The Gaps in F r i e n d s h i p

by Arcanum -Phantasy


Ch. 43 First Steps

As an immortal, Hearths Warming often forgot the potential that resided in mortals. With all of the time and magic in the world, it was fairly easy for her to be extraordinary if given the right amount of time and motivation. When she was reminded, it always placed a smile on her beak. Starswirl the Bearded. Rock Hoof the Strong. Mist Mane the Beautiful. Flash Magnus the Brave. Somnambular the Hopeful. Meadow Brook the Healer. Stygian the Devoted. A handful of mortals that surprised her countless times before she moved on to Terra. Now a new name was going to be added to her list as she watched her new student walk out of the hospital's front doors towards her. It was truly incredible what one can accomplish in a week when they set their mind to it.
Pinkie sported a proud smile as she walked, her discolored leg covered with circular light pink marks that she wore like a badge of honor. Her smile grew as she stopped in front of the High Royal.
"Told ya," she said cockily pointing a hoof at her.
The fact that the Terran pointed her undamaged hoof at her was not lost on her, nor the fact that the formerly useless limb was holding her weight perfectly.
"Indeed," Hearths Warming chuckled, shaking her head. "You are full of surprises, aren't you Miss Pie."
"Just Pinkie's fine," she giggled. "All that formal stuff is too stiff for me."
"Very well," she nodded. "Are you ready?"
Still smiling, she shook her head.
"Not yet. I have a few people I need to talk to first."
"As you wish," she nodded. "Where to first?"


***


Zecora hummed quietly to herself as she added some powdered herbs to her cauldron, the bubbling blue water turning a brilliant shade of lavender. With Winter Wrap-up just around the corner, it wouldn't be long before her potions were going to be in high demand. Fortunately, muscle pains were fairly easy things to tend to and the ingredients for such potions were just as common. Carefully, she ladled the cauldron's contents into several dozen small glass bottles with the kind of practiced ease only years of experience could produce. Just as she finished corking the last bottle, a light knock at her door caught her attention.
"Who could that be, standing outside of my tree," she asked herself, walking towards the door.
A warm smile grew on her muzzle when she saw who stood on the other side of the door.
"Why if my eyes do not deceive, is that Red Hood that I perceive?"
"Sort of," Pinkie chuckled, awkwardly scratching the back of her head as she looked away. "I... uh... I'm not going to be around for a while and wanted to tell you a few things."
"That I could certainly surmise," she said, a raised brow adding to her smile as she added, "Are you going to dispel your lies?"
Pinkie cringed at that, then sighed and nodded.
"Sorry about that. I... didn't want anyone to know I lived out here and I needed your help. It... seemed like a good idea at the time."
"I understand my way word traveler," she smiled, placing a hoof on the Earth Pony's shoulder. "I felt no malice, not before or after."
"Thanks," Pinkie smiled, Zecora's hoof sliding off of her shoulder. "For everything. You're lessons really helped me out here."
"Think nothing of it my friend," Zecora smiled. "Your health is all that matters in the end."
"I guess," she chuckled. "But you deserve to know my real name at least."
Zecora nodded, patently waiting for the Terran to find her words.
"I'm Pinkamena Dianne Pie," she said with a small sheepish smile. "But you can call me Pinkie if you want."
A mischievous smile spread across the Zebra's muzzle as she said, "A difficult request that may be, as I have a friend named Pinkie. That will do nopony any good, so to me you will always be Red Hood."
Pinkie gawked at her for a second, then burst out laughing at that.
"S-So even though you know that's not my real name, you're still going to call me that?" she asked between giggles.
The Zebra nodded, still smirking at her.
"F-Fair enough," she smiled, still giggling a bit. "Guess I better start heading back to Ponyville then."
"I will not stop you if that is what you desire, but why must you go I inquire?"
Pinkie flashed her a cheeky smile as she said, "If people are going to call me Red Hood, I think I'm gonna need my jacket."


