Day: Monday
Weather: Snow
Time: 6:30pmWinter break was several days away, and everyone was excited about it. Well, everyone except me. I would experience yet another holiday on my own at this time of the year, but my friends were determined to change that. I told Applejack, regretfully, of how the holidays held so little meaning to me, and she, in turn, told the others. They decided to change their plans by including me, yet I was hesitant about it. I didn't want them to give up their plans just because I had none of my own. After Pinkie pleaded their case, I reluctantly agreed to their idea of having five slumber parties. The first was at Pinkie's place. Once I arrived there with the others, I started feeling more comfortable about the whole thing. The evening went well, and I must admit that Pinkie knew how to throw a party, yet an unexpected phone call from Applebloom would bring up something from Applejack's past. Why mention something like that anyway? I suppose I'll just sleep on that one and leave it at that.
The Other Journal
By Ganondorf8
January 24, 2016
Chapter 46: Slumber Party.
" Piggly-Wiggly!? Are you serious?" Twilight asked.
" What would I get from lying to you?" I asked.
" I was expecting you to say Applejack's nickname had something to do with apples and not pigs." Twilight answered. That was a misconception a lot of people had when it came to Applejack and her family. Because she worked on an apple farm, everyone assumed the Apple Family had nothing but apples on their minds. She was much more than that, but many simply ignored that aspect of her character. I used to refer to her as a country hick, among other insulting names, and that was because I didn't understand her feelings. I get her better than most, but there were some things she kept bottled up inside. Applejack was a proud girl. She never allowed anything to upset her, something that I admire. At the same time, she never allowed anyone aside from her family and closest friends close to her heart.
" The Apple Family wasn't just involved in apple produce." I said.
" What else could they have?"
" Sweet Apple Acres is famous throughout Canterlot for its orchard fields, yet many often ignore their other interests. They've been breeding horses for several generations, and many that you see racing in those events on television originated from there. They also have several cows that produce milk that they sell to market. They have several pigs, complete with their own pigpen, and it's those adorable little fellows that are the reason why Applejack has that nickname. They even have a goat on the farm, although I'm not really sure why. Applejack says it kept her Granny Smith company, but I have my doubts about that." I answered.
" Okay, so about this 'Piggly-Wiggly' thing?" Twilight asked.
" To cut a long story short, when she was much younger, Applejack decided to play in the pigpen." I answered.
" And that's where the nickname came from?"
" Uh-huh."
" Then how did it become known by everyone?"
" Originally, only Applejack, her family, and our friends were aware of the story. Then she told it to me during the first slumber party. The next day... it became known by the entire school, all because someone decided to post that information on MyStable. It would be the first instance of a secret being exposed through that site, but not the last, as many more would soon be made public." I answered.
" Applejack must have been beside herself with horror." Twilight said.
" She put on a brave face, but even she knew that she was no match for the taunting from the other students." I said. That's something about humans that disgusts me. Most had no compassion for anyone when it came to their secrets being exposed, and they would just laugh at their misery, all because it wasn't happening to them. It was even worse when they did the same thing online by posting comments. They chose to remain anonymous because it makes them think they're tough. They're nothing but cowards! Just thinking about how they treat their own made me punch my non-injured hand into the ground. Twilight took immediate action by rummaging through her backpack and taking out a bandage. I didn't injure my hand to the point where it bled, so that was a relief. Still, I lost control of my emotions, and Twilight had to witness it.
" Are you alright?" Twilight asked.
" I was thinking about how Applejack was teased for the Piggly-Wiggly comment, and I guess I lost control. I used to think it was amusing to see others suffer humiliation, so long as it didn't happen to me. But now, I don't feel that way. I feel nothing but contempt for anyone who gets a kick out of making people miserable." I answered.
" Sunset..."
" I'll be alright, Twilight. I just needed to vent a little steam is all."
" I don't like the idea of someone bullying someone else for the sake of it." Twilight said. That's right! When she attended Crystal Prep, her former students treated her like she was their personal punching bag. No one gave her any kind of compassion and instead aimed to make her feel like garbage. I blame Principal Cinch's school policies for making them act like utter jerks. If anyone could understand what it was like to be a victim, it was Twilight, and perhaps it does explain why she changed into a demon. She had always been picked on for being the smartest student at Crystal Prep, so perhaps her former students were jealous that she was the best and they weren't. The thought of wanting to lash out against her tormentors might have triggered the transformation. She wanted to understand magic, but perhaps there was something more at play? It was just a theory of mine, and one that held no merit unless Twilight wanted to talk about it. Since the end of the Friendship Games, she had been hesitant to talk about what she became. I'm going to ask her about it one of these days, but not today.
