"Pinkie, look! Up in the sky!"
"Whoa... I've never seen anything like that before."
The two fillies stopped and stared up in awe at the city floating in the sky. A gigantic cloud served as the base for most of what was built on top, and this supercloud loomed over Blueberry Swirl and Pinkie Pie. Tiny, individual drops of rainwater fell to the ground, either from a building in the clouds or the cloud itself, and even a rainbow was visible from beneath.
"That's Cloudsdale," Blueberry said, not taking her gaze from the astonishing floating city, "It's built entirely on clouds, which means only Pegasus ponies can go there. That's where they make the weather and where winter comes from."
"I heard that Cloudsdale is further north though," Pinkie's gaze was fixed on the rainbows.
"Normally, yes, but since it's on clouds, it can move. It must have come to Ponyville for some reason."
"What do you think rainbows taste like?" Pinkie asked dreamily.
"Candy? I don't know," Blueberry shrugged, "Hey, Pinkie... you know, according to Igneous's story... our mother is up there."
Pinkie stopped breathing as her eyes widened at the truth of her sister's words. The Pegasus that had given birth to them had told her father that she was going to move to Cloudsdale. If she had moved there and continued living there all these years, then surely...?
"You think if we wait here long enough, she'll look down and see us?" Pinkie whispered.
"How about we just keep going?" Blueberry said quietly, pulling Pinkie's arm. Pinkie refused to budge for a moment, and then gave in and continued following Blueberry down the road.
Pinkie knew Blueberry thought she wasn't watching her, but she was carefully watching her sister as they continued down the path, and saw Blueberry glance back at the floating city just once before quickly looking away and hurrying down the path, her knowing sister in tow.
~~~~~~
On the right side of the road was a large, grassy field. On this side, apple trees were visible in the distance at the end of the field, making Pinkie think that they were getting close to Ponyville. On the left side of the road was a leafy forest that wasn't nearly as dark or gloomy as Whispering Wind Woods had been because it didn't have as many trees. At one point, Blueberry saw two bunnies watching them from behind a tree as they trotted past.
Not long after this encounter with the animals, Blueberry noticed Pinkie's ear twitch, and the pink pony glanced around suspiciously.
"What is it?" Blueberry asked.
"Do you hear that?" Pinkie held up a hoof, gesturing for silence, and Blueberry listened. It was quiet, but Blueberry could hear what Pinkie was talking about; it sounded like somepony was singing a melodic tune nearby. Pinkie crept off the road into the forest, the sound of her hooves muffled by the thick grass as she started approaching the source of the sound.
"Come on, Pinkie," Blueberry sighed impatiently, "We should keep going to Ponyville. We don't have time to bother somepony."
"But aren't you a little curious about who it is?" Pinkie cast her an I'm going and you can't stop me smile, "I'm sure that whatever pony is singing would love to know that her singing is so beautiful that we came looking for it."
"I... oh, fine," Blueberry groaned, following an overjoyed Pinkie into the woods as the song grew louder as they got closer, "As long as we don't waste a lot of time."
Pinkie carefully stepped over a low branch as they trekked through the trees, and then proceeded to trip over a fallen log and tumbled through the brush between two trees into a small clearing. The singing abruptly stopped as somepony gasped in surprise, and Pinkie looked up to see that on the other side of a small, clear pond taking up most of the clearing was a yellow filly with a pink mane, a pegasus maybe a year older than she was, that was staring at her, appalled. She was surrounded by seven rabbits, two beavers, six mice, one raccoon (yep; I counted all of 'em) and a whole lot of birds, most of which were scared off by Pinkie's sudden arrival.
"Sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry!" Pinkie quickly apologized as the birds flew into the air, most of them perching on branches in the trees and watching the scene unfold as Blueberry made her way into the clearing behind Pinkie, "I-I didn't mean to scare your birds! It was an accident, I tripped! Blueberry pushed me, so if you get mad, get mad at her! Please don't get mad!"
"What?" Blueberry narrowed her eyes at Pinkie before turning to the scared-looking Pegasus with an apologetic smile, "Sorry about my sister. We, uh, we were just looking for somepony that was singing. Was it you?"
The Pegasus didn't reply, only looked away, not making eye contact with either of them. An awkward silence ensued as Pinkie and Blueberry glanced at each other, both of them urging the other to say something, before Pinkie finally stepped forward.
"We, um, really liked your singing," Pinkie said sincerely, "You have an amazing voice. What's your name?"
