Four Walls

by Pokey the Unicorn


Going home

I'm standing in a corridor. My body trembles lightly, and my mind races.

"Come on, there's no need to be nervous." Twilight says, comforting me. I feel myself swallow reflexively.

"I guess so. It's just that I don't remember any of it, I'm just feeling a little jittery, that's all." I say, trying to rally myself. I lift a hoof and step forward, easing into a trot. Don't get nervous now, you've been looking forward to this for days. It's time to get out of here and get your life back! I glance over my rump at the doorway that leads to my cell. It looks tiny from here, so small and confining. The corridor is huge in comparison, and I already feel strange for having lived in such a small space for so long.

"Besides, I'm here for you." She reaches over to nuzzle me mid-trot. "There's never any need to be scared when you're with me. We'll get through this together."

Okay, that was a little melodramatic. I appreciate the sentiment, and I'm definitely relieved to see Twilight in good spirits, but I've just got a few minor nerves. It's not like I'm scared for dear life.

"It's a shame that you haven't remembered anything important yet though." She continues. "This would be much easier if you had."

Okay, so she's still hung up on that. Darn. ... oh, what the hay. I nuzzle her back.

"Twilight, you did everything right. With what's happened to me you're the most helpful, caring friend I could have asked for. If we weren't best friends before all this I'd be really surprised, and-"

She cuts me off with a gentle hoof to my lips. "Let's go."

The corridor leads into a reception area. Sure, it's a boring reception area, but for me it's something new. Something I've never seen before. A wide corridor that I can only assume is the exit stands opposite a huge barricade-like desk, and there are seats in front of us arranged around a table that holds a pile of greyed, coffee-stained magazines. I stand there looking at the three ponies sitting in this waiting area, thinking that one of them might be waiting for me, but I spot Twilight walking towards the desk out of the corner of my eye. Chuckling sheepishly, I canter after her.

"Patient Two-four-nine checking out!" Twilight chirps happily. The receptionist stares at her for a few seconds, jaw swinging laboriously as she gnashes her chewing gum with loud, open-mouthed smacks. She groans something incomprehensible as her head swings downwards to consult her mound of files. Her horn glows, and a file floats up. She looks at it, then looks at it some more...

Twilight and I glance at each other as the seconds pass.

"Huh. Nope." The receptionist drones in a lifeless nasally drawl.

"I'm sorry?" Twilight asks, completely baffled.

"Said nope. 'ccording to the file, brighteyes here isn't getting out fer anuther month." Her eyes scan the file. "Aaaaaaaaaand that's on account of if she gets over that temper of hers, it says here." She pulls her head back up and looks at us emptily.

"What? No, that's not correct! I was told explicitly by the doctor that she gets out today!" Twilight cries, clutching me possessively. This doesn't sound good at all. I am NOT going back to that cell. Not now, not when I'm so close to freedom... I glare at the receptionist.

Suddenly her head rolls back, and her mouth flaps open.

"SUH-CURITY!!!" She hollers. Heads turn, and a few seconds later there's a tall, intimidating security guard standing behind us. I don't need to turn around; I know he's there, I can feel him.

"Is there a problem here ladies?" He rumbles in a deep baritone. Twilight whirls around, grinning awkwardly.

"Nono! No trouble at all! I was just checking out my friend here. ... I mean, checking her out. No! I mean checking her out of here. We're not causing any trouble! I was told by the doctor that she could be released today. By one of the doctors from here. The one monitoring my friend, I mean, not some other doctor from somewhere else. We're not crazy or trying to break out sir! There's just-"

"Huh. How about that, it was marked wrong." The receptionist drones. I think the pitch of her voice might have risen ever so slightly, but it's probably just my ears.

"What number?" She asks again. Twilight just stares at her.

"...Two. Four. Nine."

"Uhhhhhhh here. Two-four-nine, here it is." She looks over the file. "Uh huh. Uh huh. ... Uh huh. Hmm. Uh huh." Eventually, the file flies over to Twilight, and a quill follows.

"Name, date, and signature." Twilight grabs the quill and scribbles the information as fast as she can. She passes the file back, eliciting an approving grunt from the receptionist. Twilight doesn't give her another chance to speak. She whirls around and bolts out the door with me in magical tow. My body is yanked backwards and pulled through the entrance doors, then gently set down on the other side of them.

