The Wonderful Life of Berry Punch

by Dusk-Spark

Ch. 7: "Nopony parties like Pinkie Pie? Berry Punch would like a word!"

By the time the three of them left the Thunderbutt, the sun was already starting to set. It was almost time; ponies were already gathered by the town hall. Setting up the party decorations and such.

“As fun as our time together has been, I must bid you farewell, Ms. Berry Punch.” Luna said as she flapped her massive wings and took flight.

“It was nice talking to you, Princess Luna!” Berry called after Luna while waving.
Still waving.
....And waving some more…
..............Was she out of sight? Great!
Berry collapsed into a heap. Her nerves finally at ease. Talking to royalty, felt like dancing in a minefield. Where the boom was "ONE MILLION YEARS! DUNGEON!"

“Come on then.” Blues helped Berry back onto her hooves, “You’re doing great so far.”

“Heh, thanks.” Berry said, shaking herself loose. Her limbs were WAY too stiff.

“Yeah…” He looked like he wanted to say something else, but was having a hard time finding the right words. He opened his mouth a few times, but couldn’t say anything. “…I can take care of those.” He pointed his hoof to Berry’s saddlebags which contained the punch bowl and a whole lot of cups, there was one bag that was hanging in front of her torso that contained Pinchy‘s costume as well.

“Really? That’d be great!” Berry said, taking the strap in her mouth. With the keg on Blues back, he probably couldn’t hold it that way. She was just gonna pass the strap and then figure it out from there. As she stepped forward, her fore leg got tangled up in the strap, then the straps of the saddlebags got tangled up in each other. Just a mess of tangles. She lost her ground and stumbled right towards Blues. She stopped just as their muzzles touched.
“…” Something warm was blowing onto her cheeks. Oh…that was his breath. “…” Silence, nothing but silence. Were his eyes always that color? Berry suddenly felt very warm in the cheeks. “Um…” She put the saddlebag down, untangling her hoof at the same time then picked up the costume bag.

“…”

“…” The two were very silent, just maintaining that same position.

“Ihavetogocleanmycatoutofthetreefortvomitandshame!” And with that, Berry ran off as fast as her hooves could carry her. ‘Keep running Berry, keep running! Don’t look back! Deal with that later, other things to take care of!’

CRASH
The world was spinning; Berry could almost swear that she saw little Blues ponies dancing around her head. “Go away!” She said as she swatted the little ponies away from her head.

“Berry? That you?” Cheerilee’s pained voice called to her.

“Cheerilee?”

Cheerilee got back up, helping Berry onto her hooves as well. She was about to say something but stopped, “Are you alright? Your cheeks seem…very red. Redder than usual, have you been dri-”

“NOTHING HAPPENED!” A bit too loud, ponies took notice for a brief moment.

“…O…kay?” Cheerilee seemed to drop the subject, “Did you get the stuff?”

“The what?”

“The stuff! Berry, are you sure you’re okay?” Cheerilee stepped forward, her hoof reaching for Berry's forehead.

Berry reared up on her hind legs and swatted Cheerilee's hoof away hastily, “I’m fine, and yes I have the stuff!” Berry slid the costume bag down and smiled unconvincingly.

“Drinks, cups, punch bowl?”

“Blues-” She stopped, cleared her throat and shook her head to get the memory out of her head. “Bluesistakingcareofit!” She said way too quickly.

“Oh…I see.”

“Yes, is that everything?!” Berry needed a drink, really, really badly.

“Where’s the candy?”

“…Candy?” Berry said in a low tone. The candy. She forgot the candy. She forgot the candy. She forgot the candy. SHE FORGOT THE CANDY! Make up an excuse, make up an excuse, there’s gotta be some candy around here somewhere that she could obtain at the last minute!

Cheerilee laughed.

Laughing. Why was she laughing? Was she laughing at Berry’s failure? What the hay, Cheerilee, when did you get so cruel?!

Cheerilee showed the contents of her own saddlebag.
. . . . .
Wow, that was a lot of candy. “Always have a backup plan.” Cheerilee said happily. She reached up and ruffled her sister’s mane playfully, “You did good Berry.”