***


Stepping into Ponyville was a very jarring experience for Pinkie, a small bundle of nervous butterflies fluttering in her stomach as she crossed the border into town. She could feel Hearths Warming's eyes on her back as she walked, both grateful that she respected her wishes to do this alone and regretting said option as old habits started to rear their ugly head. Through a combination of Tattle's encouragement and her own stubborn conviction, she fought past her nerves and navigated the town.
Her first stop was Applejack's booth, but instead of seeing the orange Earth Pony mare manning the stall she saw what she assumed was this worlds version of her brother. After he stopped looking at her with what looked like fear in his eyes, she asked him if he knew where his sister went. Unfortunately, the massive stallion had no idea, earning a dejected sigh from Pinkie. With a polite "Thank you" , she turned away from the stall and made her way into town.
"Do you think you can find her?" she whispered, carefully weaving her way through the town's busy streets.
"I think so," Tattle mused. "Let me see."
For a moment, Tattle was silent as he tried to sift through the countless magical signatures around them as Pinkie continued to monitor their surroundings. Eventually, he found the signature he was looking for, but something else caught his attention.
"I found her," he said, tone laced with intrigue.
"Nice!" Pinkie cheered, startling a couple of ponies walking past her. "Where is she?"
"A dozen blocks away from us to your left. I'm also picking up eight other magical signatures with her."
"Any idea who's with her?" she asked, following her boyfriend's directions.
"In addition to the Elements of Harmony, I'm seeing a Dragon's energy as well as my Aunt and her lover's magic."
"Your Aunt?" Pinkie asked.
"Princess Celestia," he said hesitantly.
Her stride turned stiff for a second at the mention of the Princess of the Sun's name, but was otherwise unaltered.
While she was mostly over her fear of Alicorns, that did not extend towards Celestia. She still remembered the look she gave her and the other students in the Gym. Just the memory was enough to force a shiver down her spine. At the same time though, she was glad that she was going to be there. It made what she had to do much easier, no matter how much she didn't want to do it.
"We're here," Tattle intoned.
Pinkie froze, then looked around.
To her left stood a towering three story structure. It had the shape of an elegant castle tower with ring-like balconies set at the top, middle, and second floor level. Golden merry-go-round ornaments decorated the outer walls and the balcony railings. Pinkie gulped as her eyes settled on the building's elegantly crafted front door. This was it. No turning back. It was time to put an end to all of her running and start moving forward.
On shaky legs, she made her way towards the door. Once it was within grabbing distance, she reached forward, took a deep breath, and opened the door. What she saw beyond the threshold made her jaw hit the floor. What was once a waiting room was now the scene of a small party. Pink and blue balloons and streamers decorated the ceiling while a red banner reading Welcome to Ponyville Terran Pinkie hovered above everyone present on wires. A small cluster of ponies, a small purple and green Dragon, and a creature Pinkie needed to take several double-takes to register stood at the room's heart near a table with a five tier red and pink cake.
"Wh-What's all of this?" Pinkie stammered, wandering into the room.
"It's your welcome to ponyville party," Equestrian Pinkie said, slowly approaching her double with a small smile. "Do you like it?"
Pinkie's shock slowly shifted to joy as she nodded. Her demeanor tensed when Princess Celestia approached her, the strange creature that Pinkie assumed was the Princess' lover literally hovering not far behind her.
"You are the Pinkie Pie from Terra, correct?" Celestia asked, her face unreadable as she stared down at her.
