In Pursuit of Happiness

by Spice of Life

All the Colors of Grey

Something moved Pinkie through the grey world. She wasn't sure if she was being pushed or pulled, but something propelled her. The ground she was walking on was just nondescript grey and all around her were towering cylinders of dark grey. Something caught her attention, there were two... things that were moving in front of her. They seemed to be moving in the same direction as she was. She wasn't sure if she was following them or if she was just going the same direction. Something was happening. The things with her seemed to be doing something. Her ear twitched. Maybe there was noise? She ignored the slight buzzing in her ear. It wasn't important. Nothing was important anymore.

'We told ya dat she didn't love ya.'

A greenish grey stallion appeared from behind one of the towering grey cylinders. He had a dark green mane and wore dark grey overalls. From behind another cylinder came a dark beige mare wearing a burlap sack with her brown mane done up in pig tails. The buzzing in her ear stopped.

'Weeeee would neeeever cast you out like zat. Ztay with us Pinkie.'

Two more stallions stepped out next to Rocky. The first wore a rag around his neck and had a very puffy beige mane and tail. The other had a dirty yellow coat and pink hoovers and wore a bucket on his head.

'Just forget about her, you don't need such uncouth ponies as her.'

'If I were you, I wouldn't speak to her ever again.'

There was a tingling sensation on her face. One of the things she was with moved closer and the buzzing in her ear started again.

'Don't listeeen to heeer, she just wantz you to be unhappy again.'

She stared blankly ahead, ignoring both the buzzing and Rocky. The grey landscape seemed to stretch on before her, the towering grey cylinders creating a path. She numbly moved forward. The buzzing lessened and the thing in front of her moved on ahead.

'Dat's right, you leave Pinkie alone, we're takin' care of 'er now.'

The thing that was further away from her moved into the cylinders. The other one stopped where it was, she stopped also. She wasn't sure why but she did. Buzzing came from beside her where the other thing had moved. It was doing something to a glossy brown surface.

'Now we just need to get away from the other one. Then we can have a party for Sir Lintsalot. He needs a party.'

'Quite, we love your parties Pinkie, not like those other ponies. Come, throw us a party.'

'Oui, let us leave theze bad poniez and go have a party.'

'Dats right, these ponies is losers. You don't wanna be around no loser ponies who make you sad.'

The four ponies surrounded her, smiling at her and trying to pull her somewhere. More buzzing, tingling on the sides of her face. Her view was changing. Was something turning her head?

One of the things was right in front of her. It moved forward and its blurry grey shape gradually became white. More tingling, this time on the lower middle of her face. Her vision slowly focused on the thing in front of her, an orb slowly began to form in the middle of the white mass. A feeling of warmth started to emanate from whatever was touching her. The sensation began to feel more real and she realized it was touching her lips. Something warm blew across her face and her ears twitched as she heard something. Not the background buzzing she had detected but real sound, real sound that she understood. It was quiet, whispered almost but it caused color to explode back into her world and the thing in front of her became perfectly clear.

"I love you Pinkie," said Rarity then kissed her a second time.

All was right with world again. Pinkie closed her eyes to shield them from the blast of color that threatened to blind her. She extended her front legs and grabbed Rarity, pulling her into a tight hug as wetness streamed down her cheeks. They stayed in each other's embrace for an eternity till the moment was interrupted by somepony clearing her throat.

"Ahem. Ah'm thrilled for ya'll but we're still in a forest with monsters runnin' around so if ya'll could save it, Ah'd be much obliged. Still don't see why ya couldn't have done that when Pinkie first laid eyes on ya, Rarity."

"Applejack, darling. As I told you before, I simply could not allow the mare I love to see me in such a state. It reflects badly upon my love for her."

"Ah still don't get it. Pinkie's been more upset than a cat in a washtub, worrin' about ya. Then ya put her though... whatever that was. Jus' don't seem right."