When I regain my balance I'm standing in front of the doors, looking at my reflection in the glass. I stare at myself, surprised. I hadn't been using my mirror lately, and I'd almost forgotten what I look like. I'm kinda cute... Yeah, I feel a little silly thinking like that, but it's true! Big, deep eyes, a spiky-cut mane that falls over one side of my face (brushed thoroughly just this morning), a sleek, athletic body, and a pair of shiny wings. For a pony who's been locked in a dark cell for about a week, I look surprisingly healthy. I notice Twilight looking at my reflection too, and I turn to smile at her. She smiles back, and we both burst out laughing.

"Freedom at last!" I cry.

"At long last!" She hollers back in agreement. "We barely survived the treacherous front desk, and narrowly escaped the snapping jaws of the deadly receptionist!"

"Hahaha, I thought we'd never get out of there!" I add, chuckling. "Did you see how long it took her to read the file?!" Twilight scoffed, waving a hoof.

"Oh please, that's nothing. I spent the entire week dealing with her! Checking in and checking out again and again and again..."

"Oh you poor thing!" I cry in mock sympathy, grinning at her. She grins back, but then her expression softens.

"But it was worth it if it meant that I got to see you." She murmurs, giving me one of her warm smiles. A second later she pulls back, whirling around to look over our surroundings. Huh?

"Welcome to Ponyville." She announces. I turn around and look.

Oh wow. We're in the middle of a village. The first thing that catches my eye is all of the ponies. There are mares and stallions of every color and shape walking around, talking to each other, and shopping. The ground is made of cobblestone, and the streets are really wide. Every building is colorful and decorated, and the sky is blue. Oh, the sky is so blue! It's like nothing I've ever seen!

I can't help myself. My smile widens as I take it all in, and I let out an ecstatic squeal as I hop up and down excitedly.

"Twilight! This is amazing! Look at everything! Look at the colors! Look at the ponies! Look how big the sky is!" Twilight just chuckles.

"I'm glad you like it." She says, nodding.

"Now, let's go. I've got a minor itinerary planned out..." As she says this, her saddlebags open and a thick scroll flies out. It hits the ground and starts rolling away as Twilight unfurls it. "...for the day. There are a few places I want to show you."

"A few?" I ask skeptically, eyeing the giant scroll that has now rolled a good few meters behind us. Twilight chuckles sheepishly, shrugging at me.

"Well, maybe more than a few. There's lots to see! Now let's go!" She picks up the scroll and trots into the main street, and I follow her, looking around. We turn a corner, and standing not ten meters away is Pinkie Pie. She grins as soon as our eyes meet, then rushes over and wraps her forelegs around me. She's got a really strong grip, actually. It's a pretty tight hug. I'm not sure if she's hugging me or trying to suffocate me.

"You're out! Yay! It's so good to see you back in Ponyville! It must be so exciting! I'll have to throw you a welcome back party! Maybe I'll even get my welcome wagon! I wonder if I can use it as a welcome back wagon for a day? Maybe if I added a second trumpet to the song?"

"Pinkie!" I gasp desperately.

"Huh?"

"... can't... breathe!"

"Oops! Sorry!" She giggles, releasing me. "It's just that it's so exciting! There's so much to show you, and so much more to do!"

"Pinkie!" Twilight cuts her off sharply. "You don't need to worry about that. I've already planned out an itinerary." She pulls the giant scroll out of her saddlebags and waves it around. Pinkie stops hopping and frowns at her. She takes the scroll and unfurls it, reading carefully. She then places it on the ground and begins walking backward, unrolling the scroll and reading as she goes. When she's done she looks at Twilight grumpily.

"This is what you were going to do with her all day?"

"Of course! It's written right there Pinkie."

"Twilight, you've allocated five minutes here for staring at a statue!"

"Oh don't be silly Pinkie. We wouldn't be standing there staring at it continuously for five minutes. There are a lot of other things to look at around it! It's a perfect sightseeing spot. And besides, it's a statue of Princess Celestia!"

Pinkie sighs and turns to me. "It's a good thing I came when I did. I'll show you around, don't worry."

