//------------------------------// // "Pranking Pinkie Pie Places Profound Perspective" // Story: Spike's Family Chronicles // by frenettek314 //------------------------------// If you had asked Spike this morning what he was planning on doing today, waiting patiently on a plush couch while Rainbow anxiously trotted back and forth within the confines of her cloud-based living room would've been one of the last things he suggested; but leave it to life's unpredictability to surprise him. It had started out weirdly enough with the pegasus asking him to come over as she 'needed his help'. Ever since she and him became cousins, he would occasionally come over to watch some movies, or to simply hang out - but for the usually prideful and independent pony to be asking him for help was certainly unusual. The strangeness of the situation itself was enough to keep Spike on edge, desperately trying to decipher why she needed his assistance specifically. Unfortunately, Rainbow did the opposite of easing his nerves as she continued pacing in eerie silence, each agonizing minute making him more curious. Eventually, after what seemed like 10 minutes, Spike decided he had enough. "Um, Rainbow? Is there a reason why you asked me over here?" he skeptically asked, snapping the mare out of her trance. "Oh, yeah. Sorry." she shook her head. "Like I said, I'm going to need your help." "Alright....with?" he motioned for her to explain. The pegasus sighed as she pulled out a chair to directly oppose the couch, the mare sitting in it with a serious expression on her face as stared intensely at the dragon. "Pinkie." "Pinkie?" "Yes. Pinkie." Spike blinked blankly at his comrade. This was going nowhere. "Alright, what about Pinkie?" Rainbow snapped out of her serious glance, awkwardly rubbing the back of her head with a wing. "Right, sorry. I forgot I needed to provide more context." A slightly less serious expression returned. "Pinkie's been on a pranking spree against me lately and I need help getting her back." Spike slightly gasped in mild shock - he knew the two ponies were avid lovers of pranks. Ever since he could remember, Rainbow and Pinkie would always find time together to spread their love of jokes and gags across Ponyville. Thunder clouds made ponies jump, banana peels were placed, joy buzzers and whoopie cushions were scattered like piles of leaves, almost no one (with very few exceptions) was safe from their hilarious reign - himself included. What he wasn't expecting was for one of the dynamic duo to engage in solo combat with the other. The two ponies usually played their tomfoolery together - not against one another. And now Pinkie was apparently determined to prove to Rainbow who the queen of pranks was in spite of the pegasus's relentless competitive nature. "I mean, she's been on my tail this past week."... Flashback Prank Montage: Rainbow was currently walking over to her locker after a full-on practice with the fellow Wonderbolts. Just like every other routine or show, she gave in her trademark '120%' as she began sweating profusely. Eager to freshen herself up and head back to her place for some well-deserved rest and relaxation, she slowly began opening her locker until... "Fwoom!" At the sudden loud noise, the pegasus shot up into the air with a startled yelp before recognizing the air horn taped to the side of the door. "Gotcha!" a voice called from behind as Pinkie removed the air horn and happily pranced away, Rainbow blushing as she heard a few snickers coming from the nearby lockers. Rainbow began making herself a bowl of cereal for breakfast one early morning as the half-awake pegasus lazily began pouring milk into her bowl of 'Wheaties'. She yawned as she slowly started draining the milk until she noticed a peculiar sight coming from the tube. Instead of a white, clear liquid poured out... a fluffy, foamy substance. Now fully awake at the strange phenomenon, she hesitantly prodded some of the substance in the bowl with a hoof before tasting an all too familiar flavor. Whipped Cream? "Gotcha!" yelped a balloon-strapped Pinkie directly behind Rainbow, startling the pegasus enough to make her hooves flail. The beloved cereal bowl fell off the table and through the cloud floor, where it shattered a few seconds later onto the cold, hard ground below. "Don't worry, I'll get you a new bowl." Pinkie promised as she flew away, the pegasus simply twitching in despair at her fallen breakfast. Rainbow was flying through the clear blue skies above Ponyville - not a care in the world as she swooped and dived gracefully across the open blue yonder - until she noticed a heavenly appearance on the ground below. There, seated on a crystalline plate on top