" Now you know why I said MyStable destroyed my life." I said.
" When did the Piggly-Wiggly comments start?" Twilight asked.
" The day after the slumber party. Before I get to that, I should tell you what happened during the slumber party. The snow had been falling throughout the day, but I had no other choice but to walk out in it in order to get to Pinkie's place. One thing I should invest in one of these days is a proper mode of transportation." I answered.
Pinkie Pie's party was happening in roughly a half-hour, and I was still putting together what I planned on bringing. Had it had been just a regular slumber party, I would have been finished by now, but this party had been altered from its original purpose in order to make me feel better. Despite agreeing to go along with it, I still showed signs of hesitancy, such as still trying to figure out what to bring. I knew to take along the absolute essentials: pajamas, toothbrush, sleeping bag, reading material, my research notes, and a flashlight in case there's a power failure. The one thing that had caused my packing delay was whether or not to bring along my magic journal. While I wanted to spend the night with my friends, I also wanted to check in on Princess Twilight, sending her a message telling her Happy Hearth's Warming. She didn't mind me sending her messages whenever I needed her opinion on something, although I didn't know what she was planning on doing to celebrate the occasion. I could potentially interrupt an important gathering with one of my messages, which would look bad on her. After mulling over it for a few minutes, I finally decided on taking it with me. It was too valuable to leave behind--not to mention dangerous. I could also send Her Highness a message before going to bed.
Once I had finished with my packing, I put on my jacket and scarf and walked out of the library before locking it up with the key Principal Celestia gave me. It felt weird leaving the library in this fashion. No one else was around, as they had all gone home, so in theory, I could do anything I want, and no one would scold me for it. I'd never actually stoop that low, however, as I've been trusted with a special privilege. I noticed the lights were still on throughout the building, and that meant the janitors were out doing their usual cleaning in preparation for tomorrow. Some of them have questioned Principal Celestia as to why a student has living quarters in an unused section of the library. She has told them that it has to do with circumstances that were beyond their pay grade, or something to that effect. I've run into a few janitors in the evening hours, and they've scolded me by demanding I tell them what I was doing in school that late. I complained to Principal Celestia about their rude behaviour, so now I've got this testy relationship with them. I don't mind them cleaning my residence, though, so long as they don't touch anything.
When I left the school and locked it up, I was disheartened to see that there was more snow than there was earlier. The weather forecast did say that today would feature quite the powerful snowstorm, yet people still needed to go about their business; they couldn't afford to allow the weather to slow them down. A part of me dreaded the long walk that lay ahead of me, but I had no other choice. One of these days, I should consider getting myself a motorbike, or maybe even a car, to avoid this scenario. I'm not sure if I could take any tests, given my lack of official records. At least Pinkie's place isn't that far from the school, so I should be able to make it there in time. I quickly turned and looked up at the school, my mind thinking about everything that had happened to me since I first came here. I've come a long way since those dark days. Looking back down, I started to walk forward, each step proving somewhat difficult with the heavy snow all around.
As I turned to walk down the path which ran past the school, I noticed a lack of vehicles on the road. It made sense that no one wanted to drive in such conditions, and I cursed them for being inside where it was warm. I had to walk out here in the cold with nothing but my own thoughts for company. If I had known that there would be more snow as opposed to earlier, I would have asked one of my friends for a ride. Instead, I had to walk to Pinkie's. Normally, that would take about twenty minutes, but with the weather like it is, it would take at least forty minutes, maybe even longer.
Sighing, I walked onward and began thinking about Equestria for a change. It had been some time since my last visit, yet that was during the dark time of my life. If I were to return now, despite having helped save this world, would I still be arrested? Would I still be punished for stealing an Element of Harmony and be exiled forever to the desolate wastes? Even if Princess Twilight could vouch for me, there was no guarantee she could do anything. And then there was Princess Celestia. Would I be able to face her after all this time? I had betrayed her by learning dark magic. Maybe the idea of going back home wasn't a wise course of action.
Some time had passed and I checked my watch. The time was 5:55pm, and I was nowhere near Pinkie's house. All this snow was really slowing me down, and the winter chill wasn't doing me any favours, either. If only I hadn't taken so long on deciding on whether to bring my magic journal or not. I could've been there by now. Despite it still snowing, my vision was pretty good. I then noticed the shadow of someone further up ahead. Who would be out here in this weather? I walked closer to see who it was.
" Heh. Fancy seeing you out here!"
