When Pinkie awoke from her tearful, fitful slumber, she didn't get up, didn't open her eyes. Instead, she lay there silently curled up in a tiny grey/pink ball with her waterfall of straight mane and tail twisting about her like some sort of shimmering snake. When she did finally open her eyes, they were a very dull blue, almost completely grey, and they focused on nothing at all. At long last, she pulls herself into a sitting position and looks down at her fore hooves with a little bit of disdain glinting in her near lifeless orbs.
"I wonder what Twilight is doing now...probably laughing at me for being so stupid. I can't believe she heard me. I'm such a foal for thinking that she could actually...tsk."
Pinkie clicked her tongue and shakes her head, frowning deeply as she stops her train of thought and slides from the bed, moving over to the window. The birds are singing brightly, and the sky was clear; there wasn't a storm scheduled for today. But Pinkie only saw the ponies that wandered around with their special somepony. There went Cheerilee and Thunderlane, Lyra and Bon-Bon, and even Ditzy Doo was fawning over that brown earth pony, Dr. Whooves.
Pinkie sighs softly and turns away from her window to her dresser. Her eyes fall on the picture of the six of her friends, all smiling happily to the camera. Pinkie was almost right behind Twilight when the picture was taken, and she can remember how much she wanted to just lean forward to hug the mare, to be closer to her. To be wrapped in her calming scent and warmth, to be loved and cared for by her...but it was an impossible dream. All Pinkie had to look forward to now was scolding of how her unnatural want of the Princess would affect the Elements of Harmony, and how she had to bury the emotions. The look of disgust in her friend's eyes when they looked at her...no way they would accept her being a mare-amour. Not even her family had accepted it. Before that memory could surface to hurt her further, she pushes both it and the building tears in her eyes back into herself with great effort.
She takes a deep breath and opens the door to her room, stepping out into the brightly decorated hallway. She makes her way down the stairs and gives the Cakes each a sad smile, shaking her head just slightly when they try to step forward to ask what had happened. They see the motion, and though they want to help her, they step back and look at each other with concern at the greyish appearance of the usually bright pink mare. Pinkie stares at the front door for a long moment before lowering her head slightly and pushing it open with her muzzle, she squints at the sunlight that hits her eyes and she turns her eyes away from it as she steps out...
...And bumps right into Applejack. The orange farmer steps back and grunts a bit, whereas Pinkie just remains in place, staying silent for a moment before finally speaking.
"Sorry Applejack...I hope I didn't hurt you."
"Now, why would you be hurtin' m-Pinkie? Is that you, sugarcube?" The blonde mare asks in confusion at the dull tone of Pinkie's fur and quiet voice.
"Yeah...Its me. I, um...need to go..."
"Hold on a minute, Pinks. What in tarnation is goin' on with you? Ah heard from Big Mac about you runnin' back here earlier, cryin' and whatnot. Ah thought you needed a friend, and boy howdy, I was right. Come on, let's go someplace and we can talk."
"Applejack...I don't think that you'd really...like what I had to say."
"Why not? Did ya paint all mah apples again?"
"No..."
"Did ya use your cannon thing and bust down a building?"
"No."
"Alrighty then. I don't see why we can't talk about things all rational-like. Come on, there's a lake by Fluttershy's cottage, we can chat there." Applejack says triumphantly, knowing that she had won the argument by the slump in Pinkie's shoulders.
"Alright AJ...let's just get this over with..."
------At the lake-------
The two mares found a quiet edge of the lake, under a shady little tree and sat down, Applejack adjusting her hat to get a better view of the depressed looking Element of Laughter, who stared out over the water with a blank look.
"Now, why don't you tell me what's botherin' ya Pinks. Ah'm sure it ain't that bad."
"I'm in love with Twilight."
"...What was that?"
"I'm in love with Twilight and I went to the library yesterday to get more books and she was there but I didn't know it and I started singing this little song that I thought up about her and she heard it and now everyone's gonna think I'm an awful pony because I love another mare!" Pinkie cries out in a long, strung out breath, tears leaping to her eyes again as she explains herself to Applejack, who now sat there processing this new information, stunned. Pinkie, thinking that the farmer's silence meant disgust, bursts out sobbing, falling to the ground and covering her muzzle with her hooves. This snaps Applejack from her shocked silence, and she moves a hoof to pet the smooth length of Pinkie's mane.
"Is that all? T'aint no big thing sugarcube. We ain't gonna judge ya, not one bit. Ya see...Ah've got a secret too, and Ah think its about time Ah shared it with ya." The dusty colored mare says softly to the crying Pinkie, who sniffles and looks up with watery eyes.
"Y-You aren't mad at me?"
"Not at all. Like Ah said, no big deal. Honestly, Ah didn't think any of the rest of y'all were fillyfoolers. Ah thought it was just me and Fluttershy." Applejack says with a kind smile, a light blush tinting her cheeks. "Me and Flutters have been together fer what...four months now? We haven't made it public yet, but...we've been thinkin' about it. Tell you what. Why don't we try and help you with Twilight. She's a bookworm, and don't know much about the warm fuzzies, if you know what I mean. Give her a little bit, she'll figure things out. Either she likes ya, or she don't. That's up to her. All you can do is hope for the best, and prepare for the worst. That's what Granny Smith always says. And don't you worry. None of us are gonna judge ya Pinks. I'll bet my Stetson on that. Now, why don't you head back to Sugarcube Corner and freshen up a little bit. Me and Fluttershy will talk to Twilight, see what we can learn about what she's thinkin'. We're here for you Pinks, don't you doubt that."
Applejack was gentle but stern with her words, the genuine tone in her voice ringing in Pinkie's ears. They really weren't mad at her...and they even rooted for her! She would have to make sure that when the secret couple did come out, there was a big party waiting for them. With one last sniff, Pinkie wipes her eyes and sits up again, nodding to Applejack with a shaky smile.
"Alright AJ...thanks a lot. And congrats with Fluttershy, by the way. You two always did look cute together." And with that, Pinkie stands and makes her way back to her home, a more determined spring in her hoofsteps.