Rarity's gaze dropped to the ground. "I suppose you are right, I really didn't mean to put the poor dear though so much. However I wanted our reunion to be perfect. I wanted to look as beautiful and pristine as she always tells me I am. Ideally there would also be candles, lovely gowns and moonlight involved but we can't have everything can we?" She reached her hoof up and gently bounced her coifed mane. A wet trail leading from the edge of the lake and stopping just before where she stood.

"Err Rarity?" Applejack stepped forward and poked Pinkie with her hoof.

"Hmm?" Rarity replied as she nuzzled the pink pony.

"Pinkie ain't movin'," she poked Pinkie again.

Rarity sighed, "oh dear, she gets like this sometimes. "Pinkie, Pinkie dear. You better stop this or I won't give you anymore kisses," she waited for a moment. "Odd, usually that works. Oh dear, I may have to resort to something more drastic," she extracted herself from the iron grip of Pinkie. The pink pony briefly balanced on her rear legs then fell over on her face, her body still as a statue.

"Wut are ya gonna do?"

"Something I had hoped would not be necessary." Rarity trotted back over to the lake. "Ick, and I just got..." she looked down at herself. Her coat still had spots of dirt in it and her mane was tangled with tiny bits of twigs and dirt. She shuddered. "Not as clean as I want to be but cleaner than it was." She stopped at the bank of the lake and reluctantly dipped her hoof into the mud, she swirled it around and lifted up her leg. She retched slightly when she saw the big clump of mud on her hoof. "Applejack, be a dear and turn Pinkie over on her back, will you?"

Applejack looked suspiciously at Rarity but complied. She lifted Pinkie up and gently laid the pink statue on her back.

Rarity trotted over to Pinkie. "I hate doing this but Pinkie loves it," she stood over Pinkie and placed her muddy hoof on Pinkie's tummy. She gently rubbed her tummy in a circular motion. "I'm not quite sure why she loves it so much, I think it has something to do with back when she was on the rock farm."

Applejack watched in shock as the most neat freak prissy unicorn she knew, who had just bathed herself, now had her hoof covered in mud and was rubbing it over her special somepony. "If Ah hadn't just see ya knock out a chimera, this would be the most shockin' thing I saw all day."

"Oh do shut up," said Rarity and rolled her eyes. Below her Pinkie started moving again, her whole body went limp as her puckered lips spread into a huge grin.

"You looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooove me." Pinkie whispered as she smiled up at Rarity.

Rarity looked down at Pinkie. Her mane and tail had poofed back to their usual bounciness, her eyes were shining and she had mud on her tummy. "Yes darling, I do, more than anything." She leaned down to give Pinkie a peck on the cheek but the pink mare had other ideas.

Before Applejack or Rarity could blink Pinkie reached up and grabbed Rarity's head in her hooves and gave her a huge sloppy Pinkie kiss then wrapped all four legs around Rarity and gave her a big full body hug.

"AHHHHH PINKIE!" Rarity shrieked. "I just washed off!"

"I'm neeeeeeeeever letting you go again, I missed you soooooooooooooooooooooo sososososo much." Pinkie started kissing Rarity's face all over as she hung off the unicorn.

Rarity tried to push Pinkie off of her but to no avail. "Applejack, would you be a dear and give me a hoof please?"

"Nah, Ah'll just watch."

"Of course you will. Come now Pinkie." Rarity said as she limped over to the lake with the pink pony hanging off her. When she reached the edge she once again tried to push Pinkie off of her but her legs remained firmly locked around Rarity. With a defeated sigh, Rarity tried to step over the muddy bank but the weight of Pinkie on her caused her to fall short and both of them fell into the mud.

Somehow Pinkie stayed attached to Rarity as she struggled through the mud and finally into the clear water of the lake. She struggled to keep her head at the surface with Pinkie hanging to her until finally the pink pony needed to breath and let go. Pinkie's head popped out of the surface next to Rarity's.

"That's cheating Rarity!" Pinkie yelled as she coughed up water.

