The Ponyville quarry seldom played host to sapient life. For the most part, the only things to occupy the dark stone tunnel systems were the wild bats too frail or skittish to live in the Everfree Forest. A set of hoofsteps echoed off of the walls as a new inhabitant made herself known.
"Are you sure about this Tattle?" Pinkie asked, the hood of her red trench coat shadowing the top half of her head.
"Absolutely," he said, borrowing her vision and hearing to take in their surroundings. "While we have a lot of them, our bits can't last forever. It would be a good idea to collect a small nest of gems to use when that happens."
"Right," she frowned, staring idly at the walls as she walked.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah," she sighed with a small smile.
Tattle's frowning face appeared in her mind's eye.
"What's wrong?"
A deep scowl marred her face as she came to a stop.
"It's nothing I can fix right now Tattle."
"Enlighten me," he said, a raised brow audible in his tone.
Pinkie held her scowl for a few seconds, then let out a defeated sigh as she fell to her haunches.
"Christmas was two days ago. My big sisters are probably freaking out right now, especially Maud and Marble. Limestone's probably holding the whole police station hostage trying to find me. Mom and Dad are probably tearing the city apart."
Her lip started to tremble as the gravity of her current situation started to weigh down on her yet again.
"I...I miss them Tattle."
A warm pressure surrounded her as the Dream Cat's magic embraced her. "Once you've mastered your powers, you will be able to recross the gap that lead you here. You just need to be patient."
"I-I know," she sniffled, tears starting to trail down her face. "But what if I can't do it? What if I'm stuck here? What if I do figure out how to get back, but I'll be so old there wouldn't be a point anymore. What if-"
"Pinkie!" Tattle barked.
"Y-Yeah?" she whimpered.
"None of that," he sighed. "You will find a way to get back. You have the power. You just need to learn how to use it."
It was true. While it wasn't as fast as she wanted, she was making progress in learning how to control her power. Thanks to Tattle's lessons, her "walking" range had greatly increased over the past few days. At the very least, she could now gapwalk from her shelter to the edge of Ponyville and back again without passing out. Considering her situation, that was a massively relieving piece of progress.
"R-Right," she said, a shaky sigh sliding past her lips as they curled into a small smile. "Thanks Tattle."
"Anytime," he said, a smirk coloring his tone. "Now, ready to make some money?"
"Yeah," she chuckled. "How do we do this?"
"First, we need to find a gem cavity. They look like stone bubbles fused to the cave walls."
"Right," she smiled a she scanned the surrounding walls.
Cave bubbles...cave bubbles....
A strange bulge in a nearby wall caught her attention.
"That it?" she asked, pointing at the deformation.
"Yep!"
A wide grin spread across Pinkie's muzzle as she closed in on the gem cavity. When she was about a foot away from it, she took a moment to marvel at it. It was about the size and shape of a large beach ball with a course surface. It kind of reminded Pinkie of a pimple only much less gross.
"So, what do I do know?"
"You need to break it open. Since we don't have any tools, you'll need to buck it."
"I need to what?!" she exclaimed, her face turning beet red as she took a couple steps back.
"Buck it," he repeated, a hint of confusion present in his tone. "You know, turn around and hit it with your rear hooves?"
"Oh, you said buck," she giggled, shaking her blush away. "I thought you said something else."
"What did you thin-"
A long pause filled Pinkie's mind as Tattle took a minute to recalibrate his own before he continued his explanation.
"Right," he said, sounding like he was clearing his throat. "Anyway, if you hit it hard enough, you should be able to get the gems inside."
"Got it," she smirked as she got herself into position. "It's kind of like a piñata, isn't it?"
"I suppose," he mused. "I have never seen one before, so I wouldn't know."
"WHAT?!" she exclaimed, jaw hanging open at the sheer impossibility of it all. "Tattle, how many birthday parties have you had?"
An image of her friend putting a paw to his chin came to mind as he hummed in thought.
"Six. Though to be fair, mother has been fairly busy for a long while."
"And how old are you again?"
"Time flows differently in the Dreamworld, but I believe I'm seventeen. I've only recently synchronized with the material world's time-flow."
"So that means you're eleven years behind."
A wicked smile spread across her face as she added, "Tonight, you're gonna have a blast."
"What do you have planned," he gulped.
"Let's just say walking is gonna be an issue," she giggled.
Tattle laughed at that as a cheshire's grin flashed into Pinkie's mind's eye.
"I look forward to it. But first, let's harvest some gems."
"Gotcha'," she smirked, then launched a hind leg out into the gem cavity.
A loud crunch echoed off of the walls, followed by a chorus of clinks as clear white gems spilled out of the wall. Pinkie's eyes widened and jaw dropped when she turned to look at what she unleashed. Diamonds the size of chicken eggs trickled out of the wall and covered the floor like water. Her hooves shook as she held the precious stones up to her eyes to better examine them, her heart beating harder by the second as she confirmed that what she was holding was one hundred percent authentic. Years of working on her dad's stone processing plant and spending time with her sister made her something of an expert when it came to stones and gems. Granted, she wasn't anywhere near her sister's level, but she could at least tell the difference between diamond and countless other similar crystals.