The Pegasus finally glanced at Pinkie, and then looked down at her hooves.
"I'm... um..." the Pegasus said something nearly inaudible.
"Sorry, I... uh, what'd you say? Buttersly?" Pinkie guessed.
The Pegasus repeated it, this time a little bit louder but still nearly impossible to hear.
"Flutterby?" Blueberry offered. The Pegasus quickly shook her head from side-to-side, her face bright red.
"I'm... Fluttershy..." the Pegasus finally spoke loud enough for both of them to hear her.
"Nice to meet you, Fluttershy," Pinkie grinned, finally getting her name right, "We were on the road back there when we heard your beautiful singing and wanted to tell you that you're really good!"
"Oh, um... I didn't think anypony... heard me..." Fluttershy whispered, hiding her face behind her pink mane.
Another awkward silence followed.
"So... I see you're a Pegasus!" Blueberry broke the ice, "We passed Cloudsdale not too long ago. Have you ever been there?"
"I used to live there..." Fluttershy's voice trembled when she spoke, and Pinkie was surprised to see her lip quivering. It was definitely time to change the subject.
"We're going to Ponyville," Pinkie quickly said, a bit louder than she was intending. Fluttershy jumped at the sheer volume of her voice, finally meeting her eyes for longer than two seconds, "Do you know where it is? Is it far?"
"Ponyville isn't that far," Fluttershy said quietly, reaching out with a hoof and scratching one of her bunnies behind the ears, "Just keep going down the road, past Sweet Apple Acres, and you'll be there."
"Do you live there?" Blueberry inquired. Fluttershy nodded thoughtfully.
"I'm staying in a cottage on the edge of town right now," she answered, "But I like to come out here and be with my animal friends."
"Alright. Thanks for the help, Fluttershy," Blueberry smiled pleasantly as she turned and started heading back toward the road, "Bye."
"See ya!" Pinkie giggled, following Blueberry back into the forest and tripping over the same fallen log again.
~~~~~~
At long last, after what felt like weeks and weeks of walking (even though it had been less than two days), the two fillies victoriously trotted, with tails moving from side-to-side and snouts proudly held high, into Ponyville. Naturally, the two sisters gained a few looks from ponies who were surprised by how identical they were, aside from their colors, but they hardly noticed. Pinkie was too busy marveling at all the sights and Blueberry was fixated on watching her sister's reaction to the wonderful town.
"Blueberry! Look at this fountain!" Pinkie squealed, running ahead of the blue pony to where the streets intersected. A fountain with a large, shining statue of an important-looking mare on a pedestal in the middle of the water was quick to get the excited pink filly's attention. Golden bits lie under the water at the bottom of the pool, and Pinkie let out an "Oooooh," of wonder as she gazed down at her own reflection in the water.
"Quite a few of those bits are mine," Blueberry smiled, leisurely trotting up behind Pinkie, "Y'know, make a wish and throw in a coin-?"
"Ooh! Blueberry! Look at this store!" Pinkie quickly lost interest in the fountain as she bounced across the street toward a shop, "It sells quills! And sofas! And... and... and I think that's it..."
"The Quills and Sofas shop," Blueberry grinned, "That IS all they sell. See, the owner couldn't decide whether to sell quills or to sell sofas, so-"
"Ooh! Blueberry! Look at this sign!" Pinkie zipped over to a streetlight, where a colorful piece of paper was hanging, " 'Party at Sugarcube Corner 2-day. All baked goods at 1/2 price. Free cupcakes, limit one per pony'."
"Really? There was a party today?" Blueberry surveyed the poster and then looked around, "Huh. That explains why the streets seem a bit emptier than usual..."
"Want to go?" Pinkie licked her lips at the thought of a free cupcake, and she had packed a few bits in her saddlebag that might have been enough to get her and Blueberry a few cookies. Blueberry considered it.
"Well... we could..." Blueberry said thoughtfully, but quickly continued after seeing the excitement on Pinkie's face, "But first we need to think of what we're going to do next! You're in Ponyville now. Where are we going to sleep? What... what do we do now?"
"Uh..." Pinkie stopped. She hadn't honestly considered what she and Blueberry would do once they got to Ponyville, and for the first time she was starting to regret how quickly she had agreed to come with her sister without thinking, "Well, is there, like, maybe a hotel or something...?"
"You could sleep at the adoption center!" Blueberry suddenly bolted upright as the idea entered her head, "At least for a few days! The staff took all the foals on a week-long trip to Fillydelphia, and that's why I decided to go to the Rock Farm. I knew they wouldn't miss me, and they won't notice if you sleep there for a few nights while we decide what to do next."