"You know I don't like it when you jump on me after I give you a mud rub," said Rarity as she started swimming to a less muddy shore so she could climb out.

Pinkie followed her. "But I wasn't finished."

Rarity climbed out of the lake and her horn glowed as a light blue color enveloped her, drying and styling her limp mane and tail back to a close approximation their natural splendor. "We would never get out of the forest if I waited till you were finished dear."

"Ooooooh." Pinkie scampered out of the lake after Rarity and skidded to a stop in front of her. "What's that? It's pretty," asked Pinkie as she pointed her hoof at a gem hanging around Rarity's neck.

Rarity lifted the necklace with her hoof so Pinkie could see it better. It was a large violet gemstone, set in gold, attached to a thick gold band that encircled Rarity's neck. "Well this used to be the jeweled clasp to an absolutely fabulous cape I was given personally by Lady Amethyst. Sadly the cape was lost to the forest but it still makes a lovely necklace," she let the necklace fall back against her chest.

Pinkie ducked her head down and came back up with a few pieces of cloth in her mouth. "I thound thess four yeuw," she spit them out. "I found these while we were trying to find you. Maybe you can fix your cape with them," she said with a smile.

Rarity looked down at the scraps with disgust. "Err, thank you darling but that is hardly enough for me to repair the cape, and I am afraid the rest of it is in a manticore's mouth somewhere back there," she gestured with her hoof in the direction they had found her. "Now, let's go girls. I cannot wait to be out of this forest... Which way is it again?"

"Ah made a trail for us to follow with mah hoof." Applejack pointed her hoof to a line of upturned dirt that was slightly wider than her hoof. "We jus' follow that and it'll take us back to tha' clearing that hydra made; then following its path we can get to tha' campsite." With that Applejack started down the path.

Rarity turned to Pinkie and fluttered her eye lashes at her. "If you will accompany me, my dear."

Almost before she could finish the sentence Pinkie was up beside her, leaning against her as the two walked behind Applejack. None of the ponies even noticed the pile of rocks, bag of flour, ball of lint or the bucket of turnips that were sitting on the path behind them.

As they trotted back along the narrow path, Pinkie and Rarity had to press together more and more to keep walking side by side. "I missed you soooooo much Rarity, I thought you were never coming back or that you stopped loving me. I mean I knew you would never stop loving me and you would be back but Rocky, Madam le Flour, Mr Turnip and Sir Lintsalot kept telling me you would never come back and I didn't know how to stop listening to them."

"Err what was that darling?"

"I know, but now you're back. I knew you would be and everything is going to be ooookay." Pinkie smiled happily. She could feel the alabaster unicorn's heart beat in sync with hers as they leaned on each other. It almost felt like a dream. She was finally back with the love of her life; somepony who meant more to her than even throwing parties.

Rarity tried to figure out exactly what Pinkie was talking about and how worried about her she should be. After all Pinkie had been though, it was probably best not to focus on Pinkie being a bit extra Pinkie Pie. She could always get the details later. "I missed you also darling, I was quite lonely without you. As much as I hate to say it, when the hydra showed up I was worried I would not be able to come back to you." She kissed Pinkie's cheek and giggled. "I would much rather talk about more pleasant things though. In Canterlot Hoity Toity and I..."

Applejack tuned the conversation out as Rarity began to regale Pinkie with tales of her trip to Canterlot and the fashions she was involved with. Instead she concentrated on the forest and following the path out. She recognized the tree they had slept under the night before.

"Oh Rarity," exclaimed Pinkie, interrupting Rarity's story. "We slept under that tree last night and I had a wonderful dream about you."

"That is so sweet, tell me more darling."

Applejack went back to ignoring them as she noted how much brighter and more welcoming the forest was today. Shafts of light shone though a green canopy of leaves above, birds sang and butterflies fluttered around flowers. It was enough to make her forget about the earlier encounters with the more monstrous creatures that inhabited the woods. She closed her eyes for a moment and let the sounds of the forest envelop her before opening them again to make sure she didn't stray from the path.