" Rainbow Dash! I could say the same about you!" I shouted. I was certainly surprised to see Rainbow, of all people, walking about out here. I would have assumed she had hitched a ride over to Pinkie's, although maybe she wanted to prove how tough she could be. She enjoyed trying to prove herself by doing some crazy stunts, yet this was too much. Or, she could be out here because she wanted to.
" I'm surprised you managed to catch up to me." Rainbow Dash said.
" How do you figure that?"
" Well, I kinda left my house later than expected. I couldn't decide what video games I wanted to bring over, so I crammed as many as possible into my backpack. I thought I'd be the last one there, but it looks like we're both going to be crashing the party late." Rainbow Dash answered. Her reason for being late had more credibility than mine. She couldn't decide on what games to bring, and I couldn't decide on whether to bring perhaps the most important book of my entire life. At least I didn't have to worry about walking the rest of the way alone, as now I had company. Rainbow and I walked side-by-side, and for a while, we just kept quiet and concentrated on getting to our destination. The silence would quickly disappear when Rainbow wanted to say something to me. " You know, I was thinking. When you first came here, how did you keep warm during times like these?"
" You're the first person to ask about that." I answered.
" Really? I thought one of the others would've said something. Guess they were too preoccupied with their own things to be curious." Rainbow Dash said.
" Then what's your excuse?"
" I'm just curious."
" Curiosity can be a bad habit."
" Pfft! I don't believe in any of that bad luck nonsense."
" Luck is a form of magic you know."
" Yeah? Still don't believe in it!"
" Ugh! Well, to answer your question, when I came here, I spent my first night at Flash Sentry's place." I said. Rainbow Dash then turned away from me, her eyes rolling behind her head. If I didn't know any better, I could swear she was trying to avoid laughing. While she may have tempered her ego, she still showed signs of being insensitive. I had every mind to just ignore her entirely, but when she noticed my expression, she turned to face me before looking serious again.
" Sorry, please continue." Rainbow Dash said.
" He was the first human I ran into, but there wasn't any actual romance between us. He was just a tool for me to use until I got adjusted to my new body. Eventually, I had to sneak into people's basements without them knowing when I needed somewhere to sleep. I made sure not to touch anything in the process. That way, it was like I was never even there to begin with. When that no longer became an option for me, I used the gardener's shed while he was on vacation." I said.
" You had to scurry about like a rat." Rainbow Dash said.
" A little crude, but generally correct."
" Why not get your own place?"
" Couldn't afford it."
" Someone could have vouched for you."
" I had no friends to rely on apart from Snips and Snails at the time. Though, they were more like my minions as opposed to my friends. For three years, I used other people's homes as my own, and no one ever suspected me. By making myself look presentable, I gave off the impression that I came from a well-to-do family. That's all changed now since I started living in the library." I said.
" Seriously though, why the library?" Rainbow Dash asked.
" Princess Twilight spent her first nights there, and I wanted to follow in her footsteps." I answered. I would have told her that I didn't have any official records, but I remembered that she already knew that based on what Applejack told her and the others earlier. Rainbow Dash was smart, yet she did forget things that had nothing to do with her own interests. I'm expecting her to eventually forget about my housing problem and simply focus on her own agenda. I felt slightly guilty over viewing her in such a negative way. I should give her more credit than that.
" You should get your own place one day." Rainbow Dash said.
" I'll work on it when I get to it. Right now, I've got the magic problem and my own studies to worry about. Besides, as long as I've got a roof over my head, it doesn't really matter what my residence is like so long as it feels like home." I said. I also had to make sure the other students never find out that I live in the library. They all assume that I live somewhere really close to the building which, would explain how I arrive before everyone else. I'd never be able to live it down were the truth revealed. My reputation may have slowly increased a little since the fundraiser, but it was still pretty low. While my school image meant little to me, it would have a negative effect on those closest to me.
Rainbow and I continued walking through the snow, and I checked my watch every now and then to see what time it was. We were over twenty minutes late, and it was because of the weather hampering our progress. I'm certain Pinkie Pie and the others were having a fun time right now in the warm. Meanwhile, the two of us were getting colder and grumpier. We both should have left much sooner. Winter looked majestic, but it was an absolute pain to trudge through it. We hadn't even started the first slumber party yet, and already, I was losing my patience.
Eventually, we arrived at the front doorstep of Pinkie's place. Both Rainbow and I were clearly exhausted from our ordeal, but our concern was what our host would say when she answers the door and sees us standing there. Rainbow wanted me to do the honours while she chose to stand back. While I knew she didn't want to face Pinkie's wrath, she could've at least shown some initiative instead of letting me lead the way. Knocking three times on the wooden oak of the door, the sounds of shuffling footsteps could be heard coming from the other side. Pinkie really wanted to make us suffer a little while longer just because we were late. I knew she would never consider that, but I was so cold at this point that I wasn't thinking straight. When the door opened, we were greeted by one of the Pie family, just not the one we expected.
