//------------------------------// // The second meeting // Story: Awakening // by punisher143 //------------------------------// Heheheh, I hope I don't lose readers for this. It had been almost a week since that day in the Everfree forest, and things had gone back to normal in Ponyville. The buzzing that the unicorns had ceased and it had slipped from their thoughts. This day found Rainbow Dash doing what she loves best; flying and practicing new tricks. At the moment, Dash was resting on a cloud and staring at the scenery below her. She then saw a familiar pink pony bouncing by. "Hey Pinkie," Dash called down. Pinkie looked up at Rainbow and smiled. "Hi Dashie, I've been looking for you for a while," Pinkie said. Dash leaped off the cloud and landed next to Pinkie. "Really, what's up?" Rainbow asked. Pinkie started bouncing ecstatically. "Well, I was just had this super awesome idea for a party, just for you! Are you free tomorrow?" Pinkie asked, her right eye twitching subtly. Rainbow Dash closed her eyes to remember her schedule. "Well, I have to prepare a small rain shower around noon, but I'm free after that," Dash finally said. Pinkie managed to smile wider than before. "That's perfect! I got to get the preparations done!" Pinkie exclaimed with her eye twitching and started bouncing away. "I'll see you tomorrow, Dashie!" Dash watched Pinkie bounce away. She felt some concern for her friend, but wrote it off as Pinkie being Pinkie. Dash then flew up into the sky, ready for more trick practice. "Look mister, it's a simple decision. Either buy some apples or don't," Applejack said. "Don't worry, I'll buy some. I'm just thinking about how much," the pegasus said and continued staring intently at the apples. Applejack saw Twilight trotting through the marketplace and waved her down. Twilight smiled and made her way over to Applejack. "Hi Applejack, how are you today?" Twilight asked. "Ah'm doin' fine today, aside from indecisive customers," Applejack said and shot a look of annoyance at the pegasus, "Anyway, you seem to be doin' better." "Yes, I am doing better," Twilight said. Before the two could continue, the pegasus spoke up. "Ok, I'll have five red delicious and hey I remember you!" he said and pointed a hoof at Twilight. "Um, what?" Twilight asked. "Yeah, your that got caught in my snare trap the other day," he said and then a serious look crossed his face. "I really am sorry about that." Twilight waved a hoof in the air. "It's alright, mister...?" He shook his head. "Don't worry about that, since I probably won't see you again after this. Most ponies call me Hunter though." "Here are your apples, that'll be 15 bits." Applejack said and held out a bag. "Oh, thanks." Hunter took the bag and handed over the bits. "Oh yeah, you know the pink party pony?" "Pinkie Pie, yeah, everyone around here knows her," Twilight said. "Cool, because she seriously needs to get some sleep. I saw her near the border of Everfree the other day and she seemed really out of it; what with the constant twitches and talk of cupcakes and parties, it kinda creeped me out." Hunter turned to leave, "I gotta go, sorry about the trap again." When he was a good distance away, Applejack spoke up. "What a weird fella." Twilight sighed. "Yeah, but I'm used to that. Well I better get going; I need to talk to Fluttershy about something." Applejack nodded. "Alright, I'll see ya around Twilight." Twilight returned the nod and started trotting to Fluttershy's cottage. "There you go, your leg should be all better in day or two, but if it starts to hurt again you come straight back ok?" Fluttershy told the deer, which had some bandages on its front right leg. The deer nodded in response to Fluttershy's question and she gave a warm smile to it. "Good, now be careful," She said to it as it walked away. Fluttershy then noticed Twilight walking up to her. "Hi Fluttershy," Twilight said. "Oh um, hi Twilight, what can I do for you?" Fluttershy asked in her usual shy tone. "Well, I wanted to ask you something. You do know about most of the creatures that live in the Everfree forest right?" Fluttershy looked surprised but nodded. "Well yes, most of them, why do you ask? Um, if that's ok with you." "Well, I saw something there a while back, and it's been bugging me," Twilight said and levitated a scroll in front of her. "I wrote some things I know about it and tried to draw it." Twilight unrolled the scroll and levitated it in front of Fluttershy so she could read it. The scroll had a rough sketch of the creature that attacked her, as well as a description and a short list of things she did know about it. Fluttershy looked it over a couple times and after a minute of thought shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I don't know about anything like that." Twilight sighed. "I was afraid of that. Thanks anyway Fluttershy," Twilight said and rolled the scroll up and stowed it away. "One other thing, do Beholders live in the Everfree forest?" Twilight had found a description of one in 'Mystical Monsters and other Mysteries' and decided she would rather not run into one. Fluttershy hummed in thought before answering. "Um, I believe beholders only live in caverns, and I don't think they've been seen in Equestria for at least 300 years. Um, if you don't mind me asking, why do you ask?" Twilight shook her head and smiled. "Oh, I was just curious. Thanks Fluttershy," Twilight said and started to leave. "Your welcome," Fluttershy managed to say. She then felt a series of thumps on her legs and looked down to