"Actually, Blueberry, I'm not very sure if-" Pinkie started, but Blueberry was bouncing around excitedly now. She had an idea, and Pinkie knew that it wasn't easy to dissuade her sister when she had an idea, "I mean, what if somepony finds me...?"
"Aw, nopony'll be there!" Blueberry began to wave her hoof in dismissal, then stopped as she realized Pinkie actually might've had a point... not that she wanted to admit it, "But, uh, y'know... if you're worried, I can go ahead and see if anypony is there."
"By yourself?" Pinkie questioned, tilting her head to the side.
"It'll be really quick," Blueberry assured her, "Just in and out. You can go to Sugarcube Corner, and I'll catch up with ya."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course! Come on, it'll be fine," Blueberry smiled, "Go on, get to Sugarcube Corner before they're out of cupcakes. Just go straight down this road, and it's the building on the right."
"Which building?" Pinkie asked, "What does it look like?"
"You'll know it when you see it. It's the bright, colorful one that looks like a cupcake on top of another cupcake on top of a piece of cake."
"Oh! Gotcha!" Pinkie grinned, bouncing down the street in the direction her sister had pointed in, "See you in...?"
"Five minutes! It's not far!" Blueberry called to her as she too started trotting down the street, but toward the Ponyville Home for Foals rather than the bakery.
~~~~~~
Blueberry Swirl cautiously pushed the front door open and poked her head inside the building. Sunlight from the doorway fell into the cold interior of the Ponyville Adoption Center where Blueberry had spent most of her life, and she didn't detect a trace of anypony inside. Still, she had to be sure, so she quietly entered.
"Brrr... it's cold in here..." Blueberry shivered, rubbing her hooves together, "More than usual..."
Her hoofsteps clacked on the tile floor, echoing through the empty rooms as she made her way out of the entrance room into a hallway that led to the bedrooms. She saw all of them were empty so far, but the bedroom that she shared with seven other fillies was at the end of the hall behind a closed door. Had she closed it when she left, or had somepony else...?
Blueberry stopped in front of the door and pushed it open slowly. The door creaked as the filly pressed her hoof against it, and she surveyed the room.
The first thing she saw was the window. There were two windows in every bedroom, and both of the windows in this one were open.
"No wonder it's so cold in here... somepony left the windows open," Blueberry mumbled to herself.
"Yeah. I did."
Blueberry jumped and yelped as the stallion's voice rang out from her right. She twirled toward the source of the voice, only to be greeted with the sight of a light-blue stallion, wearing a dark blue-and-black vest and sitting on the edge of her bed, glaring at her. This stallion was named Frosty Chill; he was the security guard at the Home for Foals and was supposed to be in Fillydelphia with the rest of the adoption center staff.
"Mr. Frosty...!" Blueberry gasped.
"I like the cold, Blueberry," Frosty adjusted his position, "Kinda like how you like making everyone worry."
"I didn't think..."
"Did you honestly believe that nopony would notice you were missing before the trip?" Frosty stood up, and Blueberry's bed creaked as his weight left it, "Did you think that you could sneak away from the group when we were at the train station and get away with it? Well?"
"Yes..." Blueberry hung her head, "Yes. I did."
"You have a reputation around here, Blueberry," Frosty stared down at her sternly, "If it was somepony who doesn't get in trouble like Clear Skies or Glory Shot who had tried to sneak away from the group, I might not have noticed. You however have ran away from the adoption center three times in the last year. When is it going to stop, Blueberry?"
Blueberry didn't reply, and Frosty sighed. She could tell that he wasn't such a bad pony, especially if he had missed out on the trip to Fillydelphia just to wait for her to return to the adoption center, but she really didn't feel like talking to him.
"Look, Blueberry, I know you're confused," Frosty began, "And Ponyville seems much more inviting than the adoption center, but you can't just run away for the rest of your life. Where'd you go, anyway?"
"Just... around," Blueberry answered slowly.
"Where did you sleep? Please tell me it wasn't outside again."
"No, I, uh... found a place," Blueberry shook her head and then looked up at the stallion, "Um, Mr. Frosty? I'm really sorry that you had to miss the trip to Fillydelphia because of me..."
"Eh, it's no big deal," Frosty shrugged, "Fillydelphia is a nice town, but it's no Manehattan, y'know? But I was really worried about you. There's going to be consequences, Blueberry..."