"But I've got an itinerary planned!" Twilight shouts desperately.

"Well, we might be able to do a few things on it. Say Twilight, can I see it again please?" Pinkie asks, hoof outstretched. Twilight levitates the giant scroll into her awaiting grasp.

"Thanks." Then, without another word, Pinkie trots over to a nearby fountain and throws the scroll into the water.

Pinkie!! What in Equestria are you doing!? The unicorn screams, galloping over and fishing out the soggy scroll. She unfurls it desperately, skimming over the contents.

"It's illegible." She mutters.

"It was boring, Twilight. Don't worry, I've got a few ideas of my own! Follow me!" She exclaims brightly, trotting away. Twilight lets out an angry groan, and we both run after her.

"The fresh food market is right here, so I thought we'd go have a look. It's really interesting, and there are always lots of friendly ponies around at this time of day!" Pinkie explains.

I can see the market up ahead. There are countless stalls selling all kinds of fruit and vegetables, and shopping ponies bustling around everywhere. Most of the stalls are wooden, and the various colors of the wares really grabs my attention. It's fairly noisy too. I notice that there are a lot of eateries at this end of the market. There's a cafe off to my left with tables and chairs out the front, where a pair of mares catch my eye. One is a minty unicorn with white streaks in her mane and tail, and the other is a beige earth pony with a two-tone pink and blue mane. They're both fairly young-looking. The unicorn looks kinda nervous, rubbing her hooves together and staring at the table. The earth pony listens intently, smiling at her, then throws a foreleg around her shoulders. She lifts the unicorn's head up with a gentle hoof to her chin, and their eyes meet. The earth pony tells her something. They gaze at each other for a few seconds, then share a kiss.

Twilight notices me watching. "It's rude to stare like that." She prods. "Stop staring, they'll see you!" I glance over at her.

"Who are they?"

"Lyra and Bon-Bon."

"Sweetest couple in Ponyville!" Pinkie adds.

"They own and run a confectionery together. It's a completely self-run business, really popular with the colts and fillies. Lyra makes the most amazing chocolate..." Twilight explains dreamily.

"Yep! Lyra's chocolate is the only chocolate I use for my baking. It makes chocolate cake totally scrumptious!" Pinkie adds, licking her lips.

I look over at the minty one. She's staring right at me. She blinks at me for a second, then smiles meekly. She doesn't seem to know me, and I'm surprisingly disappointed. Looking at her marefriend again, her face suddenly lights up with recognition, and she jumps out of her seat, thrusting her hooves skyward and swinging them around to attract our attention.

"Hey, they saw us! Let's go over and say hi!" Pinkie suggests. Beige throws an annoyed expression our way as we approach their table, and Minty quickly says something to her before getting up and walking over to me.

"I didn't recognize you at first! Hi! It's great to see you finally get out of that place. How are you?" She exclaims, throwing her forelegs around me. I return the hug.

"Hi! Are you Lyra, or Bon-Bon? I ask sheepishly. I can't tell.

"I'm Lyra! This is Bo-" She looks to her right, noticing the empty space. Grumbling, she turns around and beckons over Bon-Bon, who's still sitting at the table.

"Bon-Bon! Stop being such a grump and come say hi!" Bon-Bon mutters something as she gets up and walks over. My gaze drifts to Lyra's flank, and I notice her cutie mark.

"Oh!" I exclaim. "I get it, Lyra because of the lyre." Lyra looks back at me, notices where I'm looking, and gasps. She turns sharply, covering her flank with her tail.

"H-hey! Don't stare at my cutie mark!" She stammers, blushing. Bon-Bon rolls her eyes.

"Uh, sorry Lyra." I offer. I had no idea that that would embarrass her so much. Is staring at cutie marks bad somehow? "I was just curious. I didn't mean to leer or anything. Besides, I think it looks pretty awesome." I grin at her cheekily, and she smiles back.

"Don't worry about it." She assures, shifting her hooves. "It's so nice to see you two walking around together again. How is the memory loss going?"

"She doesn't remember anything about herself yet unfortunately." Twilight says glumly.

Lyra's ears droop. "What?!" She gasps. "But it's been a week! You've gotta know your name by now at least...?"

