//------------------------------// // Back Home // Story: The Perfect Baker // by Harmonator //------------------------------// A month had gone by since Limestone Pies' disappearance, and the investigators were beginning to give up hope in ever finding the lost filly. It had been the most extensive search for a lost filly in a long time, and it seemed as though the investigators were getting ready to call it quits. Cloudy Quartz had remained in the same emotional state ever since her eldest daughter went missing, she would usually be seen standing alone by herself not saying a word. Any other time she would be trying her best to get Ponyville's new bakery up and running, but ever since Limestone ran away she had lost all will to do so. This isn't what she wanted. All she wanted was to raise her two daughters in a safe little village, a place far away from the rock farm, far away from all of the emotional troubles that plagued their minds. Cloudy Quartz always figured that she was doing what was best for her two daughters, but maybe she was wrong. Maybe they should have just stayed there and she could've worked things out with her husband. Maybe this was all just one big mistake. Maybe... Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard footsteps from behind her. It was her youngest daughter, Pinkie Pie, who had come in to check on her mother. Cloudy Quartz was staring out the window, had been staring out the window for quite some time now. Pinkie walked slowly towards her mother somewhat hesitating at first. "Mom?" Cloudy Quartz quickly wiped away the tears that still resided in her eye sockets, and turned around to face her daughter. "Hey there sweetie. What can I do for you honey?" Cloudy Quartz said, trying to sound as natural as possible. "Mom, I don't like it when you are sad, because when you are sad, it makes me sad." Cloudy Quartz didn't exactly know what to say to this. So she just turned back around and continued staring out the window. "I will grieve for as long as my heart tells me to, Pinkamena." She finally said after several seconds of thought. Pinkie Pie took in her mother's statement and then slowly walked out of the room. Pinkie Pie had noticed this strange change of character that had come over her mother, and she didn't like it. Pinkie thought that once the horrendous deed was done to remove her sister, everything would go back to the way it was, but she could be farther from the truth. Mother seemed more subdued, less energetic, and more emotional than she had been before. Pinkie didn't think Limestone's death would affect her this badly. Maybe removing Limestone was a mistake. Maybe Pinkie Pie should have tried harder to make amends with her sister. Maybe... "Stop it!" Pinkie thought to herself, "It had to be done! Don't forget what mother said. Never forget what mother said." Pinkie Pie's head pondered on these things as she found herself heading towards her room to lie down. When Pinkie entered her room, she found herself just standing there in the middle of it, unsure of what to do. Pinkie Pie wished that she could just take a break. Take a break from all of the negative aspects of life for just one little moment. That's it! She could play one of her imaginary games. It had been a while since Pinkie had gotten a chance to play pretend, what with all of the excitement recently. She could set up her little tea party and invite her father and sister just like she always did. Except she knew that it would never be the same after what she did to Limestone. But even though Pinkie thought that she had gotten rid of Limestone for the time being, she still had this little feeling of doubt in the back of her mind. This little nagging feeling that Limestone still carried some sort of presence. "Well? Are you proud of yourself, Stinkie Pie?" Now Pinkie could feel it. The little piece of doubt that had been nagging at her was gone now. And it seemed to had been replaced with a new feeling. A feeling that seemed to consume not only her mind but her every being. And that was fear. Pinkie Pie jerked her head up and began to dart her eyes all around the room, desperate to find the owner of the voice that tormented her so. Even though that deep inside herself, Pinkie knew who owned that voice. "W-Who's there?" Pinkie asked with hesitation. "I think you already know who this is." "What do you want with me?" Pinkie was now beginning to curl up on the floor out of a feeling of being vulnerable. "I wanted to pay a little visit. Just to see how the family was getting along. You know? After you killed me." Pinkie Pie felt herself tense up, and she began to focus her stare towards to floor trying her best not to look up, because she knew that if she did, she would see her big sister there standing over her. Pinkie knew that no matter what she did, Limestone would come back. She would always