//------------------------------// // Condition // Story: No Hugs for Sugar Crush // by FerociousCreation //------------------------------// “I never thought I’d see the day where she would come back into your home,” Nebula’s picture said as Saradiamond and Sugar walked toward the doorway. Mineral and Pinkie Pie followed in suit, both moving much slower than the mares before them. “Can you hear me?” Nebula asked Mineral with concern. Pinkie Pie faced the image without any discomfort that the image was speaking. Without words, Pinkie nodded at Nebula and turned to Mineral. “Please don’t say anything to them,” Mineral begged at a whisper. “'Say' what?” Pinkie smiled. “I hear nothing.” Sugar glanced back at Mineral and Pinkie Pie, looking very curious. Sugar turned around and whispered something in Saradiamond’s ear. Suddenly, Saradiamond started laughing. “Oh no! I wouldn’t even think that!” The thestral aimed another stare behind her, aimed at Pinkie Pie. “I got my eyes on you. No funny questions to my Mini.” “But what if it’s a joke?” Pinkie Pie countered. Mineral couldn’t help but get infected with laughter. “Sugar, are you jealous with me talking to Pinkie Pie?” Two fluffy ears fell down. “I mean… I’m trying not to.” Mineral broke off from Pinkie and opened the door for Sugar and Saradiamond. “Well let me reassure you that if I ever did anything to break your heart…” He gestured toward Saradiamond, “...you will be certain that she will be on my tail; maybe even take it.” “Don’t forget her sister,” Saradiamond added. Despite the insurance favoring Sugar, she was somehow unconvinced. Something else needed to be said; whatever that might be. “Are you really that worried?” Mineral asked. Sugar stepped into the doorway, facing both her friends. “I’m just so strung up on having my friendships ruined by the big and small things.” Her lips curled downward as she peered into Mineral’s eyes. “Even our eventual talk scares me. We’ve never had an argument. Well, aside from last night.” The whites in Sugar’s eyes started to redden. “I was- I was so scared that I was going to lose everything last night!” Being the closest to Sugar, Saradiamond stepped forward and embraced the emotional thestral. Mineral came in second and held Sugar the best way he could. He had to control his discomfort by being touched by Saradiamond. It wasn’t because he hated her contact. She just kept moving, tickling his sensitive rib cage. “Don’t cry, Sugar Crystal,” Mineral hummed. “Nothing will go away.” “But why can’t I stop worrying about you two?” Sugar asked, her entire figure shaking. “That has an obvious answer,” Saradiamond answered. Mineral knew she was implying about them both. “But doesn’t the fact that Mineral and I are standing here bring you some relief?” “It’s nice to see you two get along,” Sugar said. “But what about when I leave? What will you two talk abou-” Sugar was suddenly clammed up. A spontaneous, yet gentle pair of lips carefully rested on Sugar’s mouth. Saradiamond let go of her friend without protest, allowing Sugar to be drowned by another kiss from Mineral. The two lovers parted their lips with a light smack. “Do I have your attention?” Mineral smiled. His grin made Sugar beam. “M-Maybe,” she muttered as she swayed a little. Mineral let loose a few chuckles. “Now I know if you are ever upset, a kiss will be your remedy.” Sugar let out a dramatic sigh. “Oh Mini! I’m so worried about work! Will you please relieve me of my stress?” The thestral rolled her eyes, “I’m not that helpless.” “But look at you now. Red in the face, at full attention, and eager for more of my affection.” Sugar’s swaying gradually increased, “And I like your attention. Nothing wrong with that.” “Then how about instead of worrying all day, think about all the attention I will give you when our date comes around.” “Hmm… I think I can manage that.” Sugar stood on the tips of her hooves, she pecked Mineral on the forehead. As Sugar and Mineral gazed at one another, Saradiamond giggled on the sideline. “You two are the cutest!” Mineral used what Saradiamond said as ammunition to further calm Sugar down. “Did you hear that? Sounds like Saradiamond doesn’t mind us being together.” “Mmhmm.” Sugar slowly removed herself from the amethyst pony. She held onto his hoof but continued to move backward. “I think it’s time for me to go to work. Thank you for breakfast, Mini. It was, hehe, the sweetest surprise I’ve ever had.” “That was such a terrible pun!” Nebula grunted from down the hall. “And thank