Azure Edge

by Leaf Blade

53. Worrying About Every Little Thing in the World

Pinkie Pie stood still and tried not to giggle as Applejack very dotingly wrapped a pink and yellow striped scarf around Pinkie’s neck, which went super cute with her pale blue snowflake sweater and her fuzzy yellow mittens.

All that was left was to put on the purple and yellow polka-dotted cap, which Applejack gracefully applied, and then Pinkie was all set!

“How do I look?” Pinkie asked, examining herself in a mirror. “Do you think I look cute? Is it too much? Is it too little? Am I trying too hard? Am I not trying hard enough?”

“Relax, sugarcube,” Applejack took Pinkie’s cap off and gave her a kiss on the head through her fluffy mane. “I’m sure you and Fluttershy are gonna have a grand ol’ time.” Pinkie looked back at Applejack expectantly, biting down on her lip. Applejack laughed softly. “And yeah, you look super cute.”

“Oh thank goodness!” Pinkie launched herself at Applejack, wrapping the big mare up in a hug, and Applejack grabbed Pinkie and spun her around before plopping her onto the bed.

Pinkie took a look at the clock hanging on the wall and hummed, patting her legs as she rocked back and forth. She had to catch the train pretty soon, but she still wasn’t ready to leave.

She really wanted to go, she’d been planning this trip to the Everfree for nearly a month now, but it was dawning on her that she wouldn’t ever be ‘ready’ to leave Canterlot, especially all by herself.

“Are you sure you don’t wanna come with me?” Pinkie whined at Applejack, blinking her wide, innocent eyes at her.

“It’s not a matter of ‘want’, Pinkie,” Applejack sighed and straightened up her jacket in the mirror, “somepony’s gotta watch over the shop while yer gone, that’s all.”

“I know,” Pinkie huffed, crossing her arms and, for a moment, regretting her idea to even open up the silly shop in the first place, and she immediately felt super guilty for even thinking such a terrible thing!

“Now you better get a move on,” Applejack took Pinkie by the hands and gently guided her off the bed. “Yer train’s leavin’ in less than an hour, right?”

“Yup!”

“And is Rarity gonna be at the station with ya?”

“Nope!” Pinkie shook her head. “Rarity’s off on a mission, and her train’s leaving from the Sun District. She’s probably headed that way already.”

“Gotcha,” Applejack sighed, and she looked hesitantly into the mirror. She was dressed really nice, nicer than Pinkie was used to seeing her, and it didn’t take Pinkie long to figure out why. “Do you want me to go to the station with ya?”

“Nah,” Pinkie grinned, “I don’t wanna get between you and your hot date.”

“It’s not—” Applejack’s protests were quickly silenced by Pinkie’s giggling, and Applejack’s face turned all red as she puffed up her cheeks and crossed her arms, muttering “It’s not a date” under her breath.

“Still though,” Pinkie bounced into the living room, Applejack following behind, “I don’t wanna get between you and Rainbow, cuz I’m super-duper over the moon happy for you that you’re finally talking to her!”

“It’s not like a big deal or anything,” Applejack insisted, though even she didn’t sound too convinced, “we’re just grabbin’ coffee and a bite.”

“I know, I know,” Pinkie rolled her eyes, “but still. I want you to focus on that, and let me focus on me. Okay?”

“Okay,” Applejack sighed and gave Pinkie a soft smile.

“Kiss for good luck?” Pinkie beamed, and Applejack picked the small mare up, Pinkie kissing her on the cheek, and then Applejack giving Pinkie a kiss on the cheek for good measure. “Okay! Good luck!”

“You too, Pinkie Pie,” Applejack said with a salute as she put Pinkie back on the ground.

The second Pinkie was on the road to the train station, anxiety started flooding her mind. Her eyes darted this way and that, and she felt like the roads were much emptier than usual, even though it was still early in the morning and most ponies were asleep in their beds at this hour so it was just as empty as it always was.

But it felt emptier.

It was weird and disconcerting for Pinkie to only be greeted by snow-covered stone buildings everywhere she looked, instead of smiling ponies.

She took a deep breath and thought about Ponyville, and how lively the townsfolk were there; not like the Moon District—heck, not like Canterlot at all— where most ponies were just trying to go their own way.

Pinkie wondered why she thought opening up her dumb little blacksmithing shop in Canterlot instead of Ponyville was a good idea, but then she remembered it was because that’s where Rarity lived. Pinkie wondered if Rarity wouldn’t mind moving to Ponyville, but of course she would mind. Especially now that Canterlot had the Golden Oaks Library.

Rarity and Twilight sure got along really well. They got on great during the library party, and Pinkie swore every time she’d swung by the library in the last week—which was pretty much every chance she got—Rarity was there nine times outta ten.

Not that Pinkie could blame her, of course. Twilight was super nice and cool and fun; Pinkie really enjoyed spending time with her, and she didn’t even have a crush like Rarity did!

Well, not a crush on Twilight, anyway.

And that thought, of course, brought Pinkie’s thoughts to Fluttershy.

