Pinkie's Pie
The reporter cleared his throat as his pen came to a stop. “Luna, we’ve all heard the story of Nightmare Moon, but we’ve never had the chance to hear your side of the story—not publicly, anyway.”
“The legend is a fair retelling, as far as I can tell,” Luna replied. “Aside from the story of Nightmare Night, I have not found any significant errors.”
“Why did you become Nightmare Moon?”
Luna took a deep breath and bowed her head to hide her grimace. “I have reflected on this subject since I returned to Equestria, and I have come to the conclusion that youthful ignorance was the main culprit.”
“Could you explain?”
Luna shifted a little on her haunches and glanced at Celestia, who gave her a reassuring smile and a small nod. “I was focused on myself and what I wanted and not on the needs and wants of those around me,” she said. “Most of all, I was unable to see the wisdom in my sister’s counsel. I realize now that the decisions she made were meant to protect me, not harm me. Even the decision to send me away. They were acts of love, and I just didn’t see it.”
Business at Sugarcube Corner was slower than usual, but Pinkie didn’t mind. Mostly because it meant she got to talk to Rarity all she wanted, and what’s better than finding out your friend has a secret admirer?
“He’s absolutely perfect, a real gentlecolt,” Rarity said, staring up at the ceiling with a big smile on her face. “Did you read the part where he says my eyes hold more sparkle than the purest star sapphire?”
“I have no idea!” Pinkie answered, her face glued to the paper that sat on the counter between them. “Does this say ‘heart of gold’ or ‘heated cold’?”
“The first, darling,” Rarity said.
“And what about this?” Pinkie held the paper in front of her and turned it sideways. “It looks like that drawing Pound Cake made on the wall the other day. Boy, did that take a while to clean up.”
“All right, so his penmanship has room for improvement,” Rarity snapped, taking the note in her magic and folding it carefully into her saddle bag. “He’s still the sweetest stallion I’ve ever come in contact with.”
“And you don’t even know who it is!” Pinkie agreed, bouncing up and down behind the counter. “Let’s see. Maybe it’s Caramel. Ooh, or maybe it’s Mr. Breezy.”
“Caramel’s dating somepony, dear, and Mr. Breezy is married,” Rarity said, taking a bite of cupcake.
“Oh yeah.” Pinkie thought about all the ponies she knew, which wasn’t an easy task. “Hey, maybe it’s that prince you met at the Grand Galloping Gala!”
Little bits of cupcake shot out of Rarity’s mouth, followed by a weird choking sound. “Pinkie! Don’t even joke about such things!”
The bell over the door rang, and in walked a pony Pinkie thought she recognized but couldn’t name, which meant he was probably visiting somepony in town. “Uh, howdy,” he said.
“Well, hi there!” Pinkie flashed him a smile. “Welcome to Sugarcube Corner! I’m Pinkie Pie!”
“Red Delicious,” the pony answered as he walked toward the counter. “Ah'm, uh, Applejack’s cousin.”
“Oh, yeah!” Pinkie exclaimed. “That explains everything!”
“It… does?”
“Well, I won’t keep your customers waiting,” Rarity said, dabbing at her lips with a handkerchief. “Have a wonderful day.”
“Oh, y-you don’t hafta leave,” Red said quickly, bowing his head. “Ah didn’t mean ta interrupt.”
“Oh, it’s quite all right, dear,” Rarity replied as she walked past him on the way to the door. “That pie looks quite lovely, by the way.”
“It does?” Red’s ears perked up. “Well, thank you!” He turned around only to run into a grinning pink face. “Gaah! Oh, um, hi, Pinkie.”
“Hi again!” Pinkie started bouncing in a circle around him. “Isn’t saying hi just the best? Especially to somepony you don’t know very well!”
“Um, yeah.” Red cleared his throat. “So, um, did you get the note I left in your mailbox?”
Pinkie came to a screeching halt midair. “You left a note in my mailbox?”
“Yeah,” Red answered. “Ah stopped by yesterday—”
“This is terrible!” She burst out the door in a flash and returned a second later, eyes scanning a piece of paper in her hoof. “How could I not know there was a note in my mailbox?”
“You, um, don’t hafta read it right now,” Red said, tapping a hoof against the floor.
