Home is Where the Hearth Is

by TheCrimsonDM

Chapter Two: Pink Plan

Home is where the hearth Is

Chapter Two: Pink Plan

Written by TheCrimsonDM

I found myself back on that stage, this time somehow I was aware of how wrong this was. The crowd had vanished, the fog had appeared and the four ponies were standing there, mocking me, putting me down, and trying there best to hurt me. I looked at Applejack and despite my entire body shaking I managed to squeak out the words, “I’m sorry.”

For a moment all of the ponies gave pause. Applejack’s form vanished into the ever growing fog. For a moment I had wondered if maybe I was free from this torment. The other three ponies were quick to go back to their taunts, their painful words, there seething hatred of my very existence.

I laid down, ready to give up. I just couldn’t take it anymore, I couldn’t stand them hurting me. It was too much. I glanced over through tear filled eyes and saw Applejack by my side. I couldn’t speak, I tried to but words just wouldn’t come out.

Applejack glanced down at me and smiled warmly. “Ah already forgave ya, Trixie. Don’t let some illusion fool ya.”

I looked back at the others in the fog. Their words had shifted, changed tone and frequency, it sounded much more like hissing than speaking. Yet the anger and the hatred was more clear than ever. The shear amount of rage coming from them was enough to give me shivers down my entire body. They wanted me dead, and wanted me to be the one to do the job as they couldn’t bother dirtying there hooves with it.

The way Rarity looked at me specifically, it was something I couldn’t erase from my mind. The look of disgust and hatred in those eyes was inhuman. The longer I looked into those eyes, the more I could sense something deeper. There was a smell of burnt paper. I closed my eyes and luckily was swept away by the darkness.

***

Morning came and went. A few days had passed since my conversation with Limestone and my request to have Pinkie visit. The nightmares were still there, still awful. Every moment I wasn’t busy moving I could feel that hollowness creeping up inside of me, so I moved more, I worked harder, I nearly passed out a couple times over exerting myself but so long as I didn’t stop moving I was okay. I had to be okay. The Pies were counting on me to be okay for five freaking minutes.

It wasn’t until midday arrived and the air on the farm seemed to change. To grow less oppressive. Something had changed on the farm, it was almost unnoticeable but I could sense it in my soul. I looked around and found both Marble and Lime stone doing much the same. I guess I wasn’t the only one to notice it.

Off in the horizon I saw a pink dot. It was slowly making its way down the road towards the farm. My heart was soaring and I couldn’t help it. Exhausted, fur damp from sweat, and my muscles burning I began galloping toward the pink dot. It couldn’t be. It had only been a few days, there was no way she was here already.

Yet the closer I got, the more the pink dot became a pony. It was her. It was Pinkie Pie. I continued running towards her until we were only a few feet apart and I leapt forward and wrapped my hooves around her. We hit the ground rolling backwards a few times and I ended up on top of her clinging on for my dear existence.

Pinkie giggled. “Ahhh, did you miss me that much?”

I nodded against her fur. “Yes!”

She stroked a hoof through my mane and spoke softly. “Limestone told me about the nightmares. I’m sorry.”

I didn’t care about that at the moment. I finally had Pinkie back. I didn’t even realize how much I had missed her until she was here. It was like my entire world had become shades of grey, devoid of any hope or joy, and her appearance was the fresh rain of color and happiness that changed my world. Maybe that’s not the healthiest thing in the world but who cares if it meant I could be okay for a few brief moments.

I snuggled into her chest and took in her sweet scent. She smelled more like frosting then she did a pony. “It’s okay. You’re here now, it’s okay.”

She giggled again. “Ahhhh, Trixie. Of course I’m here, I’m gonna help ya feel better so you’re not sad anymore.”

I felt a bit of my energy fade as I thought about that. How many times had Limestone told me I was sad. I didn’t feel sad most of the time. I just didn’t feel at all. This wasn’t sadness… it was somehow worse. “I’m not sad.”

