicorn at first but found herself firmly inside her forelegs; she hadn’t expected the physical embrace but part of her enjoyed the intimacy, a feeling she had forgotten, and slowly she wrapped the unicorn with her own forelegs in return. “Yeah, sure thing, Sugar Cube. You, too.”

***

Rainbow Dash leaned against one of the trees of the orchard and watched the two mares on the hill heatedly. She coughed to herself and narrowed her eyes at the pair. They were getting awfully close lately. That unicorn, Twilight, was acting all demure and innocent and Applejack was eating it up. Applejack had not been close with anypony in a very long time and suddenly she had been spending her evenings with that purple unicorn slut. Dash had come a long way since last month and Applejack wouldn’t so much as speak a few caring words to her but she drooled all over that brainy unicorn. Rainbow thought Applejack would have better taste.

“I’m finished with this set, Dash! What now?” A big-for-her-age pegasus filly spoke with excitement teething her words as she stood sweating and breathing hard just inside the grove of trees. Scootaloo had been working her wings with exercises that her multicolored mentor had instructed her would help her gain the lift she needed to venture into the skies. Scoots smiled brightly and eagerly awaited her next exercise. Rainbow Dash was teaching her! She had begged, wished, and prayed for this and it had finally come true! Her wildest dreams were being realized; Rainbow Dash was actually teaching her! The fledgling’s wings ached, but she wanted to make Rainbow proud of her and worked through the pain to prove she was worthy of Rainbow’s sudden attention.

“Okay, Squirt. Lateral wing extensions, but this time with these.” The multicolored mare took a moment to attach a five-pound bag of sand to each of her pupil’s tiny wings. She smiled, her mind away from Applejack and that unicorn, as she used her training techniques on the younger pegasus. Scootaloo was strong, both of body and will, but she needed to build her wing strength or else the extra muscle in her body would weigh her down and delay her first flight. Rainbow would see Scootaloo fly before the year was out. That was the goal the pegasi had set and Rainbow would not let Scoots down. The filly had been let down enough by Rainbow Dash in the past, but not this time. Rainbow had her head on straight for the first time in years and the only pony who had attempted to aid her was Scootaloo. Rainbow owed the filly her life, now that she had it back. A sudden shiver caught Dash and she fell to the ground with a quiet moan. 

“Dash!” Scootaloo almost caught her mentor; she had recognized the way Rainbow’s back legs twitched just before a minor seizure made her legs go limp. Scootaloo hadn’t reacted quickly enough to catch the mare, but had kept her head from connecting with the orchard floor. Dash still wasn’t completely over her addiction, Scootaloo knew, but she had made vast improvements and Scoots was proud of her. The orange filly held the slightly-bluer-than-before pegasus until her body stopped shivering and her breathing eased from ragged to normal. Scootaloo felt a warmth creeping underneath her and became aware that Rainbow had lost control of her bladder. Scootaloo didn’t mind; Rainbow couldn’t help it.

“Thanks, Scootaloo.” The blue mare’s cheeks flushed and she looked away in embarrassment. Years of Sweets abuse couldn’t be undone in a month. 

Rainbow had seized relentlessly for days after she decided to give up the drug. Her body had screamed at her for the damage she had caused it and she had kicked her way around the storage room for what seemed like endless hours. Her body burned and her mind played horrific films of death and torment until she couldn’t tell what was real and what was vision. Rainbow had experienced Hell for days before she had regained consciousness enough for Scootaloo to force food and water down her throat. For nearly a week, Rainbow fought the need for Sweets and Scoots made sure she had food and water. She wasn’t sure if Applejack had visited her or not. She thought she remembered AJ asking her if she was finally going to just die and be done with it, but she had seen so many false things she couldn’t distinguish what was truth and what was illusion. The need had subsided but the want for the drug hadn’t. She wasn’t sure if it ever would be completely gone, but it had become manageable. 

“Dash,” Scootaloo paused, wanting to tell her that she didn’t think any less of her, to assure her that she would continue to get better and the seizures would stop. She just couldn’t think of a non-awkward way to do it, so she switched tactics. “You sure are stronger than before. I’m so proud of you. You haven’t had Sweets for nearly a month. You’re going to be just like you used to be.”