Applejack wasn't sure how much time had passed by when they reached the clearing the hydra had made. She was relaxing to the sounds of birds and Rarity and Pinkie's talking. Upon arriving at the clearing, she felt herself tense up again, remembering that there were still monsters around. At least they were making good time; following the trail she left was much simpler than trying to track Rarity though the forest.

Rarity stopped talking and looked around the clearing. "Oh my, I hadn't realized how much of a mess that hydra left." She quickly trotted around the area. "This is apparently where I heard it hit a tree..."

Pinkie Pie interrupted her. "Ohhhhh let me let me," she squealed as she hopped up onto the fallen tree. "When you ran here the hydra was all 'ROOOOAAAARRR' then went SMASH into this tree and its necks got all tangled around it. So you ran in a circle with the hydra trying to chase you but it couldn't and the tree fell over so you ran off into the forest." Pinkie finished with a grin.

Applejack and Rarity stared at Pinkie for a long moment before Rarity spoke. "That may have happened, I'm afraid I cannot be sure. It was quite late when the hydra attacked and too dark to see anything in these woods. I heard the hydra hit something and dropped the suitcase I was carrying. I ran around trying to find it but it was too dark." She looked at the fallen tree that Pinkie was standing on. "The racket from the hydra knocking over this tree. That must have been what I heard that made me decide to run into the forest. I don't suppose you found a purple suitcase when you came through here, did you?" she asked, a worried expression crossing her face as she looked around the clearing.

"Can't say we did sugarcube."

"This... Is... The..... WORST... Possible... Thing!" Exclaimed Rarity as she paced back and forth looking at the ground.

Pinkie hopped off the log and up to Rarity. "It's ok Rarity, we saved your other suitcase back at the camp site."

Rarity kept pacing nervously till she finally spoke. "We have to find my other suitcase. It's..." she hesitated as she looked at the other two ponies, "important."

Pinkie put her leg around Rarity's neck. "We're with you Rarity, we are gonna find that suitcase and," she was interrupted by Applejack.

"Now hold on there you two, we just found Rarity and ya'll wanna go back in the forest?" Applejack adjusted her hat and glared at the two. "No offence but have ya'll flipped yer lids? We just saw Rarity knock out a chimera and we're on a path of destruction left by a hydra. Now ya'll wanna stick around?"

Rarity meet Applejack's stare. "The contents of that suitcase are irreplaceable, I simply cannot allow them to remain lost in the middle of a forest."

"So what's so important that ya wanna stay in a forest lookin' fer it?"

Rarity glanced at Pinkie, who smiled at her. "I can't say."

Applejack raised her eyebrow as she looked at Rarity. "It ain't an engagement band, is it?"

Rarity's eyes went wide and her mouth hung open in shock. "Of course not!" She exclaimed. "We only just started dating."

"But Rarityyyyyyy." Rarity turned back to Pinkie to see her with big puppy dog eyes that glistened with tears. "You mean you don't want to get married?"

Rarity wrapped her hooves around Pinkie. "Offff course I do, darling. However it simply isn't proper for a lady to even think about an engagement so soon after we began seeing each other."

Pinkie hugged Rarity back. "Oh Rarity, hehehhehehe *snort*" she gave Rarity a kiss on the cheek.

"So if it ain't an engagement band then what could be so important that ya wanna stick around looking fer it?"

Rarity sighed and let go of Pinkie. "Well if you must know, it was a necklace that had three gemstones cut to look just like Pinkie's cutie mark."

"Awww Rarityyyyyy." Pinkie squeezed her harder.

"It sounds nice and all but can't ya just have another one made? Ah've seen how many gems ya use for yer dresses, can't be that expensive to get another one."

"This was not just a simple piece of jewelry, it was specially crafted by master jewel cutter Aventurescence, in Prancington. Each gem was perfectly cut to look like one of her balloons." Rarity huffed. "I was only able to get it made by a personal request from Lady Amethyst herself. I would have to wait years to have another one made."

