//------------------------------// // Day 6 // Story: No Heroes: Life of Pie // by PaulAsaran //------------------------------// Pinkie eyed the makeshift stage set up at the back of the Rock Bottom Inn’s dining room. It didn’t seem like much, but there was more to it than met the eyes. Still, she couldn’t help thinking there was something important missing. “Are you sure it doesn’t need fireworks?” Sunflower laughed at the query as she walked back and forth on the platform, testing it for weaknesses. “I’m sure Mr. Collate doesn’t want fireworks going off inside his establishment.” “Well, that’s just unambitious, if you ask me.” Pinkie frowned and looked down at her hooves. “But then, nopony asked me, so I guess it doesn’t count.” Her head whipped back up. “Say, what about outside? We can put the fireworks in around the inn...” A giggle-snort. “...and light them off to let everypony in Rockstead know that there’s a Pinkie Party going on!” Bouncing a couple times on one corner of the stage, Sunflower asked, “Why are you so determined to have fireworks?” “I thought every magic show was supposed to have fireworks,” she admitted. “I mean, I only ever met one magician pony before you, so maybe I’m stereotyping? I’m sorry if I’m stereotyping. But she used lots of fireworks all the time and they were actually pretty cool just don’t tell my friends back in Ponyville that ‘cause they didn’t like her much but that’s not the fireworks’ fault and I’m going on a tangent again.” She abruptly slapped a hoof over her mouth, more because she was used to that happening than any desire to stop talking. It felt weird to do it to herself. “There will be no fireworks for Sunflower’s Stupendous Soiree.” Nodding in satisfaction, Sunflower hopped off the stage and went to join Pinkie, giving her work one last look. “Did this magician you knew have a name?” “Oh, yeah, the Great and Powerful—” “Trixie!” Sunflower was abruptly grinning from ear to ear. “You know Trixie? She’s my favorite pony ever.” Pinkie’s jaw hit the floor. She promptly pulled on her tongue, which rolled up into her mouth like a curtain, making flapping noises as it went. Lifting her jaw closed, she asked, “You’re a fan of Trixie? Most ponies I know can’t stand her! Which is kinda sad when you think about it. It must be pretty crummy having everypony hate you.” “I know her reputation isn’t the best, but she’s not a bad pony at heart. She’s got a personae, a role to play.” Sunflower sighed and shook her head. “She does get a little too into the act sometimes. Come on, help me tear this down.” Pinkie perked her ears and took a closer look at the stage. “Why? Is something wrong with it? Is it two inches too left?” “It’s Thursday,” Sunflower explained, already pulling down the curtains with her magic. “The party’s not until Saturday, and it only takes an hour to set this up. I just wanted to make sure it would fit in here.” “And Petri probably wants his dining room intact until then, I gotcha.” Pinkie hopped to it (literally) and helped pull the stage apart. “Do we have to bring this all the way back to the park?” Sunflower, in the middle of pulling out the support rods for the back of the stage, shook her head. “Mr. Collate is letting us use one of the empty guest rooms as storage space.” As a team they made quick work of the stage. Pinkie wondered when Fine would be back. He’d said he wanted to let Sunflower and her have their ‘girl talk’, whatever that meant. She was a little disappointed he wasn’t around. What was he even doing out on his own anyway? They were hauling a set of wide, thin floor panels to the room upstairs when Sunflower, leading them, abruptly spoke up. “So, you and Fine. How did that happen?” Pinkie’s ears folded back. Working to move the panels through the narrow doorway gave her ample time to think on her answer, but most of that time was devoted to questioning if she even should. Would Fine mind if she talked about it? But then, Sunflower knew about the Bloodmane. Maybe it was okay if she told the story. So the real question was whether she was willing to share. The answer to that question was… maybe? Once the panel was safely leaning against the wall, Sunflower turned her worried gaze on Pinkie. “Too private?” “I don’t know.” Sitting down, Pinkie tapped the side of her head and scrunched her face up. “Oh, bother.” “You don’t have to tell me,” her companion added quickly, as if afraid she’d offended. “I was just… I’m curious about that weird stallion I met all those years ago.” She cuffed the floor and crossed her hind legs. “It’s odd, the idea of him having a marefriend.” Perhaps that would seem weird to anypony who knew Fine. Even ignoring the whole Bloodmane thing, he was such a hermit. Pinkie smiled at the thought, recalling how it used to be hard to find him even when he was out and about. Not that he could hide from her, of course. That gave her a curious idea, one she’d have to ask him about later. But for now she thought it would be best to be upfront… mostly. “I was in a bad place. You know, like a deep black hole that sucks up every thought of joy and laughter and turns it into icky stuff.” She rubbed a hoof along the scar on her chest. The faint bumps brought back phantom pains. She smiled just for the sake of not frowning. “Fine had a lot of big, scaly, nasty things to watch out for that day, and he could have gone to help anypony else, anypony at all. Instead, he dropped everything to help me. He intentionally picked me to save, even though he had goo-goo eyes for somepony else, even though she was prettier and yellow and he had no interest in me.” She sat and continued to explore her scars with her hooves, focusing on the chest and stomach. She felt a curious tingle run through her body. “I kinda sorta fell of the crush cliff after that. And when the mare he was after rejected him, I was there to pick up all the little pieces she left behind.” She eyed the scar on her chest, parting the fur to see where the skin turned red and lumpy like a miniature mountain range. These are all yours, Fine. “Wow.” Sunflower turned her head away at Pinkie’s glance. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to stare.” Giggling, Pinkie moved a little closer. “It’s okay! I’m proud of them. Wanna see?” “No.” The mare shook her head firmly, then hesitated. “But… why do you keep rubbing them?” Almost blurting out the honest answer, Pinkie caught herself. They were trying to convince Sunflower that they weren’t dangerous to be around anymore, and despite her fears about being a bad pony she wasn’t going to change that. She looked around her mind in frantic search of a plausible explanation. The mini-Pinkies in her head all shrugged and gestured encouragingly, as if expecting her to adlib it. She gave a mental huff. Some help you girls are. Catching Sunflower’s worried eye, she hurried to reply. “Let’s just say they’re reminders of what Fine’s done for me. I, uh, would rather not go into details.” “Fair enough.” Sunflower led the way out of the room, and Pinkie followed on her tail. “So you were there to help Fine when he got rejected?” There was a lilt to her words, a hinting query hiding beneath her breath. Pinkie caught on quickly. “Yeah, he never stood a chance, but didn’t figure that out until it was too late. Hay, everypony hadn’t figured it out until it was too late. But Fine and me, we talked about this. I’m not some replacement.” As they headed downstairs, Sunflower’s head turned just slightly, as if she wanted to look at Pinkie but stopped herself. “You’re sure?” In truth, the verdict had yet to come out on that one. As much as Pinkie wanted to believe it, how could she ever know for certain? But she didn’t like the way Sunflower kept probing the topic. A devilish little Pinkamena cut her off on her mental highway and pointed to the exit of Suspicion and Doubt, but she waved the rude mare away. Still, she couldn’t help but say, “Of course. Why?” Sunflower glanced around as if expecting Fine to be listening in, rubbing one foreleg with the other. “Nothing. It’s just that I’ve seen it before. A pony gets their heart broke and runs into the arms of the first available pony, only for things to end…” She turned to Pinkie, waving a hoof as if to dismiss what she’d just been saying. Pulling on a plastic grin, she hurried to add, “N-not that I’m saying that’s you and Fine, of course. I’m just trying to say you should be careful, y’know? If you say everything’s okay, then I’m sure everything’s okay.” Just who did this mare think she was, telling Pinkie her relationship with Fine was flawed? Maybe she should have taken that exit anyway. She wondered if there was a detour she could use. Maybe on the exit to the corner of Frustration and Mind-Your-Own-Business! Realizing she was scowling, Pinkie shook off the expression with a maraca-sounding shake of her head and forced a smile to her lips. “It’s okay. I get it. Romance is risky business, that’s what my friend Rarity taught me. This’ll work out, Sunflower, I’m sure of it.” And don’t even think about looking for ways to prove me wrong, sister! “Right. Of course!” Tittering, cheeks just a little pink, Sunflower turned back to the rest of the stage. “Alright, back to work! Gotta get this thing taken apart, yes ma’am.” They worked in silence for a time, Pinkie maintaining her smile even as she brooded over what Sunflower had suggested. She knew the possibility she was just a replacement for Fluttershy existed. She’d given it a lot of thought, and even spoke to Fine about it a couple times. He swore to Luna that wasn’t the situation, and she wanted to take him at his word. Still, wouldn’t anypony in his position say the same thing? No, don’t think about it, Pinkie Pie. Fine wouldn’t do that. And even if he did, what we have is… is real. Fine is all mine, we just need time. She paused, giggled, moved on. And I shouldn’t be upset at Sunflower. She’s just looking after my best interest. She’s not trying to be a Thiefy Stealermare, she’s not going to take him away from me. She doesn’t even want to. The Pinkamena from earlier sideswiped her wagon and shot her a deadpan look. She really wished that pony would mind her own business. Alright, yes, I don’t know what Sunflower’s after. Maybe she is out to steal Fine. But probably not! I shouldn’t jump to conclusions. That leads to silly things like tea parties with inanimate objects. “Pinkie?” Jolting out of her thoughts, Pinkie blurted out, “I’m not talking to Madame Le Flour again, honest!” Her cheeks went hot as Sunflower gawked at her. The magician’s ears flattened as she said, “Uh, I just wanted your help moving the last floor panel upstairs?” “Floor panel. Gotcha.” Grinning to hide her embarrassment, Pinkie hurried to the panel in question, which Sunflower had already pulled away from the skeleton of the stage. As they started up the stairs, Pinkie realized that she was at a disadvantage regarding Sunflower. That didn’t seem fair at all, so she asked, “Say, how exactly did you and Fine meet?” Sunflower’s horn sparked and she nearly dropped the panel. After taking a moment to make sure her hold was secure, she averted her gaze from Pinkie’s. “He didn’t tell you?” When Pinkie shook her head, Sunflower merely stared at the wall. After a couple seconds of this they started moving again. Pinkie wondered if it had been wrong of her to ask. But then, it had felt wrong of Sunflower to suggest Fine was just using Pinkie as a momentary comfort, so perhaps this made them even. The thought didn’t make Pinkie feel any less guilty. They entered the room and set the panel by the others. Pinkie turned to leave, only for the door to close in her face. She only just caught the faint hint of orange magic. Turning around revealed Sunflower sitting on the bed and staring at her hooves, lips pursed and a lock of mane covering one eye. “What’s wrong, Sunflower?” Biting her lip, the morose mare finally met Pinkie’s eyes. “I don’t want ponies overhearing. C-can you keep a secret?” Pinkie instantly gained a beaming smile. “Are you kidding? Nopony is better at keeping secrets than Pinkie Pie! Why, they’re so important to me that I even came up with my very own unbreakable Pinkie Promise. Everypony in Ponyville knows: you don’t break a Pinkie Promise.” She switched to her Serious Business face. “Breaking a promise is the fastest way to lose a friend forever, and I never, ever want to lose a friend.” By the time all of that was said, Pinkie was sitting on the bed by Sunflower and squeezing her with a one-legged hug. Grin bouncing right back, she declared, “So talk away, my friend! Auntie Pinkie Pie promises to keep your secret. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” She paused, hoof over her eyes, and deflated slightly. “I really miss cupcakes…” Sunflower blinked. Blinked again. She extracted herself from Pinkie’s hug and scooted away, offering her own weak smile. “Um, I’m sorry to hear that?” “Eh, don’t be, I’ll just go on a sugar diet when this is all over.” Regaining her grin, Pinkie turned to face her companion. “So, what’s this big secret that I’ve promised to never ever reveal to another soul until the day I die or you give me permission?” Rubbing her hooves together, Sunflower dropped her eyes to them once more and sighed. “When I was a filly, I was… h-homeless.” She hunched over a little as if expecting a blow, watching Pinkie out the corner of her eye. Pinkie’s ears perked. “And?” “What do you mean, ‘and?’” Sunflower threw up her hooves in apparent exasperation. “I was homeless! Most ponies I know think that’s a big deal.” “Well, I don’t.” Pinkie shrugged and flopped back onto the bed, just for the sake of bouncing back to her sitting position. “Lots of ponies are homeless. Lots of them used to be. Hay, I used to be.” Sunflower’s head shot up. “You… you were?” “Yeah! After I—” Her lips froze. That was not something she wanted to confess to anypony but Fine. Hunching down in a copy of Sunflower’s earlier pose, she tapped her hooves sheepishly. “I m-mean, yeah, after my family died. I sorta just wandered Equestria for a couple years. I was seven when it started.” She regained her smile as other, better memories surfaced. “Then I met the Cakes and they took me in. But I get how hard it is, ‘cause Pinkie Pie’s been there.” Sunflower frowned and turned to stare at the wall. “Didn’t anypony treat you differently? Aren’t you ashamed of it?” “Why be ashamed?” Pinkie set a hoof to her shoulder. “If anything, it shows how tough you are. You were a little solitary Sunflower in the great big world garden, but you beat those odds. You’re one tough mare.” She tapped her chin as she thought back to the time before Ponyville. Not pleasant memories by any stretch of the imagination. “I suppose ponies did treat me a little differently. Many of them weren’t very nice. But that’s all behind us now.” “I suppose.” The frown didn’t leave Sunflower, but she did lose some of the tension she’d been building up since the topic had begun. After a moment’s silence, she brushed the lock of mane from her face and turned back to Pinkie. “We’re off topic, aren’t we? You asked how I met Fine.” “Oh, that’s right! So how did you meet him?” Sitting back, Sunflower settled herself down as if preparing for a long story. Pinkie decided to do the same, pressing her back to the bed’s headboard like she’d sometimes seen Lyra Heartstrings do on benches. It sure didn't seem all that comfortable, but maybe if she waited for a bit that would change. “When I was just a filly and still homeless, I lived in this park in New Clusterdam, just across the bay from Manehattan. I’d begun selling flowers and doing my magic tricks to survive.” Pinkie perked up as she glanced at Sunflower’s flank. “Oh, is that when you got your cutie mark? Is this a cutie mark story?” Giggling, Sunflower shook her head. “Oh, no, that wouldn’t be for another year. Anyway, I was doing that to get by, but not long before I got caught stealing food from this mean old zebra. He…” Slowly, as if a weight were being carefully set upon her, her shoulders and head slumped. “He beat me. Regularly. Threatened to kill me if I didn’t pay him back for what I stole. And after I did, he beat me some more and told me to keep making money for him. I was just a kid, I couldn’t fight him. So I took my beatings and worked extra hard to give him bits just so that I wouldn’t get beat again, though sometimes he did it anyway.” Pinkie’s ears drooped. She got up to give Sunflower a hug. “That sounds just horrible.” Not responding to the embrace, Sunflower muttered, “I kept reminding myself that it was better than going back to the orphanage. And in a way, it was. But I was still miserable. I got to thinking that was just my lot in life, to be a homeless bucking bag for whatever cruel jerk came along next.” “But you got out of it.” Pinkie settled at her side and kept one hoof wrapped around Sunflower’s shoulders. “I mean, you’re here, and you don’t look all beat up.” “Yeah.” And here Sunflower at last smiled, though it was layered in sadness. “Fine got me out. I…” Down went the smile again, this time replaced with a haunted stare at the floor. “I found one of his, um, victims. Still fresh.” “Oh…” Pinkie didn’t have to imagine what that would be like. She shuddered before tentatively asking, “How fresh?” “Pretty sure I interrupted him in the act.” Sunflower closed her eyes, cheeks having gone pale. “His knife was still in the body.” “Oh, wow.” Another cold tremble ran through Pinkie’s body, this time going all the way to her hooftips. “The full experience. You’ve got my sympathies, sister, it’s never nice to see.” Only after a moment of introspection did she notice Sunflower staring at her as if she’d just pulled a knife out of her mane. It dawned on her that the mare probably hadn’t fully grasped that Pinkie and Fine were two peas in the same bloody pod. Brushing her curly mane back, she offered a feeble chuckle and looked away. “Y-yeah, I may have seen some things.” Sunflower shifted as if she intended to move away, but stopped herself and, with a slow exhale, settled back into her spot next to Pinkie. “I’ll just accept that and move on.” She licked her lips and closed her eyes for a moment. “Alright, so… I took his knife from the body.” Pinkie gasped. “Whoawhoawhoa! Black knife? About this long, made from something odd?” Sunflower gave a nonplussed nod. “Ooooh, boy. I bet he didn’t take that well. That knife’s his most prized of prized prizes that he ever prized.” With a sound somewhere between a whine and a laugh, Sunflower nodded. “I figured as much. Fine stalked me for the next two weeks. I mean, I didn’t know it at the time, I found out after. Which is kinda creepy. Anyway, one night he just appeared out of nowhere, beat up that mean old jerk of a zebra, and took his knife back.” The specific timetable caught Pinkie’s attention. Ears folding back, she hesitantly asked, “Two weeks? He, um, did he kill the zebra?” Cocking her head slightly, Sunflower said, “No? I mean, he beat him pretty bad, but I’m pretty sure the guy lived. I didn’t see him again after that, but he was planning on leaving town that night anyway, and I lived somewhere else after.” So no way of knowing. Perhaps Fine had let the zebra go. But… two weeks. She knew full well that his Visions had run on a two week schedule just like hers. If asked about it, would he reveal something Sunflower didn’t know? Shaking her head, she decided this was a line of questioning her current companion didn’t need to hear. “So Fine took his knife back. And then?” At this, Sunflower’s smile came back. A sincere one, bright and cheery. “It was the only time he spoke to me. There was a young couple in town that wanted me to live with them. He talked me into giving it a try. Now I look at them as my parents.” She folded her forelegs to her chest and wriggled a little, eyes closed to accommodate her warm grin. “They became my family. And it never would have happened if he hadn’t stalked me for two weeks to get his knife back.” “Aww, that’s so sweet.” Pinkie gave her a tight hug that made the mare gasp. After a moment’s hesitation, Sunflower returned the embrace. The anxiousness within that reciprocation