see Angel Bunny crossing his arms and tapping a foot. "Oh I'm sorry Angel, it's almost time for your lunch. I'll go get it started," Fluttershy said and went inside to get the meal started. "I don't understand; what could that thing be?" Twilight asked herself. She had found herself in the park while she was lost in thought. "What could what be?" Twilight heard a voice ask. She looked around and finally behind her to find Rainbow Dash on her back. "Dash, how did you…?" Twilight asked as Dash hopped off her back, but shook her head. "Never mind, I was just thinking about that shadow creature." "That thing? Why, we haven't seen it since then." Dash said. "It's just been bugging me, not to mention that somepony could get hurt if it's still in there." Dash nodded. "Yeah, I guess you have a point. Do you need any help with that?" Twilight shook her head. "No I should be fine by myself. By the way, have you seen Pinkie anywhere?" "I talked to her not to long ago actually. She said she had some big party planned for me tomorrow." "Was she acting weird?" "Not any weirder than usual. If you're worried about her, why don't you just come to that party? I'm sure Pinkie wouldn't mind." Twilight thought for a moment and nodded. "I'm sure I can find time for that. When is it?" "Tomorrow afternoon. That reminds me, there's going to be a rainstorm around noon tomorrow." Dash then took off in a hover. "I gotta get going Twi, I'll be seeing you." Dash took off, leaving Twilight to hopefully enjoy the rest of the day. The next day, Rainbow Dash and the rest of the weather team were finishing up getting the storm in motion. Dash put the last cloud in place and gave a swift kick to jump start the rain. With the downpour started, Dash looked over the storm and started to think. 'Well that's done, I wonder if I should meet up with Pinkie." Dash thought it over and decided to go. With that, Dash dove through the clouds, lucky that no lightning struck near her. She landed in front of Sugarcube Corner, only to find that the store was closed. "Argh Pinkie, why invite me to a party and then close the store?" Rainbow yelled at the door. She was about to go home when Pinkie bounced by the door and gasped when she saw Dash. One opened door later and Dash was inside and shaking the rain off her coat. "I'm sorry Dash, I didn't expect you so early," Pinkie said but started to bounce around the room in her usual excited manner. "But you're here now, which means we can start the party. I'm just going to have to work extra super duper fast to get the smaller details right." "Um Pinkie, that's nice and all but where is everypony? It's just us here," Dash said and looked around the bakery for any guests. Pinkie stopped bouncing in front of Dash and honked her snout with a hoof. "Silly Dashie, it's a party just for you, so it's only you here," Pinkie said with a smile and a twitch in the eye, which Dash noticed. Pinkie then gasped, "Oh, that reminds me," she said and jumped behind the counter searching for something. "Uh Pinkie, are you ok?" Dash asked with concern, "Have you been getting enough sleep lately? Do you even sleep?" Pinkie poked her head up. "Of course I sleep, and I've been sleeping just fine. Why do you ask?" Pinkie started twitching in a more noticeable manner, her head going to the left in sudden jerks. "Uh, no reason," Dash said and looked away from Pinkie's eyes. For some reason, her usual happy blue eyes seemed…darker. There was also something in them that Dash couldn't quite place. Sadness maybe. Or fear? "Ah, here we are!" Pinkie exclaimed and pulled out a tray with her mouth, a single lone cupcake on it. "This is a special cupcake I made, just for you. I put a lot of love into it." Her right eye started twitching again. "Uh, thanks Pinkie, but I'm not really that hungry. I had a big breakfast," Dash said rubbed her stomach with a fore hoof. She was getting a bad feeling, both about the pastry and her friend. "Come on Dashie, the party won't start until you have your cupcake." Pinkie said and nudged said pastry towards Rainbow. "Well, um," Dash stumbled for an excuse, "I can't eat it alone. I mean, I'd feel guilty if I was the only one enjoying myself." Dash grinned, hoping the lie would hold. Pinkie face grew serious and she held up a hoof to reveal a cupcake. Dash barely had time to wonder where she got it before Pinkie ate it, wrapper and all. She chewed for a bit before spitting the wrapper out and swallowing the confection. She then pushed the cupcake on the tray toward Dash. 'Horse feathers,' Dash thought as she looked at Pinkie's serious face, then down to the cupcake, and then back to Pinkie. She repeated the motion a couple of times before sighing in defeat. "Fine," she said and took the pastry. Pinkie instantly got her usual smile back as Dash took the wrapper off and ate the cupcake in one bite. When she swallowed it, she looked at Pinkie. "Alright I ate it, can we play some games now or something?" Dash asked. Pinkie's smile changed from her usual cheer to a more menacing and somewhat familiar grin. "Now, you go to sleep." Dash barely had time to register what she said before her head started to cloud and her legs grew weaker. Her breathing grew heavier and her legs gave out and she crashed onto the floor. The last thing Rainbow saw before losing consciousness was Pinkie's grinning face. Dash thought she saw Pinkie's eyes flash red for a second. Then again, it doesn't matter since you know she'll survive, but hey, there is a whole lot of things up to and not including death.