of a checkered picnic blanket sat the daredevil's favorite treat - an apple cider-glazed doughnut. Licking her chops, the pony made a beeline for the beloved pastry until she abruptly stopped, a new thought coming to her. "Wait..." she stated aloud. "This is too good to be true. This must be a Pinkie Prank." With a smug satisfied grin, she cackled to the sky above, "Nice try, Pinks. But you can't fool me this time." This self-proclaimed victory was short lived however as a random stallion, discovering the doughnut, quickly took it off the plate before eating it in one bite as he walked off. There was no pitfall, no trap, no apparent disturbance in the taste of the doughnut. "What gives?" she gaped, before she was met by a casually walking pink pony. "The joke here was that I made you think I was trying to prank you, effectively making you deny a perfectly good pastry that you'd normally never turn down. So in other words.... Still Gotcha!" she happily chirped as she bounced away, making the mare sniffle slightly in memory of the beloved treat. End of Flashback Prank Montage "She even pranked me by not pranking me! Who does that?!" Rainbow scoffed in disgust. "Only the impossible feats of Pinkie Pie at her finest." quipped Spike. The mare momentarily lost her sulk to deliver a cocky snort. "You're right about that, I never know what to expect from that one." But then her frown returned. "I can't just let her outshine me in one of my own games though." The dragon merely nodded in understanding. "So you want to prank her back to show her who's the best?" he asked. The pony gave him a bright smile as she proceeded to give him her typical noggin ruffle. "Exactly! You get it, kid!" she proclaimed joyfully, "And I need your help - you know how to be funny - and I can't do this alone. It has to be an awesome prank!" His smile faltered for a moment as he considered this, a claw rubbing the back of his head as a thought occurred to him. "I don't know. You've... been known to go overboard with your pranks in the past." Rainbow arched an eyebrow in confusion before realizing where he was going with this. "He's talking about the incidents that led to the cookie zombies, isn't he?" her mind shuddered with a tinge of guilt. That was an experience she wished she could take back. Sitting back in her chair, she addressed him with a slightly softer tone. "Alright, I'll admit I've taken things too far in the past - but that was when I wasn't thinking about the ponies I was pranking." The dragon looked at her, sympathy laced in his eyes. She sounded like she was being sincere. "Trust me, I've learned my lesson about considering who enjoys my pranks - it's not like I'm trying to scare Fluttershy, this is Pinkie Pie we're talking about. If anyone can enjoy a good prank it's her." The drake considered this. Pinkie was a pony who always enjoyed a good laugh and Rainbow seemed right in her power to give a little payback, but he still felt slightly unsure about the whole ordeal. "I... I still don't know." Spike hesitated. "Oh, come on." Rainbow lightly gruffed in a mild case of irritation. "What's the worst that can happen?" "What if... what if we end up hurting her feelings and she hates me?" the small creature twiddled his claws together in a moment of pure emotional vulnerability. Just like that, the pony's irritation and impatience immediately vanquished. Seeing someone she considered family look so upset, look so worried about a potential fear; Rainbow usually dispelled her fears to everyone - except her closest friends on rare instances - however she related to the feeling of what it was like to worry that your friends and loved ones didn't have your back, that they didn't love you anymore. The pegasus wouldn't wish that feeling on anyone and to see her cousin experience this pain - it secretly broke her heart. "Hey, hey..." Rainbow assured as she flew over to sit besides Spike, draping a wing over his shoulder. "I know she'd never hate you. I promise no matter what sort of prank we do, I guarantee she'll still love you." The drake slowly looked up at the prismatic mane, eyes subtly glimmering with hope. "You sure?" "I promise." Rainbow affirmed solidly. He delivered a sincere grin in return. "Alright, in that case, I'll help you." "Sweet!" Rainbow exclaimed as she launched herself a few feet above Spike in celebration. "But... how can we prank Auntie Pinkie Pie?" the dragon rubbed his chin in thought. Her flight faltered as she slowly brought herself back down to the couch, trying to wrap her head around an idea. "We can't just do a physical slapstick prank or a simple scare - she'll just see right through that! We need something unexpected, something that'll catch