" Hello."
" Um, Rainbow Dash and I are here for the slumber party." I answered.
" I will let my sister know that you two have arrived."
" Uh, what are you doing?" Rainbow Dash asked.
" Closing the door so I don't let the heat out."
" We're still outside, here!" I shouted.
" Oh. I suppose you can come in." Pinkie's sister Maud Pie ushered us inside before closing the door and shuffling towards the kitchen. Just as she reached the door, she turned around and looked at us with a blank expression on her face. " My sister and your other friends are in the kitchen. They're ordering pizza, but I will still announce you." She then entered the kitchen leaving Rainbow and I to warm up.
" Why would she want us to stay outside?" Rainbow Dash asked.
" I don't know, but at least we're here now." I answered.
" Wonder how Pinkie will berate us?"
" What makes you think that?"
" One thing no one should ever break when it comes to Pinkie Pie is one of her Pinkie Promises. If you do, you will incur the wrath of Pinkamena Diane Pie. Believe me, I've been there myself, and it isn't pretty." Rainbow Dash answered. I suspected Rainbow had agreed to one of those promises. I never made such a promise, although would agreeing to be here by 6:00pm qualify as one? A few moments later, Pinkie came out of the kitchen, and she looked incredibly happy to see us before bouncing her way over. I explained why we were so late, but she completely understood, and figured it was the snow that slowed us down. As I removed my scarf from around my neck, Pinkie walked back to the kitchen, but not before saying we should have gotten a ride over here. We could have avoided so much grief that way. Rainbow slapped her forehead in frustration, and I simply hung my scarf on a rack without saying another word.
We both finally managed to get here, but we had to do it the hard way.
" That had been one of the worst experiences of my entire life. It didn't help that Maud Pie wanted us to stay outside in the cold while she went to tell Pinkie that Rainbow and I finally arrived. Neither of us could tolerate the cold for even a second longer." I said.
" Maud... She seems distant." Twilight said.
" Unlike Pinkie, who is full of energy, the rest of the Pie family are stoic. They don't like to express their emotions, although Pinkie's sister Limestone, I hear, does have quite the bad attitude. Anyway, Maud usually just stands there without doing anything, and while she doesn't mean to scare people, she has been known to freak people out when she appears out of nowhere." I said. I still hadn't gotten over when Maud surprised me during my conversation with Princess Twilight that night. I had no idea how long she had been standing there or how much she overheard, but she had this creepy vibe about her. The rest of our friends often had trouble interacting with Pinkie's family, according to what they wrote down on their MyStable accounts and on the Rainbooms' website. Pinkie knew how they felt and never once paid it any mind. Either she was really good at maintaining her composure or deep down, she was outraged that her friends thought that way about her family.
" Quite the contrast in family." Twilight said.
" Maybe, but they love Pinkie all the same."
" Was she upset about how late you and Rainbow Dash were?"
" Applejack and Rarity were annoyed at how late we were, and Fluttershy was just relieved that we arrived safely." I answered.
" So what did you all do at the slumber party?" Twilight asked.
" Pinkie had ordered pizzas for all of us... sixteen to be exact." I answered. Twilight's eyes widened with surprise, but she should have expected that from Pinkie. I'm still not sure why she wanted that many. There were only six of us, and she ordered enough to feed a small army, but I suppose it did give us variety. Technically, Maud would have counted as well, despite her not actually being part of the group. I don't recall her taking one of the pizzas when she came up to Pinkie's room with the order. " Rainbow Dash got Fluttershy hooked onto video games through a rather convincing method, and the rest of us just decided to hang out."
" What convinced her?"
" She could play as a fuzzy bunny."
" That doesn't sound like something Rainbow Dash would say."
" Who drove around in a monster truck."
" I stand corrected."
" While I had been to a few slumber parties in the past, this one felt extra special, because our friends wanted to make me feel better. Everything felt perfect, like nothing could go wrong, and then the phone call happened which would change everything." I said.
" Phone call?"
" None of us knew that Granny Smith had asked Applebloom to check up on Applejack. I couldn't tell at the time, but Applebloom didn't sound very happy with it." I answered. Maybe I shouldn't have blurted out what I did. If I had remained quiet, I could have prevented the events of the following days from happening. Then again, Applejack's plans on cheering me up had already been made known to her family.
" Sunset? What are you thinking about?" Twilight asked, looking at me with a concerned look.
" I was just musing over Applebloom's phone call." I answered.
" Did it really have that much of an impact?"
