‘DOOT-DOOT-DOOT-DOOOOOOOT!’ blared the sound of a bugle.
“Raus aus den Federn!” called Gerhardt, “¡Levantarse! ¡Vámonos! Rise and shine, soldiers! Don’t tell me you’re tuckered out from partying!” shouted Gerhardt, his voice booming and thundering throughout the encampment.
Paprika and Pinkie had collapsed from a sugar crash the night before, a blur of sugary and alcoholic drinks paired with a bounty of rich foods clouded their thoughts. The pair were sleeping soundly in their cots before being awakened by the bugle’s call and the Captain’s bark.
Paprika yawned as she sat up from her sleeping bag, her mouth stained with pink frosting and crumbs. The taste of sour booze hung on her breath and tongue like ticks on an ass. Her ears flicked attentively as she yawned.
“Morning Pinkie, you sleep okay? That was some party; I don’t think I ever ate so many treats before!” she burped, “Excuse me, hehe.”
Pinkie groaned and stretched out on the ground as a loud yawn escaped her. She was usually accustomed to waking up earlier, helping the Cakes with the twins, and prepping the food for Sugarcube Corner. But after filling her belly with booze and sweets the night prior, it was a miracle she woke up at all.
“Mmmmm, five more minutes?” She mumbled, pulling herself out of her sleeping bag. “I’m gonna need some extra sweets to wake me up… do you think they have hot chocolate here?” Turning to her alpaca friend, Pinkie gave a hopeful look.
Paprika snorted, “Hot chocolate? Pinkie, before yesterday, these poor saps hadn’t had anything so yummy in a long, long time! C’mon, after roll call, they usually serve breakfast with coffee.” she said, slipping out of her cot and puffing her wool coat.
“Mmm, coffee?” Pinkie let out another loud yawn, smacking her lips, “Yeah, I guess that’ll work… as long as there’s still plenty of sugar to put in it!” She grinned, finally finding the energy to hop out of the tent.
“What do they serve with breakfast? Oooh, some pancakes would be nice. Or Prench toast!” The party pony licked her lips, almost salivating at the thought. “Whatever it is, I hope it’s tasty!”
Near the center of camp, the entire unit was standing at the center of attention or engaging in roll call as Gerhardt, Sergeant Orange, and a few other officer ponies, griffins, and harpies walked along the many rows of soldiers, checking to ensure there weren’t any missing stragglers asleep in their barracks or tent.
Gerhardt noticed Pinkie and Paprika emerging from their tents as he handed off his clipboard and quill to a nearby officer, making his way over to greet the two. His stern, stonewall expression turned into a pleasant smile.
“Good morning, girls! Sorry for the disturbance; you may return to your cots if you want to sleep in; roll call doesn’t apply for you two.” Chuckled Gerhardt.
“Oh, don’t worry, Captain, I’m used to waking up suuuuuper early from my days with the Alpaca,” replied Paprika.
“And I’m used to waking up early to bake for Sugarcube Corner! Well, maybe not this early…” Pinkie snickered goodnaturedly, pressing a hoof to her lips. “Applejack would have been a better choice if you wanted a soldier. She can wake up when the sun’s not even up yet!”
Yawning and rubbing her eyes, the pink party pony knelt down, stretching herself in a very cat-like manner. She even wiggled her tail, giggling to herself. “Oooh, my tail says today’s gonna be exciting! So, whaddya got planned for today, Mister Knight?” She threw him a wink for good measure.
“Actually, I don’t have anything for you to do, Ms. Pie.” answered Gerhardt, “You accomplished the Doge’s goal of raising this unit’s morale. “Hell, you even gave us fresh food and goods for the next few days. We were actually considering sending you to the Capital.”
Paprika bounced excitedly as she flailed her arms, “Ou ou! Gerhardt, can Pinkie and I travel to the Alpaca? I could use her powers of partying and perfect curls to convince my tribe to let me back in! … And y’know, open contact with the outside world…”
Gerhardt cocked a brow, “You mean to cross the mountains by yourselves in the middle of a warzone? I’d be strung up by the tail if Pinkie Pie was injured under my care.”
“I guess that means you’ll have to come too! Right, Pinkie?” Paprika said, turning to Pinkie.
Pinkie grinned, bouncing her head eagerly, “Well, of course, he has to come along; he is our Knight!” She wrapped a hoof around the griffin, nuzzling into him without a care in the world or for Gerhardt's stern image in front of his troops. “Besides, it’d be awfully lonely with just the two of us!”