was patiently ignored. Once they separated, Pinkie asked, “So was that the last you heard of Fine? Did he go ‘poof’ like he normally does with a handsome grin and a wink?” It would be just like him to end things there. “Actually… no.” Twiddling with her hooves, Sunflower closed her eyes as if to review an old memory. “I remember one more thing. I was just a filly, and he’d left a big impression on me despite only showing up once. My parents thought I had an imaginary friend I called the Shadow Pony. I would try talking to him while lying in bed, hoping he’d show up again. To this day, I couldn’t tell you if he was listening or not. “But then, about a week later, I was working on my writing so I could be accepted to a local school. As part of the practice, and being the silly foal I was, I wrote a question for my ‘Shadow Pony’. Nothing much, just a question if he was still watching. Then I… we had supper.” Pinkie leaned in close, knowing where this was going but still eager to know how right she was. It sounded so perfectly Fine Crime that there was no way she’d be wrong, and the thought put little warm fuzzies in her heart. Sunflower’s smile grew as she continued. “When I came back from supper, somepony had written an answer to my question. He’d been watching me, making sure I would be okay. His answer…” a tear ran a slow path down her cheek. “He was saying goodbye. It was the last time I heard from him.” Sitting back, Pinkie tried to imagine the scene. A little Sunflower finding Fine’s words mysteriously scribbled onto her learning board, her window opened and the curtains fluttering in the breeze. She couldn’t help but smile, just like the mare before her was. The two of them lapsed into a long silence, Pinkie wondering about how something like that might impact a filly. She wondered if Fine might come through her window someday. The idea left a tingly feeling in a place proper fillies didn’t talk about. As if hearing an unspoken query, Sunflower spoke up. “It’s funny, y’know? I only met him once. He only directly interacted with me twice. Looking back on those two weeks, I realize some things that had happened. Sometimes I’d be on a street corner trying to sell my flowers. I’d turn around, and when I turned back I’d find my little tin can had magically earned a dozen more bits. Or there’d be a to-go box full of hot, yummy food. Just… out of nowhere. I was always so confused, and even a little scared. It was him. It had always been. I can’t prove it, but… I just know. “One meeting.” She looked Pinkie in the eye, a calm pleasantness settled upon her. “One meeting with him turned my life around. I know he murdered ponies. I know he lead a very dark life. Even back then, I knew that. But any pony who would go out of his way to help a little homeless filly, whom he had no reason to care for, whom he’d only ever seen from the shadows… To do what he did for me? That had to be a kind, good soul.” She toyed with the bedspread, eyes watering once more. “I’ve lived my whole life hoping that, should I ever meet him again, he’d be proud of the mare I’ve become.” Pausing, ears folding back, she glanced at Pinkie. “Do… Do you think I did okay?” No thought was necessary, and Pinkie promptly applied another tight hug to her friend’s midsection, making Sunflower emit a cute squeak with the pressure. “Of course you did! Don’t you doubt that for even a minute. In fact, you should ask him.” “Oh, no!” Pulling away, Sunflower frantically shook her head. “I couldn’t. I… I can’t! He might… I mean, what if he…?” “Sunflower Sweet!” Hooves on hips, Pinkie shot her most commanding stare. “Fine Crime is the pony who put you on the road to a better life. You need to tell him what that means to you. I guarantee you, it will mean a lot to him. In fact—” she pointed at the mare, whose eyes crossed trying to stare at the appendage less than an inch from her muzzle “—when he comes back you are going to have a talk with him about it. No excuses, no buts, and no cherrychangas!” Pushing the hoof away from her face, Sunflower asked, “Cherrychangas?” Pinkie shrugged. “What? I’m hungry.” She smiled at the mare’s bubbling laughter. “Seriously, you two need to talk. Fine will be back any minute now, so why don’t you go have lunch together? I’ll let you have him for the day.” “But what about you?” Sunflower stifled the last of her chuckles before meeting Pinkie’s gaze. “Isn’t this vacation all about you?” “It’s about the both of us,” Pinkie corrected primly. “It’s as much for him as it is for me, though he’d probably argue with me because he’s a silly pony. And I get Fine all to myself lots of times. I don’t mind letting you have him for a little while.” Twiddling with her forehooves again, Sunflower seemed to be looking for an excuse to refuse the offer. Eventually, though, she smiled and nodded. “Alright, then. If you’re sure?” “I am. Ah!” Pinkie’s ears perked as a thought occurred to her. She raised her hoof and took on a manner of mock aggression. “But I’m obligated to warn you not to try anything, because he’s mine.” She paused to look at her hoof, frowning. “Did I do that right? I’m not really sure how the whole ‘overprotective marefriend’ thing works. Am I supposed to shout and throw things, or is that just a ‘jealous wife’ thing?” Giggling, Sunflower waved her hooves in a playful mockery of denial. “Okay, okay. I won’t touch your stud.” “See that you don’t.” Crossing her arms and tapping the side of her head, Pinkie frowned. “I really need to learn how to get into these roles. What if I do the wrong one?” “I think they’ll come naturally, Pinkie.” Hopping off the bed, Sunflower stretched her hind legs and moved for the door, opening it with her magic. “We better get back to work. I’m sure Mr. Collate wants his dining room back in order before the lunch rush.” She paused in the doorway as Pinkie began to climb off the bed. “And… thanks. I haven’t been able to tell that story to anypony. It felt good to—” She paused, licked her lips, raised her leg... and left. Pinkie watched her go, her thoughts drifting to a young Fine Crime. He’d never told her that story. Which was such a shame, because it was a good one. A revealing one. She knew Fine was a good stallion, but to know that he’d done so much for a filly like Sunflower Sweet with just one meeting? It opened her eyes to a whole new, pleasant side of Fine, a side that had existed even in the worst years of his life. He was better than she’d ever known. A fresh warmth grew in her chest as she imagined it. Fine Crime, wretched and homeless, but still going out of his way to rescue a foal he otherwise could have left to her own misery. Now more than ever, she wanted him to be hers. That was the kind of stallion worth