be there. Always there to mock, to tease, to ridicule, to make her feel like she had no worth. "I guess it turns out that what you did to me wasn't the greatest idea after all. Mom's in a state of crisis, and you don't look like you're that far off." Pinkie was now covering her ears, but it was useless because she could still hear her sister as clear as a bell. She knew that there was nothing she could do to escape from the voice. The voice that seemed to have this power over Pinkie that no other being could possess. "Don't you see what you've done Stinkie Pie? You've ruined this family. Ever since you came into this world, you've been tearing the family apart. Your father wants nothing to do with you. Your big sister is gone because of you. And your mother! How she must hate you after what you did to me. You got rid of the only child of hers that had any chance of actually becoming a baker. You took that away from her, Stinkie Pie! You think you can fit the bill and take my place?! I think not." Pinkie Pie began to shake lying there on her bedroom floor, while she desperately clamped her hooves against her ears just hoping in vain that the voice would go away. But it never would go away now. Ever. And Pinkie knew that now. "The only thing that could fix this broken family was if I came back. So, why don't you let me take care of things..." Pinkie Pie suddenly stopped shaking, she began to lie still, and then she closed her eyes. And then a miracle happened. Limestone came back home. She was where she belonged. Not buried deep under the cold dark earth, but alive. And she decided that she was going to go see her mother. Cloudy Quartz was downstairs in the kitchen cooking. She had finally stopped staring out the window and decided that she had to get supper ready for Pinkamena and herself. She knew that she would have to eventually pull herself out of this depressed state she was in. She had to think of something else besides Limestone. But she couldn't help it. Cloudy Quartz had hoped that Limestone had run away to the rock farm, but when she had sent a letter to Igneous Rock asking if he had seen Limestone and had informed him about her disappearance, he wrote back stating that she hadn't been to the rock farm. Cloudy Quartz was slow to have hope that Limestone would come back because Limestone never thought of the bakery as home. So why would she come back? It was hopeless. Cloudy Quartz continued her cooking when she heard a voice from behind her. "Hello, Mom. I'm home." Cloudy Quartz turned around to see where the voice was coming from. "I'm back Mom, I came home. I thought that my home was back at the rock farm, but then I realized that the bakery is my home." Cloudy Quartz stood there in the kitchen very confused and a little frightened. "Everything's alright now, Mom. I'm where I belong, and I'm with you. You don't need to be sad anymore, because now I'm here. And I will do my best to become a perfect baker..." "Pinkamena?" Cloudy Quartz finally managed to say. Pinkamena Diane Pie stood there in the kitchen staring at her mother with a crazed expression on her face. Her coat and mane for some obscene reason seemed more faded than it already was. Her dark pink mane, which usually seemed to be brushed to one side, was very stringy and hung in her face. Cloudy Quartz approached her youngest daughter very cautiously as if this was a stranger who had walked into her home. "Pinkamena, what's wrong? Are you feeling alright?" "Pinkamena? Mom, it's me, Limestone! I've come home to you." "Pinkamena Diane Pie, you better stop this nonsense right now before I get upset!" Cloudy Quartz said as she began to feel rising irritation at seeing her youngest daughter acting so foolish. Pinkamena then began to slowly walk towards her mother in desperation, while Cloudy Quartz was trying to back away from her. "What's wrong Mom? I'm here now. I ran away but I've come back to you. Don't you recognize you're eldest daughter?" "That's about enough!" Cloudy Quartz shouted, as she finally ceased backing away from her. "Mom, please! Tell me what's wrong! Don't you understand? It's me, Limestone! Limestone Pie!" "Stop it!" Cloudy Quartz shouted as she smacked Pinkamena across the face with her hoof, which caused her youngest daughter to fall to the floor. Cloudy Quartz took several heavy breaths before noticing that her daughter had stopped moving. Cloudy Quartz then felt rising panic as she began to realize what she had just done. "Pinkamena?" Cloudy Quartz then rushed over to her daughter and shook her as she tried in vain to get her to respond. "Pinkamena! Answer me! Please wake up! I'm so sorry baby! I didn't mean it! Please speak to me!" Cloudy Quartz did all that she could to revive her youngest daughter, but it was all to no avail. She just sat there on the kitchen floor holding her youngest daughter and weeping.