"Hmmm... yes, this should work," Tattle mused. "With this we should be able to keep you well fed for a few weeks when our bits run out."
"I will rule them all," Pinkie muttered, a wide grin slowly growing across her muzzle.
"Pinkie?"
"I will rule the world!" she declared, giggling like a madmare as she stared at the pile of gems before her. "After I drop the party nukes, I'll drown the world in eternal parties with my army of party planners! With the money I could get from these diamonds and my powers, I will turn the world into the biggest party in existence! And I will be its queen!"
Manic laughter filled the cave as Pinkie let her greatest dream be known to the world, a dream that seemed like it would just be that before today. Slowly, the laughter started to petter itself out, slowly morphing into happy pants as the red-garbed pony admired her catch of gems.
"Are you done?" he asked flatly.
"For now," Pinkie giggled. "So, do you think I can gapwalk these back to the castle?"
"You could, but I wouldn't recommend it. Take what you can in your jacket, mane, and tail and hide the rest. We can come back for them later if we need to."
"Right," she nodded.
***
Total silence. A breath. Silence. A breath. Silence. The click of a hoof on stone. Silence. The chirps of birds outside the castle walls and cold winter air. Silence. The squeak of something landing on an ancient mattress. Silence. A breath. The click of hooves on stone. The faint chirping of birds.
Pinkie let out a breath as she opened her eyes. At the start of her training, the constant shift between locations made her feel nauseous and drained. It brought a smile to her face how much easier it was getting to use her power. Granted, she still wasn't anywhere near strong enough to get home yet, but it was a start.
Just like Tattle said earlier, she reminded herself as she opened a gap to the store room. I will get there when I get there. As soon as I master this, I'll see my family again. I just need to work hard and be patient.
As she stepped into the store room, she opened another gap a couple of feet away from the one she made previously and walked through it. She was instantly greeted by a wave of winter air as she stepped out of the gap onto the balcony of the castle's tallest tower. Her smile grew as she stared out at the near endless expanse of frosted wilderness. After spending hours in the quarry, the late afternoon sun looked absolutely beautiful as it shined off of the snow-covered trees before her. She fell to her haunches as she let herself enjoy the view, a rare moment of peace filling her waking world for the first time in a long time since coming to Equestria.
"Tired?" Tattle asked.
Pinkie shook her head, eyes trained on the horizon.
"Just enjoying things, y'know?"
She could feel the Dream Cat's understanding nod.
"Tattle?"
"Yes?"
"What's it like being a dream?"
She saw him blink owlishly in her mind's eye as she waited for him to answer.
"Why do you ask?"
"Just curious," she shrugged.
He was silent for a few seconds, then said, "I don't know any other form of existence, so I can't tell you."
She giggled a bit at that before she said, "Yeah, I guessed as much."
She sensed his raised brow.
"Don't worry about it," she said with a rueful smile. "Like I said, just curious."
"As you wish," he shrugged, taking a chance to enjoy the view through his host's eyes.
Silence settled between them for a few minutes, neither willing to break the peace of the moment between them. All the while, Tattle mulled Pinkie's question around in his mind. While his answer was honest it failed to satisfy his feelings on the matter. It felt like a lazy dodge to something that should've been easy to answer if he stopped to really think about it. So that was what he did and after taking the closest thing he could to a deep breath, he voiced his thoughts.
"Imagine being able to see all around you at once, to feel the world try to merge with you at all times and fail. Now imagine that you can be whatever you want to be to fit into that world and its rules. I don't know what it is like to be real, but through you...I can see a trace of what the difference is."
Silence returned to the pair as Pinkie let Tattle's words set in, a sad smile spreading across her muzzle as she enjoyed the sunset.
***
Tattle hummed a happy tune to himself as he walked, the clack of the dress-shoes his human form wore echoing off of the marble floor he willed into existence. The remainder of Pinkie's dreamscape was nothing but an endless black void as he walked, though that failed to knock away his grin as he wandered.
I wonder what she's up to, he thought with a chuckle.
Not even a second after she fell asleep, Pinkie forced him out of the core of her dreamscape. When he asked her why she did that, she told him it was a surprise and flashed him a canary-eating grin before she shut the door to the core. He chuckled as he tried to guess what the girl had in mind. Maybe she had another pastry memory she wanted him to experience or perhaps a custom thought like the one he used to brighten her mood last week. While the former was a happy possibility, the latter really perked his interest. What kind of thought reality could the girl come up with? She was fully lucid and he knew she had quite the imagination. The possible realities he could think of only added to his anticipation, because he knew that Pinkie would make something even better.