"Yes ma'am," Pinkie confirmed, stance rigid as she matched the Alicorn's gaze.
"I see," she said, tone still unreadable. "Tell me, how have you taken care of yourself since you came here?"
Without missing a beat, she told the Princess everything. How she got to Equestria. Where she was living until recently. What she did to keep herself alive in the Everfree Forest. Everypony stared at her with wide eyes as she told them everything, some even seemingly impressed with how she managed to take care of herself for so long. Then came the question that Pinkie dreaded to answer in Celestia's presence. A question asked by that very same Alicorn herself.
"Why did you go into hiding?"
"Because... Because I was scared."
Everyone gave her confused looks as she stared at the ground in shame before continuing.
"I remembered how mad you were back home and I was sure that if you found me that you'd... anyway, I was scared. So I hid as best I could so that I could find a way back home and make things right with Sunset. That... didn't work out as well as I planned."
As she said that, she frowned at her scar-covered leg before she stared up at the Princess.
"But I'm done running and hiding. I want to make things up to Sunset, for you and for me."
Celestia remained unmoved by the Terran's words, her eyes seeming to burrow into the young woman's soul. Then, a small smile crept onto her muzzle as she let her mask fall away.
"Very well," she chuckled. "Then for now, let's forget the crimes of the past and enjoy the present. After all, we might end up as family someday."
"Oh sweet Maker," Tattle groaned from the back of her mind. "Not Auntie too."
Pinkie's face turned beet red at that as she let what the Princess said settle. While she wasn't against the idea, the thought of marrying Tattle was still one that could turn her head into a steaming kettle. That went double when one considered what happened between them earlier in the week. Before she could explore that thought any further, a white Unicorn with a familiarly styled mane and tail approached her. Hovering next to her in a shimmering dark blue aura was a long rectangular box bound with a red ribbon.
"I know that one usually has cake before gifts," the Unicorn, Rarity, said floating the box towards her. "But I think you've waited long enough to have this returned."
Pinkie fell to her haunches and plucked the box out of the air. Curious, she opened the gift, then with a wide smile and trembling hooves she pulled her jacket out of the box. The left sleeve was missing, but the leather in that area was smoothed and mended to the point that it looked like it was an intentional feature as opposed to damage. All of the minor rips and tears that it had acquired since she came to Equestria had been repaired with such precise skill that if Pinkie didn't know where to look, she never would've noticed them. With happy tears sliding down her cheeks, she hugged the coat to her chest. It was then that she notice what looked like a red fabric tube laying at the bottom of the box. Confused, she wiped her eyes and plucked the item out of the box.
"What's this?" she asked, examining it.
"Well," Equestrian Pinkie smiled. "Rarity couldn't replace the sleeve, so instead she made a glove to wear over your leg instead."
"I hope that's alright," Rarity said nervously. "I don't usually work with leather and it would've taken days to find anypony that could make a replacement."
Pinkie giggled and said, "Nah, that's fine. I kind of like it."
As she said that, she put the jacket on then slid on the glove. It stopped just past her shoulder, effectively hiding her scars and adding a bit of flare to her look that she never thought of before. She smiled at her Equestrian counterpart and Rarity and pulled them into a hug.
"Thanks a lot. I promise when this is all over to come back and visit."
"You better," Equestrian Pinkie giggled, returning the hug. "We've got a game to finish!"
"Definitely," Pinkie grinned.