her off guard. We need the ultimate prank!" "Yeah... how can we..." she paused before a sudden key word replayed itself. "Auntie." With a slightly devilish grin, Rainbow knew she struck gold. The mare walked her way over in front of Spike as she brought a hoof to his shoulder. "You just gave me an awesome idea!" she proclaimed. Her hooves began rubbing together in anticipation. "...and I know just how to do it." The following morning, both dragon and pegasus marched their way over to the famed Sugarcube Corner with one goal in mind - to positively prank party pony Pinkie Pie. Rainbow grew excited as she drew near her destination; today she'd finally succeed in turning the tables on the pranking menace and gain superiority over her longtime partner/rival once and for all. Spike on the other hand was still a little apprehensive about their agreed plan. "Are you sure about this?" he asked, looking up at the beaming pegasus. She simply patted his back in a comforting motion. "Don't worry, buddy. I'm going to be right there with you in case anything goes wrong. Just stick to the plan." The dragon gave a slight gulp as the two found themselves on the front porch of the famed bakery - already smelling a plethora of delectable goodies from inside. "It's now or never..." he muttered, slowly pushing the door in. Thankfully for him, there didn't appear to be too many active customers around, making the prank less nerve-wracking in his mind. "Good. At least there won't be too many witnesses." As the two creatures made their way to the counter, a perky and upbeat hum cascaded their ears. Knowing who that jolly murmur was from, Rainbow smiled in glee while Spike gave a softer grin. Their target was here. The duo waited patiently for a moment before a certain pony made her way from the back room, noticing her guests at the register with a squeal of excitement. "Spike!" she happily cheered as she quickly gave him a bone-crushing hug. "You came to visit me! Good thing I had 3 cups of coffee this morning! Now we can talk, hang out, have fun...!" The dragon and pegasus briefly glanced at each other with widened, concerned looks. The already hyperactive party pony and caffeine seemed like a dangerous combination. A combination they feared for their safety. The earth pony stopped her continuous list however as she now noticed the pegasus awkwardly standing next to Spike. "And Rainbow too?!" she gasped, "I was not expecting that! I'm going to need another cup!" "NO!" Rainbow all too nervously exclaimed before she calmed down, seeing her friend's apparent confusion at her outburst. "...I mean... I don't think that's necessary Pinks. I think 3 cups is good for a year." Pinkie raised an eyebrow. "You mean a day?" "...sure." came the meek reply as the dragon seemed to be frozen in place. Thankfully, the often random pony seemed to drop the subject as her infectious smile took hold once again. "Okie dokie lokie!" she chirped. "So, what brings the two of you here?" Rainbow decided to continue the conversation as she gently nudged Spike with a wing. "Well, we were just in the neighborhood and we thought we'd stop by for some cupcakes." Pinkie immediately squeed as she dashed off into the kitchen before bringing back a half-dozen vanilla-frosted cupcakes. "Say no more! I've got these cupcakes leftover from a previous order! They're free and all yours!" The excitable mare gave a gentle nuzzle to the now smiling dragon's cheek. "For my favorite nephew." After she nuzzled him, she turned her attention to the pegasus as she gave her a quicker nuzzle, much to an embarrassed pony's secret delight. "...and for my favorite Wonderbolt." "Heh, thanks Pinkie." she responded. "Yeah, thank you Pinkie." Spike eagerly added. "Great. Now I feel extra bad about this." he mentally berated with a slight frown. Unfortunately, he had no room to back out now as Rainbow turned to give him a subtle wink when the earth pony wasn't looking, having retreated to go retrieve something from the kitchen. The dragon slowly nodded in response, receiving the message. He knew what he had to do. With one last nervous gulp, Spike quickly picked up one of the cupcakes and proceeded to take a small bite out of it, letting it digest into his stomach for a brief minute before he clutched his sides in pain, gently falling to the bakery floor with a thud. "Oh...it hurts..." he mumbled as Rainbow gave him a quick nod before fear filled her voice. "Spike? Spike?! SPIKE?! What's wrong?! PINKIE!" she hollered. Rainbow had to give herself credit. She didn't think she was much of an actress but as she hollered, Pinkie quickly came running out with intense worry on her face. The pegasus may have to consider an acting career