• Published 29th Mar 2015
  • 10,555 Views, 767 Comments

My Name Is Floyd Damn You! - Grey Ghost



A young man named Floyd is trapped inside of Pinkie Pie, and goes on a quest to find himself.

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Shale In: Goodbyes unsaid

“But... why are you leaving?” I ask, looking up at Pinkie with a frown. My big sister just got her cutie mark and... she’s going away. I don’t want her to go.

“Shale, I can’t practice my calling if I stay here.” Pinkie looks down at me, stuffing her saddlebag with her stuff. “I gotta get out there and make ponies smile!”

“What about us?” I ask, scraping the floor with a hoof.

“You’ll be okay, Shale.” Pinke moves over, wrapping an arm around me in a hug. “You’ll still have Ma, Pa, and the girls.”

“But...” I try to argue, only for her to ruffle my mane.

“No buts, Shaley.” She smiles down at me. She does that a lot now. Smile. Whenever she does, I just want to smile back. “Hey.” She kneels down, looking into my eyes. “Can you do something for me Shaley?”

“Anything Pinkie.” I smile at her then hug her tight, nuzzling her barrel.

“Keep smiling for me, okay?” she asks, nuzzling me back. “You gotta keep the family happy while I’m gone.”

“But... why me?” I ask, looking up at her. I don’t know if I can do that, I mean... Pinkie only just got her cutie mark and making ponies smile is what she’s supposed to do.

“Well, we both know Limestone can’t do it.” Pinkie made a face, getting me to giggle. “And Maud’s too... stoic. Yeah, stoic. And Mable is too shy.”

“Well...” I look down, rubbing my arm. “Okay Pinkie.” I smile again. “I can try...”

“That's my Shaley!” She grins, hugging me tight. She pulls away, letting out a long sigh. “I know it’s going to be different without me around, but everypony has to go their own way someday.” She giggles. “Hey! That rhymed!”

I giggle with her, my mood lightened immensely.

“Come on Shale, let's go eat some lunch.” She lifts me up, placing me on her back. It’s not as roomy as when Ma or Maud does it, but Pinkie is still the comfiest. I get comfy, listening to Pinkie hum as she walks down the stairs. I like this Pinkie, she’s always so happy and smiling, even Limestone’s stopped being so mean to everypony. She digs around in the icebox, leaving me to think.

“Hey Pinkie?” I ask, placing my hooves on the back of her head, peering over her head.

“Yeah Shaley?” she asks, not looking at me.

“What do you think my cutie mark will be?” She pauses, tapping her chin in thought.

“I dunno Shale.” She shrugs before going back to her searching. She pulls out some ingredients, dropping me off in my chair. Despite it being a work day, Pinkie and I were given the day off, since Pinkie was leaving and I was supposed to be helping her. “I didn’t think mine would be parties, so who knows what yours will be.”

“I hope mine is like yours.” I rear up, bracing my hooves against the back of the chair. “I wanna make ponies smile too.”

Pinkie giggles, getting the stove going. “There are a lot of ways to make ponies happy, not just partying.”

“Like what?”

“Well, I dunno.” She shrugs, getting some pans out of the cabinet. “But, I do know there's more than just parties.”

“I guess...” I mutter, laying my head on my hooves as I watch her cook. Pinkie is just so... fast. I’ve never seen anypony move like that before. It’s like watching a pink lightning bolt, just zipping from place to place.

“Oh don’t worry too much Shaley, you’ll get your cutie mark when you're ready,” Pinkie assures me, glancing back, her face covered in dough. “I bet it’ll be something really awesome!”

“Like a rock?” I ask, frowning. I don’t want a cutie mark in rocks, it sounds so... boring. My pout deepens as I envision myself working in the fields all day, every day, doing nothing but farming rocks until I’m old and grey. I shiver, not wanting to be cursed with that fate.

“Don’t worry too much about it Shale. You shouldn’t try to grow up too quickly.”

I give her a deadpan look. “Pinkie, you're only two years older than me.”

“Hey, I didn’t say I was a grown up, now did I?” she asks, licking some dough off her cheek.

“Well no...” I frown again, trying to think of a retort. “But, I mean...” I pause again, still stumped. “I don’t want to be like Limestone, she’s sixteen and she still doesn’t even have her cutie mark!”

“That just means she’s a late bloomer.” Pinkie waves her hoof dismissively. She turns the stove off, placing a plate of cupcakes in front of me.

I blink, sitting down. “How did... how did you make those so fast?” I ask, staring at the plate. Those are the most delicious looking cupcakes I have ever seen in my life.

