Book 1 - The Behemoth came to Canterlot

by Equimorto

Imaginations from the Other Side - Episode 9

"It's happening to us."

"Applejack? Are you okay there?" Pinkie asked, cleaning a glass.

"Your cupcakes are delicious, Pinkie." Applejack took another bite out of the cupcake resting next to her head on the counter. "I know I've said it before, but they're really the best thing I've ever tasted."

Pinkie smiled. "That's great news, and I'm happy to hear that you like them." Then she frowned. "But that still doesn't answer the question. I'm getting worried about you."

Applejack sighed. "What does it matter if I tell you? You'll forget anyway. We'll all forget. You can't even feel what I'm feeling right now."

"Oh, you mean the way we're being watched but not by who we're usually watched by, and not in the same way?"

Applejack silently, slowly lifted her head off the counter to stare at the mare.

Her gaze slammed into Pinkie's flat expression. "What? You think that just because you gained the ability to perceive the metanarrative nature of our existence I lost mine?"

Applejack opened her mouth only to let out some incoherent babbling in short bursts, mostly comprised of the letters i and b.

"It's okay, take your time." Pinkie patted her on the shoulder, then went back to cleaning her glass. "I just stopped doing it so much, since you were doing it for me."

After a bit more babbling, Applejack finally recomposed herself. "You too? All this time?"

Pinkie nodded and hummed in affirmation, setting the glass down and moving on to another one.

Applejack jumped on top of the counter, grabbed Pinkie by the shoulders, and began to vigorously shake her, yelling, "Then why aren't you worried? Why aren't you doing anything about this?"

Pinkie managed to push Applejack off of herself, and held her by the shoulders to stop her shaking. "Relax. Everything is going to be alright."

"How do you know it'll be alright?" Applejack asked, looking at her.

"I don't." Pinkie Shrugged. "I just have faith."

"But how can you just say that?"

Pinkie sat down on a chair. "We're just the next step up from Twilight and Rarity, see? The artist and the skeptic, on a different level."

Applejack blinked. "Where do Rainbow and Fluttershy fit into this?"

"No idea," Pinkie replied. "I see more things than most, that doesn't mean I see everything. But I figured, if I'll be able to see something I won't have been there for, maybe I can see something I haven't been through yet too."

Applejack's eyes slowly moved from side to side. "You're losing me."

"It'll all make sense, in due time." Pinkie splayed herself over the counter, in a pose that would have made Rarity proud. Or indignant, depending on the interpretation of the character. "Let's talk about our actual issue for the moment. You feel this thing might be our version of the Behemoth, right?"

"Well, it's got to be," Applejack replied. "It all lines up so well. How could it not be?"

"And you're right!" Pinkie said with an inappropriately wide smile. "It does line up so unbelievably well! But."

"Bu

Comments

[FanOfMostEverything]

Interrupting them midword is more than a little disconcerting. And concerning. I can't imagine AJ will take it well when she realizes what just happened. Still, very interested to hear Pinkie's counterargument.

[Venerable Ro]

Her gaze slammed into Pinkie's flat expression. "What? You think that just because you gained the ability to perceive the metanarrative nature of our existence I lost mine?"

Serious Pinkie is serious business.