Frosty kept talking, but Blueberry was hardly listening. She was thinking about Pinkie Pie, and was wondering what they were supposed to do now that she couldn't sleep at the adoption center.
"...catch the next train to Fillydelphia," Frosty finished with a wide smile.
"Whoa, wait, what?!" Blueberry's eyes widened, "What did you say?"
"There will be consequences for sneaking away," Frosty repeated, "But those can wait because you and I can still catch the next train to Fillydelphia."
"The next train?!"
"In twenty minutes," Frosty smiled, "I can pay at the station."
"But... but we can't!"
"Hmm? Why not?" Frosty tilted his head to the side.
Blueberry's mind raced. How could she explain Pinkie to him? How was she supposed to say that when she skipped the Fillydelphia trip, she went searching for her long-lost family and returned to Ponyville with her twin sister? Would Frosty understand? Would Frosty Chills lose his cool, pun intended? Would he be furious and, Celestia forbid, march Pinkie down the road back to the Rock Farm?
"Well?" Frosty rose an eyebrow, "Blueberry?"
"Uh, y-you were right!" Blueberry's mouth went dry, like her tongue was made of sand, "Um, Fillydelphia really isn't anything special. Let's just, er, hang out here in Ponyville!"
"Don't be ridiculous," Frosty brushed her off, "We can catch up with the other ponies in Fillydelphia in the morning if we leave right now. Come along, Blueberry. We're going to the train station."
Blueberry opened her mouth to speak again, but then a shrill cry rang out from outside the open window. Frosty's head turned in the direction of the cry, and Blueberry jumped in fright.
"What in the name of Celestia...?" he murmured, "That sounded like a filly."
"Pinkie Pie!" Blueberry cried aloud, instantly recognizing it as her sister, and then she galloped across the room. All thoughts of consequences were forgotten as she shot out of Frosty's grasp, leapt into the air and landed on a bed in front of the open window, and then dove out the window. Her hooves never touched the ground; the earthpony was sprinting through the air, pushing herself to go as fast as she could, riding on the wind and following the sound. Blueberry's eyes narrowed as she surveyed the street, searching for her sister. There was no way she'd ever be able to explain this to Frosty without him finding out about Pinkie, but right now she didn't care.
Her sister was in trouble, and Blueberry had to do something.
~~~~~~
Pinkie Pie looked around Ponyville curiously as she slowly trotted down the street toward Sugarcube Corner. It was all so foreign to her, so much different from the Rock Farm. She had spent her days on the Rock Farm playing with her sisters, nopony else around, but Ponyville was a different story. Everywhere she looked were houses, and though there was almost nopony at all wandering the streets, she knew that there were going to be ponies everywhere in this town. Sugarcube Corner, wherever that was, was probably filled to the brim with all the ponies who lived here.
The ponies that Pinkie would have to get to know if she was going to live in Ponyville. She still shuddered at the thought; the Rock Farm was behind her and this was her life now. It was all so confusing, and though she anticipated what the future held for her and Blueberry, she still looked back on her family.
"They're probably moving all the rocks to the west field right now..." she sighed fondly, remembering the gray, cloudy skies and the low silence that hung over her home. Ponyville was sunny, with a few clouds in the sky and a different color everywhere she looked, whereas every color on the farm seemed to blend together into a gray-brown. The street she was on now had houses to her right and shops to her left, which included a grocery store and a saddle store. Up ahead, down another street and across an intersection, she could hear music playing. Probably Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie mused, where most of the citizens of Ponyville were engaged in a massive party, though there were still a few ponies wandering the streets.
There was a stallion with a silver coat walking down the road ahead of her, and a stallion and mare brushed past Pinkie as they walked in heated conversation.
"...was I supposed to know that the animatronics were alive, Cherry Blossom?!" the stallion, a Pegasus with a green coat and mane, cried incredulously.
"BECAUSE, Star Storm!" the mare, a blue Pegasus with a pink-and-yellow mane, "I've been telling you about them for ages now!"
They continued trotting, hardly appearing to notice the pink filly, as they turned a corner ahead and disappeared. Pinkie was about to cross the street at the same corner, but somepony came out of her blind spot to the right and bumped into her, causing her to stumble to the left.
"Oh!" Pinkie yelped, regaining her balance, "Please excuse me, I wasn't..."