"That's okay Rarity, I don't need the necklace now that you told me about it. I can imagine it and I love it!."

"Ya see, no need to go traipsin' around the forest anymore."

Rarity's ears folded down and a defeated expression crept across her face. "The fabric and dresses are easily replaced but I hate to leave my gift to you," she looked at Pinkie, "in the middle of a forest." Pinkie licked her cheek. "Euuugh!" She shrieked and pushed Pinkie off her.

Pinkie giggled. "Silly Rarity, I don't need a present to know you love me. Just knowing that you thought of me enough to get me something is present enough." Pinkie said as she hopped to her hooves and leaned against Rarity.

Applejack smiled and trotted up on the other side of Rarity. "Besides sugarcube, we have no idea where yer suitcase could be. Could be halfway to Appleoosa by now."

Rarity looked back and forth, from her special somepony to her friend. "Very well, you have convinced me. Let us depart this forest at once and return home."

"YAY!"

"Attagirl." Applejack gave Rarity another nudge then started down the path of destruction she and Pinkie had followed the day before, Pinkie and Rarity following closely behind.

Rarity looked over the path as she followed Applejack. The trees lining it were cracked outward, large branches littered the forest floor and numerous bushes were crushed under large hydra claw prints. "Oh my, that hydra certainly made a mess didn't it." She said for the second time.

"Yep, that critter sure seemed angry fer some reason."

Rarity kicked a branch off to the side of the path as she walked. "Yes it certainly was. I wonder what could have made the hydras so irate. We were all just sitting around a small camp fire when we heard a roar and the pair of them came bursting forth from the forest." She went silent for a long moment. The warmth from Pinkie still leaning against her filled her before she spoke again, fearing the answer: "Was... was anypony hurt? Before one of them chased me off I think I saw a hydra... bite somepony."

Applejack glanced at her then turned her gaze back to the trail. "Ah don't rightly know. Ah was with the Wagon Master an' the team pullin' the first wagon but Pinkie was back there. Ah did see a couple ponies being carried away on stretchers though."

"There were some hurt ponies in the back of the carriage," Pinkie said solemnly. "Two stallions looked pretty hurt and one mare couldn't walk on her own but everypony else seemed to be okay."

"Do you know if the stallions were alright?"

Pinkie shook her head and said, "Doctor Golden Hour got them loaded onto stretchers and taken to a hospital or something, but when I figured out you weren't with the caravan I grabbed Applejack and we ran back to the balloon to come find you." She perked up again, "but she seems really smart so I'm sure everypony is fine now that she's taking care of them."

Rarity hopped over a shallow stream and let out a relieved sigh. "I'm glad to hear everypony seems to have made it back relatively safely."

All three mares went quiet and stopped as a rustling in the bushes ahead caught their attention. Before anypony could react a green creature burst forth. For a fraction of a second, Rarity looked into two beady red eyes and she felt her body begin to slow down. Her hooves felt like they were slowly becoming rooted to the ground. Suddenly her vision became filled by pink and the weight lifted from her. She shook her head and blinked and saw a horrible sight; pink legs slowly becoming grey as they turned to stone.

"COCKATRICE!" Shouted Applejack as she galloped to the side of the road. She kicked up a large branch with her front hooves then spun around and bucked it at the cockatrice.

Rarity had already started galloping towards the cockatrice when the branch impacted it. It turned its attention to Applejack and used its tail to lift itself off the ground, spreading its wings and legs threateningly and hissing. The distraction gave Rarity plenty of time to close the distance. It heard her and turned back just as she got close to it. Before it could look her in the eye she slammed her forehoof into its head. The creature was knocked into the air and landed on the side of the path.

Applejack galloped over and reared up ready to bring her hooves down on the creature if it tried anything again. Instead the cockatrice just lay there. Applejack let her forelegs fall back to the ground as Rarity galloped over to her.

