//------------------------------// // Burnt Pie // Story: Rainbow and Clyde // by protractror //------------------------------// "So where are we going anyway? We just passed Sugar Cube Corner." Rainbow said as she followed Clyde through Ponyville, keeping her now stylish head down. Even though she was probably the only one who would make fun of her for looking pretty, she didn't want to have to have anybody see her like this. It takes so long to build up a reputation, and it all can go up in flames the second you walk into town smelling like France rolled up into a pegasus. "Hah, why would we go to Sugarcube Corner when we have everything we need right here? A true Pie can make a Pie out of nothing but hard work and elbow grease for the pan." Clyde had finally reached one of Ponyville's many parks, and settled down next to an oak tree. "Now, you aren't a true Pie, but the point still stands. I'll make it a bit easier by giving you the ingredients." Clyde then dropped the apples in front of Rainbow Dash, before turning to walk away. "You've got an hour." "Wait, where is the dough? Or like an oven?" "You've got the whole outside world Rainbow, don't tell me you can't bake a pie. Remember, this may be your last trial but as always it's all or nothing. Make me proud, or else." With a quiet chuckle, Clyde wandered off back to Town square. It was common knowledge the Pie's were famous for their pies, but this was mostly more rock pony nonsense. Pity crossed Clyde's mind as he realized that his beautiful apples would be ruined in the upcoming mud pie. To remedy this, he decided to go buy an actual pie, straight from Sweet Apple Acres' stand itself. Rainbow Dash looked like a homeless pony, and not an exactly bright one either. She had already scavenged herself quite a few twigs she had found from the bushes and set up camp next to a puddle she had found. She was not proud of her excitement in finding a puddle to make dough out of the dirt, but there was no time for shame. She just had to keep adding dirt to the puddle, making the consistency thicker and thicker. She tried so hard to not make eye contact with anypony around her, because she didn't just look homeless anymore. Rainbow Dash looked like she had just escaped an institution and was attempting to dig her way back in. No time for that though, this wasn't about anypony else. This was about Pinkie, so Rainbow started rubbing her twigs together as fast as she could. Through some act of Celestia she got a spark, and a small, dim fire had started. Step one was a resounding success! On a high from her cooking skills, Rainbow looked back at the dough. She had one apple covered in very runny mud. With a tired sigh she got back to work, followed by a very annoyed sigh after the first blew out her fire. Watching it all unfold from the bushes was a rather confused Pinkie. She had followed her Dad and Rainbow into the park out of earshot, but all that meant was that she had absolutely no context as to what was going on. At first she thought she had a chance to go talk to Rainbow after her dad left, but then Rainbow just started acting weird. Pinkie was a bit unsettled, but she just really didn't want to have their first date story involve Rainbow fetching twigs and putting them in a pile. When Rainbow finally made a fire, Pinkie got a tiny bit more worried. She almost felt like leaving her bush just so she could figure out what the hay was going on, but she thought better of it. When the fire blew out and Rainbow just began throwing twigs at apples in an apparent rage Pinkie lifted her foreleg to go talk to her. However, she was startled to find something weighing her foreleg down. Gummy had somehow waddled all the way into the park and clamped himself down onto Pinkie's leg, and this made no sense whatsoever. Pinkie didn't care about how gummy had crossed town, and would never know about his thrilling chariot races and life altering journey that took him here. What didn't make any sense was that Gummy hated leaving his room, and would never do so without a reason. There were only three reasons that made Gummy feel like leaving his room. First, Gummy loved his pet play-dates, but that wasn't for another two days. Secondly, Gummy had been known to claw at his door in the case that he hadn't been fed for a while. But if that was the case, he would have just gone to the kitchen. Unless... A sudden wave of realization and then sudden disbelief crashed into Pinkie. "Unless I left the toast in an industrial toaster in a house made of gingerbread." Pinkie looked into Gummy's eyes for a moment that felt like an eternity. Gummy blinked, Pinkie blinked, and then she turned around back to the Corner. She couldn't see it, there were buildings in the way of course. However, what she did see was a large billowing black cloud of smoke. Kicking Gummy up to her mane, Pinkie galloped off at full speed back to her home forgetting Rainbow Dash and everything else but running. She felt her right eyelid shiver; Mr. Cake was going to yell again. Clyde was also running at full speed now back to his daughter's home. While he was having a wonderful conversation with a little foal