“Of course I do, silly!” Pinkie tousled his mane, which made his cheeks turn red. “Especially since it’s such a nice note! Besides, I love getting mail from my friends!”
“Ah'm, uh, glad you like it.” Red reached a hoof over his shoulder to retrieve the pie balanced on his back. “Ah, uh, made this fer you. Applejack said you really like apple pies, and—”
Before he could finish, Pinkie grabbed the pie out of his hoof and smooshed her face into it, chewing and licking loudly. “Thith ith grea’!” she exclaimed.
Red chuckled softly and pawed at the floor some more while Pinkie devoured the pie. “Say, Pinkie, do ya have any plans fer tonight?”
Pinkie emerged from the pie and thought for a moment as apple juice ran down her face and dripped on the floor. “I don’t think so,” she said at last, tapping a hoof against her chin. “That’s weird. I always have something going on. Maybe I should throw a party tonight. Hey, I could throw you a welcome-to-Ponyville party!”
“Uh, actually, ah was thinkin’… well, since yer not busy, would ya like ta go out ta dinner with me?” Red asked quickly. “I mean, ya know. Go out to dinner. With me.”
“Sure!” Pinkie started bouncing in a circle again, little pieces of crust stuck in her mane. “It’s always fun to spend time with your friends!”
“Eh, yeah.” Red rubbed his foreleg with a hoof. “So, um, Ah’ll see you in a few hours, then.”
“Okey dokey lokey!”
“Okay. Great!” The two stood there for a moment, looking at each other. “Ah’ll, um, let you get back to work then.”
“Great!” Pinkie realized she was covered in pie and licked her face clean. “See you then!”
The night passed as uneventfully as one could expect with Pinkie Pie involved. The two went to a small outdoor café. Red was too nervous to eat much, and Pinkie was too excited to be meeting somepony new, so they spent the better part of the evening talking to each other—or rather, Pinkie talked a lot while Red listened and inserted a comment now and then.
Shortly after sunset, the two left the café and walked around Ponyville. “So after Rarity’s plan failed, I decided to go in there and throw him a party,” Pinkie was saying. “I mean, I know he was a grumpy dragon and all, but who doesn’t like parties? Apparently, he didn’t!”
“That must’ve been scary,” Red commented.
“Naw. One of my best friends is a dragon, so I knew he’d come around eventually,” Pinkie replied. “I just didn’t think Fluttershy would have to give him such a scolding.”
Red’s heart began to race as Sugarcube Corner came into view. “Well, Ah’ve had a great evenin’,” he said.
“Me, too!” Pinkie agreed. “Spending time with friends is the best!”
Red slowed a little. “Um… Pinkie…”
“Yeah, Red?”
“D’ya think…” Red paused to clear his throat. “Ah mean, Ah know we haven’t seen much of each other, but… d’ya think we could be… ya know… more than friends?”
“More than friends?” Pinkie frowned. “Do you mean like Twilight and her brother? He’s her BBBFF—Big Brother Best Friend Forever—but I guess you couldn’t really be my BBBFF. I mean, you’re not even my brother!”
“N-not exactly.”
“Or maybe you mean like Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo,” Pinkie continued. “They’re always doing stuff together. Dashie’s kinda like her big sister, and—”
Pinkie suddenly stopped when she felt something warm pressing against her lips, and it only took her a moment to realize it was Red’s mouth. Her body tensed, and her mind went blank. A second later, Red’s eyes shot open, and he backed away quickly, clearing his throat. “Ah mean… like that.”
Normally, the words would have entered Pinkie’s mind to find a bustling cacophony of thoughts and ideas, but when those reached her brain, they found everything had suddenly fallen still and silent. Pinkie tried to get her thoughts moving again, but as the seconds dragged into a minute, Red’s pawing became more agitated. His eyes widened, his breaths quickened, and still Pinkie stood there. “Ah, uh gotta go.” He turned and ran away, leaving Pinkie, still stunned, on her doorstep.
Pinkie’s brain eventually managed to find her legs again, and she walked into Sugarcube Corner. Mrs. Cake was standing by the counter, shining the glass. “Oh, hello,” she said when she saw Pinkie walking up the stairs. “How’d your evening go?”
“Um… great.” Pinkie put on her best smile and walked the rest of the way to her room. She shut the door behind her and climbed into bed, unable to get Red off her mind.