Pinkie's voice trailed off as she looked up at the pony that had bumped into her. A sense of dread began to grow from the deepest pit of her stomach and rose to her pounding heart while her blue eyes widened as they darted around, looking at every part of the stallion. His unicorn horn. His gray coat. That ugly, now-tattered and burned, yet still familiar-looking fedora over his black mane. His bloodshot eyes staring hungrily, menacingly, down at the vulnerable filly, who gulped as her lips moved, her breathing heavy as her knees began to shake.
Mendax!
"You!" Pinkie's jaw fell open.
"Been looking for you," he said, his voice soft and eerily, totally insane. The sound of it sent chills down Pinkie's spine. He giggled a bit, shaking his head, "You caused... quite the mess... didn't you? You and your... sister..."
"Y-you foalnapped us..." Pinkie slowly answered, her voice shaking, "You were g-gonna hurt us-"
Mendax slammed his hoof down on the ground, and Pinkie jumped back in terror. An outburst of laughter erupted from him as he snickered at the terrified filly's reaction, and Pinkie got a clear look at him for the first time. Gone was the in-control, confident stallion they had met in Whispering Wind Woods; the monster that stood before her was trembling with either cold rage or utter madness... he had lost everything when they started the fire, including his very sanity.
"I have nothing left to live for..." Mendax giggled through his crooked teeth, still shaking his head. His unkempt mane moved back and forth with his head, but his glassy blue eyes were locked on Pinkie, "Because of you."
"H-how did y-you find me?" Pinkie whispered, slowly trying to back away.
"Barker!" Mendax shouted, and Pinkie jumped again, "He overheard you two mention that you were going to Ponyville. If you... weren't here... I was going to pay your family a visit..."
"My... what?!"
"While you were unconscious, I... sneaked a peek at your... saddlebag," it seemed like it was difficult for Mendax to properly form the words, "Written in black marker, on the side, was "PINKAMENA... DIANE... PIE. If found, please return to... the PIE Family Rock Farm". It wasn't hard to find out where that was..."
Pinkie gasped. Images of Maud, Marble, Limestone, and her parents, their bodies lying lifeless on the floor inside their burning house as Mendax stood outside laughing maniacally filled her head, and she grit her teeth.
"You stay away from my family, Mendax!" Pinkie growled, "And you stay away from me and Blueberry too! What you did was wrong, and-"
"Oh, Pinkamena," Mendax chuckled, "This isn't about my revenge."
"Then what...?"
"This is for Barker."
Mendax's unicorn horn lit up, and a blast of magic erupted from his horn. Pinkie barely had time to throw herself to the side, avoiding the white-hot spell. She let out a shriek as she galloped away from Mendax, who started giggling again.
"Where ya going?! To get your sister?!" he called after the fleeing filly before launching another burst of magic at her. It missed, and hit a shopwindow, which exploded and threw glass everywhere as it shattered. Pinkie raced back-and-forth through the street, trying to get away while simultaneously managing to avoid his magic, but now Mendax was galloping too, chasing her. The few ponies that weren't at Sugarcube Corner were hurrying out of their shops and racing toward that street, drawn by the sounds of the chaos, but nopony in Sugarcube Corner could hear it over the pounding music.
Pinkie's hooves left the ground as she jumped over a wooden cart, and a moment later, the cart blew up and sent pieces of wood flying through the air. One piece hit Pinkie's back right leg, and she howled in pain when she hit the ground, landing on her injured leg. Pain jolted up her body as she stumbled, trying to get away from Mendax, but her leg buckled under her weight and she fell to the ground. Nopony was close enough to help, and Mendax trotted toward her now, slower than before. He was in no hurry; she wasn't going anywhere.
Mendax's tongue slid out from between his lips, and he licked those same lips now as his horn lit up once more. This time, Pinkie squirmed as she was lifted off the ground by magic, but she knew it was useless. The stallion had her right where he wanted her: at his mercy.
"It ends here, Pinkamena!" Mendax cried triumphantly. Flames danced in his wide eyes, and his lips were pulled back in a demented grin as he got in the filly's face, "After I kill you and that blue brat, I'm going to pay a visit to your family!"
"You can't!" Pinkie shouted, tears falling from her eyes as she began to cry, "You can't! You can't! The-The Royal Guard will stop you! You should just run away now!"
"I've come too far to stop now!" Mendax hollered, spit flying from his mouth onto Pinkie's face as he prepared the spell that would end her life, "Burn in Tartarus, you little-!"
"No!"