“C’mon Gerhardty~ it won’t be that bad!” Pinkie Pie slipped away, bouncing up and down in excitement, “Besides, I can be pretty sneaky when I want to! Just say the word, and I can disappear!”
She was about to speak again when her stomach spoke up, grumbling loudly in complaint. “Oop! Sorry, tummy, I almost forgot about you! C’mon, you two, let’s go get some grub! … you guys don’t actually eat grubs, do you?”
Gerhardt burned a bright shade of pink as he adjusted his hat, brushing his feathers across the brim before shaking his head as he sighed. “I suppose I wouldn’t be able to convince you otherwise, lest you run off on your own without any supervision…”
“Aw, c’mon Cap, don’t trust me to take care of my BFF?” snorted Paprika.
Gerhardt shook his head as he beckoned the two toward the chow hall, “And no, we don’t usually eat grubs unless the situation calls for it… Fortunately, we’re having leftover soup with bread for breakfast today. I suppose we should stock up on calories if we’re climbing today…”
“Don’t worry; I know all the shortcuts and secret trails to get us to the village. We’ll be there lickity-split!” chimed Paprika.
“Mmmm, lickity-split… makes me think of banana splits…” Pinkie licked her chops like a dog, her pace slightly speeding up as they approached the mess hall, “Well, I’m glad we’re not eating grubs! I accidentally ate a bunch of worms once, baked them into muffins… yeah, that was not a good day…” She looked a little green just thinking about it.
“And hey, we don’t gotta climb if we don’t wanna!” Pinkie turned around, her hooves messing with something unseen, but the group definitely heard honks and squeals of horns following in Pinkie's wake before she finally turned around, holding up her flying machine.
“It’s hoof-powered! Or should I say… horse-powered!” She giggled with delight at her own joke, “Hey Pappy, ever flew before? It’s soooo much fun; I love feeling the wind in my mane!” A soft sigh left her lips, “Sometimes I think I was supposed to be a pegasus…” she said somberly, looking toward the sky with a nostalgic look.
Whatever had just been haunting the mare imediately passed, her cheery smile returning, “But hey, better than nothing, right? Now c’mon, I’m starvin’!”
Gerhardt stared blankly at the flying contraption as he quietly murmured about hearing an Earth pony using something like that fairly recently. Now confident that Earth Pony was Pinkie. Clasping his claws together, he quietly prayed to Boreas that their journey be safe and uneventful.
Paprika stared eagerly at the device, “Fly!? The closest I ever got to flying was jumping off of a really steep cliff and floating to the ground!”
Gerhardt quickly cut in, “We can’t fly near the mountains, lest we risk getting shot down by magical projectiles or heaps of flaming trash by the ‘unicultists.’” he said as he raised the tent flap for the two girls to let them inside the tent. The smell of simmering soup and stew and freshly baked bread permeated the air.
“Why don’t you two find somewhere to sit while I get breakfast for us,” Gerhardt said as he walked away from the two, mainly to avoid any potential argument or further discussion on the topic.
Paprika sighed as she shook her head, “Another time then….”
“Awwww, well, hey, Pappy, we can always give it a test flight here! I mean, no one’s gonna shoot you down near Swallowtail, right?” Pinkie snickered, settling into a seat at one of the tables, patting the spot beside her.
“Oh, it’s really great! I’m sure you’ll love flying. Buuuuut now I’m curious…” Pinkie rubbed her chin in thought, “What’s the Alpaca like? I’m hoping they’re just as nice and sweet as you! Oooh, should I bring gifts? I could make a cake! I’d call it… a ‘Nice to Meet You’ cake! What do you think?” Flashing her bright blue eyes, she looked up at Paprika expectantly.
Paprika climbed into her seat next to Pinkie as she nervously chortled, her smile faltering as she awkwardly gnawed on her cheek, “Uhhhmmm… very, uhhhh… depressing? They’re all pretty worried about the fighting outside the village and pride themselves on their isolation but uh… I guess they’re all pretty… uhhhhh… boring?” she chuckled.
“I was actually the first to try and make everyone have a bit more pep in their step by making ponchos and gift baskets for everyone! The older Alpaca really didn’t like that, but the kids loved it! So I guess they tolerated it for a while, that is, until I decided to reach out to the outside world.”
“They uh… kicked me out after that. ‘Banished forever’ is the term Elder Adobo said.” recounted Paprika.