I shake my head. "No. Still don't know it." I tell her. My voice sounds a little more agitated than I'd intended.

Lyra's gaze drops to the ground, and she covers her mouth with a hoof, mumbling something to herself. "That's... that's awful. You've been sitting in that place all week not knowing who you are?" She looks up at me with misty eyes.

"Sounds bad." Bon-Bon adds.

"Bon-Bon and I heard about what happened, but we had no idea it was that bad." Lyra's voice begins to waver. "I can't begin to imagine how awful it must be for you. Getting your memory back would be so much easier if we could just tell you your name. Believe me, if we could, we wouldn't hesitate."

"Huh?"

"There was a town meeting." Bon-Bon interjects. "Twilight told us how important it was that we keep your name a secret until you-"

She's cut off by a sob. Lyra's crying into her hoof quietly.

"Lyra!" Bon-Bon gasps. She throws a furious glare at us as she comforts her marefriend. Lyra lets her tears out on Bon-Bon's mane, trembling a little as Bon-Bon holds her.

They stand there for a few seconds, and nopony says anything. I glance over at Twilight and Pinkie uncertainly, wondering what to do.

"Now look what you've done!" Bon-Bon hisses. "Why are you bugging us while we have lunch anyway? Go away!"

Twilight draws back, shocked. "We didn't... sorry." She mumbles, glancing over to me perplexedly.

"Are you okay Lyra?" Pinkie asks gently. Lyra mumbles something and pulls herself out of Bon-Bon's embrace.

"Don't be rude Bon-Bon." She mutters quietly. Wiping away her tears, she walks over to Twilight and puts a hoof on her shoulder.

"You take good care of her, okay?" Twilight smiles down at her.

"Of course. Thanks Lyra." Lyra nods, then turns to me. She opens her mouth to say something, but pauses to think and turns back to Twilight.

"Twilight, could you uh... could you please let us know when she remembers?" Lyra asks, shifting her hooves tentatively.

"Sure. I can write a quick letter and get Spike to run it up the street if I'm at home." Lyra smiles at her sweetly, thanking her. She walks over to me next and nuzzles me gently.

"Good luck." She says softly, her voice endearingly sincere. She then turns and walks back over to Bon-Bon, curling her tail around herself as she does so.

"Our food's here." Bon-Bon says. Judging by her tone, what she really means is go away. We all wave and say our goodbyes as we head for the market square.

"I hope that didn't upset her too much." I say. Pinkie smiles at me reassuringly.

"Don't worry about it too much." Twilight tells me "Lyra's fragile, but she's not naive. I'm fairly certain that she'd prefer to know what's happened."

"Okay, good. Hey, are we friends with them?" I ask hopefully. Lyra's really made a good first impression. I definitely wouldn't mind getting to know her. Bon-Bon seems a little grouchy though.

"No, actually. I really don't know why, I buy chocolate from her all the time." Twilight wonders as she walks ahead of us, forming a lead as we enter the hustle of the market square.

It's really busy, and we have to line up single file to get anywhere. Twilight uses her magic to nudge others ponies out of the way. Pinkie follows her, and I take up the rear. Pinkie disappears into the crowd for a few seconds, then reappears with a bunch of carrots slung over her back. She grins back at me, winking. I didn't see where she went. It's far too busy to get a clear view of anything in here. Once we get out of the main square it's a lot easier to walk around. I let out the breath I'd been holding, and stretch my wings out horizontally, finding comfort in the empty space around me. There are more cafes on this end, and a few food stalls.

I look over to my right at a juice bar. A blue unicorn spots me, meeting my gaze. She trots over, holding a juice with her magic.

"So they released you today? How are you feeling?" she asks curtly.

"Hi! I'm okay, I guess." I reply.

"Ah, this is-"

"Colgate." The unicorn cuts twilight off. "My real name is Minuette, but nopony calls me that. Show me your teeth."

"Huh?" I ask confusedly. Show her my teeth? Why?

"You've been living in a rehabilitation facility for the past week, and were not provided with a toothbrush, correct? You should be concerned about your dental health. Show me your teeth."

I open my mouth, letting her see. Twilight and Pinkie are standing off to the side staring at Colgate with twin annoyed expressions on their faces. She ums and ahhs a few times as she peers at my teeth.