once this is all over. As Pinkie bounced over, she loudly gasped as she saw the dragon rolling around in apparent pain. "Spike?! OH NO, SPIKE!" she cried as she positioned herself down next to him. "What happened to him?!" she shook with concern, her lip trembling slightly already. "I-I don't know!" Rainbow stuttered, trying to sell the panic as she flew over the pair with a stunned expression. "He was just eating a piece of the cupcake you gave him before he clutched his stomach and fell!" Pinkie felt her eyes ready to burst as she delicately picked Spike's head up with her front hooves. "N- no... It can't be... the cupcakes..." she choked. Rainbow gave a small internal smirk. The plan was working like a charm. With a small trace of anger to buy that she was genuinely upset, Rainbow turned to her friend with her hooves slightly trembling. "What did you put in those cupcakes?!" Pinkie finally began crying uncontrollably as she nuzzled Spike close to her chest, the dragon still writhing in pain. "I..I...I don't know. I put in the exact same ingredients as I would with any other cupcake. I-I don't know what I could've done." Rainbow frantically positioned herself towards Spike. "Spike! Buddy! What's wrong?! What can we do?!" The drake merely gurgled in response as he heaved his stomach in agony. Pinkie stared down at the pained creature with a haunted look, like she was watching him die right before her eyes. How could one of her delicious baked goods cause so much pain? How could she be doing this to her own nephew? She didn't even know what she did, but she must've accidentally mixed in something to have him respond this poorly. It was all her fault. Spike was sick or possibly worse because of her. "Sp-Spike..." she chokingly sobbed as she cuddled him. "I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry... We're going to get you help..." she felt her heart shatter as she quickly pecked him on the cheek. "...you're going to be ok, I promise." Rainbow suddenly felt her external shell shatter as she watched how scarred and tormented her friend seemed to be. She was expecting her to care and be upset, but she was taking this hard. "Good thing this prank is finally over." she told herself as she landed next to Pinkie. "You're right... he will be ok because..." she started, giving Spike a good-measured wink to stop the act. "Gotcha!" Suddenly, both dragon and pegasus stood side by side as they stared at the pony with knowing smiles on their faces, though Spike's was considerably smaller than Rainbow's. Pinkie's expression froze as the tears continued to fall. "Wh...what?" "I'm not really hurt or sick." Spike calmly explained, giving Pinkie a hopeful smile. "Yeah!" Rainbow exclaimed as she hovered a couple inches in satisfaction. "It was a prank and I got you good!" Pinkie's sniffles continued as she watched the two in front of her, not believing what she was seeing. "A...a prank?" "Of course, silly. I had to get you back!" Rainbow boasted as she started to break out laughing. "I wasn't expecting you to get so worked up though. Thankfully, its finally over." she resumed her laughing. Spike decided to contribute a few nervous chuckles, not wanting to disappoint Rainbow but also not wanting to see Pinkie so upset. But as Pinkie continued to watch her two friends laugh, she found herself scowling. She was sincerely worried about Spike - utterly convinced she had poisoned him to a certain degree - and now they were laughing and shrugging it off like it was funny? She thought she hurt her nephew, her family, her best dragon ever. As the two unknowingly continued their celebratory chuckles, Pinkie's tears finally stopped flowing as she soon found herself with a severe glare. Silently, she picked herself off the floor before proceeding to storm off. As she started walking away with a bit of force in her steps, Rainbow and Spike finally began to realize something was amiss, noticing the pony's rather furious and dejected expression. Grimacing at each other, the two used their wings to fly after Pinkie as she stubbornly started making her way up the stairs. "Pinkie, what's wrong?" nervously asked Spike as he made his way in front of her. Rainbow hovered next to Spike as she gave the pony a puzzled gaze. "Yeah, Pinks. It was just a prank - you know we laugh, maybe give a quick sentimental hug, and then everyone's happy?" Much to their surprise though, Pinkie continued to deliver a burning glare right through their souls. They winced as they saw the levels of sadness, betrayal, hurt, but most prominent was anger - an emotion that was often hard to find on the bubbly pony - but it was there and it was powerful. `"That was your idea of a prank?! You thought