" Of course, since it was Applebloom who mentioned Piggly-Wiggly."
" Makes sense; she's related to Applejack."
Rainbow Dash and I hadn't been inside for even ten minutes before Applejack and Rarity berated us for being late. We both claimed that the snow had caused our delay, and that we both should have hitched a ride in order to get here on time. Rarity chose to believe our excuse, as she herself had a bit of trouble getting here as a result of the weather. The same couldn't be said about Applejack, however. She knew that we had taken our sweet time trying to figure out what to bring to this slumber party. Rainbow contested that she had too many games to choose from, yet I didn't have as valid an excuse. I struggled on whether to bring my magic journal or leave it behind back at the school library. I had actually figured out another reason why I couldn't leave it behind. If someone were to find it and tried using it--accidental or otherwise--they would discover that it uses magic and would want to learn more. That would be a disaster. For that, I must always have it on my person.
Pinkie revealed she had ordered sixteen pizzas, and my jaw dropped in response. Who in their right mind would order that many pizzas for just six people? That was enough for every student in my grade, let alone for six high-school girls. One could've been be for Maud, but I had no idea if she even liked pizza.
There was one advantage to ordering so many pizzas, though, and that was having a large variety. I wasn't a lover of meat--what with being a pony--so I preferred vegetarian. Knowing Pinkie, she was most likely to eat the most pizzas. She could eat pretty much anything without having to worry about gaining a pound. I was a little envious about her for that.
Several minutes later, Pinkie escorted all of us to her room, or "Party Central", as she called it. She had made sure to decorate her room with everything we needed to enjoy ourselves, yet who was she trying to impress? I could understand the need for wanting to show off that you could host a slumber party, but she did go a little overboard. I remember what she had in her room the last time we came here for a party. There wasn't as much clutter as before. My friends, though, didn't share my opinion. Their minds were fixated clearly on the holidays. Rainbow Dash, for example, took notice of the gaming console located next to Pinkie's television and immediately ran towards it as we entered Pinkie's room. I guess her excuse for being late just got thrown out the window. Rainbow had brought her own games along, but it looked like she wanted to play what was present.
" Welcome to Party Central!" Pinkie Pie shouted.
" Wow, Pinkie... You, um, really went all out." I said, trying my best to sound impressed with the setup.
" Nothing but the very best for my gal pals."
" Dibs on the games!" Rainbow Dash shouted, sitting down in front of the television and grabbing a game controller. She began to shiver while holding it in her hand, and while I thought it looked like she was freezing, she was, in fact, getting overexcited. " Someone wanna play me in 'Magic Drive Racer VI Deluxe'? As much as I could easily play it on my own, it'd be boring just playing against computer opponents. I need a human challenger to give me some real competition." While Pinkie would have made for an ideal partner, she was the host of this party. Applejack would have been too easy a choice and Rarity would've deemed it uncouth. Me? I was okay with playing video games, but I wasn't avid about it. That only left Fluttershy, but could she give Rainbow the desired challenge? " Here, Fluttershy, try a round!" Rainbow Dash said, picking up a second controller and holding it up without even looking at whether her would-be opponent was willing to go along with it. She was completely mesmerized with what was happening on the screen.
" Um, thanks, I guess, but, um, I don't think..." Fluttershy began.
" C'mon! It'll help you relax." Rainbow Dash said. I wasn't so sure if that was entirely accurate, but again, I wasn't an avid gamer.
" Thank you, but, um, I think I'll pass on this one."
" Look! You can play as a fuzzy bunny! With a monster truck!"
" I will destroy all of my enemies!" Fluttershy shouted, her eyes suddenly burning with a fiery passion. Who would've guessed that the quietest among us had such a mean streak hidden inside her? I guess video games bring out the competitive side of people, even those with a calming nature, like Fluttershy. I was thinking of protesting on her behalf for being forced into playing, but I backed away from that when she started to play. Wow... I didn't think she could give Rainbow such a difficult time. Could she be an expert gamer masquerading as a shy girl?
" Whoa! You're pretty good!" Rainbow Dash said.
" I haven't even gotten started!"
" Okay, I think you're overdoing it a little."
" I will crush you!"
" Yeow!"
" Mwa ha-ha-ha-ha!!!!"
" Maybe I should have asked you to play me instead, Sunset. At least you would have been an easy challenge. I didn't think Fluttershy was such a pro." Rainbow Dash said. I didn't like that little jab she made, but then, she wanted a challenge, and has gotten more than she bargained for.