you for your everything,” Mineral said, ignoring his talking picture. Speaking to it would only force Sugar to worry about yet another thing: his sanity. “See you after work, Mini.” “I will, Sugar Crystal.” Sugar looked beside Mineral as Saradiamond remained quiet and happy. “Bye, Saradiamond.” “Goodbye,” Saradiamond said. In a grand spectacle, Sugar fanned out her wings, forcing a gust of air to chill Mineral’s neck. “And Pinkie Pie?” Mineral didn’t even see Pinkie Pie move. She just materialized beside Saradiamond in an instant, startling both crystal ponies. “Yes?” Pinkie asked, poking her head around the corner. “Take care.” Tragically, Sugar let go of Mineral’s hoof and slowly flew into the morning air. She hovered over the home for just a few more moments, then left out of sight. A sigh of relief and worry left Saradiamond. “It’s now becoming more apparent how our feud has and is torturing our friend.” “It is,” Mineral muttered. Despite Saradiamond’s start to a potentially upsetting conversation, he smiled. “However, the secret weapon is to distract her with sweet, happy thoughts.” “Or you could just kiss her,” Saradiamond smirked. “That too.” Mineral assumed that everypony would be smiling. But that quickly changed when he noticed Pinkie Pie had a very flat expression. “Is something the matter?” Pinkie did not waste any time sharing her thoughts. “There are so many things you both can do to distract Sugar from what is happening. And don’t get me wrong, I think happy distractions are good for those hard times.” Pinkie Pie shook her head as if to wake from a terrible dream. “I really don’t want to talk about serious stuff after such a fruitful, happy, and peaceful breakfast. But the reality is is that this friendship problem rests heavily on you two.” Saradiamond furrowed her brows, “This isn’t all our fault! Some of it rests on-” The sapphire mare stopped mid-thought and her ears fell down along with whatever she was going to mention. “On who?” Mineral asked. A horrible grunt hummed in Saradiamond’s throat. “I don’t want to be upset with Sugar, but I- I can’t just stay quiet about it.” She gave Mineral a very familiar hostile stare. “Don’t either of you dare tell Sugar I am upset with her.” The anger did not phase Mineral; rather the gesture was more annoying. However, Saradiamond’s attitude toward Sugar peaked Mineral's and Pinkie Pie’s interest. “I understand,” the stallion said. “I don’t want you more upset with me that you already are.” “Likewise.” To progress the talk, Pinkie pressed forward. “What’s got you upset about Sugar?” It took a moment for the fear to settle upon Saradiamond’s blue face. “Her constant worrying! Not only does it torment me to see her so upset about Mineral and I, but Sugar also doesn’t want to learn the truth! She is so threatened by the chance that her opinion about me will change the moment she hears about what I did to you, Mineral!” “I don’t blame your worry,” Mineral nodded. “I wonder how she would react if she knew the horrible comments you called at me.” Before the crystal pony’s blood could begin to simmer, he sighed through his nostrils. “I think you should be concerned as well,” Saradiamond continued. “How do you think Sugar will react if she knew how bitterly you treated your friends when you were consumed with your urge to work?” The reminder of the situation suck its blade deep into Mineral’s vulnerable heart. “I’d rather not think about it. I spent too much time last night thinking about the idea during our confrontation.” “Well, you better keep thinking about it!” Saradiamond warned with a stomp of a hoof. “If you love our Sugar, we need to be able to keep her from the fear she thinks will happen.” Just the possibility of Sugar leaving Mineral made him clench his teeth.“Do you believe Sugar will just leave us without any consideration of the friendship she made with us?” “If you want my honest opinion, no.” “‘No?’” Pinkie echoed. “No,” Saradiamond repeated. The crystal pony walked outside, the sunlight glittering on her body. “I had a lot to think about last night, and I am sure you both did as well.” Saradiamond looked at her hoof and clenched it. “If there is one present issue I have to this day, it’s my anger. I have a strong feeling that it is what’s influencing this entire issue.” Saradiamond threw her arm to the ground, disgusted with it. “And despite my friendship with Sugar, I know my anger frightens her… My anger frightens a lot of ponies...” An angry voice only known to Pinkie Pie and