While a flexible concept in the Dream World, Tattle found ways to pass the time as he waited for Pinkie to summon him. For a while he shifted into various forms and back again into his human form, each change more bizarre and random than the last. A spider with ten legs. A dog with flames for eyes. A diamond beetle with an elephant's trunk. A dagger with seven eye-shaped blades. A butterfly with hands for wings. Various forms from countless dreams he wandered into since his birth with small personal tweaks. Nothing but a hoofful of harmless baubles he had collected while on the job as he tried to keep himself entertained.
A wait that ended when a pink envelope appeared in front of him. A small chuckle slipped past his lips as he opened the letter.
Dear Tattle,
You are formally invited to a party at the core of my dream. Bring everything you believe you will need and come at your own convenience. No formal wear is required, but is not argued against. The same position is held in regard to forms, though human forms are highly recommended. I hope to see you soon.
Sincerely, Pinkamena Dianne Pie
A sly smile spread across his face as he folded the letter back up and returned it to its envelope before tucking it into his inner coat pocket. As he walked back to the core of Pinkie's dreamscape, a growing excitement started to fill him for the first time in years. For someone like him, surprise and unpredictability was a rarity that seldom came with any true impact. But it was a different story as far as Pinkie was concerned. The girl never made things boring and always brought an honest smile to his face. She made him laugh while he helped her stay in one piece in the face of her difficult time in Equestria, a relationship that was a new one for the Dream Cat.
"Oh what do you have in mind, you silly human?" he chuckled as he walked.
In time, he found himself standing in front of the door leading to the core of Pinkie's dreamscape. As he reached out to open the door, it slowly opened on its own with a dim light. Intrigued, he walked through the opening and was greeted by a sight that made his jaw drop. Polished oak walls decorated a room big enough for ten people, countless candles lining them to give the room a pleasantly intimate ambiance. At the heart of the room stood a round table holding ten trays of cupcakes with varying colors and flavors of frosting like bouquets of sweet flowers just waiting to be eaten. That was nothing compared to what held his full attention.
On the other side of the table was a king-sized bed covered with dark-red sheets and pillows. Laying out across it with a mischievous smile and half-lidded eyes was none other then Pinkie Pie, a red open-backed dress hugging her form like a good friend.
"Hey," she purred. "Ready for a party?"
Tattle gulped, a bit of nervous excitement settling into him as he nodded.
She giggled.
"Then how about some party games?"
A smirk spread across Tattle's face at that as he stepped further into the room.
"By all means," he shrugged. "What are the rules?"
Pinkie's smile grew slightly and she gestured towards the table
"Simple. Each of the trays represents a birthday you didn't get to celebrate with someone. You need to eat at least one cupcake from each tray and if you do, you win!"
"I see," he said, raising a brow as he stared at the cupcakes. "What do I get for passing this test?"
Pinkie's smile heated slightly as she waved her hand through the air. The bed turned into a giant red cake and her dress turned into frosting.
"You get your real birthday cake," she winked.
A look of shock briefly flashed across his face before a cheshire's grin took its place.
"My my Pinkamena, you certainly know how to make a birthday memorable."
"Thank you Midnight," she purred with a giggle. "Now, let the games begin."
"Of course my queen," he chuckled, then made his way over to the table.
***
Princess Luna let out an irritated huff as she made her way through the dreamscape border, the countless doors leading into the dreamscapes of everypony in Equestria surrounding her. As she scanned the doors, looking for any hints of nightmares or other distressing dreams. That wasn't the only thing she was looking for as she scanned the different doors with narrowed eyes.
"Oh where is that boy?" Luna grumbled as she walked. "Tis long past his usual time of wanderings."
As she continued her quest, a dejected sigh slipped past her muzzle. The second the dream cat became capable of working on his own, the two of them had started to drift apart. While they were the farthest thing from a normal mother and son, Luna still wished that she had more time to spend with him before he entered the dreaded teenage years all parents dreaded. Not helping was how much of a troublemaker he could be when he wanted to be. A fact that gave her sister an endless supply of amusement on most days. At least, it did until Tattle trapped Celestia in a dream full of cakes that tasted like anchovies. That was the best mother's day gift her genius son had ever given her and never failed to brighten her day every time she thought about it.
The smile her favorite memory summoned shifted into a confused frown when her eyes fell upon an unfamiliar door. It was a deep red in color with an open zipper and confetti cloud decorating the top half. Curious, the Princess of the Night let herself into the strange dreamscape. What she saw froze her mind in a way that only a mother could be familiar with. She saw a room set in an enticing candle-lit atmosphere with a simple offering of cupcakes sitting on a table at its center. On one side of the room stood a massive bed-shaped cake with two figures huddled close together, hungry smiles and eyes shared between them as they-
Luna quickly backpedaled out of the dreamscape before she saw too much, a deep blush coloring her cheeks as she gently closed the door behind her.
"Well, it would seem our son has found a marefriend," she said blinking owlishly as she walked away from the door. "Perhaps we can give him a bit more space for a few days. Let him have his moments before we start prying."
A devilish smile formed on her lips at that as she continued her evening patrol.
"And oh how we shall pry. What kind of mother would we be if we did otherwise?"