Pinkie’s ears flopped down, her smile slowly disappearing into a pout. Hearing Paprika’s story nearly made her weep; she couldn’t understand why any creature would kick Paprika out!
“Well, that’s just… oooo, that makes me mad!” Pinkie frowned, stamping a hoof onto the table with surprising force, causing the plates of others further down to jump a few inches in the air. “How could they make you leave your home?! They’re– they’re supposed to be your family! And family doesn’t do that!”
She snorted, “I know what I’m gonna do now! I’m gonna go down there and tell ’em how much they’re going to miss you! And how good of an alpaca you are, and all the friends you made! We’ll make them sorry you ever left, and they’ll beg on their hooves and knees to take you back!” The aggravated expression slipped away, a small smile on the party pony’s lips.
“At least, that’s my idea…” Pinkie offered with a small smile.
Paprika stifled her sadness with a grateful smile as she hugged Pinkie, “That’s a great idea, Pinkie! Maybe I can bring some stuff to help ease them into letting back in….” she hummed.
Gerhardt soon arrived at the table with a tray of food for them, “So, do you have a plan for your reintegration, Paprika?”
“Oh yeah! Pinkie’s gonna convince them that I’m a great alpaca while I bribe them with supplies!” answered Paprika without a hint of sarcasm.
Gerhardt looked between the two as he slowly sat down, “Is that so?”
Pinkie was already neck-deep in the soup before Gerhardt set it on the table. She removed her face from the meal, nodding eagerly at the griffin. “Heck yeah, we are! If they kicked Paprika out of there, we’ll show them what they’ve been missing!”
Sticking out her… abnormally long tongue, she licked her face clean, smacking her lips in satisfaction. “Mmm, this is good! Reminds me of the rock soup from home but with more flavor! Have you ever had rock stew? Or rock whiskey? Mmmm, now that’d definitely woulda knocked the sense outta all of you!”
Gerhardt stared at Pinkie as she devoured her food tray as Paprika daintily picked up a spoon before tossing it aside, picking up her bowl, and pouring its contents directly into her maul.
The griffin rubbed his face as he dipped his bread into his soup, “Are the rocks for seasoning or…?”
“I’ve licked rocks before, if that’s any consolation!” answered Paprika.
Gerhardt looked at Paprika with a bewildered expression.
“Y’know, for the minerals!”
“Oooh, rocks are definitely used for seasoning! Not much plant life grows where I was raised!” Pinkie licked her lips before biting a chunk from a loaf of bread, “We farmed rocks and sold them to ponies who needed them! Sometimes it was geology, sometimes it was the gemstones on the inside! Those were always my favorites.”
“But I gotta admit, I miss the crunchiness of rock soup. It might not be sweet, but it tastes like home.” She let out a soft, nostalgic sigh. “I never asked my poppa how he made his rock whiskey, but I know two shots will put you out, and three will have you going to the nearest hospital! … Yeah, that wasn’t a fun trip, but the ambulance ponies were nice!”
“Tch rock farm… Equestrian culture is so bizarre.” Gerhardt mused as he shook his head, unsure if this was normal behavior for Equestrians or if Pinkie’s family was just a bizarre exception. Unsure of the answer.
“Boy, do I hear you, Pinkie... We can hardly grow anything ourselves; maybe the village can be your home away from home once everything is said and done.” giggled Paprika.
“Hey, rock farm work is tough! My family’s done it for generations; that’s why we can do this!” Pinkie scooped up a stone from the dirt floor before placing it in her mouth. She made a show of holding it between her teeth before crushing it under her molars. “Mmm, bentonite! It’s creamy! Wanna try?” She stuck out her tongue, showing the grit in her mouth.
Gerhardt winced, ("What are you?...")
Swallowing the mouthful, she nodded eagerly at Paprika’s question. “Heck yeah, maybe I can show ’em rock farming! It’s really easy when you know what you’re doing, and you could sell them for a bunch of bits!”
“Well, after breakfast, we can pack, start the trek, and hopefully be back before dinner time.” Gerhardt sighed before doing a double take.
Pinkie nearly drooled, “Mmmm, dinner time…”
Gerhardt held his beak as he winced at the sight of Pinkie devouring a rock, “I guess mama was right about the starving ponies in Equestria bit… guess I should’ve eaten my greens after all.”
Paprika winced at the sight herself before giving the pink party pony a rousing applause, “Nice trick!” she sighed, “Dinner does sound good right about now…”
Gerhardt groaned, “But you two just had breakfast!”