Mineral tore through the morning air. “Your anger does much more than frighten!” Nebula cried. Mineral’s eyes widened, his personal thoughts voiced by the image on the wall. Pinkie Pie quickly snapped her attention at the picture that had Nebula bunched in between her friends. The image continued its rant, fueled with hysterical emotion. “You know what you did to Mineral! You know what you did! How you took time out of your day to come to this very home and scream and yell at him about how everything was his fault! Mineral begged, Saradiamond! He begged for you to stop! He said he was sorry until he threw himself to the ground! But NO! You just continued to belligerently banter Mineral-” Nebula pounded on the border between image and reality. “-OVER! And OVER! And OVER!” Every strike shook the picture frame violently. “Are you afraid of your anger erupting into Sugar's face?! Is that what’s got you so worried?! Because you SHOULD!” Hot breaths seeped through Nebula’s teeth. But with each breath, her breathing became slower and calmer. On the other hoof, Mineral was in absolute shock and panic. Pinkie Pie was hit hard by the thestral’s personal rant at Saradiamond. The only pony unaware of Mineral’s true thoughts was the pony Nebula was screaming about. Nebula voiced Mineral’s personal thoughts aloud to Pinkie Pie, “Please don’t think he’s a bad pony despite his insanity.” “You’re being awfully quiet,” Saradiamond said. “Just… letting my thoughts fly,” Mineral said nervously. The calm Nebula called to Mineral, “I just thought up of something! Tell this to… her : Why was Sugar willing to be your friend even though you warned her about being a workaholic, but now she’s not willing to hear the truth?” “You’re right!” Mineral exclaimed. “About what?” Saradiamond asked. “Uhh- A thing that happened between me and Sugar!” Mineral had to fight the urge to look back at his coaching picture. “When Sugar asked to be my friend, I said that she wouldn’t want to be friends with a workaholic like myself. However, from the bottom of her heart, she wanted to create a unique bond between us.” “Interesting,” Saradiamond sang, tapping a hoof on her chin. “You know, even though Sugar knew about my anger toward you, she was still willing to be my friend.” Mineral quickly paced toward Saradiamond. “And if that happened!” Saradiamond’s eyes widened with hope. “We can try to convince her that she’s worrying for nothing!” In unison, both crystal ponies cried aloud, “You’re a genius!” Mineral and Saradiamond looked at each other, suddenly perplexed at what was happening between them. “How are we getting along?” Saradiamond asked. “Because you care about Sugar,” Pinkie Pie answered for Mineral. In the doorway, Pinkie Pie leaned against the frame with a cheeky grin. “And don’t mind me. I’m just listening. You know, doing friendship observation stuff.” The brief interruption didn’t break the moment both crystal ponies were having. “Saradiamond?” “Yes?” “I’m-” The harsh memories of Saradiamond’s scoldings resurfaced. However, Mineral held his hoofing and emotions in check. He just needed to say it again. “I am truly sorry about Nebula. Deeply, painfully sorry. I regret my poor decisions as a friend to her. It may have been out of my hooves, but I know I played a part in Nebula no longer being with us. Mineral grabbed Saradiamond’s hoof out of desperation. He just wanted to hear the words that would ease some of the pain. “Please! For the sake of our lost and current friend, please, forgive me!” The mare eyed the hoof in her grasp as if it was made of glass. “After everything I’ve done to you, you still want me to say it.” “I want you to mean it, Saradiamond,” Mineral said, his voice low and true. “I want to move on from my negative past, not drown in it. Do you want to continue to be plagued by Nebula’s absence and think about how badly I messed up?” A shadow fell over Saradiamond’s face. “I will never forget my beloved friend. Ever.” “I never said you need to forget about her,” Mineral reassured. “I still have pictures about her and us. I want to remember the good past.” The hold around Mineral’s hoof tightened, and it quickly started to hurt the stallion. “Tell that ‘remember the good past’ quote to Steadfast,” Saradiamond growled. “You tell me that you didn’t want to let go of me, yet you pushed Steadfast aside without hesitation.” “But he-” “No ‘buts’ with me, Mineral!” Saradiamond let go of Mineral’s hoof and let it fall alone. “There’s another reason why I have held onto this grudge of mine.” The mare looked up to the sky and said, “I need to get going, so I’ll make it quick.” When Saradiamond gave her eyes back to Mineral, her frown was not what Mineral was expecting. “I get furious whenever Steadfast starts talking about ‘the good past’ and raves about how good of a friend you were.” Saradiamond shook her head, “And after I gave you the first scolding about Nebula’s death, what did Steadfast do? He came to your aid, but you pushed him away.” Mineral attempted to defend himself, but Saradiamond gave him no quarter. “Don’t you dare give me your pathetic excuse of, ‘he was disappointed in me and that made me angry.’ I don’t give a buck about how disappointed Steadfast was with you. Frankly, he had all the reason to be disappointed.” Saradiamond pointed a hoof at Mineral’s barrel. “It was you who didn’t show up to the Crystal Fayre Jousting Tournament! You had all the time in the world to prepare, but all your promises were empty and fell flat. You didn’t just break Nebula’s heart. You didn’t just break my heart. You! Broke! His!” Saradiamond’s lower eyelid twitched. “So if you want my forgiveness, I think you owe a pony who has never wavered their value in you yours.” Finished with her own rant, the mare let out a sigh. “That is my condition.” Mineral did nothing to deny any claims made against him. In fact, he was glad he heard it from the pony’s mouth. Mineral did want to solve the friendship problem to ease Sugar’s mind. And he needed Pinkie Pie to hear everything before giving her professional opinion. “Anyways, I have practice to get to,” Saradiamond said. She looked past Mineral and at Pinkie Pie who resumed her observation at the doorway. “Will you be attending?” “I will,” Pinkie Pie said. “And tell Steadfast I said good morning.” Saradiamond’s ears fell down. “Do you think he will still be angry after last night?” “You said that even though Steadfast was disappointed in Mineral, he never wanted to stop being Mineral’s friend.” Pinkie Pie’s smile was very relieving to the crystal pony. “You’ll be fine.” “I hope so.” To bid farewell, Saradiamond nodded at Mineral. “Goodbye. And remember my condition.” Saradiamond turned tail and began to leave the yard but quickly stopped. “Also! I think it might interest you that there is a location at the stadium’s Hall of Fame you need to visit. Nebula looks nice in gold.” Mineral blinked and imagined the old friend encased in a golden veil. “I will. Goodbye.” “Goodbye. And thank you for the breakfast. It was nice of you to treat me.” The stallion licked his lips. Some of the flavors from the meal caked them. “You’re welcome.” Finally, Saradiamond chose to leave both the conversation and property of Mineral Water. Mineral watched her walk down the street until she was out of view. No longer wanting to stand by himself, Mineral walked to Pinkie Pie who just watched him approach. “So what can you make of all of this?” he asked. “Has your opinion of me wavered?” Pinkie took in a very deep breath and held it in for a few seconds. The anticipation was not something Mineral wanted to wait for. He just wanted her thoughts, not her usual exaggerations. A heavy sigh left Pinkie Pie, her thoughts quickly following. “This is a lot to take in!” Pinkie extended an arm as far as she could. “The picture just keeps getting bigger and BIGGER! Everything is starting to make sense, but more questions pop up.” “And what about your thoughts about me?” That was the more important question to Mineral. Not only was the truth about Steadfast was said, but his imagination of Nebula was also somehow heard by Pinkie Pie. She was no unicorn. Unless there was a horn under all that curly mane Pinkie had. “I think you are the NICEST PONY EVER!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. She grabbed Mineral’s hoof and pulled him inside the house with a powerful yank. “H-hey, easy!” he protested. Pinkie closed the door with a hind leg. Soon after, the picture came to life once more. “I’m glad you think that way about Mineral,” Nebula smiled. “Why thank you!” Pinkie Pie beamed. “He really does care about Sugar, you know?” Mineral was not willing to have Nebula and Pinkie Pie have a casual conversation without his input. “Okay, okay, Pinkie Pie! How can you see her?” he asked, pointing at the photo. “I call it a Pinkie Sense. I have these quirks that allow me to predict and see certain things.” The crystal pony hummed with curiosity. “Kind of like a fortune-teller and a pony who can see the