//------------------------------// // Follow Through // Story: Snapshots // by Shingo //------------------------------// It was the end of the month, and that meant something had to be done. Twilight had been looking forward to this day all week: new book day. At the end of every month, Ponyville’s library would receive a large donation of books. The new books had to be organized, filed, and placed in their proper place on the shelves. With her horn lit up, all of the books on the shelves floated around her. “Spike,” she said. “Are you ready to start?” The baby dragon was holding a clipboard and a quill. He stood beside a large box, presumably filled with books. “I am,” he said. “But can we open the windows? Those books are kind of dusty, I don’t think that we want any ah…ah… AH-CHOO!” A jet of green flame flew from the dragon’s mouth and singed the floor. “Accidents.” “Go for it,” Spike opened a nearby window. “Are you ready?” He walked back to the box and opened it up. A white hardcover book was pulled out. “The first one is called Ghost Story,” the book was covered in a purple aura and moved in front of Twilight. “Ooo, the latest book in The Dresden Fillies,” she read the back of the book. Unknown to her, a group of small cylindrical objects were thrown into the library. “I haven’t read this one yet. This goes into fantasy. What’s next?” “Mmm mph mmhm,” Spike said. “Pardon me?” Twilight turned to her assistant. On his face was a gas mask. “What are you wearing?” “M mah mahk,” he replied. Twilight tilted her head in confusion. Spike lifted the mask from his mouth. “A gas mask.” “Why are you wearing a gas mask?” The mask was put back on his mouth and a muffled answer was given. “What?” Spike lifted the mask. “Because of the gas.” The mask was again put on his face. “What gas?” After the answer was given, the cylindrical objects released a white gas. The gas spread around the room and went into Twilight’s lungs. It burned her eyes and nose. She ran to a window, but found that it had been closed. Her eyes and body became heavy. After a few moments of struggling, she collapsed on the ground. All of the books in her magical grip fell to the floor with a large thud. The library door opened and a pink pony wearing a gas mask entered. The majority of the gas left through the entrance way. “You owe me for this,” Spike said. A blindfold was passed to him. “I don’t have to carry her do I?” His gas mask was passed to the library’s guest. “Nope,” the guest said. “That’ll be my job. As for your reward… how does two hundred kilograms of gems sound?” “Perfect,” Spike said as he finished with the blindfold. The pink pony put Twilight on her back and left the library. He waved to them as they left the building. “Have fun.” * Twilight regained consciousness and was greeted by darkness. At first she thought that her eyes were closed. But the cloth over her eyes had told her otherwise. She was sitting on a stool with her hooves tied to each leg. Twilight tried to use her magic, but for some reason her horn would not light up. Panic set in. A familiar voice echoed around her. “Twilight,” the voice said. “Can you help me with some baking?” “Sure, Pinkie,” her own voice said. Why am I hearing my own voice? “What do you want me to do?” “Oh nothing at the moment,” Pinkie’s voice said. “There are a few recipes that I need somepony to taste for me. Can you do that for me?” “I can do that. But not today, but I promise I can help tomorrow.” “Do you Pinkie Promise?” “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my AUGH!” giggling echoed in the room. “You always forget to close your eyes when you do that,” Pinkie’s voice said. This voice was closer to Twilight. Sweat began to form on her head. “Why is that?” “Pinkie?!” Twilight screamed. “What’s going on? Where am I?” “Oh, nowhere special,” she said. “As for what’s going on, you broke a Pinkie Promise.” “I had too,” footsteps reached Twilight’s ears. “There was a family emergency in Canterlot that day. I can’t just abandon my family.” “I’m well aware of that,” the footsteps stopped. “But when you came back, you made a Double Pinkie Promise to help with the taste testing. And what happened?” Silence sat with the two. “Exactly,” cold steel brushed against the back of Twilight’s neck. “Do you know what happens when you break a Pinkie Promise?” “Please,” Twilight trembled. “Don’t do this Pinkie. I’m your friend.” “And friends keep their promises,” the steel moved up to the back of her head. “So what good is a friend who doesn’t keep their promises?” Tears formed in Twilight’s eyes. Though she couldn’t see, she shut her eyes. She hoped that it would be quick and painless. The steel moved up and cut what was covering Twilight’s eyes. “Not going to open your eyes?” Pinkie asked. Twilight slowly opened her left eye. She found that she was in the kitchen of Sugar Cube Corner. Standing in front of her was her pink friend and a table. All around them were an innumerable number of different kinds of pastries. Each one looked different from the next. Pinkie held a tray with a single cupcake on it. “Here, have a cupcake.” “Pinkie, what is all of this?” “Originally, this was the cupcake I wanted you to test,” the cupcake was placed on the table. “But since you didn’t help with it the first time, I got more recipe ideas. And when you didn’t help the second time, I got more. So guess what’s going to happen?” “You’re going to let me go after I try that cupcake?” “Nope. You’re going to help me, by tasting all of these pastries.” Twilight’s eyes widened. “But there must be at least ten thousand pastries in here! I can’t eat them all! “There’s actually twelve thousand three hundred forty-two pastries here,” Pinkie said. She pushed the cupcake forward. “And since you made a Double Pinkie Promise, you have to eat them all.” Twilight’s pupils shrunk to pinpricks. A warm smile appeared on Pinkie’s face. “Again, have a cupcake.”