that was supposed to be funny?! That was supposed to make me laugh?! Well, let me tell you something - that was a horrible prank!" Pinkie scowled. All the dragon and pegasus could do was back up, never seeing the usual happy-go-lucky Pinkie Pie so enraged. "Pinkie, it's...it's over with now... Spike's not actually hurt..." Rainbow gulped, a bad feeling forming in her gut with the way things were going right now. "That doesn't matter! You still let me think I made him sick! You let me continue crying as I thought I severely hurt my nephew, someone I love! You let me feel like I was the worst pony in the world - that I could've lost someone close to me and it was all my fault!" "Yet you want me to laugh it off and pretend everything was fine, but it wasn't! I thought the worst and all you two can do is laugh! Like you don't care about my feelings at all!" her eyes suddenly held a new resource of water in them. "H-hey!" Rainbow tried to defend herself. "You pranked me too you know." Pinkie scoffed in irritation as she plowed a hoof directly into the pegasus's chest. "Yes, because an air horn and a doughnut are on the same level as a family member being poisoned!" The prismatic pegasus suddenly felt sick to her stomach. What had she done? Her prank wasn't even on the same length as the previous ones, she took things way too far as usual, but why? She considered who she was pranking and she... Then, realization hit her like a ton of bricks. She considered who but she didn't consider what. She concocted a prank too far for anyone! She made her friend think she seriously hurt someone! Someone that was like family to both of them! Her hooves began shaking as tears threatened to reveal themselves. She was a monster! Spike felt his heart drop to his stomach, seeing this colorful creature become so consumed by guilt and pain. He should've never agreed to do this prank, it was a stupid idea and he should've known better. He needed this to end now! He needed to end the suffering. "Pinkie, please. We didn't... We're really sorry..." he weakly offered, suddenly feeling like he was actually sick. "SAVE IT!" Pinkie roared as she pounded past the pair and made her way to the top of the stairs, right next to her room. "JUST GO AWAY AND LEAVE ME ALONE!" she offered one final decree before she snapped her door shut with a loud thud. Spike and Rainbow could only stand halfway up the stairs in complete horror. They never expected to go this far. They never wanted this to happen. Suddenly, snapping out of his gaze, Spike finally processed everything. Her hurt, her words, every detail. His Auntie Pinkie Pie now hated him. And it was mostly Rainbow's fault. "This is all your fault! I didn't want to do this but you made me!" Spike turned to the pony with a fierce snarl on his face, tears freely falling. "Sp..spike..." Rainbow softly uttered, feeling like she was being stabbed in the heart for the second time. "Now she hates me because of it! You always take pranks too far, even when you promised me she would be alright. Surprise Surprise! That backfired!" "Spike... I didn't ..." "I'm out of here! This is what I get for trusting you!" He quickly flew downstairs, exiting the bakery with a slight huff. Rainbow only stood there as she had now witnessed 2 important beings in her life walk away from her, leaving her all alone like she deserved to be. Sobs flew from her cheeks as she quivered at her handiwork. "This is all my stupid fault. I hurt Pinkie, I hurt Spike. I took things too far like I always do..." Her eyes sharpened with one last declaration. "I... I promised to protect him. I promised she'd still love him... " Then, as if her lightning cutie mark had shocked her itself, something snapped within the pegasus. She suddenly stopped shaking, she suddenly stopped crying. She felt a wave of determination hit her as she sent an all powerful glare in the direction of the upstairs bedroom. "No. I'm not letting either of them down." With newfound courage, she marched up the stairs, a fierce wave of passion flowing through her. She was going to make everything right. No matter what it took. Marching up the stairs with a steel stature, the pegasus pounded on Pinkie's door with all her might. "PINKIE PIE! OPEN THIS DOOR! WE NEED TO TALK! NOW!" She could hear her shuffling inside for a split second, before an equally loud voice yelled back. "I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE ME ALONE!" "DON'T MAKE ME KNOCK THIS DOOR DOWN! YOU NEED TO GO AND TALK TO SPIKE!" "I DON'T WANT TO TALK TO HIM RIGHT NOW!" Rainbow needed to take a deep breath. She knew what she needed to do to coax the stubborn earth pony out. It would be one of the most painful things she had to