Pinkie fell to the ground as Mendax was knocked to the side. His concentration broken, the magic aura holding Pinkie up vanished, and now she held her hoof over her hurt leg as she stared, awestruck, as Blueberry Swirl threw punches at every inch of Mendax that she could reach in a scene that eerily replicated what Blueberry had done back in the forest after the tent caught fire and Pinkie was at Mendax's mercy.
"You're not touching my sister!" Blueberry screamed as she and Mendax tumbled to the ground. He rolled onto his back, but Blueberry recovered first. Before Mendax could climb to his hooves, Blueberry was slamming her hooves into his face while shouting, "Not now! Not ever again! You-"
There was a burst of blue light. Blueberry was thrown off Mendax, and flew through the air in a wide arc, landing on her back in the dirt. To Pinkie Pie, it seemed like the world had slowed down as she watched Blueberry hit the ground with an earthshaking crash.
She limply bounced once, twice, and then came to a stop lying on her side. Mendax climbed to his hooves, his unicorn horn still smoking from the final spell, and Pinkie turned her gaze to him. He turned his head to look at her, and then he cast her one final grin before a group of stallions in golden armor seemed to appear out of nowhere to surround him.
"Stop! By order of the Royal Guard! You're under arrest!" one of the guards demanded as they grabbed his hooves, putting him in shackles and wrapping an anti-magic tape over his horn as they carried him away. Pinkie couldn't see Mendax anymore past all the Guards, nor would she ever see him again, but she knew that for the rest of her life, she would be haunted by the memory of that final wicked, evil smile.
"B-Blueberry!" Pinkie coughed, ignoring the pain in her leg as she galloped to her sister's side. Blueberry blinked her eyes a few times and moved her lips weakly as Pinkie reached her and sat on the ground next to her, gently lifting her head and upper body in her hooves and cradling her lovingly, a single glistening tear falling from her eye.
"P-Pinkie Pie..." Blueberry managed a smile, but even this effort was almost too much for the poor filly. Her eyes were shining with tears now as well, and Pinkie's heart sank.
"You're gonna be okay, Blueberry. You're gonna be okay!" Pinkie repeated. Not counting the Guards that were surveying the area and hauling Mendax to a prison cell somewhere, there were less than ten dumbfounded ponies around, keeping a respectful distance as Pinkie and Blueberry said their final goodbyes.
"Pinkie, i-it's fine..." Blueberry said soothingly, a tear of her own leaving her eye and sliding down her cheek, "I-I... I'm your... big sister. Fighting that psycho... was what I was supposed to do... right? And it... it doesn't even hurt anymore..."
"It... it's not..." Pinkie's lip quivered, and she squeezed her eyes shut to stop the tears, "It's not fair... i-it's just not... we just met each other..."
"Pinkie Pie..." Blueberry's voice was quiet now. So fragile, so comforting... "The last few days... they've been the best of my life. I-I'm so happy... that I met you... besides... I didn't want to go back... to the adoption center anyway..."
Pinkie sobbed as she stared down at her dying sister through eyes blurry with tears.
"There... I have to tell you something else..." Blueberry's eyes were half-closed now, "There's something... something else. I found m-my file... about my parents..."
"That's h-how you found m-me."
"Yeah, and... and I found out something else..." Blueberry took a deep breath, and her breathing was more ragged now. Another tear fell from her other eye, "The... the Pegasus... our m-mother... we weren't her only foals... she had..." Blueberry gulped, "She had one more... a Pegasus, just like her."
"We... we have another sister?" Pinkie's voice shook. Blueberry nodded.
"Maybe someday you'll find her... tell her that... that I said hello..." Blueberry smiled, and the color in her eyes seemed to fade. Her breathing was slower now, mixing with her own sobs as Pinkie cried, still hugging her, "Pinkie... don't be sad..."
"You're dying, Blueberry... I-I can't... I don't want to be alone," Pinkie whimpered, "I need you!"
"You're a wonderful sister, Pinkie-" Blueberry shivered, "Pinkamena. Make sure your family on the Rock Farm knows that... and I want you to promise me something... one last thing."
"Anything," Pinkie kept one hoof under Blueberry's head, and moved her other one to hold Blueberry's, which she squeezed as more tears fell.
"Never stop smiling," Blueberry said her final words with a weak, sad little smile on her face, "You... you have such a beautiful smile..."
And then she was still.