fighting for. She rubbed at the scar on her chest and remembered the dress under her bed. “Soon,” she whispered. Maybe at the party? Maybe. Fine looked between the two mares, one grinning wider than any pony other than Pinkie Pie should and the other tracing little circles in the floor with the tip of her hoof. “You want me to do what now?” “Spend time with Sunflower, of course!” Pinkie nudged her companion closer to Fine. Sunflower wouldn’t meet his gaze as she mumbled some indecipherable something. “I told her she can have you for the rest of the day. You two haven’t had a chance to catch up or anything.” Sunflower finally managed to get her voice above a whisper. “Y-you don’t have to.” “Yes, he does!” Pinkie made the pronouncement with far more pleasure than Fine felt was warranted. “Pinkamena Diane Pie demands it be so.” Catching Sunflower’s anxious eye for but a split second, he smiled too late. “I don’t mind, I guess. But…” He looked to Pinkie expectantly. “What about you? Are we not here for your sake?” Pinkie poked Sunflower’s side with an elbow and theater-whispered, “Told you he’d say that.” Then, to Fine and in her normal tone of voice, “I’ll be fine for one afternoon. I’ve got plenty of brand new friends here in Rockstead. Plus I need to meet any of the new friends I didn’t the last few times! I can do that plenty better on my own. No offense, Fine, but you’re draggin’ down my friendship game.” She stuck her tongue at him, waggling it playfully. “Hey, if you’re not careful I’ll catch it.” He swiped at her with a grin, and she promptly sucked her tongue back in with a slurp. “Drat! I’ll have it for my collection, little filly, if it’s the last thing I do!” She opened her mouth to retort, but then her eyes went wide and her cheeks gained a few extra shades of pink. Stepping back from him, she gained a smile he could only define as ‘dopey’ and waved a hoof at Sunflower. “W-well, I’ll leave you two to it. I, uh, have lots of friends to meet. And greet. And, um… yeah, gotta go!” She disappeared back upstairs in a blur. Sunflower watched her go with eyebrows so high they were hidden under her mane. “What was that all about?” “With Pinkie, you never know.” Chuckling, Fine turned and gestured to the front door with a flourish of his hoof. “Shall we?” “I… guess?” She took two steps to the door, paused, glanced back at the stairs. “If she’s going to meet friends, why’d she go back upstairs?” Fine set a hoof to her withers and gently guided her out. “Sunflower, when it comes to matters of Pinkie, you learn to stop questioning it. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was already on the other side of town.” “But she—” “Don’t question it.” “But—” “Nope.” “If I could just—” Pinkie’s head popped out the corner of an alley on the other side of the street. “Don’t question it!” She was gone again before either of them could blink, which Sunflower certainly did. Several times. At last she turned to a smugly smiling Fine Crime. “And she’s always doing things like this?” He nodded and started walking down the street. “Always. Twilight Sparkle herself tried to figure out how she does it and failed miserably. You learn that it’s better to leave it alone. Some things mere mortal ponies were not meant to grasp.” She nodded slowly. “Riiiight.” She looked around the street before refocusing her attention on him. “So where are we going?” “That… is a good question.” He paused in the middle of the road, glancing around with no idea what he was looking for. “Lunch? Is there someplace you like to go?” They shared nonplussed looks, but then Sunflower’s ears perked. “You know what? Yeah, there is someplace I’d like to go. Come on.” She started off at a trot. Seeing no reason to argue, Fine followed. He faced a dilemma. Or maybe it was a sense of guilt? He was in Rockstead for Pinkie’s sake, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that not spending every day here with her was counterproductive to their intended goal. Yet he also understood that Pinkie was right: he would like to catch up with Sunflower. And yet again that produced a whole new problem, as he’d promised himself long ago that he would never get involved with Sunflower’s life. He wasn’t supposed to be interacting with her. He wasn’t a Bloodmane anymore though. Did that mean his promise no longer mattered? “You’re being awfully quiet.” Shaking his head to clear it of stray thoughts, Fine moved to catch up with Sunflower, though he let her maintain the slightest lead at his side. “Sorry, I don’t mean to give you the cold shoulder or anything. I’m just…” She glanced at him out the corner of her eye. “Anxious?” “Yeah.” She led him down a side street full of townsponies going about their business, which at this hour undoubtedly meant lunch. Fine felt a momentary twitch of agitation at there being so many ponies around, but he squashed the urge to head for a shadowy spot to keep hidden. He’d grown a lot better at that in the last year. Pinkie, Twilight, Nye, and Fluttershy had all helped in that regard. Still, he couldn’t resist looking out over the crowd in search of the best places to start hiding. Sunflower watched him, her ears folding flat against her head as his tail lashed. “Are you alright?” “I’ll be okay,” he answer, a little more terse than he intended. “I’m still getting used to crowds.” “Oh.” Her head sank a little. “Should I have taken another route?” His head swiveled to the other side of the street as he catalogued small details and potential escape routes. “I have to learn to get used to it. It’s nothing you should fret over.” He grimaced at his own tone, only to realize how his face must look just then. Fighting to return it to some semblance of neutrality, he looked to Sunflower. “Sorry.” “Don’t be.” Paying no mind to the grumbling ponies walking around them, she stopped to look around the street. “This way.” Fine followed her into a nearby passage between two restaurants, where traffic dropped considerably. “Better?” she asked, not pausing to look back. With a long exhale, he nodded. “Much.” He waited for her to ask the obvious questions, answers on the tip of his tongue. Yet the queries never came. Sunflower led him into a separate street, a quieter one, but said not a word. He couldn’t help wondering why not. Was she not interested? He watched her attentively for some time, taking in the details of her motions. There was a hurry to her manner, her steps just a little faster than necessary, and her tail twitched as if she were trying to keep it from lashing. Her ears remained folded down, and every now and then she’d glance back as if aware of his eyes on her. Anxious then. Should he be anxious as well? True, this was his first real chance to talk to