A/N: before we begin I want to thank everyone who stuck with me. I am really sorry this took so long. from writers block which is my bane, to illness. a few of you stuck by me and I cannot thank them enough. but I want to highlight someone who really helped in the process.
who checked up on me to remind me to continue working on it despite the trickiness of my writers block. thanks dude.
secondly though this is a little short I tried to remember all of the details I did for this chapter. but I couldn't quite get it (stupid crash) so I hope its good because I plan to do the grand galloping gala next.
The morning was slowly coming to ponyville. The morning birds were beginning to wake from their sleep. The cows on Sweet Apple Acres were ready to give their milk. All of the animals in Fluttershy’s cottage were ready for breakfast so they could frolic and play. The morning rays from the sun slowly crept across the sleepy town. Until it hit a house. Where within that house lay a bedroom. Where in that bedroom lay a really comfortable bed. Where in that bed lay a pony. Who was in the unfortunate position of having a ray of sunlight hit her window just right, to land smack dab into her eyes. Which caused the effect of having a pink hand emerge from beneath her covers and weakly shake said hand in a fist “I will get you back for this Celestia.” said the mare.
She sat up her eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep. Since the emergence of her twisted alter ego. Her sleep took a drastic hit. For several weeks she tried to sleep with little success. Almost every time she tried she would be back in that castle. Listening to the taunts of her twisted other. No matter how many times she tried to wake up she would not be released until the morning came. It began to affect her work. She barely got one of her dojo students to green belt status because of it. It was beginning to affect her appearance. Her mane was matted and clung to her neck and shoulders black rings had formed around her eyes. She began to jump at shadows looking around as if she was about to be attacked.
She lost some muscle mass some of her strength fading with it. her friends tried to be as supportive as possible. Apple Cider letting me nap at her place and Solar Dash buying her coffee when things got tough. Her sister Pinkie looked on in concern as Pinkamena struggled with everything.
As Pinkamena tried to get back to sleep she heard a knock on her door.
P.o.v Pinkamena
I groaned in frustration all I wanted was to try to squeeze at least a little sleep into my schedule but apparently, I wasn’t going to. I shuffled my feet towards the door to see who had the audacity to disturb the potential energy gain I could get.
I looked through the peephole and sighed it was my sister only she was dressed up as a present normally I would be mad but this was my sister. She was probably trying to cheer me up again. I opened the door for this latest attempt.
This is your singing telegram
I hope it finds you well
You're invited to a party
'Cause we think you're really swell
Gummy's turning one year old
So help us celebrate
The cake will be delicious
The festivities first-rate
There will be games and dancing
Bob for apples, cut a rug [pop]
And when the party's over
We'll gather 'round for a group hug
No need to bring a gift
Being there will be enough
Birthdays mean having fun with friends
Not getting lots of stuff
It won't be the same without you
So we hope that you say yes
So, please, oh please R.S.V.P.
And come, and be our guest!”
she sang enthusiastically I paused for a moment not expecting this. I kept up to date with my sister through the letters she sent though she never said she celebrated gummies birthday. Of course, considering my sister I wasn’t really surprised that she would celebrate something like her baby alligators birthday. I looked over to Pinkie with concern “you aren’t gonna do that with every invitee are you?” I asked
“Well yes as well as with different costumes to make it fresh.” said Pinkie
“Pinkie you do realize that to track down all of your friends is to run all around town and I know you don’t like losing all your energy.” I said
“Don’t worry sis I’ll make it work.” said Pinkie handing me the invitation and bouncing away with her usual singing.
I shook my head sometimes I felt concerned for that mare the inner workings of her mind were an enigma a mystery I wasn’t all too eager to solve.
I still shiver at the thought of when Twilight tried to solve the mystery that was Pinkie. As far as I am aware she still has some fits of bursting into flame. Unfortunately, I was in the vicinity of when Twilight had one of her episodes now I am usually a brave pony but when I saw Twilight who had turned white with her mane and tail on fire with red eyes, good grief I thought she had turned into a demon horse from Tartarus.
I had a couple of reoccurring nightmares the next few nights because of this. Messed up ones to.