"Hmm, better than I thought. You should still come to my clinic for a checkup and cleaning though. I'll make an appointment for nine o'clock tomorrow okay? Good. See you there." She turns and walks away without another word.

"Why do I get the feeling that everypony in this town has really healthy teeth?" I ask, staring after her. Twilight chuckles.

"Yes, she does have quite the method of caring for her patients."

We enter what looks like a business district. There are lots of shops here, mostly selling furniture and supplies. I notice one place that, oddly, sells both.

"Quills and Sofas?" I ask.

"Yes!" Twilight exclaims. "I'm one of their best customers. I seem to go through quills really quickly for some reason." She muses thoughtfully. "I've never bought a sofa there before though. The quality of their quills is exceptional, so if I ever need a sofa I think I'd buy it there."

Suddenly, Pinkie thrusts her rump into the air and gasps.

"My tail my tail! Twitch-a-twitch! Twitch-a-twitch!" Pinkie shouts, wiggling her tail. She looks around wildly, then grabs me and pulls backward.

"Whoooaah!" Something yells from above. It divebombs me, clumsily landing in the space I had occupied moments ago.

"Saved you!" Pinkie singsongs, poking my rump with a hoof. She walks up and stands next to me, looking at whatever just tried to attack me.

"Hehe, sorry about that. I have some trouble with distance sometimes." It's a pegasus. She's grey with a short blonde mane, and one of her eyes is wonky, like it's looking in the wrong direction. Her face flushes bright red as she smiles at me apologetically, and I notice her wings fluttering nervously. She's kinda cute in this dorky, clumsy way.

"Uh, hi. Trouble with distance? What were you trying to do?" I ask her.

"Fly over and say hi." She chuckles sheepishly. "The name's Derpy, by the way. Hi!" She turns sideways. "Say hi, muffin." There's a unicorn filly slumped on her back. She looks up at me, smiling weakly.

"Hi miss... uh, mommy? What do I call her?" The filly asks.

"Hmm, well miss Twilight told us that we can't use her real name, so I guess we should call her... umm..." Derpy trails off and looks over at Twilight expectantly.

"Don't call her anything. Just "miss" if you want to. She'll remember her name eventually, and then we can all go back to using that."

"Why is she grey? What happened to her colors?" The filly asks. Colors?

"We don't know exactly." Twilight says. "Hopefully she'll get them back when she gets her memories back."

"Wait, I have colors?" I ask Twilight.

"Don't worry, I'll explain later." She tells me. I guess I can wait.

"So who's this?" I ask, smiling at the filly perched on Derpy's back.

"This is my daughter, Dinky." Derpy says, nuzzling her lovingly. Her daughter?? Wow, I thought she'd be her little sister. Derpy looks so young. The pegasus pouts, sighing. "My little muffin is sick though. I thought I'd take her out for some fresh air while I go do my Thursday morning grocery shop." Her voice wavers with concern. I can tell that she's really worried.

"Aww, she'll be okay!" Pinkie says, bouncing up to the duo. "Say, I think a few muffins might fix her up!" Derpy's head snaps upright, and her eyes widen.

"Muffins? Ooh yes, what a good idea!!" She gushes, licking her lips. Dinky giggles. "Yes please miss Pinkie! Me and mommy both love your muffins!" She chirps excitedly. Derpy nods vigorously, smiling broadly. "I have to do my shopping, then I'll drop everything and Dinky off at home. Should I meet you there in say... fifteen minutes?"

"Sure! We'll be there!" Pinkie confirms.

"Okay. It was nice to see you again! Bye!" Derpy and Dinky wave at me as they leave. I turn to Pinkie.

"Are we going to Sugarcube Corner?" I ask excitedly. From what Fluttershy told me, it sounds like an amazing place. I feel hungry too, wouldn't mind something to eat. Pinkie gasps, jumping a good foot into the air.

"You remember Sugarcube Corner? You remember you remember!" She chants happily, bouncing up and down.

"Well, not really. Fluttershy told me all about it yesterday."

"Huh?"

"You know how Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash came to see me yesterday? She told me all about Ponyville." I explain. I expect her to say something, but she just looks at me. I look back, confused, and she turns to Twilight. Pinkie stares at her for a long time.