her alone in nearly two decades. The last time he’d seen her, she was but a little filly crying for fear of being sent back to an orphanage. He smiled at the memory, recalling that moment when her new parents whispered warm reassurances that they would never make her go back. Where were those two, anyway? He’d made it a point not to learn about Sunflower and her family, but seeing the young mare she’d become, curiosity was beginning to eat at him. But only curiosity. Their anxiety only went one way, it seemed. He contented himself with merely following her lead, not wanting to goad her into talking until she wanted to. He had a feeling Pinkie might have pushed her into this before she was ready. To his mild surprise, she ended up bringing him back to the park and that stage where he’d first bumped into her. Her wagon sat behind the platform, nestled under the shade of some pine trees. Its roof had already accumulated quite a few green needles and pinecones. What where they doing here? She walked up the small ramp at the back of the wagon, which was designed to fold up when in motion. Pausing with a hoof on the door, she pursed her lips and glanced back at him. Her cheeks gained a few extra shades of pink as she mumbled to herself, tail lashing a little harder than before. After a few seconds of this, she sighed, shook her head, and pulled the door open. “Please, come on in. Um, don’t mind the mess. Or, uh, lack of space. I don’t get a lot of visitors.” Cocking his head, Fine glanced back at the park, though he wasn’t sure what he was looking for. Then he poked his head inside the wagon after her. She wasn’t kidding about it being cramped. The front of the wagon – the back wall from his perspective – was made up entirely of shelves and drawers that appeared to consist of nothing save supplies for her magic acts. Wands, a couple top hats, assorted ribbons and bows, a deck of cards, a rapier in a display case, the list went on, all of it packed tightly together in a manner to save the maximum amount of space. A hammock was tied to the left wall, and he quickly noted the hook on the right that would hold it properly when Sunflower was to use it at night. A basin was built into one wall beneath a tiny mirror, around which a smattering of cheap beauty and hygiene products could be found. Next to it sat a small counter with a gas stove, clearly custom made from what may or may not have been spare parts, and beside that was a cabinet undoubtedly for holding foodstuffs. The rest of the wagon was full of assorted knickknacks and mementos from all over Equestria, ranging from Las Pegasus posters to a tiny replica of the Statue of Harmony. There was just enough space left over for a pony to walk through the wagon and, with a little flexible maneuvering, turn around. Sunflower busied herself with getting a pair of pillows out, presumably one being for him. She fussed over their threadbare state, grabbing a green-and-white quilt decorated with hummingbirds to cover them both. Then she looked between him and the stove a few times before groaning. “I should have let you come in first.” Smiling for her, he stepped back out. “It’s not a problem. Come to the door?” Her ears folded back yet again, but she tentatively did as asked. “I know it’s not much to look at, b-but…” He waved a silencing hoof, hoping that his expression soothed. “That’s not what I’m saying. I just need a little extra room to do…” A flash of his horn and a bit of smoke later, he was behind and facing her from within the wagon. “This.” Her head whipped around, somehow managing not to smack into a model of Cloudsdale’s cloudisseum hanging from the ceiling. “Wha— whoa! Where’d you learn to do that?” “Self-taught, if you’ll believe it.” He took extreme care stepped backwards to the pillow she’d laid out for him, wary of accidentally stepping on or bumping into anything. “Took me a couple years to figure it out. May I?” “May you… Oh, yes, go ahead!” She tittered, face flushed, and reared back enough to let her turn and face him again. She had to fold her legs tight against her chest to make the maneuver work, but she did it with the ease of long practice. “I know it’s not fancy eating, but I was gonna make us some sandwiches.” Her eyes went wide and she flopped to her haunches. “I m-mean if that’s okay. If you’d rather go to a restaurant or a café o-or anything, I’m good with that too. Do you even like sandwiches? I bet you don’t like sandwiches. Oh, this was a bad idea, wasn’t it?” The poor thing sounded like Twilight Sparkle before a quiz. Settling down on his pillow and trying to appear as nonthreatening as he could manage, he said, “Sandwiches sound nice. You make them often?” Sunflower went from nearly melting into the wooden floor to sitting up tall with a beaming smile. “Of course I do! A travelling mare like myself has to rely on the simple stuff.” Another blush made the rounds through her cheeks as she ran a hoof through her mane and averted her eyes. “Simple is alright, right?” “Sunflower.” Fine waited until she met his gaze again, which took nearly a minute of mumbling and lip-chewing. He maintained his patient smile the entire time. “Please, don’t think you have to impress me. Just do what you want. I promise, there’s nothing you can do that might offend me.” “It’s not… hold on.” She stood, caught her lashing tail in her magic, and promptly sat on top of it. “There. I swear, someday it’s gonna destroy my collection.” Her smile was stretched a little to wide, but only for a moment. Deflating a little, she scuffed the floor. Quietly, she said, “I wanted to leave the best impression.” He leaned forward a little. “You don’t need to.” “Do, too.” She sat up once more and gestured to their surroundings. “Look at this. Look at all of it.” He did, letting his eyes wander. They bounced from a Canterlot snow globe to a Hallow Shades black oak wood carving of Princess Luna, then to a poster of a show on Bridleway. “It looks like you’ve been around.” He barely managed to keep from frowning as a new thought came to mind: what if she’d been searching for him all this time? “I have. All over Equestria.” She picked up a small doll from a nearby shelf, which was dressed in a traditional buffalo ceremonial cloak. “North, South, East, West. It hasn’t been the most glamorous life. I’m not rich or famous, but I am comfortable, and I love what I do. It’s a good life, at least by my standards.” His worries faded the more he listened. This didn’t sound like a mare desperately searching for some idol figure, much to his relief. “It’s good to know you’ve done so well for yourself.” She beamed at him and set the doll aside. “I have, and that never would have happened if you hadn’t appeared that