Hopefully, someday she will solve her issues and the flame thing stops. Preferably before she permanently scars somepony.
I sighed and walked back into my house hoping to get some sleep if I was going to be at my sister’s party I needed to get as much sleep as possible.
5:00 Gummies party
I sipped at my punch more energy filling my body. How does it do that you ask its just punch? I’d agree with you… if I didn’t just get a big cup and fill half of it with fruit punch and fill the other half with caffeine.
Because despite the fact that I had gone back to bed to try to get some sleep, The Celestia forsaken being that lived in my brain would not leave me alone to get some sleep.
By the time that four-thirty came, I had once again not gained any energy despite trying to sleep to get energy for tonight.
So with a groan of frustration, I just got one of the big bottles of caffeine and walked over to Sugarcube Corner.
I glared at Gummy that dang baby gator. After I walked into Sugarcube Corner my face got obscured making me panic thinking I was under attack. But after feeling no pain and feeling my face awkwardly wet I knew then that Gummy had decided to latch onto my face… again
It was always that way with that dang gator ever since I moved into Ponyville and Pinkie introduced me to gummy. I had no idea why he was attracted to my face. All I knew was that it was annoying.
Pinkies friends were all there laughing and having a good time. Bobbing for apples, dancing on the dance floor generally having a good time
Rainbow and Applejack were Bobbing for apples Applejack scoring a bright red apple before consuming it
“Nice one! Now, let me show you how it's really done.” said Rainbow dunking her head in
“Hey, girls!” said Pinkie walking up to the two
Rainbow rose her head out of the water. “Hey, Pinkie Pie!” she said as she resubmerged her head
“Howdy!” said Applejack
*squeal* “Just wanted to tell you how happy I am that you could make it to Gummy's party.” said Pinkie
“ Are you kiddin'? I wouldn't have missed it for the world.” said Applejack
Rainbow Dash rose her head out again to take a breath. “Me neither. When Pinkie Pie throws a party, I am there! Ta-da!” said Rainbow. Raising her head out of the tub with an apple
“Aw! It's just a boring old apple. Don't worry, there are plenty of other surprises in there.” said Pinkie
“What kind of surprises?” asked Rainbow
“I can't tell you that, silly. Then it wouldn't be a surprise.” said Pinkie
Applejack laughed
Over in the next corner of the room Rarity was sitting while drinking some punch.
“This punch is simply divine. Is this the same recipe you used for your "Spring Has Sprung" party?” Rarity asked Pinkie
I wondered if this was so I liked the punch but the problem was there was some weird after taste
I just so happened to peer over at the punch bowl and then proceeded to run to the bathroom.
Let's just say that a certain gator decided to soak in the punch that caused me to throw up the punch as well as my caffine.
I swear one day I would just die due to gummy shinanigans. The only plus side was that Rarity had done an epic spit take when she noticed gummy in the punch.
After that she secretly dumped the rest of her punch into a nearby plant.
Pinkie then went to the last corner where Fluttershy and Twilight were dancing.
,
“Having fun?” asked Pinkie
“ A blast!” said Twilight
“You always throw the best parties, Pinkie Pie.” said Fluttershy
“They're always the best parties 'cause my best friends are always there!” said Pinkie
“Yah! I can agree with that Pinkie” said Twilight
“C'mon, everypony! Gummy wants to dance! Go, Gummy! It's your birthday! Go, Gummy! It's your birthday!” said Pinkie
I sighed cursing Pinkies relationship with that little gator. She told me the story one time and I was just floored by what she told me.
It was during the time that I was going through my first boxing tourney (before I learned the art of kung fu)
Pinkie was already a successful party pony in ponyville she took the town by storm throwing party after fun party each one more fun than the last.
Visiting ponies from other cities across Equestria would visit Ponyville for various reasons but would somehow get roped into her parties and because of the fun they had, they would leave Ponyville with smiles on their faces. Which then they would tell of the fun times they had at one of her parties. Eventually, this got her tier 3 license which enabled her to make parties nationally across Equestria. As soon as she got that license party orders began pouring in the one she took on that day happened to be in the city of Baltimare.