It was late morning by the time everyone had packed for the journey ahead and the small wagon Paprika and Gerhardt had loaded for the Alpaca. The trio was making steady progress through the dense forest shrouded in shadow. The Captain was on high alert as he carried his musket, cocked and ready for any threat that dared lure in the darkness.
Paprika tugged the cart, the four wheels behind her squeaking loudly as the wooden wagon creaked and bellowed under the weight of the supplies, humming a soft song as she moved beside Pinkie and Gerhardt.
The trees were dark ebony, with bright green leaves that blocked the sun above, a few stray beams of Celestia’s sun peaking through the dense brush. Their branches twisted and curled like broken bones and seemed to be reaching toward them, swaying gently along with the morning breeze as they crackled and creaked.
Gerhardt shivered, “I hope you know where you’re going, Paprika; it’s not smart to stay in the forest exposed like this for very long…”
“Don’t worry, we’ll head northeast away from the patrols; trust me, I know what I’m doing. I’ve been through here like a bajillion times!” replied Paprika.
“I’m just worried about keeping my one good eye intact…” he said as he gently brushed his claw over his eye patch.
Pinkie Pie let out a raspberry, suddenly appearing right next to Gerhardt as they walked down the path. “Oh, don’t worry, silly, we won’t let any meanie-pants unicorn hurt you! Besides, I can be pretty fast, y’know!”
Bouncing up and down, Pinkie gazed up at the trees above them, letting out a pleasant sigh at the breeze ruffling her mane and coat. “Too bad we can’t fly there… that’d have been super duper extra fun! But I guess getting zapped down wouldn’t be very fun at all… How close are we, Pappy? I hope we’re close. I’m starving!”
Paprika chuckled as she turned toward Pinkie, “Not very far now! Just through the woods, across the valley, down the river, and through the amber caves! We’ll be there in no time flat.”
Gerhardt sighed as he quietly fetched his map from underneath his hat, reviewing the paper as he guesstimated their journey’s distance in tangible measurements. His claw skimmed through the article, revealing the dangers of the road ahead, his face turning pale.
“Have you gone mad? You want us to enter enemy territory!” questioned the griffin.
“I can’t help where you goobers decide to draw lines on a map! That’s the way it’s always been for my people!” answered Paprika, “Besides, I thought you were going to protect us or make sure I don’t cause a ‘diplomatic incident’ or whatever.”
“Paprika, I didn’t say you’d cause a diplomatic incident. I said you are one.” sighed Gerhardt.
Pinkie Pie raised an eyebrow, “What does the laundromat have anything to do with this? C’mon, it’s just a little shortcut, Gerry! Can I call you Gerry? Cus’ Gerhardt is a kiiind of a mouthful. It’s like a tongue twister!”
“I’m sure we’ll be fine as long as we follow what Paprika says. Like she said, she’s done this for a loooooooong time; I’m sure Paprika knows what she’s doing!” Pinkie lowered her head, looking up at Gerhardt with her big, blue eyes. “You trust Paprika, right? She’s your friend!”
Paprika mashed her head against Pinkie’s, quickly following up by pressing their cheeks together and giving the griffin a suffocating look with her own lavender eyes.
Gerhardt scoffed as he promptly separated the two and stamped off, “I trust that one of you will be the death of me by the end of this!” huffed Gerhardt, “And don’t call me Gerry!” he said with a final hmph.
Paprika shook her head and dragging the cart along as he trotted behind the Captain, “He’ll be fine once we get to the village. I’m sure of it…”
“Awww, but I like Gerry…” Pinkie pouted, sighing heavily, “Oh well, I’m sure I can figure out another nickname!”
Turning, the party pony nodded excitedly, “I’m not worried; I’m sure he’s just a little nervous. But once we show him there’s nothing to be afraid of, he’ll be laughing with us, hehe!” Poking the Alpaca in the chest, she winked, “Race you back to Gerry!”
“I was spry once,” thought Gerhardt, “I was once the cream of the crop and a handsome griffin, a creature in his prime… now I’m babysitting two bimbos who are going to co-sign my death warrant…”
The journey through the woodlands was uneventful, calm aside from the distant crack of musket fire that cut through the trees every so often. The tranquil sound of bird song was interrupted by sounds unknown to nature. It dampened the beautiful sound of the forest and the spirits of the Gerhardt and Paprika. This place was once untouched by the tide of war, and now it was almost impossible to imagine it as any other than a potential battleground.