paranormal. Fascinating!” “Yeeeaaaaahhhhhh… Like that.” Pinkie whispered aloud to the photo, easily being heard by Mineral, “What’s a ‘paranormal?’” “Paranormal is something that can is beyond scientific reasoning,” Nebula said. “And some ponies claim to see supernatural things, like ghosts,” Nebula said. Pinkie Pie let out a sigh, “It would be nice to say ‘hi’ to Nebula and have her help this friendship problem.” “I’d rather have Nebula rest,” Mineral said in quick protest. “This is a problem I created and is something I am willing to fix.” The picture was in disagreement with Mineral. “You say that, but then you have me. I am far from resting.” “Are you a ghost?” Pinkie Pie asked. “No.” Nebula frowned at Mineral, “But I am the past that haunts him.” “That much is certain,” Pinkie nodded. “And a very frustrated one from what I heard you say.” She too curled her lips downward like Nebula. “You miss Nebula a lot, don’t you, Mineral?” “I do,” Mineral admitted. “But I have been slowly moving on, thanks to Sugar. Talking about Nebula from time to time helps me progress away from my usual depressing fits.” “Speaking of fits, I can understand why you behaved the way you did last night,” Pinkie Pie pressed. “Saradiamond really did leave a bad impression on you.” “But I let that frustration inside me take control, which is why I apologized.” Mineral snorted a heavy sigh, “It just made me feel empowered to see her look how I felt. The raw memory of what I’ve done makes me sick. I became what I hated: a bully.” “At least you recognized that,” Pinkie said with a soft smile. “Then how can you help my angry thoughts?” Mineral asked, pointing a hoof at Nebula. “You heard what she said.” The instant the memories started to flood back to him, Mineral frowned and Nebula scowled. “Her words broke me. Saradiamond told me that I didn’t deserve friends because I am somewhat responsible for Nebula’s departure.” Mineral avoided using the word death like the plague. Mentioning it would easily upset himself even more. “And I believed Saradiamond. She convinced me that I deserved to suffer alone without anypony at my side.” Nebula did not still her forked tongue or nasty thoughts. “And Saradiamond has yet to apologize for what she did to Mineral! All Mineral wanted was the apology he so wishes to have! If he and she don’t become friends, so be it! It is clarity Mineral wants!” “Mineral, I need you to ease your mind,” Pinkie hummed at the frowning crystal pony. “Don’t let the negativity take control. You let it happen once and you saw what it did last night. Imagine if it happened a second time.” “Trust me,” Mineral started, “I want to remove these thoughts. The past is just hard to shake off. It’s what made me the way I am now.” “But you need to try even harder to not think about them.” Pinkie Pie walked down the hallway and looked toward the living room. “Time and time again, I’ve seen ponies who let the bad past swallow them, warping what good ponies they were supposed to be.” Pinkie spun around and gave Mineral a strong stare. “Princess Luna, Trixie, Starlight. Those are a few I can list off who let their negativity control them.” “Woah, wait a minute!” Mineral exclaimed. “You mean Starlight Glimmer? As in the pony who aided Spike, the Great and Glorious in healing the broken crystal heart?” “Yes, her,” Pinkie Pie nodded. “She once thought that cutie marks brought others pain.” Mineral and Nebula glanced at their own images that defined who they were. “Why would she think that?” Mineral asked. “Because of Sunburst.” “That Sunburst?!” Nebula exclaimed. “But… how? Why? What did he do?” “Back when Starlight and Sunburst were foals, Sunburst got his cutie mark before Starlight. When it happened, his parents shipped him off to Canterlot to go to school there; without Sunburst saying goodbye to her.” Pinkie Pie bounced forward, her mood switching like a lightbulb, giving Mineral or Nebula no permission to be saddened by the story. “But with the power of friendship, Starlight is a new pony who made amends with an old friend while saving the Crystal Empire at the same time!” Without being abrasive, Pinkie placed a hoof on Mineral’s shoulder. “Now I want to ask you something crazy from Mrs. Crazy herself.” Nebula grinned, “Mr. Crazy is listening.” Before Mineral had the chance to argue, Pinkie asked the crazy question, “Are you willing to give Saradiamond a second chance?” Nebula leered at Saradiamond who sat beside her. “Saradiamond gave Mineral no respite when she repedietally blamed him