"Is it dead?" Rarity asked, worry tinting her voice. A cockatrice was dangerous but she didn't want to be responsible for killing anything, even if it had almost turned her to stone.

Applejack poked the cockatrice with her hoof. "Ah think ya just knocked it senseless."

Rarity let out a sigh of relief. "Just a glance from that creature was enough to make me feel like the world was slowing down around me. Good thing Pinkie got in the... PINKIE!" she shrieked spinning around.

Pinkie was right where Rarity had left her. "Hi Rarity," she called, " hehehehe I'd wave but I can't seem to move my hooves." She struggled and only succeeded in almost tipping over. "wooooahhhhoooahhhhh hehehehe." Her four hooves were grey and rooted to the earth.

Rarity trotted over to Pinkie. "Oh Pinkie darling, you saved my life," she wrapped her hooves around Pinkie's neck and gave her a deep kiss.

Applejack trotted over. "Ah hate to break up this moment but we might wanna skedaddle while this critter is knocked out." She stopped when she saw Pinkie's legs, the cockatrice's stare had caused stone to creep up almost half way up her legs. "Oh mah, are ya alright Pinkie?"

Rarity pulled out of the kiss but Pinkie stayed statue still, Rarity rolled her eyes. "Pinkie, come now darling, come back to us," said Rarity as she tapped Pinkie's cheek with her hoof.

Pinkie shook her head. "OH! Hi Rarity."

Applejack wrapped her hooves around Pinkie and tried to lift her up. "C'mon Rarity, help me get Pinkie up on my back and lets git outta here."

"Hold on a moment Applejack." Rarity leaned her head down and an aqua glow began to form around her horn. "Awhile back Sweetie Belle wandered into the Everfree Forest and had an encounter with a cockatrice." The aqua glow extended around the lower portion of Pinkie's legs. "Errrhhh. After I heard about it, uughhhh, I had Twiiiilight teach me a spell to," she gritted her teeth and beads of sweat began to trickle down her forehead, "unstone somepony who had, errrhhhhhhhh, been turned to stooone." The aqua glow fully encapsulated the grey portions of Pinkie's legs then slowly melted down. What had once been stone was now back to its usual pink coat. Rarity collapsed on the ground panting for breath. "Oh my... That spell really takes it out of you. Twilight made it look so easy." Pinkie and Applejack knelt down next to her. "Just give me a moment, darlings, and I'll be fine."

Pinkie reached her legs under Rarity.

"What are you doiiiiiiiiiing?!" shrieked Rarity as Pinkie pulled her up into a tight hug.

"I knew you'd save me Rarity, you wouldn't let me be a stony legs pony. I don't think I would like being a stony pony."

"Pinkie."

"I didn't really like it when I grew up on a rock farm and I'll bet being a stone pony is like that."

"PINKIE!"

"Yes Rarity."

Rarity's face was beginning to turn blue. "Can't ... breath."

"Oops, sorry Rarity," Pinkie giggled and let go of Rarity.

Rarity took a moment to catch her breath and compose herself. "Thank you darling," she looked at the cockatrice. "We should probably be on our way. I'm not sure if I can manage that spell again should anypony else be turned to stone."

Applejack reared up on her hind legs. "Right, then lets hightail it out of here," she galloped down the path followed closely by Rarity and Pinkie.

It didn't take long for them to arrive at the rest site used by the caravans. Pinkie and Applejack galloped over to the balloon while Rarity walked into the clearing. "Oh my... such a mess," she lifted a dress that had fallen out of a burst suitcase. She called over to Pinkie and Applejack, "I don't suppose we could take some of this luggage with us? I hate to leave all these ponies' belongings laying on the ground in the middle of a forest."

Pinkie and Applejack had dragged the basket into the middle of the camp ground and had begun inflating the balloon. Applejack called over to her, "We ain't got much space with that suitcase of yers but it looks like we could fit a few things. Try and be quick though, Ah don't wanna spend another night here."