“I…um…yeah, I guess I did?” This was a very odd experience for Berry. When was the last time Cheerilee had shown honest appreciation for Berry’s efforts? She couldn’t remember the last time. It felt nice. Nightmare Night would've gone on even if she had failed, but at least Cheerilee was happy with her.

“Come on, lets go pick Pinchy up from school and then help set things up. Seems like you had an interesting day?”

"Long story sis, long story. Days not over yet either." She watched as the night sky started to overtake the skies, Nightmare Night was starting soon. "Come on let's hurry up, we don't wanna be late!"

---

"So this is what the teacher's lounge looks like." One might've expected that to come out of Pinchy's mouth, but it was Berry who said that. She'd been scolded outside the teacher's lounge before, but never inside one. Before Berry went on another flashback journey, she put the costume bag down and pulled out the costume. "Wow she really did a nice job on the costume." Berry said while admiring the handiwork of the Mare-Do-Well costume Rarity adjusted. "Okay, Pinchy! Come over here and I'll just help you get this on-"

"Mom, I can do it myself." Pinchy said, then used her telekinetic grip to don the Mare-Do-Well costume.

"Ha." Berry laughed, "Look at you. Ruby Berry Pinch, a few years ago I was changing your diaper and...reading a ton of books on raising a unicorn. And now, you're telekinetically dressing yourself without my help." As much help as Berry could give, being an Earth Pony. "And look, I'm not floating in the air screaming; Cheerilee help, I'm stuck on the ceiling! Random unicorn bursts, that took some getting used to, do you remember your nan-" She stopped mid sentence. Although, she noticed Pinchy's old habit of swallowing more than she could chew. While putting on the tights, she was clearly having a hard time holding up all the articles at once. Berry sprung into action, not wanting Pinchy to tire herself out.

"Look! I'm a mannequin!" Berry mimicked a mannequins ability to...be pelted with clothe.

"Oh mom..." Pinchy struggled to hide a smile before she telekinetically picked up the cloak from Berry's back and started wrapping it around herself. She seemed to be having trouble getting it just right though.

"Here, I can h-"

"I-I can do it myself, mom." Pinchy said, a little frustrated. But she was only making it worse, her frown only got heavier.

"Pinchy."

"No, I can-"

"Ruby Berry Pinch." Berry's authoritative voice took over for a second, freezing Pinchy in place. Berry bit down on the cape and fixed it for her, "There, all better now?"

Pinchy just looked defeated, like she'd lost against some invisible foe.

"Hey come on now, don't look like that." Berry picked up the hat with her teeth and placed it gently on Pinchy's head. She then lovingly nuzzled against her precious daughter, "There's nothing wrong with getting help once in a while." And then Berry got a strange sense of deja vu. "I love you, and just want to help you. Because I'm your mom, and that's what moms do."

"I...I know mom. Th-Thanks." Pinchy averted her mother's gaze while putting on the mask.

"Wow! You look great Pinchy! Just like the real thing!" Berry was trying SO. HARD. to not hug her adorable daughter. "We'll have to thank Ms. Rarity for this later, right Pinchy? Hm, now let's see...how should we spend Nightmare Night? Hit our usual houses? I know the Cakes and Pinkie Pie have something really special planned tonight. Ooh, we can prank aunt Cheerilee, it is nightmare night after all!"

"M-Mom..." Pinchy's voice almost went unnoticed, one might think that she was trying to do a very accurate impression of Fluttershy (well...pre-nightmare night Fluttershy), "Umm..." Pinchy seemed to be struggling to get the words out.

"What's wrong, Pinchy? You're not sick are you?"

"No it's not that."

"Did you want to go to other houses together or-"

"I...want to hang out with my friends tonight. If...that's okay?"

There was a...strange pressure in Berry's chest that, she hadn't felt for a while. It was a bit like her heart was sinking, "O-oh, well...I could come with you or-"

"I...want to hang out with them...on my own. Please? Lemon Daze says she mapped out the the best places for candy and..." Her voice trailed off, apparently having lost her nerve.