Over the course of the next hour, Rarity took the liberty of braiding my hair--a kind gesture--while Pinkie was on the floor and looking up at the ceiling. Applejack had been talking to me about how much fun slumber parties could really be. Even though this wasn't my first party--I had been to two others--I didn't have as much experience as my friends did, and there were some nuances that I never knew about. For instance, I didn't know that they had pillow fights as a way of letting out aggression. It sounded a little barbaric, but I could find myself having fun with it. Other activities Applejack mentioned included telling stories and gossiping. While the latter wasn't to my liking, the former was definitely up my alley. The stories I could share with my friends about what I experienced while growing up in Equestria would have them both intrigued and scared. If they thought their prior experiences were intense, they were nothing compared to the true horrors my home world possessed.
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, in the meantime, had their eyes glued to the television as they continued playing the same game. I had initially thought Fluttershy would have stopped playing after five minutes, but she insisted on continuing. Roughly thirty-five minutes later, Rainbow wanted to stop, but Fluttershy convinced her to keep playing when she decided to raise the stakes. Eventually, Rainbow turned the console off before comforting Fluttershy, who appeared really shaken up by her whole ordeal. In my experience, once you become engrossed with a game, you lose all sense of reality around you, and only a strong desire to win no matter what keeps you going. You could say Fluttershy became an entirely different person and changed back to normal once Rainbow had ended the fun. It was kind of like the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but without the physical transformations.
" Is Fluttershy okay?" I asked.
" Uh... I think she needs to lie down for a while. She kinda overdid it on the whole gaming thing." Rainbow Dash answered.
" Wasn't expecting her to be so good, were you?"
" Okay! I admit that I shouldn't have forced her to play thinking she could be a pushover!"
" At least you have someone who can give you a real challenge."
" Maybe she could tone it down a little next time."
" Use your Limit Break, Mr. Fuzzles." Fluttershy said, a far-off look on her face. Rainbow then pushed her over to the bed, where she fell down on top of it with a soft thud before staring up at the ceiling, mumbling "Limit Break" over and over. Once she knew Fluttershy would be okay, Rainbow walked over to a chair before sitting down, taking a book from the shelf, starting to read it. I had a feeling she wasn't going to be playing any video games for a while. Several minutes later, there was a knock at Pinkie's door, and Pinkie reacted in her usual manner.
" Ooh! I got it!" Pinkie dashed over to the door and opened it up, and standing there holding numerous pizza boxes was Maud. I was pretty impressed with how strong she was, considering all that pizza must have weighed quite a bit, but I wasn't as impressed with the boxes. Again, I had to question why anyone would want to order that many. Not only that, but how much did it cost Pinkie in the first place. Pizza doesn't come cheap, and unless her parents were okay with such a large purchase, they'll be getting one heck of a bill upon returning from their vacation.
" Hello, Pinkie. The sixteen pizzas you ordered have arrived." Maud said.
" Did they have any trouble getting here?" Pinkie Pie asked.
" They knew which house to look for. They always know because you make sure to have enough loud noises for them to find us. By the way, the weather has gotten worse. It's been snowing heavily for the last hour. Perhaps you should look on the weather channel." Maud answered.
" Oh Maud! You're the best sister ever!" Pinkie Pie shouted.
" They're dripping grease on my shoes."
" Do you want to have a pizza all to yourself."
" No, thank you. I have some leftover tofu in the fridge. It's been calling out to me."
" Okay, but I'll save you one anyway."
" Enjoy the rest of your night." Maud said before handing the pizzas over to Pinkie and closing the door. She was having leftover tofu!? Oh, well; while I couldn't stomach that stuff myself, as long as she enjoys it, that's what mattered. Still, it does reinforce my question of how she was related to Pinkie. They were complete opposites of one another. I suppose I could never understand the bond between siblings, despite having my own in Equestria. I don't really consider them to be anything other than ponies who took away my parents' attention and left me to fend for myself, though.
Another hour had passed, and after having our fill of pizza, snacks, and drinks, we had all decided to relax for the remainder of the evening. We had since changed into our pajamas, and while I was resting comfortably on Pinkie's bed, Rarity had been doing Applejack's nails--something I never expected to see happen--and she didn't know what to make of it. Fluttershy was braiding Rainbow Dash's hair, much to the latter's annoyance, and Pinkie was finishing some leftover pizza. Of all of us, she ate the most, which wasn't surprising. She really could eat an awful lot without gaining a single pound.
" I must admit. I'm glad that you convinced me to go along with this." I said.
" I knew you'd enjoy yourself." Pinkie Pie said.
" Reckon y'all are lookin' forward to the other slumber parties?" Applejack asked.
