//------------------------------//
// Ch.41 Healing 
// Story: The Gaps in F r i e n d s h i p 
// by Arcanum -Phantasy 
//------------------------------//

Pinkie sighed as she stared at her hospital room ceiling, her mind finally at ease for the first time in weeks. Everything about her felt so light now that the constant fear of discovery was gone. All that was left was a cloudy weariness as she faded in and out of the waking world. A small smile graced her muzzle as she let her tired mind wander. Everything felt so nice. So peaceful.
"Your double is coming," Tattle said, his tone casual as he yawned in the back of her mind.
"Okay," Pinkie whispered.
She closed her eyes and waited, her zen too strong for her to be concerned over what her double had in store for her. At the same time, she felt Tattle's magic envelop her like a warm blanket. She hummed happily as she let it embrace her, her conscious mind standing on the tipping point between the waking and dreaming worlds.
"You scared me," Tattle said, a trace of his magic caressing her cheek. "I thought I lost you."
Her peace broke at that as regret took its place. She knew that this talk was going to come, but neither seemed willing or able to find the strength to start it. Perhaps it was out of concern for the other or maybe that was just an excuse to put it off for as long as possible. Either way, a simple fact could not be ignored. Pinkie had almost killed herself.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to scare you."
"I know," he sighed, only for a tremble to enter his tone as he added, "But that doesn't make it any better. I... I don't want to lose you."
A small smile graced her muzzle as she let herself fall asleep completely. The warm magic turned into furry violet forelegs with flecks of silver that embraced her from behind. She opened her eyes to a clear evening sky, stars twinkling like thousands of diamonds over an endless field of soft grass. She gently rested her right hoof on one of Tattle's paws, her left foreleg as limp and numb at her side here as it was in the waking world. Tattle held her tighter and rested his head on top of hers. She looked up at her lover and kissed him on the chin.
"I promise that I won't do that again," she whispered, a sad smile gracing her lips.
"And I promise to help you keep that promise," he said, a determined shine in his eyes as he stared down at her. "From this day forward, I will do whatever I can to keep you safe. This I swear."
"I'll hold you to that," she giggled, reclining bonelessly into Tattle's embrace. "I was really stupid this whole time, wasn't I?"
"No," he sighed. "I think we both fouled this up. I should've been more forceful in getting you to meet with my mother and the rest of the High Royal Family. If we are going to be together, a meeting was inevitable to begin with. I was such a fool to think it could be put off."
Pinkie shook her head and said, "No, I definitely screwed this up the most. If I'd just listened to you at the start and talked to your mom. Maybe we would've known about the whole portal thing."
"Perhaps," he frowned. "But there is no point in making what ifs. All we can do now is move forward."
"Yeah," Pinkie sighed, staring down at her scarred and numb foreleg. "If Sunset can do it, then so can I."
Tattle's form suddenly shifted into mist around her before reforming in his normal form above her, his posture like a hunter crouched low over its prey. Her ears flicked as the fur on his forelegs tickled their edges, a bright blush growing in her muzzle as she stared into his dark blue eyes. This was a side of him she had never seen before. She'd seen him playful. She'd seen him tired. This was the first time she'd seen him serious. Her blush grew as he slowly brought his mouth down towards her ear.
"Before anything else happens," he whispered. "I have one thing I want to say."
"W-What's that?" Pinkie stammered, her heart pounding in her chest.
"Something that I now know I have gone far to long without saying," he smiled. "I love you."
Pinkie froze, then smiled as a soft warmth filled her. This was different than the warmth she felt when she made people smile or spent time with her friends. It was a warmth that filled her heart and soul in a way that made her feel complete. Like a part of her had been missing this whole time and she had only just realized what it was. Who it was. It made what she said next the easiest words she could say as she nuzzled into Tattle's cheek.
"I love you too."
He raised his head and looked deep into her eyes, a gentle smile replacing his normally sly grin as he leaned down towards her for a kiss. As their lips met, they shifted into their human forms and held each other close. Literal fireworks filled the sky as their love effected the dream they laid in. The display went largely unnoticed by the couple as they continued to kiss, though a small giggle came out of Pinkie as she caught a small glimpse. Reluctantly, Tattle broke the kiss, wild blushes, panting breaths, and wide smiles shared between them.
"A-As much as I would like to continue," Tattle panted. "You have somepony waiting for you in your room."
"T-Tease," she giggled raggedly.
"Till next time my dear," he winked.
"Oh you know it buster," she said, playfully narrowing her eyes as she poked him in the chest. "Never heat up a Pie if you aren't ready for what happens next."
"Don't tempt the Prince of Dreams my dear," he smirked wickedly. "I have seen much and have many forms."
"Then don't keep me waiting," she winked.


