• Published 18th Apr 2013
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Ponywatching - ThunderTempest



Stories from TMP prompts

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Prompt #553: Apologies

Twilight Sparkle woke up with a balloon tied around her waist. It was pink. Twilight sighed. This was not the first time that such a thing had happened, and it probably wouldn’t be the last. Still, Twilight inspected the balloon a bit more closely, and found a card hanging off the bottom. Detaching it with a quick pull of her magic, she opened it up.

Inside, in Pinkie Pie’s familiar script, was nothing helpful, just a time and a place, which, in typical Pinkie fashion, was five minutes from now and at Sugarcube Corner. As Twilight set the card down on her bedside table, she caught sight of a second message, written on the back. Like the first, it was short, and to the point.

‘Don’t untie your balloon,’ was all it said. Shrugging, Twilight left the pink balloon tied around her, and set off for Sugarcube Corner. As she walked down the street, she caught sight of Rarity heading in the same direction, a balloon also tied around her. Rarity, in turn, also spotted Twilight, and seemed to let out a sigh and a smile.

“Pinkie visited you too, I see,” said Rarity.

“Yes, she did,” said Twilight, “do you have any idea what this is about?”

Rarity shook her head. “I’m as in the dark about this as you are, Twilight. I simply woke up and there was a balloon tied around me, and the card.”

By this time, the two had arrived at Sugarcube Corner. Upon entering, they found that the rest of the Elements were there.

“Ooh, goody!” cried Pinkie, from her position on one of the counters. “Now that we’re all here, we can get started.”

Everypony else simply blinked, and looked around nervously.

“Um, if you don’t mind me asking, but what are we here for, Pinkie?” said Fluttershy.

“You...don’t know?” asked Pinkie, her head cocking to the side. “But I thought that everypony knew?” More looks were exchanged between the five ponies who were not pink.

“Knew what, Pinkie?” asked Twilight.

“I gave you guys balloons.” There was a further silence, and then Rarity gasped, and clapped a hoof over her mouth.

“Pinkie,” she said, slowly, “do you mean to say that you are...?”

“Yepperooni!”

“What?” asked Rainbow Dash, “I don’t get what’s going on. Somepony please explain what’s going on?”

“It’s an old custom, from the early days of Equestria,” said Rarity, “It’s really only remembered by the old families of unicorns these days. Basically, a way of showing another pony that you liked them, you would give them a gift that resembled your own cutie mark. It was a way of giving a part of yourself to the pony you loved. Pinkie, did you learn about this when you were in Canterlot?”

“Yep!” smiled Pinkie, “that’s why I thought all of you knew, I guess. Oh well, you know now!”

“So lemme get this straight,” said Applejack, “you’re in love with us? As in, all of us?”

“Yep!” at Pinkie’s proclamation, the rest of them blinked while they processed the information.

Rainbow Dash was the first to speak.

****Time****

“Yeah, that’s great, Pinkie, but I...don’t feel the same. Like, I like all of you girls, but...sorry,” she said, blasting out the door, a trail of rainbow and a slowly falling balloon the only sign of her passing. Pinkie Pie’s smile dropped a little.

“Yeah, I’m real sorry Pinkie,” added Applejack, “but ‘taint in my nature to lie, but as much as I appreciate the guesture and all, I don’t like you like that.” With that, Applejack detached the balloon, and trotted out the door.

“My dear, as wonderful and romantic as this whole thing was, I must confess that I too, do not love you like that. I am deeply sorry, Pinkie,” said Rarity, untying her own balloon with a shimmer of magic, and departing with as much haste as could still be called ‘ladylike’. Pinkie’s smile dropped further.

“I...don’t really know how to say this Pinkie, but I’m sorry,” said Twilight, untying her own balloon, and teleporting out.

Pinkie turned to Fluttershy, her smile almost gone, but hope still shining in her eyes.

“I, um, I have to go,” said Fluttershy, “Angel Bunny needs his ears massaged.”
Fluttershy fled Sugarcube Corner in a streak of pink and yellow. Her balloon gently floated to the floor, where it rested with the other four, and Pinkie’s smile left her face entirely.

Author's Note:

Written for Prompt #553: “From The Bottom Of My Heart”
The Prompt: Giving somepony a gift that resembles your cutie mark has a special meaning.

First story of 2015, and it's this.

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