All Pinkie could hear was silence, the sound of her own blood pulsing in her ears, as she shook Blueberry's body, tears falling from her eyes and landing on her sister, getting her blue fur wet as the ponies who had previously been watching now drew closer, all seeking to comfort the filly. By some symbolic moment of fate, or a cruel cosmic joke about the solemnity of the moment, dark clouds blotted out the sun overhead and it began to rain, as though the world itself was mourning Blueberry Swirl, the filly who had done so much for Pinkamena Diane Pie.
Pinkie felt a hoof on her shoulder, and heard a Royal Guard's voice behind her.
"Shh... it's okay..." he comforted her.
"N-no it's not!" Pinkie exclaimed, another sob escaping her, "T-This is my sister!"
"Do you have anypony here who can take care of you?" the guard asked.
"N-no..." Pinkie answered quietly, "I-I... I'm alone..."
"I can take her!" a mare's voice rang out. A blue mare with a red mane made her way toward Pinkie, and she stopped next to Blueberry where she knelt down next to the lifeless foal.
"Do you know this filly?" the guard inquired.
"No," the mare admitted before tearing her gaze away from Blueberry and looking up at him, "But my husband and I knew her sister. We'd be happy to let her stay with us until this whole mess is straightened out... if that's okay with you, of course."
The guard considered it, and then he nodded. The mare put her own hoof on Pinkie's shoulder as the guard moved away from them, telling the other stallions to bring the body with them. Pinkie didn't hear where they said they were taking Blueberry.
"Come with me," the mare bit her lip, "Oh, you poor thing..."
Pinkie sat motionless for a few empty seconds, and then she got to her hooves and looked up at the mare, who gestured for her to follow her, and then she began leading Pinkie in the direction of Sugarcube Corner.
"Who are you?" Pinkie asked quietly.
"My name is Cup Cake," the mare answered with a reassuring smile, "My husband Carrot Cake and I own Sugarcube Corner. I was out getting supplies when that awful stallion attacked you and Blueberry."
"You knew Blueberry," Pinkie remembered, "She said you let her help you bake cookies."
Mrs. Cake nodded, "Blueberry was a special filly... what about you? What's your name?"
"I'm Pinkame-" she stopped, "Um... I'm Pinkie Pie."
"Don't worry, Pinkie Pie," Mrs. Cake said as they reached Sugarcube Corner, thunder crackling overhead as the rain worsened, "Everything is going to be alright now."
Pinkie looked back, getting one final glimpse of the rain falling before the mare led her inside, into the warm, dry bakery.
~~~~~~
Maud Pie opened the front door to the house, and stepped inside. In her hooves, she held the mail: a few letters and papers atop a large, rectangular brown box. The letters were addressed to her parents (with the exception of one addressed to "Occupant" and one that was an ad for tail extensions), but the box was addressed to her from Pinkamena.
Maud tossed the letters on the kitchen table for her father to find, and hurried upstairs with her parcel. She trotted down the hall, and went into her bedroom. It seemed so empty now that Pinkamena was gone, even though her bed was still there (and still unmade. Typical Pinkamena, leaving her bed like this, Maud thought with a grin). Maud set the box on her bed, and then pulled it open. Sitting on top of whatever was inside was a piece of parchment. Maud took the parchment out, and she recognized her little sister's quick handwriting. A letter from Ponyville, Maud realized before she began to read.
Dear Maud,
By now, you've probably heard that Blueberry is dead.
Maud had heard; the whole family had. They were mortified when they got the news, and were relieved to learn that Pinkamena was safe at a bakery called Sugarcube Corner. She continued reading.
I'm still shaken by her loss, but even though my time with her was short, she still left a deep impact on me.
But not as deep as the impact that you have made.
I love you, Maud. You're an excellent sister. You cared about me when I was lost, and didn't know what to do. You helped me, and I'll never forget that.
Before she died, Blueberry revealed to me that our birthmother, the Pegasus, actually had three foals. I'm going to start looking for my other sister, but I won't forget about you, or my family on the Rock Farm. You'll always have a special place in my heart.
And I'll never forget you.
Love,
Pinkamena Diane Pie
Maud covered her mouth with her hoof, wondering what her youngest sister felt like at that moment, and then she realized there was more writing at the bottom of the page.
P.S., Btw, I'm thinking about coming for a visit at the end of the week. You can tell me what you think of my present (in this great little box!) then.
P.P.S., Quick, can you send over your recipe for stone scones? I added too much salt to the last batch of cupcakes, so we had to throw those out and now we're behind. Stone scones are easier and quicker to make than cupcakes are, and they taste amazing, so
Maud stopped reading and chuckled. She placed the letter on her bed next to the box, and peered inside.
