//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Tears for the Pearl // by The Lord Thunder //------------------------------// Pearl Blush woke up wondering where she was, as many ponies do after falling asleep in a strange place. She expected to find herself surrounded by destruction as usual. Instead she was tucked safely in bed, in a perfectly intact room. Memories of the night before came slowly flooding back. At long last, she’d gotten a good night’s sleep. Thank Celestia for those two. Their ring really worked. A faint hint of food wafted its way into Pearl’s nostrils as she rubbed the sleepiness out of her eyes. Smells like breakfast is ready. I am pretty hungry. Pearl climbed out of bed and followed the scent of food until it led her into the kitchen where Twilight, Starlight and Spike were sitting. There was a steaming pot of oatmeal in the center of the table, along with several slices of toast and some bright red apples. “Oh, good morning, Pearl!” Twilight called out. “Feeling up for some breakfast? Help yourself.” “Great! I’m starving.” Pearl took a seat in an empty chair and ladled herself some oatmeal into a waiting bowl. “How’d you sleep?” Starlight asked. “Soundly for the first time in a while, thank you.” “Glad to hear it,” Spike said. “You’re looking a lot better.” Pearl pulled an apple over with her telekinesis, elated to use magic without blowing something up. “If it wasn’t for your ring, I don’t know what would have happened. I just want to let you know how much I appreciate your help.” “No trouble at all,” Twilight said as Pearl took a bite of oatmeal. “In fact, the three of us were wondering if you’d like to come to Sugar Cube Corner with us after breakfast.” “What’s Sugar Cube Corner?” Pearl asked. “Just follow the singing and laughter and you’re bound to end up there,” Spike said. “Pinkie Pie always makes her customers feel special. Come on!” Pearl didn’t know just what to make of all this. She had hoped to find somepony to help in her search for her parents, but nothing approaching the friendly faces she found herself surrounded by. And the princess herself taking a personal interest! It made her feel wanted and loved for the first time since she’d left home, which left her so distracted in her thoughts she didn’t even realize she had entered their destination. As soon as Pearl stepped inside the building, she was nailed in the face by a loud “surprise!” from five other ponies in the room. Pearl glanced about, trying to wrap her mind around what she was seeing. Streamers flew through the air. There was a tissue “welcome!” sign hanging from the ceiling and on the table in front of her was a “Welcome to Ponyville” cake, the letters spelled out with decorative candy pearls. “Wha-?” Pearl muttered. “What is this?” In answer, a pink blur streaked up to Pearl, materializing as an earth pony with bright blue eyes and a mane like pink cotton candy. “Hi there! I’m Pinkie Pie, and we threw this party just for you!” “For — for me?” “Pinkie Pie always throws a party for newcomers,” Twilight explained. Pinkie lifted a forehoof and touched Pearl’s hair. “I really like your mane! It’s so shiny, just like pearls and I’ll bet that’s why you’re called Pearl! Just like my name is Pinkie Pie and I’m pink and I love pie!” The pink pony giggled and began hopping in place. “My favorites are chocolate and cherry but I like lemon cream, too — oh and blueberry!” Pearl giggled slightly. “Nice to meet you, Pinkie,” she said, offering the bouncy pony a hoof. Instead of shaking Pearl’s hoof, Pinkie lunged forward and snared her in a spine-crushing hug. “I just love making new friends! I even baked you this cake!” “I can – urf! – see that. It looks delicious.” A mare in a wide-brimmed cowgirl’s hat stepped forward and tipped her hat towards Pearl. “Well howdy there, Pearl! Name’s Applejack. Pleased to be makin’ your acquaintance.” “Likewise,” Pearl answered, dipping into a polite bow. “I help run Sweet Apple Acres, the best apple farm in Equestria. Once you try one of our apples, you won’t wanna get ‘em from anyplace else.” A white unicorn with two long, curly locks of purple mane stepped up to Pearl next. “Hello, my name is Rarity. I couldn’t help but overhear Pinkie Pie say something about your —” Rarity stopped short as she got a closer look at Pearl’s hair. “Wa-ha-haaaaa!” Rarity shouted in apparent alarm. “What’s the matter?” Pearl asked. “Darling, your mane!” Pearl’s eyes glanced upward as she ran a hoof through the silky strands of her hair. “Is there something wrong with it?” “Wrong?” Rarity asked. “It’s divine! The way it shimmers like —” “Like pearls?” Pearl interrupted with a slight smile. “Pinkie Pie’s right, it’s how I got my name.” “Pearl, you simply must let me do it justice, and design you a new outfit.” “That seems like an awful lot of effort. I can’t ask you to do that.” “Effort? Hardly. I do it all the time, darling, and your mane has given me a sudden burst of inspiration! Besides, you’re not asking. I’m insisting.” A rainbow-maned pegasus hovering in midair waved at Pearl and cut her off mid-sentence. “That’s Rarity for you! And I’m the Rainbow Dash! Nice to meet ya!” “You, too!” Pearl said, waving back. “And I’m Fluttershy,” said a soft-voiced yellow pegasus. “I hope you enjoy your visit here.” Pearl looked around the room, smiling at each of these ponies who’d banded together to welcome her… but why? “I’m grateful, but what is this about?” “A boat?” Pinkie asked. “Are we talking about boats now? I was on a boat with Rarity and Applejack once!” Pearl chuckled, not knowing whether to be tickled or embarrassed by that. “I guess it’s just how we talk in Whinnypeg. Kind of trips you up, eh?” “The reason we’re here, Pearl,” Twilight butted in, “is we want to make you a deal: you spend a few days with my friends and we’ll help you find your parents and learn more about your magic.” The offer gripped Pearl in a state of pure disbelief. She turned around and scanned each of the others in the room. What kind of ponies had she stumbled across who would offer her so much for so little in return? “I – I don’t know what to say. That’s incredibly kind of you. Are you sure?” “Oh, please!” Rainbow Dash swatted down the notion. “We go on these kinds of adventures all the time. It’ll be a breeze compared to some of the stuff we’ve been through.” “I feel just awful for you,” Fluttershy said. “I’d feel even worse if I didn’t try to help.” “You’d really do that for me?” Pearl asked. “Of course, darling!” Rarity answered. “I’d be happy to help,” Starlight added. “Count me in, too!” Spike said. “What do you say, Pearl?” Twilight asked. “Eight new friends and you get somepony to help you find your parents? Sounds like a win-win to me.” Pearl regarded each of them for a silent moment as she weighed the risk and the reward of Twilight’s offer. All of them wanted to help, but could she trust her own power around them? Pearl looked up at the ring on her horn and sighed. Her mind was made up. “Okay, we’ve got a deal. But if my magic goes berserk, I’m out. I don’t want to wind up accidentally causing any damage or hurting ponies.” “Don’t worry,” Starlight said, “you’ve got that ring we enchanted. Besides, you’re in good company.” “That’s right!” Pinkie trumpeted. “We’re multi-time Equestria savers!” “Yeah!” Rainbow said. “We’ve beaten bad guys like Discord and Tirek! Nothing’s gonna happen on our watch.” Pearl stared at them again, finding herself even more amazed by these ponies. “Really?” “Darn tootin’,” Applejack said, “but they’re kinda long stories. We’ll give ya the details later.” “Wow. Real heroes,” Pearl said. “Just like the Power Ponies.” “Like Applejack said, stories for another time,” Twilight said, blushing sheepishly. “Pinkie Pie, if you would?” Pinkie flashed a huge toothy grin and darted over to Pearl. “You’re with me today!” Pearl regarded Pinkie for a moment, then looked to Twilight. “Starting already?” “Why not?” Twilight asked. “Nopony’s better at breaking the ice than Pinkie Pie.” “Okay.” Pearl hesitated. This was all happening so fast that it took her mind a few seconds to catch up. “So what are we going to do?” Putting her front hooves together, Pinkie danced on her hind legs like an excited filly. “We’re gonna go to Funland Equestria! It’ll be great!” “That big amusement park?” Pearl asked, feeling a bit of fillyish enthusiasm herself. She remembered reading about it in newspapers and magazines back home. “I always wanted to go when I was a filly, but my parents never had the means to take me.” Pinkie grabbed Pearl’s foreleg and nearly yanked her off her hooves out the door. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go!” Pearl pulled her foreleg away from Pinkie’s grip. She was surprisingly strong, much more so than she looked. “Okay. Let me just… put my shoulder back in its socket first.” An embarrassed grin crossed Pinkie’s face. “Sorry ‘bout that, but if we don’t catch the train soon, we won’t have much time for all the super-duper fun!” Pearl looked around at the others for a few more moments, wondering if she might be dreaming. It seemed surreal; she’d just met these ponies and one of them was already offering to take her someplace she’d always wanted to go.