She would have to pass through a small forest to get there. as she was hopping along she heard a commotion past a big bush as soon as she pushed the bush out of the way, she gasped a tiny baby alligator was lying there on its back next to two dead cragodilles. Their rocky hides had massive cracks in them with many other pieces of them strewn about the floor. According to Pinkie when she told me this. As farfetched as it sounded the mother of said baby gator despite the fact that an alligator should not be able to beat a cragodille let alone two. She was able to beat the two she said the reason was that her teeth were somehow as strong as mithril. But unfortunately, it did not come without cost. The mother might have been able to win the battle but not the war. In her desperate fight to save her baby, she had taken too much damage. The alligator saw Pinkie and with pleading in her eyes, Pinkie could just tell that the momma gator wanted her to take and care for the baby. Then without much encouragement, the momma closed her eyes for the final time.
For hours afterward, Pinkie cried for the momma gator for the unfairness life seemed to be. Pinkie had learned a lesson that day. That life wasn’t always fair but that's ok because if she approached every situation with a positive attitude then things wouldn’t be so bad.
She then gave him the iconic name of gummy because he had no teeth.
Of course, that didn’t stop me from panicking when I met gummy for the first time and he decided he liked my face for some reason. The first time he latched on I ran around like a chicken with its head cut off. Of course Pinkie wasn’t helping things she just stood there and laughed as I tried to unlatch this baby gator but he held firm. It wasn’t until I used about forty percent of my overall strength that I was able to finally dislodge the baby gator.
It kept happening there was not one day that I spent with Pinkie where she didn’t bring Gummy along with her. Every time that fricken gator would latch onto my face and it would take a while for me to dislodge the gator and hand him back to Pinky. Believe me, countless times I had wanted to throw Gummy out the nearest window for continuing to latch onto my face. But Pinkie would probably stop being my sister for that so I tolerated it.
But still walking out of that bathroom my rage was to DEFCON one! Everything I had to deal with this week from the nightmares to the lack of sleep this was the final straw. All I wanted was to be there to support Pinkie. I brought a big bottle of caffeine to keep myself awake. That frickin gator lounged in the punch I put my caffeine in
Before I knew it my fur had turned red veins popped up next to my temples, my knuckles popped and creaked as I clenched my hands into fists. Steam started to flow from my body and I huffed it out my nostrils in anger.
My sisters Pinkie sense must have gone off because she looked over to me and instantly gained a look of fear. The reason became quite apparent. The skin of my hands split blood leaking from the palms. My eyes had no pupils in them as my rage increased. It all accumulated together as I gave a big bellowing shout “PIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNKKKKKKIIIIIIIEEEEEEEE!!!!!!” I yelled
Everypony jumped they had never heard me yell with such rage and anger before Pinkie approached slowly. “Sis wha-” she started
“NO PINKIE JUST NO I HAVE HAD IT FIRST THE PARASPRITES THEN THE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS THE WORK DIFFICULTY NOW THIS THAT CELESTIA FORSAKEN GATOR HAS BEEN LOUNGING AROUND IN THE PUNCH!” I yelled while steam continued to roll off my angered form
“Sis its gummies birthday I made the punch for him. Please sis your scaring me you’ve been so distant over the past few weeks. Tell me what’s wrong.” said Pinkie
“IT'S BEEN EVERYTHING! THE SITUATIONS YOU GET INTO THE CRAZY THINGS THAT HAPPEN AROUND TOWN! ALL OF IT HAS BEEN BUILDING MORE AND MORE ON MY STRESS i JUST-” all of a sudden I went back to normal falling down on my knees a downcast look on my face “I just can’t take it anymore.” I whispered
Pinkie looked over to her friends “sorry guys looks like I have to cut the party a little short my sister needs me and it's a family issue.” said Pinkie
“Don worry Pinkie we understand thanks fer the party.” said Applejack leading everypony else downstairs.
After everypony left Pinkie approached me and knelt down next to me. She wrapped her arms around me and began to comfort me as my last fortifications around my emotions collapsed. As I wept quietly my sister was there comforting me the best she could.
My tears eventually subsided and Pinkie finally spoke to me. “Come sis tell Pinkie whats bothering you why you were so wound up.”