"Twilight?"

"Don't ask. I'll tell you later." Twilight grumbles.

"What?" I ask, looking back and forth at the two ponies. "What are you talking about? Don't ask about what?"

"I'll... I'll tell you later." She mumbles, looking at the ground.

"Oh well, must be nothing!" Pinkie decides. "Come on, let's go!"

We continue walking through Ponyville. I'm walking fairly slowly, head swinging around in all directions. I just don't have enough sets of eyes to take in everything. It's all so beautiful. Everypony walks around with a content smile on their face, going about their business, and it really seems like a happy place. All of the ponies seem to know each other really well. A lot of them probably know me too. I'm one of these ponies. The thought still feels foreign, like I'm an outsider, or a visitor passing through the town. I can't wait to get some of my memories of this place back and piece it all together. I'll find my place in this town, go see my house... I live in one of these wonderful homes! It all makes me smile inside.

I'm jolted from my thoughts by frantic shouting.

"Twilight! Twilight! You have to help me!" A pale yellow mare with a curly orange mane runs up to Twilight, panting. "Town hall is going to collapse! We can't hold it! You have to come steady it with your magic so we can fix it! Hurry!" She shouts, waving her hooves frantically. Twilight's eyes bug out.

"What?! Town hall is collapsing?!" She looks back at me and Pinkie, faltering.

"Don't worry about us Twilight. I'll take her to Sugarcube Corner! You can meet us there." Pinkie says to her. The unicorn eyes Pinkie suspiciously.

"Pinkie, can I trust you with her?" Twilight is dead serious. Pinkie just smiles at her and nods.

"Uh huh! Responsibility is my middle name!"

"Twilight, come on!" The orange-maned mare urges. Twilight groans, looks at me, and runs off with her. Pinkie smiles as she watches them leave.

"Good ol' Carrot Top!" She muses.

"Oh!" I exclaim, remembering what Fluttershy told me. "That was Carrot Top! She grows carrots and sells them at the market, right?" Pinkie smiles at me.

"Yeah, best carrots in Ponyville. I only use Harvest carrots in my carrot cakes." She explains. "Now let's go to Sugarcube Corner!

We only have to walk one more block to reach it. My first impression is that it's a gingerbread house. I know that sounds ridiculous, but if I didn't know better I'd think it actually is a real one. The entire thing looks delicious!

"Come on!" Pinkie exclaims, running for the entrance. She pops inside and holds it open for me, beckoning excitedly with a pink hoof. I trot in, looking around. I can't help but gasp when I see the inside. The first thing that hits me is the aroma. The bakery smells of warm cakes and coffees... it's wonderful. There's a counter on the left, and a glass display filled to the brim with all kinds of colorful delicious-looking cakes. The menu fills up the entire back wall, and it's got all kinds of things on it - milkshakes, coffee, sandwiches... my stomach rumbles.

The rumbling noise attracts Pinkie's attention. Her ears prick up, and she pokes her nose into my belly.

"Ooh... you sound hungry! Lucky you're in Sugarcube Corner! I've got just the thing for that rumbly tumbly!" She exclaims. Before I can say anything she zips out back, disappearing through a pair of double doors. A few seconds pass, so I have a look around. There's a seating section off to the right, which is surprisingly empty. The cake display though, wow. Chocolate mudcake, multicolored cupcakes, fruity muffins, marble cake, black forest, carrot cake (made with Carrot Top's carrots, I'd say), and a whole bunch more.

I jump when the front door swings open abruptly, and Derpy skips in. She looks so eager, I can't help but chuckle.

"Hey Derpy!" I call, waving to her.

"Oh good, you're here!" She exclaims, running over and hugging me. "Where's Pinkie Pie?"

"Out back. I think she's making me something to eat, she's been out there a whi-"

"Oh, you're here!" Pinkie squeaks, poking her head out. She disappears again, and reappears a second later holding a box, which she puts down on the counter.

"Ooh..." Derpy walks toward the box as if in a trance. I swear she's drooling. "Are those for me Pinkie?"

Pinkie doesn't respond. Instead, she zooms out from behind the counter, stopping Derpy in her tracks with a hoof to the chest. She frowns at the pegasus, and her voice takes on an aloof tone.