“I dunno Shale. I just... did,” Pinkie states matter-of-factly. “Now let’s eat before they get cold!”

“Don’t they have to cool down first?”

“Oh yeah. Silly me.” She giggles, getting me to giggle as well. I just roll my eyes, getting myself something to drink.

“Where are you gonna go, Pinkie?” I ask, retaking my seat, grabbing a cupcake, and starting to munch on it.

“I don’t really know Shale, but I get these... feelings... all over when things happen.” She gestures to herself. “It’s been telling me I have to go out into Equestria and make ponies smile!”

“Is it really?” I ask, raising my eyebrow.

She shrugs. “I dunno, but if I just stay here, the feelings are never gonna go away.”

“I wish you didn’t have to leave...” I sigh, looking down. Pinkie grabs my chin, lifting my head so we can lock eyes.

“Shale, no matter where I am, we’ll always be sisters, okay?” Pinkie asks, pulling me into a hug.

“I love you Pinkie...” I mutter, nuzzling her chest..

“I love you too, Shale...” she whispers back, nuzzling my head. I blink, feeling Pinkie start to vibrate.

“Uh, Pinkie...?” I ask worriedly, looking up at her.

“Don’t worry about it Shaley, it’s nothing,” she assures me with a smile.

“If you say so...” I pull away, nodding. We eat our meal mostly in silence, with Pinkie doing her best to cheer me up, but... I don’t know if it’s really working.


“Are you sure you’re okay, Pinkie?” I ask, looking up at her. Through the day, mostly while setting up her party, Pinkie had... spasmed? Vibrated? A lot. She’s been playing it off, but I know it’s a problem.

“I’m fine Shale, don’t worry your little head about it,” she assures me, patting my head. I roll my eyes, taking a sip of my punch. I dunno how she does it but, she did everything herself. Filled up all the balloons, made the punch, did the decorating, did all the baking. Is getting your cutie mark like getting super powers? What powers do Ma and Pa have? To be boring?

“If you say so, Pinkie...” I mutter, glancing around. Ma and Pa are off in the corner reading, I think? Our parents are weird like that. Limestone is popping balloons and Maud is playing pin the tail on the dragon with Marble.

“Of course I do.” She blinked for a moment. “Oh! I want to give you something before I go!” She reached into her mane, rummaging around before pulling out a book. “Here!”

“What is it?” I set my cup down, taking it from her.

“It’s a journal, silly! I have one, Maud has one. I think Limestone has one but I dunno if anything can contain that level of concentrated jerkness.”

I giggle a little, examining the book. It’s got a rather nice cover, made of a felt like material. On the front it reads ‘The Journal of Shale Rebecca Pie.’ I open it up, seeing ‘To Shale, the best baby sister ever, from Pinkie Pie.’ written on the inside.

“Wow Pinkie, this is great.” I smile, placing it on the table.

“I’m glad you like it, Shaley.” She smiles back before vibrating again, this time for at least a minute straight. She staggers a little, shaking her head.

“Pinkie?” I ask, more worried than before.

She recovers, giving me a sad look. “Shale I’m sorry but... I have to go now.”

“But!” I jump out of my seat, my eyes wide. “You said you didn’t have to leave until tomorrow!”

“I know Shale but...” She glances back at her cutie mark. “My destiny is calling me.”

“I-I don’t want you to go!” I rush forward, hugging her tightly, feeling tears welling up in my eyes.

“I know Shale, but I have to.” She pulls me into a tight hug before pulling away. She calls out to the rest of the family, letting them know that she was cutting the party short. We help her pack up the rest of her things before taking her to the train station to catch the last train of the day.

“I’m gonna miss you all so much.” Pinkie smiles sadly, somehow pulling all of us into a hug.

“And we shall miss thee as well.” Father nuzzles her head and I can tell he’s trying not to cry.

“Thou will write to us?” Ma asks, pulling out of the hug.

“Of course I will, I couldn’t leave any of you out of touch!” Pinkie gasps. “That would be horrible! We’d all be strangers and forget about each other!” She rambles on for a bit, something I’ve noticed she does a lot now, not even noticing that the train whistle just blew.

“Um Pinkie.” I poke her, getting her attention. “The train’s about to leave.”

“OH MY GOSH!” She jumps a little, giving us each a quick hug. “I love you all so much but I gotta go!” She zips into the train just as it starts to move. I run along it, stopping at the edge of the platform.

“Goodbye Pinkie...” I call out softly, perking up a little when I see her sticking out of the window, waving at us. I wave back to her, staying there until she’s well out of sight.

“Come now, Shale,” Ma urges, nudging me a bit, “Tis time to return home.”