Signs of contact were present, with every other tree or dirt road having signs of sentient life and combat. One of the larger trees, which looked twisted together like a giant pretzel, was partially burned and damaged. Hoof prints and claw marks scattered across the dirt, telling a story of fight and flight.
Another tree ahead had its trunk splintered open, with bits of wood dust and splinters resting on the ground below the damaged tree with a lone horseshoe sitting underneath a pile of dust. Gerhardt shook his head, rubbing his eye patch as he scanned the former battlefield.
“This was from last month… we… dispatched some of our guys to secure a few unwanted 'visitors' from the area. I’m sure you can put together what happened afterward…”
Paprika bit her lower lip anxiously as she glanced at the horseshoe sitting alone. A chill crawled down her spine as she pondered the possible fate of its owner. She had done her best to avoid any areas where active combat was, as it wasn’t in her nature to… seriously hurt creatures, purposely at least.
And that one time she found herself at the wrong place, at the wrong time, she had nearly paid for it with her life. Had it not been for her quick thinking, who knows what horrible fate would have befallen her.
“Yeah…” Paprika said quietly.
Pinkie could sense the shift in the air, her once bright smile softening into something more appropriate for the situation. A part of her wanted to ask exactly what happened, but she knew it would only bother Gerhardt, and Paprika wouldn’t like to hear about it either.
“Hey, it’s okay. Let’s just try to keep moving and stay out of sight; that way, we won’t run into trouble! That’s what we do back in the Everfree Forest, and that’s a pretty dangerous place. The weather does what it wants, and the animals don’t need caretaking! It’s super weird…” Pinkie offered, “I’m sure we can handle anything that comes by!”
Like clockwork, something would rustle in the bushes, and then appearing before them was a young unicorn stallion. With a dark purple coat and sandy blonde mane, he squeezed through the brambles, panting heavily as he quickly shook off whatever leaves, branches, and thorns that had attached to him.
The pony was clad in dark leather armor covering his torso and flank, obscuring his cutie mark from view. The colt looked confused and dazed. The stallion quickly snapped his head toward the group in front of him, his eyes widening in surprise, shock, and horror.
“Do you think we can handle that?” quipped Gerhardt, as he quickly snapped the musket on the young pony.
The stallion quickly turned to Pinkie Pie with a pleading look as he trotted in place, “Please, don’t let it kill me!”
Gerhardt grumbled, “Great, a scout… and he’s green too…”
Pinkie, for her part, didn’t seem surprised at all. In fact, she appeared giddy, trotting beside Gerhardt to lower his weapon. “Come on, Hardty, we can’t hurt him! Just look at how scared he is, and besides, he hasn’t done anything to hurt us!”
Turning her attention back to the newcomer, Pinkie Pie put on a wide, friendly smile and bounced her way forward. Landing softly a few hooves away, she stuck out her hoof to shake. “Hiya, my name’s Pinkie Pie! Sorry for scaring you; we don’t want to cause any trouble. We’re just passing through! I’m sure you know how that is: climbing through bushes, sticker bushes, and flower bushes… I love flower bushes, ooh, and berry bushes!”
“Oops!” Pinkie giggled, realizing she was talking at the speed of light, “I didn’t even introduce my friends! This is Paprika and Gerry! Don’t worry; we like meeting new creatures. I hope we can be friends! What’s your name?”
……..
There was a long silence as all parties looked at each other with confusion. Gerhardt and the unicorn kept their eyes focused on each other. The pony in question hesitantly backed away from the mare until he heard her name. Slowly taking her hoof to shake.
“Pinkie Pie…? You’re THE Pinkie Pie? What are you doing with these… creatures?” he said with genuine confusion, unawarely insulting the non-ponies among them, “I thought you were with Twilight, I thought you were in Equestria!?” shrieked the unicorn, “My Goddess! Have the end times come!? ARE WE ALL DOOMED TO BURN BY CELESTIA’S SUN!?!?!?”
Gerhardt snapped the hammer of his musket back in place as he placed the butt of the weapon on the ground and leaned against it. Giving the foalish colt an unimpressed look.
“SPARE ME!” cried the unicorn.
Pinkie Pie began to giggle, snort, and straight up started laughing, falling on her flank and rolling about. “Hehehee, that was a good prank! You’d be an amazing actor, silly stranger! But yeah, I’m Pinkie Pie! I know I’m usually with my friends, but Twilight’s busy right now with a unicorn, so I’m here all by my lonesome… except for my new friends! Well, Paprika is sort of new but older than Gerhardt. But not that she looks old! She’s beautiful!”