"So Derpy, I hear you like cakes?" Derpy nods vigorously, licking her lips.

"Word on the street is that you have a taste for... muffins." She looks at her outstretched hoof disinterestedly, turning it back and forth slightly. Derpy tilts her head confusedly.

"Well... yeah Pinkie, everypony knows that."

"Uh huh." Pinkie mutters, slinking around behind her. She leans in close, her lips inches away from Derpy's ear. "But." she whispers. What the hay is Pinkie doing?? I wonder. Derpy is shuddering now. She bites her lip as Pinkie utters her next words in a low, seductive tone.

"I heard that you're after my muffins, Derpy." She teases, tracing a hoof down the mare's side. Derpy closes her eyes and pants lightly.

"Mmhmm..." The pegasus mumbles, nodding slowly. Pinkie frowns.

"What was that Derpy? You're going to have to speak a little louder if you want some of my muffins."

"Oh yes please, Pinkie..." Derpy whimpers. The pink mare wraps her front hooves around Derpy's torso, hugging her from behind.

"Mmm, yeah?" Pinkie coos, tracing her hooves up and down Derpy's chest tantalizingly. Derpy is shivering and panting into her hoof now.

"Ohh yes, Pinkie! Your muffins are the best!" She moans. "Oh please, I want them so bad..."

At this point I realize that I'm staring at them with my mouth hanging open. I blink a few times as I come to my senses, snap my mouth shut, and walk over to them.

"What the hay are you doing Pinkie?!" I yell. I'm not sure whether I'm confused, annoyed, excited, or what. "Are you giving her some muffins or what?!"

They both turn and look at me for a few seconds before bursting into fits of laughter, even collapsing against each other. They're having a really good laugh. So good in fact, that I laugh a little too. It's infectious. When we're done Pinkie skips over to the box and picks it up while Derpy watches. The pegasus glances over at me, blushing, and flashes me a silly grin.

"Hee hee hee! Of course I'm giving her some muffins silly! Here, have a look Derpy!" She grabs the box and opens it. Derpy walks over and peers into the box, and her entire body droops contentedly.

"Ooh..." Pinkie giggles, walking over to stand next to her. She leans over and plants a quick kiss on Derpy's cheek.

"I put in all of your favorites, and the ones Dinky likes too." She explains, gesturing around inside the box. "And this is a new recipe! It's the same one I gave you." She says, looking over at me. Derpy gasps, and her ears droop. She looks over at me with a pout, then turns back to Pinkie Pie.

"You gave her a new-recipe muffin before me?" She whispers sadly. The pink pony just smiles at her.

"Yep! This is my best recipe yet! I had to make sure it was perfect. Besides, she is my best friend, and she was stuck in that awful little room all week. I had to test it on somepony, and you two get a sneak taste before I add it to the menu!"

Pinkie smiles at us for a few seconds, than gasps. "Hey! Why don't you tell Derpy what it was like?" She suggests, winking at me.

"Well... it was hot. When I took a bite it was still steamy." I begin. "It was sooo delicious. The cake was moist and chocolatey, and it tasted really amazing. The icing was crumbly, but not hard. Oh wow, and when I bit into it..." I have to stop talking, otherwise I'll start giggling uncontrollably. Derpy's reaction is priceless! She's shivering and panting, fiddling with her hooves... She's getting so adorably hot and flustered over muffins, of all things. A grin forms on my face. I think I can have some fun with this. I walk over to her slowly with an enticing smile. I make my voice as deep and seductive as I can, circling around behind her slowly.

"Inside the cake there were all of these little gooey... hot... pockets of chocolate fudge. Oh my gosh it was amazing, Derpy." I whisper, drawing out my description and making it sound much naughtier than it actually is. Her response is a grumble.

"You guys are mean." Derpy says, frowning at us. Pinkie giggles, throwing a foreleg around her. "Hey, I can't help that I'm a super duper baker!"

Derpy chuckles at this. "That's true. I think I finished my shopping twice as quick just to get over here." She admits, rubbing her foreleg sheepishly.

"So is Dinky feeling better?" Pinkie asks.

"Not really. I'm going to see if she sleeps it off, but I might have to take her to see Doctor Stable." She says worriedly.