Inside the box was a rock candy necklace, similar to the one that Maud had given Pinkamena, but she immediately knew that it wasn't the same one; Pinkamena had made this one herself.
Maud, taking the necklace in her hooves, trotted across the room to where an empty pink box sat against the wall. She had kept the necklace she made for Pinkamena in this box, but now she would put her sister's gift inside. Maud gently placed it in the small box, and then closed the lid.
Maud turned, and started looking around her bedroom for a parchment and quill so that she could write down her recipe for stone scones.
~~~~~~
Pinkie Pie paced around her bedroom in Sugarcube Corner.
The Cakes had been kind to her; Mr. Cake had led her upstairs to a room on the top floor of the bakery. It had a bed, a table, and a few boxes piled around. Probably used for storage of some kind if they ran out of room in the cellar.
"Blueberry used to stay here," Mr. Cake remembered as he helped Pinkie carry both her and Blueberry's saddlebags to the room, "When things got tough at that Home for Foal's and she needed somewhere to be. You're welcome to stay here as long as you need."
"Thank you," Pinkie tonelessly, but sincerely, thanked him. Mr. Cake set down the saddlebags, and then narrowed his eyes at the filly.
"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, "If you need somepony to talk to..."
"No, no, it's... it's fine," Pinkie whispered, "I just need to be alone right now."
Mr. Cake slowly turned and started trotting out of the room, but paused when he was halfway through the door, "Y'know, we're baking a cake downstairs, if you'd like to help...?"
Mr. Cake left, and Pinkie found herself alone in the room. She took a moment to examine the room, and then turned her gaze on Blueberry's saddlebag. Pinkie cautiously made her way over to where Mr. Cake had set it down, and then she opened it. Inside, she saw a few basic necessities like deflated balloons, as well as a few scraps of paper in a folder. Pinkie grabbed the folder, which appeared to be the most valuable thing inside, and pulled it out before opening it.
Inside, the folder contained what appeared to be Blueberry's records. A quick scan of the papers indictated that, yes, she and Blueberry had a third sister. The records also mentioned the Rock Farm, even giving an address, which probably sparked Blueberry's quest to find her, but Pinkie was more focused on the part about a third filly, a Pegasus, in Cloudsdale.
"I'll find her someday, Blueberry," Pinkie vowed aloud, closing the folder and dropping it on the floor next to the saddlebag, "I promise... just like I promised myself that your last words to me... I promise that I will never forget them."
Pinkie turned, and began trotting out of the room. After all, the Cakes DID need help baking that cake...
~~~~~~
A week later, Pinkie's life in Ponyville began to take shape. She had read and memorized every paper in Blueberry's records, and was doing her best to always smile. Pinkie never forgot how Blueberry had always seemed to want to make other ponies happy, so she threw parties almost every day. Her parties brought ponies to Sugarcube Corner, and the Cakes were pleased at the sudden increase in business. She had also started helping them bake, and was soon making her own cupcakes without help from a recipe or one of the Cakes. In a way, it was the beginning of her first job. The Cakes even paid her a few bits every week, which she used to buy party supplies from a few ponies around town.
And she kept her promise to Blueberry. She never stopped smiling.
Well...
Almost never.
~~~~~~
Pinkie Pie's blue eyes followed a single raindrop as it made its way to the bottom of her window. When it hit the bottom, she only stared at it for a while before she turned, and began trotting out of her bedroom, the room the Cakes had given her so many years ago, and then she was trotting downstairs and out of Sugarcube Corner.
The streets were empty, no doubt because of ponies looking to avoid the rain. A chill went down Pinkie's back with every cold drop of water that hit her, soaking her coat and mane. Pinkie inhaled deeply, and exhaled through her mouth. The air felt so fresh when it rained, and each breath felt like it was cleansing her from the inside.
Finally, Pinkie reached a fountain, a fountain that she remembered visiting with her sister so long ago, if only for a brief moment. A small plaque on the side read "IN MEMORY OF BLUEBERRY SWIRL". Pinkie reached out her hoof, and caressed the plaque gently. It still seemed as polished and new as the day it was put on, which seemed like a miracle to Pinkie. She turned her gaze to the water, which still reflected the lights of hundreds of golden bits through the clear blue water. Each drop of rain sent circular ripples through the water, yet the water was calm.
"I miss you Blueberry," Pinkie whispered, "I miss you a lot."
The pink pony sat alone in the rain and thought.