do... "Spike. Pinkie." ...but one second of thinking about her two friends and family members made her realize she'd gladly do it in a heart beat. Rainbow slightly lowered her voice - no longer shrieking, but still giving a vocal yell. Little did the two ponies know that a certain dragon had come back to try and apologize to Pinkie - his guilt becoming too severe to just abandon her - no matter how much she currently despised him. Spike made his way back up the stairs before seeing Rainbow right next to Pinkie's door, opting to hide himself behind a wall as curiosity got the better of him. "Alright Pinkie, you want to know the truth?! Well, here it is. Everything was my fault! Spike didn't even want to help me prank you, but I made him do it anyways! He was worried you'd get mad if it went south, but I assured him you'd always love him! Of course, this should've been my first instinct not to pull such a harsh prank, but I guess I'm too foolish for my own good!" Pinkie didn't retort back. She was either listening or ignoring her, but with how boisterous Rainbow was being, she assumed the first option. Spike's eyes widened as he slowly crept forward ever so slightly in order to see Rainbow's reactions. "I told both him as well as myself that you'd be able to handle any prank! I knew how much you loved jokes so I just assumed any prank that could ultimately get you would be alright! I thought about the 'who' but I didn't even consider the 'what'!" Rainbow felt the tears creep up as she placed a hoof over the door in emotional turmoil. "I don't even know how I thought it was a good idea! I never even considered putting myself in your place - thinking that I had unintentionally hurt someone I loved!" At this point, she began heavily sobbing. "...but... I did hurt those I love. You... and Spike..." Spike felt his heart beat slightly faster. Rainbow did care. She wanted to fix this. She wanted to help him. She was doing everything for him. Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, Pinkie sat on the edge of her bed with full intrigue. Yes, she was still miffed about the recent attempt at a joke, but hearing her usually confident and brash friend pour her heart out, to hear those sobs... it made her question her anger. She sounded truly sorry. She seemed to care about her feelings. "I never wanted you to feel like you were ever going to hurt someone, because believe me you won't. You're one of the sweetest, jolliest, and most thoughtful creatures I know. I know you'd do anything to help a friend or family in need and you always will. Pinkie found her mouth slightly hang open as she digested Rainbow's words. She did care. Rainbow braced herself, for this was the toughest part. "But this was all my dumb idea, not Spike's! I'm the one who pranked you, I'm the one who hurt you, I'm the one you should hate! Now he thinks his favorite aunt in the world doesn't want anything to do with him and it's all my fault! I told him you'd love him no matter what and I broke that promise!" she felt her tears clouding her vision. "The kid just got himself a family and I put it at risk like the jerk I am!" "So, please. I don't care if you and Spike hate me for the rest of my life, I don't care if you two never want anything to do with me ever again, I deserve it! I deserve for you two to hate me!" Both Spike and Pinkie's eyes widened as they stared at (or in the direction) of the pegasus with speechless admiration. "Just... please..." Rainbow's voice lost its luster as she found herself slowly sinking down to the ground. "Just please go talk and make it up with Spike. He loves you. He needs you. He can't be alone again." "He can't be like me." she bitterly thought. Rainbow finally collapsed to the ground in a fit of tears. "Please...I'm sorry..." As Rainbow finally dissolved into a weeping mess on Pinkie's floor, she began to reflect on the hopefully impactful speech she made. "Well, I'm an ugly crying mess on the floor, but it was worth it... I hope..." The pegasus was so consumed in her sorrows that she at first failed to recognize the creeping door that pushed its way open in front of her hooves. Finally feeling the pressure placed by the colliding door, Rainbow slowly looked up only to find a sight she wasn't expecting to see so soon if at all. A smiling Pinkie Pie. Her eyes were red and puffy, but she had on a warm, genuine smile. And it was directed at her. "Dashie..." Her nickname. She was back. "P-pinkie... I'm..." "Shhhh..." Pinkie interrupted with a soft hoof to her friend's mouth. "Don't say anything. I heard you." Dash smiled for a moment before her eyes shook in fear again. "But... Spike..." she muffled. "I heard you too." came a third voice, grabbing the