“Sis you remember the parasprite incident several weeks ago?” I asked
“How could I not the parasprites literally ate everything.” said Pinkie
“Seeing them again… it..it pushed me back to the time when I had lost my mind. When I became….be...became that...that horrible thing that threatened everything and everypony. I saw everything I tried so hard to suppress sis. That darkness became a separate personality that I continue to fight tooth and nail against its why I’ve been so different. Its why I tried to hide my struggle. I’m supposed to be the strong one. The unbreakable one...so much for that now. I can’t sleep sis...not with that demon now roaming my head. It wants to just kill...it has no fear no remorse it wants to bathe in the blood it leaves behind.” I said still shaken
“Don’t worry sis even the bravest and strongest ponies still need help from time to time it’s why you have me and your friends. You don’t have to carry this burden alone, let us help you sis.” said Pinkie
Eventually, we would fall asleep in that room that night and it was the best sleep I had in the past few weeks.
The next morning was good I finally had the energy to reopen my dojo and begin teaching again. Last night was the perfect example of why I loved my sister Pinkie. She always goes out of her way to give me comfort. In the beginning when I died as a human from when I went through my psychic break due to the loss of Granny Pie. She was always there for me through thick and thin. Which reminds me I need to apologize to Pinkie for going off on gummy (even though I don’t want to because gummy)
I reached for the doorknob when my sense went off. I turned around with my fists raised expecting a fight but it turns out that it was a sister in distress sense not so much a pony wanting to hurt me sense. My sister’s mane and tail were in disarray strands of it hung down from its usual puffy appearance one eye pupil was smaller than the other. She would also randomly twitch in multiple places.
I had to admit that it kinda creeped me out. “Um….are you...ok sis?” I asked
“Oh don’t worry I’m fine. Can you come to gummy’s after birthday party?” she said the bottom of her left eyelid twitching.
“Sis I see that you are under stress you need to calm do-” I tried to say before Pinkie teleported right up to me and grabbed me by the collar of my gi and rammed her forehead to mine
“I AM CALM CAN’T YOU TELL?!! I JUST WANT TO CELEBRATE GUMMY’S AFTER PARTY BUT EVERYPONY SEEMS TO BE BUSY!!!! I ASKED RAINBOW DASH AND FLUTTERSHY BUT APPARENTLY THEY ARE BUSY HOUSE SITTING FOR A BEAR!!!!! THEN I ASKED APPLEJACK BUT APPARENTLY HER BARN IS UNDERGOING MAINTENANCE. AND TWILIGHT HAS BEEN SKULKING EVERYWHERE!!!! SO WHATS YOUR EXCUSE?!!!” yelled Pinkie
“Pinkie calm down I am overdue to reopen my dojo poor little GreenFern has been trying to finally earn her green belt for a while.” I said
All of a sudden Pinkie’s mane and tail repuffed and her eyes went back to normal.
“Yeah, I can see that. I’m sorry sis today has been a little stressful I’ve been trying so hard to get ponies to attend but so far its been met with failure. Said Pinkie
“Pinkie it's ok who knows Applejack might have had to fix her barn maybe Twilight had a lot of errands to run all I am saying is give them a chance to get their busy things done who knows maybe they can come after that.” I said
Pinkie Immediately brightened “your right I just need to be patient. Thanks sis.” said Pinkie
I sighed in relief as a watched her bounce away that was a close one don’t get me wrong I love Pinkies parties (as long as her tartarus spawned gator kept away from me.) but I really did have to open my dojo today Greenfurn has been patiently waiting for her green belt like a champ. I felt guilty like no other when I had to tell her that her progress had to be halted. Today would be the day that I would test Greenfern she practiced so hard. She would always come to the dojo to hone and improve her skills.