“No, Squirt, I won’t. I’ve nearly killed myself. I’m going to shake, fall down, and piss myself until the day I die.” Rainbow’s voice quivered with self-disgust, but she pushed herself back to her hooves. “But, it won’t be because I’m still addicted.”

Scootaloo smiled and watched her hero take her hooves again. She might still be a sick mare, but her mind was in the right place. Rainbow was on the right path again. “You’ll fly with me, Dash? You won’t leave me behind like you used to?”

Rainbow extended her fretful excuse for wings and smiled back at the filly. “If I am ever able to fly again, Scoot, I just hope you won’t leave me behind.” The pair shared the moment, basking in each other’s company. Rainbow smirked and taunted the filly, “If you don’t start pumping those weights I’ll be soaring the sky alone when my feathers grow back.” She chuckled to herself as Scootaloo spread her wings and hefted the weights back and forth while counting. 

Dash watched Scootaloo for a moment and then returned to the edge of the grove and watched Applejack and that Twilight temptress. Dash was getting better; Applejack would see that. This time she wouldn’t hide her feelings; she would confront Applejack and force the mare to listen to her as she spoke her heart. She sighed and watched the pair. The sun made Applejack’s orange coat shimmer brightly and wished she could be up there beside her to experience the romantic setting. She wondered what Applejack’s hoof would feel like with hers, if her body would be as warm as the sun making it glow, what her kisses would feel like. Suddenly her eyes broke the happy thoughts as Dash saw Twilight, the whore, placed her hooves around Applejack. Rainbow’s mouth fell like a stone, as Applejack returned the embrace.

***

Golden Harvest had delivered and the bits had been rolling in for Pinkamena and Fluttershy. Life in Sugar Cube Corner had been much better for the mares. Luxuries, such as food, and minor comforts such as a fan to blow the rank scent from the aging building and generally cool the structure, were finally a possibility again. Pinkamena had baked fresh cupcakes for the first time in ages and they tasted heavenly. The pink pony snarfled down her third cupcake; her tummy felt full and bloated, but she didn’t care. Her meals had been measly for a great while; it seemed as if an ocean of time separated her from the last fresh meal she had devoured, and she tried to make up for all those lost meals at once. Pinkamena lay back on the couch and contentedly moaned as she rubbed her distended stomach. Her eyes were half closed in pleasure and flecks of icing circled her mouth as she looked at Fluttershy. “Do you want another one?”

“No, two’s one too many for me, Pinkie. Thank you, though.” The yellow Pegasus mare smiled happily at her friend. She liked it when Pinkie wasn’t angry. She had been friendlier lately and Flutters had talked her into baking the cupcakes for the two of them. Golden Harvest had kept her end of the bargain and both parties were making a good amount of bits. Pinkie was having trouble keeping up with the amount that Golden requested to sell and Fluttershy had been enticed to help, until she mixed a beaker of blue liquid with a tube of green and they reacted with a small display of fireworks. Fluttershy’s nerves had failed at that moment and she ran back to the safety of the den. She hadn’t wanted to help anymore; making drugs just wasn’t for her, which left only Pinkie working long nights to fill the orders.

“Suit yourself, Shy. I’ve left a couple for you in the refrigerator.” Pinkie yawned and looked up at the ceiling.

Fluttershy watched her friend and giggled quietly to herself. Pinkie didn’t even realize that she was almost smiling, but Fluttershy saw it on her face. Pinkie may not know it, but she had enjoyed baking the cupcakes. Fluttershy wanted to help Pinkie get back on her hooves. Pinkie had been so kind to take Fluttershy in and give her a home and Flutters would repay her by bringing the real Pinkie back from the pit of sadness that dwelt inside of Pinkamena. Flutters had wanted cupcakes, but she had really wanted to test her theory that if Pinkamena did things the old Pinkie enjoyed, it would make her happy again. The yellow pegasus watched the pink earth pony closely.