***


Equestrian Pinkie didn't know what to expect when she came to her double's hospital room. In a lot of ways the whole situation was surreal, even for her. Not even the Mirror Pond Incident left this kind of impact on her. This wasn't a magic copy of her. This was a version of her from another reality. She was also a pony that the native Earth Pony was starting to see as a friend. Not many ponies could keep up with her and to finally meet somepony that could was a huge breath of fresh air. While the motivations had shifted somewhat, Equestrian Pinkie had grown to enjoy the little game of tag she shared with her double. As frustrating as their interactions could be at times, the Party Planner reveled in the chances her double gave her to really test the limits of her creative mind. 
It broke her heart to see the state of her double as she stepped inside the room. 
The mare was sound asleep, a small peaceful smile gracing her muzzle as she dreamed. That gave the native Pinkie a bit of happiness while the sight of her double's left leg was the main source of her sadness. While Twilight was vague on the specifics, Pinkie was able to gather that the damage to the limb was severe. The countless scars that covered the limb was clear evidence as to just how severe the damage was the night before. The sound of a balloon deflating filled the room, the native Earth Pony's mane and tail turning flat as she made her way towards the bed bound mare.
She stared down at the sleeping mare with wide sad eyes as she took everything in. Not long into it, the mare's eyes fluttered open. Equestrian Pinkie froze, not sure what to do or say before the mare's eyes fell onto her. Shock hit her like a bolt of lightning when Terran Pinkie gave her a friendly smile.
"Hey," she said, voice dry as sandpaper. 
"H-Hey," the native Pinkie gulped, not sure what to add to the conversation.
Terran Pinkie giggled lightly, then said, "Guess you win, huh?"
"Huh?" Equestrian Pinkie blinked.
"The game," she smiled, bringing a hoof up to her own forehead. "Tag. Now I'm it, right?"
Equestrian Pinkie continued to blink blankly at her double for a few seconds. Then she let out a small giggle as she shook her head. 
"Nu-uh. The game's on hold until you get better."
"If you say so," she shrugged. "By the way, my name's Pinkamena Dianne Pie. What's your's?"
"Pinkamena Dianne Pie," Equestrian Pinkie smiled.
The two stayed like that for a few seconds, then burst out laughing.
"D-Do you call yourself Pinkie too," Terran Pinkie asked, wiping a happy tear out of her eye with her good hoof.
"Yepperooni," Equestrian Pinkie beamed, her mane and tail springing back into its usual mass of curls. "Do you're parents run a rock farm too?"
Terran Pinkie shook her head with a proud smile as she said, "Nope! They run a quarry!"
"Cool!" Equestrian Pinkie chirped. "My sister Maud would love to meet them! She loves visiting quarries, especially if they've got rare ores and minerals."
"My Maud's the same way," Terran Pinkie giggled. "One time, we visited this canyon when we were little and she adopted a rock she found there."
"No way!" Equestrian Pinkie gushed. "That's exactly how Maud met Boulder!"
"She named her pet rock that too?" Terran Pinkie gasped. "What are the odds?"
"I know, right?!" 
For a while, the two mares traded stories about their lives, everything from the mundane to the extraordinary. Terran Pinkie was pretty impressed by everything her double went through. Crossing paths with an angry moon goddess, helping liberate a kingdom, and befriending a chaos god. Compared to everything the Terran has been through, her double was on dozens of levels above her. The fact that her Gapwalking made her a match for her was a pretty big feather in her cap as far as she was concerned.
"Say," Terran Pinkie said, nervously fidgeting in her bed. "I know it's kind of late, but... do you want to be friends?"
Equestrian Pinkie gave her a confused blink, then laughed as she said, "Silly filly, we already are!"
Pinkie giggled and said, "Just checking."