" After what happened tonight, I actually can't wait to get to the next one, but I'm going to take it one step at a time. Speaking of time, there is something I've been meaning to say all night, but I never could find the words until now. Seeing you all like this was enough to inspire me. I want to say thank you." I answered.
" For what?" Rarity asked.
" For all of this. I haven't done anything like this in so long, not including the slumber party we had with Princess Twilight or the one after the exam. I never had a chance to do this in Equestria, as my focus was always on my studies, but here, I'm able to cut loose and be myself, without any kind of weight pushing down on me. It makes me feel alive knowing I'm experiencing this with those who are the closest to me, and they feel the same way I do. It's good to have friends." I answered. I then lifted myself up slightly in the hopes that my friends would say something in response. My little speech was from the heart, although at the same time, it did sound really mushy. Guess I was a little too engrossed with it, yet it just needed to be said. The others remained silent for a few moments, which made me feel nervous, but then Rainbow Dash broke that silence by adding her own sentiment.
" Hey, I feel the same way you do, Sunset. I don't know what I'd be like without you guys, and frankly, I hope I never have to know. While we've all had our share of disagreements, they just brought us closer as friends." Rainbow Dash said.
" Same here. It means a lot to me. Havin' friends to support me makes--" Applejack began, before she was interrupted by her cellphone, it ringing with a cheery tone that reminded me of the wild open fields of Equestria, where ponies could run all they wanted without ever stopping. " Goldurn it! That's my phone! Can someone get that for me?" Since I was the closest to her bag, I walked over to it and took out her cellphone before bringing it over to her. I placed it on the bed where she was lying and sat down myself to get comfy. The image of Applejack's sister told me who was calling, but Applejack didn't notice this as she immediately clicked Answer. " Whoever this is, you just ruined a real heartwarmin' moment."
" Hey, big sis."
" Applebloom!? Sorry, sugarcube, I wasn't expectin' you to call me." Applejack said.
" No one usually does." Applebloom said.
" Why did you call?"
" Granny Smith wanted me to call and make sure you're doin' all right. I told her there was no real need to, since you're just spendin' the night over at Pinkie's, but she insisted on forcing me to give you a holler. I think she might be gettin' a little too overprotective of you." Applebloom answered.
" 'Course I'm all right! I'm with my friends, and aside from having too much pizza, we've pretty much been hanging out. Tell Granny Smith that she shouldn't worry about me all the time; it'll just make her feel worse. If anythin', she should be more worried about what you're doin'." Applejack said.
" I'm not doing anything... unlike you." Applebloom said. Something sounded off about the way she said that. It felt like she was clearly upset about having to phone her sister and just wanted to be doing something fun. I decided to ignore this feeling. I didn't know what happened at Sweet Apple Acres between the Apple family members, but who was I to pry into their private lives.
" Yeah! AJ's fine! She wearing nail polish!" I shouted.
" Ya don't say? Sure wish I could see that for myself. I'll bet Applejack looks plum ridiculous wearing somethin' fancy." Applebloom said.
" Oh... I didn't mean to imply."
" It's fine."
" Again, Granny Smith don't need to worry." Applejack said.
" All right! All right! I'm just the messenger here! A messenger who didn't wanna do this in the first place. Anyway, I might as well let y'all get back to your little party, so I guess this is goodnight. Have a good one... Piggly-Wiggly." Applebloom said as she hung up the phone.
Wait a moment! Was it my imagination, or did I hear her just call Applejack Piggly-Wiggly? What in the world did that even mean? Looking at my friends, they all stared to snicker, as though they have heard this name before. Applejack, on the other hand, looked embarrassed. One disadvantage of being the newest addition to a group dynamic was being on the outside looking in when it came to things like this. Why would Applebloom say something like that to make Applejack uncomfortable. I must know more!
" Um, did she just call you... Piggly-Wiggly?" I asked.
" Uh... yeah, she did. I was hopin' I wouldn't have to tell this story again." Applejack answered.
" You don't have to tell me about it if you don't feel up to it." I said.
" Naw! Y'all have the right to know, Sunset. After all, you did tell me part of your past early this mornin', so it's the least I could do." Applejack said.
" If that's want you want." I said.
" When I was real little, I used to follow Granny Smith around when she was doin' chores. I 'specially loved it when she fed the pigs. Those little guys were so full of life when you see 'em wallowing about in their pig pen. It may not look like much to us, but it means everything to them. One day, Granny Smith had to go and get their food from the other side of the farm, and something in my head compelled me to join the pigs. I... I couldn't help myself. I snuck into their pen and began playing with the pigs. I had so much fun that I just couldn't stop, but what I didn't know till afterwards was that Granny Smith had been watchin' me and was laughing up a storm. She told me that I had stayed in there for hours. Whether or not that was true made no difference to me. I had fun, and that's what mattered." Applejack said.