Pinkie spoke in a soft whisper. “I know, I’ve been there. Empty, hollow, like nothing can lift that weight inside you’re heart… I know that feeling well.”

I wasn’t sure how Pinkie already knew what I felt but if what Limestone had said was true, Pinkie Pie more than anypony understood exactly how I felt. At least, I really hoped she did, because nopony else seemed too. I heard Limestone and Marble approaching from behind me. Limestone was obviously the first one to speak, “Trixie, if Maud catches you like that she’s not gonna date you, you know.”

I laughed. “That’s okay.” Still out of politeness I stood up and helped Pinkie to her hooves. “Pinkie’s here now, that’s all that matters.”

Limestone nodded. “Agreed. Now, Pinkie, tell me what your plan is to fix Trixie because her sadness is making me feel sad too. And I HATE feeling sad. It makes me angry.”

Pinkie Pie laughed. “I have a few ideas. But I’m also like, super hungry!”

Marble squeaked out something that sounded like an agreement. Limestone shook her head. “I guess it’s about lunch time already, let’s get some grub then.”

Pinkie cheered and hopped down the road towards the house. Limestone and Marble followed behind. I couldn’t help but to watch Pinkie bouncing like that. I couldn’t understand it, if she ever felt as bad as I had, how could she be bouncing with so much joy now? Well either way I was going to get the answer to that question and learn how to be as happy as her. Even if I had to steal the secret.

Limestone called back. “Stop staring at Pinkie’s butt and start walking, Trixie. Or else I’m not letting you eat.”

My entire face started to burn and I looked directly down at the ground as I began walking forward. How could she say that out loud? What would Pinkie think if she thought that I was doing such a thing, I mean she might not help me anymore. Besides I wasn’t actually staring at Pinkie’s butt… not directly anyway.

Once inside we all gathered around the table to eat some lunch. Nothing special just some sandwiches but still good food. It wasn’t too long before Limestone and Marble had finished their food, and after a few quick looks at Pinkie they left to continue working. Leaving just me and Pinkie alone.

Pinkie was looking down at her plate and giving it an odd look as if something was truly wrong with her reflection in it. After a long moment she spoke, “So, you’re seeing some of my friends in your dreams, and there telling you to hurt yourself?”

I shrugged. “Just nightmares.”

“Has anything made them better?”

I thought about it for awhile and remembered the dream from last night. “When I mentioned to the dream ponies that I’d already apologized to Applejack, that she had forgiven me, the mean one vanished and the nice one appeared by my side to defend me. Of course the dream got a lot scarier but having her by my side somehow made it less awful.”

Pinkie nodded. “I think I know what we need to do to fix this. I was talking to Luna about it actually and she had the same idea!”

I blinked. “You told Luna, as in The Luna, about my dreams?”

Pinkie smiled. “Yeppers, because who else would know how to deal with dreams better than her? I even asked if she could go into your dreams and help you. She tried but said that something was keeping her out.”

I really didn’t like the sound of that. What could keep Luna out of my dreams? She was an alicorn princess nothing should be to do that. Maybe this was related to the Alicorn Amulet somehow… I didn’t want to think about what kind of things that cursed necklace might have done my brain.

Pinkie Pie continued. “So basically Luna suggested that you’re guilt over what you’ve done in Ponyville was causing these nightmares. I think she’s right. After all you’ve only really apologized to me, Applejack and Twilight right?”

I ran a hoof through my mane. “I uh… mostly apologized to Twilight.”

Pinkie nodded again as if she had expected that answer. “Well at least she’s easy to talk to. I’m sure the others would forgive you too. So what’dya’say? Wanna come with me to Ponyville so we can make those bad dreams go away?”

I stared at her. “I don’t think I could ever return there… I’m not welcomed.”

Pinkie laughed. “We let Discord run around the town causing chaos… for funzies now not meanzies, so why wouldn’t we let you come back too, especially if you’re actually sorry?”

“You let Discord have his way with your town?”