"Aww, don't worry." Pinkie soothes, rubbing the pegasus's back comfortingly. "She'll be alright."

"Hopefully. Thanks Pinkie." Derpy says, smiling at the pink pony. "I wish she'd have some of my herbal tea, it'd clear her right up. She refuses to go anywhere near it though, says it's stinky." Derpy says, chuckling. "Anyway, I'd better get back home. Thanks so much for the muffins Pinkie, and it was good to see you!" She says, waving to me. Pinkie puts the box on her back and gives her another peck on the cheek.

"See you later!"

"Hey Pinkie." I begin, turning to her. "What were you doing before Derpy came in?"

"Oh right!" She exclaims, zooming out back, then over to a nearby table. "A sandwich!"

I walk over to the table, looking at the plate. "Cheese, tomato, avocado and pepper on wholegrain bread." She explains. "Would you like some juice too?"

"Some juice? Sure, but I uh..."

"Don't worry, it's on the house."

"Thanks Pinkie. Sure, I'll take a juice."

"Go sit down, I'll bring it out!" She says, disappearing again. I take a seat at the table and look down at my sandwich. I had forgotten how hungry I am. Encouraged by the rumbles of my tummy, I pick it up and take a bite. Unsurprisingly, it's delicious. The bread is thick and crusty, the tomatoes are fresh and crisp, the cheese has a distinct tang, but it's also really smooth. The avocado is kinda smooshy, and fills out the sandwich nicely. The pepper adds a nice kick as well.

*Thunk!*

I look up to see pinkie smiling at me, and a glass of juice on the table.

"Fnksh Punkeeth!" I say, thanking her through my mouthful of sandwich. She sits down opposite me, watching contentedly.

"It's good to have you back. We all missed you."

"Thanks! Coming back has been much easier with friends like you and Twilight around." This scores a warm smile from my pink friend.

"Hey, have you remembered anything new? Walking through Ponyville probably reminded you of a whole bunch of things."

I nod, swallowing my sandwich. "Well, I've been getting little flashes all day. Just minor stuff, nothing big. The sandwich is great, by the way." I say, taking another chomp. She chuckles appreciatively, gazing out a window thoughtfully. I take a sip of juice, slurping quietly.

Pinkie frowns. Her gaze drops to the table, and she sighs tiredly. "Listen, can you promise me something?"

"I guess. What is it?"

"Well..." Pinkie rubs her foreleg, thinking. "Twilight's done something. I don't know what or why exactly, but I'm sure that she had a good reason, and she was doing it to help you."

"What did she do?"

"I think it'd be better coming from her. Promise that you won't get angry with her? For me?" I look at her confusedly.

"How am I supposed to promise not to get angry when I don't know what's going on?" I protest. Pinkie pouts at me. This isn't one of her playful pouts, she looks genuinely scared and concerned.

"Okay, I'll do my best. No getting angry."

"Thanks." She stands up and walks over to me, looking at me with this edgy, scared expression on her face. "Listen... A lot of ponies don't agree with Twilight. They think that we should just tell you what your name is."

"They do?! Who?" I ask excitedly.

"Well... me. I don't... I'm just going to tell you, okay?" She says, rubbing the back of her neck. I smile at her, and she hugs me. Aw yeah! Finally! I wrap my forelegs around her and rest my head on top of hers, hugging back. I wish she wasn't so upset about this. Something really bad must have happened to me to make everypony so apprehensive about one little name. Are they concerned about my safety? Or maybe scared of something else? Something connected to me? I shudder at the thought.

"Oh *.....*, I hope I'm doing the right thing..." Pinkie mumbles into my chest.

"Hey! Was that it?! Did you say it??" I exclaim, brimming with anticipation. Pinkie steps back and looks at me. Oh my gosh oh my gosh, this is it! She takes a deep breath, swallows nervously, and...

The front door slams open, startling us.

"PINKIE!" Twilight roars. She's standing in the doorway glaring daggers at the pink mare, absolutely seething with anger. "I should have known that that ridiculous town hall story was a diversion! What are you doing!?"

Pinkie Pie doesn't answer Twilight. Instead, she turns back to me.

"Rainbow Dash. Your name is Rainbow Dash."