night. Without that intervention?” She shuddered. “I’d have probably been found floating in the bay before I hit ten.” “I don’t know about that,” he said. “You were a tenacious kid. You might have done alright.” Her lips fell into a dark scowl. “As if that zebra would have let me live that night. You know as well as I do how bad he was.” In truth, he probably knew better than she did. Not that he’d say that to the pony who’d been on the receiving end of Baba Groot’s brutality. A nod would suffice. “So, that being said…” She rested her hoof on the stove and bowed her head a little. “I really want this to go well. I owe my entire existence to you. I wanted you to see that I’ve been living my life as well as I can, and if there’s any way I can return the favor tenfold, I’ll do it. That’s why I brought you here, but now that you’re in my home?” She sighed and removed her hoof from the stove. “Sandwiches seems like such a paltry way to say ‘thank you.’” “Paltry?” He shook his head with a light chuckle. “I don’t believe that for a second.” She cocked a dubious eyebrow. “Really? I mean, we’re talking about sandwiches.” “Clearly you’ve never eaten a sandwich made by a dragon.” Her other eyebrow shot up, prompting him to add, “A baby dragon, that is.” “Uh-huh. You lead an exciting life, don’t you?” “Exciting?” He rubbed his chin as he considered the thought. “I suppose I do. I should probably cut back on that. Not as young and spry as I used to be.” She chuckled, which made him smile, and then she looked to the stove again. “My food’s not exactly a gourmet experience, but if you’re really okay with it…?” “That would be—” He started to perform a flamboyant bow, but had to stop when his hoof whacked a stack of books on a shelf. Scrambling to keep it from falling with his magic, he offered her a sheepish grin. “Ahem. Yes, I’d love to enjoy your cooking. Thank you, Sunflower.” Giggling, she turned to open her cabinet, using her magic to pull out ingredients. “Alright then, I’ll try my best!” She set to work with gusto, humming to herself as bits of lettuce, tomato, and other assorted things flew through the air in a small storm around her head. She lit the stove with a match before setting to work on cutting the cheese. “Anything you absolutely don’t want on yours?” “Pickles.” He shuddered at the thought of the little monstrosities on his tongue. “It’s like they were crafted by Discord personally for the express purpose of being disgusting.” Laughing, Sunflower set aside a jar of the nasty things. “I guess even heroes are permitted to have bad taste.” “My taste is just fine,” he declared with faux haughtiness, muzzle raised high and arms crossed. “It’s the rest of the world that’s insane.” “I’ll take your word for it.” He watched her work on the sandwiches, her motions quick and precise. Clearly, this was a staple meal for her. Before too long she’d pulled out a pan just large enough for her to cook two of them at a time and set it atop the fire. She kept on humming in the silence, becoming completely engrossed in her efforts. Her work included a number of additions, spices and herbs and even a couple slices of apple being thrown in the mix, all of it set between two layers of a white cheese. “I don’t get to cook for ponies very often.” She spoke quietly, as if more to herself than to him. “That’s not to say I don’t have friends out there, but I’m more likely to be the one invited to lunch than the one doing the inviting. It’s… nice, having a guest every now and then.” Her manner was reflective, but not sad. When the quiet lingered for long enough to make clear she wasn’t going to say more, Fine asked, “And what do your parents think of this wandering lifestyle you’ve taken up?” She shrugged, not taking her eyes from the sizzling culinary creations before her. “They’re supportive. On the condition I come home to visit every three months or so, that is. Mom worries, and Dad worries about her worrying. Letters aren’t enough. Still, they told me long ago: if this was the life I wanted to lead, I should pursue it with all my energy. I haven’t regretted it.” Fine smiled, feeling vindicated in having left her with that young couple he’d bumped into a few times in New Clusterdam. He settled back and scanned the wagon once more, if only for the sake of passing the time. The lull in conversation was filled with the crackle and pop of buttered bread in the pan as Sunflower deftly flipped the sandwiches. Fine had to admit, it was nice to know that she’d come so far. One element of his past he no longer had to look back on and wonder about. “So. You and Pinkie. Is it serious?” Pulling his gaze from the small zebra mask leaning against a similarly sized crystal obelisk, he felt the first hints of a blush creep into his cheeks. “Um… yes?” She perked an ear his way, but otherwise didn’t stop watching the sandwiches. “That didn’t sound very confident.” With a low groan, he set a fetlock over his muzzle to hide her from his sight. “I know it didn’t. This isn’t exactly my area of expertise.” “‘Area of expertise?’ Nobody should be an expert at dating, Fine. If they were, I’d have to question their motives.” “So I misspoke.” Lowering his hoof back to the floor, he grumbled, “I’ve zero experience. Better?” “Much.” She shot him a brief smirk before pulling out some stone plates with her magic. “Don’t worry, soldier. She’s head over hooves.” “You don’t say.” Her smile faded. As she passed a plate to him, which he took in his magic, she said, “I thought that would cheer you up. Don’t you like Pinkie?” “I certainly feel something for her.” He stared at his sandwich, the cheese oozing out the sides over a delectable-looking mix of vegetables and spices. “Sometimes I want to grab her and tell her she’ll never want for anything again, that I’ll protect her from the nightmares forever.” When she added nothing to that, he glanced up. Sunflower was watching him with concern and uncertainty in her eyes. After a moment’s hesitation, she asked, “Then what’s the problem?” He shrugged. “I’m not sure that there is a problem. It’s just that… well, the one and only time I opened up to a mare, I ended up possessed by a demon and hating myself. No, that’s not an exaggeration.” Picking up his sandwich, he took a big bite. It was every bit as tasty as it looked. He chewed slowly, savoring the flavors before swallowing. “Very good.” Ignoring the compliment, sandwich hovering just before her lips, Sunflower finally managed to blurt out, “You got possessed by a demon?” Closing his eyes only invited the memory of Pinkie’s pleading, pain-filled face, so he opened them and stared at his meal some more. “I turned Pinkie into a kabob. I… I tortured her. I’ve had many harrowing experiences in my life, but