***


Crickets chirped under a clear night sky, Luna's moon only just creeping out of the horizon line. In an open field far outside the border of Ponyville Hearths Warming stood, a flat look plastered across her face as her new student came to meet her.
"You certainly took a while," Hearths Warming said flatly.
"Sorry," Pinkie said sheepishly, pulling her hood back to look her teacher in the eye. "It took a lot longer to get everything taken care of then I thought it would."
"If you say so," the ancient bird sighed. "Are you ready?"
Pinkie nodded, not a shred of doubt present in her features as she met Hearths Warming's eyes.
"Good," she smiled. "Then let us begin."
As she said that, a glowing golden gap appeared to her left, its surface resembling melted gold as it wavered and warped.
"Please step through and we can begin your training."
Pinkie hesitantly moved towards the gap, memories of the last time she tried to pass through a portal running through her mind like a freight train.
"I-Is it safe?" she asked, a foot away from the shimmering portal.
"You are wise to be concerned, but fear not," Hearths Warming smiled, placing a wing onto the nervous Earth Pony's back. "This gap is different from the portal between our worlds. You will not be harmed."
"Okay," Pinkie gulped. "I-If you say so."
With that, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and ran forward as fast as she could. A split second later, her body felt completely different and she slid face first into the ground. A dull groan crept past her lips as she pushed herself off of the ground and onto her knees. Whining, she rubbed her bruised nose to try and alleviate pain. It was then that she came to a startling realization that made her freeze; she had hands! Her eyes popped open and she immediately examined herself. Sure enough, she was human again for the first time in weeks. That discovery quickly took a backseat when she gave her surroundings a quick once over and her jaw dropped.
The sky was a shinning golden aurora with hundreds of rippling circular gaps covering it like a patchwork blanket as far as the eye can see. The ground was clear shimmering crystal that shined with every color of the rainbow and was as smooth as polished glass. Pinkie stared with wide eyes as she took in the world around her, awe not even close to the feeling she had in the face of such a massive spectacle. A light chuckle behind her pulled her attention away from the scenery and towards its source. Standing ten feet away from her was a woman wearing shimmering silver armor, her proud and strong face the only thing not covered by armor, showing her scarlet skin tone. Her hair was a wild curtain of orange and gold that accentuated her piercing emerald gaze.
"Quite the sight isn't it," Hearths Warming asked, casually closing the distance between herself and Pinkie.
"Wh-Where are we?" Pinkie asked, staggering to her feet.
"A pocket dimension," she said as she gave their surroundings a long look. "I created it a long time ago to store my weapons and train when the need arose."
"This is where you'll be training me?"Pinkie asked. "Why not in Equestria?"
Hearths Warming's expression turned sad as she stared off into the distance, then said, "Two reasons. The first is that my magic is too strong to be used recklessly in such a magically charged world. The other is because of how time works here."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
Hearths Warming gave her a sharp smile and said, "This place exists in the border between two separate dimensions. As such, time flows at a hyper decelerated rate. You could spend fifty years in here and only about a week and a half's worth of time will have passed on Terra. On top of that, you will not age a single day, nor will you feel hungry or tired."
Pinkie gaped at her, her brain working double time to keep up with what her teacher was telling her. It was then that something clicked into place in her memories.
"Bu-Wait. If you could bring me here, how come you couldn't make a gap that could take me home?"
"Because its not a complete portal," a male voice said from above.
Both of them looked up and were greeted by the sight of the same well dressed man from the assembly at Canterlot High laying casually on thin air above them. Pinkie let out a startled yelp while Hearths Warming just rolled her eyes at her brother's antics. Discord chuckled as he floated down to earth still in the same lounging position.
"Must you make an entrence, Discord?" Heaths Warming asked, exasperated.
"Always and forever dear sister," he chuckled as he stood up. "Anyway, as I was saying. Since this space technically doesn't exist in the traditional sense, a gap can be opened to get to it. The trick is that you have to know where this place is between dimensions. Since Hearths Warming and I created it, we know exactly were to look to find the way in here."
"Oh." Pinkie said, not even trying to keep up at this point. "I... guess it makes sense."
"There are firsts in every subject I suppose," Hearths Warming said, giving her brother a smirk.
"I have moments," he shrugged. "Chaos is no fun if there's no order around after all."
"If you say so," she chuckled and snapped her fingers.
Two wooden swords fell from the sky to the ground with a loud series of clacks between the ancient Phoenix and her student.
"Let us begin ," she said, picking up one of the training weapons and pointing it at Pinkie. "For the next seven Terran days I am going to teach you everything I know and then some to get you ready to take down Lily. Are you ready Pinkie?"
A determined smile grew on the teen's face as she bent down to pick up her weapon.
"Yeah. Let's do it!"


***


For one whole week, three young girls sated their hungers for things no human should ever need to crave. For one whole week, they cornered guards in the dark to feed, to savor all kinds of dark emotions. They tasted the rich sweetness of fear. The savory taste of stress. The spicy tang of anger. It was all so wonderful to them and made them feel so full. The more they fed, the more they craved. The more they craved, the less human they became. The less human they became, the more they yearned to be with their mother.
It was for that reason that three young girls laid panting in their beds, the final vestiges of a toxic metamorphosis finally taking root as the cores in their souls moved on to the last stages of their infection. They felt cold as their skin turned into a sickly shade of gray and their hair turned as black as the nights sky. A feverish warmth filled their heads as their thoughts turned hazy under their growing hunger. Their eyes cracked open, their pupils glowing gold as the whites turned as black as their hair.
Then as one, with voices as sweet and desperate as newborns they whined, "Momma."
"Hush my children," Lily cooed, her vines creeping out of the shadows of her children's rooms to embrace them. "Mommy's here."
They each let out happy hums as they snuggled into the vines.
"I missed you momma," Sweetie whimpered, black tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "Don't let them take me away again! I don't want to go!"
"Their's nothing to eat there momma," Applebloom whined, her grip on her tendril tightening. "They make us eat useless stuff. They never give us any real food."
"I don't want to leave you," Scootaloo sniffled. "These people say that their my family, but their lying! I want to be with you and my sisters!"
Lily gently shushed them, a soft loving smile gracing her lips as she willed her vines to gently wipe their tears away.
"I know my sweets, I know. Mommy missed you all too. That's why I'm going to take you home. Are you all ready?"
"Yes!" all three said, hands desperately grasping Lily's vines.
"Very well," Lily cooed. "Welcome home my dears."
At that moment, three little girls vanished from their beds in Canterlot City, the only evidence of their existence being ruffled sheets and discarded comforters.