Pinkie searched the ceiling with jerking motions of her eyes as if she were watching something moving back and forth. She lay with the hooves of her back legs hanging off the foreleg rest and she kicked them lightly back and forth to the rhythm of a song only she could hear. As Flutters watched her silently and read the movements of the ex-party pony, she took some solace in seeing the small movements that signified some part of Pinkie was at peace for the moment. Flutters had watched her friend’s torment, unable to assist, for too long. She was being sneakier than she would have liked but maybe Pinkie would find some small comforts again. It was a step on the right road anyway. Flutters, however, decided to remind Pinkie of her promise. Neither of the mares had brought up Pinkie’s vow to throw Fluttershy a party for the two of them. “Um, Pinkie?”

The pink pony answered with the tiniest amount of mirth in her voice, “What, Flutters?”

“When are we going to, um, have my party?” The pegasus asked matter-of-factly and did her best not to stutter on the words. She was pleased with herself when she had only halted once to say “um”. She smiled hopefully, but felt the slight warmth that had been stirring around Pinkie suddenly frost over.

“Are you really going to hold me to that?” The pink mare sounded less than happy about it.

“Well, um, you asked what I wanted that night and, um, that’s what I want. You promised, Pinkie.” Fluttershy was good at not sounding forceful with her words, it was natural for her, but her voice told of sadness on the horizon if Pinkie betrayed her promise.

“Shy, I was drunk! I barely even remember having that conversation. There’s got to be something else you want. Something money can buy.” Pinkie sat up and looked over her swollen belly at the pegasus. “Just name it and I’ll get it for you.”

“But, umm, I want a, umm, Pinkie Pie party.” With all the determination she could muster, Fluttershy reissued her desire.

Pinkamena let out an annoyed sigh and threw her front legs out before her face as she flopped backward onto the couch again. Pinkamena’s swelled gut rolled slightly after she did and it bounced back and forth for a moment prompting a giggle from the yellow pegasus despite the pink mare’s irritation. Pinkamena grumbled, “Shy, I told you. I don’t like parties anymore. Why do you want it?” Pinkamena audibly became angry with the pegasus. “Partying HURTS me! It’s something that can’t live anymore. This town, these PONIES killed it! Now you want to try and resuscitate a corpse? WHY?” The ex-party pony yelled the last words, her momentary serenity dying a flaming death to the anger building within her. She did not want to discuss partying again and regretted agreeing to Fluttershy’s wish. She hadn’t been in her right mind, or more right mind, as Pinkamena hadn’t been in her “right mind” her entire life.

Fluttershy shrank back as Pinkie’s uneasy harmony fell apart, revealing ragged teeth and animosity. The pegasus hadn’t expected such a quick change in mood from her friend and regretted pushing the earth pony. She made a sorrowful squeak and lay down on the floor, covering her face with her front legs as she began to cry.

Pinkamena grumbled and rolled to her hooves. She had given in once to Fluttershy’s tears and didn’t want to make the same mistake again. Irate energy coursed her veins and made her immune to the pegasus’ whimpers. She would just leave for a while, Golden would be happy to see her and they could plan the next shipment. She’d just have to make a call real quick and…

“It’s my fault. I’m sorry…I’ve…ruined it.” Flutters’ sobbing voice broke as she spoke the words. “I didn’t mean to, Pinkie. Please, I won’t talk about parties again.”

Pinkamena sighed and turned to look at the pegasus. Sometimes Fluttershy was more trouble than she was worth. The pink pony stood over the mare but irritably asked, “What do you mean it’s all your fault?” 

“You were ha-ha-happy for a few minutes, Pinkie. I thought that maybe you would…,” The pegasus paused to sob and uncover her tear-filled eyes, “… maybe you would want to have a party with me. I pushed you and…now you’re upset again. I ruined your happiness, Pinkie.”

Pinkamena moved the flat sheet of hair from her face and felt the anger melting from her body. Fluttershy was doing it again. She was appealing to something Pinkamena was certain had died. Flutters had re-animated that part of her on more than one occasion, to Pinkamena’s chagrin. Staying angry at the yellow mare was far too arduous a task, especially when she cried and wallowed in what, she felt, was her own shortcoming. 

With a deep sigh, Pinkamena knelt beside the pegasus and nuzzled her muzzle into the soft yellow coat of the pegasus. Laying a front leg across the mare’s shoulders, Pinkamena tried to coax Fluttershy’s sobs and sniffles away. “Shhhh. Stop, Shy, it’s all right.” The Pink Pony’s soft spot was this pegasus and she knew it. She couldn’t stand seeing Fluttershy unhappy.