Rarity didn't waste time replying, she just quickly went from suitcase to suitcase, arranging the ones that hadn't burst open in a pile next to the plateau. Once she finished with that she went to each spilled open case and tried to identify anything that might be valuable to the owner. By the time she was finished she had a small pile of clothes, a few necklaces and earrings, and two framed family portraits.

A high pitched voice called to her. "C'mon Rarity, we are all ready here, I've even got a surprise for you."

"Just a moment," she called as she trotted over. "Do we have enough room for all this?"

"Ah don't think so, we got enough for the dresses and knickknacks but Ah doubt we can fit those pictures. Why don't ya put em over by the stacked suitcases and cover em with some of the other clothes around here or somethin'."

"That is a good idea Applejack." Rarity levitated the clothes and jewels into the basket then trotted over to the stack of suitcases. She delicately levitated the portraits behind the suitcases then covered them with a cheap looking but thick dress. "There, that should protect them from the elements," satisfied she trotted back to the balloon. Applejack and Pinkie helped her over the side of the basket. As soon as her hooves touched the basket floor the balloon began to gently lift off the ground.

"Thank you dears. Let us be off," said Rarity with a smile on her face.

Pinkie Pie giggled. "First I got a present for you," she held up two white boxes that were tied together with a string.

"Are those..?" Pinkie nodded, "Oh Pinkie." Rarity reared up and wrapped her forelegs around the pink pony. "I am simply famished," her horn glowed and she untied the string around the boxes with her magic then lifted open the top of the box, revealing the lovely cake that Pinkie had made especially for her. An aqua glow surrounded a piece of cake as she lifted it out of the box. She was unable to resist the urge to simply devour it. The icing was hard and the vanilla cake was stale, but at the moment Rarity could not remember anything she had ever eaten that was so delicious. The experience was punctuated by the balloon clearing the tops of the trees and the occupants of it being bathed in the late morning light of Princess Celestia's sun.

Pinkie watched Rarity and smiled as she ate the piece in a single bite. "I knew you would want your special cake when we found you."

Rarity blushed and dabbed the sides of her mouth with a napkin that had been in the box with the cake. "Well you were right darling," she leaned forwards and kissed Pinkie's cheek. "Would you two like some cake?"

"But Rarityyyyyyy I made that cake special just for youuuuuu."

"Darling, must we go through this every time I offer you some cake?"

"Well, Ah'll take some. Ah haven't had a bite to eat since that sandwich yesterday."

Rarity levitated a piece of cake over to Applejack, "here you are," and another to Pinkie. "I am about to let this piece of cake go," she said to Pinkie. "If you don't catch it then it will make a mess and you know how I feel about messes."

Pinkie opened her mouth and Rarity let the cake fall into it. She swallowed it in one gulp and giggled. "Thanks Rarity, I didn't realize how hungry I was."

"Yep. Thanks Rarity, mighty generous of ya."

"Oh pshaw," she waved her hoof at them. "How could I let the two ponies who came to rescue me form a deep dark forest starve? Speaking of rescue, do you know which direction we need to fly to return home?"

"Oh yeah," Pinkie bounced over to the side of the basket and pointed with her hoof into the distance. "Backwoods Glenn is right over there, where those big super scary clouds are."

Rarity and Applejack both looked past Pinkie into the distance, where rolling black clouds loomed.

Author's Note:

I like how every chapter ends up being like twice as long as I first expect. Expecting to have only two more chapters but I also thought that two chapters ago.

Pinkie's imaginary friends, descriptions inspired by http://browse.deviantart.com/art/Party-of-Four-329620833

Comments

[Avatar of Shadow]

Oh thank goodness, you had me worried for a sec. And a storm now? No problem!

[Spice of Life]

2426976
Glad to see someone is waiting with bated breath. I've got the rest of it planned out but I'm still not totally sure how to get there and everything is subject to change as always.

[Avatar of Shadow]

2427303
Raripie is a Rarity (Tee hee) and is always appreciated in my books!
Onwards!
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