for Nebula’s death! You’re asking for a miracle, Pinkie Pie!” “I disagree,” Pinkie sang. The mare pointed back at the kitchen, “Remember the moments Mineral and Saradiamond had when we had breakfast? Or when they were talking about that story those meanies were being meanies to you? Were those miracles?” Nebula eyed Saradiamond up and down without a scowl. “I mean, I guess you can technically call them miracles.” Pinkie Pie approached Mineral, the pony who was real and solid. “Do you think it would be a miracle for you and Saradiamond to become friends?” “Of course it would,” Mineral said. “But I know it would make both Sugar and Steadfast happy.” “But will it make you happy?” Pinkie asked firmly. “Do you want your friend, Saradiamond, back? Do you want those happy times in the present?” “Yes!” Mineral answered, desperate for the entire issue to completely wash over him. Mineral said it himself earlier, he couldn’t get rid of the pictures that had Steadfast and Saradiamond in them because of what he once had. “Then make that miracle happen, Mineral,” Pinkie Pie suggested, her smile soft and kind. “Take that first step and forgive Steadfast, okay?” “I… agree with your sentiment,” Nebula said. “Maybe it is time for Saradiamond and Mineral to move forward with each other.” Mineral couldn’t agree more. Maybe the nightmares can finally end... “Pinkie Pie?” Mineral asked. “Yeeeeeeeeeeeees?” Mineral carefully moved his arm and claimed Pinkie’s hoof. “Thank you.” “Aww! Somepony needs a huuuuuuuuuuug!” Pinkie sang. The instant she stepped forward, Mineral attempted to retreat. “N-no thanks! H-how about something else!” Pinkie Pie rose an eyebrow, “You don’t like hugs?” “Not really…” “What?!” Pinkie exclaimed. “Why not?! And how do you expect to have a healthy relationship with friends if you don’t like hugs?” “He’s ticklish,” Nebula answered with a smirk. Mineral was not happy to know his thoughts were more vulnerable than he considered before. “Yeah, thanks for telling her that…” “Don’t worry, Mineral,” Pinkie Pie smiled, “your simple factoid is safe with us!” Before Pinkie could make another advancement, Mineral said, “But I am willing to give you something instead of you giving me a hug as a means of thanks. Just don’t expect me to throw products at you.” “Oh? And what will that be?” *** If Rarity was able to afford to sleep in, she would take extra time to get as much beauty sleep as possible. The mare was awake but continued to lay on her back, enjoying the luxurious guest bed and its soft embrace. A sleeping mask rested on Rarity’s face, leaving her to only guess what time it was. She could hear Spike still sleeping soundly, so she figured it was early morning hours. Rarity continued to fuss internally about being unable to discuss with Mineral about his Crystal Coat. After the previous and emotional day, Rarity wanted to treat herself. “RARITY!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she kicked the door in. Rarity shrieked along with Spike. She tried to remove her sleeping mask but was suddenly bounded into the air. Because of her blindness, Rarity could not see Pinkie Pie bouncing on the bed. “OHMYGOSHIDONTHAVEMUCHTIMESOHERE’STHETHINGIPROMICEDIFYOUWONTHEIFRARITYDIDN’TLOOKATHER REFLECTIONIBUYHERABOTTLEOFCRYSTALSOAP, BYE!” As fast as she came, Pinkie Pie left with a hard close of the door. Rarity tore her sleeping mask from her face, nearly ripping the bands from their threads. “What in the world, Pinkie Pie!?” Rarity cried. She adjusted her disheveled mane that covered her face. Her eyes were not at all adjusted to the sunlight, further adding to Rarity’s level of irritation. Through a thin window of squinting eyelids, Rarity attempted to find Spike. However, the small dragon was not found. “Spikey?” Rarity called. No response. “Huh, perhaps Pinkie Pie snatched you while she pounced me.” Rarity crawled on all fours toward the bedside dresser to grab her brush. When she reached for what she was expecting to obtain, the unicorn grabbed something else. “Hmm?” Rarity’s curiosity caused her to peek a little more at the object but was stabbed by the morning sun. In a frustrated grunt, Rarity snatched the object and retreated under the covers. With the light not as bright, she was able to read the lettering what looked to be a bottle: Mineral Water’s Crystal Coat Vanilla Scented “How did-” There was something taped on the back of the bottle. A small note: Pinkie Pie said you wanted to talk business? Come to the Emerald District, House 21 at 11am.