" I know the feeling." I said.
" Unlike you, Sunset, I wouldn't end up causing a worldwide crisis."
" Touché."
" You got better though."
" I shouldn't have done it in the first place."
" We forgave you for what you did."
" And I'm grateful."
" So anyway, Granny Smith started callin' me 'Piggly-Wiggly', and it stuck as a family nickname. No one aside from my family and closest friends know about this nickname, and that now includes you, Sunset. Anyway, it's never really bothered me at all. In fact, I see it as a badge of honour and a reminder of why I love my dear granny so much. There's only one negative, though. Applebloom likes to use it when she thinks I'm gettin' too big for my britches, but it's somethin' I've gotten myself adjusted to. Well, that's family for you, I guess. Gotta take the good with the bad." Applejack said.
" That explains why the others snickered when Applebloom mentioned that nickname." I said.
" I've told each of them the story, and they never get tired of hearing it."
" Yet you get tired of telling it."
" It can be a little embarrassing."
" I promise that I won't tell a soul."
" Thanks."
" I'm now curious about what the others have to say about your story." I said. Turning my attention towards my friends, I noticed that they had all since fallen asleep. That couldn't be right. Applejack had only spent several minutes telling me her tale, but when I looked at the clock hanging on the wall, it had, in fact, been over thirty minutes. It had been such a fun story that we completely lost track of the time and were now the only ones still awake. Well, at least Applejack didn't have to feel alone about still being awake. If anything, I was to blame for wanting to hear her story to begin with. I should have perhaps waited until morning. No point in worrying about what could have been. Applejack would eventually fall asleep herself, yet I still remained awake. I actually couldn't sleep, as there was much on my mind.
While the nickname Piggly-Wiggly sounded really silly, it held such a deeper meaning for Applejack. It represented the love her Granny Smith had for her. It was a term of endearment--under other circumstances it would be an insult--and she should be proud of it. That wasn't what was really bothering me, though. No, it was the fact that my friends had interesting lives which I could never hope to experience on my own. I was still isolated. While this slumber party had brought us all closer together, I never felt so alone. Would it be a bad decision to refuse the remaining parties? It would, and I couldn't do that to them. They gave up their own plans for me. I felt conflicted. I wanted to have fun, but I couldn't with this inferiority complex. What could I do? Perhaps an answer could be found by asking the one person who could understand my problem.
" What did you mean by that?" Twilight asked.
" By what?" I asked.
" You needed to speak to the one who could understand you."
" I was referring to Princess Twilight."
" Oh."
" She understood me not because we were friends but rather because we were both ponies who had struggled to find our respective places in the world. While Her Highness would eventually discover her place, she still copes with trying to come to terms with it. Me? I'm still trying to figure out what I'm supposed to be doing. I've come up with some possibilities, but I haven't fully committed myself to them." I said.
" Fair enough. My next question: Did you suspect Applebloom of anything?" Twilight asked. That was going to be a difficult question for me to answer. I couldn't let her know just yet that Applebloom was greatly involved in my life taking a downward turn, but I couldn't lie to her either. Twilight's eyes were sharp as they stared into my own, and I couldn't break away from such a powerful gaze. She would notice how I felt about her stare, so she blinked several times before backing off slightly. " I didn't mean to put you on the spot or anything, Sunset."
" It's difficult to answer your question." I said.
" Then tell me what you can."
" I did think that Applebloom sounded like something was on her mind."
" But you never thought much about it?"
" No."
" It's not like she held a grudge against you or anything. Unlike Trixie, Applebloom was someone that you didn't interact with all that much." Twilight said. Just because I don't interact with someone doesn't mean that I can't upset them. I should have caught the signs much sooner than I had. I should've known Applebloom was clearly upset with how she felt about Applejack being with her friends and not the Apple family. Why did I ignore it? Was I oblivious because I was having too much fun? Should I have kept silent so as to not have made her feel even worse? There were many what-if scenarios that stem from what actually happened, and I sometimes wish one of those had occurred instead. Realizing something, I slapped my forehead, prompting Twilight to get herself into position to help me in case I try to hurt myself again. The others were just as guilty. They should have understood the situation a lot better and not allowed me to become the true victim in all of this. " Thinking again?" Twilight asked.
" Our friends allowed me to be victimized." I answered.
" Why would you think that?"
" Because they could have done something."
" Sunset..."
" It's all water under the bridge now, but I still wish they did something."
" Maybe we should move on to what happened the next day."
" I'll tell you this much: Applejack was about to have the worst day of her life!"