“No, it’s not…you’ve done so much for me. I just want…to make you happy.” She didn’t resist the gentle strokes that Pinkie began giving her mane. She tried not to cry, but she had overplayed her idea and diminished the possibility of Pinkie finding joy again. Resting her head flat against the floor, she wiped her eyes with her hooves.

“Shy, I…what if I don’t want to be happy again?” The pink pony laid her head against the pegasus’ and their manes mixed in a display of pastel and deep pinks. Flutters wanted to make her feel better, what a joke. She wasn’t going to feel better; she hadn’t felt better. So, she had baked them some cupcakes, big deal. It wasn’t like cupcakes were her life anymore. The way she had frosted them with careful detail to the circumference of their rounded tops and made sure to cover every fragment in a smooth motion to not mar the aesthetic swirl. It’s not like that had made her smile or…oh, wait. It had. 

Pinkamena hadn’t taken notice of it, but she had smiled. She hadn’t taken great care in mixing the dough or separating it into the baking tray, but she had paid very careful attention to not let her creations burn. And the icing…she had spent a good deal of her time making sure the color was just perfect, yellow and then dotted with pink butterflies. She had been making them special, for Fluttershy. Flutters had requested them and Pinkamena’s stomach had agreed in proxy for her wandering mind, but during the creation she had been smiling.

“You would, Pinkie, if I hadn’t messed it up. I know you would have been happy again. It’s who you are. It’s who you have always been. I’m so stupid,” Fluttershy miserably spoke.

Fluttershy had seen her smiling. Part of Pinkamena wanted to yell, scream, and throw things, but another part wanted to test the baking theory. What if Fluttershy was right? Maybe she was supposed to be happy again.

"Turn that frown upside down, you silly filly. Life’s a Party!"

Where did that come from? Pinkamena lifted her head from the pegasus and stood up suddenly. It had come from the kitchen.

Fluttershy looked up at the earth pony as she gazed into the kitchen with a quizzical, but somehow frightened, expression. Flutters wiped her eyes again, curious by the abrupt action Pinkie had taken. Pinkie stepped closer to the kitchen with her head held high and her muscles twitching at her shoulders as of ready to swing her hooves at a moment’s notice. Flutters felt a chill run down her back. Had Pinkie heard something? Was one of Applejack’s goons stalking the kitchen? 

“Pinkie, what’s going on?” The mare sniffled and took a couple steps away from the entrance to the kitchen. She admired Pinkie’s bravery of investigation. She would have just hidden in the furthest corner and hoped they would pass her by, but Pinkie was looking for whatever it was. She waited a moment, but the pink pony just pushed by the one remaining saloon style door that led to the kitchen, as the other had fallen apart and been thrown away long before. “Pinkie? Is it Applejack?”

“Shh, Flutters.” Pinkamena softly spoke with slight distress, but caring in her voice. She knew she heard it. The sun had gone down for the day and the kitchen was left darkened, only lit by a single window. Pinkamena was about to flip on the light when she heard the voice again, high pitched and content, like the sounds that Fluttershy’s chipmunk and squirrel friends made, except she could understand this voice. 

“Come, Pinkie Pie! The party is just getting started! We want you to join us!”

The ex-partier stepped completely into the kitchen; the voice sounded like it was coming from all around her and nowhere in tandem. She hadn’t snorted any of her Pink Dreamz in days, so she shouldn’t be under the effect of drugs. Everypony thought she was crazy and, she admitted, she did see and hear things sometimes that didn’t fit into the normal spectrum of daily life, but this was different. For months, she had only been beckoned by the drug-induced illusions, not normal ones. It was as if the normal ones were part of another world that she could see, but with which she could not interact. 

“I’ll just wait in here, Pinkie…” Fluttershy squeaked from behind her, just on the other side of the swinging saloon style door, or what was left of it.

“Come on in, Pinkie Pie! We missed you!” The refrigerator door slowly swung open, spilling its glow across the floor in a skewed rectangular pattern that ended at Pinkamena’s hooves. Pinkie gulped and stepped slowly towards the open appliance. Whatever it was, she was going to see it.