selling apples, he was surprised to see several ponies with hoses on their flanks running into town square. Looking too see where they were going, he quickly picked up his pie before galloping off to Sugarcube Corner. The sight he was presented with was at once one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen and the saddest. His daughter was alive, no signs of ash or burns on her. However, her hair was flat, she was covered in a blanket and appeared to be in shock. Behind her, her house was covered in black, entire segments burned to pieces. It seemed like the fire had spread all the way up to the loft and done the most damage there. His daughter's house was gone. From the look in Pinkie's eyes he knew that she was somehow responsible for the fire.It was disbelief, her mind trying to not even think about what was going to happen. From the tears on her cheeks, it appeared to not be working very well. Clyde didn't really know how this had happened, and he frankly didn't care. Pinkie was in a horrible state right now and somepony needed to get her out of it. Clyde wanted nothing more than to run over and give his baby girl a hug, but he knew better than that. His daughter had her own life now and he couldn't do that every time she needed cheering up. She needed ponies to be there for her all the time. What she needed was a pony currently cursing a pile of mud across town. The whole world was muted for Pinkie Pie, everything was off. The fire seemed to dance for her in slow motion, her nose seemed to pick up only the cinders of her loft. She couldn't taste any of the sweet pastries, only having a burnt sensation in her mouth. The only thing she seemed to focus on was the slow, gentle petting of an unusually solemn Gummy. She felt out of her body, picking up only fragments of the conversation around her. "When did this happen?! Why didn't you tell me while I was making mud pie?" A brash voice said behind her, but Pinkie wasn't focusing. The day had started out with so much potential, and now where was she? Even if the cakes ever forgave her, she didn't have a home. Apprentice bakers don't really have enough to live off on and she didn't want to go home. "Wait, you had your own pie this entire time?" Pinkie heard the voice again, but it was in one ear and out the other. "Don't tell me you made this out of twigs, it still has the Sweet Apple Acres logo on it!" None of this mattered. Pinkie was going to go back home and live on the farm until she could find somewhere to live, and even then she didn't know if she could get a job back at Ponyville. Of course Pinkie could make friends wherever she went, but that would mean losing so many friends. All of her friends. She couldn't shoot the breeze with Applejack, she couldn't gossip with Rarity. The quiet days back at the cottage and the afternoons at the library would all end. And of course there was Rainbow... " Oh man, what can I say to her?" The voice was a lot softer now, more familiar. "Okay, thanks." Pinkie turned around at this, and was flabbergasted at what she saw. Rainbow Dash looked as beautiful as she had before, and was right in front of her. She had one of Pinkie's favourite Pie's on her back that she seemed to want to share with Pinkie. It was like everything today hadn't happened, for one moment the day had gone how it should have all along. To make the picture perfect, Pinkie even saw Clyde tipping his hat to Pinkie before conveniently taking a stroll. Rainbow took that opportunity to lie down next to Pinkie Pie. "How are you taking it?" It was a simple question, it shouldn't have been a big deal. But Pinkie still had to stop herself from letting out an "eep" and hiding behind her mane. No doubt about it Pinkie would never take lessons on being assertive from Fluttershy again. However, she was able to make a reply. "Oh, I'm good. How are you doing Dashie?" Se said dreamily. Rainbow seemed to squirm a little, not out discomfort but more surprise. Pinkie was caught off guard and looked for what could possibly be causing that reaction. Finally catching the fire in the background she let out a sigh. "Oh right, that. I'm, well I'm holding up." " C'mon, let's go somewhere else. This place isn't good for you right now." Pinkie's brain noodle lost it right then. Rainbow Dash was asking her too go somewhere, alone! Of course a little part of her knew that there was more to this than just that, that part of her brain was quickly silenced by the part screaming " Oh my god I look terrible and covered in tears!" "Ok, just let me go freshen up!" Pinkie said quickly as she rushed back to her home. Rainbow waited all of two seconds before she turned back around, a look of embarrassment on her face. "Ooh, right. Lead the way." She said as she wiped the tears off of her cheek. (Author's note. For anybody wondering, this isn't the end. There is still going to be at least one more chapter and an epilogue. That will probably happen pretty fast, I've finally started to have spare time again. Anyhoot, as always tell me if I've slipped in quality and I'll work myself back up to your standard. Moving in to the home stretch now, so see you at the finish line.)