Paprika bashfully waved off the mare.
Wiping away a tear, the pink mare rolled over before getting to her hooves. “Don’t worry, silly; Princess Celestia is probably having day court right now or a delicious slice of cake! She orders a lot of special items from me, actually.” Pinkie snuck in a wink before leaning closer to the unicorn’s ear, mock-whispering, “She loooooooves red velvet!”
Falling back, Pinkie bounced up and down, her smile still as cheery as it was before. “Soooooooo, are you gonna tell us your name, ooor am I gonna have to guess? Hmmmmm, Violet Star? No, wait, I’m thinking of Amethyst in Ponyville… Oooh, I should save some berries for her; maybe I can ship them!” Rambled Pinkie.
“She looooves fresh blueberries, and her birthday is two weeks away! Can you believe it?! I hope her party is nice, even if I’m not there to host it… But I’m sure it’ll be great! I’ll just have to send two gifts to make up for it!”
Pausing to finally catch her breath, Pinkie glanced around, finally noticing the roiling tension. “Whaaaat? C’mon guys, don’t you know that birthdays are critical!!”
The stallion shifted uncomfortably as he glanced between the three, overwhelmed by the information and stress of their present situation. The stallion sat down slowly as he rubbed his temple with his hooves, “I am… Soaring Comet, and… I, uh… we aren’t… in trouble…?” he asked meekly.
“She’s not, you are.” Gerhardt replied as he sat up and shifted the weapon back on Soaring, “To keep things brief for my guest here, your Kingdom has done a lot to be in trouble with my people, and now? You have to bear the brunt of the punishment,” he said, snapping the hammer back in place.
Paprika had grown quiet and stiff, keeping back behind Gerhardt as she stared fearfully at the stallion in question. Despite his age and naivety, both creatures feared the unicorn. Not for what he personally was but for the potential for violence and danger he could pose against them.
There was a hallowing feeling as the air grew heavy, and the raw, animalistic tension grew. A strange scent was present; a mix of sweat and something foul and bitter clung to the air. The stallion dug his right hoof in the dirt as his nostrils opened wide with every anxious breath.
Paprika whimpered as a low bellow escaped her, the wool on her body frizzing up as Gerhardt slowly turned to Pinkie Pie. His eye full of fear and rage toward the stallion in question, trembling in its socket as if demanding the mare she step aside and let him do what he believed needed to be done as a sharp whinny escaped the stallion.
Pinkie Pie’s brow furrowed, glancing between the three creatures with uncertainty. She had no idea why Gerhardt was so serious about punishing someone who had done them no harm. He was a unicorn, so what? She had dozens of unicorn friends back in Equestria. How were they really any different?
Letting a sigh escape her nose, Pinkie cleared her throat. Perhaps the forest reminded her of that song, or maybe the collective fear of the others, but it fell seamlessly from her lips.
“When I was a little filly, and the sun was going doooown~.”
“The darkness and the shadows they would always make me frooooown~”
“I’d hide under my pillow, from what I thought I saw, but Granny Pie said that wasn’t how to deal with fears at all~.”
“So she said, ‘Pinkie, you gotta stand up tall, learn to face your fears! You’ll see that they can’t hurt you, just laugh and make ’em disappear~!”
Within a split second, the pink pony had snatched both Soaring Comet and Gerhardt, pulling them against her sides. Both screaming in terror as they were helplessly dragged along with Pinkie.
“Why did the ponies become friends with the Griffins? Because they both wanted a stable relationship that could soar to new heights!” Pinkie giggled, “Ooh, here’s another good one… What do you call a Griffin that’s good friends with ponies? A neigh-bird!”
Pinkie giggled, squeezing the pair in a tight hug before letting them loose. “Why are you all acting like such silly fillies? Just ’cause we come from different places doesn’t mean we can’t be friends! Comet here hasn’t done anything wrong; he looks barely older than a colt! You know you can’t hurt him; wouldn’t that be against your knightly code!? And I wouldn’t let you either.”
“You know what griffins and ponies have in common? They both can laugh and have a good time, so why not have a good time together? That way, everyone can be friends! I know there are bigger problems, but… that doesn’t mean we can’t try!” Pinkie pouted, her lower lip quivering. “We gotta at least try!”