As the flat-haired pony approached, tiny shadows jittered from the lights cascading from the refrigerator, as if something was alive inside. Pinkamena stopped just at the edge of the appliance, took a deep breath, and then jumped in front to see what was causing the commotion. 

It was the cupcakes. They smiled up at Pinkamena with candy eyes and they had grown short skinny arms and legs with which they danced with each other, much like the conga style lines she had once enjoyed. There had only been two when she put them into the machine, but now there were nearly a dozen, all adorned with tiny party hats and big icing smiles, as they threw tiny handfuls of confetti and celebrated Pinkamena coming to join them. 

The inside of the appliance had undergone a drastic change, as well. Everywhere there were streamers and balloons, punch and pie, games and events. The fridge had three racks that separated the dance floor from the game room and the snack room. On each of the levels were cupcakes throwing a party that would have made Pinkamena proud a few years ago. 	

“What? What is all this? Why?” Pinkamena watched the happy confection creatures make merry and found herself a little jealous.

One of the cupcakes, the only one whose icing was pink with two blue balloons and one yellow, waved up at her. “This is a party, you funny pony. Don’t say you’ve forgotten what a party is.” Its candy eyes didn’t move and Pinkamena got the feeling it didn’t really use them to see at all, but it tilted itself so that it looked like it was gazing back at her.

“I know what a party is. Why are you having one inside the refrigerator?” The pink mare tried, and achieved, sounding like a bitch.

“This is a special party just for you! We miss you Pinkie Pie. We know you. You are not who you are now. You want to party. It’s so much fun! Remember all the good times you had with your friends when…”  

“Shut up! I don’t have any friends! Those times are gone! Nopony wants to party anymore! They…” Pinkamena’s voice had risen to an irate crescendo, but then dropped to a low, remorseful, tone. “They just want to kill. They just want to hurt others. I can’t party with them.” The pink pony suddenly became aware that the world had grown; she was standing at eye level with the cupcake inside the decorated refrigerator. Its empty candy eyes seemed to bore into mind and pick apart its defenses.

She realized then that she was crying; the sorrow she buried deep inside of her poured out uncontrollably as if her emotions were exaggerated to the point she couldn’t just hide from them, which she knew she had been. She wanted to party, but was afraid of the outcomes. Nopony wanted parties about friendship because self-interest was far too high. Friends were liabilities for them and Pinkie had never felt that way. When her friends changed, she had taken it to heart. It had hurt her so profoundly that she had retracted from society to hide inside Sugar Cube Corner. Whatever this refrigerator world was, it made her realize that. She could admit it to herself safely here.

“I can hear your thoughts, Pinkie Pie. You are starting to understand. There are those who still cling to friendship. Not everypony has changed. You have somepony dear to you. You don’t have to fear her turning against you, do you?” The cupcake reached out with its sugary arm and hugged the mare.

Pinkamena sobbed and fell to her knees, feeling the coolness of the refrigerator as she sorted out her emotions. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she closed her eyes and wept. “Fluttershy is my best friend. She would never turn on me. She loves me and I love her.”

“Of course I love you, Pinkie. I want to stay your best friend forever.” 

Pinkamena opened her eyes; she was back in the kitchen, the lights were on and the refrigerator was normal again. A pair of cupcakes sat inside, one yellow with pink butterflies and another pink with balloons. She was certain she had not made the one with her cutie mark on it. The cool air of the fridge washed against her body, making the wetness from her tears feel icy. 

“Umm…I got worried about you. I found you just standing here. Is everything okay? Why are you um…crying? I’m sorry if I made you that upset about the…umm…you know, party. I don’t want one now, it’s okay.” Fluttershy looked ashamed for causing her friend to become so upset but, oddly, Pinkie was smiling, honestly smiling, at her. It made her happy, but confused her as well.

“We’re going to party, Flutters. Just us, I want to. For the first time in a long time I really want to.” Pinkamena wrapped the pegasus up in a giant hug and squeezed her until the pink pony realized Shy was barely able to breathe. 

The pair embraced one another and began talking about what would happen at the party. They talked and laughed for hours, and both the mares would fall asleep more easily that night with visions of cakes—real ones, not Pink Dreamz—and games dancing in their dreams.