Let me describe her she was a filly of about twelve, she had a purple mane that was always put in a bun. Before coming to my dojo GreenFurn was quite thin with no muscle to speak of. Now she had a good amount not too much. Her coat was of course green with her special talent being ferns. Because of her being thinner than normal fillies her age, her wiry glasses and high intelligence. She was picked on by a lot of other fillies along with some colts. She taught herself to ignore the verbal abuse. But then the verbal abuse turned physical she would come home with many injuries. At that point her mother Blue Daisy had enough and she enrolled Green Fern into my Kung Fu class. At first Green would just go through the motions. She felt without hope that the bullying would stop. But according to Green one day at school the bullies approached her for their daily beating of her. A red colt had approached her to swing the first punch. At that point her senses felt the punch coming and next thing she knew she blocked the punch. Followed by a palm strike to the chin and an additional palm strike to the abdomen which was enough to send him sprawling to the ground. The others tried to retaliate but everything they tried would not work. That day she had come out on top. She had been eagerly attending ever since.
I walked into my dojo to the eager bouncing of GreenFern. “Hey Green you ready for your test?” I asked
“Yes mam I am ready I have been diligently been practicing, waiting for my test let's do this sensei!” said GreenFern
I walked with Green to the greenbelt testing room my testing rooms I designed myself the yellow room had just basic rolls and hills that you had to fight in. the orange room had several sparring dummies that they had to hit as well as fighting a live opponent.
The green room which was were GreenFern was taking her next test was a tall forest of bamboo in order to progress to green belt GreenFern had to balance on the bamboo as well as get at least three hits on my while dodging my own strikes all the while not falling off of the bamboo.
The blue room was a series of lily pads in a water filled tank built into the room. Those taking on this level had to run across the lily pads all while staying out of the water. They had to make it to the first island before the first bit of combat commenced. They had to do all this with increasing difficulty from water that would speed up its current. The last hurdle was to make it to the other side of a waterfall
The purple room was even more of a challenge it took away the sense of sight and hearing. Using a special purple mist. You had to increase your other senses to win the day. You had to fend off not only fight dummies but also the tester.
The brown room was fought on a series of unstable bridges compared to bamboo balancing you’d have an easier time balancing on the bamboo then trying to balance on moving rope bridges.
The red room was more challenging than almost all of the others it involved a blazing hot fire pit. You had to ignore the burning sensation on your feet and fight with all you had it was a difficult thing to do a lot of brown belts turned from this step. But Rainbow dash came at it with gusto. Despite the fact that she failed three times she never let that beat her. And before I knew it rainbow earned her red belt.
The black room was the room the place where basic kung fu mastery this room tested everything that was ever taught from movement to balance to kung fu moves according to which of the disciplines you went under. This room testing everything ramped up to ten. Rainbow failed this part ten times and still came back swinging she had earned her black belt at last it was quite a proud moment not only for her but for me as well.
GreenFurn and I finally made it to the green room. With a jump I landed with one foot on the centermost bamboo pole. I gestured GreenFurn forwards before putting my hands together.
GreenFurn jumped up on the left most pole.
“A greenbelt must have good balance not only in the physical sense. But he or she has to have a balanced life as well.” I said as I threw up my left arm blocking a strike from Green. She quickly hopped away I peeked and saw how she was still keeping a near perfect balance. I smiled a little
“So you must ask yourself this.” I said as I blocked a kick “do you have balance both in kung fu and in life, or is there something that I need to bring to balance. I felt the three quick taps and I knew that GreenFurn passed.
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GreenFurn waited nervously did she do well? Did she pass? Her sensei lead them back to her office and she was told to wait here.
But soon enough Pinkamena came out with a smile on her face. To GreenFurns excitement in her sensei’s hands was the green belt she worked so hard for.
“Congrats GreenFurn you have earned your green belt wear it with pride my student.” said Pinkamena.
Green took the belt and replaced her orange belt with the green. She took a bow and left to her mother.
I had walked to my sisters house I wanted to schedule a party for GreenFern but when I entered I saw her sitting there. Mane and tail straight talking to inanimate objects. Those objects included a bucket of turnips, a pile of rocks, a big pile of lint, and a bag of flour.
I had to talk Pinkie down who told me that she thought that her friends were sick of her and didn’t want to be her friend anymore.
I headed to applejack's barn with Pinkie to clear this up and she was massively surprised to find her friends were preparing a surprise birthday party just for her.
It was night I had finally settled down to sleep for the night. Unfortunately, I knew that my battle for a goodnight sleep was about to begin again.
But this time I went at it with the knowledge that my sister would be there to help me through it.