Soaring squealed in both terror and delight as he was swept away, almost becoming entranced in Pinkie’s song and infectious joy, just as any other pony in Equestria would. Gerhardt, however, was unimpressed. Scowling disapprovingly at Pinkie.
“He may be a colt now, but he will get bigger, and he’ll be a cold-blooded monster with enough training and experience. Ponies don’t change, creatures don’t change!” snapped Gerhardt as he slung the musket over his back and tackled Soaring to the ground as the young pony let out a surprised shout.
“I wasn’t ready!” whined the colt.
“Shut up, boy!” snapped Gerhardt as he quickly grabbed a rope from his satchel, tied the rope around the pony’s neck, and dragged him to the wagon where Paprika was. Before tying the colt to the back of the wagon
“ALRIGHT! I have had it up to here with all of you!” grumbled Gerhardt, “Now we’re going to deliver these supplies and get back to camp without any more stragglers or interferences or so help me, Boreas. I will turn this caravan around!”
The stallion slowly raised his hoof as he peered from behind the wagon, “But I just g-”
“Quiet! You’re a prisoner!” snapped Gerhardt.
“Oh…”
Paprika quickly raised her hoof, “Do I have to be near the prisoner?”
Pinkie’s face twisted into something that was not normally seen by any pony, genuine frustration. Stomping back to the wagon and up to Gerhardt, she leaned into his face, her hindlegs bucking and wiggling in the air.
“What do you think you’re doing, mister missy miss?! You’re treating him like… like a bad pony! But he hasn’t done anything yet; he hasn’t hurt us! Just ’cause he comes from somewhere awful, that doesn’t mean he’s bad! My friend Dashie thought all Griffins were meanies after meeting one griffin, but they made up and were friends again! Do you think it’s okay for a pony to say all griffins are bad because they met one bad griffin!?”
She hopped into the air, suddenly hyperactive and more animated than before, “Does that make ANY sense to you?! You– you’re making us the bad guys! And I don’t wanna be a bad guy! I bet if he Pinkie Promised, he wouldn’t tell anyone we’ve been here! Friends never break promises, and I can tell he’d be a great friend if you just gave him a chance!”
Turning her head to the Alpaca, Pinkie continued her tirade, “Pappy, my friends were super scared when they met you; they weren’t sure if you were a friend or some trickster who wanted to hurt them! But they gave you a chance! How can you not give this pony the same chance we gave you?!”
Paprika shifted uncomfortably, “Well…Pinkie Pie…maybe Gerhardt is treating Soaring like a bad pony because he…is a bad pony.”
“Neigh!” cried Soaring, looking genuinely distraught at the notion of being a bad pony.
Gerhardt sighed, “Look, I am not basing my decision because he’s a unicorn! He is the enemy! We are at war!”
Pinkie gave them both a very unconvinced look, “It’s definitely because he’s a unicorn! But even if it wasn’t because he’s a unicorn, you’d still be judging him from where he’s come from! How can you expect there to be any peace if you don’t give anyone a chance to prove themselves as good?”
Trotting to face Soaring, she sighed, “I know that he probably believes a lot of stuff that’s not true, but it’s not his fault that he was lied to. He grew up like that, just like I grew up on a rock farm, just like how you grew up in your village, just like in your mother’s nest. Just like how Twilight was born a unicorn in Canterlot… a place doesn’t make a creature who they are, what they do is!”
Turning her head back to Gerhardt and Paprika, she stomped her hoof. “I’m not going to let you hurt my new friend!”
“Just as the prophecy foretold.” Soaring beamed, “Obviously, the Immortal Heiress’s own servant will obey her will. Which means I’ll be okay! Everything’s coming up, Soaring!” proclaimed Soaring before tripping over a rock and quickly scrambling back to his hooves.
Gerhardt rubbed his claw against his face as he grumbled, “Friend… friend. Ja, of course, he’d be your friend! Why not! Let’s just befriend the Regency Council and get matching iron shackles while we’re at it!” scoffed the frustrated griffin as he stamped off, “Give a Unicorn a chance, feh…”
Paprika hesitantly looked over to Pinkie Pie, “I dunno Pinkie, I love making friends as much as you do, but… are you really sure we can befriend…” she’d side-eye the colt tied to the back of the cart.