She nodded. “Yeppers, but he’s nice now, mostly just makes it rain chocolate milk on occasion.”

I leaned back in my chair. “I… still don’t know. These dreams are horrible, and I want to just be happy all the time, instead of feeling that hollowness and thinking dark things… but are you sure that this is a good idea?”

Pinkie Pie stood up on her rear legs and put her forelegs on the table. “Of course, Maud and Applejack are there and want to see you too!”

“I still don’t know. I’m… I’m scared. What if somepony tries to hurt me?”

“I won’t let them.”

“You can’t always protect me.”

“No but Maud and Applejack can help.”

I stared up at her. “You sure this is the only way to get those nightmares to go away?”

Pinkie beamed. “I know it’s gonna be hard, so I’ll make you a deal. You do this, just give it a try and let me try to fix this for you. If you do that, I’ll go on a date with you.”

I blinked. “D-d-d-date!”

“Yeppers!”

“How did you know I wanted-“

“You’ve been staring at my butt since I got here. It’s pretty obvious you like me. Also Marble told me.”

I could feel my eyes bulging out of my head. “How? You just got here, she hasn’t said a word since you’ve been here!”

Pinkie smiled even wider. “We’re twins. We don’t need words to get secret messages to one another. It’s why I know how worried she is about you… so what do you say?”

I wanted to scream, to argue, to say no. Yet I knew it might honestly be my only chance to fix this broken part of my brain. Moreover she now had me concerned about something I hadn’t been before. What did the Alicorn Amulet really do to my brain… I fear the only pony in Equestria who might know would be Twilight. At least I don’t think she hated me. The last time I saw her I kinda, sorta apologized and she smiled at me. You don’t smile at ponies you hate, right?

Besides this got me one thing I’ve been wanting for a long while now. I stood up. “Okay, Pinkie, I’ll… I’ll go with you and try this.”

Pinkie Pie shouted for joy. “Hooray! Okay, in that case we’re gonna call this your Pie Sister Surprise Swap Day. Don’t worry about giving me a gift, just going with me to try this is a gift enough, as for you I’ll have a real treat for you on our date.”

I opened mouth but closed it soon after. Was it possible that Pinkie might actually be looking forward to going out on a date with something like me? No, maybe she was just desperate and since I said yes I was good enough… or maybe she was just so kind she was willing to lower her standards to fit me. No matter the reason I decided I’d just be happy with it. After all Pinkie was a really good pony, not many of those existed out there, so I’d be more than happy to accept her pity on me.

I really didn’t look forward to going back to Ponyville though.

Comments

[crowscrowcrow]

I guess the answer is Pinkie Pie then. xD
I hope we find out how that got started.

The mechanics of her nightmare problem seem clear, but it is certainly curious that Luna cannot enter them. That can't be good and should probably raise more alarm than it seems to. Course, it's possible Pinkie is playing it cool.

The 'swap' part of the Surprise Swap Day doesn't seem to mean what it normally does, but heck, that's Pinkie Pie for you. xD

with something like me?

Dang, Trixie, don't refer to yourself as a thing. QQ

[TheCrimsonDM]

10404496
Unless im mistaken, wasn't the psssd all about pinkie dragging her sisters someplace and then exchanging a gift?

[crowscrowcrow]

10404645
I'm unfamiliar with the entire thing. You mentioned it was from the comics?

[TheCrimsonDM]

10404695
Its from an episode where maud rarity and pinkie go to manehatten for rarity to find a store location. Pinkie ends up selling or trading her party cannon for mauds gift

[crowscrowcrow]

10404788
Ahh yes. That's right.
Well, I'm back up to speed on PSSSD.

[horses are fuckin weird]

The way Rarity looked at me specifically, it was something I couldn’t erase from my mind. The look of disgust and hatred in those eyes was inhuman.

that's probably because uh, they aren't humans

they're horses

[sirtopoftheworldegg]

11165010
increatura?
not pony like?
uhhhh