“Pinkie Pie!” A voice called from the front of the shop. “Pinkie, dear, I think it’s time the twins went to bed now.”
Pinkie froze with her hooves over her face in yet another perpetual round of ‘Where’s Pinkie Pie?’ with the twins. In a blur of movement she had flown across the floor, and was peering into a pair of sleepy, blinking eyes and one gaping mouth, as Pound yawned hugely. “Wowza!” she exclaimed. “Who’s a sleepy little foal? You are!” She scooped the foal up in her mouth and flung him onto her back. Mrs. Cake, who had just entered the room, did the same to Pumpkin.
“Thank you for helping me get them to bed, Pinkie,” Mrs. Cake said as they laid the foals down in their matching cribs and smoothed warm blankets over their wriggly bodies. “You know how hard it is for me when Mr. Cake is away.”
“Aw, it’s no problem, Mrs. Cake!” Pinkie exclaimed quietly, so as not to wake the foals. “You know how much I love taking care of these two!” She bent over the crib to nuzzle Pound Cake gently, then moved over to do the same to Pumpkin, so she didn’t feel left out.
As they left the room, Pinkie’s mouth stretched into a large yawn. “Guess I’m getting tired too!” she laughed. “Bedtime for everyone!”
Mrs. Cake chuckled. “Good night, dear.” she said.
“G’night!” Pinkie called cheerily over her shoulder as she bounded up the stairs leading to her bedroom. She jumped extra high on the last step, so she soared over the floor and landed with an explosion of pillows on her cozy ballon bedspread, which flew up and landed on her head. She wriggled out into the light, and came face to face with a pair of contemplative purple eyes. Gummy was sitting on the headboard, staring straight ahead of him and… not blinking.
“Oh! Hi, Gummy!” Pinkie giggled. “You startled me! I didn’t see you there.” She flopped down on her comforter, settling herself in a comfortable position for a heart to heart with her pet. “I had a great day today, Gummy!” she told the alligater. “I got up really, really, really early to help Mrs. Cake bake the bread. Then I helped Mr. Cake load the wagon, and I waved to him when he went off to deliver it. Then I waved to Princess Celestia. I’m not sure if she saw, but the sun was rising, so I knew she was awake! Do you think I should have waved even if she couldn’t see me?”
Gummy sat approvingly on the headboard.
Pinkie laughed. “Good point, Gummy! If she doesn’t see it, she’s fine, but if she does, she’s even better! Well, just you wait until you hear what happens next!”
Pinkie continued to ramble on, detailing every event that had happened to her throughout the course of the day. Gummy sat patiently on the headboard. He blinked once. He listened. At last, Pinkie turned over onto her back, and caught Gummy up in her hooves, hugging him to her chest.
“I’m so glad you’re here, Gummy.” she sighed. “What better way to end the day than with the bestest pet in the whole world?”
Gummy had no words.
And after a minute, Pinkie wormed her way under the covers, and fell instantly fast asleep.
-----
Maud plodded slowly back to her dorm after a long day of analyzing rocks for her rocktorate. Even though she had risen early and worked hard on her feet for nearly every day of her life yet far, her hooves ached, and her frogs were so tender that every pebble felt like a spike. Her head slowly dipped lower… and lower… and lower…
A sharp plink! jerked her attention from from her increasing weariness. Her eyes flashed open, and she might have gasped when she saw a small, grey pebble, so like every other pebble on the road, lying at her feet.
“You’re tired too, aren’t you, Boulder,” she said quietly, scooping the pebble back in the collar of her dress where he belonged. “You’ll just have to hang on for a bit longer.”
She plodded onwards, one slow step after another. Eventually, she reached the long, low granite building that made up her dorms. She nosed open the door, and stood in the small common room, looking at the row of four doors in front of her. Each one led to a small, identically furnished bedroom. She was the only pony in the dorms, so she rotated which room she slept in each night. Tonight, she chose the second from the left. Once inside, she slipped out of her dress, laid it carefully across the wardrobe for tomorrow, settled herself on the bed, and set Boulder down on the night table.
“I had a great day today, Boulder,” she told the rock monotonously. “I got up really, really, really early, and explored that side-branch of the gorge. I even think I found a new variant of shale, but I’ll have to analyse it tomorrow to know for sure. Mr. Fossils was proud of me, I’m sure.” She paused and stared a little more intently at the grey pebble. “Am I being vain for being proud of myself too?”
Boulder sat thoughtfully on the night table. Maud blinked.
“Good point, Boulder,” she said. “I did do well, didn’t I? I can be proud of rightful work.”
Boulder sat approvingly on the night table.
“Hmm,” Maud hummed. “Well, you’ll be even more excited when you hear what happens next.”
She talked for a little longer, her voice never shifting in pitch or tone. Boulder never moved from his spot on the night table. At last, Maud, scooped Boulder up in her hoof, and, rolling over onto her back, held the pebble up to her eyes.
“I’m glad you’re here, Boulder,” she said. “What better way to end the day then with the best pet in the world?”
Boulder had no words.
And after a minute, Maud put Boulder back down on the night table, slid under the covers, and fell instantly fast asleep.