“Okay Ma.” I turn, looking at the ground, letting her place me on her back. Once we get home, I go up to Pinkie and Marble’s room... or rather Marble’s and my room now. I sit on Pinkie’s old bed, a long sigh escaping my lips. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice my new journal, sitting at the desk. I move over, taking a seat and flipping it open. After a few moments of silence, I grab a quill from the inkwell and start to write.

‘Once there was a rock farm, upon which lived a little grey filly...’


I blink the sleep from my eyes, sitting up, giving my head a shake. Once again, another one of those weird ‘Shale’ dreams. This is what... the fifth time this week?

“Sixth actually.” Pinkie materializes next to me, smile first like she’s the goddamn Chesire Cat. “What was this one about?” It was about you leaving the rock farm. “Oh, I remember that. I was so nervicted on the train to Ponyville, I thought I was gonna have a heart attack.”

“Yeah, well, Shale was really broken up about it.” I get out of bed, stretching out, sighing as I hear a satisfying pop from my spine. “Little filly really didn’t want you to leave.” I look at the clock, seeing it was only about five o’clock. Pinkie, you know the way to Maud’s room?

“Yupperoni! You can tell me all about the dream on the way!” She grins, trotting through the door. I follow after her, nodding to some night guards as we walk through the halls.

“Wow,” Pinkie says as I finish the story, “I remember spending that day with Maud.”

“And now I remember it as Shale.” I knock on Maud’s door, standing there for a few minutes. I go to knock again when she opens it, looking exactly the same as she does any other time, minus the frock.

She blinks a few times, looking me over. “You had the dream again?”

“Yup.” I nod, giving a sheepish grin. “This time it was Pinkie leaving the rock farm.” Maud stands to the side, gesturing for us to enter. I do so, taking a seat on the couch. Maud sits across from me, seeming to be lost in thought. “Maud, look, I know you know something. I could tell when I had the first dream.”

Maud looks down, letting out a long sigh. “Pinkie... Floyd, I...” She pauses, collecting her thoughts. “Pinkie and Marble were only two at the time. Limestone was nine and I was six.” I frown, seeing Maud actually starting to tremble. “Ma and Pa were so happy when they found out they were having another foal, I think Pa was hoping for a colt...” She trailed off, a tear streaking down her face. “Shale was born on Nightmare Night but...” Maud went quiet, not looking at us.

“I have another sister?” Pinkie asks, a look of utter shock on her face. “Where is she? Why can Floyd remember her but I can’t?” Her ears pinned back. “S-something bad happened... didn’t it?”

“Maud...?” I ask gently, reaching out and touching her arm.

“She was stillborn.”

“What?” I ask, pulling my arm back, holding it close to my chest.

“Shale was stillborn,” Maud chokes out, squeezing her eyes shut. “Our baby sister never even took a breath...” She broke down completely, pulling me into a nearly bone crushing hug. I hug her back, ignoring my oxygen deprived lungs. She cries into my shoulder, while Pinkie bursts into tears next to us. Maud eventually releases me, allowing me to breathe again.

“You okay Maud...?” I wheeze out, taking in a deep breath.

“Y-yeah... thanks Floyd.” Maud nods, slipping back under her stony mask.

“Hey, you do it for me all the time, I owe you one.” We share a small smile, though Pinkie’s, and by extension mine as well, mane has deflated.

“Why does Floyd keep dreaming about Shale?” Pinkie asks, sniffling a little.

“Yeah that is a good question.” I nod, placing a hoof on my chin. “Why exactly am I dreaming about the life of a person who never lived one?” Maud stares at me, tilting her head to the side.

“Floyd, how old are you?”

“Huh?” I ask, blinking at the strange shift in topic. “I’m twenty, why?”

“And when were you born?”

“I was born on Halloween, but I don’t get the relevancy...”

“Pinkie is twenty three,” Maud starts, a pensive look on her face, “And Shale would be twenty one this year.”

“So she’d be a year older than me so what?” I ask, getting a little weirded out.

“Wait...” Pinkie perks up, her visible eye moving from side to side as she works through whatever Maud is talking about. “Halloween and Nightmare Night are on the same day...and you were born a year after Shale died...”

“Again, the hell are you two talking about?” I ask, utterly lost at this point.

They both lock eyes on me, looking dead serious. “Reincarnation.” They spoke at the same time, the implication hitting me like the Juggernaut.

“What?” I ask dumbly, feeling my body going numb.

“Floyd.” Maud leans forward, looking into my eyes. “You might be Shale, reincarnated.”

I stare at her, barely aware anymore. “Oh shit...” I fall over, the blackness of unconsciousness taking me once more.