"..." Berry was at a loss for words. They'd always spent time together on Nightmare Night, if not with her than usually Cheerilee was with her but, "There'll be a chaperone right? A big pony to watch all of you right, do I know the ponies you'll be with?"

"Y-Yeah, of course! It's just me, Pipsqueak, Noi, Coronet, Lemon Daze, Dinky, and Rumble. Plus, Rumble's older brother watching us!"

Thunderlane wasn't exactly the best role model, but he was reliable at least. Well, not Applejack reliable, but she could at least trust him to watch the Thunderbutt for a few minutes while she went out for an errand.
...Kind of.
...........Not really.
........................Okay not at all.
"....." On the one hoof, she could say no, but she felt like it would just ruin Pinchy's night. On the other hoof, If she said yes though, what if something happened to her? Then she'd never forgive herself and neither would anyone else. Her parenting instincts didn't want Pinchy to leave her side, ever.
However, Berry was young once too and Pinchy was getting to the age where she wanted to do things on her own. That was clear to her. Yeah, she knew what she was gonna say.
Berry hadn't realized she'd been pacing back and forth, an old habit of hers. She faced Pinchy, sighed and said, "Okay." Berry said a little too quietly, she cleared her throat and then got into her mother persona, "Okay, but...stay where the big ponies can see you, don't go into anyone's house unless I've met them, listen to Thunderlane, don't wander outside Ponyville, and be back before bed time. Got it?"

"Okay!" Pinchy's horn sparked with excitement, before she composed herself. "Thank you, mom."

Berry expected a hug or something, but Pinchy just gathered up her stuff and ran out of the room with a wide grin on her face.

"And be careful!" Berry called after her. A sigh escaped her lips as she placed a hoof over her chest, her heart hurt a bit. Actually it kind of hurt a lot. Why did it feel like she just got dumped?

"Berry? You okay?" Colgate stepped into the room, followed by Cheerilee.

"Y-Yeah. I'm fine." She choked out. She smacked herself in the face with her fore leg, "Yeah, of course! Why wouldn't I be?!" Her voice was a little too high pitched. She grabbed a cup and took a drink out of the water cooler.
She put the cup down and sighed, "It's NIGHTMARE NIGHT, it's a great time for every pony. Candy, games, pranks, hanging out with friends. You know! Parties!"

A smile formed on Colgate's face. However, it wasn't a; "YEAH, PARTIES ARE AWESOME" smile. She placed a hoof around Berry's neck and drew her in for a friendly hug, "Remember when you were that age?"

"Don't remind me." Cheerilee entered the conversation, "Back then, Berry would try to sneak away from our parents to go hang out with...you. And then you both got in trouble, and then I got in trouble for not watching you close enough, and then we spent some quality time in the punishment corner."

"Ha! Nightmare Night tradition!" Colgate pulled both of the mares in for a group hug.

"Yeah, yeah..." Where was her usual energy? Her usual smile? Curiously absent, "did I make the right decision?" Berry wanted someone smart like Cheerilee to tell her that it was a good choice.

"Hm..." Cheerilee's eyes drifted off to one side, "Well, I can't say for certain until the night is over. But, I'm glad you let her go. Diamond Tiara was poking fun at her for being a mama's filly, I scolded her but maybe it affected Pinchy more than I realized." Cheerilee sighed, "Honestly, I don't know what to do with that filly."

"Send her to me, every filly is terrified of the dentist! You should've seen Diamond Tiara when she came in 3 months ago, I thought she was gonna make a mess of my clean floor when she saw the equipment!" And with that, the three mares shared a laugh.

"Alright, that's enough fun for now." Cheerilee clapped her fore hooves, "There's still some setting up to do so lets get to it".

"Got it! Oh, I almost forgot!" Colgate dropped her saddle bag in front of Cheerilee and Berry. She had a wide smile on her face, "Makeovers~"

"...We're not about to sing or something are we?" Yeah, Ponyville would frequently break out into random song (there was one happening outside right now, Berry could hear it!)

Colgate noticed a piano in the teacher's lounge, why? Who knew! A wide smile appeared on her face as she dashed over to it. She took a seat, turned to the two mares with a wide smile. She opened her mouth to take in a deep breath and then...