The purple stallion in question was watching his own tail swat flies…
Pinkie raised a brow as Gerhardt stomped off but decided not to chase after him. Fluttershy would probably say he needed time to cool off…
Turning to Paprika, she glanced briefly at Soaring Comet before returning her gaze, “Paprika, were you afraid of Rarity and Twilight when you met them? They were both unicorns. Well, I mean, Twilight used to be a unicorn, but you know what I mean. Just because someone has an extra body part doesn’t make them bad!”
Her big, sky-blue eyes looked up at the Alpaca, “If I were a unicorn, would you have been my friend…?”
Paprika laughed, “Afraid? Of course not, I wasn’t afraid of them, silly. I saw your friends traveling together with a pair of Griffins, and nothing would have changed because you’re different from them! One of your unicorns broke a curse that was placed on me by a Unicornican mage.”
“I’d only be afraid of you if you were a stallion, silly!” answered Paprika without a hint of sarcasm, “Everyone knows those guys are the unicorns you avoid. (‘Cept Elder Quill.)”
Soaring looked across the wagon, “Is it because of the loud chain armor? I hate being around other stallions because of how noisy it is…”
“...Uhm…” Paprika slowly looked over to Pinkie, “I think we should uhm…” she’d look at the colt for a second, “... Uhhhhhmmm… can we…. put it away?”
Pinkie Pie furrowed her brow before quickly melting into a soft frown, her ears falling slack. It was as if Paprika had just deprived her of something with that answer.
“He has a name, and his name is Soaring Comet!” Giving a loud harumph, she climbed into the back of the wagon with the unicorn, snatching the handles of the double doors.
“Now, if you excuuuuuuse us, I’m going to get to know OUR new friend more. Maybe you should go check on Gerhardt…” And with that, she snapped the door closed, Pinkie’s face twisting into a sob. Why couldn’t everybody just get along?
Soaring had managed to climb into the wagon. Concentrating his magic the best he could without strangling himself or giving cause for suspicion from the other creatures. Prying the doors open as he flung himself into the wagon, crashing and skiding across the floor before hastily closing the doors shut and sliding into the near corner on the wagon floor as he looked at Pinkie Pie with relief and gratitude.
The mare looking up from the ground with a teary expression for a moment before cleaning herself up. She would've laugh or even giggle hadn't she been so distraught. Sitting up as Pinkie checked on the colt.
"Are you okay?"
The colt shot up as he quickly gave the Earth Pony a bow, “Thank you, Lady of Laughter. Mistress of Joy, O’ Heir to Happiness Itself, for sparing my life. I am in your debt… now then about a potential escape plan.” he’d eye the earth mare with piqued interest.
Letting out a soft sniffle, Pinkie rubbed her eyes with her forearm, putting on a half-baked smile, her ears still lowered. She looked nearly heartbroken.
“M’sorry, I’m not feeling like a super spy escape right now… besides, Gerhardt would shoot you, and I don’t want you getting hurt. Don’t worry, I’ll convince them to let you go; I won’t let anyone hurt you. But please… just call me Pinkie Pie. Or just Pinkie… Pinks is okay, too; Dashie calls me that all the time.” She began smoothing and combing through her mane, an anxious tic.
“I don’t know what those meanie unicorns told you, but Celestia isn’t okay with what they’re doing. But she can’t leave Equestria either… Twilight doesn’t like it, either. The slaves, how they treat creatures… I know that’s a lot to take in, but a lot of stuff you were told is wrong.”
Her brow was wrinkled from tension, but her eyes were soft as the summer sky. “I don’t expect you to believe me right away, but I hope if we can be friends, that you’ll try to see things my way.”
Soaring quietly shifted closer to Pinkie, attempting to comfort her before being snagged back by the rope around his neck, wincing a bit as he shuffled back to get as comfortable as possible. He tilted his head curiously and looked at Pinkie with a mix of intrigue and confusion.
“I don’t understand… I don’t… know of any slaves, and I’m not sure… all I know is what my dad, my mage, and my mom tell me. And mom said that if I didn’t get into the academy, I would be homeless or something… Dad said it’d make me less of a sissy.”
The stallion cleared his throat as he sighed, “Are you sad? Did they make you their prisoner, too?”
Pinkie sighed half-heartedly, “I don’t know what to think right now, but no, they didn’t make me a prisoner. I’m just a little… miffed at them right now, that’s all. I think we all need a moment to calm down…”
“I’m just a little misty-eyed, but it’s okay. I just don’t like seeing creatures fight. I don’t understand why we can’t all get along.” Flopping down, she rested her head on her hooves. “I wish one of my friends were here right now… Twilight would know what to do…”