***


Guilt. That was what weighed heavy on Fluttershy's soul as she stared up at her bedroom ceiling, the darkness barely registering to her as her eyes glinted a vibrant red. With what  limited control she had over her magic, her eyes would always shift to their current state if she was in near to total darkness. Normally, she would've found the quirks of her magic fascinating, maybe a little scary, but now they were just a nuisance to her. To her sharp eyes, the near pitch-black room was as bright and clear as it would've been if she turned on the light. That, combined with the guilt she felt about the part she played in her friend's condition kept her from finding any restful sleep.
She let out a frustrated sigh as she sat up in bed, a tired frown marring her face as she looked around her room. She needed a distraction, something to help her get her mind off of what she did just long enough to fall asleep. Her eyes wandered over towards the journal she kept on her desk, the one she used to talk to her girlfriend in Equestria. She gave the clock next to it a quick glance and grimaced. Eleven-thirty. There was no way she would be up at this hour. Left with few other options, she held up her hand and summoned the journal into it. She sighed as she opened the journal and skimmed the pages, dozens of them containing messages they passed back and fourth over the past few days. Her face heated up slightly when an image of her double laying sideways on a lounge chair greeted her, her eyes giving her a smile that sat on the border of cute and naughty. It really came as a shock to her that the journal could do that and the fact that it could change the image to what the pony would look like if they were human was a real eyeopener for her. The difference was that when she decided to give her girlfriend her own picture message, she made sure to use a picture that showed her with clothes on.
When she finally found a blank page, she plucked a pencil off of her nightstand and started writing.
Hello? Are you awake?
She numbly stared at the page, her heart pounding in her chest as she held out hope for a response. Her eyes widened as words appeared on the page.
Is something wrong? Are you okay?
Her lips pulled up into a small smile as she responded.
Remember when you told me I wasn't a monster?
Yes?
Her lips trembled as she wrote, I don't know if you were right.
What do you mean? What happened?
She took a deep, shuddering breath as she put pencil to paper again.
I'm the one that put Pinkie in the hospital. I found her the last time we went to Equestria and made her promise to go through the portal. If she didn't make that promise, she wouldn't've tried to use the portal and got hurt. I'm horrible! A monster! It's all my fault! It's all my fault! It's all my-
	A bright flash in the room startled the journal and pencil out of her hands, said hands covering her tearstained eyes to shield them from the sudden light. When she pulled her hands away, she saw two figures standing in the middle of her room. One was a familiar tall man in a formal suit, his yellow and red eyes groggy and hair a bedraggled mess as he frowned at her. Standing next to him was a near exact copy of Fluttershy wearing a white T-shirt and teal pajama bottoms. Her arms were crossed as she leveled a stern look at the crying girl. 
"Thank you Discord," Equestrian Fluttershy said, eyes still locked onto her weeping marefriend. "Sorry for summoning you at such a late hour, but this was an emergency."
"Sure thing Fluttershy," Discord yawned. "Call me again when you want to get back."
"I will."
He nodded sleepily before snapping his fingers and disappearing in a small flash of light. 
Fluttershy stared at her double and girlfriend in stunned silence for a moment, then stammered, "I-I-"
Equestrian Fluttershy put up a hand to silence her.
"Let me ask you one thing," she said sternly. "Did you know going through the portal would hurt her?"
Fluttershy shook her head, unable to tear her eyes away from her girlfriend's as she stared her down.
"B-But I-"
"None of that," Equestrian Fluttershy said firmly, her steps filled with resolve as she closed in on her. "I am not going to let you beat yourself up over an accident. You are not a monster. Do you understand me?"
"Y-Yes," she sniffled, her gaze finally drifting down towards her lap. "B-But I can't help it. Every time I think about Pinkie, I keep thinking about what happened that night. I... I... know I could've handled things differently and it's tearing me apart inside. I... I just want to stop hurting my friends."
Equestrian Fluttershy's features softened as she took a seat on the bed next to her marefriend. Sometimes it was hard for the mare to remember that the strong Thestral she fell for was just as brittle as her. That behind the hunter's mask was just a scared filly wrapped in a guilty blanket. For the first time, it was the shy Pegasus' turn to be the one that another leaned upon for strength. 
With delicate hands, she guided her double's face up towards her own, tear-soaked red eyes locking with gentle teal ones. They basked in each other's gaze for what felt like hours, the dim light of a nearby window casting tall shadows in the dark room. Neither cared. All that mattered was this moment that they shared. Then, the visiting Pegasus leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her marefriend's forehead before she pulled her into an equally gentle embrace.
"I wish I could take away your pain," she said, stroking her lover's back. "I'm sorry that this is all I can do for you."
A small smile spread across the native Fluttershy's face as she leaned into her girlfriend's hug, a much needed warmth coming over her like the first rays of summer. Reluctantly, the two girls came out of the hug, one sporting a kind smile while the other's held a mix of gratitude and happiness.
"Th-Thank you," Fluttershy stammered, wiping tears out of her eyes. "For coming and telling me all of that. I wish I wasn't such a mess. Sorry."
"It's fine," Equestrian Fluttershy cooed, brushing a lock of hair out of her marefriend's eyes. "We all have days like that. The most important thing we can do is tell somepony when it gets to be too much."
Her expression firmed as she added, "I want you to message me if you ever feel like this again. Okay?"
"Yes," she nodded, then gently clasped her girlfriend's hands as she added, "You too. I don't want to be the only one getting help in this relationship. If you need help, let me know and I'll help you as soon as I can."
"I wouldn't want it any other way," she smiled.
The two shared a smile for a few seconds, only for the native Fluttershy to blush sheepishly as she asked, "Do you think... if it wouldn't be too much trouble... that you could... spend the night?"
Equestrian Fluttershy gave her a few surprised blinks, then smiled and nodded as she laid herself down beside her. Fluttershy pulled the covers over them as she snuggled up against her girlfriend, both girls sporting rosy cheeks as they laid together. Slowly but surely, the smell of fog and wildflowers guided them to the land of dreams.