I don’t think any will stick with me quite like that one. And it wasn’t even the first time. Sometimes I think I should keep away from her for her safety, but she keeps pulling me back in, and I keep letting her.” Sunflower continued to stare. She took a slow bite of her sandwich, not taking her wide eyes off him the entire time she chewed. After finally swallowing, she asked, “I thought you said you weren’t doing that kind of thing anymore?” Her fretful tone broke through his melancholy enough to bring a light chuckle out of his throat. “They were extremely unusual circumstances. If you ever meet a thestral, ask him about it. I’m sure the story has spread across all the tribes by now.” “I swear to Celestia, every word you utter makes me wonder more and more about how much you’ve seen. I think it’s time I stopped questioning it.” She shook her head, devoured some more of her sandwich, then asked, “Were you in control of your actions, and does she blame you?” “You’re not going to get any easy or straightforward answers to these questions.” He managed a lopsided smile for her. “There’s nothing about our relationship that could be called ‘simple’. To sum up the situation, I know she likes me, and I definitely have come to like her. I just don’t know if I… deserve her.” Bowing his head, he muttered, “I’ve made a lot of mistakes. I’m not sure if being with me is good for her.” Another of those long, unpleasant silences passed between them. Fine didn’t let his lack of an appetite stop him from eating. The motions provided at least some distraction from his dark thoughts. And besides, even in his current miasma, Sunflower made a good sandwich. At last, she spoke up. “I don’t know all the details, but I’m pretty sure Pinkie thinks you’re worthy.” She offered him a smile, and he had to admit it made him feel a little better. “You should tell her how you feel. The good parts and the bad. I’m sure she’ll hear you out. It’ll probably go a lot better than you think.” He returned the expression, though his melancholy hadn’t quite lifted. By now he was sure Pinkie would hold nothing against him. In a way, her approval wasn’t what he really needed. This whole affair demanded his approval too, and that meant he had to believe the risk to her life was worth it. He’d already butchered the poor mare twice. Luna preserve him if there came a third time. But Sunflower didn’t need to hear all that. She’d find more ways to spin his situation in a positive direction. Her intention was appreciated, but her methods would achieve nothing in the overall scheme of things. No… better to let her think she was helping and end this line of discussion. Everypony would… potentially be happier this way. “Thanks, Sunflower. I think I needed to hear that.” Sunflower raised an eyebrow, then shook her head in apparent disdain. “You just tried to brush me off.” Fine felt his jaw drop as the gears in his head came to a crunching halt. “W-what?” She shrugged, setting her empty plate aside. “It’s totally the ‘stallion’ thing to do, so I don’t blame you for the attempt, but you’re not getting me off topic that easily.” Was he really that obvious? How? “That’s not… I mean, it wasn’t my intention to—” “The good news,” she declared primly, mowing right over his attempts at a denial, “is that I now know just how serious you are about this. Face it, Fine, you need help, and seeing as I owe you big time I’m more than willing to be that help.” What did she mean, it was the ‘stallion’ thing to do? And why was she so hung up on making sure Pinkie and he got together? “Sunflower, I don’t think—” “No.” She pointed a hoof at him, expression deadpan. “You don’t.” He closed his mouth, slowly and deliberately. Trying to come up with some kind of counter to her was proving a challenge. Did he want her help? Was there any reason not to get it? Yes, her name’s Pinkie, and you may end up killing her next time. He shook off that voice in his head and rubbed his mane back with a groan. “I’m not sure you can help. I’m supposed to be spending most of my time with Pinkie.” “You let me worry about that.” Sunflower crossed her arms and continued to study him like a teacher observing a misbehaving student. “We’ve got today, and I’ve got you cornered. We’re not leaving this wagon until I’ve done all I can to help you out.” It took a significant amount of willpower not to teleport out of the wagon just to prove a point. Instead, he asked, “Do you really expect me to believe that this is a problem that can be resolved just by talking about it?” To which she instantly fired back, “Do you really believe it’s not?” They exchanged hard looks. That lasted for all of five seconds before Fine chuckled and eased back on his pillow. “You haven’t lost any of that tenacity, I see.” “Ponies tell me it’s one of my best traits.” Sunflower rubbed a hoof against her chest and examined it in a bored manner. “Or one of my most frustrating. Depends on the pony.” Then she grinned and leaned closer. “So are you gonna keep arguing with me, or am I gonna have to show you my rope trick?” “I might want to see the ‘rope trick’ anyway,” he replied, but then raised his hooves in defeat. “Seriously, I don’t think there’s anything you can do. But Pinkie did tell me I should spend all day with you, and if this is what you want to do with the time, I suppose I’ll suffer through it.” He maintained a lopsided smile to let her know the disdain was exaggerated. “Don’t act too excited, now.” She stuck her tongue out at him, and the two shared a giggle. “Okay, now that I’ve got you properly complacent—” “Properly complacent?” “—let’s start with you relating to me all the biggest moments in your relationship.” Doubts returning in the form of moths in the stomach, he asked, “All the moments? There’s some pretty ugly stuff.” She flinched and fidgeted. “You, uh, don’t have to tell me anything you’re uncomfortable with.” He reached up to tap the knife that wasn’t hanging from his chest. Its absence did nothing to quell the moth storm. “No, no, it’s okay. I just don’t know how, uh, detailed you want me to get.” “As detailed as you’re willing to. Just…” She hesitated, but managed to meet his eye. “Go easy on the torture bits?” Her wavering confidence did little for his faith in this endeavor. Yet as his thoughts drifted to Pinkie, he wondered if it might be worth it. He did need the help, and while Sunflower was unlikely to really do that for him, he’d take what he could get. At the very least, opening up about his worries to somepony might ease his nerves surrounding the matter. For Pinkie, he would at least try. Sitting up tall once more, he caught Sunflower’s eye with a quick gesture. “Alright, basics first. How much do you know about Bloodmanes?”