//------------------------------// // Crazy Town // Story: Fuzzies // by Palm Palette //------------------------------// Sadly, Rainbow Dash did not appear to be home. Twilight yelled as loud as she could from a hot air balloon, but since neither she nor Spike could fly or walk on clouds, there wasn't anything they could do when they got no answer. They had to give up and go back to town. Sugarcube Corner was full of sweet delectables and the air was heavy with the scent of cinnamon, honey, vanilla, ginger, and lemon. Some ponies lingered over a late lunch, nibbling away on baskets of empty wrappers and muffins, slurping scum from the bottom of emptied glasses, or leaning back, pouring over the last few pages of the newspaper with plates full of crumbs. A rustling of wind shook the trees outside and shadows of leaves danced over tables and chairs. Mrs. Cake was managing the counter, wiping the display glass with a damp rag. Twilight strolled in, stopping to take a breath of the sweet, sweet air. “Hi, Mrs. Cake. Is Pinkie around?” Her rag squeaked as she brought it to a stop. She had a deep frown, and stared at the lavender unicorn with the baby dragon clinging to her back. Twilight's grin faded, staring into those morose eyes. “She's in her room.” Mrs. Cake pointed up the stairs. “The poor dear's been beside herself since last night.” “Ah. Thanks.” Trotting off, Twilight scurried out of sight. Spike had to cling tight as she bounded up the stairs, lest he tumble off. Beyond the bustle of the shop, the second floor was quiet save for muffled mumbling. On the left, was a barren space with an empty crib. Pinkie's room was on the opposite side, firmly shut. She knocked on the door. “...” was the response, too faint to make out. “Pinkie, it's us, Twilight and Spike.” The door creaked open, revealing a dim room shrouded in darkness. The windows were shuttered, curtains drawn, and blankets were piled in heaps on the floor with the bed stripped down to the mattress. Pinkie had dark circles under her eyes and her mane was more droopy than poofy. “Oh, hi,” she said, in a flat, hollow voice. “Pinkie, what's wrong?” Spike asked. “Wrong? Nothing's wrong!” She chuckled oddly, scrunching up her face and darting over to an empty bucket. She pushed it towards a pile of rocks. “Hiya, Sir Bucket said to his best friend Rocky in a tin-laden voice, Want to play with Madame Flour?” “No! Rocky screamed, deeply and gruffly.” Pinkie pushed the rock away. “Madame Flour is actually holding potatoes! She is not a real flour sack. I am a snooty rock pile and I cannot stand things that are different. I will not associate with the likes of her.” Pinkie's ears drooped and she leaned down to poke the rocks. “Aw, why not? She could use a friend right now.” “Uh, Pinkie.” Twilight glanced around the room. She cringed. “You're weirding me out here.” Pinkie returned to the bucket. “Madame Flour is still the finest sack I have ever seen. What difference does the inside make when she looks the same on the outside regardless?” Poking a flower plot with a single daisy, Pinkie said, “I, Potty the Plant, shall be entirely unreasonable, saying that Sir Bucket is a bucket head who should go bucket himself, she said, acting high and snooty.” She pointed back at the rocks. “Here here, said Rocky, Potty is now my new favorite whom I shall love and cherish until I decide not to later on for no reason whatsoever.” “Pinkie, this is all just stuff.” Twilight picked the things up with her magic and swept them aside, leaving a large empty spot on the floor. “let's leave crazy town alone for a while, and tell me what's really bothering you, okay?” Grinning widely, she stared Pinkie in the eyes, who blinked blankly. Spike hopped off and stepped over to wave a hand in front of Pinkie's face. “Pinkie?” Moaning, she hung her pink pony head. “Nopony listens to me and Fluttershy doesn't want to see me anymore.” Twilight's eyes widened and her wide grin vanished. At this rate, that knot in her gut was going to become an ulcer. What was up with her friends wanting to see Fluttershy? Of course a fuzzy wouldn't want to be seen by anypony. Nopony should want to see them, either. “Well, we're definitely here to listen,” Spike said. “Uh, yeah. Celestia's orders and all. But, why did you want to see Fluttershy?” Twilight asked. “She's really really upset, and it's not my fault! Everypony is being really mean for no good reason and I don't understand and she won't listen and they're all sour and nopony's happy and they didn't like it when I said it's silly they said it's not funny but I wasn't joking and—” “Wait. Slow down a minute.” Twilight put her hoof on Pinkie's mouth. “What do you mean it's not your fault?” “She had this really neat striped tail like a tiger. It was really smooth and soft and I wanted everypony to see how great it was, but they all yelled and shouted and threw things, and I have no idea why. I tried to talk to her, but she told me to—” Pinkie sniffled. “—to go away and not bother her anymore.” Twilight recoiled, taking a huge step backwards. Touching a fuzzy went far beyond seeing one. She had a horrible, sinking feeling that something was seriously wrong with Pinkie Pie. “Uh, Pinkie, those ponies had every right to be upset. She's a fuzzy. How can you not get that?” Frowning, Pinkie scraped a hoof on the floor. “Me? Everypony else was wrong! They were angry for no reason. They were making themselves upset. And when they're upset, they can't be happy. I just wanted them all to be happy.” Slinking back, Twilight glanced down the hall and stepped halfway out the door. Her heart raced as her mind tried to block out what she was hearing. “Pinkie, you're not making any sense.” “Sure she is,” Spike said. “If you don't get upset in the first place, then you won't be unhappy. It sounds like perfectly good reasoning to me.” “Exactly! And seeing a fuzzy is nothing to get upset about.” Pinkie's ears perked up. She seemed to regain some of her lost pep. “Spike, don't listen to her!” Twilight wailed, magically snatching his tail and dragging him back. Water welled up in Pinkie's eyes and she visibly deflated, drooping back to the ground. “Pinkie, I—” Twilight choked. With wide eyes, she turned and bolted, galloping down the stairs. “Twilight, you were supposed to listen!” Spike groaned and rubbed his spines. “Oh! Spike!” Pinkie dove under her bed and pushed out the things Twilight had swept under there earlier. “Do you want to stay for a while and play? I'm sure Madame Flour would like some company.” He blinked. None of those things looked like a bag of potatoes. “Where is Madame Flour? I don't see her.” Pinkie shrugged. “Oh her? She jumped out the window ages ago.” Cringing, Spike stepped back to the door and slowly shut it behind him. “I'd love to stay, really, but I, uh, I need to catch up with Twilight. If I don't keep an eye on her, she could do something crazy!”