two ponies' attention as they turned around to see a beaming dragon approach them. "I...may have come back so I could be here for Pinkie, but I overheard everything you said. I forgive you." he said as he wrapped the quivering mess on the floor in a comforting hug. "And I do too!" Pinkie happily chirped as she gripped the other two, before letting go after a moment. "...though maybe we should talk in my room. I'm surprised no one's gone up to see the commotion yet." Rainbow and Spike both silently agreed before stepping into the pink pony's private room. The trio collectively decided to seat themselves in a circle around the floor, seeing there wasn't exactly enough room on the bed. They made themselves comfortable on the tiling below before Pinkie elected to speak first. "Guys, I'm super duper sorry. I didn't want you both to think I hated you! I could never hate you! I was extremely upset, but all that emotion was from that combined with my heart still pounding from earlier. I guess I just needed a while to calm down." "Me too." agreed Spike, "I let my emotions run wild and the thought of Pinkie hating me caused me to lash out at you Rainbow. I'm sorry." Rainbow sighed as she placed a hoof on each of her friends. "Guys, please don't apologize. I was the one who took things too far and almost ruined things. I deserved the lashings." Pinkie gave a bittersweet smile. "Well, your joke was incredibly hurtful but I wouldn't go that far... come to think of it..." she paused, "...you two probably don't realize why I was so upset, do you?" Spike respectfully shook his head. "Uh... because family?" Rainbow guessed. "Well, yeah. That's definitely a big part of it, but there's more." the pink pony responded. "Spike, do you remember the story I told the day I became your aunt?" she asked. The dragon nodded, gradually gaining pieces of the puzzle. "Yeah. You mean back how when you were on the rock farm, you grew depressed because you didn't know what to do with your life?" he questioned, while Rainbow felt her brows raise, this being the first time hearing about Pinkie's past to this extent. Pinkie softly nodded. "Yes, but there's more." The dragon proceeded to continue. "...because you felt alone, like no one loved you... oh." his expression darkened in realization, Rainbow's heart freezing in her chest. "Mmmm hmmm." Pinkie responded sadly. "Ever since I moved to Ponyville and became super-duper close with all of you, I always grew worried that something would happen to one of you, or that I'd end up chasing you away; and when Rainbow made me think the cupcake hurt Spike..." Both dragon and pegasus felt a claw/hoof appear over their hearts as they gaped at the earth pony with looks of sincere regret. "I...I didn't even consider that..." Spike muttered. "I.. didn't even know about this... I never thought..." spoke Rainbow. Suddenly, the pegasus surprised the earth pony by tackling her in a warm embrace - not that she minded. "Pinkie, I'm so sorry! I never imagined I'd make you feel..." She was once again silenced by a hoof. "Dashie, it's ok. You didn't know, but now you do." Rainbow, still in the hug, simply smiled appreciatively with a nod. "I know you're the exact same way with us too. What you said back there... you really care about us don't you?" Rainbow let go of the embrace as she directed her attention to the two warm presences in her immediate view. With a light chuckle and a soft sigh, she answered sincerely. "Honestly if anything ever happens to the two of you, or the girls, or Scootaloo, I don't know what I'd do." Both Pinkie and Spike scooted over to her, huddling closer to each other as they sighed in each others' close company. "Us too, Dash. Us too." confirmed Spike as Rainbow lightly roughed his scales. "Still, now that we know how much we care about our family, maybe we should promise to keep pranks and jokes to simple, silly stuff rather than potentially dark and hurtful stuff?" Pinkie asked as she continued to embrace the others. "We promise." Spike and Rainbow replied in unison as the three continued to enjoy the warmth radiated by their closeness. And just like that, the great prank war between Baker/Party Planner and Wonderbolt had finally ended. While there were no official winners or losers, the smiles on each of their faces suggested that none of that mattered; for they had won the greatest prize of all (even if it was a little sappy for a certain pegasus) - family. Those they can hold, those they could share struggles with... ...those they could love. The cyan coated mare looked at the two blissful creatures hugging her as a confident voice echoed in her mind. "I told you I'd keep my promise. I'll always keep my promises for you."