As much as Pinkie hated to admit it, it was pretty obvious to everypony that Pinkie had a huge crush on Fluttershy— except Rainbow Dash, who didn’t seem too quick to catch onto stuff like that.

Pinkie just hoped it wasn’t obvious to Fluttershy, cuz then Fluttershy would know Pinkie had a crush and she would think Pinkie’s a dumb stupid ugly pink earth pony who nopony could ever love because she’s unworthy—

Ahem.

Maybe now wasn’t the time for thoughts like that.

Pinkie pulled out her lyre and strummed a few notes, humming a tune to herself as she walked in order to keep her anxieties at bay. Kinda like whistling while you worked, but it was playing the lyre and humming to fight brain demons instead.

Before Pinkie knew it, the train station was in view, but it brought no relief to her; nopony was gonna be waiting for her there. She wasn’t ready to go to Ponyville, or wander into the Everfree Forest again, or see Fluttershy again, but most of all, she wasn’t ready to do it all by herself.

Pinkie put her instrument away, cuz while there probably weren’t gonna be a lot of ponies at the station this early, any ponies who were there would probably be annoyed by stupid Pinkie’s bad playing of her dumb instrument that no one liked.

Pinkie sighed and sat down on the first bench she saw, hands smushing up against her cheeks as her elbows rested on her legs. She usually didn’t like to look so visibly down in the dumps, but she’d been awake for like three hours and was already exhausted. Worrying about every little thing in the world took a whole lot of energy.

She didn’t even notice another pony was sitting next to where she’d sat until the pony cleared her throat, and Pinkie shrieked in shock at the sudden unexpected noise, but then did a double take when she saw just who it was that was sitting next to her.

“Hi!” Twilight said with a polite wave, and Pinkie was totally certain she was dreaming.

“Ow,” Pinkie whined after pinching herself.

“Um, are you okay?” Twilight asked concernedly, reaching her hand out to where Pinkie pinched herself.

“What are you doing here, Twilight?” Pinkie asked in shock. “You’re out of your library!”

“It’s not like I’m imprisoned in the library or anything,” Twilight scoffed.

“You’re at a train station!”

“I’m waiting for a train.”

Twilight chuckled and took a sip of the coffee that was floating next to her. Twilight offered Pinkie a second floating cup and Pinkie took it, feeling a lot more relaxed as she realized that it was definitely the really real Twilight and not like a scary ghost version of her or anything.

“How come?” Pinkie asked, sidling up next to Twilight and feeling really happy that, at least for now, she wouldn’t have to be alone.

“Where’re you headed?” Pinkie gasped suddenly and stood up, grabbing Twilight by the shoulders, Twilight catching the coffee cup Pinkie carelessly dropped in her magic before it could spill. “Maybe we’re taking the same train! Won’t that be exciting?!”

“It will,” Twilight nodded calmly, “because we are. I’m headed to the Everfree Forest, down in Ponyville.” Twilight grinned sharply. “I’m not sure if you’ve heard of it.”

“Uh, yeah I’ve heard of it!” Pinkie scoffed. “That’s where I’m headed! Wait, we’re headed to the same place? No way! What a cool coincidence!”

“Pinkie,” Twilight arched an eyebrow, “it’s not a coincidence. I wanted to go to the Everfree with you… if that’s okay.”

“Wh—why?” Pinkie took a step back and blinked at Twilight.

“I didn’t want you to have to go all by yourself,” Twilight said. “You seemed kinda nervous about going, and I know Applejack had to stay behind, so I figured ‘well I don’t have any plans, maybe I could go’, so here I am! And I didn’t tell you before cuz I thought it might be fun to surprise you—”

Twilight tapped her fingers together and wore an apologetic smile. “Is that okay?”

“Is—is it okay?” Pinkie repeated, tears pouring out of her eyes.

She tried to say something else, but she just kept blubbering and crying as more and more tears fell down her cheeks, until she was leaking like a broken faucet and bawling about how cool Twilight was and what a good friend she was and she hoped Twilight caught on to that being why Pinkie was crying and not cuz she was upset at Twilight or anything.

“Thank you so much, Twilight!” Pinkie launched herself at Twilight in one of her famed tackle hugs, attaching herself around Twilight’s shoulders.

“It’s my pleasure, Pinkie Pie,” Twilight said, rubbing Pinkie’s back. “And I just know we’re gonna have a great trip.”

Author's Note:

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!

Comments

[Legatus]

activate my trap card....

MURPHY'S LAW

“It’s my pleasure, Pinkie Pie,” Twilight said, rubbing Pinkie’s back. “And I just know we’re gonna have a great trip.”

maybee...

[AppleTank]

lies and slander, Twilight would make a great ghost

[Sylvian]

“It’s not like I’m imprisoned in the library or anything,” Twilight scoffed.

Twilight chuckled and took a sip of the coffee that was floating next to her. Twilight offered Pinkie a second floating cup and Pinkie took it, feeling a lot more relaxed as she realized that it was definitely the really real Twilight and not like a scary ghost version of her or anything.

I can hear distant Monochromatic nervous chuckling.